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I actually do need one really specific coolant pipe, it's the one that sits above the alternator:Quote:
Originally Posted by wackyrider
https://i.postimg.cc/mDdXhqPC/20190517-115117.jpg
I think I accidentally threw it out while I was painting the engine.
One step closer to being rideable
https://i.postimg.cc/FFPRSPZT/20190517-173404.jpg
Still needs a final sand and polish
I actually use these same on the wifes bike on the sides of the frame. I used a Rivnut in one of the frame holes and stuck the wire through and retrevied it with a coat hanger then put a plug on the end. Works ok i guess, dont have any problems with not seeing it either.Quote:
Originally Posted by I0seb
https://i.imgur.com/yXoRiNW.jpg
That's super tidy, love it.Quote:
Originally Posted by LKC73
Shortened the mid pipe and cut a thread into the pillion peg to secure the muffler onto
https://i.postimg.cc/XYG796tK/image.png
https://i.postimg.cc/pLwVZ1tw/image.png
New radiators on and looking shiny :)
https://i.postimg.cc/CKSp9kr1/20190527-193408.jpg
Still on a roll mate. Good stuff.
Well that's what I get for buying cheap Chinese fittings, they blew off immediately under pressure.
https://i.postimg.cc/pLH1XdJC/image.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Mpm3c8sS/image.png
Unsurprisingly the genuine Pro Flow was leak free
https://i.postimg.cc/QMN41nPW/image.png
Hopefully some genuine fittings will sort it out.
Age old story mate!
I don't think I'd be using pushlok type fittings on an oil cooler.
I'm not concerned, they're rated up to 300 psi which should be plenty and since I've put genuine fittings and hose on they haven't leaked at all, all the way up to redline.Quote:
Originally Posted by GammaBoy
Been a bit slack on updates but here comes a biggie, the bike is running, rideable and registered so I dusted off the good camera for some shots :D
https://i.postimg.cc/rsRDSyWC/1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/mZPjdQyV/2.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/hjjzt1tY/3.jpg
As with any project it will never be truly finished but for now I'm content to just enjoy riding it until I work up the motivation to tear it down for paint :)
I reckon I'd just strip and clear coat the tank and call it done...
Looks nice mate,
Had a rare day of nice weather in winter so I actually got to go for a ride :)
https://i.postimg.cc/DyB1h144/20190719-131834.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/L6HjGx5M/20190719-132238.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/Y24S0gPm/20190719-132250.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/QVLwxvyS/20190719-132302.jpg
Bike feels great aside from a vague knocking feeling somewhere in the front end, will have to have a dig around when the XJ900 is out of the workshop.
I did consider that but I want to learn how to do a decent paint job at home with 2k stuff, I recently found the MTN metallic series which I quite like the look of.Quote:
Originally Posted by GammaBoy
That looks great mate. Well done.
Found a brand new OEM CBR650 carbon fibre style fender for $40 so I set about finding a way to mount it as the CBR900 forks have no fender mounts (they use a clamp system with the standard fender).
Found a solution with a set of 54mm clamps intended to mount lights on a bull bar. Bolted vertical brackets to it and voila :D
https://i.postimg.cc/TPcY9DYD/20190807-163604.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/NMJGhvXG/20190807-163618.jpg
I also added some shielding to the radiators
https://i.postimg.cc/k4XMhgBh/20190807-163627.jpg
And made a quick and dirty bracket to mount the overflow flask on the left side of the bike. Also added a spare overflow cap from my R1 for the OEM look :P
https://i.postimg.cc/T13ymcV1/20190807-164011.jpg
Nice one mate.
Those clamps are a neat idea for the guard. Good job
Picked up a set of carbon fiber panels off eBay for a steal so I whipped off the subframe to weld on some brackets and make some fitment adjustments.
https://i.postimg.cc/FKrqc1Gv/20190826-121426.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/PxcFByHf/20190826-121432.jpg
While I was in there I cleaned up my wiring layout and welded on some proper brackets so my components are no longer held on with hopes, dreams and zipties.
https://i.postimg.cc/cJFzcZ5n/20190826-153341.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/W3tHWKQf/20190826-153352.jpg
The fairings do a great job of hiding the wiring :)
https://i.postimg.cc/4xbqmp6w/20190826_160759.jpg
Bike looks awesome ! Are they vfr specific fairings for the subframe ?
