Anyone have an older v-4, or similar for sale. I'm also looking for info regarding the early Honda V-4s. I heard there is a problem with oiling the cams. Of course I would also like a V-twin, but I don't think I can afford one, hence the interest in the older Hondas, Viragos, etc. Appreciate any input.

Old School

 

The V65 had soft cams. Honda offered free replacements for this issue. Also some of the early V45 and V65s had a problem with the crankshaft nut backing off and eating a hole in the engine case. Other than that it's a very smooth and powerful engine.

MikeyB

 

I had a 1982 V45 Sabre (750)that I bought used in '88 and got rid of in '96.
Great bike.
Very smooth, good balance, no vibrations.
My '98 Shadow, V-Twin (1100), vibrates quite a bit.

Only issue I had with the V-45 was the engine got very hot and ones legs were right next to and behind it so you got a nice first degree burn after a long ride.
I'm thinking it was half water cooled and half air cooled, and niether setup worked very well.
It gave the crotchrockets of the day a run for their money, and me a few speeding tickets.


phox

 

I had a late 70's Honda 750 and had no problems. Great bike and very smooth. The only problem was that it had a 'windscreen' and at around 120 mph it caused the beginnings of the death wobble even on a straight, smooth road. Scared me a few times. Serves me right for going that fast!

 

All of the early Honda V4's had potential cam oiling problems. Look for one that's had the external oiling mod installed. Also, be wary of one with oil leaks, they can be very hard to fix (such as having to split the cases). Synthetic oil was supposed to be a fix for the oiling problem, but as soon as I put Mobil 1 15w-50 in my V45 it started leaking worse than an old Harley.