What kind of oil do I use for my 1997 XV750 Yamaha Virago? I do not have an owner's manual.?

Question

The bike has 4600 miles on it. It was stored in a garage since 2002. Any information about maintenance would be appreciated.

Answer 1

First thing to do if it has not been started since 2002 (You don't mention this, but I'm going to assume the worst case.) is drain all the fluids and change all the gaskets. They have probably dried out by now, and will blow under pressure.

If you have the money, take it to a dealer for a full 5,000 mile service. (Don't ride it there, trailer it.) Explain the situation to the dealer. Get an estimate for repairs. You will pay a bit since the gaskets, fork seals, and maybe even the swingarm gasket and bushing may need to be replaced.

If you have to ride it, be very gentle. The brake calipers could be sticky from lack of use. The engine is not going to respond very well if the cable lube has gone south. I can't recall if the XV750 is chain, belt, or driveshaft. (Sorry!) If it is chain or driveshaft, that also needs to be checked out very carefully. (My last chain drive bike was an XS650. I used graphite chain lube on an "O" ring chain once a week.)

Once you have the bike checked out and serviced, the best oil I have ever used is Amsoil 20-50 synthetic. It's $9.00 a quart where I am, but I get about 1,500 miles between oil changes. (I have an FXDWG with a TC-88. In Florida. It's kind of hard on oil with all the heat.) The other option is Mobil One. It's a car engine oil, but I have read in some bike rags that is is good for M/C engines also.

Since your bike is a '97, and you will be spending quite a bit of money at the dealer, ask them if they have a spare shop manual for your bike. Having a shop manual is better than an owners manual. Much more info than the owners manual.

Whatever you do, be carefull! A bike sitting for five years could have all kinds of trouble. Bad rubber, (tires.) if it is belt drive, the belt could be rotten. Bad fuel filter and/or bad fuel lines if they are rubber. A bike is not a car. (Duh!) If something goes wrong at speed you could be badly hurt.

Better to be safe than sorry. If you look at my "avatar" pic you will see I am wearing a leather jacket, and gloves. (Well, half gloves. Fingerless.) And have a helmet. And long denim pants and M/C boots. It gets very hot here in Florida wearing all this stuff, but I had an accident on a bike almost 20 years ago. I learned my lesson.

Bike maintenance and body maintenance go hand in hand. When you have the bike up and running, make sure you wear enough protective equipment to keep you in good shape to ride another bike if you come to grief on this one.

Sorry. I always mention that in M/C answers. There are two kinds of motorcycle riders. Those who have fallen, and those that will. Food for thought. Don't ride a bike that is not in as good a shape as you are. 'Nuff said.

Good luck. If I can answer any specific questions, fell free to contact me. Ciao!

Answer 2

I have a 1985 Yamaha Virago 700 ratbike with over 80,000 miles on it. I pour in whatever oil I happen to have lying around, but if I were to think about it, I'd put in Castrol 10w40 most of the time. DO NOT OVERFILL. If you overfill, then your motorcycle will not run well.

Before you move your motorcycle, clean the dirt, grit, and rust off the front forks above the fork seals. Your fork seals will probably leak and need to be replaced anyway :(

Remove as much dust from the engine and exhaust pipes as you can before you attempt to start it, otherwise the stuff will bake on.

Oh... whatever crud has been in the gas tank these past five years... you'll need to remove it and get yourself new gas.

Remove the battery, wipe away the dust and grit with paper towels. Fill each cell to the upper line level with distilled water. Put it on a trickle charger (1 amp or 1.2 amp) for a few hours... it's best if you have a charger that knows when to stop charging. Likely your battery is in bad shape from the five years, but you never know.

Answer 3

1997 Yamaha Virago 750

Answer 4

The oil level has nothing to do with the engine not starting. An engine will start with no oil in the crankcase - won't stay running before the engine locks up though.

Answer 5

Type Yamalube 4 (20W40) or
SAE 20240 type SE motor oil
Capacity
(periodic oil change) 3.2 US qt
Capacity
(with oil filter replacement) 3.3 US qt
Capacity
(total amount) 3.8 US qt

Answer 6

dude I dont mader what you put in your hog. also it helps if you have a large package.

Answer 7

very interesting question