94 Cafe Project

I've always loved the modern cafe style look, and feel like this bike would pull it off great. I know the direction I want to go, just not sure the best way to get there. I created a quick design in photoshop, and was hoping to get some input on how I can achieve the look I'm going for. I'm no expert, so any and all feedback is welcome. I found the original image on Speedzilla, I just photoshoped the RS125 tail on the back.

Here's what I'm starting with: 94 VFR750, mostly stock, 25k miles!

[image: vfr4_zps87ae2048.jpg]

[image: vfr5_zpsd7c2ffd6.jpg]

And here's a quick photoshop of how I would like the overall bike to look: RS125 tail, single round HID headlight, lower bars...

[image: Seat_zpsa9f29da6.jpg]

I'm currently selling everything on the bike ( All plastics, lights, 2 brothers exhaust, corbin seat, ect ), PM me if your interested. The fairings are in amazing condition, only damage is a small scratch on the underside tail section which you can see in one of the pics.

The strip down starts this weekend, along with ordering a couple parts. I still need to decide which RS125 tail I want to go with ( I've heard mixed reviews about the manufactures ), and also the headlight.

Hope y'all enjoy!

6hello and welcome to VFRD from across the pond

the v4 engine not the nicest for a a naked bike but it is what you want, go for it and keep us posted

6

please read the rules on selling here on vfrd, please post in the for sale section with prices

Well, some people with rough plastics will be made very happy......

That is a really nice stock bike. Looks in beautiful condition. Almost unfortunate that it's being converted instead of a wreck, but the plastics will be going to a good home.

Good luck. Like Dutchy said, it's not an easy bike to make look good naked. So where's the build thread?

Just a note from a guy who did a similar conversion to a YZF750R once(twice). I would recommend that you keep all the parts you remove. The bike is a surviver and looks to be in great shape. You may want to return it to the "stock" look someday when you get bored. I converted my bike back and forth a couple of times and loved that it had that option within a day of wrenching. I also never say never so selling the bike in the future is a possibility and having that flexibility adds huge value to the bike. I really like to look you are going for and it will turn out to be a real head turner but options are very nice to have. Just my two cents from experience. Enjoy!

I would say the exhaust is not stock since it's on the left side. Good luck with your project, but I for one hate to see a well preserved VFR taken apart.

Thanks for the feedback guys. The bike is beautiful as it sits right now stock, but it's just not for me.

Also I'll be posting up all the parts in the classified section as soon as I get a list going, PM me if your interested in anything for now until I get the ad up this weekend.

This will be a slow build thread, right now I'm just trying to figure out the overall look, then I'll be gathering all the parts and start the build.

Heres a quick pshop of the exhaust I'm going for, also might pshop up a belly pan on it. The radiator will be mounted on the side, and the coolant res. will be removed for a smaller aftermarket one.

[image: ExhaustandBellypan_zps3fd0e1ef.jpg]

This is still a super-duper cool thread. Thanks.

Another pshop update... Gonna leave the side mount rad out for now, but this is hopefully how it will look.

[image: Wheels_zpsa44fbc01.jpg]

I'd prefer the naked exhaust pipes.

What front-end are you using?

My bike had the exhaust separated before the third joiner in the triple tree when I got it, it was, uh, rough running and /really/ loud. I actually looked around a lot before I found a spare exhaust system to change it back to 4-2-1. There's something about matching exhaust pulses that Honda understands better than whoever cut apart the exhaust before I got it. Also, these guys here are great for info, they might give you a little ribbing for taking apart a 'good' bike, but they'll still do their best to help you out with what you want to do. It's pretty rare to find a site this supportive.

I'd offer some tips on the build, but my bike probably isn't the one you want to build yours like. I literally just used what I had sometimes (which wasn't much). I did build it to match how I want to ride though, ended up a bit strange. I probably have one of the few naked bikes that you could really tour with. Full dash (Acewell something or other), throttle lock, auto chain oiler, reliable solid state r/r, LED main and auxiliary lighting. My seat was raked up like that when I got the bike. I found that a lower and flatter seat was much more comfortable to me and matched the café style visually a little better too. Just swapped out my rear for a 8 spoke w/ a 180 a couple months (and couple thousand miles ago) and that was a great change. The suspension is a bit more than I want to dive (haha, get it, dive, suspension. . . yeah, sorry, anyway) into right now with no garage, but it'll probably be next on my list of upgrades.

I found a nice aluminum Coke bottle that makes a great reservoir replacement (there's a Rum and Coke bottle thats very similar and slightly larger that would probably work even better). My oil cooler is down behind the front wheel (I've seen it bypassed on a naked VFR 750 as well). The radiator I actually have a hard time convincing people is the stock piece sometimes. I'll probably look for something narrower when (if) it fails. I wouldn't side mount mine, but that's because I have a tendency to set it down w/o the kickstand sometimes. It's actually been over 3 times in the 2 years or so I've had it. One of the great things about no plastic is none of them have ever been damaged. The extent of the bikes injuries were a broken mirror lens, stalk, and a blinker lens then fell off. Oh, my brake lever bent once too. It helps if you're not moving when you drop it.

That got a bit longer than I meant it too, but basically, have fun, ride safe and ask all the questions you can possibly think of.