Filled in the major dents and laid down the first coat of primer on the tank. More sanding and primer to come tomorrow then with any luck I'll have the materials for the top coat by next week.
It's a pain in the ass to find carbon fiber cloth locally ;)
https://i.postimg.cc/9QkMBgzL/IMG-20190827-172629.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/d3nQZ4zm/20190827-174142.jpg
Also got sick of my loose af st1300 throttle cables, so I made up a little spacer to take up the slack. Works great :)
https://i.postimg.cc/kG7X5khg/20190827-134230.jpg
The goods have arrived :D
https://i.postimg.cc/gJm6dHrW/20190829-180406.jpg
Got a couple square metres of twill, uni directional and fiberglass mat, along with UV protected hardener and resin.
Yea, as Auser6guy says, those infills look spot on! Nice work.
Sorry just saw your question, they are panels for a Ducati S2R. My subframe is from a Ducati M600 so I had to weld on some extra tabs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Auser6guy
I started the carbon laying process today after a lot of research and chatting to a guy who has many years of experience laying carbon for yachts (masts, struts etc). He gave the following advice:
So I started off by turning the heating up to 25 and scuffed the paint back as it was warming up. I added a few coats of black over the primer I had done previously so that if there is any separation in the twill weave the black would blend in nicely.
- Scuff the base with 240 grit to ensure good adhesion
- Mix the resin in around 25 degrees celsius and let it sit for 5 mins before laying to reduce air entrapment
- Use a mohair roller to brush the carbon down before finishing with a brush
- Let cure for at least 8 hours, then sand with 80 then 120 grit to remove highspots and blemishes
- Re coat using a brush to add depth then ideally top with a 2k clearcoat
https://i.postimg.cc/0NwJnpvw/20190914_092757.jpg
I then cut up a template from an old sheet and transferred it to the carbon fiber.
https://i.postimg.cc/9MPw5CrX/20190914_095118.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/Wz2FsCkG/20190914_095850.jpg
These are the tools I used plus a digital kitchen scale to get the resin mix right. In my case I used the kinetix system with a UV resistant hardener which calls for a 4:1 resin to hardener ratio.
https://i.postimg.cc/tJ21Jk3L/20190914_095857.jpg
I started off with a small test piece on the front mounting bracket. That went well so I moved on to the main piece.
https://i.postimg.cc/sDm8fht7/20190914-102238.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/NjWKK5Xf/20190914_115238.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/pdzpzRQQ/20190914_115244.jpg
I was able to wrap most of the curves without issue but did have to make a small cut on the rear of the tank. It is covered by the seat so wont be visible :)
https://i.postimg.cc/tJCTK6KD/20190914_144339.jpg
After letting it cure for a few hours I trimmed off most of the excess fabric and cut out the fuel filler cap hole. I originally planned to fold the edges around and stick them to the underside of the tank but I found the carbon was to 'springy' so instead I will just cut it down to meet the edge post cure.
https://i.postimg.cc/Y9x0DRsh/20190914_144208.jpg
I'll be leaving it for a full day to cure before moving onto sanding and the next coat of resin. Overall it is a pretty straightforward process and can be pretty cheap. I got my carbon sheet and resin free but had I purchased it the project would have cost ~ $120 AUD.
I would definitely recommend it as a cheap alternative to painting especially if, like me, you don't have a spray booth/gun. Plus I have some leftover material which I plan to use with the fiberglass I have to make a new undertail tray :D
Nice post Seb!
Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by Gix11
I laid down the last of my resin yesterday, super happy with the depth and gloss on the top but the sides could use some more layers. Will have to go restock.
https://i.postimg.cc/6Q0ktL4P/20190918-192140.jpg
Love the look mate
That's looking awesome
Yep, I have to agree. Looks fantastic!Quote:
Originally Posted by wackyrider
Thanks guys! Sadly I had to put the VFR into storage today (along with another WR450 project I'll share when I've made a bit more progress on it) as we are moving. Hopefully it will only be a couple of months till I can turn spanners again :)
Update time!
