1986 VFR750

[Shaft]

I've been putting this off for ages, because I bought it to try and recreate my youth and I really want to love this bike, but I just can't get on with it.

Took it to the workshop this morning for a once over and then for a good spin, to try and give it one last chance, but it still gives me cramp in my hands and puts my knees in a place where I don't want them to be; when you're thinking you just want to get home and jump in the car, it's time to call it quits.

So then, overall it's not perfect and there are things that could be done to it, although it doesn't need vast sums of money throwing at it, more like a weekend's worth of elbow grease and it is 28 years old, so you need to cut it some slack.

Oil is clean and there's plenty of it (no leaks that I can see, I've never needed to top it up) coolant is similar, it doesn't overheat and there are no horrific noises.

Everything good you've ever heard about these engines is true, it's uncannily smooth, pulls like a train, revs like a rotary and sounds (I think) fabulous, especially when you wind it up.

Gearbox is very slick, handling I find to be sharp, rather than twitchy (which is the popular perception of bikes with a 16" front wheel) and brakes are fine for me, but I don't fire around like Guy Martin.

Exhaust is a Motad stainless 4-1, which sounds OK, much better than their usual mild steel replacements.

It passed an MOT in January, with no advisories and it's taxed until the end of May.

It's had various bodywork repairs over the years, but it's all the correct pearl white and whilst it's not the best paint job I've ever seen, it looks fine from 10 feet away.

Other things of note are the rear disc, which isn't running true and is a high iron content replacement, so it gets rusty quickly, plus the chain has a tight spot, probably because I've hardly used it (rear sprocket is good, I haven't checked the front).

Tyres have plenty of tread, all the switches, clocks and lights work and most of the tool kit is still there, including the all important plug spanner.

I've been looking at prices for a little while and there aren't many of the really early ones about, but crappy bikes needing immediate work seem to be £5-700, very nice machines are £16-1700, so I'm going to go somewhere in the middle and ask for £1100, or something very near that.

I'll be genuinely sorry to see this go, as it was the bike I went out to buy new, as a 21st birthday present to myself, but lets say the bike has worn the last 28 years a damn sight better than I have!

tl:dr It's quite a decent example of an iconic 80s bike, that needs using.

PM me if you want to know more and I'll post some up to date pictures tomorrow, although nothing has really changed since last Summer, when these were taken.


https://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff426/zedheadchap/VFR2.jpg

https://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff426/zedheadchap/VFR1.jpg
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