I am always a fan of naked style bike conversions (some more than others of course) and am in the middle of converting my 4th Gen. Although I can understand why some people hate to see a nice VFR converted, I bought a clean 4th gen with the intention of selling parts and having that fund part of my build... and to my surprise it has worked out quite well :)

There is a lot of good info on this site and make sure to do your homework. If I could give any advice I would first ask a few questions. Do you have a lot of experience tinkering/modifying bikes? And how soon would you like to have it on the road after the project? I only ask as a bit of a caution... these projects can really escalate and every modification seems to result in 5 more things to modify or change. If you aren't new to this... please disregard my comments, just trying to help a fellow naked VFR fan out! Good luck with the project!

I will definitely be asking questions when things come up. Luckily I have great friends with tons of experience modifying cars/bikes etc. I have access to a welder, have tons of tools at home, and not in a huge rush to get this bike finished.

I appreciate all the input so far, I've ran into a couple VFR owners around my town and they all recommend hoping online because the community that follows these bikes are very helpful.

I'm looking forward to getting this bike on the road and just enjoying the mountain roads in my backyard!

You wrote you'd ditch the coolant overflow bottle. You could just paint it black. with a thin vertical line left blank , so you can check the level.

On the coolant res, a Aluminium bottle/can would look cool. Solder on the inlet and outlets, add brackets and leave it raw to match the other Alu parts. Looks like the oil cooler could easily be relocated below the radiator with a few brackets as well (heat shield may be needed). OK, you got me going on this project. Wish I was digging in on this one!

Do you know what exhaust you have on there? It's not a 2bros system. Might be a SBS LH

Yeah I might end up just painting it black and leaving a small line to check the level, that's a great idea thanks! Eventually I'd like to find something smaller and with a cleaner look, and still have the ability to check the levels visually. I'm sure there's something online, I just need to find it.

The exhaust is by a company called Moto Creations and it came off a Duc M1100. I'd really like to get that exact look, hopefully I can order the tips through them and just have some pipes ran back. We'll see, I'm not really worried about that right now, that'll be way down the road.

Sorry, meant the header. Normally the can is on the other side of the swingarm.

Sell this good bike so that someone has a good stock model they can appreciate. Find one in need of TLC - THEN do the mods you are planning.

Sorry to come across mean. I know it is your bike and your choice, so I respect that. The issue I have is these things are getting harder to find in good stock condition. It sickens me to see a perfectly good bike ruined, especially one that will in 5-10 years time be recognised as a modern classic. I think we all know that values will go up.

Just my opinion. Not flaming. I like the mods you're planning, just not to this bike :)

The bike is currently for sale as a whole, but my patients are running out. I originally wanted to do this transformation to a HawkGT but couldn't find a nice solid base to do this build on. I looked for months for a HawkGT close by, then expanded my search to the neighboring states and had no luck.

I came across a picture on google of a naked VFR and thought I could work with it. I found this bike not running, it was sitting in a warehouse for at least a year I'm guessing, got it running and that's where we're at now...

I would love to see this go to a good owner who would appreciate it for what it is, but it's been up for sale for over a month and I haven't even got a decent offer. These fairings are going to good homes though, with this build there will be 5 more very clean VFR's on the road and my crazy creation!

I understand now :)

Nice photoshopping! Curious how you'll handle battery placement, rear brake booster etc. I saw a naked ST1300 that in my mind failed miserably as it lost all sense of elegance, but admittedly probably was a monster to ride.

http://motorider.info/pictures/nakedst1300/photos/photo2.html

Your treatment looks a lot more palatable. Good luck.

chizzieThe bike is currently for sale as a whole, but my patients are running out. I originally wanted to do this transformation to a HawkGT but couldn't find a nice solid base to do this build on. I looked for months for a HawkGT close by, then expanded my search to the neighboring states and had no luck.

I came across a picture on google of a naked VFR and thought I could work with it. I found this bike not running, it was sitting in a warehouse for at least a year I'm guessing, got it running and that's where we're at now...

I would love to see this go to a good owner who would appreciate it for what it is, but it's been up for sale for over a month and I haven't even got a decent offer. These fairings are going to good homes though, with this build there will be 5 more very clean VFR's on the road and my crazy creation!

Where is the ad for this bike as a whole? I really don't want to see it modded and will find another 4th gen for your project as part of the purchase price of this bike.

Shoot me a pm

Worth a shot... sent you a PM.

YoshiHNSDo you know what exhaust you have on there? It's not a 2bros system. Might be a SBS LH

You sure it's not a TBR left-exit, low-mount? The only pic I have of one (on my Website) is from the wrong angle, but it looks like it could be the same...

Ciao,

I wish I could remember which battery I had in mine. I found a smaller battery with a capacity about the same as the stock VFR battery. I'll take a look at it when I get back home. . . in a couple weeks.

Also, I painted my overflow tank and left the back edge unpainted. Eventually, riding in the rain blasted a lot of the paint off, so I switched to the aluminium bottle. Some Rhino Liner or something might hold up better, or maybe worse, I definitely didn't do any prep work on it before I painted it either, so. . .

chizzieWorth a shot... sent you a PM.

Thanks, you've got mail as well.

Hope we can work something out that helps us both.

Keith

Win6: Cool, if you could let me know that would be awesome. I haven't really put to much thought into that yet, so any info helps right now.

JZH & yosh:

Heres my current headers w/ a 2 brothers carbon fiber racing sip-on. It doesn't have any manufacture markings, so I can't tell you who it's by.

