1984 Honda Interceptor vf500f

Hey guys. I found a 1984 Honda Interceptor vf500f on craigslist. It's a pretty sweet looking bike, and I'd really like to have it as my first bike. They are asking $700. It has been in storage for 1 1/2 years, so the owner says it only starts on ether and won't stay running. Gummed up carbs we are assuming. So, say I clean the carbs....do they have to be synced afterwards? It has 39,000 miles on it. Is that a lot for this bike? Any problems I should know about? It has fairly new tires. It has been laid over once, so there is a dent on the left side, but other than that it looks like it is in good condition. I'm hoping to go look at it this weekend. I don't want to offer more than $500 for it. Is that fair considering the dent, non-running condition, and mileage? Any input is appreciated.

 

With 39k on the clock the valve train is the number one thing to be concerned about.

500s need to be carefully maintained to insure their engine's longevity. Also, valve spring fatigue (even with careful maintenance) is an issue. As the inner and outer valve springs are NLA from Honda this is something to consider when thinking about the purchase of this higher mileage bike.

For reference, mint condition, low mileage (in the 5,000 mile range) stock 500s are currently selling for $3,000 US on eBay. Well maintained but higher mileage stock 500s (in the 15,000 - 20,000 mile range) are going for $1,800.

The 500 is a great looking and agile (with a few suspension upgrades, i.e. the rear mono shock) bike.

This said, it is not a beginner's bike by any means. It requires a serious set of mechanical skills and/or a good friend who is a mechanic to help you. Also, these bikes require a large parts bin to squirrel away hard to find NOS and used parts.

Hope this is of some help in making your decision. Please keep us posted!

 

I have a fair set of mechanical for my age, so I can handle quite a bit, but I'm hoping it won't take much more than getting the carbs cleaned. What kind of maintenance should I ask the owner about?

 

WAIT !!!!!

Valve issues will likely ruin your fun. Honda stated that the valve springs need replacement at 40,000 miles, and new springs ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

Check search function for "VF 500 valve issues" b4 you do something unwise that you regret later. Be prepared for lots of reading.

In this case, after the carbs had been cleaned, you might discover some nasty, terminal noises from the valves and cams. Regardless, that's a high-mileage bike with a less-than-reliable engine.

 

So basically you're all telling me not to get it? I'd like to have it, but I don't want to expect much trouble with it.

 

This bike will be too much trouble. Wait for a better example.

 

Well way to ruin my plan guys. just kidding. Thanks for the input. I guess I'll wait for something else, even though I'd really like to have it. Though I might add, I will only be riding it to town and back in the summer when I'm not at college, so I'll only be putting 5-20 miles on it a day. It's not completely out of the question yet. I'll talk to the owner and give it some more thought. Thanks for trying to save me the trouble.

 

Please keep us posted on your decision. If you like the VF500F I would keep an eye out for one that has been well maintained. You'll be ahead of the game and you will have a bike that you can enjoy for many years.

 

I went and looked at it today. I really like the looks of it. The dent in the tank is smaller than it looked in the picture. It has a case mod for the cam oil problem. The owner said he hasn't had any problems with it before. Fairly new tires. Brakes will need work in the future, but I should be able to get quite a bit of life out of them. It turns out it's an 85 instead of an 84 also. $600. I'm pretty sure I'll be getting it. Is there a difference between the 84 and 85?

 

Missed opportunity remorse.......not a good thing.

 

There are no major mechanical changes between the '84 and the '85 model years with the exception of the jetting on the 32mm bore carburetors (the '84 having larger main jets and a smaller float height.)

$600 sounds like a fair price for a running bike with the caveat that the inner and outer valve springs, at 39k, have seen a lot of revs. The springs are, as noted, NLA. A few owners have been working on aftermarket sources but there is nothing definitive at this time.

 

Thanks for the input. I'll keep you posted.

 

Good deal. Good luck with the purchase and please post a few photos when you have a chance.

 

I managed to get the carbs cleaned today. It starts right up, but won't stay running no matter what I do. It dies with the choke on or off, with ether, and when I give it gas. I do know it needs a new battery. A few of the cells are almost empty. I don't know if that is causing my problem or if it is something else. But this morning when we picked it up, it started with ether and ran decent even on two cylinders.

 

As much as I love my 500 and hate to rain on your parade, the 500 is a terrible first bike. For that matter any V4 is a terrible first bike, they are considerably harder than anything inline to work on. Add to that there are parts that have taken me over a year to locate at times.

On a better note it's not like current 600's so it's much less likely to get away from you but if your not careful in a left hander it'll turn you into a hood ornament, I've been riding for 26 years and still have to be attentive on mine because it really loves to turn. Other than the mechanics of it the baby ceptor is a great little learner if you have some common sence on it.

btw, when it comes time for tires I really like the Shinko 712's. I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but they eat the BT45's that were on mine when I got it for breakfast. The 45's were new when I got the bike and I loved em till I got the Shinko's now I'll never buy another 45. On the rear the 45 would spin during a hard start and when cold in 1st gear at about 8000rpm, the Shin just bites. The front 45 all ways seemed great till the 45 on the back was replaced by the Shin then the bike went from pretty neutral to you could easily tell the front would come out from under it long before the rear. A few times the front 45 skipped across the black top and scared the heck out of me.

 

Thanks for the input, but I already have the bike so I'm not looking for other bike suggestions. And, that didn't help me any.

 

Battery....top off the cells with distilled water and slow charge overnight, battery might come to life. I would suggest that you download the service manual from the sticky at the top of the forum page abd start reading. Knowledge of how your engine works is a big head start on analyzing your problems. The Clymer manual is OK, but if you can find an FSM on Ebay, it is far better. Keep us informed of your progress. There is plenty of good knowledge from the forum members here, ask questions. If you get flamed, ignore it and continue on.

 

I did fill the cells with water and charge. It cranks fine and starts but won't stay running. We wondered if the battery had enough voltage but wasn't maintaining the amps it needed. I got a new battery this morning. I'll let that charge a good part of today and see what happen. Also, I do have the Clymer manual.

 

If the battery cranks the engine well, there should be enough voltage to operate the ignition system. Sounds like the engine is not getting fuel from the carbs. Have you opened the float bowl drain screws to verify that they are full of fuel?

 

That is what I was thinking also, but I thought I had cleaned the carbs pretty well. I only checked the float bowl closest to the fuel inlet, and it had fuel. If the battery isn't the problem, I suspected fuel or a vacuum problem. Does anyone have a diagram of the vacuum lines. There were some vacuum caps that fell off because they are cracked and I'm not sure where all of them were.