My Old Girl Is Getting A Makeover. (83 Vf750F)

I'm a long time lurker but enjoy the forums. I have owned this bike since 1988. I believe I am the 3rd owner. It has always had a special place in my heart in spite of the other bikes in my garage. I knew, deep down, that I would never get rid of her. My garage is the Hotel California for Motorcycles. "They can check out any time they like, but they can never leave." or as my wife says, it where bikes go to die. Well not this baby. She is currently undergoing a pretty substantial makeover. A fellow forum member's shop is doing the work.

I know it will never be worth the amount of money I will have in it, but me and this bike went through a lot. She hauled my butt around faithfully for years. She never let me down. When my wife and I were dirt poor and had only one lousy car, she was how I got to class and work and back. I'm excited to get her back and I can't wait to ride it.

Here is the list of parts coming in so far.

New Hagon Rear shock - New brake pads - Core Moto Braided Clutch and Brake lines - Supersprox rear sprocket, RK gold chain -

Race Tech Gold valve emulators - New fork seals - Front and rear wheel bearing set - Front & Rear caliper seal kits -Front & Rear Master cylinder rebuild kit - Front Master cylinder site glass replacement -

The calipers are getting powdercoated, the wheels and mufflers will also be powdercoated. Oiler mod will be installed...and I'm sure there will be more stuff that pops up along the way. Oh and a new decal kit will go on then a fresh paint job...

Here is her "before" picture.

If there is any interest, I will post more as they come in.

always pictures. ;)

Welcome into the limelight lurker!

That beauty will take centre stage!!! :beer:

My heart always skips a beat when a red V45 flashes on the screen. I wish I had mine back. Please keep the pics and updates coming. Are those your R's in the background?

Kel

My heart always skips a beat when a red V45 flashes on the screen. I wish I had mine back. Please keep the pics and updates coming. Are those your R's in the background?

Kel, the R's in the backgorund are in the same shop as mine. I'm pretty sure at least one is owned by the owner of the shop however.

Yes lots of interest I've got an 84 and will be watching

Once you polish this beauty to a shine, the bike will be happy and those signal lights will perk right up!

Can't wait to see more pictures!

WELCOME and it looks pretty good now ...

That's a really nice story about the bike and your love for her. I hope you get her back soon so that the two of you can enjoy a nice long season of riding together.

Please keep the pictures coming.

Nice, very nice. YES, there is interest in more pictures. Welcome btw.

C

front suspension upgrade

New braided steel brake lines

Always a great idea to upgrade brakes in my opinion. Never money thrown away.

Soooooooo, about them extra pics... :-)

C

The infamous cam issues have bit me.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! :mad:

The cams are being rebuilt by Mega Cycles out of California. That and the oiler mod should keep the bike going for a long time. While its a bummer, it was not completely unexpected. More pics will be posted as I get them.

Way to stay with it. It's worth it!

Weld and grind on the cams? Thought I read something about having the pad on the rocker done as well.

Glad to see you are having it taken care of.

It will always be in the back of your mind .

It's a dam shame !!!!

Up close of the dreaded cams

On to other things while the cams are off to be rebuilt. Joe has started on the back end tear down

The oiler mod that is getting ready to go on.

I've decided to go ahead and have the frame powder coated. (We've come this far so why not) I was initially going with the stock color but now I'm not sure.

Black? Pewter gray or silver. The bodywork is being painted stock colors with new decals. The wheels are being powder coated a satin black. The calipers are being powder coated a darker charcoal gray. I'm concerned about having too many colors but I like the thought of changing things up a bit.

Any thoughts on different colors for the frame?

Close to stock or black if you're not going to do the swingarm is my vote. Looking great so far!!! Nice.

Up close picture of the satin black powder coating on the wheels. We decided to go with satin black on the frame to match the wheels.

More parts back from the powder coating place.

I think the black should look great on the frame. Something I want to do when I finally tear mine apart for a proper resto/mod.

The before pic looked pretty sweet! :beer:

Looking good.

Making me think about mine again.

Money Money Money !!!!!

If I were a rich man, Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum!

A before shot of the rockers. They are off to Mega Cycle for a rebuild.

Hats off! Doing it right, looks like.

Gray powder coat on the calipers with ceramic brake pads.

I would've done the frame and swingarm the same color as the calipers, but looking awesome

trjerm

I would've done the frame and swingarm the same color as the calipers, but looking awesome

I appreciate the comments. It was a harder decision than I thought...but in the end I decided to go with a different color for the calipers to set them off a bit.

Rebuilt cams going back in

great to see you doing it right, it's going to be a sweet 83 interceptor

The wheels are ready for their new rubber and a new slave cylinder is being installed.

