[stefman722]

Hey guys,

I'm may be going to look at a used 1985 VT1100 with 40,000miles on the odometer.

He said it basically needs nothing and runs great. Anything I should looks out for, or to check before a possible purchase?

I am new to the cruiser/vtwins and hoping for some tips or advice.

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[smilie]

Look at the overall condition. Is the bike clean and appearing well cared for or is there crud in the out of the way places like someone tried to put lipstick on a pig? Tire condition and date code, pull the oil dipstick and while your at it look for white-ish sludge(moisture in crankcase), cleanliness and level of coolant in overflow tank, Look in the fuel tank for possible rust or a recoating job, Does it start without monkeying with the throttle and perhaps some choke without excessive cranking? How much is left on the front brake pads? Check wear indicator for rear brake. Do all the switches function properly? I'm sure there's more, just all that came to mind off the top of my head.

 

[7xclm]

Tough question. Where too start.

Do they have maintenance records.
Does the bike look well cared for.
Test ride. Get the engine up too operating temperature.
Wear on the tires. No cracks in the rubber.
Clean oil, no foam or chocolate color.
Check the rear sprocket for wear.
Check air filter.
Check all the lights and switches.
Do you have a friend that rides, take them with you.
Do not be in a hurry to buy. Take pictures go home and look at them. You might see something you missed.
Trade-in value on that bike in good condition $1500.00 Retail $2250.00.

 

[7xclm]

2nd place again. I type too slooooow.

 

[stefman722]

Thanks guys!

it's cold and there is snow on the ground so test riding is unfortunately out of the question. It's one of the downsides of buying bikes in Winter in Canada. Often you buy without riding unless it's warm out. Also, the guy lives 250km away from me so I would most likely buy same day if I like it.

I will definitely check it thoroughly. I was not aware of what I should be checking, or if the 1985 VT1100 had any known problems I should ask him about or look for myself.

So if you guys know of any known issues with this year/model please, chime in as well!

 

[jpr1968]

Tell the seller to not have the bike running or warmed up when you get there. You can often tell a lot about the health of the engine by how well it starts cold.

 

[7xclm]

Bottom line. The bike is 30 years old.

 

[ShadowDave]

Tell the seller to not have the bike running or warmed up when you get there. You can often tell a lot about the health of the engine by how well it starts cold.

Another advantage of starting a bike cold is to check if you notice any blue smoke in the exhaust which could indicate the valve guides not sealing as well as they could.

Check the inside of the exhaust pipes before you start the bike. Ideally the insides would be tan, but could be black if bike is running rich. Oilly on the inside of exhaust could mean that it is burning some oil which would not be good.

If a test ride is possible, I like to accelerate and decelerate in each gear. It it pops out of gear, it could indicate transmission issues.

Like others said, looking over the bike to get an overall feel if it has been well taken care of by the owner.

 

[Mr.Wilson]

Those bikes were known for dependability. Well cared for bikes can last longer than you want them to. It is 30 years old now so you may be investing some money due to normal wear and tear, after the purchase. Question should be, can you afford a 30 year old bike? sure it just needs a rider, right now.........how bout next week? next month? Not trying to sway you from buying the bike, just being honest.
The good: Honda used the motor design for the vt1100 for over 25 years. It is a Honda - the most dependable motorcycles on this planet are made by Honda.

 

[stefman722]

Thanks guys,

I totally get what your saying about the bike being 30 years old. It's not going to be perfect. The price is actually under $2000.00 and it seems from the pictures to be in immaculate conditions. I'd like to get one in the early 2000's but they are hard to come by near where I live and want to stay around $3000.00. There are some great deals to be had on early 2000's VT's but they are wayyyy to far from me.

Thanks!

 

[Mr.Wilson]

you will find people on here claiming to have over 100,000 miles on their bikes of similar year models. I hope i get that out of mine, my mechanic says its possible, we shall see. At less than $2000 it sounds like a good gamble. Parts are available, dont know how handy you are with wrenching on one, but for the most part they are simple bikes. Not requiring much. Ask about the clutch.......that would be my concern at the mileage.

