Hi, I'm new to the forum. I recently picked up an '85 VF700F interceptor. It's sat for a while so I've been checking it over. It needed a new rear chain so I pulled off the drive sprocket cover to clean out all the old grease and found that the drive sprocket has about 1mm of side to side float on the drive shaft. The bolt is tight and I believe the large single washer and single o-ring are correct. So my question is, is it designed to float like that? I'm used to old British bikes where the drive sprocket is tight against a bearing. Thanks.
Yes, a small amount of side-to-side float (about 1mm) on the drive sprocket is normal on many Japanese bikes, including your VF700F Interceptor. Unlike older British bikes, where the drive sprocket is tightly pressed against a bearing, the design on your Honda allows for slight movement to accommodate
