Big F project

Holy Jesus that's a sweet looking ride.

 

I feel your pain. The only one of my VF's that I've gotten out of winter storage (yes, I know it's September) is one of my 500's... and that was just for a couple of rides before I found some stuff it needs.

If all work and no play makes Jamie a dull boy then I'm pretty darn dull. At least Tom seems to be able to put a bike together in less than a lifetime...

 

Setting your 1000 as my desktop background for a bit. Hope you love it, very nice ride!

 

Beautiful bike! Modern updates without looking hacked. You're pretty good with a camera too - photos have good lighting and rich color. Great job!

 

Mike and Jamie,

Only thing I`ve done recently is powdercoat the wheels, paint/polish swingarm, the CF fender. Finally had to just get focussed to get those little bits done. Luckily I had done most of the work last summer, probably be another year before I can call it done!

 

Thanks! I`ll take credit for how the bike looks(I didn`t want it to look hacked at all, I`m a touch picky), but I can`t take credit for the pictures, I just point the camera and press the trigger, the camera does it all. Guess I just blew a career as a photographer!:tongue:

 

man i still cant get over that it looks like that tire could hit either the head or the radiator thats the way it looks like to me could be my eyes

 

Don't worry, after a couple of weeks of sleep deprivation your eyes will be seeing lots of things that may, or may not, be there.

 

Nothing hits/touches/scrapes.

Before putting the 2002 forks on, I had a set of 2001 forks on it, just like my VF1000R. The 2001 forks are longer and were modified with different springs and oil so I had my doubts as to whether the 2002 forks would work. But, I had 2 sets and the springs are a stiffer rate than the 2001`s, so might as well try. Drop top triple, enough preload, different weight fork oil(not that oil has anything to do with fork length), works great. Been riding it like this for the past year.

_If_ the forks were shorter, it wouldn`t work.

 

Now, I'm a real newbie to the VFR world of bikes. Up until about a month ago I'd only owned one Interceptor, an '85 VF500F, and that was in teh 80's. Loved the handling on that bike. Crashed it badly.

I've owned several bikes since then, mostly Honda's. A 1000 Hurricane, a CBR1000, a Nighthawk...and my current daily rider, a 1984 V65 Sabre.

Found, and bought, a project 1984 VF500F a month ago. The wife decided SHE wanted to learn to ride so I bought another 1984 VF500F last week. I think I want to keep her bike for myself. I'm digging the way it handles, runs, feels, etc...

Haven't ridded the Sabre since buying the baby Ceptor, and I usually ride the Sabre every day.

Now that I've found this site, I'm beginning to think that the VFR's have some sort of cult following....add me to the cult please!

Long story short....that is one beautiful looking bike you've got there. My wife and I are jealous....LOL.

Wayne
Austin, TX

 

Tom .... ABSOLUTLEY STUNNING !!!. Another work of art.

 

Damn man that is one hell of a bike GJ. It kinda makes me feel less bad about droping money into my 500. Awesome inspiration for all v4's

 

Thanks Ian!

 

I don`t ever feel bad about spending $ , or elbow grease, or engineering on a bike I truly love. I hope it lands in the correct places though!

 

