VS700 Intruder - This I cannot believe!

I'm in the process of restoring a 1986 VS700 Intruder for my son. In
the two weeks I've been working on it, I've noticed that this bike's
design is a little "quirky". Quirkiness I can understand, but am I
correct in assuming that there is no way to monitor either coolant
temperature or oil pressure? No gauges nor idiot lights that I can see
whatsoever. The entire instrument package consists of a speedometer
with indicator lights for the sidestand being down and for the turn
signal. That's it as far as I can see.
Can anyone tell me if there are coolant temp. and oil pressure
indicators on this bike? I'd sure appreciate knowing. If not, this
seems to be a case of off the chart idiotic design.
Thanks
Charlie

 

Yes, I've noticed some objectionable characteristics about motorbikes
in general. Like, I can't find the power window switch, when I want the
top to go up, I have to stick this awful sweaty plastic bucket on my
head, and, I might as well just come right out and say it: the air
conditioning is just awful! I can't find the climate control knob
anywhere. The entertainment center sucks, there's no room for my whole
box of CD's, and I could go on and on and on about how quirky
motorbikes are...

You really are a "car guy", aren't you? Motorbikes never even had oil
pressure gauges unless somebody bolted an aftermarket gauge onto the
end of his oil gallery. Then the Japanese came along and added some
cheap gauges to make their offerings more "car-like", and a lot of the
elemental character of the motorcycle was lost...

Temperature gauges and the like don't last very long anyway, in the
harsh motorcycle environment of heat and vibration, maybe they make it
for 10K or 20K miles, but by that time the committed biker KNOWS his
machine and what it's try to tell him. Truly committed bikers who've
been riding decades will remember that their old motorbikes had no such
oil pressure and water temperature guages and they lived with the
situation.

Car Dude, go to www.partsfish.com and register. Select the Suzuki logo
and click on the motorcycle link. You see that there is a water
temperature sender screwed into the thermostat housing. It's #44 on the
Cylinder Head Front fiche. The oil pressure switch that operates an
idiot light is #50 on the Crankcase fiche. If you look at the Radiator
fiche, you'll see that there's a radiator temperature switch that
controls the fan on the back of the radiator. If the fan is running,
you know that the water temperature is probably around 200 to 212
degrees.

Hey, all of this "idiotic design" was brought to you by the same
wonderful people who brought you World War II. If you don't like
Japanese design and you want a motorcycle that doesn't need a water
temperature gauge or an oil pressure gauge, buy a Harley Sportster and
enjoy that machine for what it's worth, Harley doesn't charge extra for
their brand of "quirkiness", but Harley fans love it...

 

Same here.

But my bike has a _great_ blower. It's very powerful, but it seems that
the only way to control it is to change the speed of the bike. If you
want more air, you have to go faster. How anybody came up with _that_
design is beyond me. And apparently the A/C compressor has never worked
right on the thing, as the temperature never seems to be much cooler
than the temperature of the outside air.

 

Ok, I see. Yet another newsgroup populated by mental midgets. Not that
I need to defend myself, but I am a "car guy". I am also a "motorcycle
guy". I've been riding since the late '60's and have worked on
motorcycles for a living. I've seen many models with oil pressure idiot
lights. I'd rather have a red light come on and allow me time to stop
the motor than to rely on listening "to what the machine is trying to
tell me...".
Did I say I don't like Japanese design? I don't recall that. I have a
1978 Honda CX500 that has one of those "cheap" temperature gauges that
has managed to last 32,000 miles and 27 years in the "harsh motorcycle
environment". I like many motorcycles, Japanese, British, Italian,
American.
I appreciate the information that you've given me.
Electric starters, electronic ignition, overhead cams, liquid cooling,
tubeless tires? Jap Junk! Every bit of it!

 

just pulling your leg a little

 

I am the krusty kritter around here. I respond sarcastically to quirky
messages. I've been riding motorbikes since we had to whittle our own
connecting rods out of mahogany and we used
pea gravel for roller bearings.

I will have to remember that I am a "mental midget: when you come back
with a question about your Suzuki having "quirky" carburetors because
you don't know how to start it after it's been sitting for several
months, or you come back with a complaint about the "quirky" electrical
system not keeping the battery charged...

Yes, if you come back, I will just say, "Duh, I don't know nuthin', I'm
a mental midget, Lhead told me so..."

One other thing I forgot to mention. That motorbike came with a
butt-ugly annunciator panel that had four warning lights on it. The
biker who previously owned the machine probably removed the annunciator
panel and buried it in a cemetery during the dark of the Moon because
he was so ashamed of it...

 

Not very many, from the sound of it.

Er, yeah. And the CX has all of it, except the OHC.

 

I learned long ago that the person who constantly has to tell you how
intelligent he is - most often isn't. Don't worry about me soliciting
any of your "knowledge" Krusty. I suppose you're entertaining but as
for relevant? Doubt it. I'll try to get by without your pearls of
wisdom.

"I am the Krusty Kritter around here..."
Brings back visions of Barney Fife.

 

Ok, I admit it, Krusty actually knows a gazillion times more about
bikes than I'll every know. I'm sure his dad can beat up my dad, too.
Research proves that he's a kabillion times smarter than me too.
I'm done qualifiying myself, defending myself, etc. All I asked for
initially was some advice with a motorycle that was new to me. What I
got in return was sarcasm and insults.
I'm simply trying to bring a 19 year old motorcycle back to life. It's
nothing I haven't done in the past, and I will succeed. What I lack in
intelligence, (and believe me, I do lack - i just couldn't quantify it
until today) I make up for in persistance.
So guys, it's been an experience. I've learned a lot. Well, to the
extent that I have a capacity to learn, that is. If you'd like to
insult me some more, feel free. If it'll help you to feel better about
yourselves, by all means go for it.

 

Don't worry about Krusty, he's one of the news group clowns. Despite his
claimed experience he can't pass it along without being insulting or
producing long-winded stories that are completely irrelevant

 

I believe I can say that he's done more good in this group than you have.