85 Honda 700 Magna questions

wanting to know as much as possible about these bikes,my daughter is thinking about buying one,so if you are famialur with them please respond good and bad,
Are parts still avalible?any known problems,reasonable price for a nice one ect.this one is priced at $1500.00 and is supposed to be nice,she is far enough away I wont be able to work on it much,and probably wont get a chance to look at bike,I think the 1500 sounds like a decent price for one but really aint sure.

Thank You

 

Depends.

Early Honda V-fours were born premature, with numerous cam, oiling system and camchain tensioner problems.

But...

If it is still in good shape, there are some easy oil system mods which seem to cure a lot of these problems. Some say later 1st gen V-Fours did not have the same problems as the early ones (82-83). Others say the entire run of engines was rubbish and should be avoided like the plague.

If it is in decent shape, and not smoking or rattling, $1500 sounds reasonable. Just be aware that it is a complicated bike to work on, and the aforementioned faults can make it a money-pit. If she just wants some thing for a few seasons, I'd say it's a reasonable proposition, but make sure it's sound.


Ask a few questions at http://www.sabmag.org, but be warned that they are devotees of the bike/motor and tend to overlook its faults.

It is a wonderfully grunty and smooth motor when it's running right though. It's a shame they didn't get it right the first time.

 

I have to agree with much of what MacMcMacmac said in his post. I'm the proud owner of an '85 VF700-S (Sabre) which I purchased in January as a replacement for my FJ600 that broke the case when I low-sided it in October.

I did a lot of research before purchasing because I too had heard of the many problems associated with the early V-four engines. I decided on buying mine because it had extremely low original mileage (14,500), ran strong with no unusual noises or smoking, and the price was right $1050. As soon as I purchased I did a single-line oil mod that's mentioned in the link above and have since put on about 3000 trouble-free miles.

I was able to find on eBay a kit that included all that was needed for the oil-mod that ran me about $150. It only took about 1.5 hours to install. I installed it and switched to a pure synthetic motorcycle oil at the same time, the second week I owned the bike. The only other thing I've done to it is replace the fork seals which were badly leaking.

On the plus side oil changes are a breeze since spin on filters are available at just about any auto parts store or Wal-mart. Also tons of parts are available on eBay and many are still available new from Honda. On the negative side just about any other kind of maintenance is a pain in the ass that requires removal of the fuel tank and radiator.

The '85 V-fours seem to be the best of the 1st gen models as the factory tried to address some of the oiling, cam, cam-chain issues that were flooding dealers with warranty repairs. I know mine has the improved cam-chain tensioner, and increased sized oiling holes in the banjo-bolt leading to the oil tubes to the heads.

Ironically, I believe the "Harley Tax" helped this model year as well because in order to get to under a 700cc displacement Honda shortened the stroke on the crank, which took away some of the bottom-end grunt of the bike; but then reworked the cam-timing and slightly reground the cam to give it a better top-end and a higher red-line. These changes kept the horsepower the same despite the lower displacement, and also discouraged lugging the engine because it simply didn't have the lower-end torque of the previous model. The number-one cause of premature cam failure on these bikes was under-revving while riding, as at lower RPMS the stock oiling system simply didn't provide enough oil to the top-end. Since the 700s didn't come alive until revved higher most riders were forced to ride them harder to keep them in the power band which in turn provided better lubrication as a by-product.

The bottom line is this, you're looking at a 22 year old bike; as long as the engine is sound, and the bike runs straight with no wobbles, just about anything else can be dealt with later with some elbow grease and a few dollars.

I hope this helps,

Ciao

 

I forgot to add in my post above one important mod that's essential if you live in a warm climate like me (So. Fla.) or where summers get particularly hot and muggy (like just about everywhere in the US) and that is modding the cooling system. The stock fanstat switch (Radiator Fan Thermostatic Switch) that came on all of the first gen V-Fours opens and closes at much too high a temperature causing boil-over in traffic on hot days, which in turn can lead to severe engine damage. Honda recognized this and came out with one that operates at much lower temps (opening and closing about 50 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than stock). The only problem is that the Honda dealer replacement part sells for anywhere between $45-$80. The good news is that other SabMag owners have discovered several less expensive alternatives.

The first being to add a bypass toggle switch to manually operate the fan when in traffic it's cheap and easy to install, but requires you to turn it on when you see the temp rising on the gauge. The second alternative (the one I chose to use) is to install an after market fanstat designed for a Honda automobile that has the same desired characteristics as the expensive Honda dealer part. The part number is ECHLIN #FS130 available from NAPA for around $25 or an even cheaper alternative GP Sorenson #40-5001 available from Advanced/Discount Auto or AutoZone which runs about $15. These switches screw right into the radiator with no problems even though the temp probe extends about a half inch farther than the original. These only require a simple mod of changing the 2 blade type connectors on the bike to bayonet type connectors to match the new switch. It only took me 10 minutes to install and now my bike never gets above 5 bars on the gauge even in the worst stop and go traffic.

Finally, one last piece of advice that will help you get many long and happy miles out of your bike. I never just turn my bike off hot, because after turning off the ignition the engine's temp can continue to rise for up to an hour before finally beginning to cool down. Instead, what I do is use the "kill" switch to cut off the ignition while leaving the key in the "on" position. This allows the fan to continue cooling the radiator for several minutes, then when the fan shuts off I turn the key off. This allows the coolant in the radiator to cool to a more reasonable temp, which in turn will flow through the engine slowly via convection, gradually cooling it down and prolonging it's life. Most modern bikes and autos do this automatically, which is why your car's fan can run for many minutes after turning it off.

I hope this helps,

Ciao

 

thanks a lot for the advise guys
sounds like maybe not the best bike for her,she is pretty new to riding,I think she realy likes the bike though,so I guess i may just have to bring her bike home and do a few mods on it,if she does get the bike.
After doing a little reading on these bikes I probably better figgure on doing one of the oiling mods,sence she is a newer rider I doubt she will keep it reved enough to keep enough oil flowing to topend.

 

Old-Grunt don't be afraid of the Magna if she gets it. It makes an excellent beginer/girl's bike. Its seat height is a few inches lower than my Sabre or a similar year Interceptor do primarily to having a smaller rear tire, a small tear-drop main fuel tank, a reserve fuel tank located lower in the frame, and having a bit more front-end rake, thus its center of gravity is a bit lower as well. It's not a light bike by today's standards, but it's smooth as silk with little vibration when on the road and stable in just about any wind condition. The Magna is a nice cruiser and once moving the extra weight isn't noticeable and is quite comfortable to ride. Good luck I hope she enjoys it.

Ciao