The return of the Red Baron

Hello all. 

I wasn't sure where exactly to put this story, I had already completed an introduction post (Linky-poo) but I haven't been around or active much (soooo much lurking) as I have had my hands tied up with the below:

After doing some investigation and various bits and pieces I had everything I needed to be able to work on the bike. Mechanically very little was needed, in the end it was some various seals/gaskets, full fluid flushes, front brake, starter motor and carbie rebuilds, some fine tuning and a tiny bit of re-wiring. The painting held me back for a few months as I was waiting for the right weather - I even built myself a boot to do it in. Luckily, at the last moment I was able to secure a booth through a friend and used that, instead. 

I have never really done a lot of panel repair before, and especially not to this level, and I had never really painted before. I've got no doubt in my mind that the experienced spray painters will be able to recognize my (many?) errors along the way, but for my first go I'm pretty happy with the result. 

All up, the bike, parts, paint, tools, materials, registration, roadworthy and insurance have cost me A$3,500 - to put that into context, a reasonable condition second hand one in Aus (where you would still need to pay rego, roadworthy, etc) would cost around 4,000 - 5,000 - so I'm extremely please to have the old gilr up and running, now looking as good as she is mechanically. Plus, I got to rescue this amazing bike!

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She's a beaut. Congrats.

Good job mate, they are getting harder to find. 

Red NACA's are the best VFRs!!!

You will have to pardon my ignorance - what does NACA stand for? I've seen it popping up everywhere and realize/assume it has something to do with vents/ducts?

This is at the risk of embarrassing myself - but I have to know!

It's the arrow-shaped scoop on the side of the bodywork. NACA is the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the research body that designed the shape of the scoop. Outside of being used on aircraft, I think the 4th gen VFR and Ferrari F40 are the most notable production vehicles to use it, though you see it on competition race vehicles as well. 

Thanks!

12 hours ago, hunterz

You will have to pardon my ignorance - what does NACA stand for? I've seen it popping up everywhere and realize/assume it has something to do with vents/ducts?

This is at the risk of embarrassing myself - but I have to know!

The NACA "shapes" are for all low-drag-through-fluids situations. I raced beach catamarans for recreation before motorcycling and the shape of dagger boards and rudders were NACA shapes. 

Here is a link to a pdf for an detailed description:

http://www.dept.aoe.vt.edu/~mason/Mason_f/CAtxtAppA.pdf

Welcome, and F....

Oops, wrong board. Welcome. :happy:

Take a look at this, might help your cracked faring.

http://harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=plastic+welder

Thanks @VFR4Lee, all the repairs have already been done - I actually used a two part system which was both strong and easy to use (I forget the name, I'll check when I get home). 

The last 4 pictures show it repaired and painted and on the prowl. I'll see if I can take some area comparison shots to highlight the before and after. 

Awesome job.  There is nothing quite so rewarding as venturing into new craft and pulling it off.  And you did.   I imagine you look at the result and say I could have done this and that better but I did OK.   Nonsense,  you did much better than OK.   Even if you become a world rejoined bike bulder you will always look on this one and wonder "How the hell did I manage to pull that off". It is a singular moment you will always have.

 NACA was the American aeronautics agency that preceded NASA. And a NACA vent was designed to take surface air to the interior without causing turbulence or disrupting the laminar flow along the rest of the outside skin.

Its not going to bring as much air in as a scoop would  but its not going to disturb the rest of the airflow like a scoop would either.