Bandit Alley
GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: stormi on July 03, 2007, 05:49:01 AM
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So, I test rode a 1999 CBR 600 F4 today. I didn't think it would happen, but it felt more natural than the 919 to me. :shock:
For the last two seasons, I've been trying to "get lower" on the bike. I've been trying to lay across the tank, and have my arms lower than the typical "standard" bike.
This bike isn't without blemishes. It's been dropped, and it's got a "Rebuilt" status on the registration. This means that it's been officially written off, and rebuilt and re-certified. This may be a problem down the road for selling it. After it was re-certified, it got dropped again. It currently requires A front fender, Signal light, Mirror, Front cowl ( the signal light attaches to it) two fork seals, brake pedal. If we wanted to restore to 100% stock, it could also use a muffler, seat ( tiny little slice in it), lower cowl (I'd repair it rather than replace it)and an alternator cover.
Of note as well, is that my neighbor is a bodyman, and might have the fairings that we need sitting in the attic at his shop...
The only other concern is that there's a gear whine in first gear, and the speedo is -really- off. I mean 50% off, but the rear sprocket is 2 teeth taller, so I suspect a lot of it comes from there?
So,.. here's the plan. The other half doesn't have his own bike, he rides Dita to work.
We could buy the bike ( which is about 66% of the price of another one of the same year in the same area), the other half can ride it for the summer, as we fix it, then sell it in the fall, or the spring of next year. In the meantime, if I decide I truly like the riding position, then we'll sell the 919 and the CBR, and get me a newer cbr that hasn't been so beaten up. Alternatively, the other half might keep the 919 for himself, and I can look for a newer cbr in better shape.
So,.. here are my questions:
1. How much of a problem is a gear whine likely to be ( all things being equal of course)
2. How likely am I to have a huge problem selling a rebuilt status bike? Will I take a big hit on it because of that status?
3. The speedo thing is likely to be the sprocket? Or something else?
4. Is this nuts? It's not -really- feasible financially, but I can swing it, and it will give me "something to do" while my business is slow for the summer, and I'm taking time off anyway.
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1. Who knows? Depends on what's causing the whine. Is it a natural CBR thing? Could be a bad bearing or gear in the gearbox.
2. I don't know how the supply & demand is for this bike there, but in most area, a rebuilt or salvage title is a huge black mark - unless you can slide it by an unsuspecting buyer... not what anyone with a modicum of integrity would do though.
3. Could be, but 50% for only a 2-tooth change sounds out of line, even taking into consderation most bikes are a little optimistic already. 10-20% would be more in line with a 2-tooth change added into stock error.
4. Personally, I wouldn't go for something like this unless it was 50% of market value or cheaper. Don't forget to factor in what it'll cost to make it presentable and figure what it'll bring you in return. That is if you're considering this as a possible investment, like it sounds like you are.
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1. Who knows? Depends on what's causing the whine. Is it a natural CBR thing? Could be a bad bearing or gear in the gearbox.
I'm not sure what's normal on a CBR. As best I can tell they're all about whine. The air intake, the exhaust, the spooling up of the engine. :wink: I'm used to quieter.
I know that the bike shifted really well, and seemed really smooth. I wouldn't have thought anything was wrong with it if I hadn't heard the whine.
2. I don't know how the supply & demand is for this bike there, but in most area, a rebuilt or salvage title is a huge black mark - unless you can slide it by an unsuspecting buyer... not what anyone with a modicum of integrity would do though.
Exactly why I'm asking. I want to know ahead of time whether this is going to be a problem of not, because it's something I will disclose immediately, but it also says it on the registration forever now. I will talk to my dealer today and see if they have anything to say about the supply and demand thing. I know that there are a lot of them on the road, and the kid that's selling it has been getting tons of calls. (He doesn't really want to sell it, and gave his parent's number, and they've been inundated with people, but we were persistent in finding out about it and going to see it. We didn't find out about the status til last night.)
3. Could be, but 50% for only a 2-tooth change sounds out of line, even taking into consderation most bikes are a little optimistic already. 10-20% would be more in line with a 2-tooth change added into stock error.
I thought so too. I can't think of what else would cause it to be out though. The speedo reading appears to come off the tranny on this bike, like the 919, as I didn't see anything on the front wheel. Any ideas?
4. Personally, I wouldn't go for something like this unless it was 50% of market value or cheaper. Don't forget to factor in what it'll cost to make it presentable and figure what it'll bring you in return. That is if you're considering this as a possible investment, like it sounds like you are.
I think that I can fix it up for about $500 - $750, using wrecker parts, and the other half has something to ride.
The other add that I saw that was the 33% higher says "fairings in fair condition", so it may be in almost the same boat, but we haven't seen it. I will get an actual value from the dealer today.
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Sounds like you're already leery of it. Maybe you could wait a little longer and find one in better shape for around the same price?
