for the Virago brigade

[sheddy]

Hey have you guys checked out this site before.
http://www.pbase.com/iamflagman/virago_tips.

Looks to be a good bit of info on there.
Waylander you have done a fair few km's on your bike and know it to be reliable, How far can a well maintained XV 1100 go before an engine rebuild would be needed. Anybody have an idea what sort of cost to do a recon on this engine. What would a 100 000km bike be worth if still tidy.
Cheers

[Waylander]

Personally, I have no idea.WHen something goes wrong with my bike it goes into the shop or I fix it myself. Can tell you though, aslong as you keep oil changes regular, and a tune up every couple of years or so you should be sweet. Only problem mine has ever had (aside form the wreck) was the idler gears and starter clutch and those are manufacturer design flaws (in my opinion) on the pre 98 models.

Kinda cool seeing all the mods he has done to his.The new air cleaner is pretty trick and I am now very interested in finding a set of 750 risers so I can put the flat bars back on it and get clearance from the tank for the throttle body and such.

[The Preacher]

Hey have you guys checked out this site before.
http://www.pbase.com/iamflagman/virago_tips.

Looks to be a good bit of info on there.
Waylander you have done a fair few km's on your bike and know it to be reliable, How far can a well maintained XV 1100 go before an engine rebuild would be needed. Anybody have an idea what sort of cost to do a recon on this engine. What would a 100 000km bike be worth if still tidy.
Cheers

The VX1100 average around 125,000 to 150,000km if maintained correctly before an engine overhaul is required.
Rough cost: $4000 to $5000

My thoughts are if it has hit that mileage :doctor: and you need to spend that sort of cash, then it is time to purchase a new love. :crybaby:

[Waylander]

Better not sell before you and I meet Preacher mate. Same goes for Virago.

[Virago]

Hey have you guys checked out this site before.
http://www.pbase.com/iamflagman/virago_tips.

Looks to be a good bit of info on there.
Waylander you have done a fair few km's on your bike and know it to be reliable, How far can a well maintained XV 1100 go before an engine rebuild would be needed. Anybody have an idea what sort of cost to do a recon on this engine. What would a 100 000km bike be worth if still tidy.
Cheers
Here's some more good Virago sites:

http://viragotech.com/phpBB/portal.php

http://www.viragoownersclub.org/

http://www.vsoc.org.uk/

Lots of good articles and links.

Opinions vary about the expected longevity of the Virago motors, but the benchmark seems to be 100,000 miles (160,000Km). As Waylander said, it depends on regular oil and filter changes.

The value of one with 100,000Km on it would depend on other factors (age etc), but I would have thought around the $4,000 mark.

[sheddy]

:wari:
Trademe last night coughed up, I am buying a 91, one nz owner virago 1100 ex japan with under 12000km. believed to be correct milage. look at completed auctions if you want to take a look. Its a small world, turns out this guy used to own my wifes xj jag. Needs some minor cosmetics but looks pretty good to me.
the big road trip maybe on this week. My mate and I have to get this one from Lower Hutt and pick up a DRZ200 from new Plymouth. still don't have any riding gear yet so most likely she will be coming home on the trailer. [ some of the way!!!]
Saw it come up and have been waiting a while and asking price was right I reckon. a new bike would have been cool but i won't ride enough to justify all that expense.
Look at all that cool gear you can get for these Viragos out of the States e-bay etc.
riding the euphoria while it lasts.
Yeeeees:wari:

[Waylander]

WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!! lol. Let me know a soon as you get it in your hot little hand mate and I'll try swindeling some sort of ride.

[sheddy]

You know the rules on riding other peoples gear Waylander, plus I see your Avitar all the time:clap: I haven't even seen it in the flesh yet, maybe when the novelty has worn off. Already I want goodie stuff for it. Better pipes and higher highway pegs. Your job must be as good as mine, able to access internet from work.Oh that's right its Saturday.

[Waylander]

Lol didn't mean I wanted to ride yours dude. I meant doin a cruiser ride, jut a bunch of us on cruisers spend a day in the Coromandel or something.
Gonna take a bit of swindeling to makesure bills and uch don't take all of my first check.

[sheddy]

See there you go the green eyed monster lept on to my shoulder and I ass u me d not a good move. You have to keep your new toys until theyare a bit worn in. Sounds good about organising a ride. being an old bastard I probably wont want to ride in the rain lol.
its going to be a good Summer after all.

