Honda VRX400 1995 "barn find" restoration
Discussion
Spend so far :
Total £555.16
Honda VRX400 Roadster £200.00
Delivery £20.00
Exhaust (rear silencer) £157.02
Japanese workshop manual £28.49
Caliper paint £7.49
Button bolts + nuts for exh £6.54
Front brake pads £22.03
Fork seals, calliper seals, fork oil, exh gaskets £105.60
Spark plug spanner £7.99
Total £555.16
Honda VRX400 Roadster £200.00
Delivery £20.00
Exhaust (rear silencer) £157.02
Japanese workshop manual £28.49
Caliper paint £7.49
Button bolts + nuts for exh £6.54
Front brake pads £22.03
Fork seals, calliper seals, fork oil, exh gaskets £105.60
Spark plug spanner £7.99
Mostly this week I have been ... cleaning up and painting parts I've previously taken off.
However, I've come to a conclusion today ... I'm doing this arse about face. I'm taking things off, reconditioning them, then putting them into storage. This is a daft way of doing it, as I'm risking parts getting damaged during storage or kicking around (already happened) ... I need to put reconditioned items straight back on the bike. So a change of tictacs, I'm now taking things off in as big a lump as I can and putting them into storage for now. The exception to this is where I need to get things reconditioned externally, e.g. I'm starting to create a pile of items to go to the chromer.
Work continues on the front end (I want to send the stanchions off soon). Fork seals off, it's a bit gooey inside, but I've seen worse.
Get yer bits ooot for the lads ...
What's coming out of the forks purports to be oil, but it's very creamy.
Continued stripping the top of the forks, headlight coming apart for rechroming.
The mound of rechroming bits mounts.
Bare-r and bare-r
Um. Not looking forward to tackling this. Think I need some labels ...
However, I've come to a conclusion today ... I'm doing this arse about face. I'm taking things off, reconditioning them, then putting them into storage. This is a daft way of doing it, as I'm risking parts getting damaged during storage or kicking around (already happened) ... I need to put reconditioned items straight back on the bike. So a change of tictacs, I'm now taking things off in as big a lump as I can and putting them into storage for now. The exception to this is where I need to get things reconditioned externally, e.g. I'm starting to create a pile of items to go to the chromer.
Work continues on the front end (I want to send the stanchions off soon). Fork seals off, it's a bit gooey inside, but I've seen worse.
Get yer bits ooot for the lads ...
What's coming out of the forks purports to be oil, but it's very creamy.
Continued stripping the top of the forks, headlight coming apart for rechroming.
The mound of rechroming bits mounts.
Bare-r and bare-r
Um. Not looking forward to tackling this. Think I need some labels ...
Cheers crofty ! I was starting to wonder if I was talking to myself on this thread ;-)
I'm actually quite enjoying this ... it helps that I'm not on any kind of timescale, it'll be done when it's done (I have other bikes to ride). Need to start sorting some boxes and storage in the loft above the garage today though, as I'm starting to get cluttered with bits everywhere.
I'm actually quite enjoying this ... it helps that I'm not on any kind of timescale, it'll be done when it's done (I have other bikes to ride). Need to start sorting some boxes and storage in the loft above the garage today though, as I'm starting to get cluttered with bits everywhere.
Today I'm mainly tidying up after myself ... got a load of boxes, labelled each one up ("for rechroming", "engine bits", "bodywork" etc) and cleared a load of space in the loft above the garage so I can start categorising and wrapping everything I take off. Ordered some tags with string from ebay.
Emailed off to another Honda spares place ... am having trouble sourcing : instrument pods (chromed plastic), air filter cover (ditto), rear wheel (may just get it rebuilt with a new rim and spokes), badges and stickers.
Emailed off to another Honda spares place ... am having trouble sourcing : instrument pods (chromed plastic), air filter cover (ditto), rear wheel (may just get it rebuilt with a new rim and spokes), badges and stickers.
I was worried about the bottom screw (that holds the lower damper mech in place) as I've read they can be a bit of a git to get free, but these cracked off fairly easily (with the sliders in a vice, a long allen key, and the shaft off my trolley jack as a very long lever tube on the allen key)
The parts washer took some abuse, getting all the mayonnaise off all the parts, but they've come up nicely. Very little or no wear, just one small rust spot on an inner tube, which emmery'd off easily.
For no particular reason, I took the pillion footpegs off and split them down ... the castings will go for polishing, the footpegs for rechroming (so into the rechroming box they go)
p.s. just had a quote for rechroming the stanchions ... 8-10 week turn around ! This is the same as the chromers (*). Wow, they must be busy.
p.p.s. (*) I mean ... the rechromers of all the other stuff ... the forks have to go to a specialist "hard" chromer
The parts washer took some abuse, getting all the mayonnaise off all the parts, but they've come up nicely. Very little or no wear, just one small rust spot on an inner tube, which emmery'd off easily.
