1986 VFR RestoMod out of parts

Getting enough parts accumulated to start on the project. 1986 VFR700F for a couple track days. Nothing crazy, pretty normal mods. F2 front end and wheels. Here the triple clamps are modified and have the VFR stem in them. New tapered bearings of course. Going to drill and tap the bosses to put adjustable stops in.


Fox shock to be modified to fit. For the mean time, a nice low mileage '87 shock (which is longer than an '86 to correct the ride height) will allow me to finish the build and take some shake down runs if the Fox Shock isn't ready yet.


20000 mile 700 motor is all cleaned up. Pretty nice engine covers are being donated to my 1986 VFR750 (which aren't so nice), and then those will be resprayed for this bike. Valve adjustment and back in the frame it can go.


F2 forks will get new springs to start with. Race Tech Emulators after the build is done and things like chain and sprockets are paid for and it's a runner. Next I've got some modifications to the sub frame to complete, eliminate the grab rails (and still allow the seat latch to stay in place) and create a place for the shock remote reservoir to mount where the left foot peg is removed.

 

Awesome.

Pardon my ignorance but what is the 2-stroke Honda in the background?

 

1990 NS50F, the only year they brought them into the U.S. They don't look like this stock. Originally they had pink and sea-foam green graphics. I did a custom taillight that tucks into the tail section. I also designed the front disk set-up, originally it has a drum. The upper cowl, radiator cover and lower cowl are Hondaline accessories, as well as the tachometer. Super fun bike to ride and will do over 60 top speed.

 

Very cool.

Hope to see your progress on the track bike.

 

Subframe modified to eliminate the turn signal / grab bars. Here the locating brackets are fabbed and tacked into place, then I ground off the rails.

Created a bracket out of the left footpeg to mount the shock remote reservoir.

Removed most of the right footpeg mount and coped in the shape of just the stock muffler mount.

 

So what tracks do you plan to run ??

 

Pacific Raceways (Formerly SIR (Seattle International Raceway)). There are a few track days during the summer that are fully supported. I was a 3 time Class Champion a FEW years back in WMRRA. Also raced at Spokane Raceway Park and PIR (Portland International Raceway).

 

A little more progress. Got the rear brake caliper bracket done. Came out pretty good, a little shaping and clean up to do on the torque arm. Offset to the right, will definitely clear the tire and meets up perfectly to the drilled and tapped bracket.

The bolt is shouldered that goes through the I-beam section. Just when the washers get pressure on the arm, it bottoms out and can be torqued. Same on the front. It has a rubber bushing that gets squeezed a little before the shouldered bolt bottoms out, which gives you a little play left and right for installation.

Here is one of the spacers I had made at work for the F2 wheel conversion. Sprocket side.
I am having 2 sets of spacers made, one for the CBR bracket set-up and one for the stock VFR brake bracket (I found a rear disk application that uses the F2 bolt spacing but has the VFR diameter)


2 sets of forks disassembled. I "get" to buy all new bushings... yay. I was really hoping the lower mileage forks were good. (My friend's VTR250 forks are there too... his looked perfect)

And a set of Gold Valves I picked up for $60!

 

Man I love the 1st gen D&D exhausts cans!

 

I used to race at SIR in late eighties and early nineties. Back when the last turn had no chicane and you hit the concert burnout pad full tilt bozo. Saw lots of guys get the tank slappers right into the cement barriers at speed. A couple died. The track was deadly in the rain.

 

I raced with the chicane (bus stop) but we still went on to the drag strip. Add some moisture, and I remember sliding up to the barrier heading on to the front straight. Super fucking slick! My last year of racing they had added an alternative front straight next to the drag strip which worked pretty good. Still kinda hairy re-entering the original course (without letting off) and getting the bike turned for a good setup through turns 1-2.

