[Project VFR400 (NC21)]

[toymachine]

Hey all, just starting a thread to document things along the way of my project bike... both to keep a diary of sorts and just for casual interest should there be any... also perhaps to ask for help.

I'm (grudgingly) waiting till my holidays start (end of this week) to really get into it, and at the moment am gathering information (no easy task!) and stuff to help get me going.

Found a few NC24 pages from the back of a Haynes NC30 manual which were useful in getting the year and code of the bike, torque settings for all the bolts, clearences and measurements all over the place etc; have a NC30 workshop manual ( not sure what help that will be ) and managed to get a 'General Honda service manual' which is actually being really bloody helpful ( i've no mechanical experience on bikes ).

So to start it off, here's the pictures of what my $700 got me... ripped off or not ripped off (haven't figured that one yet):

[toymachine]

What I know so far:

It's 1986 (ad said 88)

New ignition (vir said its not stolen)

New brake cylinder

It starts without a problem on jumperleads (flat battery)

It won't idle (aparently does when warm)

The headlight works (bonus!)

The indicators work (well, when i turn them on it shows they're going on the console)

Right fork seal is fucked

It moves, i rode it up the driveway when i bought it

Brakes work, albiet not overly well

Oil cooler doesn't seem to be connected at one side so I dunno what that means elsewhere...

It smokes ever so slightly

[xwhatsit]

Heh, nice. Leave it naked! It looks monstrous ^_^.

I bet it sounds mean as! Worth the $700 just for the sound :D.

[toymachine]

It'll probably be naked for a fair while yet, dunno when i'll be able to afford all the fairings... ones i have are by and large screwed.

Yeah I thought $700 for the sound alone was a good buy too ^_^

[avgas]

Good effort buddy, keep us posted.
Also i dont do to bad a job with aerosol cans if you want a hand with those fairings - check my old ZXR that KLOWN owns, did that with cheap m10 cans

[toymachine]

Pulled the tank off and drained it this evening, gave a good insight into the amount of stuff to come off...

I'm planning on (if possible) taking the electrics off as 'complete' as possible so it's not too difficult to get em going again...

Hopefully have most of the stuff I want to have ripped off, ripped off tomoro.

[toymachine]

Spent a bit of time trying to get the subframe off today...

Got it ready to come off except for one bolt... which was slightly striped, is now severely stripped, and i broke a ratchet socket and spanner in 2 separate attempts trying to get the bastard off... all this after bathing the bloody thing in crc. So i'll give it another blast tomoro... tonight it soaks in more crc.

Removed the muffler and found what I think is a strange attempt at getting around the no backpressure problem of no baffles...

Once subframes off i'll get a powdercoating quote and see where i go from there...

Will also probably attempt to give the carbs a clean. Baring any unforseen problems once money allows me to replace other general bits (sprockets, brakepads, airfilter etc) i'll bolt the thing up and see where things go from there.

[xwhatsit]

Spent a bit of time trying to get the subframe off today...

Got it ready to come off except for one bolt... which was slightly striped, is now severely stripped, and i broke a ratchet socket and spanner in 2 separate attempts trying to get the bastard off... all this after bathing the bloody thing in crc. So i'll give it another blast tomoro... tonight it soaks in more crc.

Removed the muffler and found what I think is a strange attempt at getting around the no backpressure problem of no baffles...

Once subframes off i'll get a powdercoating quote and see where i go from there...

Will also probably attempt to give the carbs a clean. Baring any unforseen problems once money allows me to replace other general bits (sprockets, brakepads, airfilter etc) i'll bolt the thing up and see where things go from there.

Lol, what had he done to the exhaust?

[duckaddict]

Wow! I admire your enthusiasm dude! :rockon:

I've got no mechanical experience too, but if there's anything I can help just let me know.

[toymachine]

Lol, what had he done to the exhaust?

Well at the end of the pipe, where it connects to the can, are two large circular metal disks welded to the inside... assuming ' === ' is the pipe and ' < ' are the two disks welded together at the vertex, it looks a bit like <===

[toymachine]

Well it's getting further along, got a fair bit done today.


Managed to break another socket, but hey.


Having a bit of trouble with some engine mount bolts as they are fairly small, tapered and designed with rounded bits on the edges... also they're soft as putty, and corroded shut. They strip like fuck. In 2 hrs we got one out... rest tomoro.

Dropping engine out tomoro.

Found theres an engine mount snapped off the frame so i'll have to get that rewelded, hopefully the frames straight.

Pics:

[Sketchy_Racer]

Good stuff mate!!

Make sure you organise stuff really well...

I cant tell you how much of a bitch it is when you come to put stuff back together and you cant find that special bolt that you cant buy anymore.

And its always the stupid shit like a special bolt or sammat that you loose....

Looking good though, keep the pics comin!

[kneescraper]

Nice one mate, I'll give it to you....rebuilding one of those puppies isnt something most people want to do. What is the end result your after? Are you wanting to race it or have a super tidy bike?

[toymachine]

I just wanted to do it. No real reason... not intending to race it, or sell it. Just wanted to learn a bunch and spend time on something I can hopefully be proud of at the end.

[toymachine]

Got rough quotes to anodize the frame and powdercoat the wheels... just need some for the subframe and a few odds 'n ends.

[James Deuce]

Get a round headlight and some "Vintage Style" clocks and that thing will look awesome naked.

[kneescraper]

Awesome dude, go hard. Just remember...no neons or stupid paintjobs. Do Honda proud :) Im quite jelous, im trying to fine me a very late 80's to mid 90's Honda to rebuild and love :)