Refurbishing A Stolen, River-Found, Vfr 750...

Awesome gesture. Humanity is not dead.

We forget bikes can be lifted into vans. A real shame.

Texfoto

Humanity is not dead.

But plenty inhumanity too I'm afraid.....

If yous are running into items that you need/need to buy, I will chip in.

Cork is a lovely city; I recall her having lovely curly hair.... :goofy:

Thank you (and your mates) for your efforts! I am happy to chip in if you guys need some bucks to get the bike sorted out.

I joined this forum 11 years ago, and almost on a daily basis I am reminded of why I am still here.

Lovely bunch you have there in Cork!

The Phantom

Thank you (and your mates) for your efforts! I am happy to chip in if you guys need some bucks to get the bike sorted out.

I joined this forum 11 years ago, and almost on a daily basis I am reminded of why I am still here.

Murray, Maybe they can help you finish your bike after the are done with this one?????

OLE!!!!!!!!!   :goofy:

[image: 2011-09-21T125157Z_01_BTRE78K0ZQO00_RTRO]

Finish what bike? Oh, that bike.

I suppose... hey wait a minute, why doesn't JZH get this treatment? :unsure: :comp13:

As a Greek fellow-rider, I can only express my respect to all the people involved in helping Nikos.

Such things remind us what motorcycling is about.

Good on ya Mate! Stories like this fuel the soul and restore faith in humanity. . .

Glad to hear Cork is a friendly place, I'll be there in 3 weeks :)

Welcome you found it. Thank you and I in my turn for your incredible kindness to Nikos and I wish with my turn and be able to know the country you next year. If at some point someone passed brother and Ireland friend from my home would be very happy to accommodate him. Alexandroupolis is my small town and is 40 kilometers from the border with Turkey.

Thank's and drive safe!

The answer to the thieves was extraordinary.

Bravo to all of you for the help you offered to a biker in need.

From a greek vfr guy,thanks to all irish lads for helping nick! :beer: :beer:

Dustin

Glad to hear Cork is a friendly place, I'll be there in 3 weeks :)

Dustin, give me a shout when you're in Cork if you want to talk shite about Viffers - I'll send you a PM with my email if you want to get in touch or ask any questions about the place.

I had my own VFR in the club workshop last night to replace the rear brake master cylinder - this is what it looked like having two RC36s in there at once.

[image: IMG_20140902_202910.jpg]

Just read up on the blog, coming along nicely.

Regarding connecting a battery and turning the bike over, and nothing happening... it might be worth dismantling and cleaning the engine ON/OFF switch assembly.

And checking the clutch switch...

There's an update on the blog - engine turned over when both wires that go to the stator were accidentally connected. Proves the starter motor works anyway!

Blog was updated again. It's not clear if they got it running or just reassembled it and shipped it back to the owner, but it looks like a happy ending. Such a nice thing to do. These guys really raised my spirits.

Kudos to the Cork College Motorcycle Club! :fing02:

Yep, the insurance company on Nick's side really did get moving fast. I've been away for the the last week or so and didn't get to say farewell to it but we did manage to stop the rot and prove that it is worth continuing to work on as the engine does turn over. Nick is going to keep us informed from here on in.

All I can say is that I am extremely proud of the University College Cork Motorcycle Club and very glad to be a part of it.

So here I am as well on this topic; I wish I didn't have the dubious honour of being the ...star of this story but what can you do? Sometimes these things happen when you're travelling and at the end of the day as long as we are ok and the bike can be repaired, no harm no foul.

It's a bit of a bother to have to go through this whole rebuilding process but I was planning to do that at some point; I guess it will happen sooner rather than later.

So I'll pick up the story where the lads in Ireland left it off.

Like Fabio said, the bike did leave from Ireland in a bit of a hurry. The insurance company moved very fast and caught us all off guard. The boys there had the bike in pieces for a few weeks and were taking their time mainly cleaning and emptying out the water in an effort to stop the rusting process. They managed to that and then turned their attention to the starter relay which was properly shagged. At about that time the insurance company collected the bike and brought it over to me.

So Saturday was the first time since the incident that I really got down to working with the bike and seeing what kind of damage had been done.

I cleared out my parking space and turned it into a service shop of sorts, complete with floodlights and a good range of tools.
[image: sxvMgfD.jpg]



With that out of the way it was time to start but I was not alone; joining me was a good friend who has been wrenching on motorcycles for quite a few years and has a fair deal of knowledge especially in electrical systems. He had come fully prepared; he studied Honda's service manual and brought a full set of tools; multimeters, diodes, testers... You get the idea.

