I had this exact starter problem on my 1983 virago 750. I ended getting lucky and finding a whole side cover and next gen starter from a 1985 xv1000. They switched to using a solenoid to throw out the gear and works like a dream! No more “box of rocks” starter sound!
Dan put the start system off of a 1984 xv1000. they have a proper solenoid to throw the drive gear out into the rotor, and you can use your old engine cover so it'll look stockish. that's what I've done on mine and it works awesome.
The 1970s Yamaha XS650 vertical twin has the same issue with the starter and the problem is easily fixed by simply squeezing that “wishbone” shaped spring so that it grips the shoulder on the gear more tightly. Believe it or not - the wear on the gear is not a concern. The noise is caused by a lack of tension on the wishbone spring. Just squeeze it in a vise and it will work fine…for a while.
Is taking the old flywheel off and having a machine shop lazer/water jet a new one possible? Just using the old one as a template and hand finishing it.
This is definitely an option and I could even have one machined however it’s quite a lengthy task for a part that you could possibly buy so I was trying to avoid doing this. I’m assuming it needs to be fairly accurate and the correct weight. It’s a little bit above my machining skills at this stage so I would have to source this out to someone and I can only imagine the cost would be quite high. Having said that it’s definitely a great idea. 😁👍
Hi, it would be great to see a cafe racer build, just a thought and maybe it's a long shot but is it possible to remove the starter ring an reverse it to use the undamaged side. Do n't give up the battle there's always a solution. Look forward to the build. Dave.
Looking forward to your progress on this one. I also have an 1981 xv750. I also have the exact same issue with the bike. I only purchased it, rebuilt the carbs and it fired up no issue aside from that terrible grinding noise. I have found another guy on RUclips who’s built 2 or 3 of these bikes and he’s solved the problem in detail on his channel. You should check it out. Steve’s DIYs I believe is his name. Best of luck and I love the channel.
Hey Gary yeah things are going well here hope you are too, now it’s just a short waiting game waiting for the part to come in and then push other projects aside so I can get back on this :) Stay tuned
We have a 1983 Maxim 750. It has all the same sounds on start up. We also have a Virago that we're about to start work on. It had a REAL bad grinding noise on start up. We flipped the bandix(?) gear around and now it sounds a LOT better. But our flywheel wasn't chewed up on the back side. Can't wait to see where your Virago build goes. - Nate
Mate flipping that wheel won't solve your problem in the long term. Infact, it could make it worse. It's softer steel on the other side and will shred itself apart even faster. I'm not telling what you should or shouldn't be doing but go on the forums, and you'll realise it's been tried and failed.
Virago owner and customizer here! The only two real solutions to your bendix starter problem are these: 1- You can update all your starter system by swapping all your left side engine cover with a 2nd Gen left side cover. I've seen that your engine base is compatible with this update. It gives you a better starter system than this spring bendix one. 2- The second solution is real simple. Just swap the engine all toguether with a 2nd Gen engine... even maybe a more powerfull one. All bigger Virago engines are compatible with your frame. From 750 to 1100, from 1981 to 1999. That's what I went for with my build. It used to be a simple 1981 xv750, now it has a 1985 xv1000 engine in it... and I kept the xv750 heads to boost the compression. Starts like a dragon... runs like a charm.
Hi there . I got a 1997 535 virago for virtually nothing. Not running but not seized. No keys. No battery. Apart from getting a battery and seeing if she turns over where do you suggest I start?
Had this issue with my xs650, it's was due the clip not being full tight, you can make it better by placing the clip in to a vice to crush it a bit more
One of the comments was mentioning something about a certain pound Rating for the spring and getting that measurement from a set of fish scales. I’m not sure if this would work but it’s definitely worth a shot
@@CafeRacerGarage check out Steve DIYs channel. He's THE guy to watch when talking about 1st gen starter issues. Plus he's a very nice person. Viragos are great bikes. I bought mine to make a cafe racer but ended up not having the guts to chop her out. You can watch her start up on my channel. I also guess 2ng gen Bendix have a different helix profile for better engagement and not sounding like a bag of rocks. You can find a lot of good info on Facebook under the virago owners group form and others like them. If I could be of help don't hesitate to ask
I have found joining Facebook groups for specific model bikes can be a great resource for hard to obtain parts,i am sure you probably do this too but just thought to mention it. Great content as usual keep them coming dan.
