Yamaha Starbike Forum banner

newbie here - break-in 2002 V-star 650 with 159 original miles

5K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  VmanCA1 
#1 ·
Hello,
First timer on this forum. Today, I just bought a 2002 V-star 650 with only 159 original miles for $2,500. Yes, a 17 year old bike with only 159 miles, insane! NEW MINT condition (see photos). The original owner bought it new in 2002, and apparently got scared of riding it (which I could believe if he was a rookie and tried to navigate our freeways in CA with all the crazy drivers). He kept up the registration for 15 years, but died from a heart attack in 2018. I bought it from his wife who only knew that he kept it in the garage safely stored away in Sacramento, CA. About a month ago, apparently a neighbor drained the gas and put fresh gas and a new battery in it. The neighbor then started it and rode it around the block. Then the lady put it up for sale, and I jumped on it.

Comments/questions:
When I went to buy the bike, it started right up. I let it warm up and then drove around the block. Then bought it. Yes, I know, I should have taken it out on the highway. So after paying her, I drive it about 12 miles (on side streets and freeway) home. It ran just fine, except out on the freeway it seemed to struggle once in 4th and 5th gear. What I mean by struggle is, it took full throttle in 5th gear a bit just to get up to 60-65 mph. I did not hold it at full throttle, i just reached full throttle, then backed off then full again. Guess I was an idiot and forgot it was still in break-in period...plus the bike I just sold was a 750 Magna that had lots of power...no excuse for being an idiot though...
Got home, the bike idles smoothly, no really strange noises from engine, except just a faint knock, which could be all in my head, being paranoid that my stupid ass driving on the freeway could have done a lot of harm...or maybe it isn't anything out of normal...since I'm unfamiliar with Yamaha's. It starts and revs up just fine, etc.
Questions:
1) Do you all think I did any harm to the bike in driving it like I did with only 159 miles on it? i.e basically ignoring a break in period...like an idiot!!!
2) Whats your opinions on why it seemed so "wimpy" in 4th and 5th gears to get to 60+ mph? do you think it just needs to get broke in, or is it something worse???
3) If the carbs were bad, wouldn't it run bad at idle, etc.?
4) I don't want to have to remove carbs if I don't have to, but if that's the issue, then I will.
Any advice you can give will be appreciated! I've only owned liquid cooled Honda's so not familiar with air cooled Yamaha like this one.
Thanks!
 

Attachments

See less See more
5
#2 ·
Welcome from Houston, Texas. Great find. Don't think you hurt anything as long as you didn't hold it wide open for too long. The main thing about breaking in a motor is not to maintain a constant throttle for long, at any RPM. Sounds like main jets are clogged. You have the PMS screws and pilot jets that operates at idle and part throttle and those sound OK since it idles good. I would put some Seafoam in tank and drive it to hopefully clean the main jets out. If that doesn't work then a carb rebuild would be needed. Is there any rust in gas tank? But that would be after a few other maintenance items. The tires are old and even if they look good change them. Tires deteriorates with time and have a five year shelf life. Really, don't ride any more on that old of tires, a real safety hazard. Brake fluid should be flushed. Oil needs changed. Check air filter, might have a creature or two that have made a home there. Fuel filter as cheap and would another item I would change. It would be good for you to start a thread on you getting it back to life in the Vstar forum so others could follow and give suggestions.
 
#3 ·
Welcome from Atlantic Canada. Wow, nice find! Not only do you have a brand new 17 year old bike, but you also have one of the most reliable bikes on the road today. Once you get your carb issues sorted out you're going to have yourself a real gem there. Les is one of our resident experts on carbs and just about anything else so his advice is sound. Seafoam may just be enough to get her running properly but if not there is a wealth of knowledge here to help you get it sorted out.
 
