Hello Fellow Honda VF500 owners !

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by Nardo, May 16, 2014.

  1. Nardo

    Nardo New Member

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    Hi
    My name is Rob and I live in North London UK and at the ripe old age of nearly 52 I have just got my full UK bike licence!!. I have just purchased a VF500F2, 1987 in red white and black. All original. First owner had the bike for best part of 22 years. Second owner from 2009 hardly used it. I bought it from Triumph dealership in the North of England and it was trucked down to me this morning. Got the hand book but the service book is missing. It has 31.5K on the clock. I was given the previous V5 form (registration document) and it had the first owners address on it so I Googled the address and a second later his name came up as a farmer in Lancashire just across the Pennines from where it was being re commissioned. I called him and had a good chat with him. Turns out he is now 76 and still riding bikes, he had not long ago been riding a VFR800 but had to sell it as it was getting a bit too heavy for him. He told me that he used to take the VF500F2 over to the Manx TT races every summer and that the bike has been regularly serviced by a local `Old Skool` mechanic for the entire time he owned the bike. He told me that the mechanic lost the service book about 17 years ago !

    So I feel a whole lot happier after that telephone conversation. Just got to make sure I get those valves checked and adjusted in 500 miles time.

    One thing I would like to know in general how far should the clutch lever be released before you start to feel the bite? this bikes travel is quite far but nice and smooth when it does engage. Just wondering if it can be adjusted at the lever or is the clutch on the way to being replaced? I took the bike just for a short ride around the underground car park in the apartment block where I live, I noticed how smooth and presice the gear change is, unlike the notchy and vauge gear selection of the Yamaha XJN that I rode for my bike test. Also like how big info lights are! all very angular, boxy so very 80`s but that's great you can actually see them !!
    So yeah that's about it, I got a big smile on my face. . . . I just gotta be really care full out there on it !

    Any comments on the clutch travel would be appreciated.

    Looking forward to having some good communication with other Honda VF owners on here ?

    Thanks

    Rob
     
  2. rvmiller

    rvmiller New Member

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    No pics = No bike

    Ride Red!
     
  3. jeremyr62

    jeremyr62 New Member

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    Snap. I am also 52 and have a VF500. There is a lot of very good info on this site. The clutch thing is normal. I ended up buying a set of cheap fake Pazzo levers for mine with lots of adjustability and that cured it.

    The main weakness of the VF500 is the valve train. Make sure you keep your clearances in spec. Very very important you do this. Some recommend keeping the RPM below 9K but no evidence either way this does anything. The engine is prone to dropping exhaust valves but with servicing I think this problem is minor.
     
  4. commrad

    commrad New Member

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    Congrats on your new toy. There is some pretty good v4 info over at sabmag.org not much more 500 specific but most of it is universal. Not to take away from anyone here, some great folks with good skills and advice but if you want to do your own work join the sabmag mailing list. Some of those guys know the first Gen v4s inside and out.

    Yeah, your clutch is normal. Its hydraulic so it self adjusts and will always be in about the same place. I can't remember if there is an adjustment screw on the 500 or not. One of my first Gen bikes did have a screw to adjust but it was kinda hidden.

    Sent from my Windows Phone
     
  5. tinkerinWstuff

    tinkerinWstuff Administrator Staff Member

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    Congrats! Sounds like a good fit.

    I like adjustable levers, cheap versions on eBay work great but I'm not sure if they have a version that fits the VF500
     
  6. jeremyr62

    jeremyr62 New Member

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    Honda VTR1000 levers fit the VF500. Any year will fit I think as they are all the same.
     
  7. Nardo

    Nardo New Member

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    honda-vf-vf500-f2-f-standard-and-mint-74169579-1.jpg

    Hello
    Thanks for the messages and kind words. I have managed to attach a pic of my bike, (I hope), not great it was the one the guy used to advertise it. I was wondering if anyone has a clear photograph of the idle screw adjustment location. In the manual the diagram is about the size of a postage stamp and I cant really make out where its located. I think its on the left hand side of the bike because it shows the bend in the frame to the right but I could be wrong. Anyway anyone with the Honda manual will probably know the quality of the diagram. Im unfamiliar with V4`s and im struggling to locate it. So if anyone has a close up pic with a nice big arrow pointing to it, it would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks

    Rob
     
  8. commrad

    commrad New Member

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    good looking bike. it's over the front valve cover behind the radiator shield on the right side.
     
  9. jeremyr62

    jeremyr62 New Member

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    Just for info, your bike is an 84 or 85 model. It might be registered as a 86 or 87 but that is the original paint job when they first released in the UK. The later ones are more red white and blueish. There are quite a few differences but only subtle things. VF500 was only imported into the UK officially in 84, 85 and 86.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2014
  10. Nardo

    Nardo New Member

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    Hi
    Thanks for the info about idle location, you mean the chrome circle in bottom left hand corner of the open rectangle on right hand side of fairing ?

    I have checked the frame and engine numbers, yes its an `84 and an early one at that, within the first 6000 (Engine) and within first 700 (Frame). I have looked at some pictures and wonder why mine does not have the white V FOUR decals on the bottom of the fairing? Some do some don't?
     
  11. jeremyr62

    jeremyr62 New Member

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    Your paint/fairings are correct for the year and the fact it's a UK (or Euro bike). We got the full fairing while the US got the half fairing and the belly pan (with a V FOUR decal). The UK 86 got a different paint job and a V FOUR decal towards the top of the fairing.
     
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