I heard it was a despatch rider favourite in the south, so I thought it was a good purchase. I am tall (6' 3"), so the size suits me, and it is a bike that won't get nicked by a joyrider in a hurry. Being a big bike, it does command a respect from other road users.
This was my first bike over 200cc. I bought it 2nd hand for £1400, and rode it from Hemel Hempstead to Oldham three days later. I had never travelled so far on a bike on my own before. It instilled me with a big confidence and dealt with the journey, no problem.
I got it in '97, and it is still my only bike. Parts aren't plentiful locally, but I cope, using Partfinder, my local shops, and the net. I am trying to give it a makeover at the moment, looking for the odd parts to show it I still care.
Most people find it difficult to get on, so it doesn't get messed with, out & about.
Difficult to push when you run out of petrol or something goes wrong.
Reviewing a 1988 model.
I have two big round headlights on it from bought!
Owned for more than 5 years.
Owned 3 VT500Es so far and still feel an itch when I see one come up for sale. Absolutely love these bikes. Yes the handling is odd because for once you actually have to steer it. Weighs a ton with a full tank and often likes to lie down. Brakes are a joke, so it's definately a bike for those with a death wish. TOMK's top 70mph problem sounds like one I had when the service mechanic put his screwdrive through the plastic air pipe connecting the air filter box to the carb air intake (under the tank). At 70 the rush of air through the pipe was sucked out by the rush of air past the hole and the bike equalised out at around 70. First bike sadly written off with the help of white van man. Second one will be up for sale soon as it's getting long in the tooth. The tacho has packed up it rattles occasionally.The third I recently bought for £720 and it's only done 16000 miles. So as the engines seem to be built by a tank manufacturer and the only problems I ever seem to have are electrical, I expect I'll be riding it for the next 20 years.
Hi all, have got a vt500, seems to run ok! this is new to me as I have only had chain driven bikes before.
Had this bike for 2 months, first class condition 30K on clock. BUT! it has started to make a cliking sound from the back wheel? can enyone sugest to what this might be!
even better can enyone send me some photos from a manual to take the back wheel off as I have never taken a shaft drive apart!
Many thanks for your time on this subject and happy and safe riding to you all out their.
I bought a VT500 EF for £450 in March this year when the clock showed only 38K miles but maybe this was the second time around. Anyway, it only needed a set of tyres to pass the MOT but it had a persistent backfire when the throttle was opened quickly. After stripping & rebuilding the carbs twice, the problem eventually succumbed to a second-hand replacement coil.
The handling is now surprisingly good - before fitting the new tyres it could only be described as suicidal. However, the rear shocks had already been replaced and the fronts are a bit spongy. I intend to try 15W fork oil to stiffen them a bit. The latest problem is a lack of top-end power with max speed around 70mph. Perhaps some previous owner has fitted a restrictor but I don't know how to check this. I would agree with the comments from other owners that the screen is a joke - it does a great job of accelerating the wind directly onto your chest. When I cure the 70mph top-speed problem, the screen will be the bike's most annoying feature. Tentative enquiries have not yet managed to unearth a replacement screen or a flip-up mod. Please email any helpful comments and suggestions.
Bought for 1600 quid in 1990 with 56000 miles on the clock. Ran as a courier bike for 3 years averaging 50,000 per year. very torquey for a 500cc.. easy to ride when you can't be bothered making the effort to stir a gearbox. Nothing major went wrong.. apart from warping a cylinder head after riding it overheated for a week.. it dutifully started even though the watercooling was completely frozen and snapped the impellor off it's shaft. My fault.. sorry bike! The front brake.. inboard disc.. was like having ABS.. awful thing to use and service.. the rest of the bike was just brilliant. The handling was.. interesting when pushed.. but you learn to ride VT style... Avon Roadrunners lasted about 18k on the back.. longer on the front. As with all my bikes.. the rear brake mechanism siezed. I don't use the rear much.. if at all. It would average 50 - 55 mpg.. even more on a decent run.. a tankful would get me from Chester to London if I was very very conservative.. even slipstreaming the faster trucks on the M6 helped.. and kept me warm! A huge fairing was fitted for a while.. which increased the MPG believe it or not.. but after a while I got sick of the fairing as it was like following a bus never being able to see round it properly. I liked my VT so much I bought another one.. just as a back-up in case the older one decided to take the day off. It went on.. and on.. and on.. I sold it after giving up despatch riding with 205,000 miles on the clock (I told the purchaser it had been round the clock.. just not how many times!)by this time it was drinking more oil than petrol.. but strangely never smoking or leaking.. the rear suspension had all but collapsed, surprisingly enough most of the paintwork was in good condition.. it was on it's original wheel bearings, pistons, rings.. and throttle cable. I had heard rumours that the shafts gave trouble at high milages.. but mine never did. It kept me employed for over 3 years.. got written off by the insurance once and I sold it for 500 quid. Within 4 weeks the new owner had crashed it and scrapped it. RIP VT.
VT500E 1983/4 Watercooled V-Twin, 4 spark plugs, shaft drive, inboard front disc brake, rear drum, twin shock, solid reliable commuter, tourer. Some of this model were prone to cam chain problems, mainly due to a lack of regular maintenance, otherwise no major problems. The brakes are not up to prolonged scratching, though that's not exactly what it was designed for!(Overheating rear drum can blow off shaft drive oil over rear wheel, front fades.) Overall, not a bad bike for it's time.
Owned for more than 5 years.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed August 2003.
Performance
Reliability
Parts Availability
Overall Value for Money
Bought a VT500 for 1500 quid as in import in 1999. Managed to drop it in 2001 but fortunately all damaged parts replaced. It never let me down once although in winter didn't like wet weather so would be a problem to start due to water in kill switch. Had cam chain lifter fitted at service around 35000 km as teands to wear out. Managed to loose bike in garage fire in 2002 but after 6 months found a replacement British spec with 31000 miles on clock in immaculate condition. Its a real pity Honda didn't update and improve the 500 shaft drive as its replacement the Deauville just doesn't do it!
Owned for 5 years.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed August 2002.
Performance
Reliability
Parts Availability
Overall Value for Money
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a much taller screen needed rest-very good
Owned for 1 year.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed June 2002.
Performance
Reliability
Parts Availability
Overall Value for Money
Recommended if you need a reliable, easily maintained and cheap bike. V-twin unit is flexible, six speed box is very good (unusually so for a shaft drive bike). Finish and quality excellent. 60-70 mpg when used sensibly. Will cruise motorways easily, and handle well in the bends. Minus points are the stupid enclosed front brake, the seat is a bit narrow, and the motor burns oil if thrashed.
Owned for more than 5 years.
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