For no particular reason, I took the pillion footpegs off and split them down ... the castings will go for polishing, the footpegs for rechroming (so into the rechroming box they go)
p.s. just had a quote for rechroming the stanchions ... 8-10 week turn around ! This is the same as the chromers (*). Wow, they must be busy.
p.p.s. (*) I mean ... the rechromers of all the other stuff ... the forks have to go to a specialist "hard" chromer
Edited by evil len on Sunday 23 November 19:16
evil len said:
I was worried about the bottom screw (that holds the lower damper mech in place) as I've read they can be a bit of a git to get free, but these cracked off fairly easily (with the sliders in a vice, a long allen key, and the shaft off my trolley jack as a very long lever tube on the allen key)
The parts washer took some abuse, getting all the mayonnaise off all the parts, but they've come up nicely. Very little or no wear, just one small rust spot on an inner tube, which emmery'd off easily.
p.s. just had a quote for rechroming the stanchions ... 8-10 week turn around ! This is the same as the chromers (*). Wow, they must be busy.
p.p.s. (*) I mean ... the rechromers of all the other stuff ... the forks have to go to a specialist "hard" chromer
If you do not mind me asking, can you let me know how roughly the re-chroming costs please. CheersThe parts washer took some abuse, getting all the mayonnaise off all the parts, but they've come up nicely. Very little or no wear, just one small rust spot on an inner tube, which emmery'd off easily.
p.s. just had a quote for rechroming the stanchions ... 8-10 week turn around ! This is the same as the chromers (*). Wow, they must be busy.
p.p.s. (*) I mean ... the rechromers of all the other stuff ... the forks have to go to a specialist "hard" chromer
Edited by evil len on Sunday 23 November 19:16
evil len said:
Um. Not looking forward to tackling this. Think I need some labels ...
Good work. I wouldn't get to concerned about the wiring, if it is anything like the Honda's I have worked on, all the multiway connectors are different, so it will only go together one way, then just single wires are all colour coded, and normally these are only the indicators.Megaflow said:
Good work. I wouldn't get to concerned about the wiring, if it is anything like the Honda's I have worked on, all the multiway connectors are different, so it will only go together one way, then just single wires are all colour coded, and normally these are only the indicators.
Your workshop manual should also show cable and pipe routing too - the VFR750 factory one I use does. I know it's in Japanese, but the diagrams should show still The stanchions and sliders went off to www.pittedforks.co.uk yesterday, to :
- hard rechrome the stanchions and regrind to size
- polish the alloy sliders
- press in new bushes
Unfortunately they are quoting 10-12 weeks, as they are so busy !
I'm finding the task of tracking down parts actually quite fun, made harder than usual ... not only is it an older bike which Honda have stopped doing parts for, but it's an import bike, it was never sold here. Some basic parts are available in the UK ... more parts can be found in Holland ... but I think I've found a place in Japan who can send me a lot of parts. Even there though, some parts are not available new, but there's lots second hand. Last night I Paypaled 57,860 yen (sounds a lot, but that's £312 ) over to them ... lets see what arrives !
- hard rechrome the stanchions and regrind to size
- polish the alloy sliders
- press in new bushes
Unfortunately they are quoting 10-12 weeks, as they are so busy !
I'm finding the task of tracking down parts actually quite fun, made harder than usual ... not only is it an older bike which Honda have stopped doing parts for, but it's an import bike, it was never sold here. Some basic parts are available in the UK ... more parts can be found in Holland ... but I think I've found a place in Japan who can send me a lot of parts. Even there though, some parts are not available new, but there's lots second hand. Last night I Paypaled 57,860 yen (sounds a lot, but that's £312 ) over to them ... lets see what arrives !
The strip down continues. So many little assemblies need taking off the bike.
The remainder of the front forks came apart a doddle.
Bearings and races appear to be in good condition.
The lower tree is chrome, which needs re-doing. Trouble is, the shaft is connected to it ... which has been welded on subsequent to the chroming. So not sure yet how to get round that, will consult with the chromer.
Started stripping the rear end, off comes more chrome, the indicators, and the mudguard. The front mudguard is plastic, the rear is metal and surprisingly heavy. Sheared the first two bolts on the bike so far, trying to remove the number plate bracket (the nuts were on the inside of the mudguard and in the firing line from the rear wheel for 19 years).
Also drained the coolant, and popped off the expansion reservoir. This is a shot of the underside of the bike ... mucky under there !
Currently puzzling out how to remove the rear brake master cylinder ... unless I'm missing something (I must be) the rear swing arm has to come off ?!?
Taking the footpegs apart, so I can get bits of them rechromed.
Early Christmas present from the Mrs, bought at Motorcycle Live ... saves the knees, especially as one is still dodgy after stuffing a motorcross bike in June.
The remainder of the front forks came apart a doddle.
Bearings and races appear to be in good condition.
The lower tree is chrome, which needs re-doing. Trouble is, the shaft is connected to it ... which has been welded on subsequent to the chroming. So not sure yet how to get round that, will consult with the chromer.
Started stripping the rear end, off comes more chrome, the indicators, and the mudguard. The front mudguard is plastic, the rear is metal and surprisingly heavy. Sheared the first two bolts on the bike so far, trying to remove the number plate bracket (the nuts were on the inside of the mudguard and in the firing line from the rear wheel for 19 years).
Also drained the coolant, and popped off the expansion reservoir. This is a shot of the underside of the bike ... mucky under there !
Currently puzzling out how to remove the rear brake master cylinder ... unless I'm missing something (I must be) the rear swing arm has to come off ?!?
Taking the footpegs apart, so I can get bits of them rechromed.
Early Christmas present from the Mrs, bought at Motorcycle Live ... saves the knees, especially as one is still dodgy after stuffing a motorcross bike in June.
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