One is able to accomplish much with a project on the lift or parts on the work bench, but you hit a practical wall when it comes to clutch and transmission checks. The only way I feel comfortable testing those components is on the road. So…I decided to get Project 41, a 1987 VFR700 F2, road ready, if not exactly road worthy, for a short test ride in order to assess the clutch and trans.
Beginning with no bodywork, 27-year old tires and a single operating brake (rear), I rebuilt the clutch master and slave cylinders and added a hydraulic line which gave me an operating clutch. Next, I bungeed the instrument pod in place as its mounts are broken. I wanted to add lighting fore and aft but decided it wasn't worth the effort for a 1-mile test ride. I would need a little fuel, of course, so, lacking a better alternative, I zip-tied my fuel bottle to the handlebars with just enough gas to feed the carbs without leaking from the lid. Finally, I needed somewhere to sit so I slid the seat into place, which actually worked okay considering the rear latch wasn't mounted. And off I went to a nearby straight stretch of country road long enough to allow up- and downshifting through all six gears.
Success! My contraption worked long enough to determine that the old clutch functions well and the shifting feels fine. Back on the lift to strip it all off the bike — it's not actually ready for those components at this point in time. This test gives me the confidence to move forward with the project.
(click on an image to enlarge)
Beginning with no bodywork, 27-year old tires and a single operating brake (rear), I rebuilt the clutch master and slave cylinders and added a hydraulic line which gave me an operating clutch. Next, I bungeed the instrument pod in place as its mounts are broken. I wanted to add lighting fore and aft but decided it wasn't worth the effort for a 1-mile test ride. I would need a little fuel, of course, so, lacking a better alternative, I zip-tied my fuel bottle to the handlebars with just enough gas to feed the carbs without leaking from the lid. Finally, I needed somewhere to sit so I slid the seat into place, which actually worked okay considering the rear latch wasn't mounted. And off I went to a nearby straight stretch of country road long enough to allow up- and downshifting through all six gears.
Success! My contraption worked long enough to determine that the old clutch functions well and the shifting feels fine. Back on the lift to strip it all off the bike — it's not actually ready for those components at this point in time. This test gives me the confidence to move forward with the project.
(click on an image to enlarge)
P.S. Had I been "noticed" while on the road by the local constabulary I would likely have collected a fistful of performance awards. We live on the edge of our village with open country just blocks away so my plan was to slip away on a lazy weekday afternoon and fly under the radar, so to speak. I gear up, mount the bike, start the engine, click into first gear, and as I begin to let out the clutch…a local police cruiser appears and slows to a stop at the end of the short driveway, the officer looking directly at me. I'm dumbfounded by this turn of events (how would she know what I was up to??) as the officer hails my wife standing next to me, explaining that there's been a report of a loose dog in the neighborhood and asked if we'd seen anything. "No", so she crept slowly away. With the police cruising the 'hood I elected to wait for about an hour before continuing with my covert mission.
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