I've got 2 of these XVs with starter issues similar to yours, one is an 83 (monoshock) and the other is a 85. My next try is to replace the bushings that keep the bendix gear shaft straight. I noticed some play in it and if the gear goes a bit sideways it won't engage properly on the flywheel. FYI, I haven't got the time to try this fix yet... if it doesn't work I'll be looking to swap the motor with one from a newer model that Yamaha has fix the starter issue, maybe late 90's, Could possibly even upgrade to the 1100cc 😁. These make beautiful projects, don't give up, the challenges make for more satisfying accomplishments when done.
Check out Steve's DIY he has done a lot of work into fixing the starter issues on the xv750. Also you can look at getting a voltage stabilizer it seems to help a lot too.... I am about half way through my xv build now, but am yet to start it.
Steve is the guy to go when talking about 1st gen starter issues. The virago starter problems were solved on the 2nd gen models. The Bendix "helix" were redesigned and I think they fit 1st gen engine cases. It need to be double checked though. Give her another try Dan! Viragos are great bikes. I bought my '95 xv1100 to make her a cafe racer but she's too good to be chopped. You can check a clip of her running on my channel
This idea was something of an afterthought. I’m always trying to come up with ideas for videos to help you So turning that into reverse is something I haven’t done too much of, however you are 100% right, i’m sure this kind of situation will come up again in the future :)
I alleviated the box o rocks starter issue with good grounds to the frame, 4 brush starter, clean/adjusted carbs and good battery (something with high CCA).
Hey David that model motorcycle that you have is something that I would’ve love to get also however i’m not sure where you’re located but the 920s are even less common here from what I’ve noticed.
Yeh back to Sunday morning brekkie vids .. well Dan looks like you found the built in issue with the engine .. great bikes shite starter issues . Great thing about this issue is there are literally thousands of guys and gals that have tried most if not all of the modifications to rectify it and will give advice on what they have done . Out of all the things I liked about mine this was the main issue that I found annoying . Anyway great that you can get the ring gear , looking forwards to seeing how you get on and if you do continue . Thanks gaz
For the clip, it's a very common occurrence. People crush the clip in a vice, and it's supposed to be a 6 or 8 lbs pull. This means, if you hooked a fish scale to it and pulled to rotate the clip, it would read 6 or 8 lbs of force. I need to fix this on my xs650 as well
amigo dos un groso en lo que haces. me gustan las motos y me encanta como haces las cosas, me gustaría que los audios de vídeos sean traducidos al español. aprendería mucho más y no tardaría tanto en verlo o retroceder el vídeo para entender. desde argentina gracias
good info, the only thing to add is making sure your battery is good as the starter needs all the power to throw the idler gear onto the flywheel. Also make sure the grounds are good on the battery. the bottom of the tray where the ground mounts to tends to rust due to water, if there is weak contact the symptom will look like a low battery when it is actually not enough contact.
great video, I had an 81 model back in '86 and i never got used to that starter.. today I'd love to do a build as they were an amazing bikes and they are kinda special now, but I'm glad to see you are keeping it going. looking forward to seeing your progress.
Hey love your video as I plan to buy a TR1 the european sister of the bigger XV 920, ☺️ but my question is about the mounting Of your SSD on your Mac, I have exactly the same but it is loosely angin around , 9:02 what's this mounting please 🙏?
I put a new starter on my XV750 after my old one died and it starts on one pulse of the start button now. Crazy how nice a new starter can treat the bike! Any idea where to get a new magnet to go under the starter bendix and such? Mines missing but I do have a magnetic drain plug to help.
Dealing with the starter motor issue has been a big problem throughout my cafe racer build on this bike i always knew the 81 to 83 had it and its a workin fault from yamaha hence the magnet sitting on the bottom of the crank case to collect the metal shavings.
Also if you are located in Melbourne id love to come down and show you my xv750 i have 3 shitty videos of it on my page but you can get a idea of how i built it
2 things and long story short. From factory the bendix and flywheel gears only mesh together 1/3 - 1/2 of the way, hence the damage to your set of gears. A new flywheel will not solve the issue unfortunately but there is a mod for the cover to push the gear out to mesh more with the flywheel. The bendix gear also tends to pulse in and out of mesh on the worm drive giving it the grinding sound - making the spring stronger will only give more resistance on the starter draining the battery further. Secondly the starter robs power from the ignition system making it hard to start, you may find it cranks for ages and suddenly starts when you take your thumb off the start button? Again there's a mod for the ignition system a voltage stabiliser to give an extra boost to the ignition system and help start when on compression stroke where the starter is pulling more power and draining the battery. Hope this is helpful 👍
Ha, I started typing this before the end of the vid. 2:47 you put the idler gear in the wrong way round, clip on top. You'll notice the teeth are slightly shamfered the full depth on the spring side, the way you have it it's a square tooth with a 45 at the tip, this will chew your gear on the flywheel. No. 2, look up Mike's 1st gen Virago Google page, you need a voltage stabiliser on the TCI as it can get starved of supply while the starter cranks. Once this is in place you'll get a start within one rotation of the engin 9 times out of 10 (ish). I've toyed with going Gen 2 starter but so far It's consitent enough now to be more than acceptable for me. I don't have many vids of me starting mine, just finished the conversion but I do notice the idler gear does still rattle for a few seconds as it stops spinning and disengages from the vid I have on here.
