98 Superhawk engine question
 

Pretty basic question. just bought a 98 vtr 1000 superhawk 996. guy says needs a new engine. I'm not very mechanically inclined nor do I have that much knowledge about motors. Will any year engine bolt in plug and play style? Found a couple on ebay but no 98s? Thanks in advance

From my experience I know the wiring harnesses are slightly different and the plugs (both male and female) for the converter unit and ignition control modules are different (along with the gauge clusters) from 98-00 and 01-05. As far as I know, besides the paint colors on the engine covers, the engines themselves are identical.

I mean if your definition of "plug and play" is disassembling almost the entire motorcycle besides removing the forks from the frame then yeah, it's plug and play...

Just curious, if you're "not very mechanically inclined" why would you buy a bike with a blown engine? Sounds like it'll get expensive fast for a bike that isn't worth alot. Your picture is a bike that was for sale on Ebay. Actually still is up for sale. For $1900 I could buy a clean bike that runs perfect... Hope you didn't pay that much for it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1998-Honda-vtr1000/132802189773?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid =p2060353.m1438.l2649

Any idea why the seller(?) says it needs a new engine?

Cam Chain Tensioner failure ?

I did buy that one off ebay. I got for close to a grand. bike is in mint condition. lol I bought it because I'm an idiot. but I really like the hawks. have a nighthawk and always thought the superhawks were sexy. and I wanted the experience to take something that was dead and make it alive. so I got my books and plenty of time over the winter and well see what happens. no idea why engine isn't working said maybe piston rod? I don't know. time will tell project starts tomorrow night.

Nothing wrong with a project bike, just go into it knowing what you spend will never be realized in a sale price.. Its a form of entertainment.

Having a rod bearing fail is not unheard of, but not overly common either.
Failed cam chain tensioner is common and results in bent valves usually..

Start with a compression check or better leak down test and you will have an idea if you got the deal of the century because the PO mistook some bad gas for engine troubles or if the motor is toast.

If its "just" the CCT and head......it would be cheaper to repair that than replacing the motor

got the tank off and did a compression test on both cylinders. one under the tank reads about 120 the other is about 30. what does cct mean? thanks for the tips

CCT refers to Cam Chain Tensioner. The stock Honda CCTs are prone to failure at any random time.

Its a little odd you bought a blown engine bike but to your first question, I have a 98 and I swapped an 05 motor in.

I don't recall any issues. Was no small feat to do in a tiny garage by myself but its been running great for years so yeah any motor will swap.

But like Erik Marquez said, you are in a loosing proposition since paying someone to swap a motor will put you way over what just going and buying a good bike will cost.

CCT Failure possible
 

From what i remember reading in the clymer manual; that I Have the 120 psi sounds about right but 30 is super low. is that on the front cylinder that its low? if it is i bet you have a failed CCT and you may be able to just swap the head out depending on the condition of the cylinder if that is the case. If you do have a spun bearing you'll be able to see flakes of metal in the oil when you drain it or if you take the oil pan off of the bike which is a pretty simple procedure to do if you want to check for that.

I learned most of what I know about motorcycles from buying a 1993 900RR with a blown motor and rebuilding the entire bike. Built up the motor with better pistons, powder coated the frame/swingarm/wheels, custom paint on replaced fairings........and my cousin crashed it into a ditch at 60mph. I would do it all over again. The cost in time and parts was worth the education I received and the feeling of pride I got knowing that I completely rebuilt that bike, and it worked.

That experience started me down a path that made me cocky/foolish enough to open a motorcycle shop from 2007-2013. To this day, my therapy is to go out to the garage and work on my bikes. Just rebuilt the calipers and master cylinder on my 954 yesterday. I need it off the lift so I can start assembling the Superhawk I bought from my little brother, frame just got back from the powder coaters.....;)

Wow! Great deal for $1000-, I would've bought that all day, just for all the spares.. Good job.

So in response to your question. I'm going through now, is this. I have a 98 with a bad engine, I bought a replacement engine from an 02 or what was believed to be so. The harness for me has been plug and play I'll double check all pins but I dont recall any issues.
what I've stumbled on was the vacuum hose, and breather hose to have changed. My 98 had a vacuum nipple off of each intake port for each cylinder but only 1 breather hose for the reed valve. The suspected 02 engine has a single vacuum nipple on the rear head and x2 breathers for the reed valves onto the valve covers.
What I am wondering is will having only 1 vacuum source cause an issue since this is a v twin engine design and vacuum reference changes per cylinder or does having x1 vacuum reference be enough?

You only need one to open the vacuum operated petcock. I have a 2nd vacuum hose on the front cylinder that is used when balancing the carbs. It is capped off when not in use.

Ascot, so you do not tie the cylinders vacuum lines together with a t fitting then route up to the gas tank? I'm referring to the nipples right off of the cylinder head.

I suspect he's got it figured out, or not. This post is pretty old.

YMRacing, yeah I did see that after the fact, but I was just searching for some insight myself and decided to give some input on my personal experience so that it may help someone else out one day.

I have a tee on the rear vacuum line to the petcock with a hose to use when syncing the carbs,capped off when not in use. I have the sync hoses zip tied out of view.