So our plan was to pick up working where the lads in the UCC had left off.
We knew that the engine could turn over if you jump the leads of the starter relay but other than that we had no idea what we would find.
Was there power to the other electrical systems when you hook up a battery? The dash? The indicators/lights? The switches?

So we stripped off the fairings and got to work.
[image: Wfjfdjv.jpg]



As I said this was the first time I could really inspect the extent of the damage done by those idiots who stole her and my findings were revealing.
It turns out that these morons had taken quite a bit more time trying to start her up than I originally thought. Basically they focused on the central lock trying to pry it open so they could start the bike up.
However they soon found out that the lock is secured by safety bolts without heads! [image: phrank.gif]
They did their best to etch out an indentation to try and turn the bolt. Yeah good luck with that; the only way these babies are coming off is with a grinder.
[image: YXDCspU.jpg]



So with that plan failing they moved to plan B; brute force (and ignorance). They hammered the lock on the right side, cracking it but still failing to get it open and after finally failing to hot wire her I guess they got fed up and chucked her into the water for being such a hard nut to crack.
[image: ak0RACe.jpg]



Generally the bike needs a lot of work. The plastic parts are all either scratched or broken and anything that wasn't aluminium or stainless has already rusted.
The fuel tank's interior especially is a mess; when I opened it up it was empty but it was still quite wet and already starting to rust. (Maybe I should have removed the fuel right there after the incident and filled her up to the brim with fresh fuel or some oil but I guess I had so much on my mind that it just didn't occur to me.)

Anyway first thing's first; we had bigger issues to sort out.
I knew that the starter relay was toast and that we had ordered a replacement but I also knew that the replacement was still on the way when the bike got picked up from Ireland, so with my broken relay in place there was only so much we could do.

However my mate had other ideas. [image: cool3.gif]
Most relays come as one piece unit; a plastic box with the four prongs for attaching to wires.
[image: 531.jpg]


In our case though the relay came -or at least it could be seperated- in two parts.
The main relay which is usually encased in resin and should in theory still be working...
[image: 9zE2jay.jpg]


...and the plug with the prongs itself which as you can see was utterly devastated.
The dying battery was flowing current through the plug essentially performing electrolysis to the copper until there was nothing left.
[image: 2twjvzw.jpg]


Now the good thing with this was that when that plug went it cut off all power to the rest of the electrical system thereby saving it from any further damage from flowing current.

In the meantime we could try to turn the engine by jumping the leads like Nevin and Martin did.
We hooked up a beastly Odyssey battery and with a big pair of pliers we shorted the cables.
Sparks were flying everywhere and indeed the started wirred into life but only just; the engine was very reluctant to turn over. Problem #2.

We put the bike in 6th gear and tried turning it by rotating the back wheel; it moved but again with a lot of effort. So we took out all the sparkplugs to have a look. 3 looked clean and dry but the one in cylinder #3 was dripping with water.
Peeking through into the cylinder we could see that telltale light coloured cream of oil mixed with water.
For a moment I thought about getting to work to tear the engine down but common sense prevailed and we just decided to crank the engine over to let it spit out all the gunk in there.

With the plugs taken out the engine was turning over freely and I must admit it was a wonderful feeling to hear her whirr away like that.
So we turned our attention to the relay. As I mentioned the replacement was still somewhere in the ether between Beijing and Cork so my friend had come up with a very neat solution. Using some thick wires and a fusebox he fabricated an electrical bridge of sorts, replacing the missing copper connections of the relay plug.
The end result was anything but pretty but it was worth a try.
[image: SED1QOg.jpg]



And what do you know? It actually worked like a charm! I flicked on the ignition, clicked the start button and the starter motor was whirring away like nobody's business! Result!
We were over the moon; not only was the starter working but all the electrical systems had come back to life as well like nothing had happened; lights, indicators, dash, the works!

With that out of the way we had an even crazier idea. What if we tried to get her to fire up?
Would that even be possible? The guys in the College didn't manage to do this and we had no idea if the rest of the systems were up to the job. But the hell with it; the bike was giving us such positive indications that we just had to try.

We heated up the sparkplugs with a hot air pistol drying them completely and then we tested all the spark leads. They were all sparking brightly; the ignition seemed to be working fine.

