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Faux 45 (RC 45 STREET Bike Replica)


VFR-To-FJR

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I'd love to own an RC 45. The reality is that there too few of them in the USA and that I couldn't afford one if I could find one. In addition, I want to ride it on the roads. An original is not the best choice for my use. (Also, I'm 6' 2" tall with a 34" inseam)

I read the post about the "Linderman" (Sp.?) replica but fear that bike was built in Holland.

Here are a few initial questions:

1. Which year would be the best foundation for such a project. My initial thought is to use a 5th gen. (I know that it has an 800 cc rather than the RVF's 750.)

2. Is there a shop in the USA (I'm in the NYC area) that has done, or would do, such a project.

3. Have any VFRD members attempted such a project?

Thanks for any thoughts you may offer.

Sandy

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Hi Sandy

Regarding which bike to use as a base - the 5th Gen actually has the RC45 motor (with a 180 degree crank instead of the 360 degree crank that came in RC45), but the frame is quite different due to the swingarm pivoting in the engine case. The 4th Gen frame, however, is almost indistinguishable from the RC45 frame to the untrained eye.

There are a few 3rd and 4th Gen VFR750s here with RC45 bodywork. MrMatt has one under construction and I daresay he'll be along to post his thoughts here soon.

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I've seen a few RC45 replica's on this site and I think most if not all were built on 3rd or 4th gen. VFR's. The 4th gens frame is almost identical to the RC45. Mine has an USD fork from a GSXR, Kosman Adjustable triple, steering head has been steepened by 1 deg., frames been lazer trued and polished, much eng work, 2 bros full exhaust, 49 state carbs w/ jet kit, RC45 rear wheel, Airtech 94-96 RVF750 race glass, and @ present is 100 lbs lighter than stock VFR.

post-17506-0-70552600-1319561009_thumb.j

post-17506-0-56415200-1319561043_thumb.j

post-17506-0-97429600-1319561136_thumb.j

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Thank you The Phantom, Veefer 800 Canuk and trjerm. Your information and comments are very helpful.

I've located a 1997 VFR 750 with 16,000 miles on it and am negotiating the price with the owner.

The Phantom, I look forward to Mr. Matt's comments.

Trjerm, did you consider the RC 30 STREET upper cowl (with the dual round headlight openings) for your project? Was your choice of GSXR front end parts based on performance, availability, or cost?

Thank you all.

S.

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Hello, I got mine the cheap way, I bought an uncompleted racer off Ebay for 3K and put another $1500 or so into it to make it back into a streetbike. I think I'd look @ Beasley composites and get the street upper, lower and the solo tail($600+s/h). The GSXR front end, Kosmans triples, Brakes, Etc came off a GSXR race bike, these guys put between $18-20K into this build($6-8K in eng), before the rules changed to allow 100cc fours to race in superbike , @ that point they stopped working on this and started building a CBR 929 RR to race. (another 20K project that was totalled on its 1st track day). Anyway I think your heading in the right direction w/ that 97. If the stock plastics are in decent shape you could sell them and make enough to buy the Beasleycomposite race glass. Hopefully the 97 has aftermarket exhaust if not then just buy a slip on(High mount) and look @ the numerous post on USD fork conversions(what triples etc) Good Luck and have fun

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Who's that other guy from New Zealand that signed on not too long ago? Didn't he buy a 4th gen done up as a Castrol RC45?

That's Gav, will dig up his topic(s) and post links here.

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Hey Sandy

I also share your ambition, love the RC45 but don't have the cash to buy one. Maybe when I become rich and famous... (not likely)

I've been taking it in a couple of stages so bear with me

So I started with a 4th gen since the frame is pretty close in appearance to the RC45 and doesn't have the frame vents that the 3rd gen has. I put a CBR954 front end on it, TBR headers for the left side exhaust, CBR900 gauges (the VFR ones can't fit), Ducati rear wheel (single nut), and planning to put a CBR900 subframe on as well since it's so much lighter. This is how far I got:

DSC02149.JPG

DSC02151.JPG

DSC02150.JPG

I have a few more in my gallery

The headlights are from aztec8 (or some such name), and I haven't fitted the subframe on it. The body is from Beasley Composites and does a pretty good job of fitting except for these places:

Belly pan: needed to trim a lot of this to get around the exhaust, may need to do more to raise it up for ground clearance

Clutch cover: had a lot of problems with the interference here, finally got tired of it and decided to cut it away

Mounting brackets are tricky, I have a small hobby end mill so I've been able to make my own brackets out of aluminum, also made the headlight mounting bracket.

