3Rd Gen Budget Rigging.

[Guest MickeyMakeitWork]

New poster, Low/no budget set aside for any portion of the "modifications" done to my bike. Just wanted to share the personal experience I have had with the wonderful machine I had/have the great pleasure of owning.

No disrespect intended toward the classic form of factory 3rd gen VFRs. I love it just as much as you do, but finances made it impossible for me to restore the former stock glory of my machine.

I got my vfr a few years ago 3rd hand from someone who didn't respect the bike at all, I purchased a reliably bad regulator/rectifier problem in full swing and a left side high speed dump.

*****Keep in mind, I have no garage, no manufacturing tools/equipment and no money. I rely on wd40 and duct tape for everything (plus or minus any generic tool that is typically seen in a house haha)*****

I'll just toss a few pictures in partially correct chronological order over the past couple years of passive adaptations.

This is how I got the bike. This is the good side with no real damage, I don't have a picture of the damage when I got it because It was just plain ugly. 900 bucks... corbin leather seat, vance and hines pipe.. about 35k miles. works for me.

This was what was left of the left mid fairing,

I decided to be Macgyver and make the rest out of bondo...

It didn't fit worth a damn so i gave up and restarted with a material that was lying around my house that happened to be GREAT at holding bends if you exaggerate the bends past where you want them to hold. This process took over 10 hours of winging it and heavy cutting and blisters with what are commonly called "tin snips"

ta-da.... free fairing. and some 1.50 plastic letters/numbers. Mickey Mouse, level 1 achieved

Garage for winter? no......no. outdoor porch for my winter work in 20 degree weather.

Spray can the bottom fairing, Mickey Mouse level 2.

I decided to make a "decal" for the left side of the bike to draw attention away from the mismatched paint and heavy plastic damage. Obviously I had to go with the Honda Racing wings. Mickey Mouse Level 3

I went through that summer with the wings soaring over massachusetts and turning heads. too bad the heads were laughing while they turned. Doesn't matter have Ride.

I have the constant urge to let that one sided swing arm breath and be appreciated for how sexy it is. So I decided to slap the R1 tail on her. As it turns out, I had to do some lovely grinding of a good portion of the subframe I got in order to get it even remotely legit to sit on. Hand Grinder, Machine bolts, Bricks and a whole lot of Macguyver juice. Mickey mouse level 4,5, and 6 achieved....of course

TEFLON ALL DAY.. Had to fill in the gap between the seat and the tank because 3 inches of air thats why. This proved to be very tricky with a flat tank surface near the seat and the rounded seat front as well as bending and holding around the tank AND fitting into the subframe to anchor. Mickey mouse level 7 and 8.

The next post will have the last couple things done to the bike so far.

[Guest]

So.. Someone decided to take their F350 and mow down my bike in the parking lot the other day, Not terribly damaged, but the clutch lever, mirror, front fender, my Picasso Fairing and the shift lever went bye bye... So I did more hunting for the left mid fairing online and miraculously found one for 100 dollars free shipping, I offered 80 and got it. It has a tiny bit of warp and rash on it but it's better than nothing. Replaced the mirrors, levers yada yada. (settled man to man without insurance companies. because my bike is sentimentally valuable at best)

Anyway......I used another GREAT material called Flexcon Paper that is adhesive on the back and some sort of plastic composite material, has decent stretch and hold. It's the same material that I made the Honda Racing wings decal out of. Also, I used jelly bondo to fill out the upper fairing that had the corner missing off the part infront of the left handle bar and the deep rash that was on the portion behind the left blinker. Mickey Mouse level: 9

What's that sound?.... Oh wait. it's the bike with no exhaust screaming down the road with just the resonator blasting toaster grade heat onto my heal 24/7. Well. I guess I can "Fix" that. Lucky me I work at an auto parts store and I come across a ghetto ass exhaust tip that I can "MAKE WORK"

One exhaust flaring tool and about 250 ft/lbs of torque and VOILA... a inspection ready "exhaust" system Mickey mouse level 10 achieved. What's that? mickey is evolving.... Mickey evolved into....MASTER of make it work Jerry rig cosmetics.

Overall, I take pride in what I attempt to do with less than adequate tools and financial backing. I paid 900 dollars for the bike from the money I got by selling my old ninja 250, put about 500 into the bike for decent pilot power 2 tires and oil and all that jazz. Then a whopping 170 for all the parts to make up the R1 tail over two years later with both seats, subframe, fairing, tail light, blinker assembly... Other than that, my time is the money I put into this bike. If you have any suggestions for me or questions for me or insults for me, feel free to tell me, ask me, or screw yourself :)

[V-FORE]

Very Cool, show what a little ingenuity can come up with! I salute you Enjoy the ride, not the look!

[afpierce489]

Great job so far, sorry to hear about the moron in the F-350. Keep up the good work.

[solocycles]

Looks good to me. Way to improvise. That R1 tail looks sweet.

Marty

[The Phantom]

Awesome work there, and you write as well as you wrench. You've started with one of the best models (some will say it is the best, I am on the fence between 3rd and 4th Gen) and you're making it yours, which is what it's all about.

Is your seat in the right position for you? I have an R6 tail on one of my 4th Gens, and the seat goes up against the tank and gives me a very similar riding position to the stock seat.

[Guest]

Awesome work there, and you write as well as you wrench. You've started with one of the best models (some will say it is the best, I am on the fence between 3rd and 4th Gen) and you're making it yours, which is what it's all about.

Is your seat in the right position for you? I have an R6 tail on one of my 4th Gens, and the seat goes up against the tank and gives me a very similar riding position to the stock seat.

I have always been a honda junky and I have come to appreciate this bike more than I could ever imagine, this generation has such amazing lines for an early 90s bike.

This seat sits about 3" away from the back of the tank and roughly 2" higher than stock, It works out better for my knees seeing as i'm 6'3". I can still flat foot the ground with this seat. I do feel a bit "out" of the bike now that the seat is higher compared to the great stance from stock. But the frame on 4th is perfect match on top bolt position for the R frames where the 3rd gen is not, I had to cut off a couple inches from the original top end of the subframe and shave the inside to fit into the main frame "correctly".

The exchange of a more dynamic ride "in" position for an "on" position and loss of some comfort was made up for with having clean air hitting my face now instead of full on buffeted air.

There is a little more forward lean and subsequent wrist weight in this new position, so unfortunately, I've partially grayed out the tourer part of this sport touring wonder.