Gozirra Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Hello guys, Just wanted to introduce myself and ask a few questions. I've been lurking for a while, reading and learning on various different topics. Only posted once before regarding some handlebars and ride comfort. My bike is a 2004 VFR800 in red. All stock except for a fully gutted exhaust, no endcaps just covers; sounds like an f1 racecar and I love it. Recently, I've been debating a making fighter/cafe style bike. I checked out some Bonnevilles and loved the styling, but the VFR drivetrain takes the cake. I've been looking at Honda 919's, and the front end seems to have the look that I want. Coupled with the interceptor rear or maybe a standard subframe and seat, I think the looks would be fantastic. I've found several of the cafe threads on this forum. Even though the bikes look fantastic, I was looking for something with a more vintage feel while retaining the modern goodies of the viffer. My current plans if I were to go through with this would be to replace the exhaust with a custom piece, most likely a straight pipe with small baffle, wire relocation, front radiator (found several threads), single headlight, possibly updated shocks/forks, and possibly seat update. Currently working on photoshop pics to show what I am looking for. Some main questions that I have include: 1) Does anyone know if the Honda 919 headlight and gauges would fit onto the vfr? How custom would the job have to be? I know people use Koso gauge, but it is not the style that I am looking for. 2) Are there any rear fairing solutions to replace the bulky rear fairing or does that have to be a custom job? 3) Are there any known rear subframes that would fit a UJM style seat on a vfr800 (like a cb1100)? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyRedRC46 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I am thinking about going to a light weight subframe/tail and I am leaning towards the 06-12 triumph Daytona being a pretty close fit. For the 919 front end, I am wondering where you are going to fit the ECU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 It will all be custom work. If the subframes are pretty close, it'll be easy custom work. If they are very differnt ( widths or heights) it will be harder custom work. But all very do able. I'm using a round acewell dash that might suit the look you're going for, and it was easy enough to do with a wiring diagram. My ECU/relays are now under my ninja 250 seat. And a cb1100 subframe would fit a cb1100 seat unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer TomP Posted November 17, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 17, 2015 Always liked the 919 and the 599 -- understated looks, and under-appreciated bikes. But if you're going to all the trouble, why not opt for USD forks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelman Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Resist the fashon trend for streetfighter "cool", and leave your bike as it was designed by REAL engineers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gozirra Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 I am thinking about going to a light weight subframe/tail and I am leaning towards the 06-12 triumph Daytona being a pretty close fit. For the 919 front end, I am wondering where you are going to fit the ECU. Looking for a more relaxed and upright seating position, so something like a Daytona seat is out for me. Although they do look great! It will all be custom work. If the subframes are pretty close, it'll be easy custom work. If they are very differnt ( widths or heights) it will be harder custom work. But all very do able. I'm using a round acewell dash that might suit the look you're going for, and it was easy enough to do with a wiring diagram. My ECU/relays are now under my ninja 250 seat. And a cb1100 subframe would fit a cb1100 seat unit. I phrased my question awkwardly lol, what I am interested in is how difficult it would be to fit a cb1100 subframe or something similar onto a viffer. Wish I had a way to test different parts. Are you talking about the acewell 2853? Always liked the 919 and the 599 -- understated looks, and under-appreciated bikes. But if you're going to all the trouble, why not opt for USD forks? If you are referring to upside down forks, I am not sure what the benefits of those are. Resist the fashon trend for streetfighter "cool", and leave your bike as it was designed by REAL engineers. As someone who is halfway through engineering school, I can appreciate the effort and work that went into designing this awesome bike. But I also believe in tinkering, modding, etc to make the bike truly yours :) I also feel like shedding 50-100lbs will make it even more fun haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyRedRC46 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 The bike may have been dreamed of by real engineers, but it was truly built by accountants. My bike has been being built by a "real engineer" since February ;) Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MadScientist Posted November 17, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 17, 2015 I'd be willing to measure anything you want on the front of my 599, but it's a 2006 with USD forks. I know the headlight brackets on the 2004 599s are retarded expensive, I've never looked at the prices on 919 items. Might be worth trolling ebay. And also worth noting, is that the 599 and 919 stock suspensions are utter trash. If you are going to swap the triples/headlight from either, you need to dig up some better fork legs. As far as 50-100 lbs, best of luck to you. I can only think of one person here (Mohawk) that has broken the 50 lb barrier on a 5th or 6th gen, however at considerable cost. The first 20 or so can be had for not much work or cash. After that, be ready to spend considerable amounts of both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baileyrock Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I would suggest