[team5150]

I saw a 2005 Drifter that I am thinking about buying. The seller said he has all the maintenance records and has done annual checkups on it. It only has 9200 miles on it.

He wants $3700 for it.

Are these good reliable bikes for weekend riding ? Any advise on what to be careful of ?

 

[Beans]

The general consensus on the 800 seems to be that it is basically bomb proof, but that the valve clearance checks are an essential part of routine maintenance and can have catastrophic consequences if not done correctly/often enough. They're carb'd so you need to remember to store them properly or clean the carb out once a year. Depending on how fast you want to ride on the highway you may want to change the sprockets to cut down on vibrations. I fairly consistently ride at 110-120 KM/H on the highway and the buzzing is a bit annoying.

I've put about 12K KMs on mine over the last few years and have had absolutely no issues, just performed routine maintenance. I did the valve checks myself in just a few hours. I would tend to agree with the opinion that the 800 is pretty bomb proof. $3700 might be a bit steep, but it really depends on where you live. Where I live a box of motorcycle parts with no title goes for about $500 minimum.

 

[team5150]

I appreciate the in BEANS !

I saw the bike yesterday and it is beautiful. The guy only rode it in the summer and just locally in the canyons and mountains here in So Cal He has had all the annual maintenance done at a very reputable independent and gave me their number to call and ask questions about it.

My only concern is about it being an 800. That's the smallest street bike I have ever had and after having an 09 2000 I was concerned about the power for a 6' 220# dude.

 

[Beans]

My last bike was a 400cc Kawi and when I first got the VN800 it felt rip-your-eyes-out fast, however now that I've had it for a few years I can definitely tell that it's lacking in the displacement department. It still goes faster than I can handle though!