We put back the sparkplugs, connected the leads and came up with another temporary solution -this time for feeding the motor with fuel. You see the fuel tank was full of a horrific red sludge; no way was I pouring THAT into the engine and the cleaned up carbs!
[image: VTlVSs8.jpg]



So we came up with a very simple solution; a funnel and a small plastic nozzle attached directly to the fuel hose of the carbs and fuel out of a milk bottle.
[image: FQCxxG7.jpg]

[image: 0rSiACZ.jpg]



It was the moment of truth. I turned on the ignition, fuel was poured into the funnel and I tried to start her up. The engine was turning and turning and turning but no result.
We were flabbergasted. Why wasn't it even firing once?
We checked the carb bowls to see if there was fuel in there. Liquid came pouring out so at first glance it seemed ok. However it didn't take long to realize that this liquid was just water!
Turns out that the fuel pump and its hoses was full of water which I guess the guys hadn't emptied out yet and with the engine turning over the water went straight into the carb bowls before the fuel had the chance to get there.

So here we went again the familiar route; emptied out the bowls completely, unhooked the fuel pump to remove any water, took out the sparkplugs to dry them out etc.
We put it all back together and this time I was also recording the whole thing.
This was quite an event. If she would start it would be no small thing now would it? The engine hadn't been started for over one and a half months and that after being fully submerged and left to soak in water.


So anyway without further ado here it is: First attempt to start up the VFR.

This is dedicated to all of the wonderful people who went out of their way to help out two complete strangers with amazing acts of kindness. Your efforts were not in vain.

That's dam amazing CONGRATS !!

Great story. It's nice to see such caring and generosity. Gives the word "community" a refresher.

Thanks for sharing. Made my Monday start off well. :D

This thread reads like a novel, with villains, good guys, a damsel in distress, an uncertain outcome, the climactic moment, and a happy ending. What a great story.

checksix

This thread reads like a novel, with villains, good guys, a damsel in distress, an uncertain outcome, the climactic moment, and a happy ending. What a great story.

Hehehe that's a great analogy mate! You should see the intro I wrote about the whole incident in the Greek forum for my friends over there.

Maybe if you guys want I'll translate it and put it up here at some point.

great story with a happy ending.

Thanks for the update on what appears to be a happy ending in the making. Out of curiosity how did your insurance company handle the whole situation? Did they consider the bike to be a total loss and pay you for the full value up front? Did you have to buy the bike back from them? Does the bike now have a salvage title? More details please.

Rollin

Terrific story! A bike that won't die is a keeper. Congratulations to all involved!

Awesome!

RollinAgain

Thanks for the update on what appears to be a happy ending in the making. Out of curiosity how did your insurance company handle the whole situation? Did they consider the bike to be a total loss and pay you for the full value up front? Did you have to buy the bike back from them? Does the bike now have a salvage title? More details please.

Rollin

Well, in Greece it doesn't work exactly like that. Insurance companies are very reluctant to cover motorcycles for theft and none covers vandalism (which is what this was since the bike was found eventually).

Even if some company offered the above covers, when you travel abroad you are only covered for third party liability through the international insurance bureau, which basically means that if your vehicle is stolen you are up sh!t creek without a paddle. It is unfortunate but that's how it is around here (and I think in some other European countries).

On top of that asking the company to cover for the bike's damages would have been futile even if I did have full coverage because it would be written off in a blink of an eye. (And I should know such things because I've been working as an insurance agent for quite a few years.)

So knowing all this I didn't get the insurance company involved in the incident at all. What I did was to activate the road assistance cover of my policy and simply ask them to repatriate my bike. Our road assistance covers all the European countries and in case of an extensive damage which cannot be repaired locally you can request a repatriation with the company covering all necessary costs to bring the bike back.

It goes without saying that such a process does nothing to alter the bike's titles which remain exactly as they were. :)

Just a short update on the bike; progress has been a bit slow due to long hours at work which pretty much leaves only the weekends free for everything else but I'll be trying to put in more work in the next few days.

After starting the bike up and verifying that she does work I started the long and complex process of taking her apart and restoring or replacing all the bits and pieces.
That is easier said than done as there's about a million bolts, nuts, springs, retainers, clips etc which all need to be removed, inspected and restored. (I may be overdoing it but I can't bring myself to do a half-arsed job, fixing some stuff and sweeping the rest under the carpet.)

So, with that in mind I decided to start at the back and work my way to the front. I figure working this way would be more thorough and hopefully a tad easier.

I took away the ECU, fuel pump relay, lights relay etc which were found to be in very good condition. For good measure I cleaned out their plugs anyway and checked for any dodgy connections etc

As I mentioned before the biggest problem at the moment is rust/corrosion on the metallic parts. I did some research on the matter and decided that the best way to go at least for iron parts is citric acid which is very mild acid that cleans out rust with great results.
I got 1 kilo of monohydrate citric acid in powder which depending on the strength needed you mix up with water in various quantities. I prepared a solution of about 15% (lemons have a concentration of 5% of citric acid) and got to work removing various parts.
To be honest any iron bolts migh simply be replaced with stainless steel items but this acid is good for any other parts that need to be retained.