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Well, I talked to the dealer today. As it turns out, they sold the bike as used about 3 years ago, and it's been in for service there a couple of times since.
I talked to both the person I know in the service department, she said that the rebuilt title isn't necessarily a problem, as ins companies wrote these things off for fairings. 50% of the new price is the cut off point for ins companies usually, and a racer that works there, and he said the title isn't a problem.
Both told me that the bike is noisy ( cam chain tensioners are a problem) but bulletproof.
The neighbor is pretty sure he's got the fairings, I'm going to find out tomorrow for sure, I've given him the part numbers.
By my guessitmates, if we leave the pipe, and the alternator cover (just scuffed) and repair the seat cover (¼" slice), we should have $450 into the bike, and the "fair" blackbook on it is exactly the price of the bike and the parts. Average and clean are another $1k apart each.
Yes, this would be an "investment", because if I decide I have to have a CBR600, it's going to be newer, and FI, so if the value is there, it's worth it to me. If it's not, it's something I have to think long and hard on.
The idea is to make a little money on it when we sell it, and ride it for a bit to see if it's what we like.
The thing about finding another one in better shape is that there's no way to "force appreciate" it. :wink:
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Hmmm Hond.......a
Ok every body knows my dislike for the product and for a million different reasons, but mostly because of the lack of help given by Honda (Aust) to shops trying to fix a customers problem. Grrrrrrrrr.
Now Wait for it,
The Hond, honnnnda cbr600 is a damn fine ride.
Shyte I carnt beleive I just wrote that.
The Ministers Last bike before she took over the B6 was the 1st gen cbr600 supersport. Yes it had its problems, the typical charging system blues. Its seems that Honda still has yet to fix this little gremlin. But I have read somewhere that some guy has worked out how to use a Kawasaki reg unit to solve the problem once and for all.
Problems to watch on repaired/written off cbr600, I know this one very well, Simon a friend, had one, and copped a good shunt from the rear. It was repaired at the shop I last wrenched at. With-in 2 months or the thing being put back on the road, the electrical gremlins started. Firstly the power commander started throwing bugs, at the computer, and then fried itself. Replace Power commander, and test all computer modes and sensors. Major bucks. A week later fried power commander, hmm recheck everything including charge system all ok, power commander replaced as a faulty unit.
Now this sorta shyte went on for the best part of 3 months. And its was not until, the computer has replaced, most of the sensors, the complete charging system including the battery, and yet another power commander, all at the same time did the gremlins seem to go away, if memory serves me, this all cost, parts alone well over $6 grand (Aus) nearly the write value of the bike. And of course with no back-up or help from Honda Aust.
With the thing now running he sold it very quickly, and I’m lead to believe the whole thing cost poor Simon a lot of money, as well as the shop, who felt to charge him for time, and time and time, and break down pick-ups and break down pick-ups was all becoming a bit rude.
And it seems that poor Simon, is not the only victim of the cbr600 :bomb: gremlins, since then I have come across quite a few ex owners, who had the same type of problems after a shunt. And what I mean by problem wasn’t just meant, the bike. :annoy:
BEWARE
Foot note both bikes in the my shed are repaired write offs, the Rex and the B6. :motorsmile:
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Hmmm Hond.......a
Ok every body knows my dislike for the product and for a million different reasons, but mostly because of the lack of help given by Honda (Aust) to shops trying to fix a customers problem. Grrrrrrrrr.
Yeah yeah, brand X and all that. :wink: Despite never having bought a bike from a Honda dealer, I have had the best service from them. I have a good relationship with my regular dealer, and even order a lot of my Suz and KTM parts from them. A lot of it comes down to the dealer, and how much they're willing to go to bat for you with The big H.
Now Wait for it,
The Hond, honnnnda cbr600 is a damn fine ride.
Shyte I carnt beleive I just wrote that.
That's what everyone keeps telling me. I like the fit and finish of the 919 vs the B4, and the B6 I sat on on the showroom floor. And this CBR, despite having been crashed twice still has all of it's fairing sitting tight and flush. Even the two wrecked ones. :shock:
The Ministers Last bike before she took over the B6 was the 1st gen cbr600 supersport. Yes it had its problems, the typical charging system blues. Its seems that Honda still has yet to fix this little gremlin. But I have read somewhere that some guy has worked out how to use a Kawasaki reg unit to solve the problem once and for all.
That would be a 88ish CBR? My dad has one of those, he seems to love it. He practically jumped for joy when I told him that we were looking at one. :roll: Interestingly enough, I "worked out" my RR problem on the B4 by putting a Honda CB400 RR on it. Been going strong for more than 2 years! I think that all of the manufacturers had trouble with the RRs over the years.