 

[stefman722]

Well I bought it! It looks to be in extremely good condition. Even had saddlebags attached and signals relocated. I was impressed.

So I did major searching on this forums and couldn't find a bulb replacement section. We should make a sticky it's a good guide.

I noticed the bulbs had a model I've never seen before just said 12v on them and nothing else. The rear turns look like they are 1156 with the front signals and brake lamp being 1157. Am I correct?

Also, how do you get the bulb out of the licence plate lamp! LOL

 

[smilie]

Well, congrats! Pics man, pics!

 

[RichardL]

while doing all the before mentioned checks look at the rear Diff for signs of leaks, a little dampness is not uncommon but it shouldn't be covering everything. Check the front fork seals, look for signs of leaks and the condition of the dust seal. While test riding try to get the front forks to compress a few times and check again for signs of leakage.

One of the first things I do when looking at a used bike is to check the temp of the engine by placing the back of my hand on it...... Use caution in case the engine is hot... One trick sellers will use to cover up hard cold starts is to warm the bike before a potential buyer arrives. Once I know the engine is truly cold I will start the bike using any special tricks the seller might tell me.

 

[stefman722]

while doing all the before mentioned checks look at the rear Diff for signs of leaks, a little dampness is not uncommon but it shouldn't be covering everything. Check the front fork seals, look for signs of leaks and the condition of the dust seal. While test riding try to get the front forks to compress a few times and check again for signs of leakage.

One of the first things I do when looking at a used bike is to check the temp of the engine by placing the back of my hand on it...... Use caution in case the engine is hot... One trick sellers will use to cover up hard cold starts is to warm the bike before a potential buyer arrives. Once I know the engine is truly cold I will start the bike using any special tricks the seller might tell me.

Well I already bought it, however it does not have any of the above mentioned issues. Bike starts just fine, even cold start. Just some choke and she starts right up.

Does anyone know about the bulb sizes for the '85 VT1100? I would be alright with using 1157 for brake/turns and 1156 for front turns? What about the licence plate light. I searched on this forums, and looked in manual however there is NOTHING I can find.

 

[John Hopkins]

OK you don't need buying advice anymore, what you need is a service manual or two..

things you have to check now..

Tire date stamp/condition.
color of hydraulic fluid
wear on brake shoes/pads
oil/filter
air filter
in line fuel filter

Just because the speedo says 40,000 on a thirty year old bike doesn't mean the bike has done 40,000.. it could be a different speedo, it could have been clocked, it could have been disconnected for years.. In America the law says that it is illegal to wind back the mileage on a motorcycle..That is under ten years old..

John.

 

[Mr.Wilson]

The bulbs may actually be the originals. I had a CB750 from 1976 that had the original bulbs and most of them worked, I did change them all out. It used 1156 and 1157 bulbs so it would not surprise me if your bike does to. BTW I sold the CB back in 2006. Don't have a clue about the tag light.

 

[RONW]

Does anyone know about the bulb sizes for the '85 VT1100? I would be alright with using 1157 for brake/turns and 1156 for front turns?

Dunno whether it was legal to not have running lights on the front signals back in '85, but if the fronts have running lights then the bulbs are dual filaments 1157.

What about the licence plate light. I searched on this forums, and looked in manual however there is NOTHING I can find.

They're the same 1156 bulbs, but ½ the size, and 8w

 

[stefman722]

Dunno whether it was legal to not have running lights on the front signals back in '85, but if the fronts have running lights then the bulbs are dual filaments 1157.




They're the same 1156 bulbs, but ½ the size, and 8w

Great thanks!

I meant to say 1157 for the front/tail and 1156 rear turns. My bad!! Thanks for the help.

 

[7xclm]

+++++++++1 ^^^

1156 for license bulb.