 

Don't know if you were around when it happened, but a guy on an FJ600 was killed on the old track just past the concert pad hitting the barrier. I was racing my old RZ with the 600's, he was behind me when it happened, so I didn't see it. I was told he was ejected straight up about 10 feet and died in the hospital. It was that race that made them change the track, that day they added hay bails and cones to course to slow guys down. My personnel opinion is that bike had no business on the track. It was real squirrelly at speed.

 

Knew about the incident. Not too long before I started working in the motorcycle industry. Prob not the best bike for the track, but ultimately it comes down to the rider. Hell, I have a friend who road raced a GL1000 Gold Wing and motocrossed a CX500.

 

I was a WMRRA novice in 94. Took the track test at Bremerton "raceway". Raced SIR and PIR. Took the Cali Superbike school when It came to SIR. Code decided he didn't like the track and vowed not to come back.

 

I don't doubt it. It was hairy at times. I was told by the old timers that the AMA used to hold national super bike races there, and the track lap record was held by Freddie Spencer on the CB900F, on the old course.

 

Well, that was not fun. That gold coating on the 86 can be some pretty tough shit... love standing at the blast cabinet! And only 3 more to go! (and that was the small one)

Cleaned up all the casting marks and shaped the brake arm a little more. Also took a while, my wife said it sounded like a dentist office. Sure my neighbors loved it too.

And removed all the dings and curb rash from the rim lips. Now a bunch of wet sanding and final prep before mounting the new tires.

 

Sweet. Hope you got a foot operated blaster

 

Little more progress...

Adjustable steering stem stops drilled and tapped. Small spacers can be used if the width of a lock nut is too thick. I used some rounded head phillips so a sharp edge isn't what meets the aluminum stops on the frame.

Eliminated and blended out the ignition switch arch. Still can mount an ignition switch if I want to later for the street.

Got the rest of the spacers done at work. Now I have enough for two complete sets, one for the stock VFR caliper bracket and one for the F2 bracket.

Welding done on the sub frame. The coped in muffler mount and the remote reservoir mount are welded, as well as the locating brackets for the modified seat latch/rear cowl mount bracket.


And on a 1/3 related subject... re-mocked up the VTR250 track bike project to finalize some stuff.

1988 VTR with 1990 swingarm and rear wheel. VF500F triple clamps and forks with a CBR600 front wheel. VF700F upper cowl on a modified VF700F upper cowl bracket to mount to the VTR frame, with mounts for the VTR gauges and bracket. Rear section speaks for itself, gonna abbreviate and round the front where it departs the seat kinda like a 900RR ? CBR F2 rearsets on adapter plates.

Enough 1st Gen influences to warrant a mention and pics I thought. The VFR is taking precedence for $$$, but I'm gonna try and plug away at the VTR too.

Cheers everybody,
Mike.

 

Really nice, this site needs a metric F-ton more threads like this. You and the bike look great in the action shot.

 

Made some great progress on the rear shock today. I got a CBR F2 shock a while back I was planning on using for the VFR. Of course they are too long for a direct bolt in. Originally I was planning on having Jamie modify the shock for length, but I really would like to use that money on other shit.

Well, I started thinking about the differences between the 86 and 87 VFR suspensions. 87 shocks are about 10mm longer than the 86 and the linkage is different to compensate. OK, the 87 linkage buys me 10mm shock length over the 86 setup. Hello eBay... 87 linkage arrived today.

Now I need to get rid of some length on the shock. The VF500 lower clevis is the same width as the VFR and is shorter than the 86. Hacked off a clevis from a donor shock and took it to work to have it faced and drilled. Stopped by Tacoma Screw for a bolt the same size as the original heim joint lower shock mount. The lower clevis will get bolted directly to the bottom mount to save length.

Assembled, the Fox shock is now 20mm longer than an 87 stock shock. Perfect. At least 10mm or more to compensate for the rear F2 17" wheel with a 160/60 tire and a little left over for some increased ride height over stock. The upper mount on the F2 Fox is exactly the same width as the VFR.


The aluminum linkage just clears the bolt head on the inside of the clevis and I'll install what spring I need when I have the shock serviced.

Sweet!