Got myself a little something..

mchaggis · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 May 2004 Karma :

Something VT500 shaped in fact. Smile

1987, 50k miles for £450.

Good : The engine sounds sweet as a nut (no smoke, rattles or taps and with a very good condition Motad) Smile

, the head, swingarm and wheel bearings seem to be in good condition with no notchiness or freeplay, the tyres have plenty of life left, the brakes feel pretty sharp, the frame is manifestly unbent and not rusty. All the electrics worked fine and it started on the button with a different battery.

Bad: It needs the fork seals doing, a new battery, the rubber on the grips and footpegs is suitably worn, some of the body work is loose (a broken tab or two), the seat is a bit spongy, there's a little superficial rust on the shaft tube. They're supplying the fork seals and battery in the cost of the machine. A few weekends worth of work I guess.

https://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/ATD_web/servlet/media?id=237353436

https://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/ATD_web/servlet/media?id=237353441

https://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/ATD_web/servlet/media?id=237353444

A little tidying up here and there and then it should be all hunky dory. A nice fixer upper. Thumbs Up

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yzf750r · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Karma :

Not my thing but at £450!

You dont get much now a days but looks OK for 18 YO! Thumbs Up

The jobs dont sound much neither! Cool

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04 zx10r with mods - 187.4bhp at the wheel! :o

Nath · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Jul 2004 Karma :

Ditch the headlight fairing and do something about the sidepanels, because they're well ugly.

Not bad for less than 500 squid Thumbs Up

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strag · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Oct 2004 Karma :

Looking at the pictures you got a good deal mate. Everything 'dodgy' sounds superficial and a great little runaround.
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carbon bling

quik_d · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 18 Mar 2005 Karma :

the headlight is part of that "era" of biking, they all had one and (IMO) it suits it, taking it off and putting something else on will ruin it, again only my opinion
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MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Retro cool I think they call it!

phat! Cool

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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

quik_d · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 18 Mar 2005 Karma :

yea, that'll do, the retro look, Cool

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stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Nice one

looks tidy. I have always liked comstar wheels too. You see a lot of couriers on those things so they must be comfy and reliable.

They have an enclosed front disc don't they? Keep an eye on it, the 'out of sight, out of mind' syndrome tends to occur and next news you have no brakes.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

bish777 · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Karma :

I had a 1986 XBR500 with the same comstars, i must admit i have a comstar fetish.
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GSXR1100J

TL666 · Trackday Trickster Joined: 23 Mar 2005 Karma :

Nice little bike. Looks perfect for winter and if you sell it when the weather picks up you should even make a few quid on it.

mchaggis · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 May 2004 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Far as I know they are just the same as normal ones maintainance wise. Just you can't see them so the first sign something is not right is when it breaks.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

mchaggis · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 May 2004 Karma :

I could be getting confused with a multi-plate enclosed disc and a conventional disc just covered in a drum. I could have sworn I've seen the enclosed multi-disc type mentioned with regards to a VT500 Thinking

Oh well, the Clymer manual will be here soon enough.
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yambabe · World Chat Champion Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I've got one like that!

Hints and tips......

Watch out for the electrics, the fuse boxes are rare as rocking-horse poo.

Check your radiator regularly for rust, blockages and holes. The slightest thing and they are prone to overheating. Keep an eye on the water temperature sender at the bottom of the radiotor too, as they can rust and break off.

Check your tank at the bottom, they rust/hole here and can leak. We got a leak in ours, took it off and replaced it temporarily with the tank off one we had bought for spares whilst the other half fixed the leak, only to find that the other tank sprang a leak in the exact same place.

Other than that they are a good, solid, reliable bike. Have fun!

Oh, apparently you can take the dust cover off the front wheel with just 3 screws and this will enable you to check the discs & pads for wear. Bit harder to get at them if they need replacing, but apparently pads last a long long time as they are very big.

/EDIT: There is a chap in Preston who has a shedload of VT500 parts available, pm me if you want an address/phone number.
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