Pictures

So here are some pictures of my somewhat embarrassing condition bike. Got it for cheap, just wanted something to play with on the side and I certainly got it. Besides the obvious body issues, leaking left fork, does anybody see anything glaringly wrong in these pictures?

 

It's dirty. Other than that it looks like a pretty good project. Does it crank, run, how long since it last ran???
Clean it, open up the air filter housing, check the filter, drain the gas, etc.... and then post some more pictures.
How cheap did you get it?

 

Last ran... this afternoon. It runs ok, carb rebuild is in the future as it doesn't have the power it should I am sure of it (never ridden one of these before though). It is dirty, has been cleaned up some since those pictures were taken. Buddy had it parked for 2 years before he sold his house and needed it gone, I spent well under a grand on it, which for a complete running liter bike with only 32,000 miles on it to me isn't bad. In decent shape these seem to go for 3k+ around here, this one is all original but neglected.


Yes I spent more on the toolbox than I did on the Interceptor, but definitely not more than the M50 in the background is worth.

 

Hey Hamster,
Then I think you got yourself a pretty good deal. Since it sat up for 2 years before you rescued it now is the time to get it running right. Make sure you don't have any mouse nests in the air box or any wires chewed up.
Change the oil and filter. (Castrol 20w50 is what I used in my old Nighthawk 700S, just make sure that you don't use any oil that says energy conserving because that will make the clutch slip) Replace the sparkplugs. Drain the gas with some fresh premium gas (look for rust particles) and add about 1/4 can of Seafoam to the gas. You will probably still need the carb rebuild but maybe not, this stuff is really good for dissolving crap in the carbs.
Get new tires if these have any hint of dry rot, you should probably get new ones anyway. (Michelin Pilot Road 2's are great if they have then in your size) You don't want to be doing 120 when the front blows out.
Cosmetics are the tricky part because since the bike is so old the parts will be hard to find and much more expensive for the nice ones that you need. Aftermarket parts are not available like new bike parts. Clean it, polish it, get it running right and enjoy it. When it is time to change to something else you will still make a nice profit. If you decide you love it and want to keep it, then start all the cosmetics.
Tom

 

Seafoam the gas seems to be a common thing people do with old Carb'd bikes ( the other bike I have is injected). Anybody have any counter-points to doing this? Should it be burned off in one day and not let the seafoam sit in the carbs for a long period?

Any oil reccomendations? I bought 4 litres of GN10w40 from the Honda dealer when I picked up an oil filter on the way home from the registry. I am thinking of using that in the Suzuki though and getting something better for the Honda, given it's infamy with oil issues.

 

Here is a pic since I did some work to it.

So I've spent about 300 dollars on it now since buying it. Got a decal set from online ($150?), a new seat cover ($50), rear cowl ($30), radiator fan switch ($10), coolant/flush ($20), oil/filter ($20), and rear brake pads ($35). Cleaned it up a bit and that's about it. It still needs much cleaning, new front fork seals (they are sitting here on my desk), tires are old and the carbs need cleaning. Regardless it runs strong and pulls 120kph in second gear with the front wheel on the verge of coming off the ground. Overall it schools my friends YZF600R in a drag race and has cost under a grand to date. I'm having fun with it.

 

Looks nice. Nothing like 998cc's to make your day.

 

Wow, is it the same bike than in the first picture? Lot of TLC since then. I have two of them in my garage and none looks that clean.

Can you tell where you got the decals and did you applied them directly over the old one without repainting?

 

Now that is just plain sweet.^^^

Lookin' good Hamster. I could stare at that old beauty all night.:love:

I dunno,is it just me or do these older bikes seem to exude an almost other-worldly level of Coolness that the newer bikes just can't match?

 

Looks like you have done a good job. It looks good! I'm partial to those bikes. Like to get one someday.

 

Decal kit came from this place:

High Quality Decals for Honda VFR Series Decals and Stickers 172

They were not easy to remove/install. I did not put the new ones over the old ones, I stripped the old ones completely off. To do it I used a heat gun to peel the old decal off, but it doesn't come completely off it leaves this grey glue/shit beyond. Through trial and error I found that a plastic pots/pans scrubbing thing from the grocery store and carb-cleaner made that grey shit come off nice. This was after a couple hours of fucking around with nail polish remover, goo-off, and other solvents like that. Whatever is in carb cleaner really works well on the decals residue compared to anything else I tried (and I tried lots).

As for re-applying that was also a learning process. The decals come with a paper backing, and then an almost wax-paper cover on the front to protect them. I removed the wax paper and then with a sharp knife cut off a couple of inches of the backing. Then start at once edge and before applying hte exposed sticky portion carefully line the decal up all the way down where it goes, straight as you can. Now apply the sticky portion and slowly peel the backing off as you work your way down. Be very mindful of air bumps. You can pull the sticker back after you apply it a cm or so, but beyond that it wanted to tear/stretch. It was nerve racking for sure.

Thanks to all for the kind comments on the bike. It's a work in progress but I really like the thing for short hauls around the city.