#6 ·
3) If the carbs were bad, wouldn't it run bad at idle, etc.?
4) I don't want to have to remove carbs if I don't have to, but if that's the issue, then I will.
Any advice you can give will be appreciated! I've only owned liquid cooled Honda's so not familiar with air cooled Yamaha like this one.
Thanks!
Seafoam! Les is right, sounds like clogged main jets. Don't fear, you can do needles and jets without pulling the carbs...
Mikuni Tuning and Jetting Guide - THE VINTAGE BIKE BUILDER here's a great overview of carbs... just did this myself, as well as new tires. Good luck and ride safe! This forum is amazing for advice..
 
#7 ·
Les,
Thanks so much for the quick and very informative reply! You're lucky to live in TX, CA is getting crazier by the day. To answer your question regarding rust in the tank, no its clean as a whistle! It's just insane how this bike can be 17 years old and only have 159 miles on it... It literally looks it just came off the showroom floor. No rust, no spiders (at least none that I can see, but they could be hiding out in the air filter), it's clean as can be (from the outside at least). Hopefully my pics showed up on my post, you can see it looks like a 159 mile brand new bike. No, I did not hold the throttle wide open for longer than maybe 20-30 seconds, I varied the throttle, but I did hold it open from time to time, but just for 20-30 seconds to get it up to 65 mph in 5th gear. When I got it home, I tightened some of the smaller misc. bolts on blinkers, etc.
Here's my plan::
1) Get new tires
2) Change oil
3) Replace fuel filter
4) Flush brake fluid
5) Check and clean air filter
6) Put new gas with Seafoam in it
8) Drive it around (NO CONSTANT OPEN THROTTLE)
9) Hope (and pray) the seafoam works and cleans out the main jets
If number 9 works, I'll take it easy on it and then change oil again after a few hundred miles. How will I know if it works or not? Will it have more top end speed than 65 mph, etc.?
If number 9 doesn't work, I'll drop back and punt and have to deal with the carbs. NOTE: I found this YouTube video on cleaning the jets. Is this something feasible, or do I need to remove the carbs completely and have rebuilt? Here's the YouTube link (of which I'm sure there are many others):

Thanks again for your fast response and great advice. Any more suggestions you can provide will be appreciated!

Once I learn how to navigate this site, I would like to start a thread (once I learn how to do that) on everything I do to this beautiful bike.

Thank you.

Dean from Sacramento, CA
 
#8 · (Edited)
You could do the carbs that way but only takes about 15 - 20 minutes to completely remove the carbs and clean 100%. The 650 is a peppy bike and you will know by seat of pants if it's running correctly. One thing I forgot to mention, brake pads will start to deteriorate with time also. I would also remove and inspect them, replace them if any question of integrity.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Thank you all for the awesome help!!! I'm really glad I found this forum/site. You all seem to be really cool, positive, informative, and best of all friendly! Thanks again to all of you for your help and suggestions. I'm a pencil pusher by day, but in my spare time (of which is really sparse because I push pencils too much), I like learning and fixing mechanical things, so if I do have to get into the carbs, well....bring it on! Thanks again to all of you!
 
#12 ·
Hi Eric!
Welcome from East Tennessee. I can’t add much more other than awesome find! Yes please start a thread on your progress and keep us posted. You definitely found the best motorcycle forum going. We’re a friendly informative bunch that are willing to help one another. Glad you joined us!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#14 · (Edited)
I agree with everything that has been posted

there are two things to worry about storing a bike for a long time:

if the tank is left empty it will rust, then if you put gas in it and try to start it the rust will clog the petcock screen in the tank, the fuel filter, and some small particles could get thru the fuel filter and plug the smallest ports in the engine: the choke and idle/ PM ports. You can only fix that by taking the carbs apart, because nothing dissolves rust.

if the bike is stored with the tank full to keep it from rusting, it must also have a fuel stabilizer and the gas must be dump about once a year - two years at most. If the owner just kept topping the tank off instead of replacing the fuel, then even with a stabilizer the fuel will break down. Neighbor did the right thing draining the tank, so depending on how often the owner started the bike up over the years with bad gas you will have some goop in the carbs.

