I hate it that my first post is a plea for help, but I've exhausted all my resources on this one and I need some wisdom from the forum.
I just picked up an 86 VF500 Interceptor. PO didn't know much except that it didn't run and there was an ignition issue. It was known to last run about 2 years ago. Currently 21700 miles. I picked it up for a song ($300) and it's mostly complete. It was missing the "B" ignitor box and I got one off ebay late last week - seems to be working since the tach is now normal. Cleaned carbs - surprisingly clean, considering. New battery, charged up and ready to go. It cranks! Yea! It's got gas. It's got spark on all four corners. No joy on starting though. She seems to be firing in the wrong order. I get combustion but it's in the exhaust (read: backfire) and cranking for a few seconds results in a combustion event that stops the crank dead, then allows the starter to do its job again. I've verified against the fiche that the coils are sending spark to the correct cylinders (top left to #2, top right to #4, bottom left to #1, bottom right to #3). All the connectors go to their associated, color coded mates. What gives? Pulse generators maybe? Please help me get the little girl running to I can start the other restoration tasks at hand.
Okay, before I go, a brief background on me: Been riding for about 25 years. MSF instructor for the Navy since 1996. Been in the Navy for 17 years. Love the twisties. I'm the Admin over at Superhawkforum.com and owner of Superhawk996.net. Need a bigger garage: 04 CBR1000RR, 98 VTR1000F, 79 Yamaha XS750 Cafe (for sale), 05 CBR600RR (wife's), and now the 86 Babyceptor.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 25 April 2010 - 10:15 PM, said:
I hate it that my first post is a plea for help, but I've exhausted all my resources on this one and I need some wisdom from the forum.
I just picked up an 86 VF500 Interceptor. PO didn't know much except that it didn't run and there was an ignition issue. It was known to last run about 2 years ago. Currently 21700 miles. I picked it up for a song ($300) and it's mostly complete. It was missing the "B" ignitor box and I got one off ebay late last week - seems to be working since the tach is now normal. Cleaned carbs - surprisingly clean, considering. New battery, charged up and ready to go. It cranks! Yea! It's got gas. It's got spark on all four corners. No joy on starting though. She seems to be firing in the wrong order. I get combustion but it's in the exhaust (read: backfire) and cranking for a few seconds results in a combustion event that stops the crank dead, then allows the starter to do its job again. I've verified against the fiche that the coils are sending spark to the correct cylinders (top left to #2, top right to #4, bottom left to #1, bottom right to #3). All the connectors go to their associated, color coded mates. What gives? Pulse generators maybe? Please help me get the little girl running to I can start the other restoration tasks at hand.
Okay, before I go, a brief background on me: Been riding for about 25 years. MSF instructor for the Navy since 1996. Been in the Navy for 17 years. Love the twisties. I'm the Admin over at Superhawkforum.com and owner of Superhawk996.net. Need a bigger garage: 04 CBR1000RR, 98 VTR1000F, 79 Yamaha XS750 Cafe (for sale), 05 CBR600RR (wife's), and now the 86 Babyceptor.
Thanks in advance. Great to be here!
Greg N.
you might want to check out the V4 forum about your interceptor V4hondabbs Was there any work done to the starter clutch as mis aligning that will change the timing. You have to do the usual mods on the old ceptors.Three yellow wire fix, main fuse fix, along with the solinoid change and adding ground wire to coils from battery.Yes the electronic ignition boxes can pose a problem. Hope everything works out for you.
[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 26 April 2010 - 05:27 AM, said:
Make sure you got the right ignition box, many of the older V4 boxes look the same!
My 'A' box is an AKBZ65 and the 'B' box I just got is an AKBZ66. I'm fairly confident it's the right one. Anyone with an '86 please care to verify that with their own bike, as well as the coil/wire matching?
What about a failed CCT? Is the 500 V4 an interference motor? Would I be hitting valves with pistons if I skipped a couple of teeth?
V4MGNA, can you elaborate on some of these upgrades, please? Seems the V4hondabbs has new registration turned off.
Dude,
Sounds like your valve timing is off... any previous work to the cams? Does that motor have chain or gear driven cams? It may be mis-aligned or jumped teeth.
Just my .02, hope you get your Miniceptor up and running Posted Image
[image: View Post]Rush2112, on 26 April 2010 - 06:47 PM, said:
Dude,
Sounds like your valve timing is off... any previous work to the cams? Does that motor have chain or gear driven cams? It may be mis-aligned or jumped teeth.
Just my .02, hope you get your Miniceptor up and running Posted Image
I have no history on what was done, unfortunately. I'm flyin' blind. Yeah, that's what I was thinking at first, but for both banks of cylinders to be off would be extremely rare, wouldn't it? And if spark were that far off to be firing on the exhaust stroke then it's like 180� out. I'll check the cam timing on Wednesday since I'll be off work and the weather will be crappy.
It was a rookie mistake by the PO. The primary wire connections were swapped between the coils. So it was exactly what I thought, the plugs were firing 180° out. She runs pretty smoothly. There's some ticking on the top end. Dunno if that's normal for this bike. Maybe an oil change will help. I picked up some Rotella 15w-40 the other day and most bikes seem to like that oil...but this ain't no oil thread so I'll digress.
She seems to be running a bit rich. Exhaust has some black residue from only a few minutes of running. Everything in the carbs appeared stock and clogged jets would normally cause a lean condition. I was messing with the idle a bit and 1100-1200rpm seemed to be the smoothest and results in the least amount of noxious fumes fililng my garage. Air filter is clean. Mixture screw plugs are still intact. Hmmmm....
I also had some water (verified not coolant) dripping from what appears to be the removable frame section on the left hand side. WTF?? Do I have to remove the section and drain it or have you guys just drilled a small hole at the bottom?
Now it's time to start going through the thing and changing fluids, cleaning, and lubricating everything. I don't really want to pull the motor but I have some minor rust on the frame to attend to so we'll see if I can mask it off or if I have to go all out on this one.
Good to hear from you again. I was SuperBling and a mod for a while over there on superhawkforum.com Still keeping 'em all in line? :warranty:
Just now seeing your thread and was guessing a timing problem; glad you got it all figured out. I had both an 86 and later an 85 back in the day. Fun bikes for sure. Good luck getting her back on the road. :fing02:
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 26 April 2010 - 08:30 PM, said:
It was a rookie mistake by the PO. The primary wire connections were swapped between the coils. So it was exactly what I thought, the plugs were firing 180° out.
Dude,
Nice Work! I was just coming back to this thread to tell you to check to see if it is firing 180 degrees out... WooHooo another Veefer resurrected. Congrats and enjoy!!!
:fing02: :wheel: :beer:
[image: View Post]Veefer800Canuck, on 26 April 2010 - 10:55 PM, said:
Drill the hole, it's a common thing. Hopefully it didn't freeze and expand at some point. Frame should be square, not bulged at that locale.
Thanks for the advice. Ha! This is upstate NY. I'm sure it froze...for a long time, though I'll check it for squareness tomorrow.