I will admit I was a bit sceptical if the acid would work but it actually works wonders removing rust in a matter of 10-20 minutes. No fumes, no fizzing, no fuss; simply put the rusty parts in the bucket and get them out nice and clean.

Result? Not quite. While citric acid is great for iron it doesn't work for steel and aluminium.
Any steel parts left in citric acid come out with a dull dark grey/gunmetal colour. This can be cleaned up/polished nicely but it seems that the acid eats away the steel's plating. Fortunatelly that only happened to a couple of bolts but in any case I need another solution for cleaning steel and especially aluminium.

From what I've read citric acid attacks aluminium, so here we have a problem.
The footpegs/mountings are in a very bad state with the aluminium showing clear signs of corrosion/pitting everywhere so I need a good solution for cleaning them out.
I found that Henkel/Loctite has a special cleaning solution especially for corroded/pitted aluminium which I've had to order online. If it's any good remains to be seen.

Next up the removal of all the exhaust system/collector because the insides are in an absolutely horrific state with a lot of sludge and water still poolling in there which of course has to be cleaned out; we'll see what's what.

Good luck!

Great story. I have the same bike. Never knew it was this tough.

Quick questions for you guys:

- Any ideas for cleaning aluminium parts? I have prepared a citric acid solution that works wonders on iron parts but I've read that it's a no-go for aluminium. Maybe some white vinegar?

- How do I remove the whole exhaust assembly? I am having great problems with this issue due to contradicting instructions.

Both the Honda service manual and Haynes mention that you need to remove the central stand, but to me it seems that the assembly comes out without removing the stand and on the other hand it mentions to simply remove the bolts on the read pipes but these are impossible to reach without removing the whole subframe.

Has anyone ever removed the assembly?

Acid, the only stuff i have ever seen work is the the stuff they use to clean air conditioner coils .

Ok, small update:

So I managed to remove the exhaust assembly without removing the center stand. It needed a bit of wiggling but it got out in the end. I might need to remove the stand when I put it all back but that remains to be seen.

Regarding the aluminium parts I got some alu cleaning jelly (like naval jelly) from the States. If that doesn't work the parts will just go together with some others for a hot anodizing bath which will definitely sort them out. :)

The question I have now for you guys is regarding the rear downpipes clamp. There are 3 studs there and I managed to shear two of them so these need to be replaced. I had a look and these studs are in reality simple bolts which have been spot welded in place. That means that the weld will need ot come off before I replace these bolts.

Any idea how to do this? Removing the rear headers seems to be a major PITA; some people claim you need to remove the rear swingarm but this is not an option as I don't have the tools for it and the bike is immobilized ATM.

What do you think?

On a 4th Gen I have had good success in reaching the rear downpipe bolts at the head with a bunch of 1/4" drive extensions and one uni-joint.

I've also removed swingarms without special tools - I made a large hex-head key by finding a bolt that fit the hex, and bending it at 90 degrees, and I used a hammer and large screwdriver to undo the castellated locknut (which I removed without damaging it).

Once I had the locknut off it was easy to take an old socket and cut it up with an anglegrinder to make a tool for re-fitting it.

I needn't have worried about removing the rear downpipes. With the subframe etc out of the way and with some penetrating oil on the studs the bolts came out like a piece of cake using just a small wrench. Result! :) Now I can take the downpipes down to a machining shop to remove the broken studs on the joint.

At the same time I've decided to get organized and made a list of tasks to go through as I work on the bike. Some stuff may seem trivial or not worth mentioning but it's better to have them there so that I remember to go through them.

Intake System
Clean airfilter
Clean airbox

Exhaust System
Clean shields
Clean/derust assembly
Replace studs on rear downpipes
Replace seals

Fuel System
Derust tank
Clean tank / fuel petcock / filters
Clean and lube the fuel tap
Check fuel connectors
Clean fuel pump

Engine
Clean casings
Inspect carb intakes
Clean carbs and manifolds
Lubricate throttle and choke cables
Change oil and oil filter
Change sparkplugs

Suspension
Adjust rear suspension preload
New placement of remote reservoir
Clean up / inspect bolts

Electrical System
Check and clean connectors
Check and measure wiring
Clean dashboard
Fix dash circuit board
Fix dash mounts
Fix clock
Fix rev counter
Replace dash needle stop
Clean headlights mirrors
Check / replace bulbs
Replace 12v plug
Replace volt meter
Clean and lube L/R switches

Cooling System
Check hoses for leaks
Clean hoses Replace coolant
Check radiator for rust and clean up

