TOPIC:

I'm thinking of buying a used 1985 VN700. It looks like a 750 LTD but 700cc and shaft drive. It has air forks and air shocks from the factory. It needs tires and a good cleanup, also master cylinder in front.

Is this a good model year? Any major problems with them?

tia

Just like any bike, it will depend on what the asking price, mileage and condition are as to whether it's worth it or not.
Kawi only made the VN700 in '85, so that in itself is a good indication that some mechanical parts are going to be hard to find/expensive.
In '86 they went to the VN750, and really haven't changed much on it except for the paint and decals.
I'm not 100% certain, but I believe it's the longest produced (21 years and counting) and unchanged current model that Kawi offers.
Basically the 700 and 750 are identical in appearance, and DO share some common parts aside from body work.

IIRC, the VN700 and VN750 have problems with the cam chain guides wearing pretty fast and breaking.
The cam chain tensioners (one on each cylinder) also have a tendency to over-extend and become stuck.


You might want to take a look at the FAQ on the VROC site to see if there are any other things to look for.
Also be sure to check out THIS LINK detailing how to cure the popping that occurs during deceleration, which is a fairly simple and inexpensive fix.
You can find the reed valve cover kits on eBay for about $25 for plain, or about $35 for finned covers to match the cylinder fins.

R4 man you are great! I searched a bit and found some reviews and feedback that are encouraging. The 700 and 750 are very similar and share many parts.

In my case the guy has a very reasonable price on the bike and it has been garage kept. It needs about $300 worth of stuff that I can do myself, the biggest being front and rear tires and a front master cylinder.

thanks for pointing me to the VR site.

Glad to be of help!

Since my wife owns a '96 VN750, I've done my best to become as familiar as I can with it.
Wired George was a big help with this, and was the one who pointed me to the VROC site as he's also a member there.

$300 worth of stuff doesn't sound to bad, and you'd be surprised at some of the other Vulcan model parts that will fit it!
I swapped some fork tube mounted front signals from a VN1500 to my ZN700 (the ZN700 is very similar in appearance to the VN700/VN750 Vulcans, but with a shaft drive KZ engine in it), and installed a set of standard Vulcan front signals in the rear so I have running lights in the back as well.
And it all looks like it came OEM that way!
I'll be doing the same to my wifes bike too when I get the chance.
I'm also looking to swap over some forward controls from a Vulcan to my ZN soon too.

Post edited by: RetroRiceRocketRider, at: 2007/01/15 19:44

The VN700 is the same bike as the VN750 except for the cylinder blocks and pistons/rings. I suspect this is a non-issue because if you needed new pistons, you could just pick up some 750 pistons and rebore the cylinders.

The VN700 and VN750 models are perhaps the best of all the Vulcans. Way ahead of their time and virtually maintenance free. They had no real gotcha type mechanical or electrical issues. The only issue is that they are known as the "baby bubf". This nicname refers to the "styling" of the bike... go ask the folks at:

www.vroc.org OR www.vn750.com/forum/index.php what that nicname means... hehe

I owned several Vulcans and the only serious drawback is the twin carbs which are nasty to work on and the engine needs to come out of the frame like a darn Honda to remove the valve covers. You can do a few things by not pulling the engine but removing the motor mounts and just dropping it in the frame but the KZ inline models are a lot easier to work on but on the other hand require a lot more working on than a Vulcan. The neat thing is that you can buy a mid-80s bike and ALL the parts are readily available as the model was just dropped for 07.

I had an 86 750 for awhile it ran great with lots of low torque , Rode two up on it alot too . I had to replace the stator /voltage regulator that I found out later was a common problem ,, The Engine needs to be removed to get the side cover off ,, Big Job But like I said it was a real nice bike , Black with Red stripes

So you are saying a 750 model Vulcan would be better? I was thinking of buying something to take touring on day trips or maybe longer.BUBF, lol

My imagination is not picking up on BUBF - could you PM me what this means?

TIA

floridamba wrote:

My imagination is not picking up on BUBF - could you PM me what this means?

TIA

Check your U2U.

Wait a second here....

The VN700 I am looking at is a quattro, now a duece. It's a 4-cylinder, DOHC, shim-under-bucket Kaw with 5-speed, shaft drive and it looks like an LTD.

I searched on VN750's and they are twins. I actually thought it was a KZ and was surprised to see it as a VN.

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That's it - ZN700