[Waylander]

Indeed. BTW cannot for the life of me figure out how to searched closed auctions. Can you just post a link? lol. Oh and I gues this means that Lias can go for the 88 XV1100 you were aking heaps of questions about.

[sheddy]

Go to trademe
lefthand side top
advanced search
virago
change from current listings to expired listings
then scroll down trademe motors
motorbikes
click on search.

Thas how ya do it.
Yep they can bid away on the other bike. It looks like its in good condition for the k's and year.

[crashe]

Red Baron has a nice blue jap import, Virago 1100cc just arrived on its doorsteps... asking price (just lowered) $7,995 and its a 1998 model I think... Cant remember its milage thou... comfy to sit on and I can reach the ground.... I didnt like the handle bars on it thou... not to my liking at all... need really long arms for that set.

Is that a good price for that year etc etc....?

The bike looked really mint.

[doc]

I had one of these things a 87 XV1100 had done about 70k plus when I sold it only thing I had to do was a valve grind lost compression one day and all that was wrong was a carbon flake stuck in the valve seat. They had a reputation for starter clutch problems but the only problem I had with the starter was the brushes and got the local auto elec to machine some car ones to fit at a millionith of the cost. My only criticisim of the bike was that if you came into a corner a bit hot it got the pulse racing. Good machine I think that as they are a development of the XV750 I heard that they are the longest production motor in the jap history ( Hey were not talkin 50cc stepthru's )
Doc

[crashe]

doc - they are only making the XV250cc now...

Which is a real shame in my opinion... as I would love to get a bigger bike but not a old one.

[sheddy]

Based on all my research over the past couple of months I'd say that a 98 with less than 30k's @$8k would be a good buy as 99 may have been the last production year for the virago 1100. a real mint one owner sold on Trademe for $10200.
You can get 1100's for around $4,500 as "virago" says if the km's are above say 80k's. anything below just relates to condition. I don't know what is happening with the the Alexandra one that didn't reach reserve@$6k on trade me recently. It had done 28k and I think was a 93. There is one for sale in Hamilton blue 93 with 67km's and the guy selling there wont take less than $6900 it is a nice tidy machine and I almost went for that one..apart from the price.Thats why I jumped on this black 91 with around 12km's. Yes it needs a bit of a tidy up but as it turns out the guy who sold it to me for $5,500 previously owned my wifes car unknown to all of us until later in the discussions and he was obviously fairly careful with that.[ what are the odds of that, were in waikato and hes in Lower Hutt.]
The market for these 1100 has just got a bit busier again. Just a month or so ago mostly intruders were cropping up. I like those babies as well. at the end of the day both these cruisers will be classics and I could live with either.I have had fast on my previous GPZ900 but feel that in today's crazy police state the sports bikes will get you walking real fast. Also the roll on power of twins is much sweeter than the twitchy snatchy ballistics performance from high power 4's in my opinion. Ok you can't fang em in the corners but with all the cowshit still gettin on the seal and the state of our roads now you gotta have balls to go hard out.
Those new Yami v stars look cool as well and are longer wheel base, but the costs to purchase is much higher and theres no way they look as bad ass as a mild chopper. If I do get bored with the handling of my XV I would most likely change to SV1000 Suzuki those twins are the bomb in their market segment. If I find the handling too soft I will increase the oil weight in the front shocks first up that often helps. The 1400 Intruders would look better with twin disc brakes as well, that single disc may be effective but it cheapens them up a bit dont ya think.

[Waylander]

Linkage. (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-45126857.htm)

Not a bad looking beast if I do say so myself lol. Ha bars imaler to the ones I have on mine now. Stock pipes though lol

[sheddy]

yo Waylander can you do me a favour and measure the width of the casting on the lower front of your motor, where your pegs attach. The first thing I do with my bike when I get it will be to put highway pegs on. There are some Harley ones on trade me and I'm wondering if I can adapt them to suit.
Gotta have two foot positions as it makes it more comfortable on long rides. I wonder if XV 750 pegs would bolt on as well. That'd give me three foot positions. My XV 750 had highway pegs and combined with the standard pegs it was a primo setup.
Cheers

[Waylander]

In all honesty mate, you don't need them. I'm 6'3" and hardley ever put my feet up on them even on long runs. Hmm.... an idea comes into my mind...

