Hello all. I bought a 85 VF700 as a starter bike. 21k miles, $1700. A week later I saw a nice 86VFR750 and bought that also, intending to sell the 85. I found a buyer and the day before I was to deliver it, I blew a rod on the 700. (I'm guessing its a rod...CLANK,CLANK,CLANK.....OIL EVERYWHERE!) oH S**T!!!! I talked to a guy who had a 750 engine for sale. He's not sure of the year....early 90ies maybe - but he thinks the 750 will bolt into the 700 frame. I'm not a wrench turner so I could use some advice. What would you pay for a 750 engine? How much to install? Is that a job that a teenage grease monkey can do? What are the pitfalls I should beware of? I'd like to get some of my money out of the VF700. the 86VFR drives great!! thanks in advance Clay
Where to begin... If the 750 engine is from the "early 90s", then you're talking about a 3rd Generation VFR. Just to guess... I'd say the possibility of that motor "dropping in" to your 1st Gen VFR are slim to nill. There are A LOT of differences between these two bikes. This sounds like a royal pain in the ass... if it's even possible at all. You want to be RIDING a bike, not wrenching on one endlessly. Also, consider the resale value of this 21 year old Frankenbike... would it be worth the effort? Of course the guy who's selling the motor is telling you that it will bolt onto that frame... consider his motives: he's trying to sell you a motor. He might be the kind of guy who'd tell you it'll bolt onto your lawnmower if it would make you buy it. I would'nt attempt it. For a fraction of the effort, you could simply tear the bike down and part it out on eBay. If it's in decent shape, you might get $1700 for the parts. Hell, a decent tank will go for several hundred by itself. That's how you get your money out of this 700 quickly. Go enjoy your working 750!
