Picked up an interesting 91 yesterday

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by jethro911, Aug 20, 2018.

  1. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    While working on the rebuild of a 3rd gen that I picked up in Montreal a few weeks back, I came across another 3rd gen for sale. It was a Cali bike that was imported into Canada back in 2013 and then it sat in this fellas parents garage for five years until I arrived to have a look at it. Of course the battery was dead and the fuel in it is essentially goo but I tossed in a spare battery and all the electrics worked fine and it turned over ok. IT seems to have been dropped on both sides in garages or parking lots where no forward speed was involved so it ain't perfect. It has a Corbin seat, Vance and Hines exhaust and a Givi wing rack with top case. It also has a "Center Stand" and the optional digital clock which I've never seen on a 3rd gen before. Our initial negotiations didn't go well and I left empty handed but after a night to sleep on it, we came to terms and The old girl hitched a ride home with me. It also came with some extras like a new front tire, manual, cover, tank bag, and battery tender.

    So now I need to decide which 3rd gen gets my undivided attention. I think this one will win that battle since I can get it on the road again pretty quick.

    It also has a sticker on the dash panel that indicates it was in or around Travis Airforce Base so perhaps some of the members here may know it??
     

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  2. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Wow two in one year! If I had my way, I’d have a white 3 Gen in my garage. Preferably in pristine condition. It would appear that this one a bit more intact, so maybe switching your attention to this one might be a good idea. Good luck on this restore too.
     
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  3. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    There is a white 91 on ebay right now. Never cared for red either.
     
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  4. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Thanks but definitely not in the cards right now. I'm recovering from a very slow start to the year with my business. I'm hoping to rebound enough to even entertain the idea getting another bike.
     
  5. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    I do like the white ones, in fact my plan was to paint the 1990 white with a nice set of matching wheels which just arrived last week. Some of the replacement parts I managed to scrounge up were already off a 1993 so you can see the butterfly beginning to emerge.
     

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  6. GreginDenver

    GreginDenver New Member

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    So it's definitely a California bike? Imported originally/directly into Cali by Honda? You're not just assuming it's a Cali bike because of the U.S. Air Force sticker?

    I don't know if Honda did the VIN the same for the 1991 VFR750, but in the U.S. VFR800 models used the 8th digit of the VIN number (which is the first digit after the model designation, RC46 for the VFR800, RC36 for the VFR750) to tell you whether it's a California bike or a U.S. 49-State bike. A "1" in the 8th digit means Cali and a "0" means U.S. 49-State bike.

    The Cali bikes were so muzzled and messed with they're not very attractive.

    Also, it looks like there's no rear-pillion-mounted support band around that Vance & Hines exhaust can. If there's no support there, what is carrying the load?
     
  7. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    I have the California title in my hand and the VIN is JH2RC3612MM100381
     
  8. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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  9. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    Finally got around to opening up the new (to me) 91. First order of business was to get the Givi Wingrack 2 off her back. Wow is that thing built like a brick, you know what. If any of you are interested in having one of these just drop me a line.
    Then the seat and tank came off to get at the airbox and pull the carbs. It was no surprise to find that she had the full AIS emission control system installed on there, complicating matters and making access a real pain. So off came everything and blanking plates are on their way as we speak.
    I found that most of the fairing brackets were bent as a result of various tip-overs so they all came off and were massaged back into the proper shape so the fairings will go back on properly.
    I finally got to the carbs and popped off the float bowls to discover them in superb shape. No corrosion or debris at all. I can't believe it. But they still could use a cleaning so I broke them down in preparation for that.
    I did find it odd that the bike had a stock paper air filter installed and lean (38 / 130) jetting combined with a Vance and Hines pipe and the emission controls she must have been on the lean side. I have a set of 42/ 135 jest that I'm going to put in there as well as a K&N filter so it should be happy with that combination.
    I also flushed out the front and rear brakes as the fluid was somewhat contaminated.

    So a pretty busy but rewarding night overall. I'm pretty happy with the condition of the bike so far and I'm looking forward to that first vroom as she comes back to life again.
     

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  10. GreginDenver

    GreginDenver New Member

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    I recently purchased an old Vance & Hines exhaust cannister for my '99 5th Gen. It's their "S4" model and it looks very similar to yours, it's oval just like yours. I had to repack it to bring it up to good standard. After the repack the sound is great, I love this exhaust compared to the original.
     
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  11. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    Big night for cleaning!
    Lots of crud was scrubbed off and I found a mouse nest inside the swing arm of all places.
     

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  12. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Wow. What industrious creatures!
     
  13. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    Pretty busy weekend didn't allow for much bike work unfortunately. That said, I did manage to complete the removal of the Air Injection system with the installation of blanking plates. This allowed for re-installing the rear fender / battery etc. The carbs are fully cleaned and back in the bike and I installed a new Vortex chain and sprocket kit (stock ratios). I also received / cleaned and installed a used K&N filter and installed new grips. With all that done she runs again!

    On the cosmetic side of things, I gave here a good rub down with some compound to bring back the shine and installed a white 8 spoke wheel shod with a Dunlop Q3.
     

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    Last edited: Aug 28, 2018
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  14. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    Finally on the road and running very nice so far! Of course it's gone from 30 deg to 15 and rain now so geez.... IMG_2358.JPG IMG_2362.JPG
     
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  15. Laker

    Laker New Member

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    Your bike looks terrific Jethro. Nice work
     
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  16. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    Out for another uneventful ride last night on the old girl. I'm amazed at how gracefully these bikes age. It rides, turns and brakes no different than the one I owned thirteen years ago and the one I owned 28 years ago. Thinking about getting a high mount Delkevic exhaust for her to open up that rear wheel to the attention it deserves and to raise the decibel level a bit. These Vance and Hines pipes are a bit too quiet IMHO. If I could find one, I would install a left hand exit Two Brothers system but that's unlikely. IMG_2414.JPG
     
  17. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Damn, I saw a left hand exit 3 Gen setup on eBay not that long ago. I had been really tempted to just get it and figure out if I could make it work on my 5 Gen! I have to say, the more I look at the lines of the 3 Gen, the more I wish I had one.
     
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  18. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    Well I just got the 91 rims back from the machine shop where they were straightened. (Potholes) He did a nice job and now powdercoat.........

    IMG_2428.JPG IMG_2432.JPG IMG_2432.JPG
     
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