I got tired of not having a bike to ride, so I put this one back together with the original body work and stock exhaust (with a Staintune high mount) and kept the fork and wheel upgrades to it. Then I found an engine and frame and have been building up a second bike that will eventually sport the RC45 bodywork. Only thing I changed for this build is I'm using a 04-06 R1 front end.

DSC02249.JPG

Then I bought a house (that doesn't have a very good garage), and got married, and started working on a Honda Hawk, so the only progress I've made in the last year is to put some wheels on it so I could move it to my new place.

So eventually I'll finish, but its been slow. And kind of expensive (more than I initially thought at least), but I love to tinker and build stuff so I'm having much more fun than I would if I just went out and bought one. Plus there's the fame and riches part...

Good luck, let us know how you fare, and if you have any questions just ask

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Who's that other guy from New Zealand that signed on not too long ago? Didn't he buy a 4th gen done up as a Castrol RC45?

That's Gav, will dig up his topic(s) and post links here.

Found it

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/63024-rc36rr-rvf-clone/

It's actually a 3rd gen...

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IMG563.jpg

One thing I'm concerned about is the area where the tail comes into the tank/frame and matching that angle, I haven't really gotten that far yet to see how close it is on the 4th gen

Edited by mrmatt
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Matt, I had that same problem with my RC45 tail. The lines did not follow the tank or frame. So...

I added some fiberglass to the top and front, enough so I could trim at will.

side1.jpg?psid=1&ck=0&ex=720

After the first trimming, I had it where I liked along the tank and had thoughts of mounting to the frame at the bottom...

DSCN2784.jpg?psid=1&ck=0&ex=720

but it just bugged me how it overlapped the frame so I trimmed it to follow the frame and that's how it should have looked all along. Only mounted at the top but it is so sturdy that flexing is not an issue.

DSCN2792.JPG?psid=1&ck=0&ex=720

And yes, a replica is way cheaper especially when you couldn't buy one if you wanted.(my inspiration)

Spencer_1983_NS500.jpg

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  • 7 years later...
On 10/29/2011 at 8:07 PM, flyguyeddy said:

get a 4th gen frame and put a vfr800 engine in it 😉

yea yea, i know it probably wont fit very easily, but if u cut that swingarm pivot off of the back of the engine your halfway there.....

 

Resurrecting this thread, but I actually looked into doing this and although yes you could cut the S/A mount off the back of the RC46 engine, the front mounts are way off. You would have the cut the original front mounts off the frame (i.e. those 2 lower side rails on the RC36), fabricate new mounts and weld them onto the frame. All in all I decided it wasn't worth it as the 4th Gen frame is not actually very similar to the RC45 frame anyway. Once the bodywork is on it wouldn't be too obvious, but the front engine mounts for the RC45 are more like the RVT1000, with long arms that drop down from the main frame rails which are themselves much deeper on the RC45. Presumably to keep it really stiff.

 

I have decided to use a 5th Gen 800 as the starting point. Although as standard the frame looks quite different around the Swing/Arm area, by the time you fit a VTEC lower frame (with footrest mounts etc), you could then fit a simple plate between the 2 and it would at first glance look like the solid frame as used on the 4th Gen and RC45. The front engine mounts are then more similar (but hidden so no big deal anyway) and most importantly, it is then basically an RC45 engine with cam drive on the end rather than in the middle and of course, fuel injection. With some cams as designed by Mohawk (copying the RC45 profiles), it would make slightly more power than an actual standard RC45.

 

That's what I'm starting with, anyway. Fortunately I have an actual RC45 to copy from as needed.

 

Currently I'm looking into sources of plastics, both for this and an RC30 replica that WILL be based on a 4th Gen. 😀

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Ken,

I, too, have the urge to make a faux RC45 from my '97.

Focusing on the graphics; got any leads on vinyl graphics?

I'm leaning towards Beasley Composites for the fairings.

Thanks for the Mohawk camshaft lead; I'm thinking of custom high-compression pistons and ethanol, so different cams are possible.

Pictures when able?

Brian

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I haven't checked on Beasley Composites yet. I was going to do that yesterday, but forgot. I'm going to look today, but I suspect probably not ideal for me as I'm in the UK and I somehow doubt they are.

