restoring & adding a modern touch to a 86 vf500

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by matt1986vf500f, Jan 14, 2009.

  1. matt1986vf500f

    matt1986vf500f New Member

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    hello again everybody, a few of you have seen me around this website, and today i have decided to completely redo my vf500, im going to leave the body lines the same but i want to make the suspension and brakes, etc.. more modernish, so i just want some feedback from you guys mybe you can help me out with stuff, jamie i will need your help for sure.
     

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  2. JamieDaugherty

    JamieDaugherty New Member

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    No problem man, I'll help in whatever way I can!
     
  3. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    When I restored my 500 a few years back, I installed a top-end oiling kit, added a Lockhart full fairing (RWB) and powder coated my rims white. I also added a brand new gas tank, upper fairing, side panels and had the frame repainted. What do you have on your TODO list so far?
     
  4. matt1986vf500f

    matt1986vf500f New Member

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    well on the list i have, wheels, revalve rear shock, revalve front forks, powder coat frame and swing arm, brakes, new paint,etc... i have the rear f2 wheel ready for modifcation and a f4i rear shock, right now in my head i want it to look like the old interceptor, but im going to teach this old dog new tricks, when the motor comes out of the frame ill do the topend oiling mod, and full exhaust, and have a jet kit installed. big list!
     
  5. matt1986vf500f

    matt1986vf500f New Member

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    oh hell to the yea!! i justy picked me up a full hindle exhaust system for my bike!! sweeeeeeeeeeet!!! hell yea, this kicks ass!!
     
  6. JamieDaugherty

    JamieDaugherty New Member

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    Man, what a sweet score. Consider yourself lucky my friend, those are getting very difficult to find these days!
     
  7. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    Nice! May I ask how you acquired them? New from some long forgotten warehouse? Used from eBay or some other classified? Aftermarket parts (as well as many stock parts) are hard to come by.
     
  8. dcompson

    dcompson New Member

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    Great find, keep us posted on your progress.
     
  9. matt1986vf500f

    matt1986vf500f New Member

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    thanks guys, oh jamie did i mention that i ONLY paid 140.00 bucks for it!!
     
  10. matt1986vf500f

    matt1986vf500f New Member

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    hey jamie got a question for you, with the hindle exhuast i will have to jet the bike, right? i know getting alot of power out of these smaller engines is very hard but with your stator advance kit and some 8mm wires and full exhaust and a stage 1 jet kit, i should be able to pull the some good hp numbers?, thats not my question the question is does any one sell anything bigger than a stage 1 jet kit for the 500s? oh yea that number on your website that a good number to get ahold of you, right? i need to send my sprocket carrier for the f2 wheel and my F4I shock also.
     
  11. Fazer1Sniper

    Fazer1Sniper New Member

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    I was just going over in my head on what performance mods id did to the wifes '92 when she got it, it had the two bro's pipe. So far it has a dynajet stage 1, UNI filter, russle braded brake lines, EBC brake pads, JT sprockets & a regina chain. besieds more visual stuff, and ideas on the porformace/handling side i can get into? oh yeah, any tire recomendations would be helpfull.[​IMG]
     
  12. matt1986vf500f

    matt1986vf500f New Member

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    not sure what tires i will be going with yet, ive got a huge list of stuff im going to do i just need the cash to make it happen.


    sweet ride
    oh im such a ass tires for your bike im sorry
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2009
  13. Naseer23

    Naseer23 New Member

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    Damn i wish i could fund half the stuff your doing for mine... Keep me updated, i got my f2 rear wheel coming in soon, hoping for the front wheel in the next month and got both front and rear f2 kits from jamie already. Think im going to do the f4i rear suspension and the front forks next winter though. Im thinking of getting the rim of the wheels black chrome n the spokes in red chrome.
     
  14. JamieDaugherty

    JamieDaugherty New Member

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    Yes, you will probably need to rejet the bike for best overall performance. Things like "bigger" and "Stage 1" don't really apply when it comes to jet kits, what you need is the "correct" jetting. Terms like Stage 1, 2, etc were ways that some companies used to differentiate the kits that were matched to various degrees of engine modification. Your 500 will still be in the "near stock" category even after the exhaust. A jet kit will give you needles that have a different taper to them which help smooth out the midrange. Don't be surprised if you end up with the stock or +1 main jet size. The mains are usually not that far off.

    Sure, the info on my site is the best way to get a hold of me.
     
  15. matt1986vf500f

    matt1986vf500f New Member

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    the black and chrome, it said cool, but im more of a sleeper look kind of guy, ill keep you posted on it im looking revamp it.

    so jamie your telling me that with the exhaust and the jet kit it might bring it back to the stock hp level, well the 500s were never power houses before, ok then, hey im looking a upgrade brakes for it like bigger rotors beefer calipers etc.. any help

    oh thanks for the help jamie, its amazing that just infomation will take you so far.
     
  16. matt1986vf500f

    matt1986vf500f New Member

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    well jamie, i think iam about to catch everyones attention, ive been talking with a company and they have a prototype throttle bodie kit for the vf500 its still in the testing phase but i had to do some ass kissing, but im wheeling my bike in there to them to install it, so i guess ill have the first fuel injected 1986 vf500 sounds awesome but i wondering what me benfiets will be? crisper throttle respones, but fuel milage, or the fact that i dont have to friggen jet crabs anymore, whats your thouhts on it?
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2009
  17. Fazer1Sniper

    Fazer1Sniper New Member

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    Wow. I think the risk is worth the reward.
     

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  18. crustyrider

    crustyrider New Member

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    if they need a 700 to use let me know, I would volunteer mine . they would have to come out here to install it but I often wondered if anyone had ever swapped the carbs for FI
     
  19. JamieDaugherty

    JamieDaugherty New Member

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    That's great! Care to reveal who is doing this work? I'm curious if they are using standard VF500 carbs and plugging all of the holes or making a throttle body from scratch. Using the stock carbs is actually a lot easier.

    Here are a couple of other thoughts I have on this topic:

    1) What are they going to use for a controller? Megasquirt? I hope it's programmable, otherwise you won't really be able to get the optimum performance out of it.
    2) What about the fuel pump? There was quite a bit of discussion on the v4hondabbs.com board about a year or two ago when a guy was doing this to a Magna. My concern was that a high pressure fuel pump would draw too much current and be too much for the charging system. The guy(s) working on that project had specs on a pump that had really low current draw. Needless to say I'm still a little skeptical of that. I wonder if a pump off a new fuel injected 450 motocross bike would work?
    3) What is the cost going to be? I've thought about doing this for several years and have done the math - it's kind of tough to justify a $1000 FI setup on an $800 bike.


    The bottom line is that I think it's a great idea. In fact, I'd love to put FI on every one of my bikes. Some people claim that carbs can make more power. I don't necessarily agree with that, I think FI is a mystery to people who are used to carbs and therefore more difficult to work with. Frankly, I'd much rather use my laptop to tune my bike rather than pulling those darn carbs off everytime! That alone might justify the cost.

    Keep us up to date on the progress.
     
  20. Rollin_Again

    Rollin_Again Member

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    I love my Michelin Pilot Powers on my 92.

    Regards,
    Rollin
     
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