After all it is a gear not a flux capacitor, you could always simply have it made. Glass EMS could find it for you though! That run on chatter does sound annoying. Looking forward to your next build!
@@CafeRacerGarage Mike Miller over at Mike's first gen viragos on FB diagnosed, documented, and fixed the starter issue. Used an oscilloscope to find out the tci wasnt getting a stable 12V during starting. Look up his "final solution" its a $14 dollar voltage stabilizer. no nned for flywheels, or removing the starter gear spring or any othe half measure
The biggest weakness for the Yamaha early v-twin engine design was the starter system. I know most every xv920 you saw that had any miles on them had starter issues and it was a well known problem that really hurt the bikes reputation and resale value. I had an '81 model I bought new from the dealers that was the xv920rh sport version that had the enclosed chain drive. Here in the states you rarely saw one of the Yamaha sport v-twins that had more European styling and the chain drive instead of the shaft drive. I think they only imported that model to the states for like two years. I wished in a way I had of kept that bike just because here in this country they are fairly limited numbers of them. I also owned of the xv1000 Virago's of mid 90's vintage and by then they seemed to have figured out the starter issues.
Heya Dan, I know this is kind of off topic but have u ever tried fitting a 750 into a 500 frame? Does the shaft drive line up in both and how much of an adjustment is it in terms of mounting the bigger engine onto the frame? TIA
I’m pretty sure they just do OEM parts However you’re more than welcome to send them an email, they have a great team behind them that respond fairly quickly
Don't use the helicoidal spring on the starter gear, it doesn't do anything and you gain so much gear engagement since the oem only had half the gear to engage Just doing that stopped the grinding noise on mine
hi Dan… about the flywheel… in an extreme case you could let someone mill that from scratch, no? there are companies that can produce custom gear wheels .. this isnt that different
I didn’t see this upgrade idea but it doesn’t seem to struggle taking the bike over it just keeps the gear spinning for way too long it’s sounds like you’ve got your finger on the start button after it already started.
@@CafeRacerGarage that’s because it isn’t that simple of a swap. You’re almost better off just swapping to a later model engine (1986 and up), especially for the price.
The xv all were notorious for starter issues. Especially the 750. There is a fix for it. The reason that magnet is in there is because the starter just tore themselves apart and rather have pieces of fly everywhere the magnet caught it. Yamaha should have fixed the issue.
While you are in there replace the stator, these bikes suffer from huge battery draw to start and the electrical system isn’t great and with a low battery the ignition system suffers greatly and causes all sorts of phantom issues, they were not without their flaws these bikes.
@@CafeRacerGarage During a start scenario if the voltage drops to something like 10ish then the TCI will no longer function. Some people choose to run the TCI directly off of a voltage regulator for this reason.
You may find a machine shop utilising a Mach 500 water jet cutting system and have a new gear cut? Then just slide it on and you’re whisky! If you succeed in finding such a shop, may as well have them cut out 1k of them, you’d yield buckets-o-cash, and be the proverbial saviour of Virago owners everywhere!
Definitely a great idea however I think the rotor is actually attached permanently so it would require more than just nuts and bolts for somebody to fit something like this. It’s nonetheless great idea though.
@@CafeRacerGarage I’m hoping it goes differently for you than it did for me. Although I saw another comment about using 2nd gen parts and when I was fighting through this issue around 12 years ago I didn’t find any suggestions to try those so maybe that’s the fix.
Hey Kyle enjoy your builds and videos. I had one of these bikes that was actually really nice and I picked it up cheap so got it running well and moved on because I couldn’t get the starter sorted out and was driving me crazy!! Good luck I’m following this!!