Problems to watch on repaired/written off cbr600, I know this one very well, Simon a friend, had one, and copped a good shunt from the rear. It was repaired at the shop I last wrenched at. With-in 2 months or the thing being put back on the road, the electrical gremlins started. Firstly the power commander started throwing bugs, at the computer, and then fried itself. Replace Power commander, and test all computer modes and sensors. Major bucks. A week later fried power commander, hmm recheck everything including charge system all ok, power commander replaced as a faulty unit.
Now this sorta shyte went on for the best part of 3 months. And its was not until, the computer has replaced, most of the sensors, the complete charging system including the battery, and yet another power commander, all at the same time did the gremlins seem to go away, if memory serves me, this all cost, parts alone well over $6 grand (Aus) nearly the write value of the bike. And of course with no back-up or help from Honda Aust.
What sort of get off was it? This looks like a slide to me, and not even a hard one, just enough to rash a few parts. The first one, when the bike earned it's "rebuilt' status doesn't -seem- to have been a bad one. I think we also get lucky in that this is one of 2 years of F4 that got carbs rather than FI. Lots less computer interference.
Was this bike still on warranty? That power commander sure isn't OEM equipment, so they technically could have denied him warranty based on that... though a dealer that one has a good relationship with likely wouldn't...
With the thing now running he sold it very quickly, and I’m lead to believe the whole thing cost poor Simon a lot of money, as well as the shop, who felt to charge him for time, and time and time, and break down pick-ups and break down pick-ups was all becoming a bit rude.
That is a real shame. I don't blame him for selling it, but I feel for the poor slob that ended up with it too.
And it seems that poor Simon, is not the only victim of the cbr600 :bomb: gremlins, since then I have come across quite a few ex owners, who had the same type of problems after a shunt. And what I mean by problem wasn’t just meant, the bike. :annoy:
I think this is a risk with any crashed bikes ( or cars for that matter.) After my firebird was stolen, it's always had a few gremlins, despite changing all the parts that were wrecked. I won't be dealing with my dealer on this one, so I'm not concerned about that aspect of it, and it's looking more and more like we're going to try to turn this one around pretty quickly, and see if we can't put the money into a newer one, or something else. I still have til tomorrow aft to decide though.
BEWARE
Foot note both bikes in the my shed are repaired write offs, the Rex and the B6. :motorsmile:
I think if you have a bit of mechanical knowledge, you can find some great deals in an ins write off. This has been the first time I've been tempted to take one on myself, and I'm lucky in that it's technically not a write off (was crashed then re-certified, then low-sided and not fixed.), so I don't have to go through the re-cert process right now. It's pretty much easy parts replacement.
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That would be a 88ish CBR? My dad has one of those, he seems to love it. He practically jumped for joy when I told him that we were looking at one. Interestingly enough, I "worked out" my RR problem on the B4 by putting a Honda CB400 RR on it. Been going strong for more than 2 years! I think that all of the manufacturers had trouble with the RRs over the years
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Yes indeed somewhere in there give or take a couple of years. Shhhh dont tell no-one, but I rode it more than a couple of ttimes before it got turned into "pink bits".
After it came out of the shed of creation pink, I just couldn't bring myself to ride it, or at least admitting to riding it. But having said that there was times on the B6 that I could not keep up with the Hond.......hond. And on couple of rides the minister and swapped I even had fun, shhhh.
What sort of get off was it? This looks like a slide to me, and not even a hard one, just enough to rash a few parts. The first one, when the bike earned it's "rebuilt' status doesn't -seem- to have been a bad one. I think we also get lucky in that this is one of 2 years of F4 that got carbs rather than FI. Lots less computer interference.
Was this bike still on warranty? That power commander sure isn't OEM equipment, so they technically could have denied him warranty based on that... though a dealer that one has a good relationship with likely wouldn't...
Simon's get off. A simple one standing at a roundabout and being rearended. Basic damage. rear body work exhaust can, Lwr right fair paint handle bar end and brake lever. Not a big one at all. Frame however was still checked for straightness. Bike was well out of warranty, but Honda certainly was not forthcoming with any information or technical advice in helping solve, this very very costly problem. In fact we ended up finding a certain gentleman, who makes a soul living from the misgivings of honda (aust) who did supply all the needed codes and readings to finally solve the problems. So good is he Honda dealers use him to fix their problems.
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The forks are what would have me worried. Seems odd that a 99 would be leaking already. Because of going down maybe? I'd try to get the front end up in the air and get them extended as much as possible and check those tubes closely. If it's got a bur on it that could cause for some major headaches. You could replace the seals but may not last really long. Then again if you're not planning on keeping it long it'll be somebody else's problem down the road.
At least with the year finding parts on Ebay shouldn't be too difficult. Personally, if I see "rebuilt" I stop looking right then and there. That's just me, though. Price is a big factor of course. If normal pricing was $4000 and could pick up it for under $2k, then maybe I would. My two cents....