Hey Doug! How ya' been? Good to see you're still riding.
Did you guys know that the clutch and brake levers from a VTR1000F work perfectly on the VF500F? Just mounted 'em up tonight. Exactly the same except that now they are adjustable! Yea! I like Honda's engineering philosophy. If it ain't broke don't fix it!
Tonight's accomplishments:
- Changed oil
- Throttle lubed and now snaps back like it should.
- Swapped clutch and brake levers
- Replaced the rubber weather seals on both master cylinders. I just happened to have a couple on the shelf in the garage. Again, same part as the VTR.
- Vaseline on the controls and dash plastic.
I should get some pics up, eh? Maybe I'll snap some tomorrow.
Hey Greg, I'd try running a compression test to check the condition of the internals. If that looks ok I'd move to the carbs. Those carbs are notorious for getting plugged - especially with today's ethanol gas. Let us know what you find out!
[image: View Post]JamieDaugherty, on 29 April 2010 - 09:29 PM, said:
Hey Greg, I'd try running a compression test to check the condition of the internals. If that looks ok I'd move to the carbs. Those carbs are notorious for getting plugged - especially with today's ethanol gas. Let us know what you find out!
Jamie,
Got it running. See post #7. Got your email and replied.
- Installed stock turn signals from more recent Honda (CBR/VTR). Had to solder in the old harnesses. Wire coloring is the same.
- Straightened up the wiring harness and got everything routed correctly.
- Rear parking light did not light when ignition was on. No power to brown wire at tail. Took apart half the harness, didn't find anything. Troubleshot and figured out the ignition switch wasn't working as it should. Took it apart, cleaned, and working great now.
- Flushed clutch fluid (yuck!). Had to drill out the screws on the master. Turns out the extra screws from the stock VT signals are almost exactly the same.
- Painted rear hand rail and side rails
- Tweaked the fairing stay back straight. Rubber mallet and a 3 lb sledge did the trick!
- Cleaned 25 years of dirt off most of the bike. She's starting to look pretty good now.
What are the spare green and brown wires for coming out of the harness at the front of the bike? It shows on the wiring diagram going to nothing. Accessory leads?
Worked on the right side of the bike today. Had some rust on the frame from what I can only assume was a leaky battery. Took out the battery box and cleaned it. Masked everything off and touched up the frame with some Rustoleum that's a bit shinier than stock. Right side F1 exhaust canister and midpipe got stripped, sanded, and painted. I reworked the rear brake and footpeg bracket. The brake was damned near seized up from years of neglect. Disassembled and reassembled the master, lever, and linkage. Now it's like butta! DID chain and Renthal rear Al sprocket came in the mail today. A stock front sprocket arrived the other day. Those will go on tonight or tomorrow, along with refurbishing the left side bracket and can.
hawkrider, glad you figured out the mis wire to the coils. The mods I was talking about, some might have been taken care of on the 86's. Do you have the 30 amp blade fuse encorporated with your soliniod? Some guys run a seperate ground to the coils. (Heavier gauge) The three yellow wires is always a possible problem on earlier and later models. Check the 3 yellow wires that come from the alternator to the Rectifier/regulator. This is a white connector that burns or melts. The pins get hot, take apart to check for signs. Some eliminate connector and solder. Don't want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a smoking connector. This site is probably better than the V4hondabbs for the interceptors. But many over there have them and it would be another source for parts and information. Most are members here also. You have to PM a moderator and give a username and a valid email address and you can become a member. A service provider email, no gmail or addresses like that. This was done because of spam problems. :fing02: Pics would be nice
[image: View Post]V4MGNA, on 02 May 2010 - 03:03 AM, said:
hawkrider, glad you figured out the mis wire to the coils. The mods I was talking about, some might have been taken care of on the 86's. Do you have the 30 amp blade fuse encorporated with your soliniod? Some guys run a seperate ground to the coils. (Heavier gauge) The three yellow wires is always a possible problem on earlier and later models. Check the 3 yellow wires that come from the alternator to the Rectifier/regulator. This is a white connector that burns or melts. The pins get hot, take apart to check for signs. Some eliminate connector and solder. Don't want to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a smoking connector. This site is probably better than the V4hondabbs for the interceptors. But many over there have them and it would be another source for parts and information. Most are members here also. You have to PM a moderator and give a username and a valid email address and you can become a member. A service provider email, no gmail or addresses like that. This was done because of spam problems. :fing02: Pics would be nice
Yeah, I've got the blade fuses and the 30A main blade fuse already. I cleaned and inspected the connector with the 3 yellow wires and all looked good.
I resent the email to the Admin on V4HondaBBS. Hopefully he'll respond this time.
Had house and yard work to do today so I didn't get that much done on the bike.
- Installed chain and sprockets
- Cleaned rear wheel
- Cleaned the dirtiest, nastiest place on the face of the earth - under the sprocket cover and the rubber chain rail of a 25 year old bike.
- Painted the front sprocket cover and the rear sprocket carrier
- Took pics...yea!
The rear looks crooked but it's not. Just the angle of the camera...
[image: Attached Image: rear1.jpg]
Cleaned up with new chain and sprockets....
[image: Attached Image: rearwheel1.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: right1.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: right2.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: right3.jpg]
Freshly painted right Cobra F1 can and rearset bracket...
[image: Attached Image: rightf1can.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: rightrearset.jpg]
This is with the crappy bodywork. It needs paint badly.... It looks better in pics than in person.
[image: Attached Image: withbodywork.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: withbodyworkfront.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: withbodyworkright.jpg]
This is the VTR1000F brake/clutch levers. Adjustable!
[image: Attached Image: brakelever.jpg]
21k and change....
[image: Attached Image: dash.jpg]
Fresh paint! What a difference!
[image: Attached Image: frontsprocketcover.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: left1.jpg]
F1 cans started out looking like this...
[image: Attached Image: leftf1can.jpg]
You will have a blast on the babycepter. Great little bike. I had one that I fixed up for the last X-wife. I wish I would have kept it for the next X-wife.
[image: View Post]Mobtown, on 04 May 2010 - 10:35 AM, said:
More info please. Any challenges with installation? What year VTR did you pilfer these from?
Any year VTR will work as they are all the same. The levers are a bit longer than stock by maybe 1/2", which is no big deal to me. Alternatively, you could go all out and get yourself a set of ASV, Pazzo, or other good aftermarket lever in the shorty version and they will work too. No challenge on installation at all. Just swap 'em!
Yesterday I recovered the seat with some carbon fiber look vinyl. It looks really great but it sure was a PITA. Getting it stretched tight enough to get rid of the wrinkles at the front was near impossible, but with some heat from a hair dryer and my wife giving a helping hand we did a decent job of it.
I bought paint the other day. I'm going with a stock-like color scheme. Since I'm not fond of red seats and went with black, and the seat is part of the "stripe", the red stripe will no longer be red. I'm thinking the dark blue will swap with the red, and I will do a fade to black towards the seat. I'll see if I can PS a scheme and post it up.