How much are the harley ones?

[sheddy]

Whats that measurement then, and you'd better send me a picture of yours.
They want too much of course. Wonder if Ian has found a taker for his blue 93 yet.
Cu

[Waylander]

Didn't measure. Had dinner then got roped into playing a game of uno when I would rather have just gotten in the shower and gone to bed. (very busy at work today, feels good doin the work, not so much at days end lol)

Will get it done tomorrow. Measure it at work where I have a tape measure that reads in MM rather than inches.

[Waylander]

The top mount measures to be 177mm from the inside of the brackets, and the bottom one is 80mm. Get the pictures up in a bit. Dinner is ready and I'm hungry lol.

[sheddy]

Thanks for those measurements.
Any of you guys running aftermarket or other exhausts. Are Harley ones interchangeable. I'm expecting my stock exhausts to look a bit rough from a scrape. Should know Monday when my ride turns up. The guy I bought mine off has bought a metalic green 98 Vulcan nomad from Welly mc's. looks like a moving piece of art from the 30's.Nice bike, pity it won't be as reliable as a Virago long term.

[Waylander]

Cobra make a set of slip-ons. They replace the exhaust colection box inside the centre-stand and makes them straight 2-2 pipes.

That's what I have on my bike and apparently you have to jet the carbs to get the full effect of them and not worry about damaging the engine.

It's what I have on my bike though I didn't put them on.

[Virago]

Just to expand on what Waylander said, the stock Virago pipes are a "two-into-one-into-two" system, with the two header pipes feeding into a collection box under the bike, then feeding into the two tail pipes.

There's a variety of after-market pipes available, most of which do away with the collection box (as mentioned). The Cobra Slash-cuts are a popular choice.

For pipe positioning and mounting, you need to get Virago specific pipes, as far as I know HD pipes won't fit without serious modification.

If you want to make the stock pipes a bit louder, they can be de-baffled. Send a PM to The Preacher for details, he had his modified, and it sounds good.

If you do get custom pipes, don't go for pure "drag" pipes. Before I bought my 1100, I tried out a 750 Virago which had drag pipes. Mrs V waited outside the shop for me, I rode 4 blocks away form the shop and she reckoned she could hear it the whole way! Seriously too loud!

[Waylander]

If you do get custom pipes, don't go for pure "drag" pipes. Before I bought my 1100, I tried out a 750 Virago which had drag pipes. Mrs V waited outside the shop for me, I rode 4 blocks away form the shop and she reckoned she could hear it the whole way! Seriously too loud!
Hmm... Where do I get those?

If it's too loud you're too old lol.

[Virago]

Cheeky bastage....

You mean these - also available from Cobra....

Actually the ones on the 750 were actually modified from HD drag pipes, and not very professionally done either.

[Waylander]

Ick, nevermind. Those are ugly. I'll stick with what I got now, just need to get them rechromed.

[Troll]

If you do get custom pipes, don't go for pure "drag" pipes. Before I bought my 1100, I tried out a 750 Virago which had drag pipes. Mrs V waited outside the shop for me, I rode 4 blocks away form the shop and she reckoned she could hear it the whole way! Seriously too loud!

forget about the noise factor, the lack of back pressure means even with rejetting the carbs your bike will run like shit most of the time until you hit about that magic rpm where the tuned length actually works, which is why they are known as drag pipes

[sheddy]

Need to draw the preacher in to this. His pipes look good and sound good. How does the bike run with the reduction in back pressure. Biketranz hope to come through with my bike today. Initially I was expecting it late yesterday. They must run a tortured path up the country, picking up and dropping off.:crazy: and now its supposed to be showers and rain for three days. Ouch

She has turned up 7am this morning and its all good. Few cosmetics, but nothing of any concern.
Only had a 20km ride today other commitments as well and I couldn't get into the groove with these crazy monsoon showers. The windscreen is off already, not sure that I need it. So far seem to be looking all around it but not through it.
The pipes oh the pipes, have to be tweaked it sounds far to civilised. Something will have to be done. Insured it 3rd party only through National auto. The premium looks to be around $160 but will have that confirmed when it arrives in the post. Full was around the 5 hundy mark. Biketranz were ok,held up by the carnage on the m way yesterday.