Ryan Newman Two problem areas of this bike are the rear shock and lack of oil to the heads causing cam damage, have you had any trouble in those areas? There is a shop you can get the shock from, but I don't know if the cams are still available or the oil kit to get rid of that problem. I bought a Sabre with 23k on it from another state, will get it in 3 weeks. Update: camshafts no longer available thru honda
i avg 36mpg on my 85 sabre 700s, highway about 30, if im dicking around in town with my friend MAYBE 20, but burnies and wheelies are stupid... tons of fun though!
I had an 84 v65 sabre. loved that bike! I miss that bike. mine had the second gear problem too.. only time skipping second was really noticeable was in heavy traffic under slow acceleration..I'd get it reving up and go to third and have to ease into it because I'd come up in the tail end of a car. would been nice to have second for idling in traffic. but other than that, awesome bike with lots of cojones! first day I had it I decided to see what it had. twisted throttle wide open, first to third about a half a mile I was doing 105 mph and it was still pulling like a freight train. Because my seat was almost 30 years old it had gotten slick and at 105 the force of the wind was literally pushing me backward off my seat so I backed out. I later saw 130-135mph..that was after a few weeks of getting comfortable on it. and for all you ney Sayers out there official numbers on a factory v65 were 0-60mph in 2.5s. standing quarter mile in 10.5s...sabres top speed 157.7mph the magnas top speed 177.7mph. the magna held the record for fastest production motorcycle for a long time..
Jay Gleason, arguably the best factory drag racer on both V65's and Vmax's, only ran a 10.92 on the Magna. Also, a 2012 Hayabusa does 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. Don't think the Magna is as quick as a Busa, and was never advertised as such.
John Jones I never claimed that it was faster than the freakin busa. I just said it was fast even by today's standards and I'm well aware of how fast it did the quarter in. but I will say this tho. I used to give the little crotch rocket riders a run for their money on my v65 Sabre. however I'm very happy that you know how to google stats on bikes. I'm speaking from actual experience of owning a v65 I didn't just google the stats to make myself feel superior.
Damn I miss my sabre! It was so quick and so smooth! I got clipped in my forks by a car and I regret gettin rid of it. All it needed was a new fromt axle bolt new handlebars and a new taillight assembly but I swapped it for a truck that ultimately broke down on me. The sabre fired right up the next day! $50 worth of parts and I woulda been back on the road! Damn I'm a dumbass!
V 65's gear box was designed as a "five speed plus overdrive sixth transmission;" top gear is really tall; calculated top speed in sixth works out to 173 mph at the 10,000 rpm redline.
and a couple factors come into play as to why this bike may seem slow..one is that he may not be hammering it as hard as he can and two you may be remembering your bike being faster bc in your mind at the time it was the fastest bike in the world so ur mind has built it up
i Have a question sabre and manga same camshaft?? I have a 1985 I have been 300KMS Canadian then I got the speed warble my buddy on his Modified 2011ZX10 blew bye me at 100 kms then it was on I didn't win but shocked the heck out of him 300MKSis 185 mph I put hot coils in it and jetted it out The Bike Wrench Vancouver B.C it was Fast it kills my ZZR 600 2007
I read many times that the "Original" cam lubrication on the sabre is Just fine , Now; the material that the cam was made off on a few Sabres ,was"the real Problem" that's the reason why many sabres just don't have the Infamous "Cam Problem" The Cam Problem is not "Universal"....... Also the second gear problem is the result of not lubricating the Gear Shifter , I do it once a year , And Never a problem with it ( All I know came from a Honda Dealer Mechanic)
Sounds like it's not engaging into O/D. I would try pulling it up really hard. I had a similar problem but after greasing my shifter pivots it's fine now.
Is that the original speedometer? If it is, your Sabre is a 1984, not an '85. The '85s came with the numbers in _5 increments (like 15, 25, 35, 45, etc.). The '84s had numbers in _0 increments (like your speedo). Look at the plate on the left ("drivers") side of the steering stem. The year is on there.
The worst part on the v65 is the intake manifold and carb set-up. It's ridiculously difficult. The cam issues are a result of poor oiling of the top end, which was fairly common, too.
Didn't these bikes have the same engine and drivetrain? My roommate was a honda guy while i had kawi's. I do remember a company that built bolt on superchargers for these, bet that would have been fun.