I also got rid of the old gas in the tank, mounted her up, and went for my first zip up and down my street. I'm actually pretty impressed with the bike! Jamie was right in a personal email when he said they handle like a dream. She feels pretty light on her feet, even with older Cheng Shin tires in the stock sizes. I did notice a bit of clackety clack from the valve train after she was warmed up. A valve adjustment/inspection is definitely in order soon.
Later!
Update...I don't have enough patience for Photoshop! I'm trying to picture the stock 86 graphics except swap the red for blue, and the blue for red. The blue on the fairing and tank will fade to black where it meets the black seat. The white stays the same.
It's been cold here the last couple of days, plus Mother's Day, so my garage time was limited.
- Painted left side rearset
- Disassembled, cleaned, and lubed the shift linkage. Shifter lever is sloppy and worn where it goes onto the peg bracket. Any recommendations on tightening this up?
- Removed, stripped, painted, and reinstalled the left exhaust canister
- Polished the stock windscreen.
- Cleaned and painted the kickstand.
- Cleaned and blackened (Vaseline) the chainguard.
I plan on using the heat method (http://maic.jmu.edu/...itz/heafitz.htm) to get the larger scratches out of the windscreen. Have to bake at 250�F in the oven for a day first to dry it out. Anyone actually done this? Will a hairdryer work? I don't have a heat gun.
No word back from Cobra on F1 stickers. I'll email them again.
What's a good match for the silver frame paint? I want to do some touch-up.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 10 May 2010 - 07:12 PM, said:
It's been cold here the last couple of days, plus Mother's Day, so my garage time was limited.
- Painted left side rearset
- Disassembled, cleaned, and lubed the shift linkage. Shifter lever is sloppy and worn where it goes onto the peg bracket. Any recommendations on tightening this up?
- Removed, stripped, painted, and reinstalled the left exhaust canister
- Polished the stock windscreen.
- Cleaned and painted the kickstand.
- Cleaned and blackened (Vaseline) the chainguard.
I plan on using the heat method (http://maic.jmu.edu/...itz/heafitz.htm) to get the larger scratches out of the windscreen. Have to bake at 250�F in the oven for a day first to dry it out. Anyone actually done this? Will a hairdryer work? I don't have a heat gun.
No word back from Cobra on F1 stickers. I'll email them again.
What's a good match for the silver frame paint? I want to do some touch-up.
On mine, when I re-did the forks I sanded them and painted with Duplicolor high-heat black and cooked them to bake on the color.
It's a nice-looking bike but those red fork lowers always galled me. The one visual wart on the bike as they look tacky as hell. The bike looked MUCH better with black fork lowers IMHO. Less clown-looking, and less rinky-dink "baby-bike" looking.
Yep, I'm definitely going with black fork lowers, as mine are closer to pink than red! Probably shows better in pics than in person. I'm pretty partial to VHT paints. They have worked awesome for me thus far, have a superior spray nozzle, and are very resistant to most chemicals.
I've got fork seals on order. That work will be done when I disassemble the forks for rebuild.
Fork lowers got painted today! When I took off the masking tape the label for the TRAC knob came off too. I made a new label on MS Word and it uses a regular adhesive 8160 address label. Use some clear Scotch tape over it to protect the label from the elements. Only time will tell how long the Avery adhesive will hold up. I have included the document below as an attachment.
[image: Attached Image: TRAC Label.jpg]
[image: Attached File]
TRAC Label.doc (27K) Number of downloads: 28
[image: Attached Image: Painted fork lowers.jpg]
Got some parts in too: 15t front sprocket (after two unsuccessful ebay transactions), center stand rubber, shift linkage rubber cover, right side cover gasket, master link clip, fork seals, windscreen screws, and various fairing hardware. I wasn't aware the alternator cover gasket was discontinued so I'll have to make my own if it doesn't come off in one piece. I'll attack the sidecover painting tomorrow.
[image: View Post]Serenity_VFR, on 11 May 2010 - 06:30 AM, said:
It's a nice-looking bike but those red fork lowers always galled me. The one visual wart on the bike as they look tacky as hell. The bike looked MUCH better with black fork lowers IMHO. Less clown-looking, and less rinky-dink "baby-bike" looking.
But as always YMMV.
Yes, YMMV. As a owner on an '86 500 back in the day, I think the red lowers set that bike apart from the sea of black and silver forks lemmings. Plus, it shared that styling cue with its high-end bad-ass big brother, the VF1000R.
Sorry Greg, I'm going to have to deduct points off for that miscue. :computer-noworky: Some things need to stay period correct.
[image: View Post]FotoMoto, on 18 May 2010 - 09:58 PM, said:
[image: View Post]Serenity_VFR, on 11 May 2010 - 06:30 AM, said:
It's a nice-looking bike but those red fork lowers always galled me. The one visual wart on the bike as they look tacky as hell. The bike looked MUCH better with black fork lowers IMHO. Less clown-looking, and less rinky-dink "baby-bike" looking.
But as always YMMV.
Yes, YMMV. As a owner on an '86 500 back in the day, I think the red lowers set that bike apart from the sea of black and silver forks lemmings. Plus, it shared that styling cue with its high-end bad-ass big brother, the VF1000R.
Sorry Greg, I'm going to have to deduct points off for that miscue. Posted Image Some things need to stay period correct.
Hey, that's okay. I'm making the bike my own! I'm no purist, especially when it comes to my bikes. If it were a classic GTO or Camaro SS or something then sure... As it is, being one of the first sportbikes from Honda, I will preserve the essence of the paint scheme. The colors will change somewhat, but only to keep the lines of my recovered black seat. I can't stand red vinyl, I don't know why. Just looks tacky to me. So, the red stripe will be black, the blue will be red, and the white will stay white. Front fender will be black as well. I'm partial to red/white/black. My first new bike was a 94 CBR1000F, as shown below:
[image: Attached Image: 94 1000F.jpg]
My VTR1000F is white and black:
[image: Attached Image: VTROTM6.jpg]
I may install Gold Valves in the forks and have Jamie work a CBR shock for me, funds depending. I need to also evaluate the suspension performance bone stock first.
[image: View Post]Veefer800Canuck, on 18 May 2010 - 10:15 PM, said:
Looks nice, you've got the USD conversion thing going on!
Did you hear about the VFR800 fuel tank swap for your SuperChicken?
Oh, and I don't think those bigger brakes in the garage are going to fit (nor the H-pipe)! Posted Image
Thanks! The brakes and H-pipe were leftover parts from upgrades to my 05 GTO.
I've heard of the VFR tank swap. I'm the Admin at Superhawkforum.com. I'm pretty happy with the stock tank. About 2 hours in the saddle and I'm ready for a break anyway.
Speaking of brakes, what's everyone using for pads? EBC FA69HH? How about having stock rotors drilled?
[image: View Post]Veefer800Canuck, on 18 May 2010 - 10:15 PM, said:
Did you hear about the VFR800 fuel tank swap for your SuperChicken?
LOL, err that was my invention Rob.
