Intro and my VF problem

Hi guys, first post…

I’m Stu Milton, 49, been biking since my 17th birthday. Just bought a C reg VF1000FF which is now in the garage with my Mike Hailwood Replica Ducati (that I bought new in Johannesburg 25 years ago) and a Triumph Daytona 955i that joined it this year when they were selling the last of them off for peanuts.

Anyway, I got it what I hope was very cheap (£400) because it has a problem… the guy who owned it has tried everything and got fed up. The issue is what he called a misfire, and spent ages chasing by replacing fuel pumps, cleaning carbs, and changing electronic bits and pieces. When I rode it yesterday I knew immediately he’d been barking up the wrong tree.

The problem isn’t a misfire. When the bike is accelerating it suddenly loses drive and gets it again, as though it were jumping in and out of gear or the chain is jumping teeth. I don’t think it’s either of those things though as it happens in more than one gear and the teeth on the sprockets look fine. Apart from this intermittent jumping it’s a lovely, powerful, quiet motor with a slick gearbox (much better box than the 955!).

I’m told there’s a freewheel type device in the clutch. Do these give trouble? It’s the only thing I can think of in the driveline that could be slipping. I suppose it could be the primary drive too (is this a chain or gears on this motor?).

Anyway, any and all ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Stu

Welcome Stu,there is indeed a slipper clutch fitted to this bike.Primary drive is by gear and is fairly bullet proof.I have not encountered any problems with the clutch personaly but it operates on the same principle as a starter clutch.When driven the rollers lock on to the shaft but on the overrun it can allow three of the eight cluth plates to freewheel.It would be a simple job to strip and check for damage or wear.regards BIF

Hi BIF

Thanks for that… I’ll ride it a bit more this week and try a bit more diagnostics, but I guess that’s the primary suspect at the moment. The PO has been right through the carbs and electrics, and also had the heads off and cleaned and reset everything. It feels like it’s running well apart from the obvious.

I’ve just downloaded the spare parts book, but can’t make it run. Does it work under Vista? It seems to think there are Microsoft files missing.

Stu

quote:
I've just downloaded the spare parts book, but can't make it run. Does it work under Vista? It seems to think there are Microsoft files missing.

I’ve never tried the installer or program for the FF parts fiche book that is on the site with Vista. It would not surprise me if there are compatibility problems with Vista as its quite an old database application thats been used…

Peter.

quote:
Originally posted by PAJ
quote:
I've just downloaded the spare parts book, but can't make it run. Does it work under Vista? It seems to think there are Microsoft files missing.

I’ve never tried the installer or program for the FF parts fiche book that is on the site with Vista. It would not surprise me if there are compatibility problems with Vista as its quite an old database application thats been used…

Peter.


…and for my 100th post ( eat ya heart out PAJ[:p]) I have to say , I’ve not tried it at all. Excuse me whilst I go and have a go…I may be some time…[:D]

This time tomorrow it’ll be yesterday

Oh, and welcome Stu, nice to “see” you. Whereabouts in the U.K. mate.?[8D]

Hi

I’m in Chippenham, Wilts.

I was hoping I was going to describe my bike’s symptoms and three people were going to shout something like “Oh, that’ll be the flanged whatsit on the spurgle doofer”…

No such luck, it seems!

quote:
Originally posted by Stu_MHR

Hi

I’m in Chippenham, Wilts.

I was hoping I was going to describe my bike’s symptoms and three people were going to shout something like “Oh, that’ll be the flanged whatsit on the spurgle doofer”…

No such luck, it seems!


Sorry Stu…you may be waiting some time on here for a solution sorry…[:(]

[:)][:)]

This time tomorrow it’ll be yesterday

Thats the thing Stu,we are just a group of likeminded individals who have a common interest in the big V4.The problem you have is not known to the group and the clutch is a possible suspect.I did have occasion to rebuild a Boldor motor which had snapped the countershaft due to a knackered chain being over tightened.One of the symptoms the owner had was losing drive for no reason then getting it back.Not a solution Tim I know,do you have any positive words of wisdom?or an ID for your pipes?

quote:
Originally posted by bif

Thats the thing Stu,we are just a group of likeminded individals who have a common interest in the big V4.The problem you have is not known to the group and the clutch is a possible suspect.I did have occasion to rebuild a Boldor motor which had snapped the countershaft due to a knackered chain being over tightened.One of the symptoms the owner had was losing drive for no reason then getting it back.Not a solution Tim I know,do you have any positive words of wisdom?or an ID for your pipes?