Brakes
Replace brake pads
Check hoses & seals / clean calipers / pistons
Anodize brake brackets & bolts

Clutch System
Check for leaks
Clean hoses and connectors
Clean slave piston

Fairings
Repair/respray
New stickers

Shop Tasks
Remove and derust triple tree
Lubricate Steering Head Bearings
Lubricate Front Wheel Bearings
Lubricate Rear Wheel Bearings
Lubricate Swingarm
Replace seat cover and padding

Body
Clean / derust rear subframe
Clean / respray plastic undertray
Clean / respray battery holder
Clean / polish frame
Derust footpeg brackets
Clean upper / lower clamps
Replace ignition lock
Replace bolts with stainless steel
Clean swingarm
Clean / respray chain guard
Clean / derust / lube chain
Clean sprocket cover
Clean / touchup / polish wheels

What do you guys think? Have I missed something?

I think this is a labour of love :)

The rear hub may need to come out of the swingarm - even VFRs that haven't gone into rivers can have corrosion problems here.

If your footpegs are going to be very difficult to restore, you could replace them - 1996 and earier CBR900RR footpegs bolt on, as do 2007-2008 R1 footpegs.

The Phantom

I think this is a labour of love :)

The rear hub may need to come out of the swingarm - even VFRs that haven't gone into rivers can have corrosion problems here.

If your footpegs are going to be very difficult to restore, you could replace them - 1996 and earier CBR900RR footpegs bolt on, as do 2007-2008 R1 footpegs.

Glad you see it that way mate! :)

Very good point on the rear hub. I'll see if I can remove it myself or otherwise it will also go in the "shop" category.

I didn't know that the pegs of the early blades and the R1 can go on the bike. I'll have a look but I think I would prefer to keep the standard pegs and look of the bike.

Hey all,

I am planning to get some work done on the bike in the Xmas season and I wanted to ask if I should replace the cooling liquid of the bike? Before going into the river it had just been changed out and I was thinking whether I should keep it or flush it out. Its color looks good but I am not certain. Any help?

Since the cooling system is sealed, no river water would have gotten into it, except for the overflow tank. I mean, if no coolant comes out, no water can go in, right?

If the overflow tank had been emptied after the bike was removed from the river, before the bike had run, I would say the coolant remaining in the radiator and engine is as good as before it went in the river.

The Good the Bad and some Ugly in this story.

Great to hear about the local Club's offer to help and glad you have teh bike back home with you know.

Good luck with the process and sounds like you'll be riding it again soon!

I would have to replace every exposed bearing. And check any cavities that could dump crap out later.

Great work !!

Switchblade

I would have to replace every exposed bearing. And check any cavities that could dump crap out later.

Great work !!

You can pop the seals off, clean the bearings, and if they are not rusty, repack them with fresh grease and reinstall the seals.

Veefer800Canuck

Switchblade

I would have to replace every exposed bearing. And check any cavities that could dump crap out later.

Great work !!

You can pop the seals off, clean the bearings, and if they are not rusty, repack them with fresh grease and reinstall the seals.

Yeap but it is 1997 .

Traveller

I needn't have worried about removing the rear downpipes. With the subframe etc out of the way and with some penetrating oil on the studs the bolts came out like a piece of cake using just a small wrench. Result! :) Now I can take the downpipes down to a machining shop to remove the broken studs on the joint.

At the same time I've decided to get organized and made a list of tasks to go through as I work on the bike. Some stuff may seem trivial or not worth mentioning but it's better to have them there so that I remember to go through them.

Intake System

Clean airfilter

Clean airbox

Exhaust System

Clean shields

Clean/derust assembly

Replace studs on rear downpipes

Replace seals

Fuel System

Derust tank

Clean tank / fuel petcock / filters

Clean and lube the fuel tap

Check fuel connectors

Clean fuel pump

Engine

Clean casings

Inspect carb intakes

Clean carbs and manifolds

Lubricate throttle and choke cables

Change oil and oil filter

Change sparkplugs

Suspension

Adjust rear suspension preload

New placement of remote reservoir

Clean up / inspect bolts

Electrical System

Check and clean connectors

Check and measure wiring

Clean dashboard

Fix dash circuit board

Fix dash mounts

Fix clock

Fix rev counter

Replace dash needle stop

Clean headlights mirrors

Check / replace bulbs

Replace 12v plug

Replace volt meter

Clean and lube L/R switches

Cooling System

Check hoses for leaks

Clean hoses Replace coolant

Check radiator for rust and clean up

Brakes

Replace brake pads

Check hoses & seals / clean calipers / pistons

Anodize brake brackets & bolts

Clutch System

Check for leaks

Clean hoses and connectors

Clean slave piston

Fairings

Repair/respray

New stickers

Shop Tasks

Remove and derust triple tree

Lubricate Steering Head Bearings

Lubricate Front Wheel Bearings

Lubricate Rear Wheel Bearings

Lubricate Swingarm

Replace seat cover and padding

Body

Clean / derust rear subframe

Clean / respray plastic undertray

Clean / respray battery holder

Clean / polish frame

Derust footpeg brackets

Clean upper / lower clamps

Replace ignition lock

Replace bolts with stainless steel

Clean swingarm

Clean / respray chain guard

Clean / derust / lube chain

Clean sprocket cover

Clean / touchup / polish wheels

What do you guys think? Have I missed something?