[image: Headers_zpsff87962e.jpg]

Update on the headers: I've been told from a few guys that this system is pretty rare, it went for over a $1000 back in 90's so obviously it didn't sell much. It looks like its a Two Brothers left exit system. Any more info helps, I'm still deciding if I should let this system go to a better home or clean it up, have it coated and rock it on the bike.

PM sent

I also hate knowing a very good bike was sacrificed. I also have a very different opinion of what a Cafe` Racer should look like. But then i'm an old fuddy duddy with an RS125, Suzuki T500 and Yamaha RD350 cafe bikes. What you have described thank you, is a Street Fighter. I can almost accept a VFR street fighter. Especially if the plastic and other essential bits had been trashed. Look for Cafe'` Bikes on our beloved internet. You'll not see big beefy bikes that you can't see through because of all the wires, tubes, chassis, frame, radiator, windshield washer bottles and air conditioning. They are supposed to be light, lean, simple and spare. Yours could be different and beautiful, in your eyes and others. Good fortune, too. R3~

chizzieUpdate on the headers: I've been told from a few guys that this system is pretty rare, it went for over a $1000 back in 90's so obviously it didn't sell much. It looks like its a Two Brothers left exit system. Any more info helps, I'm still deciding if I should let this system go to a better home or clean it up, have it coated and rock it on the bike.

Certainly looks like a TBR system to me. Hindle also made a left exit full system for the 4th Gen.

Are you thinking of putting different forks on the bike?

YoshiHNSAre you thinking of putting different forks on the bike?

Yeah eventually.. I know the RC51s are pretty common swaps, are there any others that you could recommend?

From what I understand using cbr929/954 triples you can fit a wide variety of forks (but wheel spacers, brake callipers/rotor shimming comes into play). The reason to use these triples in they slot right into the VFR steering stem (the same bearings and very similar stem length).

I put 954 forks on mine with and RC51 upper triple (it has a flat top) to mount handlebar risers. And the wheels and brakes are also from a 954/929. It all slots in nicely.

One reason RC51 forks are popular to swap is because they are longer than 929/954 forks and allow clipons to be mounted above the upper triple (not needed in my case). However the 954 forks are fairly short and still drop the front some, thought this isn't necessarily bad as the 929/954 triples have a different offset which will slow steering some. It all gets a little complicated but there is a lot of info here... just takes some searching :)

And if your parts aren't selling I eventually put all of mine up on ebay and have sold almost everything now. Good luck!

You can put almost any front end on there so long as the forks fit in a honda triple. As said above, 929/954 are popular, along with RC51 and F4i. Eventually I'll toss an '08 R1 end on one of my bikes and the '00 end on another.

A little update: Found a composite company down in southern California who had an 04-05 RS125 tail in stock and shipped out the same day! It should be here this coming week! All other companies I contacted didn't have any premade and would be at least a month until it was in my hand!

The headlight was ordered, it's an 8" offroad HID headlight, Pilot #PL-1100 if anyone is interested. Should be here about the same time!

A local guy came and cleaned me out, bought basically all my plastics last week. Super nice guy, actually offered to help build my subframe too. He has a 95 VFR track bike with a 1098 sub and tail! Depending on when my tail arrives, I'll be making my way down to his place to modify the stock subframe and have it all mounted up!

----

Also a side note: I came across a 93 CBR900RR part out. Basically complete rolling chassis ( no engine or engine parts ). It's been sitting since 98 in his company storage shed. Is there anything I can easily swap over from this bike onto the VFR that would improve it, seems like a good deal if I can use anything...

- I know the swing arm is lighter and bolts up with minimal work, but I just love the look of the single sided arm too much to let it go, so anything besides that?

- Is the front end an improvement, and if so does anyone know if it is a direct swap or what it takes to mount up?

- My past bikes had gp / reverse shift pattern, and heard with the 900rr rearsets on the VFR I can accomplish this? Can I use the stock ones, or would I have to order aftermarket ones?

Got the tail in. Doing some modifications to the stock subframe since it's way too wide for this tail.

Definitely running into much more than I expected, if only I had the ability to weld and make brackets at my house!

Still not sure about a lot of things, the list is growing pretty quick with a bunch of small projects I'm running into.

I'll keep ya'll posted, hope you like where it's going!

[image: Tailmockedup_zpsd4bddc25.jpg]

The cbr900 forks have much thicker stanchions than the vfr ones. 45mm vs 41mm. Should be much stiffer and more beefy looking for a naked bike = good.

Brake rotors are the same diameter, but you could probably get some 320s out front, using some calliper adapters?

Even if you didn't upgrade the rotors, the cbr calipers are 4 piston opposed design, vs the 2 pot sliders on the vfr.

Use the vfr 17" wheel with the cbr forks and triples so you can stay away from the 16" front wheel.

Probably easiest to go with risers and a Superbike bar setup with the cbr forks and triples.

See sebspeed's cb900f project bike, he has that setup.

I'm pretty happy with my set up. 929/954 triples and '05 R1 forks, wheel, brakes and fender. Easier to find the R1 parts also in my experience.

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Something I've always wondered - why are streetfighter tails always sticking up so high?

marriedman

Something I've always wondered - why are streetfighter tails always sticking up so high?

Not sure why that is, I've noticed that too. My previous picture is a bit deceiving, the sub frame isn't welded together yet, basically all that was there was the 2 stock upper sub frame bars cut, swapped from left <-> right, and bolted on the inside to make them more narrow to accommodate the small tail section.

