SEBSPEED

SEB, I have a 1984 VF750F. I was about to sell it into oblivion, but this thread has me thinking - why not pay homage to this fantastic old bike and pretty it up? One question - what's the financial damage going to be by the time you're done? That may be an uncomfortable question. If it is, sorry . . . . .

Not at all. I'm not really keeping a running tally at the moment, although I do have a bunch of receipts and numbers scattered about. If I wasn't getting performance cams and rockers, I could keep it under $3000, including the bike. If it sounds low, that's because I'm doing all the work myself, outside of the powdercoating and machining the rear hub(which I could do, but it happens to be more convenient to let someone else do it).

Keep in mind, I've been working on this bike for going on 6 years now, so I've had plenty of time to shop around. The big ticket items are the shock($500), G.V. Emulators($160), Accel ignition($130), Stage 2 cams and rockers($900), Vance & Hines full exhaust($200), set of F2 wheels with rotors, speedo drive, and hub($90 shipped, yes, smokin deal!!), Powdercoating frame, wheels, swingarm, and upper triple($200), VF1000R forks($100), and the gas tank with assorted bits and pieces like a full lock set that I got from Chev($150), NOS Maier dark smoke screen($35).

The bike itself cost me $300, every other item I've bought has been under $35, most under $20. Ebay is my friend!

I'm having fun dreaming of what the cockpit will look like when done, I've got a CBR1100XX Blackbird clutch master cylinder and 1998 VFR800 controls(w/choke) on the left, and a 2004 Yamaha R1 radial brake m/c with '06 CBR1000RR start/stop switch and 1993 CBR900RR throttle control on the right, all mounted on billet CBR600F3 racing clip-ons.

Another big item will be buying the bulk stainless steel lines and red & blue anodized fittings to make up the clutch and brake lines and the oil mod.

I already have a K&N air filter that was in my 700.

I also bought a CBR600F4i wiring harness, complete with reg/rectifier for $15 to rape relays and other plugs from(as well as the r/r).

Clear headlight was $12. Probably going to do Shock racing LED signals and an LED bulb in the taillight. Also want to do bar end mirrors.

I'm going to be doing the body and paintwork myself, including integrating the VF1000F side panels.

I have special plans for the exhaust(I'm not leaving ANYTHING alone!! lol!). I'll give you a hint, think of Rossi's GP bike.

Lots more that I'm sure I've forgotten, on top of everything being cleaner than new...

Lots of work to do!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, tires! Avon Storms will run about $230-250, in 120/70-17 F, 160/70-17 rear. That reminds me, I have a new, gold 520 RK chain for it and will be going +1 on the rear sprocket, coupled w/ the new tire size will = +4(or thereabouts).

Let me hit "Submit" before I let too many more cats out of the bag... :joystick:

:goofy:

Lucky bugger having all that work done on your bike for you!!!

Just a quick question: what's the story with those bar risers?? They look like a major rise up, but seems like it defeats the purpose if you're dropping the trees so far down the fork-tubes. Can you explain what's going on there? How do you compensate up back?

Better turn-in, w/ no compromise in comfort?

Just wanted to add quickly, that there are quite a few members here who have had input or helped me in some way with this project. I'm not naming names yet, because I want you all to have the credit you deserve when this is all done.

For now though, THANK YOU!! :beer: :beer:

Here's some shots of the motor. It's going to get a scrubbing and a nice new coat of gloss black paint. I'm also going to be polishing the valve covers, stator cover, and the bare circle on the clutch cover. Not the parts that are on there now, I have spares that are close to perfect.

It's quite possible that this is only the second oil filter ever installed...

Only 2,997 miles on this lump, and it shows! Nice clean cams, only showing a teensy bit of wear:

I decided to install VF1000R forks on the bike, and a member here hooked me up! I have them all torn down at the moment also, they need a very thorough cleaning! They are getting RaceTech gold valve emulators, which requires removal of the TRAC anti-dive system, and Sonic springs. I'll also be welding shut the holes that line up with the air crossover under the upper triple. This will let me toss the crossover part and allow me to play with the height of the tubes in the forks. Lots of grease and grime removal, then a coat of black paint!

I can't really call this fluid, but this is the oily/goopy/grungy/yuck stuff that came out of the forks... :beer:

Another neat item on the mod list - I was inspired by this pic I found on the web to go on a hunt for a clear automotive head light to use(some of you may remember the post), well, I found out it's the same unit used in early '90s Chevy S-10s, H60something or other. I bought a pair, and member Chickenofthesea(Matt) and I split the cost. We might upgrade to HID together later this year!

Enjoy. More posting when I can.

Hey Seb......that BMW is still just sitting in the background...........

Yes, but - now it's back together. :D

It's my Dad's bike, he received it as a gift, and I was put in charge of cleaning it up. I touched up the frame, cleaned the outside of the motor, cleaned the carbs, put a new Dyna ignition on it, sandblasted and repainted the seat pan and battery tray, re-covered the seat(what a pain!), installed new left and right switch controls(what a pain!), new grips, new battery, new aftermarket OEM-style exhausts, and new Metzler tires. Also lubed all the cables and restored some assorted sun-toasted plastic.

