restoring & adding a modern touch to a 86 vf500

emulsion tubes

The emulsion tube part numbers are different between the '84 and the '85 model years. Strangely the '86 shares the same part numbers as the '84 model year.

The '84,'86 emulsion tubes have a different design for the front and for the rear cylinders.

The '85 shows the same design used for both the front and rear cylinders.

On a side note for reference: The Factory Pro Kit does not come with new emulsion tubes. The kit is supplied with #38 pilot jets ('84 & '86 are stock #38's the '85 is stock #35), adjustable needles and #108 (for use w/ a stock or street baffled slip-on exhaust) and #112 mains (for use w/ an aftermarket race exhaust).

 

How about the frame sliders you were working on? I would like to put a set on my bike this winter.

 

Who's making frame sliders for the VF500's ?!?!?!

 

i dont now all the the specs but the 86's run a higher lifter cam than the 84-85 bikes add larger carbs with the right jetting and you got a few extra ponys at the rear wheel if not more

 

i've almost got them worked up it did take that much work either to get them fitted to the bike im moving to our new house this week so i'll snap some new pictures as soon as we get settled in

 

when you say aftermarket race exhaust what do you mean or does my exhaust fall in that catagory? 112 mains would be pretty sweet if the bike could handle it

 

ME! i've been working on and off with them, but i took a set of RC51 frame sliders and mounted them to the front lower engine mount i would like to mount another one up by the tank aswell, another cool little mod i'v about to sstart messing with is throwing out the stock bulky radiator fan and running a slimmer CBR fan just to give me more room around the head

 

Factory Pro

It's a very good question :smile:

I agree it would be the bee's knees to have 112's but like all jetting it takes a bit of time to get things dialed in. I think you'll have to see how far you can take it but I'm curious to hear the results.

On a side note - it's interesting that on the stock '84 set-up (the largest mains of the three years) Honda selected 102F/105R jets. I would be curious to know if anyone has used the Factory Pro Kit with success as they don't weight the mains from the front to rear cylinders.

 

SWEEET!!

Let me know how it goes and be sure to document everything clearly.

 

yes i dynoed it when it was bone stock 29.9hp & 15.8 ft tq

 

roger roger

 

dynamometer

At what rpm?

 

How noticeable is the F4i shock conversion? I had my '86 VF500 out on Mid-Ohio this summer after doing racetech front springs and doing a bar conversion from an '87 Hurricane. Really made the bike handle well, i was running over an '08 ZX6R in the corners all day. Since then I have added the stainless brake lines and am adding peg relocators and rebuilding the top end this winter. I want to know if its worth doing the shock upgrade.

 

And this is at 120 decibels, about the same level as an atom bomb going off LOL

 

It's very significant. The stock shock is pretty much junk and allows for a lot of wallowing in the corners. You are a brave man taking one on the track, that's for sure! The rear shock is the #1 best thing you can do for the handling of the 500 followed closely by F2 wheels.

 

You're a heck of a salesman Jamie. I may be sending you a shock before spring to get the bike in real shape for the track. I was considering it anyway, but its just about a sure thing now. I was riding in the novice group, which may explain me running people over since I've been riding motorcycles since i was 8... And as far as being brave, the only issue I had was dragging the pegs and scuffing the hell out of the toes of my riding boots. I had to start taking them wide once my speed got up.

 

10,000 rpms this was bone stock no slip-ons and no jetting nothin with bigger carbs i really think this thing could make some hella good power

 

dynamometer

Thanks, I forgot to ask, is your number 'true rear wheel horsepower' at 10k? I had read that a stock '84 produces mid-50's true rear wheel horsepower and a stock '86 - a bit less - somewhere in the low 50's.