I'm still trying to figure out the angle I want, having it up on the stand makes the angle look higher too.

I've been running into a bunch of problems lately, heres a couple I'm stuck on right now that are holding me back:

- Sounds kind of stupid, but I've been having the toughest time removing the tank. I removed 1 bolt ( about 3" long ) in the rear. Are there any more bolts that I'm missing, or is there a trick to get that damn thing off lol Removing the bolt didn't even loosen up the rear, it doesn't tilt or anything at all.

- My current headlight is an 7" round HID light w/ a built in ballast. It comes with just 1 red & 1 black wire out the back. Has anyone ran something like this before? The stock headlight had 6 different wires, 3 for the low and 3 for the high I'm guessing. I want to have the light constantly run while the bike is on, but not totally sure what to do.

Heres a couple quick pics:

[image: photo_zpsd6292887.jpg]

[image: photo1_zps1f5378a0.jpg]

The tank has one bolt alright.

then you lift it up a bit and remove the hoses underneath. (close fuel petcock first!)

Then you need the lift the tank a little, wiggle left to right a bit and pull. Best stand over the bike, keep the bike between your legs so it cannot tip over.

Underneath the tank at the front there are 2 rubber grommets that slide (at a slight angle) into the front of the frame.

So with the tank lifted a bit from the rear, wiggling backwards , try lifting a bit higher each time, SHOULD get the tank out. Maybe the grommets have "glued" themselves a bit to the frame, apply a bit more force lifting then..

Here a picture of the underside of the tank (the rubber grommets are not on the little stalks here, look at bottom of picture).

[image: post-8974-0-76586400-1360055108.jpg]

The tails stick up higher so it's harder to fall off when you :wheel:

As dutchy said. Disconnect the fuel line, and just wiggle it backwards and out. Some days it is easier than others.

YoshiHNS

The tails stick up higher so it's harder to fall off when you :wheel:

As dutchy said. Disconnect the fuel line, and just wiggle it backwards and out. Some days it is easier than others.

Ah, then that makes sense. Don't much care for the look of the high tail, but at least it serves a purpose.

another trick with the tank, I am much too impatient to keep wiggling...there are metal sleeves that are inside the rubber grommets that can slide out and stick just like the bolt, get your self a small screw driver or dental pick one to push one to pull..after doing it once you will see what I mean.

Gary

marriedman

Something I've always wondered - why are streetfighter tails always sticking up so high?

I wonder about that also. I figured it was a case of "mine is bigger than yours".

IMHO, the perfect balance is when the top of the tank and top of the tail are the same height off the ground (without rider). Too low and it looks like a scalded dog, too high and it looks like a dragonfly in the sun.

Thanks for the info, ill give another go at the tank tonight.

As far as the head light, right now I'm still stuck on wiring. I understand basic wiring and know how to cut and splice, just not sure which wire goes where. I plan on not using the high beam wires, are all 3 of the low beam wires going to be needed or just the pos and neg ( I'm guessing the blue and green ). If I splice my new wires directly into the existing harness, is there some sort of relay or something with the ignition telling it to turn on off by itself with the ignition or is that what the 3rd wire is for and if so how do I run that to the light also?

Low beam wire is white/black (+); blue is hi beam, and green is (-). On a US-spec bike, pressing the starter button disconnects the always-on headlights momentarily; releasing the button re-connects the headlights. In theory, this on-off cycling is not good for HIDs, but I doubt it will make any difference in the real world. You could re-wire the circuit to avoid that happening: just run the low beam relay trigger wire to the ignition circuit (rather than the lighting circuit). Looking at the wiring diagram, I'd probably take the blue/white wire going from the hi/lo switch (which now goes to the starter button) and connect that to the ignition circuit. Since you're not using the hi beam, this would make your hi-lo switch an on-off switch for the HID light.

Ciao,

97vfr750_wiring_diagram.pdf

JZH, thanks so much for the info that's exactly what I needed to know, also thanks for the link to the wiring diagram, I was looking for one for a little while and only came across a couple Euro diagrams.

I came across this picture a while ago and can't remember where I found it, does any one have any info or a link to a build page?

[image: IMAG0330_zpsed3a8ea6.jpg]

Edit: Found the link to that build. Great looking bike.

Was that Win6's build?

Hyofighter: http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/58725-my-95-v4-fighter-project/page-1

I just got finished removing and looping the oil cooler. All I did was remove the 2 hard lines, cut them leaving about 3/4 of an inch on each side so that the hose clamps has something to grip, then used a high temp oil cooler line and looped it behind the headers.

My only concern would be the headers melting the hose, its about a 1/4 inch from the headers, I may have to pick up some header wrap to keep them a cooler. I wrapped the high temp oil hose with plastic electrical cover for now to see how quick the headers have an effect on it, I'll remove it later.

I also relocated 2 & 4 coil up under the tank and screwed them into the plastic shroud under there. Now that I look at it, I was wondering if this will work only because the 2 screws holding them down are mounted to the plastic shroud not any metal. Will that make any difference since it looks like they serve some sort of electrical or ground purpose, or is it strictly for holding them in place?

Also I'm not totally sure how to go about removing the stock clip ons? I have them unbolted so they are loose now, but can't slide them up and out from the top of the forks because it gets stuck on the adjuster.. Can I pry them open a little with breaking them to get them off?

