XV750 restoration

[Wired1]

I am restoring my third XV750, a 1982 model. Bought for bugger all off turdeme a couple of months back. I have owned 4 of these, this is number 3 - the fourth one will be the next rebuild in a couple more months time. I also restored number 2 but it cost me way more to restore than it was worth and in the end I had to sell it for a bargain price to be able to buy the next two. I have done much better on this bike as this time I stripped and painted it myself, and I had pretty much everything it was missing. I had to tear the engine down as it was spitting out water when I first got it, it turned out the previous owner had used a few innovations like silicon sealant for the cylinder base gasket to name just one. Anyway, here are a few photos of this rebuild from the ugly bike at the start to where I am right now. Enjoy and comment as you feel like it, I do this for fun not for any serious reason!

[Waylander]

Fuck me that looks mean already!!

Can't wait to see the completion. Those arn't standard forks and trees are they?

[Paul in NZ]

Good skills mate.. Lurve the flames, did you do that too??

Not my fave bike but I'm envious of your skills and your workshop space...

Paul N

[classic zed]

there is something very satisfying about starting with a pile of bits and ending up with something to be proud of

[Dadpole]

there is something very satisfying about starting with a pile of bits and ending up with something to be proud of

A couple of times I did that the other way around.

[classic zed]

A couple of times I did that the other way around.

thats how come I ended up restoring mine, so it went full circle

[Wired1]

Thanks guys, the trees and forks are standard, I stripped them of paint and laquer and polished the shit out of them, same treatment for the engine covers and rear brake and I am doing the switchblocks at the moment. They look much better polished aluminium than the black original look. I rebuilt the forks with new seals and may have pumped them up a bit too much but I do like that up-front front end. I am learning to airbrush and will paint my next tank myself but this tank was bought with matching side covers from a guy in Wellys who got it from the states, it appears to be a one-off tank and has the requisite semiclad babe on the top that I could live without but looks good anyway. My workshop probably looks bigger than it is, I can't fit two bikes in it at the moment but it is an oasis from the rest of the crazy world. I will post more pics as the bike develops and I am making a video of the whole rebuild, it is currently 12 minutes long and I haven't finished yet so it will be way to big to download by the time I finish.

[MyGSXF:Me]

SWEEEEET dude.. looks awesome!!! I had an 83 XV750 for 8 years before I got my current toy.. travelled MANY happy ks on her without a single hickup.. she just went & went & went..!!

[Dadpole]

Polishing the switchblocks is a good idea. Will suit the bike better than black.

[The Pastor]

I want it.

[Pat]

Good to see it all comeing together and starting to look good.I made a quick trip down to Wellington on mine last week to see my my 2 children at Uni, went down thru the Desert Rd and back up thru Wanganui , New Plymouth.Went like a charm and since installing that 4 brush starter have not experienced any starting problems at all.Only problem a puncture front wheel and late at night in the middle of nowhere.Well it is good to see your bike and yourself.Kind regards Pat

[Wired1]

Howdy Pat, you must be keen to ride that far in winter, the desert road would be a little nippy at this time of year and it always rains at some point going through Taranaki. Glad to hear the starter is proving it's worth.

[replicator]

hay ive worked on a 4e4 and a 5e4 (?) 1981 virago 750 too. could never get it going because of electrical problems but damn good ride though.

[degrom]

Howdy Pat, you must be keen to ride that far in winter, the desert road would be a little nippy at this time of year and it always rains at some point going through Taranaki. Glad to hear the starter is proving it's worth.

How did you get the barrels so shiny?

[doc]

Just think if you had started out on a Harley you could have done four rebuilds and still had the same bike. Would have saved you a lot of room . My first Vtwin was a XV1100 which I fitted a single HD CV carb really changed it all the torque was down low where you need it. I think the guy that made the mainfold was in Canada (KJS I think) found him on a forum I use to visit then called the "Virago Mailing List" was a good site but most of the problems were around the starter clutch problems with the XV I never had any problems other than the starter brushes and used car ones in the end , done about 80k km when I sold it on T n E. Only grizzle I had about the bike was it felt like a rubber band if you went too fast into a corner, and had to force it around. Still they are I'm told the longest running jappa motor still in production.