Looks great! Is that a satin finish on the wheels?

Cams look alot better !!!!

VF1000RS

Looks great! Is that a satin finish on the wheels?

Thanks...and yes...it is satin...frame is being powder coated and will match the wheels...

Switchblade

Cams look alot better !!!!

Thanks...it should be good for a few more miles...hopefully the oiler mod will extend the life.

Looks a lot like my 85 VF700. I get compliments on mine all the time in it's original condition. As good as it looks I would still like to see it look as good as the day it rolled off the showroom floor. I just sent an email to a local restoration shop to get an idea of what something like that would cost. Good luck with yours. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Before tearing the engine apart and finding the problem with the cams was there any signs that the problem existed?

dlancer

Looks a lot like my 85 VF700. I get compliments on mine all the time in it's original condition. As good as it looks I would still like to see it look as good as the day it rolled off the showroom floor. I just sent an email to a local restoration shop to get an idea of what something like that would cost. Good luck with yours. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Before tearing the engine apart and finding the problem with the cams was there any signs that the problem existed?

There were no problems when it was running. It ran strong...never let me down..etc. I failed to properly store the bike when I was deployed for 12 months with the Army. When I returned, the carbs were messed up...and so it sat for years while other things got in the way. While the bike is not yet complete I am very satisfied with my restoration shop. He's quite a ways from Ohio however. (Texas)

The "makeover" has morphed in to a restoration. We hit a snag on the frame. After blasting, a hole was found in the frame that appeared to be caused by rust. Here are the pics before the frame was sent to the welder.

And the after pic...it will be hard to tell after powdercoating

Here's the frame powder coated in Satin Black.

Some additional pics of the engine after polishing the valve covers.

Some additional pics of assorted parts

Looking good. Nice save on the frame. I've seen them fairly swollen in that spot from water sitting in there and freezing, ballooning the metal out.

Kel

Looking good. Nice save on the frame. I've seen them fairly swollen in that spot from water sitting in there and freezing, ballooning the metal out.

Thanks...I was unaware that this could be a problem. I was glad to not have to get a replacement frame.

Honestly, you are paying more attention to this motorcycle than Honda did when it built it!

Alaskan

Honestly, you are paying more attention to this motorcycle than Honda did when it built it!

I know...believe me...I know! I've never been accused of being the sharpest tool in the shed!!!

bswiles

Alaskan

Honestly, you are paying more attention to this motorcycle than Honda did when it built it!

I know...believe me...I know! I've never been accused of being the sharpest tool in the shed!!!

Funny !!! or the dullest either ..

Satin black frames are sexy

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Engine is back in the frame...getting closer...

Me so jealous...... You're doing an outstanding job

going to look sweet when it's done..

Or are you going to just put it in your living room? Haha

Better then new.

Can't wait to see this thing come together.. : )

Looking good!

Very nice, I just picked up a 83' needing alot of t.l.c. The paint looks incredible!

Wow nice job.

That shop in Dallas has thread on here about the build of VF1000R. Amazing attention to detail from that group.

duccmann

Me so jealous...... You're doing an outstanding job

going to look sweet when it's done..

Or are you going to just put it in your living room? Haha

Better then new.

Thanks but the credit for the work goes to the guy that posted right below your post...loving the results so far..and it will be ridden...hopefully a lot...

Great job JW......your an artist.

I love everything you're doing with this bike. It's going to be absolutely gorgeous. Keep posting pics...please!

The Oiler mod is installed

Out with the old....in with the new...(Hagon shock)

bswiles

Out with the old....in with the new...(Hagon shock)

Tasty!

It's a shame that that beautiful shock will be out of sight when the bike is all back together. Total eye candy!

tomk1960

It's a shame that that beautiful shock will be out of sight when the bike is all back together. Total eye candy!

I agree Tom...But I'm looking forward to the improved handling.

what a beauty it will be. Thx for sharing.

bswiles

Kel

Looking good. Nice save on the frame. I've seen them fairly swollen in that spot from water sitting in there and freezing, ballooning the metal out.

Thanks...I was unaware that this could be a problem. I was glad to not have to get a replacement frame.

Hot hot hot! Great to see an old girl getting some love.

bswiles

Out with the old....in with the new...(Hagon shock)

You are doing a great job, I'm keen to learn about the shock performance over the (old) old pneumatic OEM shock.

Greaterx

bswiles

Out with the old....in with the new...(Hagon shock)

You are doing a great job, I'm keen to learn about the shock performance over the (old) old pneumatic OEM shock.