New tank and mods VFR tank
This pic still has a superhawk corbin seat/cowl but I later modded a vtec seat/cowl for a better fit. RC51 pipes, gixxer1000 brakes, FZ1 mirrors, 929 rear/vfr front wheels, penske shock, etc....
Sorry Greg but you haven't convinced me on changing the fork leg paint. That was just something that set the 86 apart from the rest of the field but yeah, I know, you're not going for a concourse resto here.
I got the clutch side engine cover off and repainted. Luckily I was able to reuse the gasket. The alternator cover is repainted as well, however...well, not so lucky on the gasket. I had to make a new one for that side.
Got a set of Ferodo Platinum pads delivered today for the rear brakes, and won a Factory Pro jet kit off ebay for $40. I'll work on the rear brakes tomorrow. Also scheduled for tomorrow is a flush of the cooling system. I'm going to take off and repaint the manifold on the left side between the Vee and the thermostat housing on the right side. I fully expect to have to cut more gaskets. Posted Image They're in a pretty bad state. The bigger project will be dropping the exhaust collector, blasting it clean, and repainting that. Hoping that the exhaust gaskets have a bit more life in them.
Pretty soon I'll be ready to get the bodywork installed and start fixing tabs and getting ready for paint. Can't wait!
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 18 May 2010 - 09:30 PM, said:
Fork lowers got painted today! When I took off the masking tape the label for the TRAC knob came off too. I made a new label on MS Word and it uses a regular adhesive 8160 address label. Use some clear Scotch tape over it to protect the label from the elements. Only time will tell how long the Avery adhesive will hold up. I have included the document below as an attachment.
[image: Attachment] TRAC Label.jpg
[image: Attachment] TRAC Label.doc
[image: Attachment] Painted fork lowers.jpg
Got some parts in too: 15t front sprocket (after two unsuccessful ebay transactions), center stand rubber, shift linkage rubber cover, right side cover gasket, master link clip, fork seals, windscreen screws, and various fairing hardware. I wasn't aware the alternator cover gasket was discontinued so I'll have to make my own if it doesn't come off in one piece. I'll attack the sidecover painting tomorrow.
I thought you were going with the RaceTech emulators in those forks? If so the TRAC adjustment won't work anymore, so the numbers on the knob aren't much use. At least it looks good! I like having things look stock on the outside while the insides being modified.
[image: View Post]JamieDaugherty, on 26 May 2010 - 12:02 PM, said:
I thought you were going with the RaceTech emulators in those forks? If so the TRAC adjustment won't work anymore, so the numbers on the knob aren't much use. At least it looks good! I like having things look stock on the outside while the insides being modified.
I'd print them up so they went all the way to ELEVEN!
Jamie, yes I am getting emulators and springs, but Rich won't have the .95's for another two weeks and I needed to get the bike off the stands due to other garage priorities. It's not that difficult to tear them down again.
I got a call this morning that my house is showing tomorrow, so I spent the entire day doing yard and house work. Got absolutely zero done on the bike. Posted Image It was hot as balls here today anyway. The garage was probably 95�.
As for the TRAC stickers, I may print one out that has zeros in all four positions! hehe
Hi, Welcome to the Forum,, My first V4 was a 1985 500. It is a great bike. As far as the ticking, I had the problem on a brand new one in 85, The shop tore the engine apart and rebilt the thing, It still ticked. I think it is normal if it is not a valve. I love the bike and went on to get a 86 white VFR. Wow! what a bike that is. Congrats, wish I still had my 500. I remember going down I - 5 trying to get it to go faster than 125mph by pushing on the handle bars.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 26 April 2010 - 08:30 PM, said:
HA!!! It runs!!!!
It was a rookie mistake by the PO. The primary wire connections were swapped between the coils. So it was exactly what I thought, the plugs were firing 180� out. She runs pretty smoothly. There's some ticking on the top end. Dunno if that's normal for this bike. Maybe an oil change will help. I picked up some Rotella 15w-40 the other day and most bikes seem to like that oil...but this ain't no oil thread so I'll digress.
She seems to be running a bit rich. Exhaust has some black residue from only a few minutes of running. Everything in the carbs appeared stock and clogged jets would normally cause a lean condition. I was messing with the idle a bit and 1100-1200rpm seemed to be the smoothest and results in the least amount of noxious fumes fililng my garage. Air filter is clean. Mixture screw plugs are still intact. Hmmmm....
I also had some water (verified not coolant) dripping from what appears to be the removable frame section on the left hand side. WTF?? Do I have to remove the section and drain it or have you guys just drilled a small hole at the bottom?
Now it's time to start going through the thing and changing fluids, cleaning, and lubricating everything. I don't really want to pull the motor but I have some minor rust on the frame to attend to so we'll see if I can mask it off or if I have to go all out on this one.
So how is it that the TRAC system won't work with the Gold Valves installed? I know you have to drill out the damper rods so they have little or no effect and the Gold Valve will control compression and rebound but is the TRAC part of the damper rod assembly or is it seperate? TRAC is just an anti-dive deal right?
Gold Valves sure do make a front end a whole lot nicer.
Okay, so JD contacted me today and he will be refurbing the shock instead. I'm hoping the spring rate is close to what I need, otherwise a revalve might be in order.
The exhaust came off the other day. Lots of sandblasting, sanding, and painting and the results are somewhat acceptable....
[image: Attached Image: exhaust painted.jpg]
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 29 May 2010 - 05:44 PM, said:
Okay, so JD contacted me today and he will be refurbing the shock instead. I'm hoping the spring rate is close to what I need, otherwise a revalve might be in order.
The exhaust came off the other day. Lots of sandblasting, sanding, and painting and the results are somewhat acceptable....
[image: Attachment] exhaust painted.jpg
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 29 May 2010 - 05:44 PM, said:
Okay, so JD contacted me today and he will be refurbing the shock instead. I'm hoping the spring rate is close to what I need, otherwise a revalve might be in order.
Don't count on it. The Works shocks have terrible valving in them. We will need to talk about options there, but it's possible that the spring is close enough to work.
At least sombody is getting work done on their 500.... none of mine are even out of winter storage yet....
Get hot, Jamie! I know it's not that cold in Indiana. Posted Image
As for the spring, from the pics I don't see any numbers, though they might be stamped or on the other side of the spring. Do you have a spring rate tester?
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 30 May 2010 - 11:59 AM, said:
Get hot, Jamie! I know it's not that cold in Indiana.
It's not that! When I'm so backed up with suspension work it's kind of difficult to justify working on my own bikes.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 30 May 2010 - 11:59 AM, said:
As for the spring, from the pics I don't see any numbers, though they might be stamped or on the other side of the spring. Do you have a spring rate tester?
Got some Chinese ebay rotors. Fitment was perfect, alloy quality is good, and they are straight as an arrow. I only have about a mile up and down the street on them, but my first impressions are that initial bite is a bit better and overall power has gone up at least 20%. Pads are regular, half-used, GG rated EBCs so I've got new EBC HH's coming. PIcs below........
I just ordered a new set of Pirelli Sport Demon tires from jakewilson.com shipped for $155!!! (Use promo code cc20) How in the hell those guys make any money I don't know, nor do I care at this point! Woohoo!