Check out Matt Franco's channel. He has a fix to the starter system using a later model's parts and it might be something you want to try ruclips.net/video/SX-PoSk5hI4/видео.html. He is a fellow Aussie, so if he has the bike still you can maybe check it out and see how it sounds. I do agree the can of rocks sound is off-putting.
Bought an xv920 with the same starter noise. Watched ruclips.net/video/FJs1IAaEWVo/видео.html and upgraded all the electrics to the starter, sounds great now. The wishbone spring upgrade is fine (I didn’t bother) but if you get a strong enough jolt to the starter, shouldn’t need it.
Hi , big fan . Hope you read this because i wood love to see you build a virago !! the problem is nothing mechanical!!!!!! its electrical!!! when you go to start the bike the egnition system and the starter just ask to mutch of the system hens it sometimes grabs the starter gears and sometimes it wont. its a lack of power because it needs to power the ignition and the starter at the same time and the fluctuation of the both make it start verry badly . you need to put an extra rectifier in the system to stabelize the voltage over the hole system. check --> ruclips.net/video/wwFiIwM0Stg/видео.html
Sell it. They are awful looking bikes and require major fab work to correct the frame seat/tank alignment. Even with the work done they look crap and awkward. Better bikes to waste your time on out there….I’m my opinion of course
![★ CAFE RACER Subframe Build [Part 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/o-226cGlpmE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I had this exact starter problem on my 1983 virago 750. I ended getting lucky and finding a whole side cover and next gen starter from a 1985 xv1000. They switched to using a solenoid to throw out the gear and works like a dream! No more “box of rocks” starter sound!
Haha it was me that sold the tank! Glad it made it out there safe! I’m excited for the build!!
Dan put the start system off of a 1984 xv1000. they have a proper solenoid to throw the drive gear out into the rotor, and you can use your old engine cover so it'll look stockish. that's what I've done on mine and it works awesome.
Does it all fit up the same? If you have Instagram you are welcome to send me a message over there
@@CafeRacerGarage pm sent
@@CafeRacerGarage ruclips.net/video/SX-PoSk5hI4/видео.html&ab_channel=MattFranco
The 1970s Yamaha XS650 vertical twin has the same issue with the starter and the problem is easily fixed by simply squeezing that “wishbone” shaped spring so that it grips the shoulder on the gear more tightly. Believe it or not - the wear on the gear is not a concern. The noise is caused by a lack of tension on the wishbone spring. Just squeeze it in a vise and it will work fine…for a while.
Is taking the old flywheel off and having a machine shop lazer/water jet a new one possible? Just using the old one as a template and hand finishing it.
This is definitely an option and I could even have one machined however it’s quite a lengthy task for a part that you could possibly buy so I was trying to avoid doing this. I’m assuming it needs to be fairly accurate and the correct weight. It’s a little bit above my machining skills at this stage so I would have to source this out to someone and I can only imagine the cost would be quite high. Having said that it’s definitely a great idea. 😁👍
Hi, it would be great to see a cafe racer build, just a thought and maybe it's a long shot but is it possible to remove the starter ring an reverse it to use the undamaged side. Do n't give up the battle there's always a solution. Look forward to the build. Dave.
I just bought mine 3 days ago too!! Please keep us posted on this bike
You are an optimistic man Dan! I like that!
Looking forward to your progress on this one. I also have an 1981 xv750. I also have the exact same issue with the bike. I only purchased it, rebuilt the carbs and it fired up no issue aside from that terrible grinding noise. I have found another guy on RUclips who’s built 2 or 3 of these bikes and he’s solved the problem in detail on his channel. You should check it out. Steve’s DIYs I believe is his name. Best of luck and I love the channel.
Great vid and well done on the fix so far. Hope you’re doing well and staying safe there, Dan! 🏍👍🏍
Hey Gary yeah things are going well here hope you are too, now it’s just a short waiting game waiting for the part to come in and then push other projects aside so I can get back on this :) Stay tuned
Another informative and honest vid. Happy New Year! and ... as always, keep up the great work :)
We have a 1983 Maxim 750. It has all the same sounds on start up. We also have a Virago that we're about to start work on. It had a REAL bad grinding noise on start up. We flipped the bandix(?) gear around and now it sounds a LOT better. But our flywheel wasn't chewed up on the back side. Can't wait to see where your Virago build goes. - Nate
Thanks Nate, I appreciate you sharing your journey and I’ll definitely keep the videos coming with updates as I do them for you :)
Mate flipping that wheel won't solve your problem in the long term. Infact, it could make it worse. It's softer steel on the other side and will shred itself apart even faster. I'm not telling what you should or shouldn't be doing but go on the forums, and you'll realise it's been tried and failed.