I have two more small trim pieces to add to the seat, then it can be bolted back on. Right now it's just sitting on the battery tender, hiding from the snow. I'll do a little buffing on the paint come spring, but it will probably be getting a coat of black paint next winter.

Pops hasn't been on a bike in almost 30 years, I'm very excited to think that in a few months we'll be going out on our first ride together! :beer: He's been watching me have all the fun for the last 12 or so...

Paging: Trace!!!!

:beer:

MY BIKE HAS A BROTHER!!!!!! :beer:

And it will have a twin, too, if I can ever get a new upper fairing to install the Buster on!

(I have the silver screen on mine too!)

Travis(RIVCYKO!) is da man! :thumbsup:

New post with more of the story on this bike HERE

***I apologize, some of the pics are really big, please give it a minute to load entirely!***

Well, I couldn't hold back from posting any longer once I had the powdercoated parts in my hand. Now I can't help but let you guys in on the rest of the story!

So here it is, from the very beginning(yes, it's a saga!) :P

This poor old bike that currently sits (mostly) in boxes was bought new in 1983 in New Hampshire, and was ridden on the street and then on one track day at NHIS(Loudon). The owner went down because of a visor tear-off that was thrown on the track, and after that, the guy put 'her' in a corner of a barn. That was in 1984, after accumulating only 2,997 miles.

Many years later(about 15!), said original owner sold the bike(to avoid giving it up during a divorce), to his neighbor, who is an ex-co-worker of mine. About 2 years after that, I bought my 700, and when I rode it to work for the first time, this guy started going nuts over how nice it was, and told me the story I just told you. Except he added that he was not sure if he wanted to keep it, because of the expense of a new clutch master cylinder...

Sooo... it became mine for the lovely sum of $300. I had all kinds of ideas at the time, but no garage, tools, or mechanical/working knowledge to speak of back then, so it sat around for a couple years, and I started disassembling it when I got my garage. Along the way, I came down with a terrible case of MBD(multiple bike disorder) and the bike took a back seat to "more important things" like my F4i and VTEC vfr, and since then have decided to restore it.

Here are the Polaroids that I saw before picking the bike up:

The tank was pretty banged up, so I got a better one from Chev, and the frame was a little tweaked at the rear, which I've fixed. There were also two spots on the frame where water had gotten in(the guy I bought it from kept it outside for one winter), when the water froze, it expanded the tubes. I heated them up and hammered them flat, then ground them to make them nice. The motor ran 5 years ago from a beer bottle full of gas, and when I drained the fluids to pull the motor a while back, everything was clean.

Finally getting back into the project, I got the bike stripped down completely.

Riding other bikes and life in general kept me away from it again until early this year, when I started fitting bodywork to it (going to adapt VF1000F side panels), and I noticed something was wrong here.

Rough idea of the 1kF panels:

I knew the rear section had been repaired, but didn't realize it was this far off until I actually tried to bolt the tail on. It was pretty twisted! I took measurements on this frame and my good one, and determined that the damage was isolated at the very end of the frame, so, I decided it was time to "say hello to my little friend"! :salesman:

A little zip here, and a little zag there - and viola! No more damage!(depending on how you look at it)

I also took the liberty of chopping off the square-shaped rear rail mounts while I was at it, I thought that would be a nice touch to clean up the bike, and being they only hold the helmet lock and huge stock signals anyway(2 things I will NOT be using), in the trash they went! Thanks you Mr. Portable Bandsaw, hehe.

And yes, I cut up a good frame for the sake of having a numbers-matching bike that wasn't a true restoration anyway... :joystick: Call me crazy or keep reading!

Next up: weld it back together! Hiho, off to work I go, on a cold Saturday morning. Still saving up for my own TIG welder... with the bike habit, it's not going so well.

After some creative grinding:

Which leads us to...

powdercoat!

Frame, swingarm, and VF1000R upper triple were done in Satin Black:

I'm upgrading to CBR F2 wheels, and had them coated in mirror white.

I have another clean rear wheel that's black and had the lips polished, I'll throw that on later and see how it looks in there.

Much more to come!!

Looking forward to see the buildup progress. Won't be long before this one is on the cover of some bike mag :thumbsup:

I wish!

Just taking a break from typing up a new post... stay tuned.

Doug, just wanted to add, that even though all the holes were plugged, I am still tapping all the threaded holes as I go, if they weren't dirty before, they still got glass bead blasted before coating!

Gotta clean a spot to set up my other bench grinder w/ a wire wheel, so I can hit the fasteners as I use them. Wire wheel on one side, buffing wheel on the other! :beer:

Guess I'll have to buy one and do it. :lol:

Didn't you already do that? :P

Are you SURE you want the grayshades paint job? That RWB scheme looks dynamite against the black with the white wheels.

Larry

VFRrider

It sure does, but I dare to be different. :D

edit - then again, I do have a second set of bodywork... could always do both! The 700 will likely die a death of a thousand pieces anyway...

