Honda VF1100C Magna V65

Rated as a 10.75 second 1/4 mile powerbike.

This is a low mileage - very clean - 1985 V65 Magna.
I owned and rode one of these for 12 years and sold it with 64,000 miles in 1999.
Then I got my current bike, my 2000 Honda Valkyrie (Valkryderguy)
Well after 10 years with the Valkyrie I have decided it is a bigger heavier bike than I want anymore.
My Valkyrie is listed for sale on Craigslist for right now.
I have enjoyed 25,000 miles on it over the past 10 years but decided to look for another V65.

I was lucky to find this one with 21,500 miles and bought it last week.
It is completely stock except for a high quality Corbin seat which replaced the original one.
I replaced the tires right after I bought it as the ones on it were from 1996 and certainly not safe anymore at 15 years old.
I believe it had only 2 previous owners and spent most of it's life in Missouri.
I have some people running a national VIN history to help me find out it's 26 year past.
I have verified that it has no recorded accidents, theft or salvage.

Regardless of what I find out it is an outstanding bike and the fastest production bike made in the 80's
Rated as a 10 second 1/4 mile powerbike.

Liquid Cooled - Shaft Drive - 6 Speed Transmission - 1100cc / 65 Cid Engine - 116 HP









[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGfJ9IqXcoE[/media]

 

Great bike and better find. My younger brother has a low mileage one too. My older brother bought it new but he developed a bad hip and kept falling over .... leading to a few arrests,: confused: so he sold it to my younger brother. There's no way to not enjoy it!

Les

Excuse me guys, brain fade here, his is a VMax.

 

Does this make you Magnaryderguy?

 

Nice bike Gary. I was thinking seriously about buying a V45 Magna when they first came out. (I had been without my 1975 Gold Wing for a couple of years by then). But I read the seating position for riders over 6' tall wasn't the greatest, so I bought a boat instead.
How's the vibration compared to your old Valk?

 

No vibration at all....it's a V4 engine and runs very smoothly.
Usually vibration is more felt in the V-twin engines.
As for my height (6'1") it is quite comfortable but I will be adding some adjustable highway pegs
Just wanted to go back to something completely different and this was the bike I loved the most from my past 35 years of motorcycling.
Ha....well I guess ya could say that but....Valk will remain the name here

 

Honda's 1983 V65 Magna hit the street like a 600-pound chrome sledgehammer. Americans had built a long-term relationship with horsepower and high style on four wheels, but a motorcycle with acres of both was news. This was more than a new model. The V65 made big muscle look cool. Thus the power cruiser was born. "The best part of the V65," according to Cycle magazine's March 1983 road test, " is a mid-range punch that would do justice to Larry Holmes."
The liquid-cooled, 1098cc, 90-degree V-4 engine delivered a staggering flow of power from 1500 rpm to its 10,000 rpm redline. But how quick was it? On October 3, 1982, Honda brought drag-strip maestro Jay "Pee-Wee" Gleason and a standard V65 to Southern California's Orange County International Raceway to find out.
Gleason's 10.92 — second 1/4-mile sprint made the V65 America's fastest production street machine, inspiring ads with one powerfully simple headline:
Bad News Travels Fast.

For street riders, the good news was Honda engineers made sure the bike was easy to live with as well as fast. The four-cam, 16-valve V-4 cruised through a daily commute as happily as it devoured drag strips. Around town, the V65 was surpassingly agile for its size. A durable, diaphragm-type hydraulic clutch modulated power to the shaft drive, and one-way sprag clutch kept downshifts from chirping the rear tire. Anti-dive valving in the 41mm front fork helped stabilize the chassis under braking. An overdrive top gear in the six-speed transmission kept the V-4 serene at freeway speeds. Tired of cruising your hometown? Strap on some saddlebags and the Magna was comfortable enough to cruise to some town three or four states away.

Riders expected such well-mannered versatility from Honda. The V65's magnetism came from its totally radical fusion of bad boy good looks and world-class quickness. According to Cycle's March, 1983 test, "Its horsepower translates directly into an immediate gut-wrenching rush, unmatched by any other production street machine." To anyone who ever felt it, that V65 rush boils down to one word. Unforgettable

 

Wow Gary, that is 1 clean V65! I've owned 12 Japanese Motorcycles in my lifetime but never had the privilege of owning that specific Honda. My 92 Suzuki GS1100E was the first stock production bike to break into the 10's. I miss the old days....Enjoy that nice ride you have there Gary! And congrats again...

 

Gary, that's the reason I asked. Because I had a 1983 Yamaha Venture Royal (V4) for a short time, and it never even came close to the smoothness I enjoyed with my Wing.
I never had the pleasure of trying out a Magna though.

 

See, what I always wanted (and rode only once) was the Yamaha 650 twin - the "Triumph Bonneville" from Japan. It has nothing to do with speed or power, it was just a reliable version of the English bike.

Of course, now you can buy the real thing in an update, reliable, non-oil-dripping version - they are building them again.... for about $8000 !



Is THAT retro or what?

 

My old and one of my new. Both outrun my Crossfires. Gary

 

I sold the Valkyrie today

Now my V65 has a new home in my garage....

 

Ride the new bike to woodward Gary. 2 in the crossfire and 1 on the bike... Get some seat time while the weather is nice

 

Today was a perfect day for a ride





1985 V65 Magna - VF1100C

 

Be sure you use Stable in the tank when you are not using that bike. The V65 carbs are VERY difficult to remove and service. I've thrown a few wrenches working on those bikes. Otherwise great motor. Have fun!

 

Thanks for the info.
I had one of these for 11 years (88 to 99) and never had any issues with the carbs.
I did always use premium and stored with a full tank and Stable every winter.

 

I had a 85 700 Honda Interceptor. Loved that Magna growl. They still sound like no other bike made. Fact is, they should still be making them. Great bikes!!!

Mine was just like this one. They are still very pretty bikes, and really aren't outdated in style in my opinion. I would love to have the 1100 version now.