I'm going to sell or trade my Lockhart lowers. I don't like the look of them and I have a used stock lower on its way. If anyone is interested in buying it PM or email me. I'm looking for a stock upper fairing with no broken tabs, a windscreen, or whatever other stock body parts you might have laying around.
Update! I'm in the process of stripping and prepping all the bodywork for paint. The stock lower I bought arrived the other day. I had to make a new tab for the upper fairing out of the 2-part plastic weld epoxy. That stuff is da' bomb! Also made a new mounting point for one of the little mesh screens on the sidecover. One had broken off. Speaking of which, I need to get some replacement mesh for those sidecovers. One is missing and the other is all rusty. I wonder if Lowes has anything like that? Mended a broken peg for the same sidecover. Today I pushed a dent out of the left side of the tank using paintless dent removal techniques. It went amazingly well. I did a writeup on the "other" forum if you're interested. I should start paint Wednesday. Sucks I haven't even thought out a color/graphics scheme yet. I'm still dwelling on it....
I bought a used gage cluster with a clear lens that is in much better shape than mine. Swapped the clear lenses and replaced a few gauge bulbs while I was in there. Sport Demons are in! Front EBC pads are in! New-used rear brake rotor and shift lever will be shipped tomorrow. The sloppy shifter is still pulling at a nerve. I'll try shimming the floppy shifter with some 0.010" thick aluminum to see if that makes it better. I don't know which part has wear, the peg or the shift lever...or both. We'll see how it works with the used parts.
Everything in my garage, including my other bikes, is covered in dust from sanding with the DA. My babies need a bath! I need to devise a makeshift paint booth before I start painting. All that dust will be a paint killer.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 22 June 2010 - 02:18 AM, said:
Update! I'm in the process of stripping and prepping all the bodywork for paint. The stock lower I bought arrived the other day. I had to make a new tab for the upper fairing out of the 2-part plastic weld epoxy. That stuff is da' bomb! Also made a new mounting point for one of the little mesh screens on the sidecover. One had broken off. Speaking of which, I need to get some replacement mesh for those sidecovers. One is missing and the other is all rusty. I wonder if Lowes has anything like that? Mended a broken peg for the same sidecover. Today I pushed a dent out of the left side of the tank using paintless dent removal techniques. It went amazingly well. I did a writeup on the "other" forum if you're interested. I should start paint Wednesday. Sucks I haven't even thought out a color/graphics scheme yet. I'm still dwelling on it....
I bought a used gage cluster with a clear lens that is in much better shape than mine. Swapped the clear lenses and replaced a few gauge bulbs while I was in there. Sport Demons are in! Front EBC pads are in! New-used rear brake rotor and shift lever will be shipped tomorrow. The sloppy shifter is still pulling at a nerve. I'll try shimming the floppy shifter with some 0.010" thick aluminum to see if that makes it better. I don't know which part has wear, the peg or the shift lever...or both. We'll see how it works with the used parts.
Everything in my garage, including my other bikes, is covered in dust from sanding with the DA. My babies need a bath! I need to devise a makeshift paint booth before I start painting. All that dust will be a paint killer.
Yep, painting it myself. I have an HVLP and some Duplicolor Paint Shop paint in red, white, black, and blue. I also have the primer, primer sealer, and clear coat. I'll be returning the blue paint as it will not be used.
I've come up with a paint scheme I like. It's pretty simple, and as I said before, it retains the essence of the original bike, but I think will have better lines and color coordination overall. It better matches the seat and forks, and personally I think it's the way Honda should have done it in the first place.
Here's an amateur Photoshop job of what it will look like. All decals will be in black except the bottom cowl, which will be red decals on white paint.
Attached thumbnail(s)
[image: Attached Image: Paint scheme final copy.jpg]
Decals will be different colors now. I played a bit in PS and came up with the following pic. In addition, there will be a small red Honda decal on the windscreen and on the tail.
Ha! The centerstand will come off when I'm done with everything. It's too convenient to remove at this point. In the future, when I start riding it I will just use a rearstand for chain maintenance and such. Yeah, I agree. It's a rusty piece of crap, is extra weight, may kill cornering clearance, and is also in dire need of lubrication as it doesn't retract by itself all the way. :)
The exhaust paint will hold up fine. It has so far, and I've had it up and down the street at full operating temperature. I think the trick is to give it plenry of time to cure on its own, vice with heat. 24 hours after I sprayed it I started the bike for maybe 20 seconds just to get a bit more flash. I'm pretty confident it'll hold up. If not, it's cheap to redo it. A PITA, yes, but time is free.
Attached thumbnail(s)
[image: Attached Image: Paint scheme final copy.jpg]
I just can't imagine owning a bike that wasn't a track bike or a dirt bike that didn't have a centerstand. It's just WAAAAAAY too helpful to even think of removing it for my tastes. Just for oiling the chain it is 100% necessary in the field (I tend to go for LONG rides). I can deal with a dirt bike that is light enough to pull up on a hip over the side-stand to oil the chain leaning over the seat or back -but no way on a road bike that actually gets ridden enough to need a chain lubing away from home.
Even a track stand at home in my own garage is a PITA. A centerstand is a must.
My solution to rusty center (and side) stands is to coat them with bedliner. They don't rust and stay nice looking forever.
I can deal with a few extra pounds on a road bike. Skipping a few cheeseburgers is a better way to cut weight IMHO ;)
All the paint I'm using is the Duplicolor Paint Shop stuff. It's a lacquer BC./CC system I've used before on other projects.
I was going to start paint today but had to clean house for a showing this evening. Probably no secret to you guys, but the housing market SUCKS right now....
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 23 June 2010 - 10:10 PM, said:
All the paint I'm using is the Duplicolor Paint Shop stuff. It's a lacquer BC./CC system I've used before on other projects.
I was going to start paint today but had to clean house for a showing this evening. Probably no secret to you guys, but the housing market SUCKS right now....
i know for a fact that the duplicolor laquer i used on the tank was not resistant to gas as i had filled up the tank and some dripped down the side. i had to refinish the tank. tank came out better after that oops...lol
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 23 June 2010 - 02:12 AM, said:
Update to the paint scheme....
Decals will be different colors now. I played a bit in PS and came up with the following pic. In addition, there will be a small red Honda decal on the windscreen and on the tail.
Ha! The centerstand will come off when I'm done with everything. It's too convenient to remove at this point. In the future, when I start riding it I will just use a rearstand for chain maintenance and such. Yeah, I agree. It's a rusty piece of crap, is extra weight, may kill cornering clearance, and is also in dire need of lubrication as it doesn't retract by itself all the way. :)
The exhaust paint will hold up fine. It has so far, and I've had it up and down the street at full operating temperature. I think the trick is to give it plenry of time to cure on its own, vice with heat. 24 hours after I sprayed it I started the bike for maybe 20 seconds just to get a bit more flash. I'm pretty confident it'll hold up. If not, it's cheap to redo it. A PITA, yes, but time is free.
