NC30 newbie..few questions, advice much appreciated!

[ChowderV4]

im 18 and looking to get a vfr nc30 for my first bike 33bhp restricted.
i have seen a lovely example that im interested in and would just like some advice on it, whether its genuine etc.

the bike ive seen is a 1991 in grey black and red with white rims, it has 12000 miles on the clocks and is all completely original, and the guy has owned it since 2001 and its been sat in his garage for 5 years. the guy has said he would take £850 for it, but it is a non runner.
as this would be my first bike im very sceptical of getting something that isnt running and could be a huge problem.
im wondering if anyone could help me with what might be wrong from what i can tell you.

what i know isthat its idle was erratic when i first contacted him and he said it struggled a little up hills etc. in his recent email he has said the last person who viewed it was fiddling with the choke and revving it and flooded it possibly and now it wont start. he said it may be because he aint cleaned the carbs properly, but in the ad it said he had the carbs cleaned and new sparks, didnt say anything about balancing them though.

just wondering if anyone has any idea's of what it could be, or even a vague idea would help me, to see whether its an easy fix or something serious.

also is there any way to check whether the clocks have been changed to hide the real milage.

thanks
ben.

[abrmoto]

Welcome, sorry IO aint the guy to answer your questions but thought would just welcome you and let you know we aint ignoring ya!!

Some smart alex, i mean some one will be along shortly that can be of more help than me.

Right thats me, off to be.............

[ChowderV4]

cheers, i'll try and update what i know about whats wrong with the bike when the guy emails me again.

[rich1988]

If you have someone who can help you with it or are really keen go for it, personally I wouldnt Just because without it running there could be a number of things wrong that wont be apparent to you if you dont know what to look for.
in saying that there is no better way to learn than to make mistakes but they can break your heart, well maybe not break your heart but make you very fed up! (I know from painful experience!)

[mattUKNC]

Hi Ben, and

Hmm, it could fine after a proper clean out of the carbs, new fuel etc.
BUT...if he has already stated that it had problems getting up hill, that could be something more serious (or just blocked up carbs again/ breather, possibly?!)
Sorry to be vague but unless you have the bike in front of you and hear what it sounds like when trying to turn over, does it smell of fuel, is it getting though correctly etc etc.
It is a good price for a 35, but I bought a non running ZXR250 and tried for months to get the thing going and then sold it on as a non runner. Lesson learned for me.
OK, so if the carbs are cleaned and still the same issue, could be electrical, CDI maybe. You might be chasing this around the bike until you've replaced quite a lot of bits, or you might get lucky!
If you're up for a challenge, then go for it. Once you have the bike and give some more detail on what you've found, people on here will only be too happy to help.
Let us know how you get on and what you decide.

[Cammo]

just wondering if anyone has any idea's of what it could be, or even a vague idea would help me, to see whether its an easy fix or something serious.

First off, the problem isn't likely to be serious. The vfr400 engines are tough, if it runs at all, then it will be fine usually.

Secondly, I wouldn't recommend buying a non-runner as your first vfr400. I have absolutely no doubt that the problems on this bike would all be simple fixes, but in saying that, the fixes would be simple for someone that knows the ins and outs of these bikes. They can be complicated to work on at first, and expensive if you pay someone else because of confined access to the V4 engine etc.

Unless your heart is really set on it, I would save a little bit more (if any!) and buy a known running example from a reputable seller out of the classified section on this forum.


In short: I think you should stay away from this one, buy a bike that you can ride straight off, and get to know it through maintenance/mods. It's not nice to have a nice bike sitting in the shed that you can't ride and is a money pit!! Buy it for your next bike when you're confident you can fix it yourself (and save a bucket load of cash by doing so!).


Fantastic bikes, buy one you can ride!

[Smev]

Hi and
I'd say if the bike is generally in good condition overall - Go For It! £850 isn't too much for a nice NC30 and it shouldn't cost too much to put it right.
Depending where you are in the country there is usually someone near who should be able to help you out or point you in the right direction
Hope that helps!
Smev

[arsey30]

Ben,

Firstly, you say its a lovely bike, then mention e mails, have you seen it yet, as pictures hide a lot.
You also say its original, you may be lucky, but most are not.

I think carb/plug clean and adjust would get it going, a simple task for some, but a novice may struggle.

See if you can get a local forum member to look at the bike, they will have more chance of spotting any hidden nasties.

Hard to verify mleage on an old bike, 12,000 is possible, but I wouldn't worry much, they last pretty well.

Good luck.

Dave.

[Cammo]

I think carb/plug clean and adjust would get it going, a simple task for some, but a novice may struggle.

Yes!

I'm not up with UK prices, but I reckon a couple more hunge will net you good bike with no probs.

[ChowderV4]

cheers for the advice, i havent spoken to the guy really properly and actually gone through exactly what he thinks is wrong, so im probably going to do that to get an idea on what he actually thinks.

i know buying a non runner isnt really the best idea for a first bike, the only reason that im still interested in it is that its completely original with very good condition fairing etc and the bike has been with this guy since 2001 and hasnt been used for 5 years so i dont think its been thrashed.

my dads been riding bikes for 30 odd years so he knows a decent amount about bikes so once i have got my pay check through im gunna ask him to contact the guy and see what he thinks about it.

if this bike doesnt work out i should be alright, im getting bout 1400ish in bout a month so that should get me a decent example shouldnt it, and im not going for that cheap tyga crap, i want mine to look as original as possible excluding race exhaust and screen probably. i think they look much better original.

cheers for the advice