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$400 1990 VFR750F


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1990 VFR750F. Bought two days before xmas, 2021. From the OfferUp ad:

1990 Honda VFR 750 $1

 

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Description

Needs 1 small part. Make offer or trade.


Well... shit. DON'T need another bike. But I gotta inquire.

Message the dude thru OfferUp:

"Is the title in your name? When was the last time it ran?"

Response: "It just needs one small part"

"Yeah. I read that. Are you the titled owner and how long since it has ran?"

"Yah, I got the title. A few years. Started dumping fuel out of this part when I was trying to start it"

OK then, we got some info to go on now. I call him and we talk and he seems like a decent dude. I tell him normally I would just come out and look and talk to you in person. But it was a pretty good trek to check it out, so I tell him that and ask, "so... what do you think you wanna get out of it?"

"I don't know, five hundred bucks. I'd probably take 400, I just wanna get back some money I put into it before it got parked."

It's on. We make arrangements for DEC 23rd, my first day off for the Holidays. It's a ferry ride over to Kingston with a trailer, so a $30 tab there. Then down the peninsula to Port Orchard. Couple hours easy. Get there and it's a beauty day, so I'm able to roll it out of the spot you see in the above pic.

 

First thing... Fox Twin Clicker. Good start. The 8 spoke wheel is probably worth what I'm paying anyway, so no risk really. It's all there. Tank is off, but it is drained and 100% clean on the inside. Fuck yes. Original Honda key, owner's manual and tool kit. Asked about a seat cowl and he just looked puzzled... "never mind". New chain and sprockets (chain is pretty rusty). Essentially brand new (5 years ago) Michelin Pilot Power tires. Steel braided lines up front. 70K miles... doesn't really matter on these engines. Look down at the shiny oil filter and pop the dipstick. Oil looked like it just came of a bottle. Cool. It got ridden home from the shop and pretty much parked. Notice the drain plug and adjacent oil pan has been drilled... that actually makes me happy. It means somebody might have gone thru the front end to match the rear shock at some point for a track day or few. The forks feel like they have real springs in them and somebody updated to the later fork caps with pre-load adjustment.

He shows me the "one small part" it needs. "I think it's some kind of fuel separator or something". I am playing dumb. "yeah? huh." It's a plastic vacuum valve with a broken nipple for the emissions that is gonna end up in the trash anyway. "Fuel was coming out of that broken off part". I know it's just dirty carbs at this point.

"you said you'd take $400?" "yep" Exchange money and title / bill of sale and load it up.
 

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Not pretty but hey. Every piece of bodywork has issues, but that tank is really nice. Oh yeah, a Corbin... whatever. Decide to make it a big round trip and drive around thru Tacoma (over a toll bridge) and back up thru Seattle. I left around 9am and got home around 3pm. Pretty good day. At least it was a beautiful day for driving.

Here's back home after a quick strip.
 

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So the winter plan is to clean the carbs and get her running. The carbs are already out and while not great they are not terrible. Very doable. I already have the PAIR system and emission crap eliminated. I bought a 2003 rear wheel to replace the 8 spoke for personal use on my 95 (likely). Then go thru the systems and make it ride-able.

Brakes front and rear are sticking and need to be serviced. Hopefully the pistons aren't pitted.
Flush the coolant system.
I'm sure the fork seals are gonna start leaking the next time I just look at them.
I have a plan for adapting a slip-on (D&D), I think it's gonna work perfect.
Stock 1993 shock on the way (w/ rebound damping) so I can remove the Fox for rebuild (it still passes the critical seat-bounce test we all learned on showroom floors).
New inner / rear fender to replace this hacked unit.
Try and go thru the bodywork to make it mount better and look more presentable.
Gonna modify the passenger peg brackets to remove the peg portions.

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Nice find!  Like you said, you weren't risking anything even if the 8-spoke was the only thing useable.  😎

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Very nice find. LOL, I am eyeing that gas tank 🤤

I checked my engine for running with starting fluids after going through the pre-starting procedures.

Which carb rebuild kits do you guys prefer for the VFR? Keyster or All Balls?

