Vf1000r Rebuild

[SEBSPEED]

Hey Tom, mind if I ask what paint you're using on the clutch slave? I was thinking of using PJ1's Honda case paint(match for their dirt bike cases), which would be a magnesium color.

The more parts I attach to my frame, the darker it gets...

I used Ace gold metallic. Not sure I like it.

Downside: -The bling factor

Upside: -It does a great job of breaking up a dark area on the bike

-The bling factor :unsure:

Last time I tried to get PJ1 paints from my dealer, they gave me a run around about backorders or some crap... I think they just forgot my order a couple times... gonna check with them again tonight about the case paint.

[SEBSPEED]

Kel, seeing the plate shouldn't be a problem. I tossed an old, out of date plate on for reference:

Please excuse the skewed tail and taillight, they aren't bolted down and the grommets for the light aren't back in yet...

Couple more for good measure:

[VF1000RS]

Took the F out for about 50 miles saturday, then about 100 miles sunday. Nothing fell off or broke. Ran over a piece of metal on saturday and thought I had lost something, checked the bike ok, and checked my tools when I got back, everything ok and I hadn`t forgotten a tool in the bike somewhere. Sunday I had a "moment" where I went into a blind right-hander and was too wide, was leaned over on the double yellow and had to make myself trust the tires instead of braking and running wide, cranked it over a bit more and without drama came back to my lane. I like the tires so far, the bike actually feels more nimble than stock at low speeds and is stable at much higher speed but there is definitely a point where you need to commit to the lean. I like to work my way up to the limit without going past it. Right now I still have 1/2" to 3/4" chicken strips on both the front and rear tires. Fair enough for a couple shakedown runs through mountain roads.

The bike is still not exactly how I want it, need to get it closer to being balanced front to rear. I started by setting the fork up like my R. Backed off the compression on the front, probably need to do more. Backed off my initial preload on the front also and need more in the rear. Definitely a totally different animal than my R, the R has much more weight on the front tire than the F. More twiddling of suspension settings to come. Think I may go for a lower bend on the bars also....more to come.

P.S. The front brakes kick ass. The little rear does very little as the pads haven`t worn to the rotor yet...I may have a flatter rotor to swap in since locking the front while pulling off onto gravel at speed to wait for my buddy isn`t fun. I don`t need it to do much, but next to nothing won`t work.

All in all a good couple shakedown runs.

Almost forgot, new chain with original grease makes a helluva mess on the white rear wheel after 150 miles...

[VF1000RS]

Looks good Seb. I like the way you smoothed the plastic when you cut off the fender.

Can`t wait for those nice white wheels to look like this:

[VF1000RS]

I was curious as to how the 5.5 would affect handling. I imagined it would turn in slower. Large radial vs small bias has to change things as well. Hopefully all for the better.

It handled surprisingly well. Must be the profile of the tires. Not as nimble as say, my Nighthawk S, but at least as good as the stock sized tires if not better. This is at low city speeds. At faster twisty speeds, it definitely wants to lean faster and further than I have had it, but I need to get the suspension dialed in before I try to find the tire edges. The pegs also feel too low and the bars too high at the moment....but it is comfortable...must be getting old...nah!

[vfrcapn]

Well, I took my F out today too, just around the block. Really seems like it has nice torque, I could feel it just wanted to loft the front wheel. Sounds good, very comfy, upright position. Feels like so much more power down low than the VFR.

Same motor, I just (don't tell Seb), JBWelded the motor mount back on. It's leaking though and won't stop so it's not going anywhere. Oh well, what could have been...

That stinks. No lead on a motor or cases yet? Light a fire under Chuck, he needs it!

He said it would probably be around September. Someone needs to light a fire under me too, 'cuz I don't know that I'm up for a motor rebuild. It has DMV issues too that I'm not too up to fight about. This thing may be headed for the parts bin in the sky unless someone has $800 to ride it away. kitty litter to soak up the oil trail not included..

R motor just about ready to go in the frame hopefully this weekend. Got Jamie's oil kit installed.