 

Why do you want to use ethanol? Unless I'm very much mistaken, it's got a lower calorific value than regular petrol. Do you mean methanol? Personally I wouldn't. A small overbore and some suitable pistons a camshafts a la Mohawk would make a nice usable power output. Much as I cannot shake off the long held desire for more power, it makes no sense whatsoever with the limitations imposed on us by the authorities (over here anyway). 200hp and 200mph bikes is simply insane in this day and age and realistically totally unusable to anywhere near their max. I don't care how good a rider anyone thinks they are. 100mph in the UK and lose your license if caught. 120mph means possibly go to jail and I REALLY don't want to do that. So for me these days the emphasis is on interesting bikes to look at and comfortable ones to ride. 😀

 

Having said that, 120 rwhp from a VFR is a nice output. I've ridden a fair bit with Mohawk and his bike is the fastest VFR800 I've ever come across. Some way to go though until it can match my VFR1200 eVo4 😁

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Well Ken, I believe that you are very much mistaken then.  Nope, I definitely mean "ethanol" (aka 'ethyl alcohol').

Methanol is a bit too poisonous for me, plus, I can distill my own fuel (eventually).

Yes, less caloric value PER EQUAL MASS, but you have to use more ethanol than gasoline (air/fuel ratio), so ACTUALLY, you make MORE horsepower.

Yeah, most people "wouldn't" because they don't really understand the benefits (cleaner burning, more power, environment, maybe less expensive, cooler burning, much higher octane), but yes, the mileage MAY decrease a small amount.  I'm pursuing it for the POWER.  We get an 85% ethanol blend here, so it is available (maybe add "availability" to the drawback list).

Did you know that our Indy Car racing series uses E85?  They certainly make plenty of power.  Also drag racers like it.

The high (14:1 maybe 15:1) compression pistons take advantage of the high octane and greatly increase the mechanical efficiency (power).

 

Yes, there are certainly risks to excessive speed (shame you have such a repressive government, us too. :smile:), but the extra power also translates to quicker acceleration.

You understand all of that as you want to overbore and change camshafts for more power.  

 

On to fairings, yes, there are some European manufacturers and THOSE would probably be cost prohibitive for ME. Understood, we'll pick the best 'local' sources.

Are you going to paint or use vinyl graphics?  A while ago, I saw a French graphics company had made an RC45 fairing decal, but I can't locate that company now.

Decals would be easier/cheaper/more accurate than paint for me.

 

I need to find a spare engine to fool ('fuel'?) around with before I tear into mine, but the fairings s/b much sooner if I can find that decal.

My timeframe is probably a year or 2 on the engine plans.

Brian

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My time frame is similarly 'extended' as I have many other products concurrently underway.

 

Have fun with using ethanol. You do understand that more power does does not necessarily mean better acceleration, that being a function of torque. Increase the max revs of any engine means a higher max power figure, but that does not necessarily mean more torque. It may be the same or even be reduced. Power enables your top speed, but it's torque that gets you there.

 

I'm not bothered about the 'power' of the VFR as that's not what I want it for. If I do feel the need, I have much quicker bikes to play on, although trying not to. 😀

 

I've not really thought about painting/decals etc. The RC45 uses an interesting idea of different fairing pieces having a different base colour, but then decals that spread across joins which is the simplest way to achieve that colour pattern.

 

Whatever you do discover about decals etc, please report back here and I'll do the same. Hopefully we can help each other out on that. 

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21 minutes ago, Smack said:

On to fairings, yes, there are some European manufacturers and THOSE would probably be cost prohibitive for ME. Understood,

 I just had a look at Beasley Composites and they can supply RC45 parts suitable for road use with holes for the lights. However I'm also looking for the same for the RC30, but they only offer race versions for that. Either way, no prices so I've no idea if they're worth considering.

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37 minutes ago, BiKenG said:

 I just had a look at Beasley Composites and they can supply RC45 parts suitable for road use with holes for the lights. However I'm also looking for the same for the RC30, but they only offer race versions for that. Either way, no prices so I've no idea if they're worth considering.

 

A friend ordered an upper from Beasley for his RC24.  It was well made and a decent price.  Fitment was good and the pre-cut headlight hole was done well.  I wouldn't call it thick, but it was thicker than some "race glass" I've handled.  It did not have every factory mount incorporated though, and since he eliminated the mirror holes as well, he had to fab an extra bracket to secure it.

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