1986 VFR750F Upgrade Kit

This is the Rain / Guest Bike. It has served its purpose dutifully in both roles.



But it needs tires and brakes, including rotors. Well... we're not gonna just do that. Let's upgrade while we're at it. And we conveniently have some parts that recently got freed up.

CBR600F2 forks with RaceTech Emulators and Springs. F2 wheels with RC36-I rotors OD turned down ~2mm to use RC36 calipers and brackets on the F2 fork lowers.



Step 1: Remove the rear of the motorcycle. Check.



Now we have access to install this...



Fresh rebuild on a Fox Twin Clicker with a custom long remote res hose for mounting options. I'll take it to work tomorrow and dial in the length I want, which I think I'm gonna go with 285mm. +10 to compensate for the 17" wheel with a radial and +5 for some extra rear ride height.

 

Nice! It's still mid-winter here in the great white north.... so I'm building an 86 VFR out of parts accumulated over a few years.

Cap- regarding the rebuild of your Fox - was that your work or did you send it out?

 

Nice!! Please start a thread, would love to see and follow. These wheels, forks and brakes came off a bike I originally built out of parts too.

I will rebuild and modify forks no problem, but on shocks, I will let the experts do what they do. Sent out to Thor's Evolution Suspension Products. I think this is shock #4 (?) that he has rebuilt. 3 Fox and 1 Ohlins. Highly recommend.

 

Very cool.....and best of all inspiring, Capt! Keep us posted as it moves along!

 

That should do nicely.

 

After having bought my first Mitutoyo outside micrometer recently, I can't imagine what that thing you have pictured costs. hah.

 

That particular model is not crazy expensive, about $1400. The one I wanted (and they would have bought) is, but I really couldn't justify it. About $3500.

 

Good question. A lot of his work is Classic / Vintage stuff, a lot of Motocross I think. He recently became an Ohlins parts distributor and he rebuilt one for the VFR700FII.

It would likely be a question of needed service parts.

 

Rear mostly done.



Extra res hose length is gonna be real nice. Gonna see if the rear brake line set-up on the RC26-II works out and perhaps do something similar here, or custom order / build a brake line. Really don't wanna do that.



Front end apart.



41mm triple clamp ready to press together. Some RC36-I bars on the right will likely be used.

NOT a restoration, but I'll clean the face of this RC36 triple clamp up a bit.

 

Man, I have been working on my bike backwards this whole time. I like how open the lift is for front end work if I just turn the MF bike around..imma dumbass..

 

While I'm sure that is good pricing these days, $65 (on sale) plus tax / shipping for s stupid single rear brake line. I'll figure something out.

Between a bunch of orphaned kits I got from the Honda shop, parts bikes coming with good lines or finding the right deal on some nice used ones off eBay, I haven't had to buy new stainless lines in YEARS.

 

Took the clip-ons to work to machine off the limiting tab.

 

Nice bike lift set-up Captain... Cant lie though, I'm jealous over your gas tank..! haha

 

Hah! It has a stripe and no big dents is about all I can say about it. Not so impressive up close, just like the rest of the bodywork. Actually the tail and seat cowl aren't bad. I bought a whole parts bike just for those. And then ended up getting a Title for the bike miraculously. Swapped in that frame (and engine) on the RC26.

I made some real good progress last night and figured some shit out. Doing this conversion on an '86 round gage is not straight forward due to the triple clamp mounted fuse box. But I learned a bunch that I will apply when I build the last 86 VFR750F I have (which is not this one). And one of them is going to be to swap in that wire harness you gave me. ;-)

 

Good to see it going to good use, it took a minute to clean and grease that thing up...then to find out it was the wrong one for my bike! CRAP!

 

I pressed the original stem out, that got new bearings in the last couple years, and pressed them into the new 41mm clamp (with appropriate patina).



Faced and cleaned up the new upper triple.



You have to remove the steering lock bracket from the frame head, because the ignition switch is not angled like stock and now too close.





The break-off bolts suck to remove. I don't think the RC26 ones were this hard. Dremel large flats into the cone head, grab on with some vise grips head on, then use a large crescent wrench on that to twist. That's what popped them, I tried just vise grips from the side and no dice.



The replacements to seal the head area are some shouldered allen head with o-rings nicely squished. Whatever seals it of course, I just wanted the shallow head for clearance and something that looks like a legit plug.

 

That face plate turned out awesome.

 

Thanks. Yeah, not bad. Piece of glass, fresh sheet of 320 and back and forth until the surface is uniform.