You started your run about 11 seconds into the video and were going about 10 mph. You hit 120 at about 27 seconds. That doesn't quite match the claim in your title.
Yep, I had an 85 with that problem but my fault from shifting it wide open. I bent the shift fork and it would pop out of 2nd after that under hard throttle. That thing had so much balls I could easily skip from 1st to 3rd after that, I never fixed it. So don't speed shift it unless you want to fuck up 2nd like i did.
Let my friend drive my 84. It came up on him from 2nd to 3rd at @ 80 . He came home white faced and meek . Never forget that . Aww the V65 memories.
I have a 85 V65 Sabre and im 289lbs and have had it a 135+ at least 10 times !!
Awesome bike !!
Just bought one of these a few weeks ago. Love it!
What kind of gas mileage are you getting? Love the look of the bike, I just don't know if I want to give up my 650sc's fuel mileage.
I'm getting about 28 but I can't seem to keep out of the throttle.
Ryan Newman Two problem areas of this bike are the rear shock and lack of oil to the heads causing cam damage, have you had any trouble in those areas? There is a shop you can get the shock from, but I don't know if the cams are still available or the oil kit to get rid of that problem. I bought a Sabre with 23k on it from another state, will get it in 3 weeks. Update: camshafts no longer available thru honda
i avg 36mpg on my 85 sabre 700s, highway about 30, if im dicking around in town with my friend MAYBE 20, but burnies and wheelies are stupid... tons of fun though!
Me and my brother hit 146MPH on V65 Sabre back in 1987 flying down highway 365 or 495 in Virginia close to D.C. at night 👍
I had an 84 v65 sabre. loved that bike! I miss that bike. mine had the second gear problem too.. only time skipping second was really noticeable was in heavy traffic under slow acceleration..I'd get it reving up and go to third and have to ease into it because I'd come up in the tail end of a car. would been nice to have second for idling in traffic. but other than that, awesome bike with lots of cojones! first day I had it I decided to see what it had. twisted throttle wide open, first to third about a half a mile I was doing 105 mph and it was still pulling like a freight train. Because my seat was almost 30 years old it had gotten slick and at 105 the force of the wind was literally pushing me backward off my seat so I backed out. I later saw 130-135mph..that was after a few weeks of getting comfortable on it. and for all you ney Sayers out there official numbers on a factory v65 were 0-60mph in 2.5s. standing quarter mile in 10.5s...sabres top speed 157.7mph the magnas top speed 177.7mph. the magna held the record for fastest production motorcycle for a long time..
Your numbers are a bit off.
John Jones oh really? how so?
Jay Gleason, arguably the best factory drag racer on both V65's and Vmax's, only ran a 10.92 on the Magna. Also, a 2012 Hayabusa does 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. Don't think the Magna is as quick as a Busa, and was never advertised as such.
Any questions?
John Jones I never claimed that it was faster than the freakin busa. I just said it was fast even by today's standards and I'm well aware of how fast it did the quarter in. but I will say this tho. I used to give the little crotch rocket riders a run for their money on my v65 Sabre. however I'm very happy that you know how to google stats on bikes. I'm speaking from actual experience of owning a v65 I didn't just google the stats to make myself feel superior.
Damn I miss my sabre! It was so quick and so smooth! I got clipped in my forks by a car and I regret gettin rid of it. All it needed was a new fromt axle bolt new handlebars and a new taillight assembly but I swapped it for a truck that ultimately broke down on me. The sabre fired right up the next day! $50 worth of parts and I woulda been back on the road! Damn I'm a dumbass!
I bought a brand new V65 Sabre the bike was absolutely awesome and super fast
Good to see its running a bit hot mine stays around the same temp
I had one.They work good.Had a vmax and after 50 mph I think the sabre would take it.Great bike!
I loved my Sabre 1st gear redline at 55 mph
V 65's gear box was designed as a "five speed plus overdrive sixth transmission;" top gear is really tall; calculated top speed in sixth works out to 173 mph at the 10,000 rpm redline.
Calculated means crap. The wind resistance alone would keep this bike from reaching anywhere near that speed.
and a couple factors come into play as to why this bike may seem slow..one is that he may not be hammering it as hard as he can and two you may be remembering your bike being faster bc in your mind at the time it was the fastest bike in the world so ur mind has built it up
Is Dave Dodge still making oil kits for the V65s?
