12 replies to this topic

[fishbate]

Hello, all. I'm a long time lurker from Canada. For the last 5 years I've been riding a lot of supermoto and some motocross. Before that I rode an RZ350 for a while. I blew up my latest supermoto because of the miles I put on it versus a lot of heavy engine work. Attempting to put 45,000 miles on a 50hp 450 single is not a good idea.
My girlfriend and I are starting to get serious and she loves riding two-up. So, I wanted to get a sporty bike that can do huge miles, last a long time, and is both passenger and track day friendly. A couple of days after I blew up my Suzuki, I found a good deal on a one owner 1993 750. It has less than 30,000 miles and is almost mint, all original. The previous owner is coming up on his 70's and couldn't justify the high, Canadian insurance price for the little amount of miles that he still rides. I snapped it up as soon as I could. He was super reluctant and I could've sworn I saw a tear in his eye as I rode away.

Introductions aside, I said in the previous paragraph that it is "almost" mint. There is something that I am having a slight issue with. It's not a big deal, but it's not perfect. When I leave from a stop, or slip the clutch in first, the bike shutters a bit. The clutch engagement from a dead stop is not as smooth as my father's 01 800. I was wondering if anyone here had experienced this slight shutter and if anyone might have some info on what I could start checking out.

[MaxSwell]

Hey FB. Welcome. What a fine looking machine. Sorry I cannot help with you question.

[TimC]

Welcome to VFRD and congrats on that beautiful '93! I don't think any sportbike has aged as well as that generation of the VFR. Most other sportbikes from that era look kind of ridiculous now IMHO.

I'm not much of a mechanic, but when was the last time the carbs were cleaned/checked out? Other items my poorly trained brain thought of were clutch cable slack and chain tension. If you got maintenance records with the bike I'd check if and when any of those items were handled.

[Africord]

I don't know for sure, but my first stop on any clutch/transmission issue is an oil change. It may be that simply freshening that up will resolve your problem.

[Dutchy]

Welcome to VFRD from across the pond

[cbkenison]

This happens on my bike and is lessened when the chain is warm. Also keeping revs a little higher may help, but ultimately I believe it is due to the fact that the chain is old and had been sitting for over a year when I picked it up. BUT:

Check chain tightness, check chain lubrication and service limit. If you don't have the service manual I can look up the procedure for you. BTW that is a beautiful bike.

Edited by cbkenison, 05 July 2012 - 03:52 PM.

[mk2davis]

Color me jealous, as I think the 93 White is just beautiful. To answer your question, I'd change oil first, check chain tension (because it's easy) second, and bleed your clutch. All three are easy, and even if they aren't the problem it's still good to know you got fresh oil, tension is good, and your clutch doesn't have any bubbles.

[fishbate]

Thanks for all of the compliments and the suggestions.
When it was getting certified, the mechanic said that the chain was fine but would need replacement within the year. The chain adjustment is within spec, but on the loose end. I don't have a center stand or a rear stand. This makes cleaning and adjusting the rear end a bit of headache.
I only picked up the bike on Monday and haven't had time to change the oil. It looks clean and fairly fresh, but who knows. I have a jug of Motul 5100 and an OE filter ready to go.
I'm also going to change the brake and clutch fluids as soon as I can. It looks old. I'm not sure when the PO changed it last.

[Leozvfr]

Im new to the VFR world as well. But i have lots of experience in engine repair, ect.. As it is possible the clutch is almost worn out being that a 70 yr old guy was riding it. I would lean more towards the oil change. Its also possible someone added oil that has friction modifiers in it and could cause your clutch chatter. I would change the oil and go stress the clutch a few times and see if that corrects the problem. Beautiful bike!!

[Apittslife]

There is a rear stand available for your Bike, so you can get the rear wheel off the ground & the bike standing upright for maintianance.
Dot-4 brake fluid is relatively inexspensive, & you only need a small bottle, & changing the fluid is easy to do, just need someone to squeeze the levers for you, just keep the fluids off the body work at all costs!