There is nothing like a bare frame straight from the powder coaters. It's a blank canvas and beautiful on it's on. Did they mask all the bolt holes and such?

Yes, everything was plugged or masked where I specified, except for one side of the front wheel. the guy goofed and only masked the left rotor mount posts, not the right, so I have a little careful grinding to do. No big deal, I went through the same thing with the chrome wheels I bought for my F4i, pc should be easier to get off.

Here's a few more of the powdercoat; some from the shop when I picked it up, and one with Chev's old gas tank. The RWB on the black frame would look really good too...

edit - more pics and story/write-up coming, might not have tie today though. Every day is a busy day. <_< :rolleyes:

Well, at least you put "teaser" in the subject line. :P Looking good so far!

Heh, I'd be happy to oblige w/ a few more pics from my break here at work... except Photobucket is now blocked here. <_<

Looking great! :beer:

I love the white wheels but it seems like they would be so much maintenance. What's that shock from again?

Must post more pics! :thumbsup:

The shock was built for Chev(Zack) by Works Performance for his VF700F. I bought it from him when he popped his motor, along with his gas tank, rear fairing, and some other assorted bits. His weight is just a little higher than mine, so it should be set up well for my kind of riding. Front end will be taken care of with .95 Sonic springs, and RaceTech's Emulators(in VF1000R forks).

edit - more pics and story/write-up coming, might not have tie today though. Every day is a busy day. <_< :rolleyes:

Go Seb, go! And I'm glad you settled on that paint job. Excellent scheme! Will it be done by May? Now THAT is the question! You would certainly be forgiven for trailering if that was in it (from the guy that trailered down last year). :thumbsup:

I can't tell from the pics if the seat was shop'd or not, but if you're in need of recovering it (your imagination is the limit), believe me, I'm the guy to talk to.

Yeah, actually I do have a plan for the seat... can I send you a pic?

I'm going to be putting a LOT of wax on those wheels! :P

I had the frame, swingarm, upper triple, and wheels done by a friend of the family(in a professional shop) for $200. Regular cost is $85 per wheel, $115 for a frame. :thumbsup:

Rough estimate of the goal, special thanks to BlueFireIce & Toro1 for the p'shop help! Lots of details will be changing, I will list most of the mods/parts used later. As you can tell this is not a true restoration, but I can guarantee that the bike will be better than new! :thumbsup:

I'm pretty excited because today I got my modded frame and other parts back from the powdercoat shop!

Have a look and watch this space for a future build-up thread, from start to finish! B)

front.jpg

Nice ride Kirbster! :thumbsup:

Congrats Rob!

I too love my swedish bling! :thumbsup:

Now that you have the low beams covered, you should think about a second set of lamps for high. It is the only way to go. Go fast at night that is.

Yes I love the HID's but I will be looking into a slick way of adding some more lights. I just can't get enough.

The slick way? Get a VTEC! :goofy:

Only half joking, we get four bulbs to mod! :thumbsup:

It's already been stated(possibly in another thread), that this adapter was modeled after Triumph's setup, so one might be able to bolt up a Triumph rear. I wonder if the part # for the wheel cross-references with their Triumph wheel?

Have you ever looked at a Triumph final drive up close ? It is almost a carbon copy of the Honda's, except for brake linkage. I bet the whole thing would slide right into a '98+ VFR800 swingarm all nice like. Have to compare the two side-to-side or take some measurements but... :beer:

I haven't but it sounds like you just had a revelation?

:idea3: Let's get Skuuter to tear into his Speed Triple!! :goofy:

It would be so sweet to get the specs on that axle adapter... I've got 4 brand spankin' new CNC mills to program... ^_^

Probably won't help. It's likely the design of the wheel that allows it to clear the rear brake caliper, so you would still have to use a Carrozzeria wheel designed specifically for the VFR800 unless they are using one of their wheels designed for a Ducati.

The only other rear wheel that will clear the VFR800's OEM rear caliper/rotor is Dymag's Sport Magnesium. And you still need a modified axle (no longer available through Dymag) or axle adapter or whatnot.

Alternately, you could buy a set from Carrozzeria and try returning them after you had programmed the whole thing into autoCAD...just be prepared to make the wheels too, though.

It's already been stated(possibly in another thread), that this adapter was modeled after Triumph's setup, so one might be able to bolt up a Triumph rear. I wonder if the part # for the wheel cross-references with their Triumph wheel?

In any case, not having to pay their price for the adapter would get me that much farther ahead, eh?

I still have our discussion of the conversion saved, and while I would still like to keep the linked brakes, I would give them up to get the wheel I want. The 3 spoke rears are my least favorite, the PVM 10Y's are my #1, with the new Duc 1098 wheel a close second. Any CBR600F4 wheel with similar design can fill in the front.

I'd love to try and mill my own wheels! Trouble is getting that huge block of aluminum to start with! :beer:

ps - I have a spare 5th gen axle I'm saving to try and make the conversion with at some point, just don't know when I'll get time for it.