VFR1200 Project Bike

[Coxylaad]

Hello everyone,

     First post here so a bit of an introduction.

I am Coxy, I like taking things to bits! I thought I would come on here to document my VFR1200 project build. 

I've built a few bikes in the past, the start was putting a TDM900 engine into a TRX850 chassis, I used this on the road and the track and it was great fun:

 

Eventually I got to the point where I wanted a bit more power on track to keep pace with the big boys on the litre bikes, I ride at Croft and Cadwell mainly, so no massive long straights. I figured around 120bhp would be enough to limit the losses on the straights so I decided to fit an MT09 engine into the TRX.  Power went up to 120bhp, and the weight of the bike was slashed (the mt09 engine is 13kg lighter  than the TDM lump). I spend 2 years refining and tuning it on track and its now its this current condition as featured in Practical Sportsbikes:

 

 

Fitting the MT09 engine turned out to be a lot more involved that I originally anticipated, and I ended up rebuilding the frame around the headstock and the top tube. 

 

Here's a video of the one of the last session from last year on it:

 

So, after all this i started thinking that I wouldnt mind building a bike virtually from the ground up. and I always fancied a V4. I like the look of the shaft drive VFR1200 setup, and after about a year of searching I managed to locate one at the right price:

 

The plan is to use the engine, swingarm and wheels, and build a bike around that. I'll put another post up to show where I have gotten to so far! 

 

 

 

 

[Coxylaad]

So I started the VFR project a couple of month back. going has been pretty slow to be honest. I wanted to make a poor mans ariel ace, and as I want this to be a bit special I went about sourcing an Ohlins TTX shock, a set of ohlins forks from an RSVR 1000R, and a pair of Brembo M40 monoblock calipers.  I also sourced the back end from a 2015 speed triple as that will work with the look that I was going for.  Honda use different spacings for brakes and things that the european manufacturers, so I ended up having to buy a front wheel from a Ducati multstrada to finish the front end:

 

I made myself up a little mock up of what I wanted it to look like:

 

The bike was stripped (I still have a few spares if anyone is look for something) apart completely, just leaving the engine and the swing arm sat on my ramp. 

 

I used the VFR frame to build a jig and copy the original bikes geometry

 

Then I started bending pipes for the top tube:

 

checking that the bends clearance the engine, and follow the right lines on the engine:

 

Triangulation

 

Next up was the rear shock mount: 

 

Mocking up the tank and seat unit:

 

And this is pretty much where I am up to for now. Hopefully I will have the lower engine mount picked up and potentially the rear seat unit on the bike over the weekend. I am reluctant to make the framework for the seat unit before the bike is back on its wheels, in case I get the angle wrong.

 

[Dutchy]

Hello Coxy,

 

Welcome to VFRD from across the North Sea 

 

 

Looking forward to see your build and who knows, even some "both wheels air time" shots as you shoot up the hill at Cadwell... 

[Coxylaad]

Hiya,

    Unfortunately there will be no cadwell mountain shots of this bike, its going to be road only. 

 

One of the things I plan to do is add another few litres to the fuel tank to give the bike a more road range.

[KevCarver]

Awesome build so far!

[Sweeper]

Wow, I admire your determination and skills! 

[RC1237V]

I like it! Would be nice to get that bike down to ~450lbs!  Just turned 30K miles on mine, and plan on another 30 at least. I saw one for $3500 the other day, and got the wheels turning in my mind, but already have too many projects on the back burner.

 

Definitely gonna be watching this one! 

 

 

[squirrelman]

bold and daring idea. luuvly tubing.

[lazyeye]

I'm impressed with your work so far.

[VifferJ]

Sounds like a fun build, tuning in, thanks for sharing! 

[SamW]

That is impressive! I like your idea about more range, not many can take a bike they like and make it a bike they love, looking forward to this.

 

 

 

[mello dude]

Awesome project! Keep the photos going! 

