They are a fairly maintenance free bike. Not much goes wrong with them in stock configuration. Starting switches can be fragile. The coils will fail with time as they are located in a hot position. Check the bottom of the exhaust. There is a pre-muffler that runs side to side right in front of the rear tire. It tends to rust out. Then there are the carbs. That seems to be the main reason that a VT won't run correctly. The carbs get plugged up with winter storage. Make sure you run the fuel out or drain the bowls.
There isn't as much stuff or info on the VT's as compared to an FT. You will probably be surprised by how comparable the sitting & handlebar position is between the two bikes. The VT has taller foot pegs & puts a bit more bend to the knee. It is much smoother, faster & more comfortable in 6th gear (OD) to cover distance with. Pretty much what you would expect for an "improved" model. The FT is more of a "Roadster" while the VT is more of a Highway machine. If you are fortunate enough to own one of each, you will appreciate each one for its unique traits.
Of course, you may be needing to buy a new battery, or new tires, or all three, but you won't have to worry about a chain & sprockets. Just drain & re-fresh all the fluids. The rear drive unit requires a hypoid gear lube. Drain it out & spray some brake or parts cleaner inside while rotating the rear wheel. Then let the spray dry out for a few minutes. When you refill the sump, fill it up to the top of the access port. Then rotate the rear wheel backwards. This will carry some of the lube up & around the ring gear allowing you to add a few more ounces of lube to the sump, then seal it up. An oil change is super easy. The bike takes a small spin-on filter that is easy to access & 3 quarts of crankcase oil. The engine coolant takes about 2 qts. if I recall correctly.
They are neat bikes. Clean -10K mile bikes are going for the $2k to $2.5K range in my neighborhood. My end of the Country has some high used bike prices. Only a few years ago they were going for $800 to $1.5K range.
Good luck & please let us know how you do. There are a few magazine articles on the VT located on the forum that you might want to read.
J.