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The forks are what would have me worried. Seems odd that a 99 would be leaking already. Because of going down maybe? I'd try to get the front end up in the air and get them extended as much as possible and check those tubes closely. If it's got a bur on it that could cause for some major headaches. You could replace the seals but may not last really long. Then again if you're not planning on keeping it long it'll be somebody else's problem down the road.
It doesn't really take much to blow fork seals. One really good wheelie with a hard let down can do it. Or a Rock that pits the fork, or a poor installation. That said, I agree about the forks. I've mentioned the same to the other half, and he's promised that we will look it over really carefully before we hand over any money.
Thinking about it though, the front fender needs to be replaced, and it's cracked at the mounting hole for the fork on the right side, and then broken on the left side. The right fork seal is the one that's been leaking for more than a year, around the time that the bike went down. Hmmmm....
The other thing is that, provided the forks are straight, I don't have a problem taking the forks off, making sure everything is burr free and putting the fork seals in. We have to do that with the KTM anyway... again.
I won't sell a bike that I know something is wrong with though. If it was just cosmetic and parts replacement that I did, I'm find with that. Bent forks make it a write off to me. (As in I'm not going buy it to invest the money into it myself, and someone else can buy it from the kid and fix the forks.)
At least with the year finding parts on Ebay shouldn't be too difficult. Personally, if I see "rebuilt" I stop looking right then and there. That's just me, though. Price is a big factor of course. If normal pricing was $4000 and could pick up it for under $2k, then maybe I would. My two cents....
That's one of the things that I saw too. A lot of the parts will fit 1999 - 2006. Rebuilt is not as bad as we all think. I tried to stop looking too, but I did a little asking around about rebuilt, and talked to people with no vested interest in this transaction. Rebuilt means that it had to go through certification before it could be registered again. This is more than a bike that hits the ground and the ins company is never told. They must be mechanically safe to pass inspection.
Ok,.. here are the numbers:
Blackbook for here is:
Fair: $2700 AVG: $3500 Clean: $4400
For Avg condition we could expect to sell it for $5000, and clean for about $5500 This is from the dealer's GM.
The kid wants $3000 firm for the bike, and I need to put about $400 into it. Based on the work I want to do to it, it should list as "Avg" when we're done. Now, if the forks are bent, then that's it. We're looking for a different bike.
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Yes indeed somewhere in there give or take a couple of years. Shhhh dont tell no-one, but I rode it more than a couple of ttimes before it got turned into "pink bits".
After it came out of the shed of creation pink, I just couldn't bring myself to ride it, or at least admitting to riding it. But having said that there was times on the B6 that I could not keep up with the Hond.......hond. And on couple of rides the minister and swapped I even had fun, shhhh.
Ok,. it's alright,.. I won't tell a soul... :wink:
Simon's get off. A simple one standing at a roundabout and being rearended. Basic damage. rear body work exhaust can, Lwr right fair paint handle bar end and brake lever. Not a big one at all. Frame however was still checked for straightness. Bike was well out of warranty, but Honda certainly was not forthcoming with any information or technical advice in helping solve, this very very costly problem. In fact we ended up finding a certain gentleman, who makes a soul living from the misgivings of honda (aust) who did supply all the needed codes and readings to finally solve the problems. So good is he Honda dealers use him to fix their problems.
Hmm,.. the rear is where the brains of the operation is though to as I recall. That could have something to do with it. That's a real shame that the dealer was unable to help. Did he try more than one dealer? I have about 3 -4 to choose from around here, so if one gave me bad service I would have an other option.
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Front fenders are kind of flimsy to begin with, and going down wouldn't take much to destroy the mounting tabs, but leave the forks ok. I'm no expert, but could the forks have flexed enough to cause the seal to leak yet not bend the tubes? That's the bad things about forks - you don't know what's going on in the inside. Granted you'd think it should show some significant cosmetic damage in order to cause internal problems. Worse comes to worse you could easily get a used set of forks for under $200 from eBay if needed.
One thing I've wondering about in regards to the speedo problem. Aren't most sensors located on the front wheel? If so, then any change in gearing/sprockets should not affect that. The front wheel is always going to spin the same amount of times regardless of changes made in the rear. If the sensor is up there, then it's probable that it may have been damaged as well.
Front cowls are not cheap, but depending on where the problem is it is possible to graft a piece to the existing cowl. That's what we had to do on my FZR. It had been dropped as well and was missing a chunk out of it. A good body guy should be able to take care of it without too much fuss. Again, that depends on exactly where the damage is at.
If you haven't already it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a look through eBay and see what parts are going for. That way you'll have a better idea on what sort of money you'd be looking at for replacement parts.
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Front fenders are kind of flimsy to begin with, and going down wouldn't take much to destroy the mounting tabs, but leave the forks ok.
