My Bike - 86 VFR 700

Hey guys, posted a thread in the general discussion then realized I should prob post the pics here as well, would love to hear your honest opinions.


Here's the bike when I first got it, of course my mom wanted a pic of me on it lol, only one I have of it in this condition.


I decided to paint the seat with some vinyl spray paint, if anyone has recommendations for better solutions let me know. I couldn't find somewhere to get it recovered for less then like $100


Then I decided to get some stickers and make it a little less boring, I'm guessing this will be the most controversial step

 

Personally I hate to see em painted in weird schemes but to each his own, looks like a nice bike though. as for a seat, try an upholstery shop. I had a dirt bike once that was going to cost more like $200 to have recovered, took it to the local upholstery shop and they had the correct blue in stock just didn't say Honda on the side, cost me $30 out the door. Or if you have an air compress you can buy the staple gun and a cover for about the price as having it done and if you ever need to do it again for any reason you have the tool. or charge some one a few bucks to do theirs, oh yeah a hair drier helps stretch em on correctly. I'd be a little worried about the wiring though, looks like the fan is on a switch, some people really screw wiring up and some don't. When I put mine on a switch I bought the correct connectors to just plug the switch in, more work but the harness is still intact if I ever get around to changing the part out.

 

How many miles? How much did you pay?

Personally i agree, i love them all stock

 

It was already painted that way when I bought it, not my personal favorite, but not terrible either imho.
The fan was on a switch, just like last week it stopped working. Dunno if it shorted or what, but it hasn't been getting too hot so I haven't worried about it.
It has just about 38k miles on it, and I paid $1150. Previous owner has just put in new regulator, alternator, chain and sprockets, oil change.. I think there was more, just can't remember. A friend of mine pointed out that it has steel braided lines that he didn't think were stock, I wasn't sure though. It needed a rear brake light switch to pass inspection..
Oh and a new rear caliper. I got one off ebay for $30 shipped, put it on the other day, just gotta do the lines now. Could afford some new mirrors, I'm debating painting the engine cover too.

Oh, one other thing. I was just lubing the chain yesterday, and it had all this black slimey grease type stuff on it and the rear sprocket. The lube I have now is clear and a whole lot lighter, and I wiped all the nasty black off. That stuff wasn't important was it? I assumed it was just chain lube and dirt or something, but wasn't sure if it was some kind of important grease lol. The chain looks wayyy better all cleaned off though.

 

I'd say so, especially considering that the bike has Showa suspension and you put KYB stickers on it!!! Either way it looks nice, good job!

 

Here's to the 86 vfr700!:cheersaf:

 

hey, it's black and white, throw some DARE stickers on it lol. If that's too lame you could all ways get the other version of DARE that has "drugs are really expensive" written under it.

 

Nice bike.
Don't worry about the chain lube that you removed. The new lube will look dark and nasty before long.

It seems like I read about the 86 700 enough to make me think that there still a fair number on the road.

I like the police paint job.

 

Looks to be in pretty good shape, nice find.

 

Soo, new question. I just noticed my rear rotor has a little rust on it. The bike hasn't had working rear brakes since I bought it, I put the new caliper in but there's no fluid in the lines, so is the rust just from lack of use? I plan on doing the lines later this week, debating whether to do them the manual way or get a bleeding kit, any thoughts?
Also, love the look of white wheels, hate cleaning them :crazy:

EDIT: Also, how hard is it to get brighter headlight bulbs? I'm always over riding mine at night, they kinda suck.

 

Took a quick video, hopefully it came out ok
‪1986 vfr 700‬‏ - YouTube

 

Nice find, but stickers like those only make you look like a newby, young poser.......only impressive to the ignorant and uninformed.

 

when I had problems with the Sabre brakes and had to rebuild the master cylinder I ended up buying a big roll of vinyl tubing that would fit the bleeder screw, loosened it, put the tube on it thrown on the ground, kept one end clean and sucked the fluid into the system. None of the bleeding tricks worked because of a little bit of air trapped in the piston area, never would pressurize the lines. The big coil of line on the ground is so you don't actually get the crap in your mouth and you can see it moving through the line. Once I pulled two reservoirs worth into it I closed the screw and bleed it normally. Rebuild your master cylinders especially if the fluid is dark brown muddy looking. It's cheap insurance to replace those fragile little parts that save your life every time you have to stop. about the only special tool you need are snap ring pliers and if you don't have any I've used everything from small screwdrivers to wood screws.

 

Hey L.D., sounds like you are on the right track of getting this thing seriously road worthy! congrats


As for all the negative comments on the paint job that the bike had before you bought it dont mind them. Promise that there are some dudes on this forum that aren't elitist jerkbags.

Here's to many good miles on your Honda:tongue:

 

Well put. ound:

 

Sweet machine! I used to have an '86 VFR700 myself Lionsden. :high5:
It was the most dead-nuts reliable machine I've ever owned.

I'm with you my friend,stock headlight bulbs suck. The stock headlight bulb on that old beauty is a 55w/60w.

I used to run an 80w/100w "Brite-Lite" from Bluhm Enterprises on my old '86. That headlight bulb is 30% brighter than stock. It came in handy for running the roads at night through the forests of the Kettle Moraine here in the Frozen Wastelands.
I had absolutely no problems at all running that headlight bulb on my bike either.

Just a heads up,here's the link to Bluhm Enterprises. Click me.>>>>>Bluhm Enterprises

As far as paint schemes go,the sky's the limit Lionsden. That machine is yours now,do whatever you want with it.
The way I see it as long as the pretty girls and little kids like your bike that's all that matters.
Besides,who cares what a bunch of us grumpy fat smelly old guys think about it anyway. :spit:


(Disclaimer) Sorry gentlemen,my apologies to any grumpy fat smelly old guys. :sorry: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

My rear caliper was stuck when I got it, I pushed the piston back in, open bleeder first. Flushed the system by emptying the mc and then cleaning out sludge. I filled it with fresh fluid and put on brake, cracked and tightened the bleeder then let off the pedal. In about 10 minutes the fluid was clear and job done.

Be sure to do the same with the front wheel brakes and the clutch.