Need help please...front end conversion

ok, so I found a bike yesterday that was an 86 vfr700f that had a complete cbr f4i conversion. The entire front end was swapped and the rear wheel replaced with the f4i wheel.

What all would be needed to do the front swap? What's needed with the rear wheel swap? I saw a post here where another guy had done this on his bike as well and said all that was needed to accommodate the rear wheel was spacer adjustments?

Basically, I love my bike as is, and will keep it that way if a conversion is too hard, but I loved the look of his bike as it lowered the front end plus gave much better tire choices, and i'm just not too impressed with the tire choices in stock size...too tall of a sidewall so can't really lay the bike down as low as i'd like

 

The front end swap is pretty straightforward - you just bolt in the whole assembly to the VFR700 steering head.

The rear is a little more difficult. The F4 wheel is too wide to keep the chain in the original position. That's the tough part - getting the chain moved outward. A custom countershaft sprocket would be needed for sure. The rear brake is another issue. Plan on some custom fabrication to make that work. You also might want to check the swingarm clearance to be sure a 180 tire will fit in there. A 160 on an F2 or F3 wheel fits without any problems but I'm not sure about a 180.

 

Ride height

The rear is the hard part to be sure. The rear will lose height in the conversion and it must be corrected. Fox shock is the best way to fix but hard to find.Just lowering the front is not enough and you will darg exhaust and lowers well before it is in check.

 

ok, so an f2 would be the best bet then? Isn't the f2 front a direct bolt-in? I have a guy offering me an f2 rear with axle, custom spacers, correct cush drive/sprocket/brake rotor, new bearings, brand new Shenko tire 170/60-17, and all instructions for the brake arm and caliper mount along with the stock brake arm and caliper mount so that i don't have to ruin my stock setup in case I want to go back...all for $200. So then i'd just have to find the f2 front and be set.

 

Also wanted to say thanks for the input. Throw a ninja in front of me and i can figure about anything out...just new to the VFRs lol

 

Ooor, Jamie, How about the f4i front swap with the f2 rear wheel? How would that work out?

 

hey i saw that tire on ebay lolol i was going to snag it

 

lol...well it's mine, dangit!

 

The F2 rear wheel is certainly not a direct bolt-on. The parts you describe sound like what was outlined on the Hondavfr.org site, so you should be fine there.

There is nothing 'wrong' with that, but keep in mind that the F2 and F4 wheels look different.

 

I hear ya on the ninja....I am the same. i have built so many of those its crazy. This v4 honda stuff is making my brain hurt. They (honda) do some weird shit. It works though. I will learn..lots of reading. I will finish the service manual this weekend.

 

Damn...another site to study.....Hey Jamie, looks like I will be spending some dollars with you soon. I am interhested in a f2/3 front swap..

 

ok, I've decided to go a different route, mainly because it'll be free :biggrin:

I've acquired a Hurricane 600 front and rear wheel sets. I know that the front wheel is a direct swap, no modification needed. Perfect! Has anyone tried the matching 17" hurricane rear wheel? I'm hoping it'll be a direct swap, too, that way I can have 17s front and back, and matching wheels, and less work :thumbsup:

 

Just a comment - the Hurricane wheels are a goofy width and therefore you can't really get good tires for them anymore. I think the net result would not have much gain.

 

blah...guess i'll just stick with stock for now and try to find some decent tires with short sidewalls and nice rolled contact patches

well, that or put the hurricane wheel on front with a Bridgestone BT-016 since it has a really short sidewall and rolled contact patch, then run a Battlax 140/60zr18 on back for the same reason.

 

my 86 vfr700f has a 2001 f4i rear rim and a 180 tire it was not hard to put it on

 

Please...do tell.......:biggrin:

 

I contacted the original owner of HondaVFR.org and he put it back up in a temporary location. It can be found here: The 1986-7 VFR700F Page

Lots of good 86-87 info, check it out! I'm going to post this in a few places just to make sure the 86-87 folks see it.