That's what we're fairly sure happened. The kid said that the bike went down at low speed in a corner, the previous owner did it. The guy hit some gravel, and the damage on the bike supports what he said.
I'm no expert, but could the forks have flexed enough to cause the seal to leak yet not bend the tubes? That's the bad things about forks - you don't know what's going on in the inside. Granted you'd think it should show some significant cosmetic damage in order to cause internal problems. Worse comes to worse you could easily get a used set of forks for under $200 from eBay if needed.
The forks can also twist in the triple clamps. They don't have to bend or anything to look wrong. If they twist in the triples, then you loosen everything and you bounce the front wheel a few times, then tighten it all up again. Sort of a "wheel alignment" for a bike.
The other thing possibility is that someone wheelied it and brought it down too hard.
I also read somewhere that a minor bend can be straightened in a vice. That's all these will have at the worst.
The good news is that there were no marks on the forks themselves. So chances are they took no direct impact.
Ebay scares me a little. I've had one experience with it, and it wasn't a good one.
One thing I've wondering about in regards to the speedo problem. Aren't most sensors located on the front wheel? If so, then any change in gearing/sprockets should not affect that. The front wheel is always going to spin the same amount of times regardless of changes made in the rear. If the sensor is up there, then it's probable that it may have been damaged as well.
Both the 919 and the CBR have the speedo reading from the transmission. The speedo is out by about 30% ( I was wrong about the 50%, it seemed like it during the test ride)
I suspect that I know why on this too. 1. factory out, 2. 2 teeth bigger on the back 3. Smaller than stock back tire.
The bike has a 160/60/17 on it, and it should have a 180/55/17 on it.
Front cowls are not cheap, but depending on where the problem is it is possible to graft a piece to the existing cowl. That's what we had to do on my FZR. It had been dropped as well and was missing a chunk out of it. A good body guy should be able to take care of it without too much fuss. Again, that depends on exactly where the damage is at.
I can do the body work, I used to do it on my firebird. I'm rusty, but I can "remember" on this one. The materials should cost me about $50 - $75 to fix is, better than the $1000 for new parts, and probably $200+ in ebay parts.
(http://members.stormi.ca/images/cbr-before.jpg)
If you haven't already it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a look through eBay and see what parts are going for. That way you'll have a better idea on what sort of money you'd be looking at for replacement parts.
I've called a few wreckers around here, and they don't have much. The total I quoted for fixing it was full bore retail for new parts. I figured that I can get most of it for less, but it not, that was the top end of the cost to repair. It should just get lower from there, assuming that I'm going to do the body work and I can't see a reason not to.
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Ebay scares me a little. I've had one experience with it, and it wasn't a good one.
I understand about fleabay. I've gotten burned a few times. For the most part I've had good experiences. Biggest screwover I got was a rim that was listed as being from an FZR (looked like it) but was a YZF rim. Threw out my plans last winter for the conversion to the 17" rear. Best advice I can offer is only buy from people that have a fair amount of transactions, a high % rating, and accepts PayPal.
I bought a set of forks for my FZR and they were top notch shape. I actually spent less buying used forks than getting the seals replaced...go figure. If you ever need help/advice on something let me know. Hell I can bid on something for you if you don't want to deal with it yourself. Hopefully, though, you'll be able to get all your parts locally.
Keep us posted on what you decide :bigok:
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My .02 here, FWIW....
Frankly, Scarlett Gerl, I smell a money pit yawning beneath your feet. :wink: :grin:
NEVER/NEVER expect to make money/break even on ANY bike, especially a "fixer-upper". Those stories of big bux on a bike deal are mostly urban myths, IMHO.
Run away from this one....as fast as you can. :grin:
Or at least wait until the season is more advanced and the price starts to drop down a lot more.
Remember: fixer-uppers are like buses. If you miss this one, there'll be another one along in 15 minutes or so. :wink:
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I agree with Rick.
Besides, if you're gonna go to all that trouble and expense, why not start with something really cool like this:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/Day675.jpg)
Found on Ebay:
http://tinyurl.com/252obe
Yeah I know, it's in Texas, it's too much money, etc... but a friend of mine bough a salvage 675 and just got it on the road as a naked streetfighter last week.... he loves the little screamer, and gets a lot of compliments on it. I think he has about $5K in it.
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The 675 has a bit taller seat height than the CBR6 (about the only nit I've read the journalists print about the Trumpet), so I don't know if one of those would be a viable alternative for her since she's considering the CBR because of its lower altitude.
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The 675 has a bit taller seat height than the CBR6 (about the only nit I've read the journalists print about the Trumpet), so I don't know if one of those would be a viable alternative for her since she's considering the CBR because of its lower altitude.