Gotta say I like the paint scheme, A LOT! Can't quite pu tmy finger on it but it makes me nostalgic for sushi...
[image: Posted Image] Freedom and Duty My first new bike and the ship I was stationed on in Yokosuka, Japan 1983.
[image: View Post]xwarp, on 23 June 2010 - 10:40 PM, said:
i know for a fact that the duplicolor laquer i used on the tank was not resistant to gas as i had filled up the tank and some dripped down the side. i had to refinish the tank. tank came out better after that oops...lol
Well, that's not exactly what I wanted to hear....BUT, I don't understand why any lacquer paint wouldn't be chemical resistant, especially to gasoline. Did you clear it? How about primer sealer? I am doing a primer / primer sealer / base coats in multicolor / clear coat / then finally applying decals.
I've decided not to clear over the decals based on the advice of an experienced painter...or I may clear over them by adding additional clear coats. That way, if I completely botch it up I won't ruin the paint job altogeither. I'd just need to sand it back down to where I applied the decals.
After doing some research, I found this on a Duplicolor forum. This comes directly from a Dupli-Color Product Specialist: "Paint Shop is fuel resistant but only to a certain extent. It has much better fuel resistance once cured for several weeks. Since lacquer is solvant based it takes time for the solvants to evaporate. Paint Shop will dull a little once fuel gets on it however it can be polished back to a shine." I figure once the paint is fully cured and I have a few coats of wax on it then resistance to gasoline will be fine. I just have to be VERY careful filling the tank for a few weeks.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 25 June 2010 - 01:11 AM, said:
[image: View Post]xwarp, on 23 June 2010 - 10:40 PM, said:
i know for a fact that the duplicolor laquer i used on the tank was not resistant to gas as i had filled up the tank and some dripped down the side. i had to refinish the tank. tank came out better after that oops...lol
Well, that's not exactly what I wanted to hear....BUT, I don't understand why any lacquer paint wouldn't be chemical resistant, especially to gasoline. Did you clear it? How about primer sealer? I am doing a primer / primer sealer / base coats in multicolor / clear coat / then finally applying decals.
I've decided not to clear over the decals based on the advice of an experienced painter...or I may clear over them by adding additional clear coats. That way, if I completely botch it up I won't ruin the paint job altogeither. I'd just need to sand it back down to where I applied the decals.
After doing some research, I found this on a Duplicolor forum. This comes directly from a Dupli-Color Product Specialist: "Paint Shop is fuel resistant but only to a certain extent. It has much better fuel resistance once cured for several weeks. Since lacquer is solvant based it takes time for the solvants to evaporate. Paint Shop will dull a little once fuel gets on it however it can be polished back to a shine." I figure once the paint is fully cured and I have a few coats of wax on it then resistance to gasoline will be fine. I just have to be VERY careful filling the tank for a few weeks.
As with any fresh paint work, don't apply wax for the first few months. The paint cure time goes well beyond the "safe to touch" time. I have to say that I'm not a fan of putting decals on top of the clear on tanks. What are you afraid of messing up by putting them under the clear? Just make sure the vinyl is of a type that's compatible with the clear, and you'll be fine. Use masking tape to set up some references if you don't trust your eye. Aside from the extra protection from UV damage & scratching/peeling, it just looks better when that shiny clearcoat reflection is consistent over the whole tank. Here's one I recently finished:
I'm sure there are some smart people on the Duplicolor forum, but I always refer people to the forum at www.autobody101.com. Myself, I just ring my buddy at the shop I rent the paint booth in. Speaking of which, I'm curious to know if you tried going to a local body shop to ask about buying paint there? There's a good chance it'll be cheaper there and you can't go wrong with automotive grade product like PPG or Dupont. You won't be limited by off the shelf colors there either.
I want to thank xwarp and others for helping me change my mind on paint. I decided to return the Duplicolor Paint Shop lacquer paint and go with a Sherwin Williams urethane BC/CC paint. I don't like doing a half-assed job on anything, much less on my motorcycles, and that's what it would have turned out to be. I made a few errors in judgement in that I didn't use an etching primer on the tank, didn't use an adhesion promoter on the plastic parts, and didn't use a high build primer. All those problems have been fixed. It was another $125 in paint supplies but I have all the right tools for the job now and am on the right track.
As you can tell, I'm learning a lot from this painting experience. Thankfully my errors didn't create that much extra work. The lacquer primer comes off pretty easily - so easily it's a bit scary, in fact. Lacquer thinner isn't doing a number on the plastic parts either, though I haven't stripped the ABS upper fairing yet. That one may not like the thinner too much. It's interesting to note that the fairings are made of three different types of plastic. The fender and the lower cowl are a white, flexible plastic that is almost like nylon. The sidecovers and tail are a hard, yellowish plastic, almost like what they make models out of, except thicker. The upper, as mentioned, is black ABS.
As for the decals, the ones I am getting are paintable. I discussed this with the paint shop guy as well. I will be applying the decals between the base and clear. I will have to wait a full day if I use water to apply the decals to allow for drying time. Also, the first spray or two of clear on top of the vinyl has to be very light to get good adhesion and to minimize reaction of the vinyl with the clear.
I appreciate all the good comments, and welcome any additional suggestions from those who have done this before.
Had some issues with the primer the Sherwin Williams guy sold me. It was an aerosol high build primer but went on like shit. Had to take it all off and I visited the PPG salesman this morning. All is well and a high quality 2K primer is on and curing. I will flat it out tomorrow and hopefully get some color on the beast finally! Crossing my fingers that all goes well.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 29 June 2010 - 01:06 AM, said:
Had some issues with the primer the Sherwin Williams guy sold me. It was an aerosol high build primer but went on like shit. Had to take it all off and I visited the PPG salesman this morning. All is well and a high quality 2K primer is on and curing. I will flat it out tomorrow and hopefully get some color on the beast finally! Crossing my fingers that all goes well.
Did the PPG rep tell you to go get SEM primer?
When you paint, hit all your edges first, then go for coverage in coats. What's your setup consist of?
I've been doing edges last. I'll try your method on the first color coat and see how things go. I'm running a Warwick 881H HVLP gun (ebay special) with a smallish 26gal Kobalt compressor. I have an extra 50ft between the compressor and the moisture trap, then another 40ft to the gun, with another disposable filter at the gun. I wouldn't spray a whole car with it, but for this it's doing fine.
What's SEM primer? The aerosol primer I used first was UPOL High #5.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 29 June 2010 - 10:53 AM, said:
I've been doing edges last. I'll try your method on the first color coat and see how things go. I'm running a Warwick 881H HVLP gun (ebay special) with a smallish 26gal Kobalt compressor. I have an extra 50ft between the compressor and the moisture trap, then another 40ft to the gun, with another disposable filter at the gun. I wouldn't spray a whole car with it, but for this it's doing fine.
What's SEM primer? The aerosol primer I used first was UPOL High #5.
SEM is a brand, it's $$$ but very good stuff. UPOL actually makes a very good, inexpensive clear.
