Motorycle For Sale 85 vmax 5500 miles

[Fire-medic]

My friend Yamaha dealership mechanic Bill Boyce, in Pompano Beach FL once told me, "buy a new fuel tank and then tear-down the carburetors, and rebuild them." Those of us here, may choose to do some gas tank cleaning instead of buying a new one, but I can see the truth of what he said. His point of view is that for what it costs a tank removal and cleaning, and re-installation, and then removing, cleaning, re-assembling the carburetors, and tuning them, the dealership cost is $$$$.

You have-to have a spotless set of carbs and same for the insides of the gas tank. Both the gas tank and the carburetors need to be as clean as can be. Doing one but not the other is useless.

The pilot jets are the smallest jets in the system, and tiny, barely-visible crud can obstruct one or more of the four pilot jets, to where you swear at your bike for running poorly.

You have to methodically work through the steps in the service manual to accomplish a successful carb cleaning, re-installation, and tuning. You could try a local radiator shop for cleaning your gas tank, but it has to come out. Take pics and your time, and read Buster Hymen's thread on it (removal/re-installation).

 

[leondante]

I didn't read all the replies yet but I must say this ASAP because it can save your amazing motorcycle. I've had exactly the same issue with a Virago 535 and it was just that I put in the wrong hole the rubber plug inside the carburetors. The Virago 535 has exactly the same carburetors. Is as easy as that, and I suffered for months looking for the issue. I'm just dead dropping this right now so you or anyone can have that in mind. Is extremely easy and stupid to put those plugs in the wrong holes and mess up completely all the engine behaviour, usually because fuel excess. Hope you find the issue if you didn't yet. Sorry for not seeing this before.

Okay that's it I've had it with this bike no matter what I do I cannot get the carburetors to run right it backfires it spits it pops I'm selling it I quit. It's all original with only 5,500 miles never been touched, my brother gave it to me a long time ago, it runs strong but it's the carburetors no matter what I do I cannot get them to run right, 2 weeks ago at idle great now it doesn't even idle , I'd rather not ship it but if you want to do all the work come and get it $5,000 it's yours no trades I want to sell it but I'm not going to give it away, I had it for sale 6 months ago but decided not to sell it this time I'm selling it you can email me at astrodancik@gmail.com

 

[leondante]

I'll be glad to help by videocall or anything if I can, I don't know if I'm on time for it, but to do it publicly and even in group could be amazing I think, and then posting it here.

Who on this forum is good with these carbs

 

[leondante]

I'm thinking about making inox fuel tanks for the Vmax. From scratch. I have the tools. Mine will be the first to test one whenever I have the time. I have the materials waiting too for it.

I had that problem with mine (2002 Vmax 1200), turns out the pilots were clogged because the tank had rusted internally. No amount of cleaning could sort it out. Rebuilt tank and carb rebuild were $2300 at Daytona Yamaha in Vancouver. Now it runs great, well worth it and I will keep the fuel stabilized in the future.

 

[leondante]

I just read everything on this thread. I think I'm on time for helping you. Let me throw you a hand, in the good sense. Be patient. In the worst case just buy the carbs from other bike and test that. I'm 95% sure it's the damn rubber plugs I'm telling you. I'll check for diagrams to show you where and what are those so you can check that. Don't be silly, you'll regret really hard if you sell the bike, just be patient. It's a great bike and it's in pretty good condition and your brother gave it to you??? Damn, I'd love to have a brother like that. Mine just hate me, hehehe.

 

[James t]

I've put my vmax on the back burner for now until I can figure out why it stumbles at 1/4 throttle, I have been through the carbs time and time again every time I take the carbs off it runs different. I think I'll let the bike sit there for another 20 years

 

[leondante]

I'm putting here tomorrow clear pictures of what happened to my carburetors and do what you think it's the best. I'd check that. If you want more support be sure me and for sure more people around here would give you a hand.

I've put my vmax on the back burner for now until I can figure out why it stumbles at 1/4 throttle, I have been through the carbs time and time again every time I take the carbs off it runs different. I think I'll let the bike sit there for another 20 years

 

[James t]

I ended up giving my motorcycle to someone on this forum I'm not going to mention his name but he was here locally in Phoenix area he told me he knew all about these carburetors I gave him the bike and it was running okay after 3 weeks he didn't do much but say. he knew about carburetors but he didn't do that much to them so after 3 weeks I got my bike back and it came back with the carburetors off the bike it came back worse than what I gave it to him. I won't be going back to him.

 

[leondante]

I won't let go so much time until I dissassemble all my carburetors. I'm doing a full tutorial about them if you want it. It's not my first time doing carburetors neither a tutorial about them.

I ended up giving my motorcycle to someone on this forum I'm not going to mention his name but he was here locally in Phoenix area he told me he knew all about these carburetors I gave him the bike and it was running okay after 3 weeks he didn't do much but say. he knew about carburetors but he didn't do that much to them so after 3 weeks I got my bike back and it came back with the carburetors off the bike it came back worse than what I gave it to him. I won't be going back to him.

 

[leondante]

Well, here are the pictures of the plugs I messed up giving me the biggest headache I've had in the past decade. I just put one of them in the wrong hole (one of the three holes shouldn't have a plug. Today is a bad dream, but along the year with issues exactly like the ones you're talking about it was an enormous nightmare. I hope this helps you or anyone with these carburetors and that erratic and overfeeded behaviour from the engine.

 

[Fire-medic]

I've bought used VMaxes with all-sorts of bungled problems. One of the issues I had was that the rubber plugs were lying in the float bowl, not installed, and one of the jet block brass jets was also taking a bath in gas, sitting in the float bowl, not installed in the jet block. I believe it was the main bleed pipe (#10).



It was awhile ago, I don't recall all that was wrong with the bike. That uninstalled jet was just one of the things. Finding others' errors and repairing them is one way to buy cheap bikes, because they don't run.

 

[James t]

I'll take my carbs apart again and get to them eventually it's on the back burner right now, and I mean that burner way on the left rear the one that you never use

 

[Fire-medic]

Our left rear gas burner is sized differently from the others, it's for smaller pots and frying pans, or an espresso pot.

My friend's shop sometimes gets in a problem child which isn't fixed after the first disassembly/immersion in the ultrasonic tank, It happens. Perseverance and careful replacement of parts which are suspect, replaced by a prior owner and which need to be swapped-out for OEM pieces, may fix things. Careful checking for aIr leaks around the airbox to carburetor bellmouths, and the carb bottoms to VBoost donuts, and the VBoost to cyl head manifolds (very thin O-rings, if you find that you need to replace one, replace all four!) for any air leakage. Using a can of starting fluid to spray all the joints will reveal a leak, if the rpm's pick-up. Do this outside, and have a fire extinguisher close at-hand.