Ever see that movie "Kelly's Heroes" where Oddball (Donald Sutherland) says "Why all the negative WAVES, man?!?!" :lol:
It was just an excuse to post a pic of a 675, y'know... :roll:
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Understood... the 675 is a sharp looker! :thumb:
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Ever see that movie "Kelly's Heroes" where Oddball (Donald Sutherland) says "Why all the negative WAVES, man?!?!" :lol:
Woof, woof, woof! That's my other dog imitation.
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Biggest screwover I got was a rim that was listed as being from an FZR (looked like it) but was a YZF rim. Threw out my plans last winter for the conversion to the 17" rear.
Not unlike what I ended up with. I bid on and won the factory fairing for Dita. It looked like it needed paint, but was intact in the pics. The seller indicated it was considered a "paintable fairing" which meant it needed a little filler and paint. When it arrived -every- mounting hole had stress cracks or chips or was simply coming apart ( I could see light through the sides of one of the mounting holes. It had been repaired at least once, but not well. Major work required to put it back together. It's still sitting in my shed.
Best advice I can offer is only buy from people that have a fair amount of transactions, a high % rating, and accepts PayPal.
This guy had all of that. That's what surprised me.
I bought a set of forks for my FZR and they were top notch shape. I actually spent less buying used forks than getting the seals replaced...go figure. If you ever need help/advice on something let me know. Hell I can bid on something for you if you don't want to deal with it yourself. Hopefully, though, you'll be able to get all your parts locally.
Well,.. we did pick the bike up. Looks like H2Rick and Zen's warnings came too late. :wink: But,.. the bike isn't as bad as I apparently made it out to be. When it went down, it slid for about 4" by the looks of the gravel samples on the lower fairing. The story we got was that the guy had lost it in a low speed corner when he hit some gravel. The marks on the bike support the story. The mirror got broken, and the signal is present, but uuuuuuuuuuugly.
So,.. we're going to go with some EMGO mirrors if we can't find a used OEM one. The signal cost us $10. We didn't budget for the bar end weights, but we decided to splurge on them. That was an extra $50, but we saved that on the signal light.
The seat I can fix for about $15. Recovering it as per a couple of posts on the CBR sites.
The brake lever we're going to try to torch and bend back. Same with the foot peg bracket. Both are already off the bike.
Only one of the fork seals is shot, so we'll replace that one, and see how the other one does. We have that seal too, and that should be done in the next few days.
The Alt cover and exhaust are going to be left alone.
That just leaves the body work. The neighbor didn't have the parts we needed. They were from a 1998 CBR900RR. He's looked at the fairings, and says they're a cinch to fix, and is going to bring me the materials to do it.
Keep us posted on what you decide :bigok:
So, I rode it home on thursday. The bars were fine in the city, but the vibration was just too much on the highway. I found myself alternating hands on the bars. Hence the bar end weights.
The only real complaint I have about the bike is its built in seat warmers. In moist 90 degree heat, having the rad fan, RR and fairings all directing their heat to my left leg and on the seat was severely unpleasant. Reading on the net, this is a common ( i.e. not problem) thing with the F4 and F4i. They're affectionately known as "nut roasters/cat roasters" (not my term.) Apparently it's something you get used to?!?!? Personally, I think it's something you develop callouses for. The problem occurs under about 60kph, and isn't as bad when stopped as it is when moving "slowly".
It's nice and smooth on the highway ( not including the bars) and the wind protection is -really- nice on the highway, compared to the nakeds I'm used to.
Low speed turning is disorienting when the dash keeps going straight and the wheel is turned. I almost dropped it in the grass because of that, but I caught it.
The other half says it's a wheelie machine, but I ride it like my 919. That means I usually shift around 4K, and not once did it even consider lifting the front end. Yup,.. all that torque in my daily rider has spoiled me for a high revving bike. :roll:
He LOVES the bike. I've told him to keep his eye on the ball, that we're going to get him a newer one that's seen slightly better days. We have 2 potential buyers already. 600s are really popular here.
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My .02 here, FWIW....
Frankly, Scarlett Gerl, I smell a money pit yawning beneath your feet. :wink: :grin:
Aren't all bikes money pits? I'll tell ya, Dita sure is. The 919 is not so much a money pit, as urging me to put money into him to make him more comfy...
NEVER/NEVER expect to make money/break even on ANY bike, especially a "fixer-upper". Those stories of big bux on a bike deal are mostly urban myths, IMHO.
Run away from this one....as fast as you can. :grin:
Or at least wait until the season is more advanced and the price starts to drop down a lot more.
Remember: fixer-uppers are like buses. If you miss this one, there'll be another one along in 15 minutes or so. :wink:
I'm not expecting to get rich. :wink: I figured that we can make about a grand or so on it. It's mostly a way for me to make a little money and keep myself occupied in the summer. Once you factor in my time, yes, I lost money. But that's what hobbies are about, right?
The dealer told me, based on what I'd told him, that the bike could be expected to sell for about $5k privately, so by getting it and the parts for $3500 or less, we should be OK. That said, with the wrecker market the way it is around here, we might just be coming up your way to find some parts.
