Time To Rebuild The VF1000R...IT LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that my winter kitchen projects are done, time to start my rebuild. Once a decade seems to be the trend. Pulled it out of the garage to blow off a layer of mahogany dust. Man there is a lot of stuff behind that upper fairing. Hope I don't have to go with a different upper or I've got some relocating to do.

Try hiding that stuff, Seb!

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Why not just put on a new seat and ride it like that? Great street fighter look.............but, ? Do all those tubes in the front route back to your flux capacitor? :cool: Good luck on the rebuild. 1000R parts are getting harder to find.

Boy, you're a glutton for punishment, aren'tcha? It's getting a little close to spring to be starting a big project now... :cool:

& are you kidding me? Hiding all that stuff is so easy! Just give me an appropriately sized garbage can, and I'll make it ALL disappear!! :angry: Then replace the goofy Honda rad setup with a custom HRC style aluminum radiator, in the conventional position. That takes care of 90% of the mess - then start shortening wires, get an Acewell gauge, coupla foglights for headlights... yeah, that's the ticket! NOT! lol

The rad thing would be a great improvement though... the R sure is top heavy!

Yea, it looks like the old bulldog from Tom and Jerry! Looks like it's going to tip over forward. First thing I've got to do is trace down a serious oil leak in the back of the motor. Leaves a sizable spot on the floor. Then paint frame and motor. Get the SS arm with the RC30 wheel on. Make an exhaust. Patch up my other panels. Reshape the upper and fit a single left side, endurance style round headlight. Paint all. And if I feel so inclined and it's not july by then, cut out the stock gas cap and weld in a newer style flush one. Believe me, I know this is a terrible time to start all this crap. Guys were out riding today...then it started to snow.

Well, good luck with it! And don't forget the pics... :cool:

Sounds ambitious and pretty cool. Good luck, looking for pics. :angry:

:blink:

BTW, once every ten years is going to be my new schedule too. :cool:

Fun fun fun Kel. I`m in the middle of a flush mount gas cap conversion for the big F project myself. Just need to find a good brazier to mount it so it doesn`t leak....and smooth out a couple dings...

VF1000RSFun fun fun Kel. I`m in the middle of a flush mount gas cap conversion for the big F project myself. Just need to find a good brazier to mount it so it doesn`t leak....and smooth out a couple dings...

Great bikes think alike!

Well the motor is out and the frame is bare. My gasket kit is on the way. My oil pan was leaking like a sieve so I'll freshen the easy ones up. All is cool until....time to remove the exhaust. Of course 2 studs had to snap. Lucky? for me they are both in front. There is enough left to grab but they aren't budging. I've hit them with a ton of heat and PB but no go. Tapped on them, talked sweet to them, bribed them, all to no avail. So the day wasn't a total loss, I mocked up the swingarm. I cut down the left side boss on the frame. The arm sits nice in there. I put the 400 wheel/tire in there to see how things are looking. I'm dead on with the 400, we'll see how the RC wheel/tire goes. I'm seeing now that there will be some creative thinking for the shock linkage. The VFR's linkage point is left of the R's. I really want to keep the stock upper shock mount location. Someday I may want to go back to stock setup so I don't want to cut too much that will be a pain to recover from in the future. Plugging away.

That's great and all, but where's the darn pics???

:fing02:

SEBSPEEDThat's great and all, but where's the darn pics???

:dry:

Pics? PICS? Did you read my post....broken studs.....pain...suffering...loathing...despair. I'll post pics of my wrists when the stitches come out.

Schweet, that bike could probably assimilate the Borg in that livery!

My gasket kit is here so I decided that I would put in the oil pan gasket now so I can wash and paint the motor. It's pretty complete. I won't put in the valve seals or base gaskets but most of the rest will go in.

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The pan hasn't been off in 20+ years so of course a bolt had to break.

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I want a t-shirt made with this picture!

The good news is the cam lobes look brand new. All of them! I was surprised with everyone jumping to get an oil mod done. They looked good 10 years ago when I last had the covers off but I thought maybe by now there would be some wear. 60+k miles on those cams and they look like I just put them in. I can't see the rockers so there is no saying they're just as good but I"m happy for now. Mod will wait. Bigger fish to fry.

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The R's had a better oiling setup than the F's did. Good on ya for getting some work done! :fing02:

Nice cams Kel! Know how you feel in the broken bolt dept. Just snapped the head of one of the cylinder coolant drain bolts off....that was fun...especially after snapping the end of the "Easy-out" off in there too...

VF1000RSNice cams Kel! Know how you feel in the broken bolt dept. Just snapped the head of one of the cylinder coolant drain bolts off....that was fun...especially after snapping the end of the "Easy-out" off in there too...

I feel for ya. I had most of the bolt drilled out when I loaded up the extractor. Started to crank on it when I said to myself, "You know this is going to break, right?" I backed it out and just drilled the rest out with a larger bit. Tapped it and all is well. I have NEVER heard of anyone having a good experience with those cursed things. They always seem to break at the slightest pressure. I'm going to have to try and cut some threads on whats left of the exhaust stud. I know it will go south if I try to drill it out. I just might have enough room if I cut down the exhaust collar.

Trying to get stuff done and the sound of bikes going by is making me crazy. Waiting on an RC30 wheel collar and a water trap for my compressor. Then I can start sandblasting some stuff and check my wheel alignments. The Dunlops 207's are supposedly wider than most tires but options are short in the 180/55/18 world. May try an Avon Viper? I've got an '83 VF tank on the way. Not sure if I will use it or not. I was thinking I need the knee scoops that the 750 has to get the look I'm after, plus it's pretty flat on top, again, something I think might work for me. We'll see when it gets here.

Good work, Kel!

Kel

VF1000RSNice cams Kel! Know how you feel in the broken bolt dept. Just snapped the head of one of the cylinder coolant drain bolts off....that was fun...especially after snapping the end of the "Easy-out" off in there too...