Back when it was ridden everyday, it was a bit slushy in the corners. I'm sure it will be an improvement but I will let you know after its finished.

A little red (anodized looking) detail to the calipers...

Gettin all gitty....can't wait to see her done..... [image: emoji106.png]

I like the candy red highlights. Your bike is going to look a lot nicer than it did when it was new.

It is officially a roller.

1st image that came to mind.......

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The front brakes are going back together.

It looks awesome.

Whata bike !!

New rear sprocket is on.

You have got to be kidding! Nicest Intercepter ever.

bswiles, damn fine work. Your Interceptor is gonna turn many heads!

Lots of attention to detail, but one question...is there paint on the swingarm dropout surface where the rear axle tightens the chain adjusters? I have always seen that area as bare aluminum, assuming that it would prevent any slipping.

The bolt at the end prevents slipping. The surface should only see movement during adjustment.

vfrAustin

The bolt at the end prevents slipping. The surface should only see movement during adjustment.

vfrAustin, under acceleration I can see the net force on the axle being towards the front of the bike (which would be stopped by the adjusting bolt).

Under braking the net force would be towards the rear of the bike, where the adjusting bolt would simply be goin' along for the ride.

We're overdue for an update and new pics. Bring it on man!

Looking good. I wonder if it will ride before spring.

I not a gambling man, but I bet it will be guzzling some petrol soon... : )

Latest update from Joe is we are still waiting on paint...I'm really starting to miss her... especially since I crashed my CBR a few weeks ago...

Looking awesome! Paintwork always seems to be the bottleneck. Seems like shops drag their feet when it comes to doing bodywork for motorcycles, unless that's what they specialize in.

I hope you weren't injured when you crashed your CBR.

Awesome resto buddy! ??

tomk1960

Looking awesome! Paintwork always seems to be the bottleneck. Seems like shops drag their feet when it comes to doing bodywork for motorcycles, unless that's what they specialize in.

I hope you weren't injured when you crashed your CBR.

Thanks Tom...I was full ATGATT which really helped..Hit my head pretty hard and got banged up a little bit...still recovering from a badly sprained ankle...but nothing major.

The latest from Joes's shop...The paint is completed. He hit a snag on the water pump and had to order a replacement pump and seal. She's getting closer.

More shiny stuff...

NICE!

Wow. Wow again! That paint job is gorgeous. I agree that it's going to be nicer than when it was new.

Wow one more time!

That has to be the luckiest 83 VF750F on the planet. Amazing. Nice work.

Damn fine paint job, bswiles!! I had to reread your build thread, to get inspiration to tackle a few problems on my VF.

then I noticed something in this picture.

Maybe the wheel is just temporarily on, but the fork axle clamps seem not to be secured correctly/safely. For the VF1000F forks, with two stud clamps, the factory manual states to torque to spec the front nut first (13-18 ft-lb). Then torque the rear nut to same spec, but will have a gap left. I seem to see a gap on the front nut in the photo.

Of course, this pic may have been a temporary mounting and not 'ready to ride' state, and that case, please ignore. But I thought I might mention incase it is useful for you or others, with a similar axle clamp set-up.

By the way. More photos of the finished bike, please.

That was a mock up

Sparrow75, 1/20/2015 at 5:06 PM

Damn fine paint job, bswiles!! I had to reread your build thread, to get inspiration to tackle a few problems on my VF.

then I noticed something in this picture.

Maybe the wheel is just temporarily on, but the fork axle clamps seem not to be secured correctly/safely. For the VF1000F forks, with two stud clamps, the factory manual states to torque to spec the front nut first (13-18 ft-lb). Then torque the rear nut to same spec, but will have a gap left. I seem to see a gap on the front nut in the photo.

Of course, this pic may have been a temporary mounting and not 'ready to ride' state, and that case, please ignore. But I thought I might mention incase it is useful for you or others, with a similar axle clamp set-up.

By the way. More photos of the finished bike, please.

Thanks Sparrow and good eye...The guy that commented after your post is the guy that did the work. All of the credit goes to him and his shop, VJMoto.com

[image: 1385657_801615499907191_2884472887582788121_n.jpg][image: 1507036_801615869907154_7528504342222693535_n.jpg][image: 10346284_801615593240515_2193426043947353994_n.jpg][image: 10409663_801615929907148_740189636357109226_n.jpg][image: 10443605_801615846573823_9124424842308046416_n.jpg][image: 10896914_801615553240519_7841256501919023646_n.jpg][image: 10931032_801615579907183_7434284499607253731_n.jpg][image: 10931270_801615829907158_5816001527415418571_n.jpg][image: Final.jpg]I decided to take this VF to a pro (Joe & VJ Moto) for a couple reasons.