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I agree with Rick.
Besides, if you're gonna go to all that trouble and expense, why not start with something really cool like this:
First off,.. not a lot of Triumphs around here, and second,... the prices are obscene! ;) The other half would love one, but he can't currently justify the buy in.
The nice thing about Honda is that they're plentiful, and they're easy to get parts for. That makes them easy "flippers".
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so I don't know if one of those would be a viable alternative for her since she's considering the CBR because of its lower altitude.
In all fairness,.. there isn't a "full sized" bike out there that fits me quite right. Of course the selling feature of the CBRs is that I -can- get a dogbone to lower it to my height. That said, I'm fine with the balls of my feet being on the ground. Which is where I am with the CBR.
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we might just be coming up your way to find some parts.
Well, Stormi, don't make the trip to CowTown for F4/F4i parts unless you have them totally lined up beforehand and under lock and key awaiting your arrival. I work at the only wrecking yard in Calgary and good stuff for those bikes is unobtainium.
The squids are constantly throwing them down the road and thus ANY plastic for them is rarer than rocking horse manure. Hopefully your buddy/neighbour will be able to repair what bits you already have. Hard parts like footpegs/hangers/shift levers/brake levers etc are just as hard to get.
We may have to odd bit of this and that lying around but it's not like we have a vast selection to choose from, that's fer shure.
Good luck with your project, regardless.
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Well, Stormi, don't make the trip to CowTown for F4/F4i parts unless you have them totally lined up beforehand and under lock and key awaiting your arrival. I work at the only wrecking yard in Calgary and good stuff for those bikes is unobtainium.
Are you on Bowness Road? My dad keeps mentioning a wrecker on bowness.
We would definitely not be coming up for the express purpose of getting the parts unless we had the parts lined up.
The squids are constantly throwing them down the road and thus ANY plastic for them is rarer than rocking horse manure. Hopefully your buddy/neighbour will be able to repair what bits you already have. Hard parts like footpegs/hangers/shift levers/brake levers etc are just as hard to get.
Hmm,.. so I should have picked up the yellow front cowl that I found at a wrecker here? The front cowl is the only one that I would replace if I found the right deal. The rest is easy to fix. My neighbor said that all of the bits that are here are easy to manage.
We may have to odd bit of this and that lying around but it's not like we have a vast selection to choose from, that's fer shure.
Good luck with your project, regardless.
Thanks!
I think that it appears that bike seem to hit the dirt on the right side the most too eh? I found lots of parts for the left side at the wrecker this weekend, none for the right...
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Are you on Bowness Road? My dad keeps mentioning a wrecker on bowness.
Nope, we're on the other side of town. The guy your dad is talking about, I believe, dealt in modern sportbike plastic and bits but got burned out about 4 years ago.
Rumours said that it could have been unhappy customer(s) expressing their displeasure with the business practices of the "gentleman" in question.
Other rumours had it that the fire was "self-inflicted", if you get my drift. :wink:
I don't think the facts will ever be known for sure.
Regardless, he's gone, and hopefully for good. Guys like that give the used parts business a VERY bad name.
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Guys like that give the used parts business a VERY bad name.
Goodness,.. he kept telling me that he liked the place.
Oh,.. btw, got the vinyl for the CBR seat today, it cost us a whopping $1. Yes, that's one dollar. A little time and less money is making this work out pretty well, so far.
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Orionburn & Zenman:
Kelly's Heroes ??? Great stuff !! One of my Top 10 All-Time Favourites. I even have it on tape. Rickles is on the top of his form in that one...."I'll give you $50 to carry the machine gun......What ???.....No, I don't have it on me.....". :lol:
I've got get around to replacing all my movies on tape with DVD's....soon.
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Stormi's a squid.... Stormi's a squid.... LOL!
Yeah, the stuff to cover a seat isn't expensive at all. I recovered my CBR's seat... and then dumped the bike and tore it again a week later. It wasn't hard to do at all, though.
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Hmm,.. how'd I miss this?
I'm a squid says the guy that bought a CBR before me?:wink:
Anyway, I'm halfway through recovering the seat. I found that my staples are too short to manage a few of the contours, so I'll be in there with my hair dryer and stretching, then suddenly *pop pop pop*. So I'll be getting some longer staples this evening and fixing that up. Otherwise though, it seems to be going well.
We have the fork seals to do, we're going to change the sprocket, and do the 25K km service on it, and the rest is bodywork.
It's actually a pretty good little bike,.. but the faired bike sure do run hot!! I think I've managed to tan the underside of my left leg through my jeans!
The other half is seriously considering a newer CBR F4i as an alternative to the VFR that he wants.
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Hey - I never claimed not to be a squid! :shock:
I don't notice the heat on the CBR on the track. OTOH, I keep expecting BBQ smells to come from my medium-rare right foot on the ZX!