you just buy a wrecked bike and mod it, keep the VFR as is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gozirra Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 I would suggest you just buy a wrecked bike and mod it, keep the VFR as is. There is always the option of using the extra funds for Oem luggage ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyRedRC46 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I'd be willing to measure anything you want on the front of my 599, but it's a 2006 with USD forks. I know the headlight brackets on the 2004 599s are retarded expensive, I've never looked at the prices on 919 items. Might be worth trolling ebay. And also worth noting, is that the 599 and 919 stock suspensions are utter trash. If you are going to swap the triples/headlight from either, you need to dig up some better fork legs. As far as 50-100 lbs, best of luck to you. I can only think of one person here (Mohawk) that has broken the 50 lb barrier on a 5th or 6th gen, however at considerable cost. The first 20 or so can be had for not much work or cash. After that, be ready to spend considerable amounts of both. Last time I weighed in at Orlando Speed World, I was at 460 pounds with a gallon of gas in the tank. So that puts me at 484 with a full tank of gas. 540-484= 56 pounds. There is still plenty of weight left to drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MadScientist Posted November 18, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 18, 2015 But what are you looking at left to do? Rear wheel and single nut hub conversion? Subframe swap? I'm not saying it is impossible, just that the first ~20 lbs are easy: LiFePO4 battery, cat-less exhaust, and jettison minor unnecessary parts (passenger pegs, PAIR, flapper, center stand). I would even put your front end swap/brake de-link in the "labor intensive" list. If the OP wants to also dump the fairings, that would save a few pounds also. I wonder what Seb's 750 fighter weighs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRicer Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 here's a helpful link from the dudes at Revzilla regarding USD vs regular forks: http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/why-things-are-inverted-forks I'm in the same boat as you. I got my degree in vehicle engineering and haven't been able to leave well enough alone with my '04. I am also considering a street fighter setup, but I'm with the others on here who are saying to just get a second bike for that build. I think our 800s are too good the way they are to f with them too much... I plan on getting a 750 or another 800 and going to town on that one instead... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyRedRC46 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 But what are you looking at left to do? Rear wheel and single nut hub conversion? Subframe swap? I'm not saying it is impossible, just that the first ~20 lbs are easy: LiFePO4 battery, cat-less exhaust, and jettison minor unnecessary parts (passenger pegs, PAIR, flapper, center stand). I would even put your front end swap/brake de-link in the "labor intensive" list. If the OP wants to also dump the fairings, that would save a few pounds also. I wonder what Seb's 750 fighter weighs. An f4i front end may have been lighter than my USD front end. Ducati hub and forged wheel should drop a considerable amount of weight. The sixth gen subframe weighs like what almost thirty pounds? I'm looking to drop about 20 pounds with that. Hopefully one day I'll get my hands on the R1 LE forged front wheel. Then it starts getting tricky. Maybe a light weight custom fairing stay and cbr600 fairings and gas tank. Another thirty or fourth pounds plus some engine work would be awesome and make my bike competitive with the gsxr750. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I have been making streetfighters for 15 years or so. Only bike I have ever weighed was my gsxr 7/11, 88 750 frame with 87 model 1100 engine. That had 130 odd HP at the wheel on a conservative dyno, but was down to about 185kgs WET. From a (now) 28year old bike. Weight drops off pretty quick when you strip them. That's why Mohawks is so impressive, stills looks like a Vfr, but lighter. RWU forks used to be lighter than USD, but now, not so much. I saved 4.4 kgs changing from 91 model gsxr 1100 forks and calipers to 2004 gsxr 1000 forks and calipers. I was surprised at ten weight difference. My Vfr now has a smaller front mount rad (lighter), er6n headlight not OEM fairings and headlight (lighter), delkevic cat less exhaust (lighter), modded aftermarket can (lighter), small acewell (lighter) seat and Subbie off a ninja 250 (smaller and lighter), Ducati wheels (lighter), COP setup( probably lighter). I've lost 10kgs, so I'm lighter too. Still has the centre stand because I'm lazy and haven't pulled the exhaust off again to remove it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MadScientist Posted November 18, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 18, 2015 My Vfr now has a smaller front mount rad (lighter), er6n headlight not OEM fairings and headlight (lighter), delkevic cat less exhaust (lighter), modded aftermarket can (lighter), small acewell (lighter) seat and Subbie off a ninja 250 (smaller and lighter), Ducati wheels (lighter), COP setup( probably lighter). I've lost 10kgs, so I'm lighter too. Still has the centre stand because I'm lazy and haven't pulled the exhaust off again to remove it. When you pull the exhaust off, thread that center stand bolt in from the back side of the hole so you can snap the stand on as needed without touching the exhaust. I might have used a slightly longer bolt, it's been a while. Just to put it in perspective for the OP: How many hours do you have in the project? My post was not at all saying this was impossible. I was just trying to prep him for the amount of work needed to loose those 50-100 lbx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyRedRC46 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Wow 185kg is ridiculously light! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mohawk Posted November 18, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 18, 2015 Hey CR, that 484lb is 220Kg, so still 11kg heavier than my current full tank weight. I have a lead on losing another 3Kg from the back wheel area ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 My Vfr now has a smaller front mount rad (lighter), er6n headlight not OEM fairings and headlight (lighter), delkevic cat less exhaust (lighter), modded aftermarket can (lighter), small acewell (lighter) seat and Subbie off a ninja 250 (smaller and lighter), Ducati wheels (lighter), COP setup( probably lighter). I've lost 10kgs, so I'm lighter too. Still has the centre stand because I'm lazy and haven't pulled the exhaust off again to remove it. When you pull the exhaust off, thread that center stand bolt in from the back side of the hole so you can snap the stand on as needed without touching the exhaust. I might have used a slightly longer bolt, it's been a while. Just to put it in perspective for the OP: How many hours do you have in the project? My post was not at all saying this was impossible. I was just trying to prep him for the amount of work needed to loose those 50-100 lbx. I've had the VFR for 5 years or so, i think, and all done in sporadic bursts. Seat and subbie were out sourced, but no too hard (minor welding needed, and i cant weld) fitting the wheels were outsourced, because i don't have a lathe for spacers, but pretty easy, the rear needed 1098 parts, and shim and a spacer, the front needed spacers made. COP took me half an hour or so in the garage I made dodgy but functional brackets for the headlight in a couple of hours, I'd like to get some prettier ones made. acewell i did a few years ago, an hour at a time squinting at wiring diagrams to connect it all, but doable. i did my first TLR1000 front mount myself (easy brackets), but had some brackets made professionally for my new custom made rad (slightly different way to mount it was required for clearance)- same silicon hose supplier as mohawk. And when i take off the centre stand, it'll probably stay off. But i may thread the bolts in from the inside, just in case. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRicer Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 keef: do you have any pics? sounds like a rad bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I've got a thread on here http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/76261-vfr8-streetfighter/#entry916303 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gozirra Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 I've got a thread on here http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/76261-vfr8-streetfighter/#entry916303 Haha Ive actually read this thread and it was the one I was referring to regarding the front mount rad xD. I love the bike here's a helpful link from the dudes at Revzilla regarding USD vs regular forks: http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/why-things-are-inverted-forks I'm in the same boat as you. I got my degree in vehicle engineering and haven't been able to leave well enough alone with my '04. I am also considering a street fighter setup, but I'm with the others on here who are saying to just get a second bike for that build. I think our 800s are too good the way they are to f with them too much... I plan on getting a 750 or another 800 and going to town on that one instead... This might be the way Ill go. The original plan was to get an old CB500 or CB750 when I had storage space, but after gutting my exhaust I don't think Ill be satisfied with any CB exhaust... An f4i front end may have been lighter than my USD front end. Ducati hub and forged wheel should drop a considerable amount of weight. The sixth gen subframe weighs like what almost thirty pounds? I'm looking to drop about 20 pounds with that. Hopefully one day I'll get my hands on the R1 LE forged front wheel. Then it starts getting tricky. Maybe a light weight custom facing stay and cbr600 fairings and gas tank. Another thirty or fourth pounds plus some engine work would be awesome and make my bike competitive with the gsxr750. I keep seeing people mention ducati wheels. Where can I find pics of this? I quite fancy the Duc Evo wheels. Regarding the weight, I was just throwing numbers out there. No specific goal but with the power to weight we're talking about, even small numbers make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyRedRC46 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I just read that quote. ~FAIRING STAY~ Lol Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk Not fancy stay lol sorry. Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk Keef and another member or two did the Ducati 1098 rear wheel/Hub/Brake. It required a 3mm spacer and 1.5mm shim, with all ducati hardware (rear caliper, hub, wheel, disc, spindle etc....) Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Ducati for single sided goodness, and light weight. I used 1098/848 because they looked like a set of carrozzeria's i used to have, so i could use my carbon fibre centred discs. That i couldn't use for other reasons, in the end. The 1098S is forged ally, and weighs nothing. I've got a cast 848 up front that still weighs less than a VFR wheel. the rear wheel ended up being pretty easy, apart from shim and spacer, no custom machined this or CNC'ed that.. I thought there would be, but the shim and spacer was much easier, and Duke 1098 parts are easy to get as they are still a "current" bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandyRedRC46 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Hey CR, that 484lb is 220Kg, so still 11kg heavier than my current full tank weight. I have a lead on losing another 3Kg from the back wheel area ! Yeah youve got me beat big time! :) I sub'd on your rear hub post. I'll be watching closely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.