@@davesimpson85 Thanks. We just did what others said they have done in forums and on RUclips. If it does fail again then we'll try to find a new one.
Virago owner and customizer here! The only two real solutions to your bendix starter problem are these:
1- You can update all your starter system by swapping all your left side engine cover with a 2nd Gen left side cover. I've seen that your engine base is compatible with this update. It gives you a better starter system than this spring bendix one.
2- The second solution is real simple. Just swap the engine all toguether with a 2nd Gen engine... even maybe a more powerfull one. All bigger Virago engines are compatible with your frame. From 750 to 1100, from 1981 to 1999. That's what I went for with my build. It used to be a simple 1981 xv750, now it has a 1985 xv1000 engine in it... and I kept the xv750 heads to boost the compression. Starts like a dragon... runs like a charm.
Thank you so much for this information Mate that is fantastic and I’m sure it’ll go to great use for anyone with the same issue
Hi there . I got a 1997 535 virago for virtually nothing. Not running but not seized. No keys. No battery. Apart from getting a battery and seeing if she turns over where do you suggest I start?
I would really like to see this build. These bikes make awesome cafe racers, and im sure yours would be right up there
Great video, easy presentation style. Good luck on sourcing parts.
I'm rebuilding a xs650, but it's not necessarily a cafe racer. But it's a blend of a tracker and cafe
If it’s got two wheels and you love it that’s all that matters. I like all styles of bikes and cars 😁
Had this issue with my xs650, it's was due the clip not being full tight, you can make it better by placing the clip in to a vice to crush it a bit more
One of the comments was mentioning something about a certain pound Rating for the spring and getting that measurement from a set of fish scales.
I’m not sure if this would work but it’s definitely worth a shot
@@CafeRacerGarage I found that tip from RUclips channel called 2 wheel workshop
@@CafeRacerGarage check out Steve DIYs channel. He's THE guy to watch when talking about 1st gen starter issues. Plus he's a very nice person.
Viragos are great bikes. I bought mine to make a cafe racer but ended up not having the guts to chop her out. You can watch her start up on my channel.
I also guess 2ng gen Bendix have a different helix profile for better engagement and not sounding like a bag of rocks. You can find a lot of good info on Facebook under the virago owners group form and others like them. If I could be of help don't hesitate to ask
I have found joining Facebook groups for specific model bikes can be a great resource for hard to obtain parts,i am sure you probably do this too but just thought to mention it. Great content as usual keep them coming dan.
Having built a 1993 virago 1100 into a cafe racer, I hope to see you build this. Good luck!
A fellow Aussie. Great videos man. Tanking notes for my build. Just got an XV920
Thanx brother
I've got 2 of these XVs with starter issues similar to yours, one is an 83 (monoshock) and the other is a 85. My next try is to replace the bushings that keep the bendix gear shaft straight. I noticed some play in it and if the gear goes a bit sideways it won't engage properly on the flywheel. FYI, I haven't got the time to try this fix yet... if it doesn't work I'll be looking to swap the motor with one from a newer model that Yamaha has fix the starter issue, maybe late 90's, Could possibly even upgrade to the 1100cc 😁. These make beautiful projects, don't give up, the challenges make for more satisfying accomplishments when done.
Check out Steve's DIY he has done a lot of work into fixing the starter issues on the xv750. Also you can look at getting a voltage stabilizer it seems to help a lot too.... I am about half way through my xv build now, but am yet to start it.
Steve is the guy to go when talking about 1st gen starter issues. The virago starter problems were solved on the 2nd gen models. The Bendix "helix" were redesigned and I think they fit 1st gen engine cases. It need to be double checked though.
Give her another try Dan! Viragos are great bikes. I bought my '95 xv1100 to make her a cafe racer but she's too good to be chopped. You can check a clip of her running on my channel
I was about to write that hopefully your audience could find you something, but nevermind! Looking forward to see the final product over time!
This idea was something of an afterthought. I’m always trying to come up with ideas for videos to help you
So turning that into reverse is something I haven’t done too much of, however you are 100% right, i’m sure this kind of situation will come up again in the future :)
Great video! I hope you have success because it would be a great build to follow 🙂
I alleviated the box o rocks starter issue with good grounds to the frame, 4 brush starter, clean/adjusted carbs and good battery (something with high CCA).
Gotta love those Viragos...
