84/85 honda v30 500cc magna

[cookiedough]

anyone ever own one back in the day?  Just curious seen a few out there for sale asking 1-1.2K in price and one seems to be pretty mint condition.  Yah I know,  I have enough, but just wondering before me or more like my kid decide to go look at one of them. 

I had a 698cc honda 1984 magna identical as the 500cc v30 magna for 10 years and liked it is very similar looks/design except shaft drive vs. v30 is chain drive.    Specs when new state 12.9 second 1/4 mile and zero to 60 times around 3.9 seconds with a better rider than myself am sure.  I do not recall specs on my 698cc magna same year but pretty sure it was not that fast back in its heyday.  At only 440lbs. and a claimed 62 hp is not too shabby coming from a 4 cylinder only 500cc motor.  As with most cycles/vehicles,  age and condition is everything as well as maintenance and unfortunately near 40 years takes it toll on anything mechanical usually.

[3fan4life]

I have one sitting in my basement that I bought for my son to ride. He'd been riding a 450 Nighthawk for a couple of years before I bought the Magna.

When I test drove it I thought it felt pretty much like any 500cc bike should.

On the ride home from the previous owner's house I got down on it pretty good and I immediately reconsidered whether I should let my then 19y/o son ride it or not.

When you hit the power band on those things it feels like someone has given it a hard shift kick in the arse.

Shortly after buying it the shifter seal began leaking. That's when I learned that that they are complicated and aren't easy to work on.

The engine case had to be taken completely apart because the shifter seal has to be replaced from the inside. Then it took me 3 days of trying to get the carbs back on.

It has been sitting for awhile because the fuel pump went bad and I wasn't able to find another one.

It looks like they are available now so we might make an effort to get it back on the road.

He loved riding that bike. And on a ride together he was able to stay on the back tire of my 750 Nighthawk all day.

I've recently acquired a V65 Magna.
It needs a few things done before it can be a daily rider.

He hasn't asked but I can tell that he is chomping at the bit to ride it.

[F6Dave]

I had a V65 Sabre.  It was extremely fast and smooth.  But your mention of difficult maintenance brings back some not so great memories.  A valve adjustment took over half a day.  To remove the front valve cover, you had to drain the cooling system and remove the radiator!  The top valve cover was under the seat, and the frame was so close that the cover was made up of multiple pieces, each of which was very tricky to get out (like our alternators).

That bike made me realize that I'd rather ride more and maintain less.  It was at that point I ruled out ever owning a Ducati with desmo heads.

[cookiedough]

that is what I was thinking as well,  any magna from the 80s back in their heyday were top notch IMO.  But as both said posted near 40 years takes it toll on maintenance since all the magnas of the 80s were way ahead of their time with complicated systems to work on.  AS I say with any newer vehicle with all the gizmos on it today,  parts will fail and with the more parts and gizmos on the vehicle/cycle,  the more stuff to go wrong.

I only had a clutch give out on me back around 1990 or so is all in 10 years owning my 84 magna, but that was once again 30 years ago long time for stuff to go wrong in between then and now.

Yah,  11500 redline on that v30 500cc magna is sports bike caliber IMO and with chain drive supposedly faster than shaft drive,  quicker takeoff?   My kid does not listen to reason and for now he says will be looking at 1 of 2 in his area up north to test drive is all for now I hope.  One appears mint condition but he said he called last night and the owner is an older gent who has not ridden it for 5 years still asking 1200.  Probably does not run or if it runs the carbs are so gummed up it is super slow and sluggish.   2 years ago I test drove a 1984 V65 magna and appeared worth buying from the looks of it.  I test drove it and darn thing was super slow slower than my 250cc scooter was a joke. 

Plus,  with it only being made for 2 years 1984 and 1985 I wonder how parts would be available still for it? 

[scooperhsd]

Keep in mind that the V30 (500CC) Magna had the exact same powerplant / drivetrain of the 500CC Interceptor - a bike well known for it's screaming redline and suddenly "waking up" at a relatively high RPM. It was also one hell of a handler - pressing many bigger sportbikes in the right circumstances.

[cookiedough]

Keep in mind that the V30 (500CC) Magna had the exact same powerplant / drivetrain of the 500CC Interceptor - a bike well known for it's screaming redline and suddenly "waking up" at a relatively high RPM. It was also one hell of a handler - pressing many bigger sportbikes in the right circumstances.

cruiser styling more comfy though and IMO better looking.  Never been a crotch rocket style guy driven back in the late 1980s one of the fastest yamaha 600 and did not like doing 3 inch wheelies shifting gears normally.  The front end was so light I swear if I pulled up on the handlebars I could lift the front wheels off the ground much like a bicycle.

[cookiedough]

kid bought just now a 1985 black v30 magna today 26K miles runs well 26 year old guy had 2 V65 magnas in his garage also one ran, one not.    guy asking 1350 obo so he came down to 1K but said needed  clutch plates called shop 2 hours labor + 40 parts so he got him down to 900 bucks ran it home 1 hour south ran well no issues, very sharp bike but we both wish it was maroon red not black but color does not make it run any faster right? 

He is done, we each have 4....   he paid his own money on 3 of the 4 so he can do what he wants age 19 now I guess?     He said he is for sure done until he gets a garage then he might consider a 81 or 82 goldwing with windjammer fairing.  No idea where he gets liking old school cycles from do you????? 

[scooperhsd]

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.....