General Chit Chat

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 2:38 pm

Hi all!

I've been offered a

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 5:19 pm

I've not heard good things about the vf1000. The cam problems seemed to have been a combination of bad metallurgy, and poor oiling. There are some aftermarket oiling kits though. Also, the vf1000 isn't much more powerfull than the vf750s of the same vintage. They are however much taller and heavier. I know 2 guys who had them. The first one spent a ton of money on his, and still got smoked by smaller bikes. the other guy got a 750.

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 2:45 am

I do not know this as gospel,but the oiling problem is really stupid. The story goes that Honda used the oil supply from the transmission line instead of the main galley like the 900/1100. It is also a rocker arm engine,at least the early ones were,and if the adjustment screws were not "even" it would make the cam follower run on the "edge" of the cam. There was a special tool to "load" the play in the rocker arm to get even valve adjustment.The main fix required complete engine teardown to machine an alternate supply from main galley to the cams supply line.

I have seen some of these V-4's apart and the head design is bad as well. Basically the port "lines up" with only one valve and the other is in a room off to the side. Not a "high flow' design to say the least. They have made a bunch of revisions to the V-4 design. Word has it that there were two design groups, inline four 900/1100 and the V-4 guys. somehow the V-4 had the managers "ear" and the inline guys fell "out of favor". Too bad,it took almost 10 years to get a believable inline design and it was nothing to brag about,900RR(Fireblade).The result is what you see know. Rocket bikes like the GSXR,FZ-1,and a bunch of Kawasaki's and Honda playing "catch up". My favorite saying,and I love Honda's,"they show up a day late and a dollar short". I would stay away from it.

Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2003 10:10 pm

Unfortunately, both the 750 & 1000 share the same 3 design issues regarding camshaft life. The oil supplied indeed comes from the transmission, thus the cams are virtually at the end of the oil supply. The material and hardening process make the cams less than stellar. Lastly, the cam bearing surfaces in the head were not line bored. These 3 things all piled up together spell doom for the cam & rockers. In '86, this was all fixed. VFR's are much more reliable!

Mike