I feel for ya. I had most of the bolt drilled out when I loaded up the extractor. Started to crank on it when I said to myself, "You know this is going to break, right?" I backed it out and just drilled the rest out with a larger bit. Tapped it and all is well. I have NEVER heard of anyone having a good experience with those cursed things. They always seem to break at the slightest pressure.

I've broken only one, IIRC, but they sure are brittle bastids.

When I had the VTR1000, the first time I went to change the oil I found the previous owner had rounded the sump plug head off. :491:

I tried all kinds of things to get it out, but it was seemingly welded in there, plus it was located in a recessed corner of the sump, so access was problematic.

In the end, I decided there was no alternative but to drill and Ezy-out it.

So off I go.

Get the Ezy-out in with a small wrench, lean on it, nothing doing.

So I get a 12" bar on it, lean, lean LEan!

CRACK!!! +1.gif

Uh-oh...

To my great and hilarious relief, it was just the plug letting go its grip on the sump hole.

I guess the PO must've buggered up the plug, and decided since he couldn't guarantee he had it tight enough, he'd use some loctite or glue on it.

But it's never nice when things break, huh?

Kel

VF1000RSNice cams Kel! Know how you feel in the broken bolt dept. Just snapped the head of one of the cylinder coolant drain bolts off....that was fun...especially after snapping the end of the "Easy-out" off in there too...

I feel for ya. I had most of the bolt drilled out when I loaded up the extractor. Started to crank on it when I said to myself, "You know this is going to break, right?" I backed it out and just drilled the rest out with a larger bit. Tapped it and all is well. I have NEVER heard of anyone having a good experience with those cursed things. They always seem to break at the slightest pressure. I'm going to have to try and cut some threads on whats left of the exhaust stud. I know it will go south if I try to drill it out. I just might have enough room if I cut down the exhaust collar.

Trying to get stuff done and the sound of bikes going by is making me crazy. Waiting on an RC30 wheel collar and a water trap for my compressor. Then I can start sandblasting some stuff and check my wheel alignments. The Dunlops 207's are supposedly wider than most tires but options are short in the 180/55/18 world. May try an Avon Viper? I've got an '83 VF tank on the way. Not sure if I will use it or not. I was thinking I need the knee scoops that the 750 has to get the look I'm after, plus it's pretty flat on top, again, something I think might work for me. We'll see when it gets here.

I'm in this club too. Took a lot of time and patience on my part to get a broken ez out (and bolt) out of my 750F block. Glad you passed on that... heh!

Oh and - I told you so... 71 degrees and sunny next Saturday, better get crackin!! :491:

SEBSPEEDThe R's had a better oiling setup than the F's did. Good on ya for getting some work done! :fing02:

Where did you get that info? The oiling was the same between the two based on the F and R engines that I have built. The only possible difference could be the pressure of the relief but I think those are the same too. The pumps and relief valves are different part numbers but I think functionally they are the same. Again, my assumption has palways been that the part number chage was because the R had a deeper oil pan.

I've got the arm in and I think it's where it's supposed to go. I still need to make a collar for the spindle to make up the difference in the RCwheel and the GT spindle. The wheel is dead center and with the modded cush drive, I think the chain should be close but I won't know till my tire comes in and the motor is back in. I'm still not sure what to expect from the linkage. It's a point of mystery now.

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The shock is off set to the left but the hole in the rear sub frame is center(I hope). You can see the wheel is central to that.

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Cool, did you check with VF1000RS to see how exactly he did his?

veefer800canuckCool, did you check with VF1000RS to see how exactly he did his?

Tom and I have different approaches. I'm trying to design everything with the idea of being able to go back to stock if need be. Probably harder than if you cut and welded things specifically for a custom job. Keeping the stock shock mounting points as well as frame bosses somewhat intact etc, is really challenging. That said, Tom is always on PM "speed dial" if questions arise.

Kel

veefer800canuckCool, did you check with VF1000RS to see how exactly he did his?

Tom and I have different approaches. I'm trying to design everything with the idea of being able to go back to stock if need be. Probably harder than if you cut and welded things specifically for a custom job. Keeping the stock shock mounting points as well as frame bosses somewhat intact etc, is really challenging. That said, Tom is always on PM "speed dial" if questions arise.

So how are you doing that? When I mocked mine up with the sss, the only way I saw to fit it was to cut out the frame brackets for the original swingarm pivots? Have some pics? (I just tossed a spare R frame a few months ago, wish I had held on to it for this exact exercise.)

vfrcapn

Kel

veefer800canuckCool, did you check with VF1000RS to see how exactly he did his?

Tom and I have different approaches. I'm trying to design everything with the idea of being able to go back to stock if need be. Probably harder than if you cut and welded things specifically for a custom job. Keeping the stock shock mounting points as well as frame bosses somewhat intact etc, is really challenging. That said, Tom is always on PM "speed dial" if questions arise.

So how are you doing that? When I mocked mine up with the sss, the only way I saw to fit it was to cut out the frame brackets for the original swingarm pivots? Have some pics? (I just tossed a spare R frame a few months ago, wish I had held on to it for this exact exercise.)

You definitely have to grind down the left inside boss flush with the frame. But to return to stock, you only need to weld on a spacer of equal length. I then drilled out the stock leftside swingarm bolt to 20mm and the head ground flat. It then gets cut with just a bit of the shoulder sticking out from the frame on the swingarm side. On the right side of the frame, the stock mount is stepped from 20mm down to ?. I drilled the narrower step out to 20mm. I ground off the welds on the "box" that holds the nut and removed it intact. To return to stock requires a small collar for the stock bolt and simply reweld the "box" to the frame. Easy. The arm needs collars cut for left and right sides. To mount it, I'm using an axle I had which is 20mm. It goes through the arm and the drilled left side bolt gets snugged into the stock threads in the frame, it's shoulder tightening down on the bearing. Then the axle nut and presto. Sounds good in theory. We'll see in practice.