You want to do your edges first so you don't overspray the part at the end. Also, a roll of MIG welding wire is cheap and very useful for hanging parts, you can use it to tie your parts top and bottom so they don't blow around on you when you shoot. That's how I hung the panels in the background of this pic(which also shows me hitting the edges of the upper fairing first) [image: Posted Image]
Can I drive down there tomorrow and you can help me paint? :biggrin: I'll bring the beer!
Actually that might not work. Here's the (rather lengthy) process I'm going to perform:
-Spray the white base, let it dry for 4 hours
-Mount the plastics on the bike and get the red and black stripes taped out
-Take the fairings back off and mask.off only the black
-Spray black, let dry 2 hours
-Mask for spraying red
-Spray red, let dry 30 minutes
-Remove all masking and spray clear over all.
I'm almost done flatting the primer. I may spray white tonight and hit up the rest in the morning.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 29 June 2010 - 06:26 PM, said:
Can I drive down there tomorrow and you can help me paint? :biggrin: I'll bring the beer!
Actually that might not work. Here's the (rather lengthy) process I'm going to perform:
-wipe parts down with rubbing alcohol, air dry(or blow dry w/ comp. air)
-Spray the white base, let it dry for 4 hours
-knock it down with 600 grit wet
-Mount the plastics on the bike and get the red and black stripes taped out
-Take the fairings back off and mask.off only the black
-wipe parts down with rubbing alcohol, air dry(or blow dry w/ comp. air)
-wipe parts with tack rag
-Spray black, let cure 2 hours
-Mask for spraying red
-Spray red, let flash 30 minutes
-Remove all masking and spray one coat clear over decals first
-spray "dry" coat clear on edges first, then overall
-finish up with min 1 "wet" coat, preferably 2(2-2.5 on the tank in knee/belt area)
I'm almost done flatting the primer. I may spray white tonight and hit up the rest in the morning.
Fixed that for ya... :biggrin:
I rent the paint booth at the local body shop, I can't just walk in there or I would say yes! Just take your time and it will turn out beautiful. Don't sweat it. If a little bug falls in your clear, or a piece of dust, or an eyelash... just douse it - you can fix that later.
[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 29 June 2010 - 06:45 PM, said:
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 29 June 2010 - 06:26 PM, said:
Can I drive down there tomorrow and you can help me paint? :biggrin: I'll bring the beer!
Actually that might not work. Here's the (rather lengthy) process I'm going to perform:
-wipe parts down with rubbing alcohol, air dry(or blow dry w/ comp. air) (of course, and I tack rag here too.! I didn't want to go into that great of detail)
-Spray the white base, let it dry for 4 hours
-knock it down with 600 grit wet (I thought that if you knock down basecoat then you need to respray another coat. BC/CC systems that I've read about you don't touch the BC at all, especially metallics (which the red and black are).)
-Mount the plastics on the bike and get the red and black stripes taped out
-Take the fairings back off and mask.off only the black
-wipe parts down with rubbing alcohol, air dry(or blow dry w/ comp. air) (Yep)
-wipe parts with tack rag (Yep)
-Spray black, let cure 2 hours (semantics - dry, cure, flash, tape-free time, etc.)
-Mask for spraying red
-Spray red, let flash 30 minutes
-Remove all masking and spray one coat clear over decals first (If the decals come in tomorrow then I will put them between clear coats, otherwise they are going on over the clear. I just can't wait any longer. I have other things going on in my life. I can always clear over them later.)
-spray "dry" coat clear on edges first, then overall-finish up with min 1 "wet" coat, preferably 2(2-2.5 on the tank in knee/belt area)
I'm almost done flatting the primer. I may spray white tonight and hit up the rest in the morning.
Fixed that for ya... :biggrin:
I rent the paint booth at the local body shop, I can't just walk in there or I would say yes! Just take your time and it will turn out beautiful. Don't sweat it. If a little bug falls in your clear, or a piece of dust, or an eyelash... just douse it - you can fix that later.
Replies above. I'm wetting the floor and blowing out well before paint time. I'm also going to wear a tyvex suit, latex gloves, a respirator, and a ballcap
FINALLY!!!!!!!! She's done. I'm going to wait until daylight to take good pics. Here's some of all the prep of the bodywork.
I did have some issues along the way. The most frustrating happened after the black was sprayed and I went to unmask and get ready to clear it. I waited 45 minutes after I sprayed red before I started masking off for spraying black. Well, the masking stuck to many parts of the red paint. It wasn't fully dried yet, though the spec sheet on the paint said tape-free was 30 minutes....my ass! Anyway, I got a chance to fix some imperfections and consider it a "learning experience".
All in all it turned out well and I'm very happy. I had some very minor bleed under the striping tape. It's annoying when you buy a roll of $10 3M fine line tape specifically for the job and it doesn't work well. The word on the street was that the stuff I bought was the best there is. I'd hate to use something mediocre.
I'm still in awe how bugs are attracted to fresh clearcoat like a moth to a headlight at night. Two small bugs died a sticky, suffocating death today on my tank. They're not readily apparent and they're small so I'll fix / buff them out later. I want to wait at least a week before I touch this paint. If there's one thing I learned about painting this last week, it's that "Slower is Faster", and it's no lie. You CANNOT rush anything. The only way to "cheat" is with a UV light bath or a 140�F oven, and I have neither.
All the new tabs and mounting points were made with plastic weld. I used masking tape to make molds. Pretty simple, just use more than you need and grind / sand / cut it down to the size you need. The stuff is amazingly strong - at least as strong as the original plastic. It also fills in rash and other imperfections very well.
[image: Attached Image: tank masked.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: new mesh mount.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: new mesh mount2.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: new tab upper.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: tank with bondo.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: all white.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: upper masked.jpg]
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 29 June 2010 - 06:26 PM, said:
Can I drive down there tomorrow and you can help me paint? :biggrin: I'll bring the beer!
Actually that might not work. Here's the (rather lengthy) process I'm going to perform:
-wipe parts down with rubbing alcohol, air dry(or blow dry w/ comp. air) (of course, and I tack rag here too.! I didn't want to go into that great of detail)
-Spray the white base, let it dry for 4 hours
-knock it down with 600 grit wet (I thought that if you knock down basecoat then you need to respray another coat. BC/CC systems that I've read about you don't touch the BC at all, especially metallics (which the red and black are).)
-Mount the plastics on the bike and get the red and black stripes taped out
-Take the fairings back off and mask.off only the black
-wipe parts down with rubbing alcohol, air dry(or blow dry w/ comp. air) (Yep)
-wipe parts with tack rag (Yep)
-Spray black, let cure 2 hours (semantics - dry, cure, flash, tape-free time, etc.)
-Mask for spraying red
-Spray red, let flash 30 minutes
-Remove all masking and spray one coat clear over decals first (If the decals come in tomorrow then I will put them between clear coats, otherwise they are going on over the clear. I just can't wait any longer. I have other things going on in my life. I can always clear over them later.)