[Guest]

Hi all. Im a new member here. I have been following this thread for a while. You guys seem like the best people to ask a few questions. First off, I am currently riding the VF1000F and I bought the VFKR as a parts bike for one that I will have this fall to do a ground up on over the winter. I am getting itchy now though and have swapped the R front wheel to the F. I am in the middle of swapping the R swingarm and rear wheel to the F as well. I have two questions. First, When doing the swingarm swap what have you been doing for the torque arm for the rear brake? I am thinking of machining a new arm and machining and welding a stay for it on the forward end of the swingarms underside. Can you see any complications with this? Second I also want to swap the motor and carbs to the F as well. What are the obsticals that I am going to encounter in doing the swap and what solutions have you found for them? Thanks a bunch..

Hondanut :warranty:

[VF1000RS]

Hi all. Im a new member here. I have been following this thread for a while. You guys seem like the best people to ask a few questions. First off, I am currently riding the VF1000F and I bought the VFKR as a parts bike for one that I will have this fall to do a ground up on over the winter. I am getting itchy now though and have swapped the R front wheel to the F. I am in the middle of swapping the R swingarm and rear wheel to the F as well. I have two questions. First, When doing the swingarm swap what have you been doing for the torque arm for the rear brake? I am thinking of machining a new arm and machining and welding a stay for it on the forward end of the swingarms underside. Can you see any complications with this? Second I also want to swap the motor and carbs to the F as well. What are the obsticals that I am going to encounter in doing the swap and what solutions have you found for them? Thanks a bunch..

Hondanut :warranty:

Welcome. I tied the R torque arm to the F frame by using a longer bolt(60mm) through the lower peg hanger mounting hole:

I used one of he bushings for the stock shock upper eye as the stock torque arm bushing has an internal diameter too small. Also had to cut it shorter. Then a washer and a locknut to hold it in place. This needs to pivot so grease it up. I am using a wider wheel, and I bent the torque arm around the wheel so not sure if it will line up for you with the stock R wheel.

Also thought of just making a torque arm bracket like the R`s, then welding it to the frame on the F. Looks simple enough, but I haven`t yet decided whether to put an R motor in the F frame or convert an R frame to carry the F bodywork.

[Guest]

Ok I have just created an album in the members area. Sorry no pics yet of the R front wheel installed but when both wheels are on I will post another.

Go here Visit My Website

[Guest]

Im not sure yet. The VFKR that im getting at the end of the summer I have not seen yet. All I know is that its in pieces and in good shape. The one problem with it is that its missing parts. Which parts Im not sure. I shoulkd know at the end of the summer when I have all the parts together and figure out what all is missing. After that sure. If I have two then no problem :unsure: :unsure:

[vfrcapn]

Hey capn, got an underside shot of the motor? I'm 99.999% sure I know where to drill for the oil tap... a pic would cinch the deal. I spent $75 on parts and will build my own oil kit... pics coming soon, looks very similar to yours. :unsure:

Is this pic clear enough?

On the R motor there's a raised area with a little dimple in the middle, that's right where I drilled. yeah, if I had known then what I know now I would have assembled the kit myself.

[VF1000RS]

So, I was getting my daughters ATV checked out for summer today and got my R checked out also(poor neglected thing, don`t mind the dust!) and thought I might as well do a quick comparison. My R feels tight, a little reluctant to turn at low speed(Dunlop 208`s), motor quiet except for the gear whine and the bellow from the twin Yoshi`s. Big power from the motor, addictive.

Hop on the F and it immediately feels like a chopper...bars are too high and the ass too low and compresses too easily, need lower bars and I think I`m going to send the Works shock back for a stiffer spring(had this in the back of my mind since last weekends ride, this ride clinches it). It also feels loose, turns easier at low speed than my R though(high bars, pointier profile tires-Michelin Pilot Powers). I feel disconnected from the front end with the high bars. The motor makes more noise than my R(cam chains vs gears I suppose) and doesn`t feel anywhere near as strong...weird, what frame of reference will do to your mind, thought it was adequate until I rode my R, wait, that`s not right, it is adequate, enough to get me in trouble easily, but the brakes haul me back down, not as much power, immediately, as the R.