Test fitting the Vf tank and RC45 tail. As you can see, there is a lot of glass work to fix. The tank looks better than I had expected. It's larger than I thought as well. I think not having the seat ride up on the back of it helps. I'm really digging the knee cutouts. The Euro kR tank is flat like this and has the cutouts, looks great, I had a bead on one from AUS but it was crazy money to ship it so this will do nicely. Don't know why the States got the one it did? With the Aztec pyramid of a gas cap gone, this one should look racy.

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I have to fill in where someone had cut in for a taillight( the exhaust will exit out from there) and make a rear mounting frame. The stock subframe gets to stay intact.

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vfrcapnSo how are you doing that? When I mocked mine up with the sss, the only way I saw to fit it was to cut out the frame brackets for the original swingarm pivots? Have some pics? (I just tossed a spare R frame a few months ago, wish I had held on to it for this exact exercise.)

He`s using a different swingarm.

Damn man, looks great but you need to pick up the pace or your first test ride will be in the snow!

Can you angle the tail up a little to let the cans come out under the tail? I always thought the RC51 taillight(blinker-integrated led version) looked great in those tails!

Very cool.

My R has a spacer on either side of the rear shock. In that case I would just put two on the right side and see if that helps out the shock fitment.

What tail is that? I have been planning (in imagination land anyway) to use a 6th gen VFR. I like that though for the way it covers those stupid side grills that break on every 1KR

VF1000RS

vfrcapnSo how are you doing that? When I mocked mine up with the sss, the only way I saw to fit it was to cut out the frame brackets for the original swingarm pivots? Have some pics? (I just tossed a spare R frame a few months ago, wish I had held on to it for this exact exercise.)

He`s using a different swingarm.

It's a VFR750 arm, not sure of the year.

SEBSPEEDDamn man, looks great but you need to pick up the pace or your first test ride will be in the snow!

Can you angle the tail up a little to let the cans come out under the tail? I always thought the RC51 taillight(blinker-integrated led version) looked great in those tails!

I thought of that but thought it might look a little too Ducati-ish.

ChevVery cool.

My R has a spacer on either side of the rear shock. In that case I would just put two on the right side and see if that helps out the shock fitment.

What tail is that? I have been planning (in imagination land anyway) to use a 6th gen VFR. I like that though for the way it covers those stupid side grills that break on every 1KR

The shock is not the issue, the shock heads down to the linkage just fine. It's the linkage. I fab'd one up but have no idea of the ride it will impart. I'm sure there's some formula but it's beyond me. It's an RC45 race tail that was pretty rashed when I got it. It will need some TLC on the outside and some carbon fiber on the inside to get rid of some of the flex. It also needs a good trimming to get it to fit below the tank, etc.

It's a VFR750 arm, not sure of the year.

Kel, looking at the linkage it`s from a 91-93. I think David Nelson(?)(from the old yahoo list) used the same. Mine is from 94-97.

For some reason I keep thinking VFR400 arm.........

Kel, looking at the linkage it`s from a 91-93. I think David Nelson(?)(from the old yahoo list) used the same. Mine is from 94-97.

For some reason I keep thinking VFR400 arm.........

The linkage that's on there is a stock kR's that I modified to fit, the angle of the linkage is different from the VFR's so I don't know if that is a big deal or not. Did you change the upper shock position because the arm forced you to or was it to route the exhaust? I understand that different year VFR arms have different linkage positions?

The linkage that's on there is a stock kR's that I modified to fit, the angle of the linkage is different from the VFR's so I don't know if that is a big deal or not. Did you change the upper shock position because the arm forced you to or was it to route the exhaust? I understand that different year VFR arms have different linkage positions?

I changed the shock mount because I was using the arm and shock from the VFR750 and knew I could get the Ohlins when I was ready and also because I had a very talented Machinist friend who suggested we build in adjustable ride height so we could tweak the chassis to get the most out of the bike with the new suspension. I knew going in that the exhaust would need to be completely custom, but the arm was the priority....funny thinking about this now...when I started all I wanted was wider wheels and modern tires...

Nice & sunny & warm here today Kel... you done yet?

SEBSPEEDNice & sunny & warm here today Kel... you done yet?

Being a few hundred miles away, I'm surprised you can see the open wound from there but clearly the distance is not affecting the amount of salt applied!

Kel

SEBSPEEDNice & sunny & warm here today Kel... you done yet?

Being a few hundred miles away, I'm surprised you can see the open wound from there but clearly the distance is not affecting the amount of salt applied!

:blush:

I have no sympathy for self-inflicted wounds of this nature, sorry!! :blush:

Now get back to work! I need some motivation! :blush:

WORLD"S UGLIEST V4!!!

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Actually I'm really liking the way it's headed, really, REALLY liking it! I can't believe how tall it sits without the motor in, it's got to be 3 inches taller in the front. The kick stand barely works. A lot of glass work left to do, fill in the headlight opening, fix the mirror mounting points, trim the tail some more and so on. I'm glassing over the oil door. No biggie to drop the lower, I can probably do it faster than my wife can pop the hood on her car. I think the tank works perfectly with the RC45 tail. I just wish I had the time to dive into bringing the entire upper and lower down and back slightly but oh well. I've got the 400 wheel on to roll it around, still haven't gotten a tire for the RC30 wheel.

I did get the motor painted and a stainless bolt kit installed. Also put in a new clutch while I was at it.

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Looking good Kel. That frame sure looks empty.

Alright, progress!! :fing02:

Curious to know if you'd given any thought to bracing the swingarm?

SEBSPEEDAlright, progress!! :fing02:

Curious to know if you'd given any thought to bracing the swingarm?

Only thought of doing something cosmetically, MV-ish.

Kel

SEBSPEEDAlright, progress!! :fing02:

Curious to know if you'd given any thought to bracing the swingarm?

Only thought of doing something cosmetically, MV-ish.

Sounds good, might as well use the right type of AL though and get it welded properly if you're going through all the effort anyway - the R is beefy to say the least and bracing that skinny arm couldn't hurt! :cool:

Looks like the tank and seat flow really well. Any clearance issues on the RC30 wheel to the 400 arm? I`ve got a 400 arm here and wondering what to do with it...

