Very close...in fact I got all the last little bits done today and started it. So sweet to hear her purr again.

Me too!! I got it running and she purrs like a kitten - almost like it's a brand new bike. Feeling better now that I'm getting close to the end. This will definitely be my daily rider. I'm feeling withdrawals already...I think it's time to go to the shelter and pick up another rescue. Thinking the 1987 FZR1000 might just fit the bill.

Thanks Paul!! Got her started yesterday and ended up putting a lot of parts back on today...getting close!

Sure! Shoot me an email at kensworldrestorations@gmail.com and feel free to send me some pics also.

The Virago series definitely suffer from a weak spot in the starter’s electrical design, but it’s not the engine ground for the starter like some people think. The starter motor is grounded very well actually - aluminum on aluminum (which is an excellent conductor) with ample surface area. The engine case is adequate as a starter motor ground PROVIDED that the ground wire and connectors from the battery are of adequate diameter (gauge) and are properly grounded to the engine case. From the factory, I found that this ground was inadequate based on my knowledge and experience as an electrical engineer. This is why I replaced my battery ground wire and chose a larger connector and found a better location for the ground wire in which to connect. The original Virago battery ground location on my bike was clearly a poor choice (it was grounded with a small connector with very little surface area) at the engine side case bolt that holds on the rear brake light switch. That’s the weak spot that I see and if you ground the battery to the engine where I did, you won’t have any problems. I also was reluctant to add an electrical connection to the starter motor bolts because it would negatively affect the torque of those bolts which is obviously under very high load during starting. Just make sure your starter motor mounts are clean, the engine mounts are clean and DO NOT use dielectric grease at the starter motor mounting bolts. Getting a better ground from the battery to the engine case is the best solution. I haven’t had a single problem with my repair since fixing my battery ground cable this way. Hope this helps.

@@KensWorldRestorations Thank you very much for your detailed explanation, Ken! But frankly -I can not see where exactly you attached the ground wire on the engine... Whish you all the best!

@@MrClics at 5:12 I'm pointing to a wire stay that is on the back, right-hand side of the engine (just under the fuel pump). It's a large wire stay that holds a number of wires up and away from the exhaust. That bracket is held on the engine block with a very large bolt (13mm I think) - much larger than the engine case bolt (5mm) that the ground wire was originally fastened to. If you can, make a larger gauge ground wire and connector and bolt your battery ground wire to that location.

Hi Brent - not sure where you are in the world but it can be hard to source stuff like this. Amazon carries it and here's the link. www.amazon.com/Silicone-Electrical-Cable%EF%BC%8810ft-Temperature-Resistant/dp/B0BYJRDT19/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=3RHJ4HBVUSLCA&keywords=8%2BAWG%2B10ft%2Bred%2Bsilicone&qid=1690112122&sprefix=8%2Bawg%2B10ft%2Bred%2Bsilicone%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

Yeah, I'd have to say that any grinding or whining sounds is not normal. You heard how mine sounds and although the whole thing is loud, there's no grinding or crunching sounds. If you look at the start of the video, you'll see a photo I took with the left side cover off. You can see the idler gear with the spring on it. The teeth on that gear can wear down and cause grinding. If the solenoid is failing and not throwing out the idler gear quickly, that could be your problem too. Weak batteries are the biggest culprit in this generation of Viragos. If you're prepared to take the left side cover off (it's a bit of a daunting task) then you'll be able to see what kind of shape the gear is in. I have an earlier video of the engine clean up where I remove the side covers. Have a look at that and see what I'm talking about. For now, make sure your battery is healthy and full charged, make sure all the wiring is in good condition and check to see if the solenoid is coming out like mine does in this video. If not, you might need to drain the oil and remove the left side crankcase cover to see why. If you have to do all of that, it would be worthwhile to replace the starter clutch while you're at it.

So as luck would have it - mine just made a "grinding" sound while starting. Pretty sure by the sounds of it that in my case it's the solenoid (I replaced the starter and all the wiring but not the solenoid). I ordered a new one and I'll be installing it today. The problem with a weak solenoid is that the idler gear doesn't get pulled into place far enough by the mechanical action and the gear doesn't fully engage. That's a lot of torque to manage and if it isn't 100% fully engaged with the crank gear, it will slip out and grind. The noise is awful.

@@KensWorldRestorations Yes it does sound awful! So you saying i should replace my solenoid?

@@DuoTheDouble I just replaced the solenoid and it still jumps out. No doubt I've got another problem on my hands. After some quick research, it looks like the whole idler gear assembly has been revised and the spring removed in the latest revision of the idler gear saga. Looks like Yamaha removed the spring around 1995. I just bought the new assembly from Japan and a new starter clutch from eBay. I'll be making a video of the whole repair in the next month. We might have the same problem...

@@KensWorldRestorations I'm thinking we do as well, Yesterday i took apart the whole left side and looked at my gears and tried to replace the starter clutch but the one i ordered from amazon was the wrong size almost identical expect it didn't fit on the starter post sadly so i packaged her back up together and performed the oil change. and she started right up, also They removed the spring from the gear set up?

Ahoj Franta. Standardní tovární kabeláž je přivést vedení +12V z baterie k delšímu sloupku solenoidu. Krátký sloupek by pak byl připojen ke startéru. Omylem jsem to přepnul a stále to fungovalo dobře, ale myslím, že stykač uvnitř solenoidu by vydržel déle, kdyby byl správně zapojen.

@@KensWorldRestorations Díky Kene, aktuálně jdu na to po komplet výměně start. mechanismů za novější model, volnoběžky, solenoidu a uhlíků startéru :) tak věřím, že to dopadne:) díky

Tak jsem to vše provedl,ale bohužel jednou solenoid vytáhne a jedou ne. Napadá mě zda jsem použil správné průřezy vodičů.Nevybavil by sis jaký průřezy vodičů jsi použil? Hlavní na solenoid a ten ovládací solenoid.Moc díky Kene

O 750 Virago é avaliado em 55 hp e o 1000 em torno de 68. Isso é baseado na pressão do nível do mar e na temperatura de 15 ° C quando eles eram novos.

Muito obrigado. Parabéns pelo teu trabalho na Virago 1000. Espetacular.