Potential purchase - cold start advise requested

Hello everyone,

I'm a non-owner, relatively new to thread. The 85 500F has been on my bucket list and I'd like to appeal to you to help me assess a potential purchase. I've read many of your posts and feel like I have a fair understanding of what I may be getting into - thank you all for your contributions, I don't think I'd be attempting this without them.

I've embedded a YouTube video of the bike starting and I don't feel confident in my ability to assess any potential issues based on what it shows. If any of you can provide your opinion on what you see/hear, I'd be very grateful.



Thanks in advance for identifying any potential maintenance or repair issues .

 

Bucket list ?? most VF500s are in buckets and boxes stuffed under workbenches everywhere.

do your research. these can be very troublesome old bikes, and many problems with them have taken up pages and pages of many threads on this forum. of all the bike discussed here, the VF500s have been the #1 most problem-plagued.

some may be ok, but they often drop valves, which ruins the engine in a second, and parts are hard to find or unavailable.

at the very least, a compression test would let you know whether it has potential to be a good runner.........or not.

the best advice i got when looking to buy my first bike was "buy the newest bike you can afford."

 

So are my income tax forms - if this doesn't work maybe I can fit the bike in some bankers boxes.

 

Hi Phil, Its hard to hear from that audio anything beyond the fact its running to be honest.

As Squirrelman says, they can be problematic so be careful and go in with eyes wide open, however Id say if you can get it cheap enough (DONT OVER PAY), if its in good shape and no rust in the tank, cracks in bodywork etc, id be one of those guys willing to gamble .

Just know that Cam Shafts can be a problem as well, which you'll never see without taking the valve covers off, and many engine parts are NLA, so if you're able to buy it for a price where you could recoup your $ from parting it out if worst came to worst then Id say go for it.

Looks like an 84/85 ? Im not an expert on the 500 (ive had 2) but I believe in 86 they made some modifications like the larger oil sump etc, someone else here may know more about which model years may be better or worse (if any).

Id also take squirrels advice and consider what your gonna use it for. If you are hell bent on a V4 500 Interceptor for reasons of nostalgia and it will be a short once a week ride, I'd say, if it makes yo happy then go for it. If its going to be your daily transportation I'd suggest looking for something newer or more reliable.

What is the seller asking for price ?

For comparison I bought an immaculate 86 for $1600 CAD and a complete running 85 for $400 CAD a few years ago. I think I did ok.

 

I am an expert on 500s, and I really can't add anything more than what straycat already summed up nicely.

 

Stray nailed it. It comes down to the price, condition, your use case, and your level of patience. I would certainly not buy it as an only bike. I'm not an expert, but I have some time swinging hammers on two of them. I've always recommended people look elsewhere if it's a first bike just because of the age, (relative) complexity, and scarcity of parts.

It's tough to tell too much from the video, but regarding the difficulty getting it started... I struggle that much if I don't run the bike for a month or so.

All that being said, I love riding them. If the situation and price is right, and it's a bike you really want? Go for it--understanding that even if it looks clean, it's going to be a project. If you're hesitant at all, I'd probably pass.

 

Thanks everyone. I'm retired and only plan to do some joyriding and try to relive the glory days of my youth.

The bike is selling for less than the estimated salvage price, and my last dental crown, so the downside risk is limited. I'm also comfortable having to spend some money to gain hands-on experience.

 

Then that sounds like pretty good motives to me. Right attitude. This place is a pretty damn good resource.

 

Sounds good Phil, go git her. Report back when you get her home !! pic's too please

 

that's a very bad sign usually means the owner knows it has serious problems.

but don't think i'm totally anti-500. when they run right they have one of the smoothest running engines ever, like a sewing machine.

 

Squirrel, my buddy bought a 1997 ST1100 ABS totally farkled out for $500 because the dude didn't know it had 2 main fuses when he installed the wrong battery and "let the magic smoke out". Sometimes one person's problems is the next person's opportunity. Sometimes it's a gamble, and sometimes it's a score.

Should have seen our faces when we got it back to my shop and opened that stupid little plastic door that HAD THE SPARE FUSE IN IT!!!!

 

There it is, you tell me.