One, is my skill set is not this advanced. I can take parts off, clean them, paint them maybe even powder coat them and put them back on...but some of this stuff was over my head. Needless to say I am very much impressed by those of you that can do your own deep mechanical work, fabrication, trouble shooting and so on. I simply know my limitations.....

Second; I have a garage full of projects. I needed someone that could see this thing through from start to finish and not get bogged down. I knew that if I tore this thing down my self, it would sit way too long waiting for me to finish something else. Having it at Joe's shop allowed me to see it progress. I am very happy with the way it turned out.

hit a few snags along the way. (Dreaded cams and a hole in the frame) but it was not anything that his shop couldn't overcome.

I will post a few more pictures of the finished product and probably a shot or two from the IMS show this weekend. I spoke to Joe a few hours ago. There a re a few things internally that still need to be buttoned up. One is a spark issue on 2 of the cylinders. Cheers...

last pics...

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That's gorgeous!

Brings tears to my eyes...great memories on the 84 I had new.

That jobs outstanding....definitely a show winner......kudos to the builder.....hope your feeling better...that bike made the rider I am today..did everything great for a newb back in the day...just gorgeous

..

Fantastic Job. Amazing what a difference a black frame makes too. Looks way better than I thought it would. Kudos.

[image: IMG_0459 (2).jpg]Here is a pic from the IMS show last weekend and this should be the last post. She was up on a pedestal and drew a lot of admirers. Thanks for all of the kind words and encouragement.

I just started looking at buying a newer VFR to use as my everyday bike. So...I'll be around the forums for quite a while.

Thanks again,

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Impressive and beautiful!

why buy a new one when you can ride this one?? I have a 96 model, i think they are the best looking of them all, one day if i can i'll do somethnig similar. Get out and enjoy it.

[image: IMG_1070.JPG]Finally got it out and put a few miles on her. I still have a few things to dial in but for the most part, she is back...and better than ever.

Hagon rear shock is fantastic. I still do not have the front suspension dialed in yet but it is close. Motor and carbs are good. I'm still taking it easy since the new cams are in. All electrical works just like it did when new. I'm a happy camper.

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Love that fork brace. Awesome bike .

Now post a video of her running !!!

Alaskan

Honestly, you are paying more attention to this motorcycle than Honda did when it built it!

That is absolutely correct and the difference between mass produced and rebuilt to suit.

Had a problem with my 83, turned out to be bad trigger connection to coil for front two cylinders. Clean and burnish your connectors and spade lugs. A little corrosion causes all kinds of problems. You did a spectacular job, well done.

Well done. You gave me a lot of ideas for the rebuild of my bike this winter. Thanks!

Your bike looks awesome. I can see you replaced the rear shock, can u provide few details. I have a 83 bike that sat in boxes since 2003. Im worried that all seals will start leaking as i put her back together, so might need to upgrade the shocks. Hard to find original replacements.

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That's a truly magnificent restoration and hats off to the shop that did the work. Their attention to detail is impressive and I love the paint work. I wish we had a decent shop in the area that would be willing to do this type of painting. All the body shops just want to do insurance repairs on cars and aren't interested in bike restorations.

One question - is the fork brace stock on your bike? It's different than the one that was on my '83 VF750 and the one that's on my '84 VF1000F, but looks very similar to the one that's on my '83 CB1100F. I like the finish that was used on it.

Congrats on completion of your beauty. Enjoy!

I want to do my '84 VF750 in the same Color scheme, black frame and black wheels.... I can't get any photos from this thread, any way to refresh or send me some pics please ?? Would greatly appreciate it!!


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The person who made the post can go into edit, click on the pictures "+" and so make them re-appear.

The hope was that after "The Great Belly Up" a script could do this for all pictures but that did not materialize.

Thanks for the info Dutchy - I will refresh them asap

Well done on keeping it so long, can see the condition it was in. Awesome work, New machines are never the same as classics.
My first '83, also baught in '88, had a red seat , looked great. Sadly, never kept it....Oh well...now I have three...haha.

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Thank you thank you THANK YOU !! I am really very grateful for your posting this, the pictures are wonderful and the timeline to getting this done is very helpful for me.
I did a search for photos of '83 - '85 VF750 Interceptors, and as I scrolled through the pictures this bike jumped out at me. My bike is the blue paint setup, but when I saw this bike, especially with the black frame and accents, red clutch/ brake levers, brake lines, etc. - the attention to that detail, is exactly what I want to do with my bike. It's a treat to rid, and now I want to give it the love it deserves. My wife calls it the "money pit" bike (LOL) - maybe I'll be putting more money in it than I could sell it for, but once it's fixed to my liking, I don't ever plan to selling it. I plan to restore it to as new as possible, and it will be ridden - fair weather riding most likely, but I'll have it out there on the road, enjoying her.

