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New VF500F Owner (NC)


Sbnc

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I’ve owned countless motorbikes over the years, but mainly Italian stuff. Last year a vf500f was listed locally, it was the first time I’ve ever seen one. On a whim I went to check it out, and liked it. The guy ended up trading for labor to his mechanic! 

 

So I tried finding another, but these things never seem to pop up locally. Also as you know, most are completely beat. I did find a raced vf500f with period correct motor work, suspension, etc. It was many hours away, and the deal just fell apart. I stopped looking after that, and haven’t been in the market since last year. 

 

 

Last night one was listed for sale only an hour away from me, and has been fully gone over. Pretty much as nice as a driver is going to get. Carbs were fully redone properly,brakes rebuilt,forks rebuilt,new Pirelli tires,chain,fresh valve adjustment, full Kerker exhaust, you get the drift... I couldn’t pass it up, and instantly reached out to the seller. Ended up purchasing it, and now the proud owner of an 85 vf500f

 

Already looking into suspension upgrades 🙂

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12 minutes ago, Cogswell said:

Nice!  More pics would be great. 

 

 

Quick exhaust clip:

 

 

These photos are the previous owners. 

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Congrats and welcome!!

 

 

 

The tired suspension on mine was updated with Racetech springs/emulators upfront and an YSS shock at the rear.

 

 

At 7 feet she is perfect.....

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congrats!  these are great bikes and i think you’ll have a lot of fun with it.  i’m a big fan of the 500.  if of interest, i have listed my ‘84 for sale in the classified section on vfrd.  it has a lot of upgrades which you may enjoy seeing - there are also more photos in an album on my member’s page.  good luck with your project & have fun!

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Now for some silly questions. 

 

Is there a specific oil most run with these? What interval should I stick with? 

 

It has the Pirelli sport demon tires. What psi are you guys having Goodluck with? I’m not used to riding on tiny scooter sized tires! Any broken pavement, these tires really catch it! 

 

These are such honest motocycles cycles to ride, shockingly rewarding. Love this little bike. 

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no silly question (we will tell you if so... :tongue:).

 

I run MOTUL 5100 10w40, as do many Dutch VF owners.

Change oil and check clearances every 6,000km.

The last 2 checks showed they were ok. But better be safe, especially since it is not an 86 which has a larger oil carter. By that time Honda had also figured out what caused the larger VF's to suffer failures.

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IMAG0960.thumb.jpg.a61110bcd8741259412dacf721979b68.jpgThis what "Practical Sportsbikes" wrote in 2015.

 

 

 

Inspect your cams (does the rubber head gasket on your have "half moons"?). If they are smooth you are good to go. Because if they were crap from the start I reckon it woukd have shown by now).

 

56,000km

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The red reflection is Rebel flag...:tongue:

 

 

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I donot have "the wisdom" for sure, but my main point is that if his cams are good now,  he will probably be good for the foreseeable future.

 

If they look like these (RC51's oil feed failure), you are up the creek...

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Valve springs were a big issue (factory called for replacement) and tended to float the valves at high rpms, causing impact between pistons and hanging

valves that lead to distortion of valve heads followed by dropped valves.  RIP another 500................😭

 

Best of luck with your bike but keep the revs down.

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9 minutes ago, squirrelman said:

 

Valve springs were a big issue (factory called for replacement) and tended to float the valves at high rpms, causing impact between pistons and hanging

valves that lead to distortion of valve heads followed by dropped valves.  RIP another 500................😭

 

Best of luck with your bike but keep the revs down.

 

 

Now you guys have me nervous about any thrashing. What’s the general limit I should be taking the RPM to?

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12,500 :tongue:

I do occasionally...

 

Never really focus on it, but in real life probably <9k as this is when the (little) torque there is will peel off

 

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2 hours ago, Dutchy said:

12,500 :tongue:

I do occasionally...

 

Never really focus on it, but in real life probably <9k as this is when the (little) torque there is will peel off

 

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9k is like highway cruising rpm! 😉

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9 hours ago, squirrelman said:

 

Valve springs were a big issue (factory called for replacement) and tended to float the valves at high rpms, causing impact between pistons and hanging

valves that lead to distortion of valve heads followed by dropped valves.  RIP another 500................😭

 

 

oh, no, more bad intel - weak valve springs are not an issue for the vf500f & valve float is no more an issue than any other engine that is over-revvd

 

here is the FSB - it's not about valve springs 🙂

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Well, I decided to take the bike to the office even though it was raining when I left. I have a 2.5 hour commute round trip including heading off to lunch... Of course this AM, there was 30 mins of dead stop traffic for no reason.

 

I try and commute on my bikes if it's not completely pouring rain. Lets so how long a bike that's older than me, stays reliable! It's a Honda after all 😉

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I.C., so you're sayin the factory never recommended that valve springs be replaced before 40k miles ????  i believe there was another FSB on that subject ?

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5 hours ago, Sbnc said:

Well, I decided to take the bike to the office even though it was raining when I left. I have a 2.5 hour commute round trip including heading off to lunch... Of course this AM, there was 30 mins of dead stop traffic for no reason.

 

I try and commute on my bikes if it's not completely pouring rain. Lets so how long a bike that's older than me, stays reliable! It's a Honda after all 😉

 

Just ride your VF.

Come next inspection interval, have a good close look at the cam lobes and put the bad thoughts to bed....

 

 

 

She likes it dirrrty! :goofy:

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(but cleans up nicely...)

 

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5 hours ago, squirrelman said:

I.C., so you're sayin the factory never recommended that valve springs be replaced before 40k miles ????  i believe there was another FSB on that subject ?

lol, well we are nothing if not consistent ;-) 9 years later (i checked, we had this same convo nine years ago on vfrw) we are still debating the 500’s valve train.  at the very least you have to give it up for the staying power of the VF500F - a 34 year old model that is still being ridden often as a daily rider.  this said i’m glad to see you are still active on the first gen forums - salut!

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On 5/19/2018 at 7:40 PM, Sbnc said:

🙂

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Very nice!  Congrats.

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I change all the fluids on any bike I buy, even if they have all been recently done. Peace of mind. 

 

 

Wow, I thought the trans was smooth before I changed the oil. This has to be the best feeling transmission I’ve ever felt on a bike, and I’ve owned a ton! 

 

 

This little bike continues to impress! 

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