Yamaha Virago XV750 Rebuild/First Bike?

Question

Hello there.

I would like to start off saying i posted a question similar to this a few months ago but have found out more details about the bike.

The bike i would like to rebuild is a 1981-83 Yamaha virago XV750 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_Virago_750.

The motorcycle belonged to an uncle of mine who i had never meant, due to him dieing before i was born on a snowmobile.

The bike has been siting since at least the early 90's, indoors in a dusty environment, the odds of it being seized up are high.

The frame of the bike as well as all external parts appear to be in good condition, i am not sure of the hoses or anything else mechanical.

My question is how much would it cost to rebuild this bike?

i am still only a teenager and could only afford it as i go, i have about 350$ saved up as of now, i do not plan to spend it on anything but essential parts, and will hopefully rebuild most of it on my own.

I live in Ontario Canada, so i doubt this bike was very common at the time.

Would the parts be impossible to find?

Also i have never ridden a true motorcycle before, only a semi-auto dirtbike (which i dropped), but i am getting the bike for free and understand how dangerous it is.

Is my height and weight too big for a bike this size 6'3, 218 pounds.

Lastly if you could ballpark an estimate insurance for a 17 year old male what would it be?

All answers are appreciated

Answer 1

A couple of fairly important items to look at, if, as the others suggested, the engine is NOT seized up.

#1. Do the brakes work, and not leak. Yamahas used a plain aluminum bore in their brake castings (That is, no brass liner) and as a result, they have a real problem with corrosion in the front and rear master cyclinders.) Regular brake fluid (which is what they used then) is hygroscopic, which means it REALLY attracts moisture. The moisture attacks the master cylinder walls and eats big holes in the wall material, which means your brake piston rings will no longer seal. Getting new master cylinders for that year will be difficult. (but if you need them, search on line, as someone might have them.) The brake system can be a show-stopper before you even do anything else.

#2. Do the carbs have diaphragms? I have a Yamaha (1979 XS1100) and in addition to the problems with the brake cylinders, both front and rear, I also found that the carb diaphragms had holes from age, and new ones would cost $160 EACH, and there are 4 required. (So I paid 500 for the non-running bike, and then faced paying $640 for 4 new diaphragms for the carbs. This did NOT include any other carb parts or rebuild kits. Just something else to be aware of.

People complain about Harley-Davidson parts prices, but really, they are reasonable compared to Japanese bike part prices. I was extremely luck that the chick that worked at the local Yamaha dealer was a pit bull when it came to finding stuff, and she found a lot of parts for me that wouldn't have been found otherwise. I got replacement front and rear master cylinders for the brakes from a local used motorcycle shop, that was taking one apart for scrap, and the cylinders were perfect. That again was just luck.

That would be a good starter bike for you, and as far as being dangerous, it is only as dangerous as the rider lets it be. Sign up for the Motorcycle Safety course. You will learn a lot, and it will save your life. Once you go through it, you will be able to tell other motorcyclists that have NOT had the course, by the things they are doing that the course will teach you never to do. Motorcycles are not that dangerous for a trained, aware rider.

Answer 2

Yamaha Virago Xv750

Answer 3

Not as bad as it sounds.

IF it has 2 shock absorbers visible it is an '83 Harley clone , what looks like a hardtail is the '81-82 model that I had.

Change the oil and gas,Get PENETRATING OIL and remover the spark plugs, your battery is so dead it's useless , Turn the Kill switch to OFF,get a battery charger and spin the motor, 30 secs is enuf, respray the penetrating oil, you're working it thru the rings.spin again. The ENGINE is still in production.

The tank petcock had a PRIME location (forward) that flows when the engine is off, then remove the bowl and put in new screens, Brass Faucet screens work well (2/$1USD), screen in,bowl on, gas in, Kill switch ON. REPLACE the Fuel lines, cheap and easy. Go ahead and try it, you have nothing to lose.

BTW it was one of the 1st to have the side stand safety stop. It caught me a couple of times.

The exhaust rusts under the frame, the Harley type pipes I bought and HATED changed the sound a lot.

It is not fast but lots of Torque, you'll be fine. I put a 343 lb friend and his 102lb wife on it and rode my Vision around town, they LIKED it.

AIR ADJUSTABLE forks, I put shrader valves and a common valve across them to keep the pressure equal, Rebound adjustable rear MONOSHOCK.

Too many factors for insurance, that's what the web is for.

Answer 4

im 6ft 235 lbs and i fit fine on my nighthawk cb650 so i would say your fine on the size. and your not really giving me enough info on the bike to tell you how much $ it needs. does the motor turn over? did it run before it was stored? if thats all good and it just needs to be made road worthy then you should be fine. if the bike was stored indoors even with dust it shouldnt be seized up. you going to need oil adn a new oil filter, new tires, and maybe some gas line if it needs it and a carb rebuild kit. that just for starters but thats all in ur budget, you can make a good bike out of it im sure.

Answer 5

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