So, what are you doing for a headlight?

VF1000RSLooks like the tank and seat flow really well. Any clearance issues on the RC30 wheel to the 400 arm? I`ve got a 400 arm here and wondering what to do with it...

OK Tom, let's go over this just one last time :fing02: ...it's a VFR750 arm, modified hawk spindle. Get VFR400 arm right out of the old noodle!

Funny you should write today cause I was thinking of you. I'm looking at the wheel alignment and chain alignment and it's working out way too well so of course I'm thinking something's wrong. Using the hole in the back/top of the subframe as center(I checked to the front and back tank mounts), I get dead on with the wheel. From there, it's about a 3-4mm shim of the front sprocket. I chose to remove material from inside the cush drive and cut down the cush rubbers(making them shorter not thinner, of course) to move the sprocket towards the wheel. What's got me 2nd guessing is I didn't have to sink the left side bearing like you to get the wheel over. Are our arms that different?

SEBSPEEDSo, what are you doing for a headlight?

It's looking like a single, 5.75" round off to the left side. If I found a 4.5 or a 5, that would be cool too. I've seen some FZR and ZX headlights on ebay but I just can't bring myself to putting other manufacturers stock parts on the Honda. I do ride at night so I want as much punch as I can get in a small single round light. Asking a lot I know.

Kel

SEBSPEEDSo, what are you doing for a headlight?

It's looking like a single, 5.75" round off to the left side. If I found a 4.5 or a 5, that would be cool too. I've seen some FZR and ZX headlights on ebay but I just can't bring myself to putting other manufacturers stock parts on the Honda. I do ride at night so I want as much punch as I can get in a small single round light. Asking a lot I know.

How about one of these? EBAY LINK

:fing02:

Yes, I've seen those and their many cousins. The problem is, because they're sealed beam replacements, there's no clean way to attach them to anything, most have plastic housings. Plus I'm not sure of the out put. It's got to have a glass lens and a metal reflector so I can maybe use an HID setup. Here's what I see a lot of on Ebay.

Headlight

But, I hear the HID bulbs don't work as well with certain reflectors.

KelYes, I've seen those and their many cousins. The problem is, because they're sealed beam replacements, there's no clean way to attach them to anything, most have plastic housings. Plus I'm not sure of the out put. It's got to have a glass lens and a metal reflector so I can maybe use an HID setup. Here's what I see a lot of on Ebay.

Headlight

But, I hear the HID bulbs don't work as well with certain reflectors.

Stay away from blue tinted bulbs and HID kits that don't come with lenses. You can read more about why here:

Light bulbs explained

KelYes, I've seen those and their many cousins. The problem is, because they're sealed beam replacements, there's no clean way to attach them to anything, most have plastic housings. Plus I'm not sure of the out put. It's got to have a glass lens and a metal reflector so I can maybe use an HID setup. Here's what I see a lot of on Ebay.

Headlight

But, I hear the HID bulbs don't work as well with certain reflectors.

You could epoxy or plastic weld some mounting tabs onto the housing, and throw a nice Silverstar or PIAA bulb in there, that oughta light the road well enough?

SEBSPEED

KelYes, I've seen those and their many cousins. The problem is, because they're sealed beam replacements, there's no clean way to attach them to anything, most have plastic housings. Plus I'm not sure of the out put. It's got to have a glass lens and a metal reflector so I can maybe use an HID setup. Here's what I see a lot of on Ebay.

Headlight

But, I hear the HID bulbs don't work as well with certain reflectors.

You could epoxy or plastic weld some mounting tabs onto the housing, and throw a nice Silverstar or PIAA bulb in there, that oughta light the road well enough?

That's true. I haven't heard good things about the Silverstars but a good bulb might do the trick. Even though the upper fairing is large, it all tapers down to the headlight opening. The RC30, RC45, NC30 and other race fairings have a wider section that flares out into what I call "hand fairings", the area right in front of the handle bars. Lots of room for any size light. I'm working with the basic twin light footprint of the R. A 7" is too big, a 5.75 might be as well but a 4.5 single is to small to put out the light I think I'm going to need. I have found some cool lights on line but some are 400-700 bucks, just to rich for my blood. I don't mind getting a less inexpensive housing as long as I can maybe "beef" it up to something usable.

Kel

VF1000RSLooks like the tank and seat flow really well. Any clearance issues on the RC30 wheel to the 400 arm? I`ve got a 400 arm here and wondering what to do with it...

OK Tom, let's go over this just one last time :biggrin: ...it's a VFR750 arm, modified hawk spindle. Get VFR400 arm right out of the old noodle!

Funny you should write today cause I was thinking of you. I'm looking at the wheel alignment and chain alignment and it's working out way too well so of course I'm thinking something's wrong. Using the hole in the back/top of the subframe as center(I checked to the front and back tank mounts), I get dead on with the wheel. From there, it's about a 3-4mm shim of the front sprocket. I chose to remove material from inside the cush drive and cut down the cush rubbers(making them shorter not thinner, of course) to move the sprocket towards the wheel. What's got me 2nd guessing is I didn't have to sink the left side bearing like you to get the wheel over. Are our arms that different?

Geez, must be the wheel that`s throwing me, or that I had mine out mulling it over.....or too many paint fumes.....

I still think yours is from a 91-93. I seem to recall David Nelson using one on his and wondering why my 96 arm was so complicated.

I added aluminum to the back of the cush drive then machined the sprocket mounting points down to get the sprocket closer to the wheel.

You could get the spread beam (driving light) version of these... : another ebay link

Of course, you'd probably also have to get a bigger belt buckle and toss on some knobbies... :biggrin:

KelThat's true. I haven't heard good things about the Silverstars but a good bulb might do the trick. Even though the upper fairing is large, it all tapers down to the headlight opening. The RC30, RC45, NC30 and other race fairings have a wider section that flares out into what I call "hand fairings", the area right in front of the handle bars. Lots of room for any size light. I'm working with the basic twin light footprint of the R. A 7" is too big, a 5.75 might be as well but a 4.5 single is to small to put out the light I think I'm going to need. I have found some cool lights on line but some are 400-700 bucks, just to rich for my blood. I don't mind getting a less inexpensive housing as long as I can maybe "beef" it up to something usable.

