Attempting to bring back a VFR that was left for dead.

Ok as I have previously mentioned in my introduction thread here's the thread in witch I'm going to attempt to bring back a 1998 VFR that I bought from a friend. Here's the story to set the stage more or less....
I've recently gotten into finding old school bikes to fix up and ride. I was bitten early last year when I found a 1984 ninja gpz900 w only 7k on the clock for under a grand. She sat in a barn for 20+ years so lets say allot of cleaning and wrenching and she was dang near perfect. so much so that I was at a bike night in Dallas 3 weeks after I had finished her and I had a older gentleman approached me and ask if I would sell it. I thought of some ridicules amount. I told him sure $3800 and its yours he asked for my number and he picked it up a week later.. ouch I was sad to see her go but a few weeks before I sold her I had a friend ask if I wanted to buy his brothers old VFR Id been wanting one so I said sure how much. He said it had some issues "warning words right?" and he'd take for it $1200. So I figured why not. I went to look at the bike well all I can say is it sure did have some issues so many in fact I thought it would end up being sold piece by piece on ebay or something worse.
The bike wouldn't turn over let alone start, had very old and nasty fuel in the tank but it looked clean (no rust), the fairings were a joke, ect only things on the bike that was good were the head lights, wheels, and frame. Couldn't tell if the motor was any good. You get the point. So I said this is to far gone for me. He said he wanted me to try and bring her back after he had seen what I did with the gpz he knew I could do it. I said ok and offered him $600 shockingly he said deal. He swore it ran great being a friend I took his word and the transaction happened.
Now I know I have been telling you about a lot of things that don't pertain to getting this bike back road worthy let alone in a acceptable condition that I'd want to be seen in public on it. I just wanted to give you all a little insight on why I would even take a gamble and be separated from my hard earned money for a possibility of bring her back to life. "The friend that was with me said oh hell no that's a pile of garage your never gonna get that thing running let alone back on the road" I have the Don't tell me it cant be done attitude!!
Now keeping in mind with what type of condition I have said the bike was in please remember you were warned its very ugly and I know it.. So now the stage is for the coming adventure I have undertaken cant wait to share it all with you. And please if you have any advice please feel free to share it..:crazy:

 

If you find a Crocker or an old Ferrari, keep working on that VFR and give me a call.

Advice? Get a pic up quick before the picture police strike.

 

lol found a rc30 once in a barn and the old guy sold it to me for $1500 then I woke up with a cold sweat!! lol
Pics being uploaded as I type

 

ok remember I warned you a few nnnnnnghgrttimes about how ugly it is. And no I will not provide the name or address or the person that defaced this poor soul to this point... Well maybe if the price is right, I seem to allways be out of Mt Dew lol. Let the saddness begin.. oh and I hope dont get accused of being a picture freak I allways take way to many pics cause you never know.


When I unloaded her from the trailer


Can you say ZIP TIES!!!


Tank after a wash job. Sorry for being out of order


I have no idea but I think they used brush on type house paint all over on her. I had to strip my girl down bare to get her ready..





2 things in this picture besides the overspary anyone else notice its pretty darn bad


I thought oh how bad can a tail light be cost wise? Wow was I in for a suprise


Stock exhaust


Black tape bar ends anyone...


another crack in the upper




the fairings I get to work with. Lots of road rash and cracks even a area on the flat side of the fairing near the tank that has a 4" hole from aduse.. Once she is running I want to try make them road worthy again so I can put a few miles on her to make sure the motor is in good enough shape to continue




tank being stripped in the back ground. w my gpz 900. Ill post pic later but its not a Honda but it is a reminder of how this can and will turn out I hope..








Was tryin to get a good pic on what it would lok like with a hi mount exhaust


This is what I'm shooting for once everything is set and I know it will run longer than a week or two. any guess's on what the scheme is? Its pretty darn easy.. when I find the origonal pic I'll post where the idea started from it was a 90s isle of man rc tt race bike. thats what I'm shooting for a tt replica with my own flair!!
Sorry about the crude pic but ms paint was all I had to work with while at work.

 

Welcome aboard and good luck with the bike. That paint job reminds me of the t shirts we used to wear in the '80's, not too sure I like the blue and red tyres though :biggrin:

 

^^ LOL ya I know it I've tried for weeks to find tires in that color comb and everytime I go to a shop and ask them they look at me like I'm nuts... Guess I'll try the track ^^



Heres the origonal pic I started from with out the colorfull tires lol

Heres a picture of the old gpz that got me hooked. everything that was polished had to be hand done due to the fact you cant buy much anymore for these bikes.. Had a ton of fun building it.. Hope to repeat the feeling.

