Turning into a VFR400 restoration project

Started by 1-600-matt, May 18, 2014, 02:28:11 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

terry950sm

Growing old gracefully


1-600-matt

A little step forward!



Welded up and it's spot on fit wise in the bike, now there is no contact between the pipe and the swing arm. Weld isn't to the visual standard of the machine tig, but it won't be too visible in there



Progress not helped by an unwanted van MOT prep which is turning into a project itself!!!!

Carbon_ZX6R

2004 ZX-6R B1H    
- Full Akra Titanium System                
- Gilles rear sets                     
- R&G Crash Bungs
- Hyperpro Rsc Damper
- Many other mods

1-600-matt

Winter is on the way again and another year will pass before the vfr will get back to the road! But I am getting a bit of time on it again.

On to the rear end... it just looks tatty and has a lot of grit and grime on the plastics and bit of corrosion in places



Decided the best plan would be to part the plastics and frame to repaint the frame and give the plastics a good clean.

Considering repainting the sub-frame in black rather than the stock silver. The frame is hidden from view mostly when the bike has the fairings fitted. It's visible when the seat is removed etc. What's the consensus... black or silver? 



Started taking the electrics off the plastics today so I can clean them up. I'm no auto-electrician... but I am fairly sure I will be able to wire the indicators up im a more professional manner!! This is how all 4 wires were joined!!





Carbon_ZX6R

It's surprising how many bikes I've bought that are wired the same , people can't be bothered to crimp anymore
2004 ZX-6R B1H    
- Full Akra Titanium System                
- Gilles rear sets                     
- R&G Crash Bungs
- Hyperpro Rsc Damper
- Many other mods

DaveH

Cleaned up well, keep it matched to the frame, but if it's not that visible I'd choose the option that would wear the best.

Raydial

Enjoyed reading this. It's looking really good so far! Well done!  :cool:

1-600-matt

All the little brackety shit that holds the rear brake line, battery strap and the plastics to the frame... corroding and looking nasty



Given the grit blast treatment



Agreed that stock silver was probably the best plan, so subframe primered and painted silver and all the little brackets primered. The plastics have been relieved of the heavy grime but need a final clean with some soapy water to remove some residue from the part cleaner fluid.
Fingers crossed I can get some time at the weekend. Feels like I'm close to being able to stick the carbs on and get it fired up!!



1-600-matt

Bit more time on the Honda. With the rear off the bike the back brakes are due a service, so thought I would get on with that.



Turns out the fact the brakes were off the bike posed a problem. One of the pistons was well seized and unable to put any significant pressure through the brake line with the master cylinder off the bike I couldn't get the pistons out. The usual method for me is to put the air line on it. But it was putting up a fight. I had a good plan, cut an old brake line from the Suzuki so I had an easy way to get a good pressure in the calliper. One of them was moving but the other was not going anywhere.

So I filled it with fluid, capped it off with a banjo and stack of old crush washer, then compressed the free piston with a g-clamp and forced the seized one out.



They were a right mess. Dust seal particularly knackered.



Cleaning up fairly well. Just need some new seals and see if the pistons can be cleaned up enough to be reused before I get it back together.






1-600-matt

Brakes are all rebuilt. Just need to be fitted and bled.

Tail going back together.



Exhaust had one more surprise for me, once I had the electrics back on the tail the hanger fouled one of the modules. So I had to trim the corner off it. It needs to come back off to paint up the exposed metal.



Found some little brass brushes for my dremel. Made a great job cleaning the battery earth connections.





Want to get it running again. Then I can move it aside for a while so I can do some winter maintenance on the Kawasaki.





1-600-matt

#71
Last job before I could get it running was to tidy up the upper rad. It was just flaking paint on the tanks.



I didn't want to grit blast it, so was just wire brushed with the dremel and painted.



So this isn't exactly the first time it was running, it was already started a few minutes before. On first putting fuel to it one of the floats got stuck and it pissed a load of fuel down between the two cylinder banks. But it resolved itself and I started it up. It started really easily which was nice.

https://youtu.be/CuC5lOdSk-I

Carried on and got the carbs balanced. I wanted to get to at least this stage cos the Kawasaki needs some work.

DaveH

#72
 :moto: looks and sounds lovely :thumbright:

MOzZereLLa

Superb Matt.

I'm surprised the Tyga stuff fits as badly as it does.
Significantly faster than you.....

1-600-matt

Quote from: The Wizard of MOz on November 28, 2016, 11:36:29 AM


I'm surprised the Tyga stuff fits as badly as it does.

So was I... I expected it to be a couple of hours of shiny stainless joy. Instead it delayed me a good couple of months while I tried repeatedly to get it to fit and it was a right pain in the ass. Their customer support sucks and from looking at the few example pictures they sent me I am pretty confident that it is a type fault with the system and not a one off. It's still not perfect... the two cans are at slightly different angles... which will be a continual annoyance but I decided it was going to have to be good enough!