Opinions Please:

[rwk5159]

I have found a 1986 Yamaha Virago 700 with 15,200 miles on it.

Although I love my XS11, we all know that 2 bikes are better than 1.

The guy is asking $2000....Any thought? things I should look for? problems with this bike? Please, do tell.

Thanks,

Bob.

[DGXSER]

All of the Viragos had a problem with the starter slipping. IIRC, there is some kind of shim you have to install to fix it. For that kind of doe-ray-me I would expect it to be in pristine condition.

[b.walker5]

Was thinking the same thing, 2k is a lot for a 25 year old bike that wasnt that spectacular new. It would need to be in pretty special condition for that money, even here.

I dont recall any specific problems with them, but then i dont know them that well. As stated, they may have a starter problem. A friend if mine has one that has a cracked brake drum in the rear wheel but they're made of unobtainium in this part of the world. Rare as rocking horse do-do.

[crazy steve]

Bit steep on the price... blue book is about $1700, and that's at a dealer. Private party sale should be a hundred or so less IMO...

[rpgoerlich]

I had an 85 XV700 Virago. Picked it up for $625(not running). Rec/Reg had to be changed out due to the PO trying to jump it off of a running vehicle. Starter fix was a must. Tapered the starter drive teeth to engage easier to the flywheel. Found that the rubber was shot on the same starter drive gear which made it sit back further from the flywheel, causing it to be spinning at full speed before it could go out and engage into the flywheel. I flipped this gear as the rubber on the other side was good, installed a new spring clip and the washer fix($7 ) from Yamaha and it worked great. Carbs are a PIA to R&R, but once setup it ran great. Sold it a year later.

[jwhughes3]

what is the proper procedure...

Richard -
What is the right way to jump a bike? I haven't had to do it yet on mine, but I do carry a small set of cables and don't want to fry anything.

I have had the donor car running when going car to car - what is different on the XS?

Thanks
John

[cywelchjr]

I've jumped many a bike from a running car over the years and never damaged a charging system. I've also jumped many bikes without the car running as the car battery usually has power to spare to jump a bike without needing the alternator to help. But, just as when jumping a car, I follow the standard procedure of disconnecting the jumper cables as soon as the jumped vehicle is running. Car OR bike, dueling charging systems is NOT good for any extended period, although most more modern systems, including the XS11 control charging current by how much the exciter coil is charged to generate the magnetic field that causes the alternator to generate voltage and current, were some systems (most any system with a perm magnet system) shunts excess to ground and can be damaged by excess current being supplied during the jumping process.

So, I guess I would have to say, know what type of charging system the bike your going to jump has, cause if it has a perm magnet system that doesn't need a battery to start supplying voltage to run the bike, don't jump it from a running car, but if it's like ours, it's fine, cause the reg will just tell the alternator to not put out any current rather than trying to short enough to ground to pull the voltage down to what it thinks should be proper thus burning itself out.

Not sure what type of charging system the Virago's had, but ours because of their design, are safe to jump from a running auto (caveat, if the battery is stone dead, don't even try to jump from an auto battery, just the cold cranking capacity of an automotive battery could provide enough current to blow a fully dead motorcycle battery, let alone adding an 80+ amp alternator behind that to boot) If the battery is completely dead, try to at least bring it part way up with a trickle charger or another bike before trying to jump it from anything as large as a car battery or the like.

[b.walker5]

I've jumped many a bike from a running car over the years and never damaged a charging system.

It's an urban myth Cy, it just doesnt happen, unless theres something else wrong in the system first. Rectifiers have diodes in 'em and they dont only rectify AC to DC. A diode is a one way valve and current will only flow in one direction (to the battery not from it). So unless the diodes are faulty to begin with, or some idiot reverses the polarity of the leads and really frys things, theres no way a running vehicle could damage the rectumfryer.

Most of us have done it hundreds of times and never had a problem. Only real rule to follow is to attach the negative first and disconnect it last, and preferably to the vehicle body ground point rather than the battery. (less chance of a polarity stuff up that way)

[motoman]

definite +1 on that walker5!

[cywelchjr]

It's an urban myth Cy, it just doesnt happen, unless theres something else wrong in the system first. Rectifiers have diodes in 'em and they dont only rectify AC to DC. A diode is a one way valve and current will only flow in one direction (to the battery not from it). So unless the diodes are faulty to begin with, or some idiot reverses the polarity of the leads and really frys things, theres no way a running vehicle could damage the rectumfryer.
[/QUOTE]

I 99.9% agree with you. There are however some systems that actually are designed with the total load in mine that do not regulate the output of the alternator but rather shunt excess to ground as the alternator runs full out all the time. Those system can be damaged, but I'm not aware of them being used on anything from Yamaha, or for that matter anything later than the late 70's (Honda CL's used that type of system, even took part of the stator out of circuit if you turned off the headlight). However, I have seen one or the other vehicles charging system fail when two are left connected together running for any extended time (I'm not talking about someone else told me, I've seen several cases myself), I don't know why it did it, but they were fine before it was done, and after the alternator (regulator actually) was bad. It's not a bad idea to follow the process of disconnecting the jumper cables once the jumped vehicle is started, it won't hurt anything and just might prevent a problem.

Most of us have done it hundreds of times and never had a problem. Only real rule to follow is to attach the negative first and disconnect it last, and preferably to the vehicle body ground point rather than the battery. (less chance of a polarity stuff up that way)

I'd agree, and with the body ground point as well, but that has absolutely nothing to do with a polarity issue at all, absolutely nothing, but rather is to prevent having a spark in the vicinity of possible hydrogen gas. As a matter of fact, IMHO hooking the ground to the frame actually makes it easier to hook it up backwards, but because of the possible hydrogen gas, it's still safer.

Frankly on these bikes (and many others), there is no reason to hook up to the battery at all anyways, I hook to the solenoid and the frame, don't even have to pull the seat, the side cover can be finessed off pretty easy with the seat still on and fully fastened down, which is good cause to take the seat off means pulling the saddlebags first.

[b.walker5]

I dont outright disagree with you Cy because maybe i'm missing something obvious here, (i'm facing possible redundancy and have a lot on my mind) but if you've tied the vehicle grounds together with one lead, and presumably done this first, then i cant think of one single scenario where a pos to neg hookup with the other lead would spark anywhere else but the battery.

[cywelchjr]

The issue is with sparks near a source of hydrogen gas, the battery. Always make the last connection away from the battery, so that the spark is not near a possible pool of hydrogen gas. Also, disconnect that one first.

[Schming]

Neighbor...

I have found a 1986 Yamaha Virago 700 with 15,200 miles on it.

Although I love my XS11, we all know that 2 bikes are better than 1.

The guy is asking $2000....Any thought? things I should look for? problems with this bike? Please, do tell.

Thanks,

Bob.

What up I just picked up an '84 XV700L Virago with 3,434 miles on the clock for $320.00 with title transfer.
Hooked it up to a battery and got it to fire but the "box o' rocks" which the starter is commonly refered to quit and needs further attention.
I will get to that as soon as the Eleven is on the road.
here is a great tutorial on the starter repair I happened on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIE3P...eature=related

Also alot of info over at viragotech.com
HTH