Single NC35/RVF400 headlight and housing...

VF1000RSGeez, must be the wheel that`s throwing me, or that I had mine out mulling it over.....or too many paint fumes.....

I still think yours is from a 91-93. I seem to recall David Nelson using one on his and wondering why my 96 arm was so complicated.

I added aluminum to the back of the cush drive then machined the sprocket mounting points down to get the sprocket closer to the wheel.

I'm voting paint fumes. The '96 had the 5.0 rim, correct? I would be surprised if Honda would retool for a different arm but anythings possible. A funny side note, the hawk arm is beefier in some places than the 750 arm I have by many mm's. They might have over built it in the early stages and then backed off for later productions? Could also be that the hawk arm is split at the pivot points where the 750 encircles the shock?

The 96 had the 5.0 rim yes. Guess I`d have to see them side by side to see if there really was any difference. Interesting about the Hawk arm. I`d still like to get a RC30/45 arm...

VF1000RSThe 96 had the 5.0 rim yes. Guess I`d have to see them side by side to see if there really was any difference. Interesting about the Hawk arm. I`d still like to get a RC30/45 arm...

My kF street fighter will get the Hawk arm. No linkage so I'll have to get the right shock. People who are going with no link customs are using Ducati 900ss shocks for some reason. I had a chance to grab a 30 arm but just don't want to deal with no cush drive on the street, not the kind of miles that I can do.

If you run across another shoot me the info, I`m thinking of building another R down the road, after the Kat, and the 1000F/R are done of course...

I did an initial trim of the tail, under the tank. I may take a bit off the top to reveal more of the frame member. I wont' know for sure till I bolt it in nice and firm. It's a race piece so it's not OEM in the fitment department but...

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Looks better than this...

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An early shot of the placement of the cans. I think I may draw them back in a bit, again, won't know for sure till the holes are all drilled. Then fill in where the brake light was cut in, something similar to the kR's brake light holes, it worked well before. They are at a steeper angle than they were in the stock tail.

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Oh by the way, I'm in the running for the messiest barn.

Thanks for the update Kel!

Do you how hard it is to put the sandblaster to a perfectly fine RC30 wheel? Now it's raw and ready for the powder coating.

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DSCN2036.JPG

KelDo you how hard it is to put the sandblaster to a perfectly fine RC30 wheel? Now it's raw and ready for the powder coating.

Just think, you just made it a little lighter! :blush:

So it`s a 18" then?

VF1000RSSo it`s a 18" then?

Aren't all RC30 rears 18"?

Ya. That`s probably closer to the diameter of the stock wheel tire combo.

How are you making out Kel?

SEBSPEEDHow are you making out Kel?

Well. It's difficult to type with tears in my eyes but I'll try. I just found out today that my trusty machining connection is afraid to do my small pieces because they're wheel related and he doesn't want the liability. I spent 2 days in the shop and all I have to show for it is the early beginnings of an exhaust. I've got the rears coming out to the start of a 2-1. I'm making my own so it's very time consuming. I've got a bunch of bends but getting the angles right takes some patience. I could have built a Sudco copy in half the time but this one has to go around the shock and above the swingarm then snake up and end at one of the cans. The fronts won't be bad. There's almost too much to do. Some times I got out in the shop and find myself at a loss as to what to do since so many things are interconnected and you can't do "this" until "that" gets done. I haven't missed a summer of riding in 28 years, even with my clutch hand in a cast( log splitter...don't ask) so it will get done, just don't know when. Catskills ride maybe.

Here are the bends I bought, $42 shipped.

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Are they stainless? I`m excited to see you working on your own exhaust, one day I`d like to do that.

VF1000RSAre they stainless? I`m excited to see you working on your own exhaust, one day I`d like to do that.

Not stainless. I don't have the means to weld stainless. It's 1.5" aluminized steel. I thought the hard part was going to be making the flange that fits into the exhaust port but I cut the ends off an old stock system and they fit right inside with some gentle tapping. I did weld it but my Sudco just uses springs to hold in the tips so I guess I could have skipped that step. I'm trying really hard to do everything myself on this rebuild. I know sometimes you should know when to say when but working on it myself really makes it mine. The mandrel bends are nice, you just have to plan out the bends carefully so you don't have a sharp edge where two dissimilar angles meet. As you know, cutting pipe on any angle other than square will produce an ellipse. That's fine as long as you have a corresponding angle to match it. Fun, Fun. It's going to get exhaust wrapped, mainly cause I like the look but you really won't even see much of it. Man, a pipe bender would be great.

KelThere's almost too much to do. Some times I got out in the shop and find myself at a loss as to what to do since so many things are interconnected and you can't do "this" until "that" gets done.

Man, I hear you. I run into the same thing myself at times. What a weird feeling to be so far from finished but "not have anything to do." I'm sure it will come along nicely for you.

KelThere's almost too much to do. Some times I got out in the shop and find myself at a loss as to what to do since so many things are interconnected and you can't do "this" until "that" gets done.

I know that feeling all too well. :beer: Welding stainless isn't much different from mild steel. If you're using a MIG or wire feed welder, you just need a different spool of wire.

I just finished boxing up my Vance&Hines headers, they are going off to stuntninja from customfighters.com. He manages a Midas in SC, he's going to make the front section from 1 piece of stainless, and he said he could section the rear bend with no more than 5 pieces. He's going to ship me back all the pieces so I can tig them up myself.

As the fighter boys would say, D f'in W!! :goofy:

They do love their "Do Work" over there don't they. Here's a shot of my buddy's Hindle. 2 pieces to get the rear bend. I'll tell you, I could make this pipe with the bends I bought no problem. you're doing (2) 2-1's, correct?

