VF500 Full Fairing

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by Naseer23, Apr 25, 2007.

  1. invisible cities

    invisible cities New Member

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    Thank you for the compliment.

    I had a lot of fun working on the 17" wheel conversion. Much of the credit goes to my friend Rick Denoon as he was the man behind the milling machine. Rick and I worked together on the aesthetics but when it came time to get out the block of aluminum Rick was the star of the show.

    The 'F' rims are a great upgrade and I think complement the VF500F's original design very well. The 'F2' rims are also a top pick but there are some caveats to installing them - in terms of clearance.

    I do wish I had seen Steve Scott's website back in the day but I believe this was shuttered long before I became a fan of the VF500F.

    If interested I have a copy of Mr. Scott's guide to machining and installing F2 rims on a VF500F - sourced from another site. I'm happy to post here if this would be of help.
     
  2. willi777

    willi777 New Member

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    That would be great- this time i'll save it.
     
  3. invisible cities

    invisible cities New Member

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    Here ya go..can't vouch for the accuracy as I haven't done this conversion but this should get you on the right page.

    The following procedure was lifted from Steve Scott's site...which may or may not still exist.
    ________________________________________

    Here's what you do to fit CBR600F2 wheels onto a VF500F

    Front:

    Remove front wheel bearings and replace with 6302V
    Machine exactly 6mm from every brake rotor mounting boss on both sides of the wheel.
    Machine a spacer 2.5 mm thick x 15mm id x 23mm od (right side)
    Machine a spacer 30.0 mm thick x 15mm id x 23mm od (left side)
    If you don't already have the small rotor mounting bolts for the F2 rotors, go buy some.
    Bolt it up.

    Rear:

    Remove rear wheel bearings and replace with 6303RS
    Machine a spacer 5 mm thick x 17mm id x 30mm od (left side)
    Machine a spacer 8 mm thick x 17mm id x 30mm od (right outboard side)
    Machine a spacer 10 mm thick x 17mm id x 30mm od (right inboard side)
    Here's where you get to the point of no return...
    Take your VF500 cush-drive and chuck it into a lathe...remove sprocket, seal, circlip, and studs.
    Machine the seal pocket off, (10mm off the face where the seal was). Now you have a beautifully machined surface that is flush with the outer surface of your bearing.
    Machine the Sprocket mounting surface another 10mm deeper. keep the diameter consistent all the way.
    Shorten all the sprocket studs10mm
    There is no machining of the rear wheel. You use the F2 rear rotor, a 600 Hurricane caliper hanger with the VF500 caliper. You will have to fabricate a 6" brake-stay arm to attach to the hole in the top of the swingarm on the right side. So, from left to right, it's swingarm, chain adjuster, 5mm spacer, vf500 cush-drive, 4.5" wide wheel, 10mm spacer, caliper hanger, 8mm spacer, chain adjuster, swingarm.
    Bolt it up.
     
  4. willi777

    willi777 New Member

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    Thanks very much IC- not the only write up on the F2 swap, but good to have as much info as possible; just out of curiosity, do you have the CBR600 wheel swap info of his, or any other info from his pages?
     
  5. invisible cities

    invisible cities New Member

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    You are very welcome. Hope this will be of help.

    I'm afraid I don't have Mr. S's run down on the CBR600F wheel conversion but you can find more info about what all is involved here:

    http://vfrworld.com/forums/1st-2nd-generation-1983-1989/30852-vf500f-cbr600f-wheel-conversion.html
     
  6. willi777

    willi777 New Member

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    Thanks, your write up was excellent.
     
  7. BLIGHT

    BLIGHT New Member

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    Nationals Fiberglass phone number out of service...

    Hey guys, I tried calling the guy at Nationals Fiberglass- 517 Beacon St, Akron, OH 44311 (330) 762-4527...

    I get a message that the number is disconnected and offers to connect me to some other business. Anybody have a name for this guy and maybe a cell phone number?

    I have a hankering to make a VF500 F2 clone to sit beside my '86 VF1000R... but I need this fairing! Maybe I'll call Gustaffson fairings and see if they know what happened? Maybe Nationals is another victim of the poor economy? I hope not!!!

    BLIGHT
     
  8. invisible cities

    invisible cities New Member

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    I don't have a phone number but I do have an e-mail:

    ''THE DUDE''
    National's Fiberglass

    ultim8dude -at- yahoo.com
     
  9. BLIGHT

    BLIGHT New Member

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    Thanks... I'll fire off an email right away. Hope he's still in business.
    I have a call in to Gustaffson and they should call me back in an hour or so.
    Cheers,
    BLIGHT
     
  10. invisible cities

    invisible cities New Member

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    Good luck! Let us know how you make out.
     
  11. BLIGHT

    BLIGHT New Member

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    Email is sent.
    Will do...