More positive a solution than I can offer sorry bif, Stu …

As for ID for my pipes/collector box…haven’t had a good look since I last spoke to you…a little matter of being informed just before the Christmas period that 33 years of service in the Steelmaking Industry counted little for a management restructure…[:(][:(]…I’ll get to it when I have recovered from the shock !!!

In the meantime a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all…and if I hear Andy Williams sing to me once more that this is the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” I swear I’ll fookin scream…[:(!][:(!]

[:D][:D][8D]

This time tomorrow it’ll be yesterday

Im sorry to hear your bad news Tim,Recon it puts everything else into perspective
I am here when you are ready all the best BIF

Hi guys.

Sorry, I’m on a list for the old Ducati as well, and I’m used to getting half a dozen possible solutions by return… this is obviously a much smaller community (and Honda’s probably don’t have so many design flaws!).

And sorry about the job, Tim… it will get better, it always does!

I’ve just narrowed it down a bit. Been for a longish ride today (first time out since the first ride two weeks ago. (Bloody thing jumped into life as I nudged the starter button… are they always this reliable?!). Thrashed the guts out of it, and the problem only occurs in second despite the claims of the previous owner. If I only use half throttle in second or short shift into third it’s fine. So fine in fact, I’d happily put the panniers on it and ride it to see my mate in Germany if it wasn’t so cold; the motor feels unbreakable in all the other gears!

I’m guessing a bent selector or something. I’m also betting I won’t be fixing it… too easy to ride round it with all the torque in third!

If anyone fancies a reasonably tidy VF thou with a second gear problem, give me a shout on 01249 446932. Otherwise I’ll use it as a winter hack and stick it on ebay in the spring.

I bought one of these in 84, a lovely black/silver model, only problem i had under warranty was jumping out of second, under hard
acceleration. As far as i know it needed a new 2nd gear cog, and was
in the shop for ever (they lent me a c90 ) i remember it well.
I have pictures somewhere it was an engine out jobbie.

quote:
Originally posted by sirata

I bought one of these in 84, a lovely black/silver model, only problem i had under warranty was jumping out of second, under hard
acceleration. As far as i know it needed a new 2nd gear cog, and was
in the shop for ever (they lent me a c90 ) i remember it well.
I have pictures somewhere it was an engine out jobbie</font id=“red”>.


Ha!..a mere trifle of a job…have become very adept at this manouvre after initially fitting the engine for the first time on my own with the aid of a trolley jack only to lose an R clip for the tensioner blade…therfore engine back out agin…Oh how I laughed to myself as I fitted the Elastoplasts to my knuckles [:D]

This time tomorrow it’ll be yesterday

Hi Stu,The problem only occuring in second makes it sound very similar to sirata’s problem,only thing is that second gear was modified for FF F2F and RF onward to eliminate this.Like you say tho the bike is perfectly useable as is.Ride it and enjoy you may well get the bug and not want to part with the old bus. BIF

quote:
Originally posted by Stu_MHR

Hi guys.

I’ve just narrowed it down a bit. Been for a longish ride today (first time out since the first ride two weeks ago. (Bloody thing jumped into life as I nudged the starter button… are they always this reliable?!). Thrashed the guts out of it, and the problem only occurs in second despite the claims of the previous owner. If I only use half throttle in second or short shift into third it’s fine. So fine in fact, I’d happily put the panniers on it and ride it to see my mate in Germany if it wasn’t so cold; the motor feels unbreakable in all the other gears!

I’m guessing a bent selector or something. I’m also betting I won’t be fixing it… too easy to ride round it with all the torque in third!

If anyone fancies a reasonably tidy VF thou with a second gear problem, give me a shout on 01249 446932. Otherwise I’ll use it as a winter hack and stick it on ebay in the spring.


Hi Stu, I just bought one of these things as well, it’s an 84 VF1000F (Canadian model), I just picked it up 4 weeks ago and it hadn’t run in about 8 years, so I went through everything and got it running. I’ve put about 120km on it so far and haven’t riden it too hard because I’m scared of the old cracked tires, but it does the same thing as yours. If I shift to 2nd and give it some gas, when it hits 5000 RPM it tries to pop out, if I roll on the throttle nice and easy it will pull right past 5000 RPM and keep going with no problem. I have tried every gear and this only shows up in 2nd.
If someone has a solution let us know, thanks.