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I source my parts individually.  Viton o-rings for the float bowls and fuel / vent cross over tubes.  Genuine Keihin jets as needed. 

 

Keyster makes decent stuff, but It's still a crap shoot about what you're actually getting.  I personally would rather not spend money on "kits" when I might get one or two usable things out of it.

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2 minutes ago, Captain 80s said:

I source my parts individually.  Viton o-rings for the float bowls and fuel / vent cross over tubes.  Genuine Keihin jets as needed. 

 

Keyster makes decent stuff, but It's still a crap shoot about what you're actually getting.  I personally would rather not spend money on "kits" when I might get one or two usable things out of it.

 

That's what I usually do with my CBs because I know where to source all the needed parts. Besides the link from a Thai site that Bmart forwarded, where can I find the parts? Is there a link/store that has the information of all the parts sizes and such?

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I do it pretty much all trial and error, measuring the application and then fitting samples, adjusting as needed.  I'm just starting to get into RC36 (I have a 95 and now a 90), haven't got into these carbs all the way yet. The float bowl o-rings should be -041.  They are on all of my other Honda V4s.  Fuel cross-overs are 7x2mm on my other bikes.  Can't remember the vent cross over o-rings sizes off the top of my head. 

 

Maybe head over to V4 Dreams and check out what he has.  Awesome resource.

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31 minutes ago, DesertKyorugi said:

Thai site that Bmart forwarded

I have bought from these guys and the CB-1 parts showed up. They're for real. 🙂

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3 minutes ago, bmart said:

I have bought from these guys and the CB-1 parts showed up. They're for real. 🙂

 

I bought stuff for my CBs from a bunch of Thai sites before. They have very good sites for NLA stuff. My problem is waiting for the mail to show up from Thailand

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Goodbye 5 pounds of bullshit.

 

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Pulled the carbs and removed the emissions / PAIR CRAP. Later I will remove the hard lines from the heads and use the fittings to create block off plates. Since I can't get to the rear right now I just decided to loop back on themselves, which I've done before.

 

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I've dealt with worse. This is the left rear carb.

 

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Carbs are apart. The outside is pretty nasty, but the insides all look pretty damn good.

 

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I'm not going to break the carbs apart right now. They will get a full cleaning and bench synch only. The needles were shimmed, pilots are stock at 38 (for CA) and the mains are still #130 (49 & CA). I think the boots will be supple enough with some heat to re-install just to verify how the engine sounds. Then some decisions will be made, like coolant o-rings and alternative jetting. With all the extraneous shit removed around the carbs, they come out pretty easy.

 

V of the motor with 70K miles and then sitting in some weather for a few years. Not pretty.

 

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Nice find, congrats!  Even if it takes some time and money, what a great thing to bring a VFR back from the brink.  It's not something I could do, but huge kudos to you for taking it on.  👍

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New wheel to replace the 8 spoke. 2002 5.5". Pretty sure I will need to machine some reliefs for the rotor nuts, no big deal. Regardless if I keep this bike or not, the 8 spoke wheel will likely not be staying on it. Low mile 1993 shock so I can remove the Fox TC. 1992-93 shocks got aluminum lower clevises with rebound adjustment. The Fox shock will likely not be returning either, I have other plans maybe. In any case it needs to come out for a cleaning and service.

 

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46 minutes ago, Captain 80s said:

Goodbye 5 pounds of bullshit.

 

PXL_20211227_194047605.thumb.jpg.8a4562bcd405d748654cebea2ed6bbe9.jpg

 

Pulled the carbs and removed the emissions / PAIR CRAP. Later I will remove the hard lines from the heads and use the fittings to create block off plates. Since I can't get to the rear right now I just decided to loop back on themselves, which I've done before.

 

PXL_20211227_194058325_MP.thumb.jpg.0e7c75596376994ac190d2beebaa1cd2.jpg

 

I am on the fence with removing mine. It looks a lot more complicated than the ones I removed from my Kawasakis. How easy is it to source the blocking plates?

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12 minutes ago, DesertKyorugi said:

 

I am on the fence with removing mine. It looks a lot more complicated than the ones I removed from my Kawasakis. How easy is it to source the blocking plates?