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yeah, i wouldn't ride it with that hose next to the headers. thats sketchy.

the honda oil cooler lines are 10mm diameter.

you need to get a couple of 10mm compression elbows, and use some of the tubing left that you cut off the bike, and connect them together using hard lines.

http://www.swagelok.com/search/find_products_home.aspx?part=SS-10M0-9&item=

[image: SS-12M0-9.jpg]

the oil cooler lines on mine just the rubber hose but with some heat sheild sleeve over it it has been trouble free for the last 10000ks , even a few skids with hot pipes and no air flow havent caused any concern so far

keep up the good work will be watching this thread for sure

Hyofighter

the oil cooler lines on mine just the rubber hose but with some heat sheild sleeve over it it has been trouble free for the last 10000ks , even a few skids with hot pipes and no air flow havent caused any concern so far

keep up the good work will be watching this thread for sure

Thanks and congrats to you on the cover!

Also I'm not totally sure how to go about removing the stock clip ons? I have them unbolted so they are loose now, but can't slide them up and out from the top of the forks because it gets stuck on the adjuster.. Can I pry them open a little with breaking them to get them off?

There is a wire circlip on each fork that stops the clip-on from sliding off - you can see it in your pic. Remove that :beer:

Thanks, didnt realize that was a clip.

Not much done in the past couple days. Been cleaning up the wiring and getting my sub frame figured out.

Before I went out and bought a set of 41mm clip ons with no rise, I tried to mount the stock clip ons under the triple, but for those of you who have already tried that... it doesn't work :)

Also started making some simple turn signal brackets for the front forks. I picked up some 1/8" x 1" alum stock from HD. I think they turned out pretty nice, I didn't take a picture of the final products, but here's some during the making.

[image: 85B2169D-E3DD-4F25-BFD2-FF6C2EEAC67F-464]

[image: 53FF2C63-4B3F-4AEC-9F75-4230FF6369EF-464]

[image: F2A4D0D7-C99D-4415-8B95-7F250FB76A9F-464]

Ummm... You're not going to have a low-beam cut-off with that as a headlight, are you? It's not nice (or safe) to blind oncoming drivers...

Ciao,

:)

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Dude, thats hot.

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Been busy this weekend!

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I know your clutch cover is pretty clean, but have you thought about a clear one? On your naked bike, I think that would just look the tops!

mk2davis

I know your clutch cover is pretty clean, but have you thought about a clear one? On your naked bike, I think that would just look the tops!

Yeah definitely on the list of things to do, just have to finish up a few things first and get a little extra cash.

An update from the past week:

[image: CB431BF7-1A46-4DC5-839E-E30B69506CDA-712]

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Ive been curious what my TBR system cost back in the day brand new. its been getting a lot of attention lately and I haven't seen anyone with the full TBR system either left or right exit.

I know right exit full TBR systems are alittle more common, how much do those go for when they pop up?

The last TBR full system went for $550. I thought it was a bit high since the mid pipe was bent and a rashed can.

I bought a TBR full SS for a 98 for a bit more than that, and they are a dozen times more rare (not for sale, no PMs please).

Headers alone normally sell around $450-$500, depending on market.

The RS tail looks great! With the clip ons, gauges and race tail it does have a slightly modern cafe feel to it, keep up the good work! What are your exhaust plans?

that bike is looking mint , good work , watching this one closely

While the TBR systems are rare, the debate as to whether they are any good for a street bike is still open.

My son has a left exit TBR on his 3rd gen and it is the main reason we bought that bike to resurrect rather than a different one.

I hope to perform a dyno test soon to quantify what a larger diameter header does and doesn't do for mid range power/torque and at what RPM does it start making more power than a stock, cat-less header.

I have been shopping some sites for what comparable full header systems go for today but quality varies widely.

That being said, it is pretty cool as far bling factor goes.

Looking good!

CornerCarver

While the TBR systems are rare, the debate as to whether they are any good for a street bike is still open.

My son has a left exit TBR on his 3rd gen and it is the main reason we bought that bike to resurrect rather than a different one.

I hope to perform a dyno test soon to quantify what a larger diameter header does and doesn't do for mid range power/torque and at what RPM does it start making more power than a stock, cat-less header.

An OzVFR mate has a TBR left-exit system on his 4th Gen and he reports that midrange suffers. Which makes sense, the TBR is a 4-1 system and they are generally all about top end power.

I have an Indigo system which is 4-2-1, haven't tested it yet but would expect that it would be great for midrange at the expense of top end:

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PS - love the look of the bike!

How about a yellow front light like this?

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The Phantom

CornerCarver

While the TBR systems are rare, the debate as to whether they are any good for a street bike is still open.

My son has a left exit TBR on his 3rd gen and it is the main reason we bought that bike to resurrect rather than a different one.

I hope to perform a dyno test soon to quantify what a larger diameter header does and doesn't do for mid range power/torque and at what RPM does it start making more power than a stock, cat-less header.

An OzVFR mate has a TBR left-exit system on his 4th Gen and he reports that midrange suffers. Which makes sense, the TBR is a 4-1 system and they are generally all about top end power.

I have an Indigo system which is 4-2-1, haven't tested it yet but would expect that it would be great for midrange at the expense of top end:

[image: 8514799600_e7c5f68dc8_o.jpg]

PS - love the look of the bike!