I have a 1981 xv920R chain mono shock.
I had the same issue and also shimming the planetary gears too. I will check those teeth now too.
Hey David that model motorcycle that you have is something that I would’ve love to get also however i’m not sure where you’re located but the 920s are even less common here from what I’ve noticed.
Thats a proper rare bike you got. Not alot of chain driven 920r left in the world. Cherish it. One day it may buy you a house.
Great tip always been following u.
N I still dreaming owning 1 of this bike
Great video for your DIY skill!
Yeh back to Sunday morning brekkie vids .. well Dan looks like you found the built in issue with the engine .. great bikes shite starter issues . Great thing about this issue is there are literally thousands of guys and gals that have tried most if not all of the modifications to rectify it and will give advice on what they have done . Out of all the things I liked about mine this was the main issue that I found annoying . Anyway great that you can get the ring gear , looking forwards to seeing how you get on and if you do continue . Thanks gaz
For the clip, it's a very common occurrence. People crush the clip in a vice, and it's supposed to be a 6 or 8 lbs pull. This means, if you hooked a fish scale to it and pulled to rotate the clip, it would read 6 or 8 lbs of force. I need to fix this on my xs650 as well
This is absolutely brilliant I’ll have to give this ago :) Thanks for the tip brother
Great that you're starting a build on the same bike as mine with the same KZ750SR tank ! Curious what you'll make ou of it !
My xv920 had the same issue but the fix I found was replacing the cover with an xv1100 cover. It uses a fork instead of the bendix. Noise is all gone
Would you mind sharing the part # from the website. I want to see if I can track one down. Mine is worn out too
amigo dos un groso en lo que haces. me gustan las motos y me encanta como haces las cosas, me gustaría que los audios de vídeos sean traducidos al español. aprendería mucho más y no tardaría tanto en verlo o retroceder el vídeo para entender. desde argentina gracias
good info, the only thing to add is making sure your battery is good as the starter needs all the power to throw the idler gear onto the flywheel. Also make sure the grounds are good on the battery. the bottom of the tray where the ground mounts to tends to rust due to water, if there is weak contact the symptom will look like a low battery when it is actually not enough contact.
Thank you so much mate I’ll definitely keep an eye on these things through the process of eliminating the problem
great video, I had an 81 model back in '86 and i never got used to that starter.. today I'd love to do a build as they were an amazing bikes and they are kinda special now, but I'm glad to see you are keeping it going. looking forward to seeing your progress.
Thank you mate and yeah they are actually quite fun to ride as they are
Hey love your video as I plan to buy a TR1 the european sister of the bigger XV 920, ☺️ but my question is about the mounting Of your SSD on your Mac, I have exactly the same but it is loosely angin around , 9:02 what's this mounting please 🙏?
Great video. Can I ask where did you get your R6 forks for this and the cb750 from?
Great video Dan! Looking forward to the outcome. Stay cool down there and hopefully your lock down madness is easing a bit.
Thank you mate And yes we are definitely out of lockdown for now
I put a new starter on my XV750 after my old one died and it starts on one pulse of the start button now. Crazy how nice a new starter can treat the bike!
Any idea where to get a new magnet to go under the starter bendix and such? Mines missing but I do have a magnetic drain plug to help.
Just try Yamaha as I'm sure they are used on many different models
Dealing with the starter motor issue has been a big problem throughout my cafe racer build on this bike i always knew the 81 to 83 had it and its a workin fault from yamaha hence the magnet sitting on the bottom of the crank case to collect the metal shavings.
Also if you are located in Melbourne id love to come down and show you my xv750 i have 3 shitty videos of it on my page but you can get a idea of how i built it
What size helicoil did you use? Or where can I get the kit! I have got the exact same problem on exact same spot.😮
Add a 2nd Y clip to the gear to slow it down. Some have the 2nd 1 some with the noise don't. Hope that helps .