Seafoam works by flushing out the passages - that means the jets cannot be completely blocked, you cant flush them if nothing is flowing thru. One approach for that: run the floats dry with the engine running and the petcock off, then take the fuel line from the fuel pump right to the carbs and push some pure Seafoam into the floats with a turkey baster or syringe, and let that soak overnight. Then with 4 ounces of Seafoam in a full tank of gas, run the bike. The seafoam in the float bowls will produce white smoke for the first mile, that is normal. To get the main jets to flush out you are going to have to ride with them open, which means full throttle in 4th or 5th gear, esp good going up a hill. Do that as often as you can, keeping your 'no steady speed' rule for the break in.

It might take a full tank of gas riding like this to completely flush out all the jets.

Best test for a 650 is get out on the highway, in 4th gear the engine HP peak is at 55mph - the intake air box will growl with pure joy with the thottle WFO, and it will do it again at 70mph in 5th gear. The top speed on the bike is 105mph (rev limiter cuts the ignition off) so you dont have to worry about redline on the bike, as long as you dont downshift and let out the clutch at hi rpms.

There is no reason to feel guilty about getting the bike for $2500, that is just a little bit on the low side - many people buy cruiser bikes and only ride then a few hundred miles a year. A 650 will go 100,000 miles, so whether it had 200 miles or 2000 or 10,000 miles on it, about $3k is the normal price for a fully original bike that is 10 to 20 years old.

The only other factors are tires and maintenance keep-up.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Edit: Just read your first post again: these Vstar engines have a a shorter rod throw than a harley, they are designed to be rev'ed up, not lugged

its possible you shifted into 4th and 5th too soon, and that is why it seemed to be lugging to get to 65?

wind it out to 55mph in 4th at full throttle, then hit 5th and wind it out to 70mph - see if that is more like what you expect from a 40HP engine.

you will not break anything running at full throttle for short bursts during break -in. the oil is fully floating the bearings like it suppose to, and since you are changing the oil the engine will have its normal 20W40 in there - its all good.

from another post:
make sure your 2002 is rated for ethanol use...
all Vstar bikes were make well after 10% ethanol became standard in the US - not a problem
 
#16 · (Edited)
Keep an eye on the seals, if that bike sat since 2002 with only a little over 100 miles on it there is a good chance the seals in the engine/transmission are dried out, I would also replace all the rubber hoses for both the fuel lines and the brake lines as they are likely dry rotted even if you can't see it, the last thing you want is a fuel line to rupture while you are riding down the road and catching the motorcycle on fire, fuel lines are cheap and easy to replace, the other rubber hoses on the brake lines again the last thing you want to to have to get on the brakes hard and have a line burst, that should not be to expensive to replace the rubber brake hoses as well.

Look inside the fuel tank, if it is rusted you will see the rust so do this when the tank is low on fuel and use a flash light so you can see the inside of the fuel tank.

I would defiantly change the tires and if tubed replace the tubes as well, again age and dry rot, you don't want a tire letting go while you are riding especially if you are in a curve at speed.

Outside of that you have found a low mileage like new motorcycle that needs some work to bring it back to factory fresh.
 
#17 ·
just looking at the photos and noticed the handlebars are pulled back a bit from the normal: riser part in line with the front forks

the guy I got my 650 from is a foot shorter than me. I rode it as he had it set up for a week, kept hitting the grips on my knees

when I adjusted the handlebars for my statue it was like riding a MUCH bigger bike
 
#19 ·
Checked tank for rust, air filter and other areas for critters, etc. - Looks good

ok, so I checked the tank for signs of rust. Looked very clean, no rust that I could see. See pic. I shined my flashlight from all angles while looking in it and it looked very clean. The gas cap and spring looked and worked like new also. Checked hoses for flexibility and/or signs of aging and they also looked and felt new. No brittleness, cracking, discoloration, etc. Air filter and gasket was clean and looked new. Checked air filter passageways and all over/under/inside the bike for spiders or bugs...nothing, clean as a whistle.... So far so good...this just the beginning....
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top