 

 

 

 

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-Side note, I have always wondered if the 1200 engine could be converted to sprocket/chain drive.... 

[Dutchy]

54 minutes ago, mello dude said:

Awesome project! Keep the photos going! 

 

 

 

 

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-Side note, I have always wondered if the 1200 engine could be converted to sprocket/chain drive.... 

In the 50's, chain drives were converted to shaft; so why not the other way around?

 

 

 

 

 

[Coxylaad]

Definitely keeping the shaft drive. it was one of the things that made my mind up to go with the 1200 instead of a none Vtec 800.

 

the weekends (slow) progress. 
I did a lot of seam welding up the joints I hadnt finished off, which doesnt look like a lot of progress has happened but it took an age!

main bit of work I did was this:

if you look at the picture above you can see the bottom part of the frame that I made, poking out from under the front of the swingarm. I wasnt sure how I was going to fit that into a tubular frame setup, so I decided to do this:

I basically chopped the parts off that are not required, plated it up,  and extended the 32mm tubing out at each side. 

Once that was done it allowed me to do this:

I have the leg to make up on the other side, but that effectively completes the structural part of the frame. 

I am going to have to get some different rear sets as the vfr stock ones are miles away from the frame now. I would have to make some plates that extended at least 3 inches backwards!
I'll cross that bridge when I get there. 

[RC1237V]

I was unaware that Ohlins made that shock for the 1200.....

[rhoderage]

Great work, thanks for sharing and please keep the updates coming

[Coxylaad]

update in pictures:

selling the ohlins, wood is the new gold!

[mello dude]

Wow! Awesome! 

[Skids]

You deserve a bigger garage m8. Brilliant work, keep us posted please. 

[Coxylaad]

update.

back end is done and tacked in place:

[Marvelicious]

Mmmmmm... Trellis frame... Just something sexy about triangulated steel tube! 

[Coxylaad]

Sidestand build:

Thats in the same position as it is on the original bike.  In the folded up position it does look a little lost now there is no big meaty aluminium frame back there but theres not much I can do about that at the moment. 
I was talked out of using 12mm steel plate to make this up and went for 6mm. I just shudder when I think of the amount of weight pressing on it, especially when you do that balance on the sidestand trick to spin the bike round.  for my pease of mine I am going to fit some webbing on it to give it some lateral support. 

Radiator mounts next

[Skids]

Can we assume that you are either "working from home" or are "self-isolating"? Even if I had the skills, it would still take me months to do all this. Keep it up m8.

 

What are you thoughts for the fairings/headlamp/bars etc?

[Coxylaad]

IWorking from home 3 days a week. its amazing how much you can get done at home compared to in the office. no commute either so i am ending up with a bit extra time on my hands.

 

Managed to get a few more bits ticked off over the weekend:

 

Rear tank mount

https://i.imgur.com

/em5N80F.jpg[/img]

 

Needs the welding finishing and dressing up with some radius ends, but it does the job. its probably the heaviest duty tank mount that ever existed!

 

Sticking with the tank I decided to make a start on the modifiations to the tank itself. I bought a fuel tank from a fazer 1000 thinking it might fit quite nicely - it didnt. So I decided to use the fazer tank to make some extensions to the vfr tank.  With my bike not having any bodywork the front of the tank looks a little 'pointy and unfinished.  So I have made a start on this:

 

 

The inital effort was just too wide for my liking, so I slowly cut away until I had something that I think might work. 

 

 

The lines of the tank now follow the frame spars quite well. 

 

Thats as far as I got. its a slow process

 

 

 

 

 

[Coxylaad]

had a fairly productive afternoon yesterday. 

I managed to get a load of jobs ticked off my list. 

one of them being a bracing around the headstock -pics:

I then realised I was nearly at the point where I could stand the bike on its wheels, so i quickly fitted the forks and built the thing back up:

This has been a big motivational boost for me as its turning out exactly as I planned.  really keen to get cracking with it now. 

I can see this 2 to 3 year project being roadworthy by August.