May be different for the 4th gen because I have only seen a TBR for the 3rd gen and the 5th gen but they are 4-2-1 as well. I am concerned that the larger tube diameter will be the culprit in stealing my mid-range thunder.

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pretty sure the only advantage of the left exit is stricktly bling.

My first post here, but I'm not exactly a noob to the bike world, or even to single sided swing arm bikes (last was an '01 Silver 955i daytona), but I think the point of the left exit is to show of the naked wheel and lack of swing arm. Anyhow the build looks sick! In the hotrod world, it's always been easiest to start with the cleanest chassis for a build. Now in my case, my viffer which I bought 2 days ago, is an absolute wreck and yes it's becoming some type of fighter ;-)

tylerstock

Welcome to the forum! Post up a pic of your bike! We LOVE pics!

Hey thanks man, don't want to high jack this guys build thread so I'll start a new one. And add pictures haha

Haven't had much time this week between work and school to play around with the bike.

Luckily I have all day tomorrow to start with the wiring. The gauge set up I'm running is from a 1st gen SV650 , I picked it up for $10 when I got the headlight, it's just temporary until I get some extra cash. I'm not real familiar with wiring and electrical work so I'll definitely be asking tons of questions when things come up.

I have a wiring diagram from what I thought was a 4th gen VFR, but after comparing wires the colors dont match up:

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Unless I'm missing something, does anyone have a digital copy of a 4th gen wiring diagram, specifically the wires running to the gauges and which does what:

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Green Connector:

- Green: ________

- Yellow / Green stripe: ________

- Pink: ________

- Green / Black stripe: ________

- Orange: ________

- Black / Brown stripe: ________

- Yellow / Black stripe: ________

- Blue / Black stripe: ________

- Red / Green stripe: ________

- Black / Brown Stripe: ________

Blue connector:

- Brown / white stripe: ________

- Red / blue stripe: ________

- Brown / black stripe: ________

- Turquoise / Red stripe: ________

- Light blue: ________

- Grey / black stripe: ________

- Black / brown stripe: ________

- Brown / black stripe: ________

- Green / black stripe: ________

- Green / blue stripe: ________

More updates :)

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Still have some more wiring to go, any help with my previous post would help so much. I have the wires striped and ready to be spliced, Im just not sure what each wire is.

Currently working on wiring gauges from an F4i to my 94. Here's what I was able to find. I'm not sure if it's all correct but it has allowed me to get most functions working.

R. Turn - light blue
L. Turn - orange
Neutral - light green/red
Oil - blue/red
High beam - blue/black
Tach - yellow/green
Ground - green or green/black
Batt to fuse - red/green
Speed - pink
Meter/lights - black/brown
Temp - green/black
Dash illum - brown/white
Speed sensor grnd - green or green/blue
Fuel res - black/brown

Speed and temp are not showing correctly for me and the fuel res does not seem to work but could be I picked up the wrong wires from the new dash. There are still a few i'm not sure about, for example the sidestand. Good luck!

Sweet Jesus, that rear rim looks awful! All beat up and scratched looking. You can't leave that on your bike after all your work. Tell you what, just send it my way...

Since there is no exhaust back there, the space between the tail and the tire seems exaggerated, would you mind posting a profile shot of the bike?

If you're painting the rear wheel yourself one tip for masking off is to shove "recipe cards" or some equivalent sized cereal box type cardboard between the tire and rim all the way around. If you knew this already... carry on :) And I'm not sure if you know but it seems when gauges off other bikes are used a speedhealer is usually necessary. I could be wrong, but just a heads up if it reads 187mp/h in first gear. It's looking good!

Sweet tail, I like the tail section, I wonder how many pounds it will remove.

Burns

pretty sure the only advantage of the left exit is stricktly bling.

Bottom end suffers but on the track your trying your best to keep the revs at 9-10,000 all the time, so top end is where it matters...

Extra ponies are avaliable with a jet kit on this system!

Really like that RS rear you have to play with. Would deffo fit one. But i refuse to spend more on parts before i crash what i have already...

Any fitting questions for the 4th gen you may have i could well have played with and hopefully solved at least twice before :-) so can help no worries...

Btw, when sorting the dash, the fuel warning light uses a 5w bulb to heat the thermistor circuit unlike the 1.8w bulbs used by the other warning lamps. A modded res. lamp is all I use as fuel level indicator, handy in endurance races.

The best front end i have ever fitted was a CBR 98/99 pair with billet yokes from same cbr. Felt much better than these 929/954 items im using at the moment! Can only guess the upside downs are detrimentally stiffer for our non engine mounted swingarm? The yokes may be slightly different offset also. I also raise the 954 forks 19mm thru yokes with the gull-wing to keep the steering tighter, else the bike suffers with silly under steer!

I replaced the oil cooler with a 3 row, not as wide Chinky cheapo replacement which came with all fittings and used bathroom 10mm braided hose to join after chopping and welding up the standard rods+hoses shorter.

Bike runs a smidge hotter on the dial, but that may be either the replacement CBR dials i fitted reading different, or the elimination of the coils from under the snorkel to GSXR 1000 Coil in the caps ;-) . The fan has gone.. But most likely the replacement oil cooler is to blame as the were no issues when i first butchered on the standard cooler, lower down with a silly hose arrangement around the front down pipes. Next oil change i will go to 10-30 and hope flow improves cooling?

When on the road i only go from the pub to the cafe at the next town over the mountain.....So cafe racer official, altho streetfighter maybe?

