86 VFR750

[Couchy]

Bit more work today, fitted lithium battery and it fired up straight away and ticked over well. I’ve never ridden or heard one of these so is tickover a lumpy affair ? Revs freely but slowly if that makes sense, assuming old 80’s tech ?
Found some brackets I had made for the GP CBR I had, basically copies of an ebc item sold in the 90’s to space the calipers out and allow fitment of larger floating discs. They fit perfect so the front end upgrade will consist of a pair of discs only now.
It goes off next week to have the loom sorted out as it’s a mess. Once back I’ll get the standard seat on and start properly getting it ready to ride. Spent £55 on eBay and have a subframe coming and a few other bits. I’ll modify it to take race bodywork and get it powder coated.

[Bomble]

I never liked that model back in the day but yours looks very cool in race trim.

[Couchy]

Still waiting for my big discs so time to start fettling, forks cleaned and painted and wheel is being cleaned, not planning to paint it but may have too. Forks looking good with new bolts and ready for wheel and discs

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Couchy]

So that escalated quickly, was just going to tidy the loom up and spray the fairing bracket, but one thing got in the way of another and we're now stripping the loom and removing the not needed bits. The fairing bracket had the brake hoses going through it so they had to come off and so on and so on. Not like it's going to get ridden this year , in good news though it's not in bad condition at all under the fairings. Once the  loom is sorted and the subframes coated it'll look smart enough

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

They are a bit lumpy at tickover, not much, but not as smooth as a modern bike, and yes compared with a modern bike it'll rev slowly, there's a lot more internal friction in a 1986 engine than there is in a 2020 engine, also all the moving components are heavier in old bikes.

[Couchy]

Much more work now, Loom is stripped right down just some small repairs to make to earlier bodges in it's life. All road related stuff gone and I've modified it to remove the ignition so all works off the kill switch. Ordered a new separate switch and throttle housing to clean the bars up a bit. Got a new dash on the way so no need for separate lights and rev counter. Will mount it onto a perpsex backing with the fuses and relays needed so they are all easily accessible.
The rear of the loom isn't so simple as it requires a fair bit or work. I'll mount it all on a separate gear tray with the battery. Rear subframe is being modified for this purpose.
Discs arrived and fit well but the caliper brackets aren't right. As I've got to have some made I'll get some 4 pot calipers as well.

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Couchy]

More electric stuff, new dash arrived so that was fitted with a cardboard template of a mounting bracket whilst I wait for my sheet material to arrive. Looks clean enough. Finished the loom up ready to take the new kill switch when that arrives. Next job is the rear electrics which should be next week. Mocked up a gear tray to give an idea of location and seems ok

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Couchy]

Front dash loom and bracket done just need to get my loom tape delivered

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr


Ally plate put onto subframe, started adding electrics. Not much left to do here should have complete this week then need to sort some seat mounts out

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[weeksy]

Great stuff. What's after?

[Couchy]

Finally had a delivery so could finish the gear tray. Turned out ok but then a decision to change the seat from a race on to the standard one meant the battery needed to be moved

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

The stock seat needed to be modified so I can fit the battery behind it, all will be covered by the race fibreglass seat

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[weeksy]

Not keen on the battery there... anywhere else for it to go ?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Battery position looks fine to me, it's right by the heaviest thing on the bike, the rider.

[GuzziPaul]

Noticed your ABBA stand is backwards, is that to take some weight off the front? Although I see your still using a bottle jack to support the front as well. I bought the ABBA front lift arm last year. Keeps the front wheel of the ground and is very stable although you do need the swinging arm fitted.

[Couchy]

Not keen on the battery there... anywhere else for it to go ?

It’s a lightweight lithium so it’s fine there....well it would be but I’ve bought a smaller one and it’s back where it was under the seat

[Couchy]

Noticed your ABBA stand is backwards, is that to take some weight off the front? Although I see your still using a bottle jack to support the front as well. I bought the ABBA front lift arm last year. Keeps the front wheel of the ground and is very stable although you do need the swinging arm fitted.

I move it round depending which end of bike I’m working on and likely to be pushing to undo stuff. This way working on the front I can push it back and it’s not going to move

[Couchy]

Bit slack with updates but here goes,

Battery put back on tray and seat bottom slightly trimmed, second hand seat is standard as the one I was given with it had been lowered. Riding position is a lot nicer now.

Dash electrics finished and a template made for rev counter and temp gauge, rev counter needed a new shielded cable running so did that too. Whilst tank was off dropped new spark plugs in. Also put baffle in exhaust and set tickover. Runs a lot sweeter now.

Caliper brackets are on their way to me and got a VFR1200 master cyinder given to me. Calipers have had new stainless bolts fitted, cleaned and Bendix MRR pads fitted.

Today an NC30 dual radiator arrived, top one fits perfect bottom one will need a couple small brackets made. Waiting on rear bodywork now and some more hoses for radiators.

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

And while I was typing the above machinist next door dropped in with some brackets

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Couchy]

Finally got the parts to finish as much as possible. Only waiting on the new fibreglass fairing and seat. The existing stuff is shit and a mixture of standard plastic and fibreglass ! Fits in a fashion and would be useable.

New radiators means it sits on tickover and being revved and doesn't go above normal temp , hoping proper race fairings hide the lower radiator but if they don't it's no biggie

[weeksy]

HAve you missed the price off the bottom of your post ?

[Couchy]

HAve you missed the price off the bottom of your post ?

£2500