 

Hahaha she is one Bad girl
and yes the rear sprocket is beyond my imagination :hss:
Fix her up and get her back on the road please

 

Do we have one of those smiley things that shows a basket case?

Good luck in getting her cleaned up. Look forward to seeing the progress.

 

Bless you sir for saving that poor girl!

 

I did the Frankenstein repair with green tie wraps to my John Deere tractor hood because my soon to be ex kept running under trees until she totally destroyed it!

 

Well, IF you can get it running, I don't know if I would not go ahead and get a complete set of fairings and restore her. You could go through the bits and pieces thing for plastics as well, or just fiberglass from Airtech.

Or how about going gonzo with left exit RC30 headers, USD forks, blast and powder coat wheels, and RC30 paint.

Aren't I helpful?

Larry

 

From the pix and the work so far what it looks like is the VFR was in somebody's hands that shouldn't have a bike in the first place. IMO having a bike is not a God or Constitutionally given right or even in the Texas Constitution, thick as it is..

Looks like it got dropped then stopped and put away wet. Hoping the engine is fine.

All that plastic is not that bad and can be fixed. Looks like you have skills.

For missing chunks most fairing pieces in the last 10-15 years and older are ABS and react the same to plastic welding and solvent fusion.

 

Here are some tips:

LED Taillight Made in Germany, swap straight in, this is the smoked grey version. http://www.riffgmbh.com. Cheaper and better.



Smoked front indicators Made in Germany. Standard are ugly, these blend in a little. http://www.riffgmbh.com. Cheaper and better.

2001 mirrors Kits available from David Silver spares in UK. http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk. Good prices on most parts.

Levers I’ve stuck with the standard levers, but bought 3BBB out of Taiwan, quality is first class. Search eBay for 3BBB

Fixing cracked fairings and molding missing parts. Get some Plastex www.plastex.net

Decals. you can't go past this site: http://www.bike-decals.com If they don't have it they will make it, and if they have it, but not the right size, they will make it. R6 was done with their decals. The R6 panels and tank were in same shape as yours, sanded and bogged them myself and they went to spay painter, picked a standard car colour, because most of the bike manufacturers don't have colour codes, in this case Audi silver, he sprayed, I applied decals.

 

Here are some shots of a high mount Staintune. I like them because they are a clean stainless design, no manufacturers decals and sound great.

 

Hail to the Jacques Cousteau for VFR World.

 

Nice work but sorry your proposed paint scheme sadly kind of ignores WWII Japanese brutality and aggression committed under that flag. Not that i haven't experimented a bit on a VTR250.........

 

SQ. You didn't make mention of my graphics being similar to the Canadian symbol and we slaughtered you Yanks with severe aggressive action during a few recent winter Olympic games in hockey. Just like we are going to do again this year.

 

ouch I guess you could take that alot of ways about agression for the above comment lol but come on Canada should have no reason not to beat everyone at hockey thats all they have is ICE!!! but on a serious note I aperciate your input Squirrelman. I wanted to do something that was a new begining type meaning so before I did this paint scheme idea I did alot of research. "I didnt want to offend anyone" So apon my research I learned some things about alot of symbols from other countries and what they were when they had been thought of and what they came to mean. There are alot of them that started off positive and ended up badly. Some you cant even use they have become so bad.. The swastica is the main one that comes to mind that everyone knows. Sorry if I butchered the spelling. Spelling isnt a strong point with me nor is typing lol. But I learned that the rising sun was inteneded tobe used as a symbol of "good fortune" and if I can bring her back from the "rolling or pushing dead" I will have had good fortune.. I may just change the paint up a tad bit and take the red part of the sun off the fairings for two reasons. 1 I can pay it off as I just did the red and white cause that was the color scheme of my first cbr and the main reason that alot of extra taping I dont think I'll be enjoying.. And didnt notice the similarity. Yes the sprocket and chain were scary worn I've never seen a bike with a rear sprocket that bad along with a chain that had more titght spots and the local ?? "oh wait thats another story sorry!" that was still being ridden. My buddy that ownes the local kawi shop wants it to put on the wall.. I told him I'd trade it for a new one lol. To everyone else thank you for helpping me spend my money. Just kidding I like all the suggestions and ideas keep them coming. I want this bike to be a head turner but not as it is now!! Since I did ask for advice anyone ever do a left side hi mount exhaust to really open up the single sided swing arm? would like to do that instead if I cant I'll stick to a right side hi mount. As said before thank you for the positive feed back I hope it turns out for the better.. This weekend we will be conducting a "Smoke check as my buddy calls it"