The bike gets track time mostly now and have my first outing this year next week! Tyre warmers at the ready..

Heres a shot for the picture crew from my rubbish iphone camera... ready for next week.

Only a track day so no belly pan needed officially altho i do have a 916 oil pan here ready for race days.

Am blagging the Italian style thing this year...(no money for paint or an RS rear/front lol)

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Edit: after track day the minor heat issue has gone and the bike runs cool with noticeable extra power lifting the front on command. Another track outing next week :-)

Swapped my left exit TBR system for a right exit TBR. The materials seem to be different, does anyone know what the differences in metals are by chance?

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mild steel vs stainless

This is just a test fit! Any thoughts, concerns, or alternate ideas for a nice clean undertail set up?

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Also can anyone recommend a light weight small battery I can hide somewhere. I've heard great things about Shorai batteries, if I go that route, I'm not sure which size I need to pick up. I want it hidden, possibly tucked in the rear tail section, it needs to be pretty small but also enough power to start up a bike meant for the street ( all lights, turns, etc... ) I know guys use these mainly on their track bikes, so it doesn't require as much power since they don't have all the lights to run.

There isn't much space under the tail section, but I was really trying to avoid having a bunch of stuff cluttered under the tail. This is sort of what I was thinking: He's a local guy with a Honda Hawk GT, Hyperform sub frame, and he has the same RS125 tail.

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Also here's some more pictures!

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You can try to lose the coils by going the COP route. There are two big threads about using GSXR1000(?) COPS IIRC.

That's a long way for that fuel pump to go. No place to tuck it in closer? I don't think there's a good alternative to the OEM other than just gravity feeding. The only other aftermarket one is more misses than hits from the reading I did.

I ran an 8 cell MOTY on my 5th gen at TMAC with no problems. Even used it to jump Sweepers bike without a hitch. My biggest problem with them is I worry about putting too high of a voltage on them. Lipos are only supposed to operate in a specific voltage range, but people seem to run them with no problem. Either way you're going to want to use a MOTY or Shorai for space considerations.

Thanks Yosh!

Do you have any more info on gravity feeding the fuel? I heard it's possible, but for some reason I can't get myself to do it. I guess I'm afraid it'll flood, not even sure if it's possible but it just concerns me. Is anyone currently running no pump, if so how does it run and have you had any problems?

Basically it'll be just a hose from the tank petcock -----> fuel filter ------> T fitting?

As far as coil on plug, I would love to go that route, but haven't had much time to research it. The last thread I looked at was 20 something pages of trial and errors, so I'll have to go back and see what worked out best.

The battery, I was definitely leaning towards an 8 cell. I was hoping to not go much bigger due to size. I'm glad that 8 cell worked for you. I've read good things about both MOTY and Shorai, but it seems like Shorai has better reviews so I'll probably be ordering one this week!

I think I would go with Shorai for the nicer packaging, but nothing wrong with the MOTY yet.

The carb won't flood with gravity feed. The pump is only pushing 1-3psi. One or two of the guys across the pond run gravity feed without a problem. Line goes as you said. Petcock, filter, carbs.

Two or three people have successful COP setups.

I ordered a ballistics 8 cell battery for my projects. Has a nice strong housing, prices comparable to shorai but is smaller in size. I think the shorai is still very light but not as compact as other options.

As for COP setup, I have fit them to my project but have yet to run the bike. The rear are obviously an easy fit but the front require some work. I was able to shift the radiator fan up enough for the front coils to fit, but it does require modifying various brackets and a filler panel... and the fan will be less efficient as it is now sitting higher above the radiator than it was before. But I spend little time in traffic so I'm not concerned.

I am also trying to decide if I want to run the pump or not... one member said it was one less thing to go wrong if removed, which makes sense. My main area of concern is running the tank low on fuel.

The bike is looking great! The lines of the tail match the tank really well, any chance you could take a side profile pic for us?

Once those coils have gone, the battery can sit forward at lowest point.

Sorry for rubbish iphone pics..

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The COPs have worked perfectly well for me so far - problem solved...

Previous threads have lost the thread and tried to get too technical. No need, just run em. GXSR1000, the short ones. I run a rubber o-ring around each to seat them snug.

Only question i have is which plugs to run CR9EH9 or CR9Hix-9 or the 8's? i hope to thrash the fk outa the engine soon, so ?? Standard are working fine at the moment.

Once you have got round the fan issue on the front, i removed mine. These modded bikes are not workhorses anymore so hardly sit in traffic.

You can loose the pump. No issues either low fuel or full tank.

First used a very small and light Racing Batteries lithium unit which comes in a solid CNC machined plastic body. Under 500grams. Made in the UK so no Chinese cheapies here and full factory backup if required.

The battery here is next to the 7L-BS, am sure it only hit 120 crank amps. Used before the lithium turned up.

With a 200 rating (pulse crank amps i think) the smallest Race Battery was able to start my bike no problem.

The standard vfr battery runs at 210 crank amps so not far off really. Would never fit one on bike now. They are massive.

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Just a shame i over charged this small battery by leaving it in the battery Optimate over night a few weeks ago. Different to Lead OEM batteries.

These batteries need the lithium charger if you want to leave them plugged in. Or simply remove your charger once battery reaches 13.8v

They hold their charge well for a year and can take some abuse so long as you dont let them go below 8v or over charge them. Never an issue in normal operation.

