'86 VFR750 starter issues

Hey guys, I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this. I'm looking at an '86 VFR to potentially buy. Haven't looked at it yet, owner says it's in good condition and running great, except for some problem with the solenoid. He said something about needing to hold it in position with a screwdriver in order to start the bike, but that it would start right up and run great if he did that.

To me this sounds like a simple grounding issue that could probably be resolved without a replacement, and the part's cheap anyway. I was just wondering if anyone had experience with issues with the solenoid (starter) on this bike - I want to get all the advice I can before I spend my money! Is it a simple fix? Is it frequently indicative of larger problems? While I'm asking, are there other common issues I should keep an eye out for, when I look at the bike? I've heard (not from the seller, don't worry :glee that they're pretty much bulletproof - no cam chain to worry about, easy/infrequent valve adjustments, and so on. But you can't be too careful, right?

Thanks in advance for any help!

(I'm almost tempted, if his fix is reliable and it's not anything that could cause other problems, to just leave it as is as a theft deterrent... :glee

 

Welcome to the forums CP!

My guess is that the owner is "jumping" the starter solenoid with a screw driver. If so, this is not a "fix" per say, but a simple test of the high current side of the starting system. Using this test method as a means of starting the bike in an "everyday" situation is definitely not recommend.

 

Ah, that makes much more sense. Thanks. Only been riding for a year or so and the old bike (RIP, cager took her out) never had electrical issues, so I still have yet to learn about 'em!

So how intensive is the fix likely to be? Will just replacing the solenoid resolve the problem, or does this symptom suggest deeper issues?

 

Have a copy of the Honda service manual. It's unfortunately not overly thorough on the topic. It says basically what you just did - any of the clutch/neutral switches, clutch diode, starter relay switch (solenoid), starter switch, or ignition switch could be at fault. Presumably it's not the ignition switch since the bike, you know, runs. It could also theoretically just be a flaw in the wiring at some random point, I suppose, which could be a bitch. But those all seem to be relatively cheap/easy parts to replace.

My basic plan is to just show up with a multimeter and try to diagnose it on the spot. If I can figure out exactly what's wrong, and am confident that I can easily fix it, I'll probably pull the trigger. If not, I probably won't.

 

I would use a test light, thats just me though, wut do i KNoW/?

 

Probably work just as well as a multimeter for this. But the multimeter I already have! ;-)

 

Its kewel, I was just doing an old Ducati with a burned oot starter and used a test light, I could trouble shoot the starter solenoid as well with it and deemed them both DOA. You could smell the burned oot electrons, real mess, and stinky too. Hate that stink.

 

I too would probably use a simple little test light. I say this because some sellers might not agree with allowing a prospective buyer to go probing around their machine with a multimeter (but then again, the owner is using a screw driver to start it; so he/she probably won't care about this).

Btw, those 750s are not that easy to come by (the 700s seem to be much more plentiful).

 

How difficult are parts to come by?

 

I'll let the infinitely more knowledgeable members give an in-depth answer to that.

However, most makes and models from that era, or before, have a number of parts that are no longer obtainable (otherwise known as unobtainium). This is probably even more so with the VF and VFR series due to their relative complexity. But hey, their complexity is part of why we love these machines (no pun intended... well maybe a little).

 

Test the starter relay for ohmage between the 2 terminals that send it power after removing the red plug (not the large terminals wired to starter motor or the red wires on the plug). No continuity means relay itself is shot, easy replacement with parts still available, same relay used on dozens of Hondas from the same era, other brands too.