[image: Holeshot.JPG]

Yup. Left front + rear to 1, Right front + rear to 1.

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Hey Kel if you want I can give you the number of a friend whose a machinist here in Manchester small shop goodguy and he might not be scared to do it for ya :goofy: On the off time he makes parts for V-max bikes ( his ride ) and bits for me and the Vfr..

StrapHey Kel if you want I can give you the number of a friend whose a machinist here in Manchester small shop goodguy and he might not be scared to do it for ya :goofy: On the off time he makes parts for V-max bikes ( his ride ) and bits for me and the Vfr..

Hey stranger. That would be great.

Kel

StrapHey Kel if you want I can give you the number of a friend whose a machinist here in Manchester small shop goodguy and he might not be scared to do it for ya :laugh: On the off time he makes parts for V-max bikes ( his ride ) and bits for me and the Vfr..

Hey stranger. That would be great.

Strap

Kel

StrapHey Kel if you want I can give you the number of a friend whose a machinist here in Manchester small shop goodguy and he might not be scared to do it for ya :laugh: On the off time he makes parts for V-max bikes ( his ride ) and bits for me and the Vfr..

Hey stranger. That would be great.

His name and number have been pm'd. Chatted with him today and his response about the milling is well he has to ride on the wheels!

I've also got a great CNC guy. If there is anything I can help with just let me know.

Love what you are doing, GO MAN GO. As for not missing riding for 28 years, how about getting a second bike? You can get a 90's for under a $1,000.

ps I love the fuel tank. More photos please!!!

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Stephen

PCH12.jpg

Thanks Stephen. You wouldn't want to lend out that beautiful V45 would you? The sad part is, I have 2 other bikes in the same state of dis assembly. If I had other wheels, it would only take away from wrenching. It sounds lame but my R is the only girl for me and while she's down, I can't think of anything else but getting her back on her feet.

BTW, that sunset shot is one of my favorite months on the VF calendar. :laugh:

Old SchoolAs for not missing riding for 28 years, how about getting a second bike? You can get a 90's for under a $1,000.

Blasphemy!!! Oh right, I have new bikes too....... nevermind.

JamieDaugherty

Old SchoolAs for not missing riding for 28 years, how about getting a second bike? You can get a 90's for under a $1,000.

Blasphemy!!! Oh right, I have new bikes too....... nevermind.

I was in the same mode!!! Just couldn't help myself, and picked up a late model... I am having a blast in the canyons!!!!

BTW, nice work!! Keep it up!!

KelThanks Stephen. You wouldn't want to lend out that beautiful V45 would you? The sad part is, I have 2 other bikes in the same state of dis assembly. If I had other wheels, it would only take away from wrenching. It sounds lame but my R is the only girl for me and while she's down, I can't think of anything else but getting her back on her feet.

BTW, that sunset shot is one of my favorite months on the VF calendar. :biggrin:

Y Thank you smile.gif

Come on down and you can ride it.

And were is the photos LOL

Why did you change tanks?? And why the VF750 tank?

Out of all the bikes out there yours is the one I want to ride the most. (did I say that out loud, don't tell no one)

Stephen

Old SchoolY Thank you smile.gif

Come on down and you can ride it.

And were is the photos LOL

Why did you change tanks?? And why the VF750 tank?

Out of all the bikes out there yours is the one I want to ride the most. (did I say that out loud, don't tell no one)

Stephen

I went with the 750 tank because it looks like the Euro kR tank, pretty flat on top, plus it works better visually with the RC45 tail than the US stock tank, IMO.

When she's done, a day swap would be cool with me, I bought a V45 in '83(red of course) and would love to get behind the bars of another. I sold it to buy my R.

How are you making out w/ the exhaust Kel?

SEBSPEEDHow are you making out w/ the exhaust Kel?

I just finished up the last of the welding. I just need to do some finish grinding to knock down some of my very rookie welds. I came to the realization that neither of the two sections will fit in my old oven to bake the Ceracote. My rims will fit but the pipes won't. Soooo...I now have to make an oven for it. Awesome huh? I need 500 degrees for one hour. Should be interesting. I may end up guttting the kitchen oven and using the elements for a custom cement board oven and see if I can avoid 220v's through the body. On a brighter note, I got my wheel hub back from the machinist and it came out awesome. Man do I need a mill! The RC30 wheel is now happily married to the hawk spindle and it fits nicely in the VFR arm. I test mounted the hawk rear master cylinder{same as the R's} and reservoir. My stock R res was a little too close to the new pipe routing so I opted for the Hawk's. It's small and gets mounted high up and out of sight. Because the RC45 tail has rather pronounced side "bulges", there's room to mount lots of stuff outboard of the frame. The pipes take up all under seat room, either physically or thermally so this will be a bonus. I may even use a stock kF radiator overflow bottle as a crank puck bottle, then no worries on a crank filter and spooge from that. I'm looking into a newer 600 rad overflow bottle mounted in the upper somewhere. They're pretty small and narrow. I should even have room for a fuel pump. I know some have run without them but I want a fuel filter plus one stuck float and it's gas in the pan. Anyway, thanks for asking, I can see the light but it's awfully dim.

Oven idea: http://home.comcast.net/~prestondrake/Stuff_Workshop.htm

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Here's what I'm going to do, easier than a whole new oven. Allows the use of the ovens thermostat. Makes total sense to me. I only need a few more feet.

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If you go vertical, you can hang the pipes.

SEBSPEEDIf you go vertical, you can hang the pipes.

Yes but limited to just the bottom element. Out front allows both elements and no rewiring of a themostat. The door will help hold the box plus I can still easily use it for small items in the stock oven with the box removed.

I like that idea. You can just add the extension when you need it. Consider adding some rods or hooks to the inside top of the oven and extension and you could still hang your pipes.

Keep the burners on top to keep your coffee warm...

Necessity is the mother of invention! Some would say that you guys are nuts (I think we all are to some degree) but I think it's very creative. Sort of like using an old dishwasher as a parts cleaner.

JamieDaughertySort of like using an old dishwasher as a parts cleaner.