COVID has given me plenty of time to work so I dived back in to the VFR, keen to get it 'finished' asap.
Started by laying down some more resin on the tank then shipping it off to the painter for a coat of clear.
https://i.postimg.cc/63PtpGMp/20200408-230729.jpg
I switched back to a conventional ignition switch as my keyless system started playing up, it was nice while it lasted :P
https://i.postimg.cc/tRf4X8cN/20200422-174557.jpg
Sadly the switch back to a key ignition means my headlight/mounts no longer fit, thinking I might grab a Ducati S2R front assembly and make it fit.
Finally I made up a carbon undertail panel, started with an aluminium template:
https://i.postimg.cc/gJjGpKq7/20200420-145426.jpg
Wrapped it in baking paper then laid some bi weave carbon as the base layer
https://i.postimg.cc/1z99CSgs/20200420-152755.jpg[/url]
https://i.postimg.cc/5tnfDrvv/20200420-154156.jpg
Cleaned up the edges
https://i.postimg.cc/DyXymBkk/20200421-115906.jpg
Then finished off with some tri weave
https://i.postimg.cc/prgWqnj6/20200421-190220.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/fy3WcvVd/20200422-080709.jpg
Pretty happy with the weight, about 1/4 the weight of the steel panel I used to have in there.
Shitty pictures but it fits well, does a good job of hiding the electronics and ties in with the rest of the carbon nicely. The observant will notice I also painted the subframe aluminium instead of bronze.
https://i.postimg.cc/0QX2K4yx/20200422-174524.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/vmMmJ9KR/20200422-181431.jpg
Hopefully the tank will be finished in the next couple of days and I'll be able to get her started again :D
Coming along great mate. Love the carbon look
Yea mate, really nice work. Well done.
Thanks fellas!
https://i.postimg.cc/TYSJL1Qk/20200430_143132.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/tJvtz4b4/20200430_143151.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/T2t9xCbv/20200430_143205.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/CxqHj0Qw/20200430_143212.jpg
Tank is clear coated and looking pretty sharp, now to find a new headlight...
Very nice. Looking great :D
While waiting for the tank to be clear coated I decided to extend a couple of parts of the wiring loom so that they were better hidden.
https://i.postimg.cc/bYQ5H5mh/20200425_150355.jpg
While doing so I removed an unused diagnostics connector, I figured there was no harm in cutting it off as it was just a bunch of grounds that didn't connect to anything.
Big. Fucking. Mistake.
After removing the connector the following systems did not have correct grounds:
So I spent the last couple of days unwrapping the looms, running ground wires, testing and then wrapping back up.
- ECU (in three places)
- Headlight
- Fuel and ignition relays
- Turn signals
Finally I was rewarded with the joyous sound of four cylinders aligned in a 90 degree V firing.
http://webmshare.com/play/ZxebK
http://webmshare.com/play/DBKPV
So yeah, lesson learned!
Side note I loved the induction sound the bike makes with no airbox lid on, might open up the lid a bit more so it's always like that.
Looking really fucking good!
keep your airbox lid the way it is for now, so you can use it for the big airbox mod.
I sold my vfr, so i have a pipercross air filter (with an opened up lid) and a selection of short (6th gen oem) and super short (aftermarket aluminium)velocity stacks if you are interested.
Sad to hear you sold the VFR mate, defs interested in the bits you have. If you've still got my email shoot me some more details there, otherwise I'll send you a PM.Quote:
Originally Posted by hooligan
Packed the wiring back in neatly and now you can see why I decided to make my life miserable and move everything around.
One of the things that kept annoying me with this build was the wiring floating in the gap between the back of the tank and the frame, so...
Before:
https://i.postimg.cc/pVk6d8SK/1_(1).jpg
After:
https://i.postimg.cc/Xq2HDS5s/20200503_153605.jpg
It's the little things :D