Veefer800Canuck

Since the cooling system is sealed, no river water would have gotten into it, except for the overflow tank. I mean, if no coolant comes out, no water can go in, right?

If the overflow tank had been emptied after the bike was removed from the river, before the bike had run, I would say the coolant remaining in the radiator and engine is as good as before it went in the river.

These were my thoughts exactly. If no fluid can come out, no fluid can come in.

Only thing is that I did run the bike for a few seconds when I got her back and I failed to check the overflow tank. On later inspection it seems to just have a small amount of blue/green coolant without any traces of water. I think I'll just let it be for the moment.

The bearings is a major concern but I simply lack the tools needed to do the job.

I mean who has a torque wrench to undo a headstock nut that's tightened to 105 Nm? (Not to say anything about removing the rear hub or the swingarm)

I am thinking to get the rest done and take the bike to a shop and have them do these jobs for me. We'll see.

@Fabio

Cheers mate! Just this weekend I respayed the exhaust, the subframe, the black plastic undertray etc and will be getting on to check the front part of the bike, plus the electrics. After that its a matter of waiting for some parts from Honda (on special order from Japan) and starting to put her back together. I'll try to keep you all posted.

Just another couple of questions for you guys; I need to replace the ignition lock as the thugs who tried to nick the bike broke the ignition's locking pin completely. The lock itself is working fine but the steering doesn't lock.

I was thinking of getting an aftermarket replacement and while I'm at it maybe I could get a lock from the later models that had the fancy keys? It may be needless but still...

So:

1. How would you rate one of those Chinese aftermarket copies? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Switch-Lock-Cylinder-Honda-CBR-600RR-F5-03-04-05-06-VFR800-2003-2008-/261253962246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd3f31a06&vxp=mtr

2. Are the ignition locks interchangeable? Could I get a lock for a Vfr VTEC and put it to my model? I was thinking something like this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Switch-Lock-Cylinder-Honda-CBR-600RR-F5-03-04-05-06-VFR800-2003-2008-/261253962246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd3f31a06&vxp=mtr

I've now got a chinese copy ignition lock as linked in your previous post and it's working fine.

Don't get one of the ones with the barrel type key like they have in vending machines. I had that style previously and somehow, I got the key into the lock 99% of the way, and managed to turn it, and it locked on me, and bugger me if it wasn't impossible to reinsert the key and get it turned back to off from lock.

Had to remove it and replace it.

This style of key = bad:

[image: cabinetlock634590921892144034120.jpg]

Traveller

Just another couple of questions for you guys; I need to replace the ignition lock as the thugs who tried to nick the bike broke the ignition's locking pin completely. The lock itself is working fine but the steering doesn't lock.

I was thinking of getting an aftermarket replacement and while I'm at it maybe I could get a lock from the later models that had the fancy keys? It may be needless but still...

So:

1. How would you rate one of those Chinese aftermarket copies? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Switch-Lock-Cylinder-Honda-CBR-600RR-F5-03-04-05-06-VFR800-2003-2008-/261253962246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd3f31a06&vxp=mtr

2. Are the ignition locks interchangeable? Could I get a lock for a Vfr VTEC and put it to my model? I was thinking something like this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Switch-Lock-Cylinder-Honda-CBR-600RR-F5-03-04-05-06-VFR800-2003-2008-/261253962246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd3f31a06&vxp=mtr

just get another honda lock from the junk yard. from a cbr.. one that has no key..

should cost you almost nothing..

transfer your lock cylinder to it..

presto, you now have a good lock. :wink: :beer:

Veefer800Canuck

I've now got a chinese copy ignition lock as linked in your previous post and it's working fine.

Don't get one of the ones with the barrel type key like they have in vending machines. I had that style previously and somehow, I got the key into the lock 99% of the way, and managed to turn it, and it locked on me, and bugger me if it wasn't impossible to reinsert the key and get it turned back to off from lock.