Switch to my nice, completely stock 86 R. Quiet except for gear whine, notchier trans than either of the others. Doesn`t seem to want to pull like my R or even the F for that matter...I think the stock exhaust must really cork these up, mine seems a beast compared to this one. Comfortable and I think of sport touring on it. Don`t feel I could push the front end on it, seems a little vague. On the other 2, I felt like giving it a handful of throttle until I scared myself, this one I seem to want to just cruise, weird. Give it the berries anyway, then haul it down with the brakes, definitely less powerful than the RC51 brakes on the others(big mystery there!), but pretty good for this big girl. That`s the other thing, this one feels alot heavier than the other 2 and doesn`t turn as easily at low speeds as the F or my modded R. Probably has to do more with the Dunlop 501`s in 120/80/16 and 150/70/17 and their flatter profile than anything. Front end feels less a part of the bike on this one for sure.

Here`s the girls after their outing today:

And what would it be if I didn`t get one from the rear...

[vfrcapn]

Sleep is over-rated anyway....

Ain't that the truth.

A small milestone.

Any suggestions on the swing arm? Basic black? Polish it? I have some textured black I planned to go with but now I'm not so sure.

I'm kind of liking the red wheels on this eBay bike too.

[VF1000RS]

Maybe black or white on the wheels. If you are using the RC forks, maybe a brown to match and polish the lip along the edges of the swingarm. Or a gold that`s not too garish. Silver is always good.

[VF1000RS]

That`s a brand new chain with original chain grease everywhere. I use the Honda HP stuff that doesn`t fling normally...and just wipe off the side plates to keep the bling factor intact! Might have to try the Bel Ray stuff.

Just so this doesn`t turn into a chain lube thread...sending my shock back to Works today for them to replace my spring with a 1000 lb spring under their 30 day ride quality gaurantee.

[vfrcapn]

Throwing out a couple questions:

Is there an alternative thermostat for the R, maybe something from an auto? Dealers want $30 for OEM.

Is there an alternative fuel pump?

Thanks

[JamieDaugherty]

Just so this doesn`t turn into a chain lube thread...sending my shock back to Works today for them to replace my spring with a 1000 lb spring under their 30 day ride quality gaurantee.

That's surprising, a 1000lb/in is the minimum I install on shocks for the 1000's. Are they going to revalve too? My experience with their shocks is they are really underdamped, going to a higher rate spring will expose this even more.

On the fuel pump topic - all of my V4's run gravity feed with no issues at all. I've run them this way for many years and the only difference is that they don't break down (for this reason at least) anymore!

[vfrcapn]

On the fuel pump topic - all of my V4's run gravity feed with no issues at all. I've run them this way for many years and the only difference is that they don't break down (for this reason at least) anymore!

Can you post some pics on how you routed the fuel lines? I ran it as short as I saw possible without kinking the line, it wasn't getting any fuel - I did have a filter inline. Worked fine with an elevated external tank & then with the fuel pump but it died on the gas tank.

Once I got the motor in the oil fitting is very, very tight up against the frame. Is this going to be an issue with vibration and flexing of the frame?

[vfrcapn]

Hmm... should the hole for the fitting be drilled as far inboard as possible?

By the way, it's looking great Mike! Paint or powder on the frame? I think the swingarm would look good in silver, my bike is kinda on the dark side...

It should have been about 3mm more inboard, too late now. I'm just worried about snapping it off at some point while riding. That would be bad. Real bad.

Any sealant on those threads in to the case? I was just going to use some red loctite.

Thanks! Just paint, best quote I got was $560 to powder the frame and swingarm, so about $25 in spray cans it was. :blush:

[VF1000RS]

That's surprising, a 1000lb/in is the minimum I install on shocks for the 1000's. Are they going to revalve too? My experience with their shocks is they are really underdamped, going to a higher rate spring will expose this even more.

