tomk1960

My panels just arrived and look great! They'll be a nice finishing touch on my bike, thanks to Paul.

With Paul's help, I did a little research into getting these made. The STIL files are NOT inexpensive and he spent a lot of his own money just to buy his first set of panels. The cost to make them will never be $100-$130 unless you own a large 3D printer and do them for cost. A pair like the ones he had made (which are beautiful) will cost at least $300 anywhere, plus shipping. Unless someone here is willing to make the panels at cost for us, I don't think it's to Paul's advantage to give away (or even sell the cheaply) those expensive STIL files. These are the type of NLA parts that just can't be reproduced cheaply without laying down a lot of cash up front. Kudos to Paul for doing it.

Thanks! I went with Bridgestone Battlax BT45's. Good tire, reasonably priced, and one of the only ones left in the 16" size we need up front.

I'm down for a set and willing to pay the going rate. These are NLA and really finish off a restored by bike. Any updates?

Finally, the day of reckoning arrived last night when I finished the bike. I still have a few odds and ends to tend to, and I'm waiting for my repainted seat cowl to arrive, but the bike is otherwise done and I'm very happy with it. It's mostly stock except for the Racetech fork springs, CBR600RR turn signals, and the slightly different colors I used on the engine covers and calipers. It seems to be running well and it felt great on the first very short trip that I rode it. Thanks to the help of Captain 80's, Joe Nelson from www.v4dreams.com, and Tom Funk the water pump rebuilder, this all came together nicely. Here are some pictures to enjoy.

Inching closer to the finish line. Brakes are bled, chain installed and adjusted, clutch bled, (pictures taken before the clutch master was installed) bulbs in gauges replaced with bright white LEDs, carbs and exhaust installed, and various other bits and pieces cleaned and reinstalled. I tested out all the electrics and except for a faulty neutral switch, everything worked. I replaced the switch and on came the light. The bike will be ready to fire up this weekend and once the carbs are sync'd, the bodywork can go on. Looking forward to my first ride.

Cogswell is spot on - that's what I meant. Once you clean a tank, it's prone to flash rust fairly quickly, so spraying a fogging oil to cover the bare metal will prevent that from happening.

I second that motion. Kreem ends up failing and wreaking havoc with your petcock and carbs. POR or Red-Kote are two much better options. Or nothing at all once it's all cleaned up and fogged. Keep a full tank and it won't rust.

I've done numerous tanks using this method with good luck. Keep at it and be patient - it will clean up nicely.

Looks like a rear wheel spacer to me.

Try using some paint stripper. That clearcoat is ancient and should come off pretty easily. Then you can polish to your liking.

Lots of progress made over the past couple of days. Installed a new YSS shock and then proceeded to reinstall the sub-frame, inner fender, and all the goodies that attach. From there, the progress sped up even faster. I hate to stop now, but we're going away for a beach vacation. When I get back, it will be finished up in short order.

Am I mistaken or did those come from the factory polished and clear coated? If you don't mind the tedious process of polishing and have the right buffing tools, you could strip off the clearcoat and start over. When I restored my '84 VF1000F, I media blasted them clean, then shot a coat of chrome base powder and after curing, I PC'd with a final top coat of high gloss clear. They came out nice and will stay looking that way for a long time.

My spare bike came with a decent OEM exhaust, so I felt it only fair to restore it to match the condition of everything else. I masked off the cans, blasted off all the old paint, and did final prep. Yesterday I shot a coat of high temp satin black powder and cured it at 450 degrees. This powder is rated to at least 1000 degrees after curing. Then the cans got a final polishing and the end result is very presentable. Except for some small bits and pieces that might get refinished, the bike is now ready to go back together. The fun part is about to begin.

I have rebuilt a lot of 2 brush starters for the DOHC Hondas and found that the Arrowhead brand was the best quality. Some of the "el cheapos" on eBay have brush holders that don't even fit the motor housing. If you are planning to rebuild, spend the extra money and get a quality kit.