Trust me, the thought of getting a barrel type key lock never even entered my mind! Actually I don't think I've ever even seen a bike with such a lock on it. :laugh:

gll429

Traveller

Just another couple of questions for you guys; I need to replace the ignition lock as the thugs who tried to nick the bike broke the ignition's locking pin completely. The lock itself is working fine but the steering doesn't lock.

I was thinking of getting an aftermarket replacement and while I'm at it maybe I could get a lock from the later models that had the fancy keys? It may be needless but still...

So:

1. How would you rate one of those Chinese aftermarket copies? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Switch-Lock-Cylinder-Honda-CBR-600RR-F5-03-04-05-06-VFR800-2003-2008-/261253962246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd3f31a06&vxp=mtr

2. Are the ignition locks interchangeable? Could I get a lock for a Vfr VTEC and put it to my model? I was thinking something like this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Switch-Lock-Cylinder-Honda-CBR-600RR-F5-03-04-05-06-VFR800-2003-2008-/261253962246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd3f31a06&vxp=mtr

just get another honda lock from the junk yard. from a cbr.. one that has no key..

should cost you almost nothing..

transfer your lock cylinder to it..

presto, you now have a good lock. :wink:

Well, thing is mate that I've no idea how the lock parts are arranged inside the black plastic cover. I know that the switch is (obviously) separate from the main lock body but if the lock barrel separate from the locking pin? If so then indeed I could just get another lock just for the locking pin and swap the internals.

Having said that I do fancy the newer style Honda keys that are available with the Chinese copies but then again these locks are claimed to work with the newer models only. I guess I may have to pick one up and see what fits and what not...

Traveller

Trust me, the thought of getting a barrel type key lock never even entered my mind! Actually I don't think I've ever even seen a bike with such a lock on it. :laugh:

I can't find them now for the life of me, but they were definetly on Ebay a few years ago for a VFR.

Looked just like the factory ignition switch, just with a barrel key.

I actually liked it better, until it screwed up on me. Don't know what I did wrong, maybe the key was not 100% square with the lock when I put it in, and it turned, never to be turned back again no matter what I tried.

Used it for several weeks before that and it was great. If it hadn't messed up, I would rather that than the standard key.

It happened right before a big trip, and I had to take it off, with the steering lock engaged, and swap on my stock keyswitch, which had been slowly failing, hence the need to replace it.

Boy am I ever glad I had not thrown it away. It lasted long enough for my trip and I put on the chinese copy lock I have now, with a regular key.

Traveller

just get another honda lock from the junk yard. from a cbr.. one that has no key..

0RR-F5-03-04-05-06-VFR800-2003-2008-/261253962246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd3f31a06&vxp=mtr

should cost you almost nothing..

transfer your lock cylinder to it..

presto, you now have a good lock. :wink:

Well, thing is mate that I've no idea how the lock parts are arranged inside the black plastic cover. I know that the switch is (obviously) separate from the main lock body but if the lock barrel separate from the locking pin? If so then indeed I could just get another lock just for the locking pin and swap the internals.

its easy!! just a a few phillips screws holding everything together..

gll429

Traveller

just get another honda lock from the junk yard. from a cbr.. one that has no key..

0RR-F5-03-04-05-06-VFR800-2003-2008-/261253962246?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd3f31a06&vxp=mtr

should cost you almost nothing..

transfer your lock cylinder to it..

presto, you now have a good lock. :wink:

Well, thing is mate that I've no idea how the lock parts are arranged inside the black plastic cover. I know that the switch is (obviously) separate from the main lock body but if the lock barrel separate from the locking pin? If so then indeed I could just get another lock just for the locking pin and swap the internals.

its easy!! just a a few phillips screws holding everything together..

That's not very reassuring... great for replacing but not very robust as a theft deterrent if it can be beat with a Phillips screwdriver :comp13:

Rush2112

That's not very reassuring... great for replacing but not very robust as a theft deterrent if it can be beat with a Phillips screwdriver :comp13:

you have to have the lock off the bike to get to them. every bike on the road has just about the same up. your car too.

Wow! The last post in this thread was way back on Jan 1st! I can't believe it's 7 months later. How time flies by...

In all this time I am pleased to say that I've managed to scrape together enough time, energy and money to get my beloved VFR running again. The fairings are with the painter now who if you discount the fact that he is falling extremely behind our original timeframe he is a good artist and will (when he finally gets to it) do a good job.

The important problem and the reason for this post is something else entirely.

I took the bike outside a few days ago for the first test run after all this time; she hadn't seen the light of day since last September!

The engine felt so smooth, gearbox the same, clutch discs were binding a bit but they are loosening up and all the electrics were functioning perfectly. So what's the problem then?