    Update: End of day now and I got 'bupkus'. Not sure what's up. I'll try again tomorrow. Some people never check their email.. especially those that have passed on, or went out of business... I hope neither one is the case here!
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2012
  12. BLIGHT

    BLIGHT New Member

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    Well, the 'Dude' returned my email, and yes he will make me one. Price is $260 + $30 or so to ship, so about $300 for the whole new upper & lower.

    I ordered one from him, and he says about 2 weeks.... not bad!

    That email above is the only way to get ahold of him if anybody else wants one. I'm gonna paint & sticker mine like the euro version with the mainly blue tank... the style that mimics the '86 VF1000R.

    Now all I need is an '86 VF500! I have a line on a couple of low mileage ones, but the sellers are slow getting photos to me. I hope to pick one up for between $750 and $1000 if it's in good enough shape mechanically. Most of the job I want to do on it is style & paint anyway.

    Cheers,
    BLIGHT
     
  13. invisible cities

    invisible cities New Member

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    Glad this worked out. Please post up a few photos when you receive the fairing.

    Good luck on the '86!
     
  14. slowbird

    slowbird Member

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    x2....looking forward to seeing pictures.
     
  15. BLIGHT

    BLIGHT New Member

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    Hi guys... I picked up a pretty clean 1986 VF500 yesterday! It's a nice little bike, and it has surprising power! I got it for only $900, and it has 15,500 miles on it. There are the usual 26 yrs. worth of nicks and scratches here and there, but overall it's in good shape!

    I'll be repainting some stuff anyway with the new fairing (under construction) so I can spray the misc. bits & pieces as needed. Ordered a new chain, clutch pack (slipping a bit), some OEM decals/stripes, and a new red seat cover today to start the refurb. Here's a pic of her on the bike-carrier yesterday:

    [​IMG]

    As soon as I get the new full-fairing, I'll mount it up, take a few pics and post-em before painting.

    Cheers!
    BLIGHT
     
  16. hopit88

    hopit88 New Member

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    Looks like a nice deal for $900. Looking forward to the makeover.
     
  17. slowbird

    slowbird Member

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    Nice lookin bike!

    How does it run?
    Be sure to check the Top End
     
  18. BLIGHT

    BLIGHT New Member

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    Hi... it runs really great! It pulls really hard to redline and the clutch slips a bit. The original cork friction pads can get a little hard & brittle after 26 yrs, and some low-vis synthetic oils can also cause clutch slippage. Ordered a new set of friction discs and a few other bits & pieces last night. My '75 Kawasaki H1 did the same thing and it only has 6500 miles. New discs and there is no more slip.

    The bike is so quiet, you can just detect a very light valve tick at idle, so I'll check & adjust the rocker/follower clearances shortly. Starts easy, smooth idle and no flat spots or any backfiring. It even has all the CA emission equipment still in place (!)

    It has the OEM mufflers and air filters so she's really quiet just cruising along too. The speedometer seems to read a bit high though, and I'm not sure why? I'm impressed that it pulls so hard from 5 or 6K all the way up, with a good rush at the high end.

    The VF500 is a sweet little bike, and it's now my 5th VF/VFR. I'd say it's a keeper!

    Cheers,
    BLIGHT
     
  19. BLIGHT

    BLIGHT New Member

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    Update... and another VF500F rises from the barn!

    Still no action on the VF500FII fairing from Nationals Fiberglass. He's got a day job now and only does this stuff for side money now. Dunno when I'll actually get the fairing.

    In the mean time... I scour the local Craigslist ads daily and found a pretty nice '85 VF500 (parts missing) for only $125! I picked it up last weekend and she's in the stable now:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Would this old Honda run??? Sunday, I put my battery from my running '86 VF500F into the 'junker' and a funnel in the carb feed line... put some gas in the funnel and a little down the carbs. VOILA! she started right up and ran beautifully! NO valve noise, no smoke, instant oil pressure and went through all the gears while up on the center stand! This bike had been sitting for over ten years in a shed.

    I'm really happy! The bike was BOS only with no pink slip, etc. So getting it registered with a new title with the California DMV will likely be a load of fun. All it really needs is a gas tank (I have one) and a seat assembly & side covers to look presentable and it will be a little Phoenix!

    Cheers,
    BLIGHT
     
  20. willi777

    willi777 New Member

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    WOW! That is an incredible find- no rust to be seen and she fired right up... congratulations! Thank the seller for draining the carbs before storage. I think i read recently that California had a new process to title bikes with lost titles, but it sounds too good to be true- i know in NY it's difficult to say the least. Hopefully the Dude will come through soon with the bodywork, he was reliable and his work was top-notch when i needed a tail section for my VFR750 a few years ago. Can't wait to see some pics- now we've got two bikes to look forward to.
     
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