2 things and long story short. From factory the bendix and flywheel gears only mesh together 1/3 - 1/2 of the way, hence the damage to your set of gears. A new flywheel will not solve the issue unfortunately but there is a mod for the cover to push the gear out to mesh more with the flywheel. The bendix gear also tends to pulse in and out of mesh on the worm drive giving it the grinding sound - making the spring stronger will only give more resistance on the starter draining the battery further. Secondly the starter robs power from the ignition system making it hard to start, you may find it cranks for ages and suddenly starts when you take your thumb off the start button? Again there's a mod for the ignition system a voltage stabiliser to give an extra boost to the ignition system and help start when on compression stroke where the starter is pulling more power and draining the battery. Hope this is helpful 👍
Ha, I started typing this before the end of the vid. 2:47 you put the idler gear in the wrong way round, clip on top. You'll notice the teeth are slightly shamfered the full depth on the spring side, the way you have it it's a square tooth with a 45 at the tip, this will chew your gear on the flywheel. No. 2, look up Mike's 1st gen Virago Google page, you need a voltage stabiliser on the TCI as it can get starved of supply while the starter cranks. Once this is in place you'll get a start within one rotation of the engin 9 times out of 10 (ish). I've toyed with going Gen 2 starter but so far It's consitent enough now to be more than acceptable for me. I don't have many vids of me starting mine, just finished the conversion but I do notice the idler gear does still rattle for a few seconds as it stops spinning and disengages from the vid I have on here.
After all it is a gear not a flux capacitor, you could always simply have it made. Glass EMS could find it for you though! That run on chatter does sound annoying. Looking forward to your next build!
Nice video Dan, hope the problem is all sorted with the new flywheel mate and you can start the build. Stay safe over your side of the fence. Cheers
Thank you mate, solving problems is what custom bike building is all about from what I’ve learned lol
@@CafeRacerGarage Mike Miller over at Mike's first gen viragos on FB diagnosed, documented, and fixed the starter issue. Used an oscilloscope to find out the tci wasnt getting a stable 12V during starting. Look up his "final solution" its a $14 dollar voltage stabilizer. no nned for flywheels, or removing the starter gear spring or any othe half measure
The biggest weakness for the Yamaha early v-twin engine design was the starter system. I know most every xv920 you saw that had any miles on them had starter issues and it was a well known problem that really hurt the bikes reputation and resale value.
I had an '81 model I bought new from the dealers that was the xv920rh sport version that had the enclosed chain drive. Here in the states you rarely saw one of the Yamaha sport v-twins that had more European styling and the chain drive instead of the shaft drive.
I think they only imported that model to the states for like two years.
I wished in a way I had of kept that bike just because here in this country they are fairly limited numbers of them.
I also owned of the xv1000 Virago's of mid 90's vintage and by then they seemed to have figured out the starter issues.
Fingers crossed you can get it sorted perfectly and build it up. 🤞🏼🤞🏼
Heya Dan, I know this is kind of off topic but have u ever tried fitting a 750 into a 500 frame? Does the shaft drive line up in both and how much of an adjustment is it in terms of mounting the bigger engine onto the frame? TIA
Another great video. I was rather hoping you were going to have a go at making the gear on your mill, it’s more than capable...and so are you. 👍
Mine sounds exactly the same, I haven’t teared mine apart yet.
Build it!
7:10 What exactly Kawasaki gas tank is it? Which model? Thank you! Great video! @Cafe Racer Garage
Do you know if CMS sells Performance versions of the original parts like Cams, etc.?
I’m pretty sure they just do OEM parts However you’re more than welcome to send them an email, they have a great team behind them that respond fairly quickly
@@CafeRacerGarage Thanks for Your quick response aswell.
Brilliant, transparent, informative and real content.
There is an updated starter bendix that will correct the problem.
All gen 1 Varago's had the same problem.
can you make that parts using cnc machine?
just asking
Don't use the helicoidal spring on the starter gear, it doesn't do anything and you gain so much gear engagement since the oem only had half the gear to engage
Just doing that stopped the grinding noise on mine
I have a 81 xv920r looks the same i just got a used one off ebay theres like 10 flywheel gears an all of the other gears to .
What tank is that in exactly?
Hi bro
Great job bro ,I love the bike
Make an video on USD fork lowering
Can’t wait till you get the bike running again withe the new gear
hi Dan… about the flywheel… in an extreme case you could let someone mill that from scratch, no? there are companies that can produce custom gear wheels .. this isnt that different
First gen Viragos all suffer from these starter system failures. The best thing you can do is swap out to a second gen starter system to eliminate it.
I didn’t see this upgrade idea but it doesn’t seem to struggle taking the bike over it just keeps the gear spinning for way too long it’s sounds like you’ve got your finger on the start button after it already started.
@@CafeRacerGarage that’s because it isn’t that simple of a swap. You’re almost better off just swapping to a later model engine (1986 and up), especially for the price.
I did upgrade my starter system on 83 750 midnight with second gen starting syst. from Virago 1000
Yep, this is what I did as well. I found a complete cover/starter assembly from an xv1100 and haven’t had a problem since.