Thanks in advance t everyone on this thread, very appreciative of all the comments and enthusiasm towards these bikes. My ride is in the shop, getting the engine looked at for compression and an overall assessment. Once I have the green light, I'm tearing it down, sandblasting the frame, and rebuilding her. I'll post plenty of pics along the way. [image: emoji6.png][image: emoji965.png]


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bswilesI appreciate the comments. It was a harder decision than I thought...but in the end I decided to go with a different color for the calipers to set them off a bit.

bswilesHere's the frame powder coated in Satin Black.

bswiles Out with the old....in with the new...(Hagon shock)

19 hours ago, captainmook

Would love to see this pic if you still have it....



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I went back and added the pictures. They are a bit misleading as the flash made the frame look almost gold. The frame is the same as the wheels. It's a satin black...not too dull not too shiny. Let me know if you want any close ups of any parts and I will post more. (She's going to be ridden this weekend) Best of luck on your bike. I'm glad you are showing her the love. 

bswilesThanks...it should be good for a few more miles...hopefully the oiler mod will extend the life.

The theory is more volume and potentially cleaner oil to the cams.

I am curious where that kit was purchased from?

bswiles, read through most of your thread, once again 'fine job's, noticed that you mentioned a firing issue on the front bank, it was dated back in the thread a bit, but just thought I'd mention something I found on another forum (not a member, just follow), I have since received my two and then found out you can run Coil on Plugs, very interesting read and research on his website.
v4spark.com

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Forbesbswiles, read through most of your thread, once again 'fine job, noticed that you mentioned a firing issue on the front bank, it was dated back in the thread a bit, but just thought I'd mention something I found on another forum (not a member, just follow), I have since received my two and then found out you can run Coil on Plugs, very interesting read and research on his website.
v4spark.com

Can be used for 500's, 750's and 1000's you just have to order specifically for your bike, USB programmable too.

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I'm pretty sure mine came from V4market.com - which has since closed. I did a lot of research on this issue and read a lot of stuff on here and the rest of the internet. There are arguments for and against. Many folks think that the sole cause of the cam problems is the metal used in manufacturing. Others think it is an "lubrication" issue. Still others feel it is a combination of both. I felt there was little harm in doing the mod...and with newly rebuilt (and expensive) cams - I felt it was cheap insurance. 

6 hours ago, Forbes

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Thanks Forbes - I am definitely going to check it out. 

bswiles I'm a long time lurker but enjoy the forums. I have owned this bike since 1988. I believe I am the 3rd owner. It has always had a special place in my heart in spite of the other bikes in my garage. I knew, deep down, that I would never get rid of her. My garage is the Hotel California for Motorcycles. "They can check out any time they like, but they can never leave." or as my wife says, it where bikes go to die. Well not this baby. She is currently undergoing a pretty substantial makeover. A fellow forum member's shop is doing the work.
I know it will never be worth the amount of money I will have in it, but me and this bike went through a lot. She hauled my butt around faithfully for years. She never let me down. When my wife and I were dirt poor and had only one lousy car, she was how I got to class and work and back. I'm excited to get her back and I can't wait to ride it.
Here is the list of parts coming in so far.
New Hagon Rear shock - New brake pads - Core Moto Braided Clutch and Brake lines - Supersprox rear sprocket, RK gold chain -
Race Tech Gold valve emulators - New fork seals - Front and rear wheel bearing set - Front & Rear caliper seal kits -Front & Rear Master cylinder rebuild kit - Front Master cylinder site glass replacement -
The calipers are getting powdercoated, the wheels and mufflers will also be powdercoated. Oiler mod will be installed...and I'm sure there will be more stuff that pops up along the way. Oh and a new decal kit will go on then a fresh paint job...
Here is her "before" picture.
If there is any interest, I will post more as they come in.

bswilesNew braided steel brake lines

New to group and I am about to embark on my own  1984 VF 750 rehab. This one is fairly decent to start with and has a few issues but who knows what lurks beneath. My first priorities are the oil mod kit, cams, and overall servicing. Let the fun begin ($$$'s).

bswiles thank you so much for the documenting of your project. I will be using it as a guide as I work through mine.

bswiles Out with the old....in with the new...(Hagon shock)

bswiles More shiny stuff...

This thing turned out great! Nice work!