Funny you mention that, one of our work areas that manufactures tip caps for Sikorsky heli blades utilizes a household dishwasher to remove lubricant from the forming process. :blink:

JamieDaughertyNecessity is the mother of invention! Some would say that you guys are nuts (I think we all are to some degree) but I think it's very creative. Sort of like using an old dishwasher as a parts cleaner.

My saying has always been...Poverty is the mother of invention!

SEBSPEEDFunny you mention that, one of our work areas that manufactures tip caps for Sikorsky heli blades utilizes a household dishwasher to remove lubricant from the forming process. :blink:

You might be surprised how many manufacturing places use diswashers for this same purpose. At a place that makes industrial shock aborsorbers they have a whole row of them running all day. It's kind of funny looking too because they aren't under a counter or anything.

KelMy saying has always been...Poverty is the mother of invention!

I hear you on that one!!!

While waiting for some parts to trickle in I decided to tackle my ugly plastics.

The piece that makes up the gap between the fairing and the frame has gotten faded and scratched. I've tried plastic paint, WD-40, P-jelly, etc. Nothing worked for long. The scratches were bad so they had to go. A quick sanding to get things ready.


I picked up some carbon fiber and some epoxy.
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This was definitely NOT the piece to practice on, lots of different angles and planes. The cloth was reluctant to lay down without wrinkles but it finally did. There are some questionable spots but it was my first go so... I'd say I'm pleased. It definitely has depth and it's clear it's not a sticker. It looks way better than before.
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I think I'll run an inner fender so I dug out an old dusty one from the rafters. This will not do, faded and scratched. Yep, carbon!
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The back of the fender is pretty irregular so I'll just clean it up as best as I can and leave it. You can't see it once mounted any way. Now to start on the tank mod.

I was thinking about getting the fairing piece made from carbon....now I like your idea! Now that you`ve practiced, mine next ok?

Man that is HOT!!!!! :wheel: I need to ride over there so you can give me some classes on body work.

Keep the photos coming (please)

Stephen

KelWhile waiting for some parts to trickle in I decided to tackle my ugly plastics.

Awesome! :wheel:

I've got the CF and epoxy, just not the motivation to tackle this, looks great.

Great idea!!! Now every bike part I look at is going to be shouting 'I'd look better in CF!' :wheel:

KelWhile waiting for some parts to trickle in I decided to tackle my ugly plastics.

So, did you just lay the CF cloth over the old pieces, and brush the epoxy on?

If so, does it make it a bit thick in places ?

Oh - it looks good, by the way! :wheel:

Very nice Kel!!

Does it still fit on the bike ok?

enzed_viffer

KelWhile waiting for some parts to trickle in I decided to tackle my ugly plastics.

So, did you just lay the CF cloth over the old pieces, and brush the epoxy on?

If so, does it make it a bit thick in places ?

Oh - it looks good, by the way! :wheel:

The first step is to brush on a thin layer of epoxy and let it sit till it gets tacky. This is where I could have waited longer. I was afraid that it would harden too quickly but this West system is great. Let it get good and sticky then lay the cloth. I should have done it in one big piece but I was trying to minimize waste so I pre-cut two smaller pieces. I had to really stretch the material in some places to cover, you don't want to do this because those beautiful rows if weaving get all skewed.( I guess it makes it look more race fab'd than factory accessory wink.gif ) Next time it's one big piece! I didn't get too concerned with trimming excess till after the epoxy layers were hard. When the first coat was hard, I sanded with 80 grit to knock down any resin or high spots. You've got to be careful not to dig into the fibers, I did chasing after a lump, it will show, not bad but it will show. Then 150 grit, you want to get rid of as much of the shine as you can. You'll think you've ruined it but fear not. I applied a second coat of resin. It really starts to pop with this step. Then sand again but with finer grits. Now I trimmed off all excess and sanded the edges. Finally a few coats of a UV protective clearcoat. Now you can leave it shiny or wet sand it with 1500 and wax it for a more industrial look. If I have enough left over I'm going to do the inside of the upper fairing. You definitely can see this from the cockpit and I think it would look nice. Give the impression the whole fairing is carbon. There is carbon fiber/kevlar hybrid cloth that you could use as well but the kevlar has a different color to it but I like the all dark look.

Me either. Video or it never happened!! :smile:

what!! speak up....cant hear you over sound of imaginary engine running...............................

Kel - would you always go through Tapeworks for stock (style) stickers? Those look like a selection that was well planned. I am probably painting Ole Yeller this winter... dont worry, it will always be yellow... my buddy said he could do a pearl yellow .... reminding me of the 700F white pearl ones. They look good man! Good luck

Kel - would you always go through Tapeworks for stock (style) stickers? Those look like a selection that was well planned. I am probably painting Ole Yeller this winter... dont worry, it will always be yellow... my buddy said he could do a pearl yellow .... reminding me of the 700F white pearl ones. They look good man! Good luck

I used Tapeworks for the numbers and the others I picked up here and there. Tapeworks doesn't really deal with stock Honda stuff anymore, some copyright BS from Honda. There are other places to get VFR stickers. Let me look into it. Pearl sounds nice. Crispy's looked good.

Me either. Video or it never happened!! :fing02:

what!! speak up....cant hear you over sound of imaginary engine running...............................

OK, OK, I have to get a firewire card for my PC this week. It should be here before the ceramic fiber packing so...I'll get a vid of it running. It's got a serious bark without the gutted V4 rattle/coughing. It is closer to GP than slip-on!! :huh:

Just got my engine back in the frame last weekend and I'm just hoping I remember where all those wires, cables and tubes go :blink:

Make sure that all those decals are safe to be painted over, if you plan to put them under the clearcoat. Some are not compatible and will bubble up or leak their colors.

Just got my engine back in the frame last weekend and I'm just hoping I remember where all those wires, cables and tubes go :blink:

That's great Dylan. Oil lines cleared the frame? It's not too bad wiring it up. Most things are totally obvious. What's up with the wheels? Did you get them done? Where's the damn rebuild thread? First ride for you is when?