Interesting. So much for taking my weight and riding style into account. I weigh 165 and specified aggressive street, twisty mountain roads. I even talked at length about the front end and wheel modifications and my preferences as to how this bike was to be used. Well, maybe they took my weight and decided it was an old sloppy VF, those guys don`t expect much... send that guy a chopper shock. Sent it out today with a note as to what I needed. I had also talked to Oscar and Ortiz on the phone previous to this and they are expecting it, I think a follow up call when it arrives(I`ll be tracking it) is in order. Wish I could build a flipping shock myself...., I know what I want, I just have to feel it so I know it`s right. Just need to make sure they get it how I want it.

[vfrcapn]

Is it touching the frame? If it is, I really doubt it will snap or be a problem, maybe just rub some paint off.

Don`t know about Jamie`s kit, but if that is a pipe thread fitting, I`d use teflon tape.

It's under a lot of lateral pressure from the frame, I'm surprised I got the frame on. I hadn't completely tightened up the pipe thread insert in to the motor so I took the 90 fitting off and it doesn't look like it's going to be easy to get it back on w/out stripping the threads. I'm going to have to bend the 90 slightly or loosen the frame mounts to install it. I either got the drill off center a little or ended up tapping at a slight angle.

I wasn't sure if teflon tape would hold up to the heat and oil but I can give it a try. Any recommendations Jamie?

[JamieDaugherty]

It's under a lot of lateral pressure from the frame, I'm surprised I got the frame on. I hadn't completely tightened up the pipe thread insert in to the motor so I took the 90 fitting off and it doesn't look like it's going to be easy to get it back on w/out stripping the threads. I'm going to have to bend the 90 slightly or loosen the frame mounts to install it. I either got the drill off center a little or ended up tapping at a slight angle.

I wasn't sure if teflon tape would hold up to the heat and oil but I can give it a try. Any recommendations Jamie?

Humm, from the pictures it looks like it's not touching. The process is intended to be done with the engine installed, that helps line things up better. About the only thing I can think of is to make an extension. I don't really like that because it could easily turn into a "rigged" looking setup. In reality the fitting is most likely going to be ok as long as you can reinstall it.

Teflon has a tremendously high temperature rating and will fine. I don't use it on that fitting when I install them but it would not hurt anything.

[VF1000RS]

You need a low profile 90 fitting to replace that fitting I think. NPT on the engine end, AN to the hose end. I`ll see if I can get a pic and maybe a part number. Need time.

I`ve had teflon tape on mine for years now. Any NPT fitting, you really don`t want to risk a leak there.

Try a Google search on Earls 922104 . Then replace the existing 90 hose end fitting with a straight AN hose end fitting. That _may_ give you the clearance and also has a swivel which may also help. ANplumbing.com has worked for me in the past.

[vfrcapn]

You need a low profile 90 fitting to replace that fitting I think. NPT on the engine end, AN to the hose end. I`ll see if I can get a pic and maybe a part number. Need time.

I`ve had teflon tape on mine for years now. Any NPT fitting, you really don`t want to risk a leak there.

Try a Google search on Earls 922104 . Then replace the existing 90 hose end fitting with a straight AN hose end fitting. That _may_ give you the clearance and also has a swivel which may also help. ANplumbing.com has worked for me in the past.

I think that might work. Thanks for the tip on AN Plumbing, they look like the best pricing. I'll see when the order gets here.

Did you mean 921104? http://secure.chassisshop.com/partdetail/921104/ I don't think there's enough room to screw in the 922104, 10mm to the case. The 1104 should work with the straight hose fitting. It's tight, it's pointed straight at the frame rail, there is no offset and I don't think there was more than a mm or two I could have offset it.

[JamieDaugherty]

The 921104 won't help, if your current fitting is hitting then it will also. The 922104 might be better but you'll just have to try it and see. The pictures are often misleading, they normally show a -6 or -8 size fitting and the -4's are not usually proportional to those.

Another option would be to use a 45 on the AN-NPT adaptor part. It would be Earl's part 982304 and you would also need a 45 hose end fitting, Aeroquip part FBM1021. You should be able to get the adaptor in there and it would allow you to angle the lines away from the frame rail while also getting it in the right direction.