Im working on a Sabre v65 that I bought replacing engine among other things.I hope this bike is what Ive heard of.Ive got a 1983 goldwing for comfort.
Update IT IS.Compared to my Goldwing like a Honda to a golfcart.
I love how an old fashion bike like this sounds kinda like the hayabusa types bikes
i was wondering i have the 1986 v65 and my speedometer only goes up to 125
Got mine up to 145MPH and was still climbing then ran out of straight a way and backed down.
My 84 V65 Sabre has that speedo, ends in zeros. Perhaps you are thinking about the Magna?
Had a 84 v65 mag. Was pulling hard at 130. Got scared. No doubt it can easily bury speedo 160+
i Have a question sabre and manga same camshaft?? I have a 1985 I have been 300KMS Canadian then I got the speed warble my buddy on his Modified 2011ZX10 blew bye me at 100 kms then it was on I didn't win but shocked the heck out of him 300MKSis 185 mph I put hot coils in it and jetted it out The Bike Wrench Vancouver B.C it was Fast it kills my ZZR 600 2007
I read many times that the "Original" cam lubrication on the sabre is Just fine , Now; the material that the cam was made off on a few Sabres ,was"the real Problem" that's the reason why many sabres just don't have the Infamous "Cam Problem" The Cam Problem is not "Universal"....... Also the second gear problem is the result of not lubricating the Gear Shifter , I do it once a year , And Never a problem with it ( All I know came from a Honda Dealer Mechanic)
Sure is ! Know all about it.
I have a 84 sabre and I'm not quite sure how to use the over drive! I'll shift into it after 5th gear but it just revs up??
Sounds like it's not engaging into O/D. I would try pulling it up really hard. I had a similar problem but after greasing my shifter pivots it's fine now.
interceptor 1000?
Is that the original speedometer? If it is, your Sabre is a 1984, not an '85. The '85s came with the numbers in _5 increments (like 15, 25, 35, 45, etc.). The '84s had numbers in _0 increments (like your speedo). Look at the plate on the left ("drivers") side of the steering stem. The year is on there.
I hate to tell you, but my 1984 has that same speedo, all the increments end in zeros. As far as I know, it's all original.
ive gotten my 84 honda sabre to 140 and it had plenty rpms i bet it will do 170
No. I'll bet it would not.
John Jones well i was doing 140 still pulling and i was only in 5th gear
V65's typically run their top speed in 5th gear. Not enough torque in 6th to overcome the resistance caused by wind. I've owned a Magna and a Sabre.
The worst part on the v65 is the intake manifold and carb set-up. It's ridiculously difficult. The cam issues are a result of poor oiling of the top end, which was fairly common, too.
I think there used to be a bolt on supercharger you could buy for these bikes.
I just timed the vid and read 3000rpm in 1st to 118mph to be 16 seconds
I've got a 85 V65 Sabre...I'm curious, how much do you weigh and what is the fastest you've had yours up to? I'm 195lbs and my top speed is 130mph...
I'm 160 pounds and I've gotten mine to 170 on the nose.
Tool man..fastest thing in 85 was the magna my good sir...
Didn't these bikes have the same engine and drivetrain? My roommate was a honda guy while i had kawi's. I do remember a company that built bolt on superchargers for these, bet that would have been fun.
Actually the Saber is a hair faster than the Magna due to a couple small changes. Exhaust for sure, forget what else off hand.
I got my sabre up to 155 with ease, it gets to 140 sooo quick lol. I only weigh 150 idk if that helps.
You started your run about 11 seconds into the video and were going about 10 mph. You hit 120 at about 27 seconds. That doesn't quite match the claim in your title.
the '84 saber I had was a lot quicker than this pooch
nice
fastest thing on 2 wheels in 1985. (retail...of coarse)
of course
@Scott..not as wicked as my 84 and 85 v65 Maggie ;)
Have you ridden a Saber?
Just watch out for second gear! Notoriously bad transmission on that bike and it was a fortune to repair!
Yep, I had an 85 with that problem but my fault from shifting it wide open. I bent the shift fork and it would pop out of 2nd after that under hard throttle. That thing had so much balls I could easily skip from 1st to 3rd after that, I never fixed it. So don't speed shift it unless you want to fuck up 2nd like i did.
Slow af