Are you going to french them in a touch?

Are you going to french them in a touch?

I thought about it Tom but if you don't get the opening just right, it looks like crap so...I'll just put them on the surface and not worry about how to mount them from the back.

Are you going to french them in a touch?

I thought about it Tom but if you don't get the opening just right, it looks like crap so...I'll just put them on the surface and not worry about how to mount them from the back.

Cut a piece of wood the same size as the strip, sand the ends round to match, glue it to a flat surface, cover with aluminum foil + wax, lay up fiberglass over it. Cure, trim the flat area 1/4" all 'round the channel, then glue/fiberglass to the inside of your tail. Drill a little hole for the wire and set the strip in there.

You can doo eet!

Just remembered...I can't....I'm not French.

OOoohhhh shiiiiinyyyy....


Very nice, but, (please don't shoot me!) I just realized the gas cap is backwards from how Honda installs it. That was on purpose, right? :biggrin:

OOoohhhh shiiiiinyyyy....


Very nice, but, (please don't shoot me!) I just realized the gas cap is backwards from how Honda installs it. That was on purpose, right? :biggrin:

Your answer is in post #108, oh forgetful one. :goofy:

howz about a walkaround video?

That would be groovy.

Great work Kel, I agree that there might be something better for the front signals, they look a little small and delicate compared to the rest of the bike, anyplace to mount some flush ones?
That paint looks amazing

The idea of putting them in the stock location was that I could take the fairing off without having to dick with the wires every time but I"m just not groovn' to where they are. I would certainly entertain the idea of some flush ones if I found the right pair.

Great work Kel, I agree that there might be something better for the front signals, they look a little small and delicate compared to the rest of the bike, anyplace to mount some flush ones?
That paint looks amazing

Thanks Matt. Yea, I'm not sure what to do for next season. The idea of putting them in the stock location was that I could take the fairing off without having to dick with the wires every time but I"m just not groovn' to where they are. I would certainly entertain the idea of some flush ones if I found the right pair. If they're too small or too flush, they don't really have a wide field of view for cager's from the front or slightly off to one side. We'll see, all I can think about now is pulling up the kick stand and letting the clutch out.

Great work Kel, I agree that there might be something better for the front signals, they look a little small and delicate compared to the rest of the bike, anyplace to mount some flush ones?
That paint looks amazing

Thanks Matt. Yea, I'm not sure what to do for next season. The idea of putting them in the stock location was that I could take the fairing off without having to dick with the wires every time but I"m just not groovn' to where they are. I would certainly entertain the idea of some flush ones if I found the right pair. If they're too small or too flush, they don't really have a wide field of view for cager's from the front or slightly off to one side. We'll see, all I can think about now is pulling up the kick stand and letting the clutch out.

Can`t say enough about it Kel, looks great!
Struggled with blinkers myself. Here in the wild west, they aren`t required so I finally decided not to use any.

.

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Congrats, that is one awesome custom bike. I hope you are very proud of yourself at this stage and not too tied up in "what's next".
I think everyone on this site would be happy to own that bike. :fing02:

Great work man! I just read the entire thread and I am amazed to see all of the hard work that went into this!
I hope to see some videos of it come this spring :D

Is there anything you can't do Kel? :happy:

Is there anything you can't do Kel? :happy:

Thanks but the list is actually quite long. :blush:



My shock is now rebuilt for the most part and just got it recharged at Factory Connections. It's back on the bike but I haven't had a test ride yet. Judging by the oil color and the leak, I should notice a difference.I found a bump stop at the place that filled my shock. I cut and used the small, bottom 1/3. It was a great match for what was there. The stock one crumbled in my hand.

Is Factory Connections some where in NH?

[image: View Post]Kel, on 11 July 2009 - 08:50 AM, said:

[image: View Post]jeremy77, on 21 May 2012 - 01:29 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Kel, on 11 July 2009 - 08:50 AM, said:

Being a VF newbie, and living in a hot climate......do these engines run hot? Curious eh! :unsure:

Can you fry eggs on a Baghdad sidewalk in July??

Yeah, they run a little toasty. 

Hmm. I should maybe flush my cooling system before our Summer!

Being a VF newbie, and living in a hot climate......do these engines run hot? Curious eh! :unsure:

Can you fry eggs on a Baghdad sidewalk in July??

Yeah, they run a little toasty. 

Without exception, the original fans are the most antiquated part of my bike now. They look old and have cycled on and off for 100k+ miles over 28 years. They MUST be dog tired. I've seen some guys replacing their stock fans or complimenting the stock fan with a Spal made slim fan. I decided to try a pair to see if I notice any difference in cooling.

[image: 56e66363-72e5-4099-8ba6-fbf9e3534a38_zps]

 

Great idea, Kel!  Looking forward to seeing how this works out.

Excellent find.

For the first time since I bought my R back in 1985, it has sprung a leak in the petcock. Like many models here, the R's parts availability is rather dismal so I was rather pleased when I saw the seal was still kickin' around. The original has performed wonderfully for 28 years and through many New England winter/summer cycles. The old one will take it's place on the shelf-of-fame in my garage as a fitting thank you.

[image: petcockseal_zps8ebbd0e2.jpg]

It's a good day when you don't see 'Discontinued' after the part number.

InvisibleCities

It's a good day when you don't see 'Discontinued' after the part number.

Affirmative! Bike Bandit shows a lot of "Unavailable to ship" after the part number.

Is that a Mickey Mouse ears look seal? Glad it's still available!

Why oh why they could have not just designed it to use 3 small commercially available, normal O-rings, I'll never know. Sheesh.

KISS Honda. OK?

Veefer800Canuck

Why oh why they could have not just designed it to use 3 small commercially available, normal O-rings, I'll never know. Sheesh.

KISS Honda. OK?

I was asking myself that same question. I was cursing Honda when thinking about having to shave and glue three O-rings together if the part was discontinued...really dumb design. I should have bought 10 of them as an investment.