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Starting Member
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Last Login: 10/26/2008 5:32:51 AM
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| Well I encountered a Yamaha Virago 700 1984. It has 58K miles on it. How long can anyone feasibly expect that engine to hold out? It looks great, but I am not experienced enough to know anything about how long it should last. Any help would be appreciated! Thanx!!! Daniel
How's it goin'!
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Advanced Member
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 7:08:33 PM
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Truth is that bike will have no problem going well over 100K and even 200k is not unheard of. But (there always is one isn't there) a bike of that age will take more maintenance. Wires get brittle, parts have rust, cable jackets get brittle, well you get the idea. Now if you can confirm the owner has taken good care of the bike and has been replacing these things all along it may be OK. However if the bike has been though several owners it is hard to tell how it has been maintained.
Then again if you want to learn some wrenching and have a good friend that knows how to and will work for beer then this might be a good deal.
One trick I use to tell how well a used bike has been maintained is by the color of the brake fluid. New brake fluid is clear. When old it looks like honey. There is a broad range in between and just because someone just changed the brake fluid does not mean it has always been well maintained but I have found it to be a quick check that can at least tell you not to bother to inspect the bike any further. To get the idea of the color range go you to dealer and look at some new bikes. You can see the fluid through the sight glass in the reservoir on the handlebar.
You are looking at the right size motorcycle for a person seeking experience with motorcycles.
Torqueman
Battle Creek, MI
V-Strom 06
Goldwing 03
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Senior Member
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| Welcome to the for'm. +1 for all the stuff Torqueman has to say. It will probably benefit hugely with new rubber. But ride it sedately for a bit to be sure that everything else is working good. I would think that the engine ought to be fine. If the gearbox is not jumping out of gear or making terrible noises, so much the better. Is the suspension weeping fluids? Does the suspension have a lot of rebound (sproing)? Old, black brake fluid would not bother me if the brakes actually worked and the calipers were not frozen. 'No brake fluid' would bother me a lot. If the bike has been parked in the back of the garage and you are getting it for a song, then fixing dried out seals and stuff is probably a break even deal. If the owner wants real money for it and can show some maintenence records with materials reciepts, then its time to get down to real horse trading. I have seen some terrible equipment (mostly my own) give surprisingly good service for a long time if not stressed too hard or very much. With motorcycles, usage is the critical factor rather than age. Hope that helps. YMMV
nobody rides half as well as they know how.
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 1/3/2009 2:55:49 PM
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| The early Viragos were fairly depenadable bikes, but with several caveats. The starter motor/starter clutch was a weak point. There was a frictiohn clutch on some models that would slip -- it was intended that way so as to not damage the starter motor should the engine backfire or stall on compression. Sometimes tightening the through bolts that held the starter together would help, otherwise a new starter is or order. The bolts are visible and can be tightened while the starter is on the bike. Brakes were nothing special, but aftermarket brake pads help -- I can recommend Dunlopads or EBC Kevlar as both having more friction than the originals. At 58K these have probably been replaced, but with what? Suspension is fairly soft, both front and rear. If you're heavy and/or plan to pack double, then upgrades are in order, such as Progressive Suspension fork springs and a stiffer spring for the rear shock, or even a new rear aftermarket shock. Old rubber can be dangerous due to hardening of the rubber compound and limited traction, especially in the rain. Other than that I wouldn't be concerned with the mileage, but with the checks offered above as very good advice. Try to get into the seller's head a bit and learn how he/she cared for the bike. What level of maintenance is visible, and what records are available? Good hunting, Ray Nielsen, in Minneapolis, and sitting out the rain right now!
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