New from East Syracuse NY

[haze5736]

I've been posting questions on the forum and realized I never actually did an intro.
First, I'm in East Syracuse NY and would love to know if there are other owners in the area.
I learned to ride a little over a year ago by taking the MSF course.
First bike was a 250 Ninja and I loved it.
I'm 6' 3" so fitting on some bikes is a challenge.
After learning to ride I realized there were very few modern bikes that I liked. It's either sport bike or cruiser and almost always way larger than I really need.
I really like the riding position of the older bikes.
So now I've got a 74 RD200. Yes, I look a little funny on this one but I don't care because it is a blast to ride.
Also an RD350 that needs work and deciding what to do with it.
Then this year I finally came upon the XZ550. I like the riding position. A little sport but not hugging the tank.
Turns out this was the bike I tried to get a hold of over a year ago but was sold before I had a chance.
When I went to purchase my RD200 this year the owner had the Vision in the garage as well. It turned out to be the same bike I wanted to buy the year earlier. I knew I had to have it so we made a deal.
The bike is in really good shape, although it does leak oil somewhere underneath.
I forgot to take pictures before I took it apart.
My plan is to get it running and ride it for a while. Then I am going to find someone locally who will tear the engine apart to make it like new.
My thought is that if I were to buy a modern bike that I like it would probably be a V-Strom. I'd be looking at several thousand dollars, about 8k new.
So I'd rather put 1-2k into the vision and have a reliable bike that I really like.
Thanks to everyone for the help so far.

[Rick G]

I 'd hold up on that tare  down. There are no supplies of rings and over size pistons available, but who knows what the future brings , I have a '77 and a '78 Honda XL 350 and there were no rings available for them either , but 6 months ago brand new rings started being advertised on eBay, Same for my friends '77 Honda CB750  all of a sudden there they were!
I believe there are Visionaries in northern New York state, also  there is  group in Toronto , just over the border .
Look in recent posts about crank rebuilding as there are no cranks or rod bearings available either and yet several have repaired bad cranks.
Look for posts about gaskets too. 
This was a great bike  and deserves to be able to carry on providing  enjoyment for us. Welcome to the forum.!!

[The Prophet of Doom]

There's a pair of 4th OS pistons and rings (in separate auctions) on ebay right now

[Tiger]

Hi Bill...welcome to the ROV... 8)

Night_Vision, (who has two Visions and is well versed in them), is not very far from you. N_V's brother is a Vision owner too ;) Joevacc, an original '82 owner, is up around Albany and there are one or two others.

We have a wee following here in Ontario...which is not to far away buddy... 8)

The oil could be from a leaking shift shaft seal or oil 'wicking' up the stator wires were they exit the left side cover :-\

           8) ....... TIGER ....... 8)

[haze5736]

That's a bit disappointing to hear about the scarcity of parts. I knew they were hard to come by but didn't realize some of those important items were unavailable. I will keep my eyes open. The bike has under 5k miles on it. I guess I'll have to rethink what I'm going to do with it. Based on some of this info it may also be challenging to find someone willing to work on it.

[fret not]

Haze, this is where YOU go to school on the XZ550 and work on it yourself for the most part.  I suggest you get the CD from Lucky which contains the factory service manual and the Haines repair manual as well as a bunch of other good stuff pertaining to the XZ550.  Keep reading the site here and learn how to do each process like fixing the starter clutch, cleaning your carbs, working out electrical problems, etc.  This will put you in a good position if anything goes wrong while on the road. 

[haze5736]

I'm ok with doing a lot of the work. I'm in the process of pulling the carbs apart. However, I have no intention of opening up the engine, aside from checking and adjusting the valve clearance. After I get it running again I'll be looking for the oil leak, we'll see where that goes.
Here's my to-do list so far. And I'm pretty sure I've seen topics on most of these items as well as instructions in the service manual. So, now it's just a matter of time to get it done. And without a heated garage my days are limited till spring.

Clean carbs
replace vacuum and fuel lines
intake boots
air filter
spark plugs
plug wires
oil & filter change
troubleshoot fuel sending unit
troubleshoot tach
test cooling fan
steering clunk
rear brake bolt fix
oil leak

[Rick G]

If it has 5 k miles on it there is no reason to open it up!!!!  Clean the carbs, check the valve adjustment, take care of the oil leaks and  any other minor problems and then ride it . QBS has some ware around 88k on the original engine ! 
You don't need to freshen it up !You need to ride it! ;D

I worked on one that had 3500 miles on it and it ran spectacularly well. I had the chance to buy it before the present owner got it, but was short of cash. I've regretted that ever since.

[mdskinner731]

well congrats on the new "V"!!!    i am from the central NY area as well.  been hiding amongst the shadows recently... (had to buy a shadow so i could atleast have a bike to ride...) but am buying parts for my vision every time i come across some.  hopefully your vision dont take nearly as long as mine does to get going.  you have definatly come to the right place for anykind of tech advise needed!   

congrats again and best of luck with your new ride