Just wanted to say how impressed I am with all of your work .
I have just recently re-registered here on VFR-W but have been a dinosaur VF fanatic for quite a few years now .
Tom ,, I was studying your comments and the pics of your F variant (so far from original but sooooo much better ,,,you are gifted btw ). I have a low mileage 1000R engine and a low mileage1000 F bike that needs a new engine . So to do the transplant I will need to know some things .
Like ,.. will the F carbs work on the R engine ?
What kind of frame mods are necessary to put the R into the F frame ?
By the way ,, I'm 54 and have been riding about all my adult life .
My ownership history of the 1KVF or Rs is ,.. owned 1 VF1k-R had less than 2,000 miles and had to sell last year because of low funds .(it was soo nice ) Have owned 2 VF1kF's and sold one several years ago and currently have the one that needs the transplant thing done .
I will if I can ,,do the inverted transplant from a rc-51 but that will have to come after the engine change.
Btw, did you say in a reply elsewhere that the tank on your VF was from a VF-750 ??
I will be needing a tank or revive one of the 2 I now have .
I cannot overstate my respect for the high art you display in the quality of your work .
I thought I had seen enough after seeing the picture of your "F" but this recent pic of your "R" is ineffen incredible.
A SINGLE SIDED SWINGARM !! everything is modded but it looks deceptively still like a original "R" . Honda would do well to hire you as a consultant in my humble opinion .
Custom exhaust ,..inverted rc-51 front end (same year model as the F ?? ) tank mods , seat mods, windscreen , tal section , black powder-coated ? frame,.. just everything everyhere ,,, just too too much ,,but perfect .
So how did you answer the oil to the cams issue ? Just curious about this because I'm sure you addressed it . I had a friend install an expensive aftermarket kit on my "R" before I sold it .
My hat is off to you and your awesome work .
-much respect to you Tom ,
-John Nestor

 

I have to say I now want to find a 1000R
has to be the best I have seen.
AWSOME JOB and this is your second?? I have no words.

 

Well Jesus John :redface:,

I`ll just say thanks, leave it at that, and try to give you some answers:

F carbs will go straight onto an R motor, I think. I have always suspected the F carbs to maybe give a little better breathing, they are somewhat different, take different main jets, and the 85-86 VF1000R we got here in the US was tuned more for midrange according to several US rags of the time. Dunno how true it is or not since I haven`t tried it, but the Big Sabres or Magnas of the era have different carbs, the early ones being the ones to get as they make more go. I`ll eventually try it but I think I`ll use a set of Megacycle cams/rockers that I found in a motor I got since the cams should give a bit more top end anyway.

Frame mods. Here is a link to my frame modification putting a R motor in a F frame I did last winter. I may end up using that frame on this modified F in the end, or maybe not. Since then, it has been powdercoated and sits wrapped up in the basement waiting for me to figure out if I`m going to do it or what. :

Vf1000r Motor In Vf1000f Frame? - VFR Discussion

Sorry to hear you had to sell the low mileage R. I sold 2 within the past year and currently have 2 R`s, the Mutant above and a 4000 mile 86 needing full restore or resto-mod, the big F, the modified F frame, another titled F frame, another titled R frame, an untitled R parts bike, several R motors and a bunch of other stuff the wife wonders if I really need. I`m 46.

The tank on the Big F is original 1000, not 750. The tank on my R is modified 1986 VFR750. The Big F will eventually get a tank I am modding to take a modern flush mount gas cap.

Thanks for the comments on my R. Here is a link from awhile back with a few more details:

Dang - VFR Discussion

The front end on the R is 2000-2001 RC51 whereas the Big F uses 2002 forks with a 2001 wheel.

I made my own drill and tap oil modification from the main oil gallery after alot of research of the original SAB/MAG site. I`m sure I`ve already bored everyone with the length of this post and probably violated some rules by posting links to another VFR site, but I can`t redo everything on all boards, so PM me if you wish to correspond and I give you my email.

 

Gotta say the R was quite a bit of work and took me all of 5 years as I bought my R just before my daughter was born in 1998, money was tight, etc. Finalised it to the point where I felt I could paint it in 2003. By comparison, I did most of the engineering on the Big F in about 3 months last summer. Maybe by next summer I`ll have it done.

Ive done a few restoration-ish things over the years and I`ve had just about every 80`s Honda I`ve wanted...13 at once was the most, I`ve since narrowed it down quite a bit, four I`m serious about, and of that, the Big F and my R are the two I intend to keep no matter what as I`ve built them very selfishly for myself as I want them.

Happy to see the kind comments from everyone, and maybe keep a couple more old Superbikes alive.

 

Bee-yoo-ti-ful job! How much weight did you drop from the stock setup?

 

I feel like I am gushing here, but you certainly have a unique combination of imagination and skills. Bravo!