VF500F FSB #2 - Some Detective Work

I've been researching the 500's crankshaft recall (FSB #2, July 1984) and have posted a chart detailing the engines that were affected. The FSB based the recall on the bike's Frame Serial Number.



I was wondering if anyone could confirm whether these recalled engines had 6-Speed transmissions.

Thx!

 

From what I've read for years, that chance that one of these engines ever made out onto the street (or stayed out) is very slim, regardless of transmission.

 

I'd tend to agree that it would be tough to find one of these engines installed in a bike now but back in the day a Customer Service Letter was issued along with 'mailgrams' to owners that had these engines.

The Customer Service Letter recommended that the owner take their bike in to the dealer so that they could check the frame's serial number and replace the engine if required. It goes on to state that if the owner had already completed the 600 mile service that Honda would reimburse them for this service when performed on the new engine.

My detective work here in part is based on reading a post, on VFRworld, that suggests that the way you can tell a recalled engine is that it will have a 5-speed transmission.

The snag is that one of the Factory trained techs I know, who worked on these bikes back in the day, said that he has never heard of or seen a 5-speed VF500F.

Not to say that 5-speed 500s didn't exist but I haven't been able to confirm this.

Because the recall was based on frame numbers and not engine numbers finding a 'NOS engine in the crate' may be a bit of a misnomer as this simply may be a recalled engine that was pulled from a new bike.

From what I have read many of these recalled engines were either sent back to Honda or donated by the dealers to local tech schools as classroom study models.

 

I think it was in another thread on a similar topic recently that I saw mention of the 5 speed transmission in the 500. I've read a lot of Interceptor related material over the years, and that was the first time I had ever heard of it, or it being connected somehow to the engine recall.
With the bike being based on the VF400F, were the 400s 5 speeds? Plus I certainly wouldn't want a 5 speed 500, let alone a 400.

 

I believe that the VF400F (NC13) also has a 6 speed transmission.

 

+1, I was thinking the same thing. If the VF400 was a six speed then there is no way I can see them making a 5 speed 500. I was riding the 500 back then and I never heard of a 5 speed.

 

My hunch (based in part on reading the Customer Service Letter dated July of '84) is that 500s that were on the road were part of this recall and that these bikes were issued with six-speed transmissions.

 

The CB400F was in deed a six speed. At least mine was and everyone I saw was. Did the VF500 come out in Europe first like some of Honda's bike did? I never heard of a 500 with a five speed. Not to say they didn't make them. Big question would be why?

 

Hopefully an original owner who had this work performed by a dealership will weigh in on this topic. From what I have been told by Factory techs and from people who worked in Honda dealerships back in the day actual on the street bikes had their engines changed. The Customer Service Letter also backs this up. From this I would infer that these were 6-speed transmissions. A bit of myth-busting here if this is the case.