I'm definitely keeping busy as the winter season looms. In the shop are two '86 VFR projects, 13 & 16, along with my new Triumph which is getting suspension updates front & rear. Project 13 is shown below on the rack. This 750 is getting a mechanical makeover and will receive a full set of original red/white/blue body panels. I'm also refurbishing a set of twin SuperTrapp mufflers, but that's a story for another time.
A rebuilt carb rack is mounted along with the detailed radiator. The engine side covers have been powder coated in textured bronze. The front forks have been flushed, Progressive springs fitted, their black paint refurbished, and everything mounted up with a fresh Bridgestone BT45.
At the rear I've also fitted a BT45 along with a new set of chain & sprockets, and a 43-tooth driven sprocket in place of the original 45-tooth size. I do this to lower the RPM and give each gear a bit more time to wind up the scale, making that beautiful V4 music a little more sweet. And I just prefer taller gearing.
The polished swingarm is looking pretty bling, and the wheels on this bike are just shy of perfect. I suspect that they may have been repainted at some point in their life, but the color and quality is so good that it's hard to tell for sure. The chain adjuster end caps have been sanded and polished, but I still need to source some replacement nuts — just for looks. Since these pictures were taken the subframe has been mounted along with the refurbished chain guard.
At the rear I've also fitted a BT45 along with a new set of chain & sprockets, and a 43-tooth driven sprocket in place of the original 45-tooth size. I do this to lower the RPM and give each gear a bit more time to wind up the scale, making that beautiful V4 music a little more sweet. And I just prefer taller gearing.
The polished swingarm is looking pretty bling, and the wheels on this bike are just shy of perfect. I suspect that they may have been repainted at some point in their life, but the color and quality is so good that it's hard to tell for sure. The chain adjuster end caps have been sanded and polished, but I still need to source some replacement nuts — just for looks. Since these pictures were taken the subframe has been mounted along with the refurbished chain guard.
At the front, I've been busy with some detailing and the addition of GenMar bar risers. The steering head bearings were also updated with All Balls tapered bearings.
The handlebars and upper triple tree were in pretty rough shape, cosmetically, so they were stripped of clearcoat, sanded, and hand polished. I'd come across the bar risers some time ago on eBay, so I thought I'd give 'em a try on Project 13. A light polishing got the aluminum looking spiff and the mounting is pretty simple — just drop them in place before bolting on the handlebars. The19mm (3/4") rise will make a noticeable difference in forward lean but requires no additional modifications, i.e. brake line length. GenMar provides an aluminum cap and black plastic cover, but they didn't quite fit over the fork nut, so I left them off and just fitted the original little black air valve cover. I'm sure their engineering is sound, but for a little peace of mind, I raised the fork legs in the triple trees an additional 3mm for a little more clamping purchase.
The handlebars and upper triple tree were in pretty rough shape, cosmetically, so they were stripped of clearcoat, sanded, and hand polished. I'd come across the bar risers some time ago on eBay, so I thought I'd give 'em a try on Project 13. A light polishing got the aluminum looking spiff and the mounting is pretty simple — just drop them in place before bolting on the handlebars. The19mm (3/4") rise will make a noticeable difference in forward lean but requires no additional modifications, i.e. brake line length. GenMar provides an aluminum cap and black plastic cover, but they didn't quite fit over the fork nut, so I left them off and just fitted the original little black air valve cover. I'm sure their engineering is sound, but for a little peace of mind, I raised the fork legs in the triple trees an additional 3mm for a little more clamping purchase.
I always replace the small coolant hoses on my projects — the two large radiator hoses are NLA from Honda, and pricey from Samco. But the small one (two for '90-on) under the carbs and the short piece near the kickstand can be sourced from Amazon. Here I'm replacing the lower hose with a section cut from a 1-meter length of 22mm (7/8") straight silicone hose.
(click on the image for the Amazon link) >>
My new ARES hose tool helped greatly here (see the post below for details). This little guy leads a hard life — heat, oil, road grime and neglect. It's no picnic to get at and remove, but I think it's important, and now it's good for another 30 years.
(click on the image for the Amazon link) >>
My new ARES hose tool helped greatly here (see the post below for details). This little guy leads a hard life — heat, oil, road grime and neglect. It's no picnic to get at and remove, but I think it's important, and now it's good for another 30 years.
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