Thankfully i got in touch with Racing batteries direct and the guy sent me a replacement next day!

He was out of the smallest batteries when i got in touch but sent me the next one size up at cost!! Am sure i paid about £85. Normally the 400s go for more than twice that. The smaller 200s about £130

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Twice the size, runs at 400 crank pulse thingies. The weight is under 1kilo.

Enough to start my mates high compression Marowaki Honda VTR no problem..

His OEM battery is the weight of a small child.

Whoa... GSXR1000 COP's work that easily?? If so, that's a life saver. Point me to a thread or if it easy to explain, tell me how to get that done...

lol..

Get some gixr cops and plug them into some caps you have wired into your loom.

I crimped small spades onto a Honda blade cops loom and pluged into the vfrs coil connectors.

All the connectors are the same for denso cops.

You mentioned getting a Shorai battery and wanting a "lighter, smaller battery". The Shorai is definately lighter, maybe 1/4 the weight but it not smaller. they make the Shorai to fit into a case that is about the same size as a lead acid battery so it's not flopping around like other LiFe batyeries.

You may want to source something like what KGS posted or a Moty for space savings and lighter weight.

Great info, saved me a lot of time trying to dig through those old threads!

There are a few local guys parting out gsxr1000s, is there a specific year I'm looking for, Im assuming there are 2 different lengths since I need to pick up the short ones. Also would it run normal if I left 2 &4 alone and just swapped out 1 & 3 since I already have the front ones tucked away and don't want to worry about moving the fan.

For the battery, I ended up ordering a Ballistic Evo2 8 cell, I read nothing but great things about their product and service. It's under 2 lbs, about 1/4 of the size of OEM, and made in the US of A!

great find on the battery, post up a pic when it arrives...

Wiring has been such a huge headache, I still haven't had any luck getting fuel, oil pressure, temp, speed, tach or anything important to register. I have both diagrams, from what it looks like,  I'm connecting the right wires together, but still nothing registers except illumination, turn & high beam indicators

Started the bike up for the first time in a while today. Couldn't take it for a spin yet, but while up on the rear stand I put it in first to test the speedo. While the wheel was spinning, I noticed that the tire was rubbing the swing arm. Am I supposed to be running a spacer with the 3rd gen 8 spoke on a 94?  It has 180 tire, which I've read is the right size for the 5.5" rim.

I'm just really hoping it's not bent because I traded my 5 spoke for this one... 

Hi Chizzie,   I have an 8 spoker with a 180 PR2 on my 4th gen and it is not rubbing.

There is not a ton of space, I had to relocate the Scotoiler tubing though. That one was rubbing after the swap.

Will see if I can take a few shots today

here a shot

taken from below, you see the front part of the wheel (and the Scotoiler tube I had to move a bit)

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Some tires really vary in width and profile... though I haven't heard of 180 tires on 3rd gen wheels rubbing 4th gen swingarms, I suppose it's possible your tire is just that little bit wider. I believe both dutchy and I are running 180 PR2's on 8 spoke wheels without issue. I know some people used to shave a little off the edge to fit wider tires on their smaller displacement bikes... though I don't know if this is a great idea. The end of this project isn't being very cooperative is it? Sorry man.

Playing devils advocate here - did you check that the rim wasn't bent or warped before you put a tire on it?

Did you find out what the issue was with the tire rubbing? 

OUCH, That poor thing.

I just noticed the drink shaker coolant reservoir.

I kinda wish you had given me a couple days to work the purchase of the Hawk and swap you for that beautiful 4th gen you started with now.

Good luck with your sale.

I have to agree CornerCarver, even though I usually abhor the 'purist' train of thought - this was a build that should have been a keeper, given the integrity of the donor bike. As a 4th Gen Tragic I was hoping to see this one preserved.

However, I like what you have done with it chizzie, and respect the decision(s) that you have made. Good luck with the sale.

Sold. :(

At least you got to get it out for a good ride... And now, you don't have to stress over the $$ for the car.

You did a fantastic job on this bike!!! I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

Btw, what did you really think of that Tyga exhaust? I'm curious about them, since they make the rear wheel so visible.

I hope whoever bought it puts on a proper headlight! That aftermarket lamp doesn't have a low-beam cut-off, so it's like riding with a super-bright high-beam all the time (not a real good idea at night...) :mellow:

Ciao,

If you're moving to San Francisco you'll end up with a dented car anyway. Think about this. Unless the car is worth way more than the couple of grand to fix or is leased I might leave it. Or you could remove body work on the car and make a streetfighter out of it.

chizzie

Thanks for all the kind words guys! I had some time today, well I skipped class today lol, but I had the exhaust welded up and took it on a much needed long ride through the hills by me! It idles a little rough, but I'm assuming its because it hasn't been ridden for a few months, other than that the bike ran great! It sounds amazing with the exhaust all finished up, I'll try and get a video up soon!

For those who haven't read my recent posts, I'm in a tough spot right now, long story, but basically the bike has to go. I have it posted for sale in the classified section for those who are interested. $3500

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Chizzie, I need more info on that exhaust install. What model exactly did you buy? install info and end result to DB, sound and performance. Thanks

BTW, nicest tail conversion on a VFR I have ever seen!

that exhaust looks like a Tyga Maggot pipe.

I think you are right about the Maggot. I was curious how it sounded also, but I'd guess it's close to an open header. Not really practical for me around town.

If that was in the UK, I'd snap it up, looks ace