-spray "dry" coat clear on edges first, then overall-finish up with min 1 "wet" coat, preferably 2(2-2.5 on the tank in knee/belt area)
I'm almost done flatting the primer. I may spray white tonight and hit up the rest in the morning.
Notice I was only saying that you should knock down the white base, not the rest. That's because you have a window of time to apply multiple coats - once you pass the window(you were talking about overnight!), you need to re-establish a surface the next layer can bite into.
The terminology may be semantics, and you're right, it doesn't mean much for a guy painting one bike in his garage. But, when you walk into a shop and say dry instead of flash, etc, you won't get the right answer. I'm not trying to pick you apart or blow my own horn by showing that I know what a few words mean, I'm really just trying to be helpful in sharing what I know.
Now stop teasing us and us your pretty new paint job!! :biggrin:
ps - hard to tell in your pics, but which color tape did you use for your line masking? Tan, Blue or green? For auto paint, should have been using the green...
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 03 July 2010 - 01:52 AM, said:
All the new tabs and mounting points were made with plastic weld. I used masking tape to make molds. Pretty simple, just use more than you need and grind / sand / cut it down to the size you need. The stuff is amazingly strong - at least as strong as the original plastic. It also fills in rash and other imperfections very well.
Which product did you use here? Looks like PlastiFix? If not, what was it and how did it work/how'd you like it?
[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 03 July 2010 - 08:36 AM, said:
Notice I was only saying that you should knock down the white base, not the rest. That's because you have a window of time to apply multiple coats - once you pass the window(you were talking about overnight!), you need to re-establish a surface the next layer can bite into.
The terminology may be semantics, and you're right, it doesn't mean much for a guy painting one bike in his garage. But, when you walk into a shop and say dry instead of flash, etc, you won't get the right answer. I'm not trying to pick you apart or blow my own horn by showing that I know what a few words mean, I'm really just trying to be helpful in sharing what I know.
Now stop teasing us and us your pretty new paint job!! :biggrin:
ps - hard to tell in your pics, but which color tape did you use for your line masking? Tan, Blue or green? For auto paint, should have been using the green...
The recoat/clear window on this paint is 7 days, so there was more than enough time to do everything in that window.
Re: terminology, I know. I was just bustin yer balls. :biggrin:
For masking lines I used 3/8" 3M Fine Line 218 tape. That's where I got a little bleed under. Between lines I used either green or blue, whatever width it took to get everything masked.
Oh, THESE pics.... :cheerleader: :tour: :wheel: :worthlesswithoutpics:
Here's a closeup of the red:
[image: Attached Image: red.jpg]
Here's a closeup of the black:
[image: Attached Image: black.jpg]
Tank with stripe:
[image: Attached Image: tank.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: front2.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: left.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: rear.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: right rear.jpg]
[image: Attached Image: right.jpg]
Front brake pads are installed. All I have left to do is get the new tires on and fix the slop in the shifter lever. I may do that today and go for the maiden voyage.
I fixed my shifter with a used one off ebay. It's not perfect, but better than the original!
Reading through this thread makes me want to get busy on mine! I have it part of the way back together now from valve issues that I posted about on another vfr forum in this world. I just need to hook up all the wiring , put the radiator and hoses back on, and the carbs and tank. Not sure if I'll go work on that, or go for a ride on the Ninja.
Anyway, that thing looks nice! I'm not thrilled about the black in place of the blue, but it's your bike not mine!
Yep, I fixed my shifter today as well. I measured the ID and OD of the shifter and peg, respectively. The differences between the old and not-so-old one was about 0.15 - 0.20 mm, enough to make a significant difference.
I took her out this evening for her rebirth maiden voyage. My impressions:
- She rides good, pretty smooth for being old stock suspension, but my 235# is definitely overwhelming things at both ends.
- The Pirelli Sport Demons stick pretty well for being stock sizes and bias ply.
- The seat, though recovered, sucks. I think the foam is too soft for my lard ass, and I couldn't see riding more than an hour or two with it. I may have to send it off to Sargent for a makeover.
- I'm getting a fluctuating tach. I remember reading something here so I'm off to do some searching now.
I'm getting used to the seat and it's not as bad as I previously thought. Went for a longer ride the other day and hit up some twisties. I like it! I am using all of the rear Pirelli on stock suspension. Can't wait to get the upgraded stuff on there.
Some things I noticed and fixed: The front brakes seemed like I had a warped rotor. I made and installed new insulators (between the rotor and wheel) out of some gasket material I had laying around. The old insulators varied in thickness around the rotor. That seemed to help some. I also discovered that my right caliper sliding pin was stuck and was causing the pads to drag too much on that side. I still have a little shimmy when braking above 50mph but I'm hoping that it might just be that the pads and rotors aren't bedded evenly around the rotors and it will correct itself after a few miles. The bike will do a nice stoppie now! :huh: :biggrin:
Still trying to track down the intermittent tach fluctuation problem posted elsewhere. I also tightened up the steering head bearings since they were a tad loose.
I rejetted with a Factory Pro 1.0 kit. Adjusted the valves. Sync'ed the carbs. Replaced the carb isolators.
The bike runs great! It idles super smooth and doesn't hang when blipping the throttle. Idle speed is a steady 1400 rpm. Low end power is significantly improved. Mid is about the same, maybe a little lean if anything. I'll have to play around with the choke a little to troubleshoot that. There is a nice rush of power at about 7500 rpm all the way to redline. It's no rocket, mind you. It's a 500 after all, but 8-10k seems to be the sweet spot in the twisty stuff. I'm don't normally rev the motor that high because I normally ride literbikes, so it's taking some getting used to. Overall, I'm very happy with the results. Yeah, adjusting the valves and jetting & sync'ing the carbs was a pain in the ass but it was definitely worth the time and money.
Final settings:
Idle jets: stock #38
Main jet: 95r/98f
Needles: clip 2nd from top
Mixture screws: 2-3/4 turns out
Bike specifics: foam air filter, Cobra F1 slip-ons, sea level
Finally got my fork bushings in so I will be installing the springs and RT Gold Valve emulators this weekend. More to follow...
Oh, and the tach still fluctuates. Can't figure out what's going on there but it runs fine so it's just an annoyance at this point.
Man, what a bad day! I went to install the springs and emulators last night and discovered that both fork tubes are bent. I called JD and he thinks he might have a good set laying around, hopefully. So the babyceptor is down for the count for a few days.
[image: View Post]hawkrider, on 07 July 2010 - 05:56 AM, said:
The front brakes seemed like I had a warped rotor. I made and installed new insulators (between the rotor and wheel) out of some gasket material I had laying around. The old insulators varied in thickness around the rotor.
I had the same thing on my VF500 when I had it, and replaced the worn OEM disks with some from a Honda 250 (NS or NSR? Same size, but drilled). I spun the front wheel with a marker pen held close to it, and marked the places where it was higher/lower, then added/subtracted 'insulators' until I'd all but elminated the run-out. You can also pund on the disk with it on a flat surface, using a heavy hammer cushioned by a block of wood to get them straighter.
End of thread · 94 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 4 Jun 2011
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