Jim's $400.00 1986 VF500F

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by Jim McCulloch, Jun 25, 2019.

  1. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    Cap'n thanks for the reply. I looked at a bunch of reviews on this tire and it seems it was better suited to a "cruiser" type of moto. I knew this going in and had no pretense that this was a performance tire. It was cheap though!

    The main purpose of this bike is get me back to riding again, and get my skills back hopefully! I have not regularly ridden a moto in almost 30 years! I needed tires that would get me going cheaply/safely and will likely never ride this VF500 in a "balls out" fashion.

    Besides, the wife would kill me if I got killed on a moto!
     
  2. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    The thing about these tires is they are billed as you say, but then have this awesome low profile construction. The rubber is soft, and they perform really good. Just get them warm. I wouldn't hesitate about putting these on something that just needs bias ply tires to ride, but I'm not concerned about above 75% pace performance.

    I will probably use these to get one of my first 500 back on the road, and not feel terrible when age requires replacement before tread depth. I do have a fuckin lot o bikes.
     
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  3. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    Yes, good call.

    BTW, I am looking for a white 86 VFR700F, but it may be a unicorn to find one local to Houston. My favorite bike forever. We had one at the Honda dealer I worked at locally in '86 but I never knew who bought it. It just disappeared one day and I was SAD. Used to love just staring at it.
     
  4. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    You know you are bored when.......you spend 2 hours restoring a foot peg!

    I wish I knew where to get those shifter rod boots. They look like crap.

    IMG_0011.JPG
     
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  5. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    another good slow and boring project is to use a small blade (like exacto) to push in and straighten any bent radiator fins. practice makes near-perfect.
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2020
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  6. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    I have way too many hours in that.

    I have heard Freddie Spencer talk of having a radiator in his lap straightening fins on his NS500R for his mechanics and team between sessions.
     
  7. Waylander

    Waylander New Member

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    Go looking for Rod Ends, and then Rod End boots, you should find something pretty close to what you need


    VF1000F2F, in bits
     
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  8. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    May not seem like much, but rode all over the neighborhood and put 15 miles on it.
    No issues, except when at a stop the idle stays up around 1800 before it drops to 1200 or so. Maybe the rings are still breaking in and the compression is not 100% yet?

    With the new tires and non-bent handlebar (another story) it really is an easy bike to ride. Especially for someone who has not ridden in years.

    Going to start looking into painting now.....

    IMG_20201225_152021405_HDR.jpg

    There is a BIG SMILE right there! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!

    IMG_20201225_152000884.jpg
     
  9. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    you've earned that ride with alot of hard work and fighting off defeat. :D
     
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  10. Waylander

    Waylander New Member

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    No that’s not a bad Xmas present!


    VF1000F2F, in bits
     
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  11. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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    Great job. Yep, ride it some more. 'Tis the season to be jolly!
     
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  12. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    NEXT STEP on my journey....going to try some plastic repair. Got nothing to lose. I had forgot that I got a bunch of extra parts with the VF500 when I bought it. I have a complete front fairing that looks like the previous owner tried to repair. Looks like crap. I think he just put straight Bondo on it and hoped for the best. The left side of the the fairing is rough but the right side is perfect. Not sure if this can even be repaired but this is a good chance to learn something with little downside.

    Am I dreaming to think I can fix this? See below.

    This is the good side.

    IMG_0013.JPG
    And the bad side...

    IMG_0014.JPG
    Big cracks and pieces missing...

    IMG_0016.JPG

    IMG_0017.JPG
     
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2020
  13. Waylander

    Waylander New Member

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    You can make the missing bits up with some ABS sheet, when I am replacing big bits or filling large cracks, I use my big soldering iron

    200w the tip is over 1/2 inch across and flat, so I can melt a lot at a time

    [​IMG]

    Big old boy like this, at $15 who cares what happens to it


    VF1000F2F, in bits
     
  14. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    Thanks, I was wondering what kind of plastic that was. I am going to need to find some extra material to fix the missing pieces.
     
  15. Waylander

    Waylander New Member

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    eBay 2mm and 3mm A4 sheets only a few dollars


    VF1000F2F, in bits
     
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  16. shields17

    shields17 New Member

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    I was impressed with the plastic welding and how well it works. Once it's all cooled down it makes a really strong repair of cracks etc. I was pretty apprehensive about trying it on my plastics so sheets of ABS like Waylander suggests were really good for getting a feel for how quickly/slowly to move over the plastic. Once you've got that down though it's easy to do!

    There's some really good advice a few pages back in my thread and lots of helpful YouTube videos. Like you say, with a spare fairing there's nothing to lose from having a go at it!
     
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  17. Waylander

    Waylander New Member

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    If I’m working on bits that are to flexi to stay still when hot, a spray bottle of water does the trick

    It’s not like using glue where everything has to be clean grease free and dry


    VF1000F2F, in bits
     
  18. straycat

    straycat Member

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    Jim, that will weld up just fine. Just be sure to get rid of all the old bondo and filler before you start welding. other contaminants like body filler and glues will cause a weak and unreliable weld. Best to take it back to clean ABS then you wont have to worry about it cracking later after you get her all painted.
     
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  19. Jim McCulloch

    Jim McCulloch New Member

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    It's really cold, crappy, and rainy here today in Texas so I am continuing with my clutch cylinder sight glass replacement.

    Joe at V4 Dreams sent over a few lenses for me to try and it looks like they fit perfectly. I test fitted everything and they look good.

    Here are some pictures:

    Before, I had to smear silicone all over them in order to stop the leak

    IMG_0002.JPG
    Here is the lens removed. I used a 90 degree dental pick to put a hole in it from the back side then pried it out from the front. The original lens was a lot thicker than the replacement lens.

    IMG_0029.JPG

    Original vs V4Dreams lens:

    IMG_0032.JPG
    Test fitted V4Dreams lens:

    IMG_0030.JPG
    Lens OD size for future reference:

    IMG_0031.JPG
    Next step is seal the lens in place. Need to drink more ale before moving to that level of commitment!
     
  20. raYzerman

    raYzerman Member

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    I believe when I did mine years ago, I used a gray RTV applied in the recess and kept most of it off the back (inboard) ledge so queezeout behind the lens was minimal, yet sealed the OD. You can clean up squeezeout with isopropanol if needed after install, and of course clean it (and let dry) with isopropanol before you apply the RTV. Let the RTV set for at least 24 hours to cure.
     
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