 

You can get them on eBay for about $30 if you don't wanna make your own from the hard lines fittings you are removing.

 

6-Sigma Block Plates - eBay

 

It's not complicated at all.  Just plugging any EXTRA vent or vacuum ports / lines that are left over.  Seeing the pile of junk on the floor when you're done is very gratifying.

The biggest problem people have is not being able to identify what is a vent or vacuum and what is supposed to remain routed or what is extraneous from the PAIR and/or CA emissions.  A methodical, logical approach makes it easy.  At least in my experience, but I've probably done more than 10 now, easy.

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To de-Cal a CA RC36, plug every port you've removed a hose from, except this one:

 

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Vinyl vacuum caps seem to last longer than rubber ones.  They're also prettier...

 

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Ciao,

 

JZH

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Offer-up is the real bottom-feeder of sale sites or apps or whatever it is.  I need to start looking there again.  They had the TV commercials with somebody parachuting in to buy your crap, etc.  When you post items for sale, all you need is a picture and a price, you don't have to write a single word!  The app will look at the picture of your VFR for sale and title it "red motorcycle for sale" if you can't be bothered to create your own description.

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18 minutes ago, CharlieFoxtrot said:

Offer-up is the real bottom-feeder of sale sites or apps or whatever it is.  I need to start looking there again.  They had the TV commercials with somebody parachuting in to buy your crap, etc.  When you post items for sale, all you need is a picture and a price, you don't have to write a single word!  The app will look at the picture of your VFR for sale and title it "red motorcycle for sale" if you can't be bothered to create your own description.

 

I think that was "Let Go", which Offer Up bought.  You still have to create the ad in Offer Up.

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Oh, you're right.  I'll check them out.  By the time I search CL and FB, I'm usually too aggravated to look at anything else...  eBay?  Fuggedaboudit!  Only if I have a part number! 

 

I got a complete RC24 750 engine with carbs (sitting for years, haven't tried to turn the crank) for $20 recently on FB...  Included a furniture dolly and a milk crate, so I'm WAY ahead!

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I probably miss out on some FB shit, but it's FB.  Bleh. 

 

Every now and then I'll skim the Market Place if I remember, but then I have to take a Silkwood shower.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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Carbs cleaned, bench synched and re-assembled.  Even with the older insulators, the carbs went right in with a very satisfying "pop".  She fired instantly. No weird noises or smoke. Fucking awesome. Came off choke almost immediately and into a nice idle. Settles quickly back into idle after some revs. No fuel leaks. Small exhaust leak at the rear flange, I can see the missing nut. I'll take care of that when I have the sub frame off to replace the shock.

I can proceed as planned.

And then the valve covers started POURING oil. Hah! Some more work I guess. At least I know the motor is good. Stoked!

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I managed to cause a small Exxon Valdez recreation on my 86 in the mancave after bolting the rear cam cover back down but failing to check that the seal was in the groove all the way around. There appears to be some Rubiks cube magic involved in getting that cover back in place. Hopefully a nice easy fix for you too. 

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The leaks are from age and/or sitting, I didn't have them off.  When I get them off and they are hopefully not crumbling, I will likely clean them and Hondabond them up to move this thing on.  It was still a relief to hear the motor fire up.  I did have to unplug and clean a couple connectors in front of the dash on the harness to "release" the ignition spark.  That was another big relief. 

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9 minutes ago, Terry said:

There appears to be some Rubiks cube magic involved in getting that cover back in place.

 

Sometimes I get it the first try and it almost falls thru in place.  I wonder, "Why did I have such an issue last time.  Now I got it".

Smash-cut to the next time and I'm hitting it on the frame and subframe, spinning it for different approach vectors, knocking the gasket out, etc.

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Rear wheel machined for rotor hardware clearance.

 

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Fox Shock out.  It looks corroded, but it's really just mostly dirty.  The green is shock fluid...  bleh.

 

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Low mile 93 shock in.  It responds to damping adjustments, so that's cool.

 

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Now on to brakes.  The pistons looked far nicer than I thought they would, so they should just a need a good cleaning and reassembly.

 

 

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