Captain 80s

Those needle bearings would have to be VERY bad to realize actual slop in my experience, unlike a normal radial bearings. Have you removed and disassembled the unit to inspect the shafts? Sound like it is time to take all of the linkage off and clean / inspect to find out what is going on. If you feel it is indeed time to replace some components, there a A LOT of these bikes that have been parted that I'm sure you could find some lower mile examples of the suspension pieces. I have never had to replace the needle bearings before, but I have cherry picked the nicest shafts I had (lots of parts bikes) when re-assembling. Oh, and looking good!

Like I said, you're gonna have to get a little creative getting the lines turned to go up and over the coolant tank. I've used some brass 90 deg fittings on some other bikes where I created room for the extra length coming out of the pump. Small section of fuel line with the fittings butted right up to the pump spigots, Some others have cut the fuel pump spigots short and eliminated the bead. I haven't had to resort to that.

eBay YZF Fuel Pump ZX-6R eBay Fuel Pump

What was it? Generic? You're gonna want to work on adapting a straight inlet/outlet style pump to gain some selection. Look at the attached K&L Pump application chart. I look for used genuine Mitsubishi pumps of the 18-5529 style on eBay. I find the newest, lowest mile one that has a return policy. I have done this about 7 times now and have only got one dud. They instantly refunded me and didn't want want the pump back, so I got a good amount of formed fuel line and clamps for free. All the other pumps have worked perfect. The last one I got was from a YZF600, had 14K miles on it and looked brand new. $30 shipped. You can also buy a new K&L or TourMax pump (both genuine Mistsu) but they are not cheap. K&L_Fuel_Pumps.pdf

There are tanks out there. Will it be really pretty AND really cheap? No. But you have A LOT of work to do before you are even close to needing a real tank to ride down the road. You can finish everything and run it on a hanging aux tank while you look. This is a classic cart-before-the-horse scenario.

The rear of the tank that has to fit inside of the rails of the subframe will likely be an issue on a CBR tank. There are even some very anomalous VFR tanks that are slightly wider in that area and had a slightly different subframe to accommodate. Joe at v4 Dreams first documented it and I also had a tank with a parts bike that was like it. It was very strange and would not fit on any of my bikes. Unfortunately the subframe got tossed before I took possession of the bike.

Seems like a decent plan. Whatever holds and still looks good. Make sure you rough everything up to get good bonding / adhesion. I personally would be recreating the new pieces out of ABS, but I have a lot more experience going that route, and would require a different attaching approach. Post some pics and good luck!

A new crush washer should be able to compensate for that, easy. It did have a crush washer... right?

Nice keny.

Hah! So true. It just sucks when your extended loan goes out of term on a trip or a ride in the mountains. The penalties can be harsh and expensive. 😄

I have never heard of this hack before. I'll have to say, I am absolutely not surprised it didn't work.

If it has been a long time, or never, then its not for no reason. Even if it is running fine. Cleaning the sediment from the bowls and pilot jets, while replacing the orings, means it is done in your garage on your terms. Not developing an issue out on the road where you are forced to deal with it. Cleaning / rebuilding carbs can be preventative maintenance too.

There's overdue. Then there's showered with foam overdue. My old Schwantz Arai, that was relegated to indoor carting duty, developed a case of black dandruff too. Up on the shelf it went, next to my original Arai Freddie Spencer Supervent.

How long since your last new helmet? While a headache is perhaps a sign, where are the pressure points that are giving pain? I sold helmets for over a decade, from the 90s into the 00s. If it has been a while, a properly fitted new helmet can be a shock.

We sold Acerbis shirts at the Honda Shop. It said "Ah" had a chair and the some bees. Underneath it said, "Say it right, dammit!"

Arai actually has three shapes in their line up, depending on model. Round-oval (Quantum, and it's derivatives), intermediate-oval (Renegade family?), long-oval (Signet).

Out of Winterization, installed a battery, primed the fuel system and checked the tire pressures... and rode the 95 for it's Spring opener. Nice rip in the Snohomish Valley after work and stopped for a beverage and some sweet potato fries at one of my favorites places, Duvall Grill and Tap Room. EDIT: WRONG FORUM!!! Sorry. I'm still leaving this here.

If you like carb V4s, you picked one of the best. The styling can be polarizing (not to me), but as far as how it runs, feels and sounds... hard to beat. Just rode mine (95) last night for a rip in the valley before a week+ of rain comes and I just absolutely love this bike. It does deserve a second chance. Keep your eyes open for pieces that are not toast and reasonably priced and start practicing repairs. You can perhaps start to build a replacement set for paint and then swap over. Start another thread so we can follow your progress if you want. Maybe some pics to see what you are dealing with. Almost anything can be repaired. Good luck and Cheers!

Judging by the phrases used in his post and the general description of the starting point, I don't think either one of those options is in the budget. You could just buy a pretty nice 94 thru 97 for less money. Naked maybe. But if you want it to not look like ass, then usually any "budget" naked build is out too (imo).

Anything is possible, but they are VERY different bikes, especially the tank. Not really a feasible idea. When you were done you should have just bought a nicer starting point. Not much out there at all, let alone at a decent price that are nice enough to put on right away as you have seen. If you are dead set on this bike and want it with cowlings (this Summer), start practising plastic repair. There are decent tanks out there.

"one" what? Is this bike coming out of Winter storage for Spring by any chance? Sounds like you need the carbs cleaned/rebuilt.

Yes, and... After changing the oil, you need to RIDE for a good 45 minutes at full operating temperature to remove any moisture from the crankcases (provided you do not have any issues). Running a bike in the driveway, even until the fans come on, typically introduces moisture. That's why short trips on vehicles is so bad for them and their exhaust systems.

Well, shit.

With a way to support the bike, and get it back up after, remove the fork caps and lower the front of the bike as far as it will go. The room you have left is where a radiator needs to fit.