@@Mike_Barker I was wondering about an engine swap. Is it pretty much remove and replace? Any big issues?
I’ve got a 250 Virago sitting here at my place Shailer Park I wanted to turn into a cafe racer.
Any link to the next part of this ?
Check my playlist to see all the XV750 videos
They are pretty sweet bikes, but I get the concern
Hello,
I have some flywheels at work . You would have to go through them and find the best one. Call Joe's in Canberra.
The xv all were notorious for starter issues. Especially the 750. There is a fix for it. The reason that magnet is in there is because the starter just tore themselves apart and rather have pieces of fly everywhere the magnet caught it. Yamaha should have fixed the issue.
nais video grate work
While you are in there replace the stator, these bikes suffer from huge battery draw to start and the electrical system isn’t great and with a low battery the ignition system suffers greatly and causes all sorts of phantom issues, they were not without their flaws these bikes.
Thank you so much David I really appreciate your feedback and ideas this is actually not a bad idea 🤩👍😁
@@CafeRacerGarage During a start scenario if the voltage drops to something like 10ish then the TCI will no longer function. Some people choose to run the TCI directly off of a voltage regulator for this reason.
@@nathrak thank you mate 👍😁 I appreciate your help
You may find a machine shop utilising a Mach 500 water jet cutting system and have a new gear cut? Then just slide it on and you’re whisky! If you succeed in finding such a shop, may as well have them cut out 1k of them, you’d yield buckets-o-cash, and be the proverbial saviour of Virago owners everywhere!
Definitely a great idea however I think the rotor is actually attached permanently so it would require more than just nuts and bolts for somebody to fit something like this.
It’s nonetheless great idea though.
Check out Steve’s DIY he has done some modes to try to fix that problem. You can get some ideas how to go about it.
From 1991 through 1997 yamaha solve that issue, swap a later model engine and it will run better 👌🏽 that's what I did on mine.
I think that was a wise move 👍
Makes sense to me. I’ve decided against projects for far lesser reasons 🤷🏻♂️
No spring, take out the spring. Yamaha said they made a mistake installing it in.
hey, I found one of those flywheel gears on ebay for $12.57 USD
I sold my ‘81 for this exact reason. I tried every solution that was out there and none of them worked.
Hey Kyle, this is the exact news that I was hoping not to hear 😯 I really appreciate your honesty though ☺️
@@CafeRacerGarage I’m hoping it goes differently for you than it did for me. Although I saw another comment about using 2nd gen parts and when I was fighting through this issue around 12 years ago I didn’t find any suggestions to try those so maybe that’s the fix.
Hey Kyle enjoy your builds and videos. I had one of these bikes that was actually really nice and I picked it up cheap so got it running well and moved on because I couldn’t get the starter sorted out and was driving me crazy!! Good luck I’m following this!!
Can you get in machined?
Green felt hat ?
💯👌
My 92 XV1100 sounds the same when starting, and yes.. It is embarrassing AF. 😖
Its fixable now :)
Leave it alone!
America ?
Check out Matt Franco's channel. He has a fix to the starter system using a later model's parts and it might be something you want to try ruclips.net/video/SX-PoSk5hI4/видео.html. He is a fellow Aussie, so if he has the bike still you can maybe check it out and see how it sounds. I do agree the can of rocks sound is off-putting.
One minute in and two advertisements
Bought an xv920 with the same starter noise. Watched ruclips.net/video/FJs1IAaEWVo/видео.html and upgraded all the electrics to the starter, sounds great now. The wishbone spring upgrade is fine (I didn’t bother) but if you get a strong enough jolt to the starter, shouldn’t need it.
It's still a Virago. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hi , big fan . Hope you read this because i wood love to see you build a virago !!
the problem is nothing mechanical!!!!!! its electrical!!! when you go to start the bike the egnition system and the starter just ask to mutch of the system hens it sometimes grabs the starter gears and sometimes it wont. its a lack of power because it needs to power the ignition and the starter at the same time and the fluctuation of the both make it start verry badly . you need to put an extra rectifier in the system to stabelize the voltage over the hole system. check --> ruclips.net/video/wwFiIwM0Stg/видео.html
Abo ?
The French ?
Sell it. They are awful looking bikes and require major fab work to correct the frame seat/tank alignment. Even with the work done they look crap and awkward. Better bikes to waste your time on out there….I’m my opinion of course
This is bullshit. I'm the guy making a birthday present for myself out of a seca maxim
Do something different