VFR400 rebuild

[lizard821000]

hi im new here, thought id sign myself in and make myself known.sorry if this is in the wrong place to post,mod please move if it is.
currently a member on 125 sportsbike forum, bought a vfr400 nc30 last year for a good price and after a long 125 build am now ready to re-vamp the old honda!! seems this is the place to be for 400 bikes so am greatful for all your knoledge in advance. im going to cut n paste my newly started thread in from the 125SBF so some thing might not make sence lol. but its all there what i intend to do. cheers guys.

so the poor girls been sat out side my house under cover for nearly 6 months i think! lol was just too busy with the mito to worry about her. now thats done, im looking to re-vamp the vfr before doing my test in the spring!!

so most of you know i bought this old girl for a good price, 750 notes iirr. engine says only 22kms on her, or there abouts, and mechanicaly, shes fine.








she s inneed of a little TLC first though , so iv been trying to bid on abba stands off the gayest evil bay with no luck!! think im just gunna buy a new one! then a small list i want to do to her befor my test. mechanicaly she s fine, she purrs a sweet sound and the scorpion sounds nice. some things i want to do just for safety first, i bought her with an MOT but thats since run out, so

*repaint wheels white cos theyve seen better days!
*do the wheel bearings while im there
*chain and sprocket kit for her, unsure of her presnt gearing but im not likeing the rust on the chain! gotta go!
* refurb both forks, seals, bushes etc
*new pads
*new or part worn tyres, think she was used for track days cos the tyres on her now are worn to fk all the way to the edge!
*some minor body repair, lugs etc cos at the moment the rider seat isnt fixed , only by cable ties lol
*maybe replace the rear shock, its rusted to fk.
*new mirrors
*screen
*paint the top yoke, its scratched to fk.



thats my small list just to get her back on the road, im not going to spending a shed load on trick bits, i just want her looking better and to have these new parts for abit of safety.

so russ! soon to be calling ya for some of these bud. and calling upon some of you lads in the know on the girl.

watch this space...........ill try not to drag this one out for over a year too lol


shaun

[mick.mh2racing]

Welcome to the site, loads of knowledge and advice to be had here abouts.
What do you plan on doing first?
Have a look at B and C express for chains and sprockets, I like 14/43 and lose top end for more acceleration but it's your choice.
Rick Oliver, member on here, has a fork upgrade kit.
Keep us informed.

[banoffee]

welcome. +1 for Rick Olivers fork upgrade kit, got one in mine. get a copy of his catalogue, some very nice bits...

[lizard821000]

cheers for the welcome lads

iv heard of this guy, rick oliver. a guy called hardnutdvd on the other forum posted up a cat of his parts and mentioned the up-grade kit!!! deffo looking into those for sure!
im just doing a simple re-furb to her really, nothing to bling or silly moniezz like. just replacing what i think needs replacing plus a few minor up grades along the way. in the future id like to do the rear RC211 tail convertion....maybe...... i do like the old girls line though.
mick, is that the standard gearing for the bike? im going standard on everything, unless a change benifits . so all info is great! one thing i have seen on a few lads pics/avitors is USD s on their bikes, is this a worth while thing to do? or are my normal forks just as good..... do the rick up grade kit do the job.

cheers,

shaun

[Cammo]

Good luck with the build. You can do some very worthwhile modifications which don't cost a whole lot and will improve the bike no end.

is that the standard gearing for the bike? im going standard on everything, unless a change benifits .

Standard gearing is 15/40, it's very tall (over 100km/h in first gear) which can make it a pain if you do a lot of riding in traffic and a bit hard on the clutch. Changing to a 14t front sprocket will help a lot, and really improves acceleration.

There are cheap options for replacement shocks also, some model gsx-r and 600rr shocks virtually fit straight in and will be in much better condition than an old standard nc30 shock.

one thing i have seen on a few lads pics/avitors is USD s on their bikes, is this a worth while thing to do? or are my normal forks just as good..... do the rick up grade kit do the job.

USD forks are for looks only, and possibly for better brake options, (although Rick's adapter plates for 600rr/SP1 calipers are great value). Stick with the Rick O fork upgrade kit if you don't want to spend a whole lot.


Ask questions on here before shelling out your cash, you'll find there are heaps of peeps that have been in your situation before.

[banoffee]

I went for std front and +2 rear on the sprockets, works well

[mick.mh2racing]

15/40 is standard gearing but too tall.
The NC30 forks when sorted perform better than the NC35. ZXR400 forks are perhaps better but loads of hassle for not much gain. Sort your front forks out as a priority.

[hardnutdvd]

Glad you made it over here mate. less bullshit and bitchin
you'll learn far more about your bike over here

[lizard821000]

nice one cammo and mick! just the sort of advise i wanted to hear. exactaly what hardnut said to me too....
keeps my costs down and adds slight improvments is just what i want.

alright hardnut, yup, thought it was best bet to sign up , hear from the lads in the know, cheers bud.

so going down one on the front to a 14 too seems like a common and useful mod too. think ill go for that too.
i wont lie, the bike will be used mainly for a work horse, commutes and weekend blasts so a good all round set up is my key here. iv heard the 090 on the rear can square off quick if used my way so the 090 on the front to plant her plus the 092 rear looks like the way to go......

sound advise guys, keep it coming.

cheers
shaun

[Dynamohum]

like the paintjob fred merkel rc30 rep looks good .