Well, it's hard to describe. First thing that I noticed was that the front end felt *very* heavy like the tyre was underinflated. I checked and corrected the pressures but it still feels unnaturally heavy.

Secondly (and most important issue) is that when the bike is moving at low speeds (40-50 kph) it feels like it's swaying gently from side to side. If seems to be incredibly unstable, ready to tip over to the side at the slightest chance. I feel that I need to balance the bike constantly making small adjustments to the steering bars in order to keep a steady line.

There are no vibrations from the wheels, the brakes are working properly and this swaying although repeating seems to be unrelated to the rotation of the wheels.

If I pick the speed up to say 80-100 kph the bike becomes a lot steadier but I have a nagging feeling that this could be from the increased inertia.

Points to consider:

- The bike was fully submerged in water overnight. Could there be water inside the tyres? FWIW when I got her out the tyres were still inflated and remain so until now.

- Tyre pressures have been checked and are ok

- Front wheel bearings were checked and seemed ok

- The headstock bearings have just been replaced with brand new conical bearings. Could that be affecting the handling so much?

- Tyres are still brand new, having about 5000 km to them all on the open roads.

- When the bike was brought up from the river it was picked up from the front wheel. I know it sucks but at that time it was the only viable option to get her out. Could the forks be bent?

Could you guys help out? Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Getting needle bearings properly adjusted can be tricky. Sounds like that's a chief suspect. The forks were not designed for that sort of load but if they were bent it should seem fairly obvious. And I'm sure they were out for the headstock bearing replacement so I'm tempted to skip the thought about re-setting the triple tree. If it wasn't assembled in quite the right order there might be a little tension in the front suspension but I doubt it would cause that heavy feeling you describe.

Combination of bent forks and steering bearing .

Roll On ..

Steering stem bearings may be too tight, tapered roller bearings should be set up much looser than ball bearing steering head bearing.

Look up the 1981 CB900F manual somewhere to get the correct adjustment specs.

BUMP!!!! any progress?

Reason for asking is a fellow dutch 4th gen owner getting caught out by sand.....

He is ok and ready to strip his bike down; will point out this thread to him for tips and inspiration.

Left side fairings took some beating, but like I said, rider ok!!!

This week is school vacation so I will see what I can do to help him.

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Such a sad sight in the first photo. :sad2: Glad he's ok. Lots of work ahead - he'll probably need some encouragement to keep his spirits up. Keep us updated on how it goes.

Pah, just needs a rinse! Ride it slowly back into the river with a bottle of Dove body shower and give it the once over.

In Dutch, but plenty pictures of how he is proceeding.

http://www.vfroc.nl/forumVFR/index.php?showtopic=25895&p=406708

"Hope is the last to die..." :beer:

this is very touching story, I am glad to see that the bike is running again.

These V4 Honda's are still one of the hardest bikes to kill, they will just keep on going if you give them a little TLC

Well, the Dutch bike is not running yet.......................

his first step was draining 8 liters of water from the engine innards......

Squirt Shot!!!!

Handjob rotating the (crank)shaft.....

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Okay, I'm still curious, and maybe you don't know, but how did he crash on what looks to be a very straight and probalby a relatively low-speed road like that and get all the way into the water? Is there a corner just out of the picture?

Dutchy

In Dutch, but plenty pictures of how he is proceeding.

http://www.vfroc.nl/forumVFR/index.php?showtopic=25895&p=406708

"Hope is the last to die..." :beer:

Google translates the page easily - there is some explanation of how it happened. It looks like we have to be signed in as a member to view the photos.

I'd guess that there will be places that seem unlikely that have water in them - the wheels and swingarm are hollow castings - at least to some extent. Including wheel bearings, I would not be surprised to find water in the steering head bearings too. Hopefully the damage is minimal and he can get it back on the road again.

Hmmm didnot realise pictures would be hidden..

Damage would have been far worse in saltwater !!!!

The weaving side-to-side mentioned above is entirely a result of over-tightened steering head bearings.

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L8Apex

Okay, I'm still curious, and maybe you don't know, but how did he crash on what looks to be a very straight and probalby a relatively low-speed road like that and get all the way into the water? Is there a corner just out of the picture?

sand in a chicane not in picture

Wow, that all looks pretty sad and hopeless. Such a shame.

Hope is the last to die.....

Personally I think he'll get it running again. Once the dirt is purged from the engine and it gets dried out it probably will be ok. The carbs and electrical are going to be a PITA and it might be tricky to figure out every place the water worked its way in to but in the end it's possible. Keep the pics coming - this is the cheering section! :smile:

More pics next week!

I have full faith that this one can be saved too. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to hear it fire back up.