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Mmmm,.. BBQ'd human/squid... :pukey:
Well,.. I got the impression that you ride faster than 40mph on the track, so I'd be really disappointed if you -did- feel it!
The heat on the CBR usually hits the left thigh (bottom) and would likely be less noticeable in leathers than in jeans or textiles. It comes from a few places:
1. The Rad mounted on the left side fan blowing it back
2. Heat soak from the engine along the frame.
3. The RR lives right under the seat on the left side.
The first ride I had on it ( other than the test ride) was in 30C weather. I was riding and realizing that it was getting uncomfortably hot. I started sniffing to see if there was a corresponding burning smell (wondering if we'd just been "took" on the sale of the bike) and then feeling the seat to see if something was on fire.
Now I know why I see guys on faired bikes fanning their knees in the breeze. :rofl: We saw a guy on an F4i doing that the other day. Both of us looked at him, then each other and burst out laughing. Suddenly it made sense. :penguin:
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Mmmm,.. BBQ'd human/squid... :pukey:
Tastes like rubber chicken. :lol:
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Project Ceber (http://members.stormi.ca/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=projectCeber)
There are 3 pages of pics of the entire process that we went through.
Done,.. just waiting on decals ( maybe) and it's up for sale. The flyers are going up today and the ad will go in the Bargain Finder on Thursday.
Rode it to the Alberta Safety Council's Motorcycle Instructor Orientation and the only comment I got on it was that it was very shiny.
Then I rode it home in the rain. It's not shiny anymore. :embarassed:
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Looking good, Storm! Those F4s are sharp bikes. Wanna fix my Ninja up for me?
Good luck with the sale.
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Looks pretty good from here. Just missing a little red striping on the fairing.
The name of your project reminded me of a video & cartoon show my kids used to watch when they were young.
(http://www.vh1.com/shared/media/images/amg_vhs_covers/120/drv100/v161/v16120ohqen.jpg)
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Looks great Stormi...good job.
I thought you were going to keep the little CBR? Was I dreaming, or did you change your mind?
I always thought I wanted one, but the riding position is just to "sporty" for me. Nice bikes though.
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Looks great, it's amazing what you can do with a little time, effort and know how.
Was the original rear sprocket up a few teeth? It looks large in the pictures.
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Looks great, it's amazing what you can do with a little time, effort and know how.
Was the original rear sprocket up a few teeth? It looks large in the pictures.
From Stormi's orig post...
rear sprocket is 2 teeth taller,
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Looking good, Storm! Those F4s are sharp bikes. Wanna fix my Ninja up for me?
Good luck with the sale.
Sure,. I could use a vacation right about now.
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Looks pretty good from here. Just missing a little red striping on the fairing.
The name of your project reminded me of a video & cartoon show my kids used to watch when they were young.
(http://www.vh1.com/shared/media/images/amg_vhs_covers/120/drv100/v161/v16120ohqen.jpg)
Hah!! It looks a little like a well fed seal compared to the nakeds I'm used to too!
I've been debating on the striping. Those 3 decals are $80 for the 3 of them!! And so many people take them off.
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Looks great Stormi...good job.
I thought you were going to keep the little CBR? Was I dreaming, or did you change your mind?
I always thought I wanted one, but the riding position is just to "sporty" for me. Nice bikes though.
Thanks!
Well, I considered keeping it, but the better option seems to be to sell it and get a newer i.e. non-lowsided FI version of it.
That said, it sure hurts my wrists and lower back, if I ride with bad form. and in 300kms, I do a little of that, so I get sore fast.
If you have good form you'll find that there's no real weight on wrists or back, but few of the squidlies we see riding them have good form.
tight tummy muscles, pelvis tilted a little forward so the back is curved a little, and elbows loose. The problem is that's really hard to hold in stop and go traffic.
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From Stormi's orig post...
You da man. I read the original post months before seeing the pictures and forgot. I can't even remember my home phone number anymore!
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Sold!! To the 3rd person we showed it to, and we got what we were looking for for it. The guy will come pick it up this weekend or on Monday, and left us a sizable deposit to make sure it wouldn't go anywhere.
First person was intimidated by it. Second just found out he was broke before our meeting ( was buying a house), third wanted it. Everyone who saw it said it looked really good.
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Nicely done, boss!
:clap:
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Thank Ya! We were pretty happy about it. It sold within a week of us posting it, and the only hassle has been that we're storing it til he comes up with the money.
All in all, we managed to make about $1300- $1400 on it, I haven't tallied the receipts.
More importantly, I learned a lot!
I learned that it's not necessarily the bike for me, if it's the only bike in the stable, but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun. And I learned that while I may spray base again, never again with the clear. OMG that was painful! I also learned that no matter how well you mask everything off, and use a "HVLP" (high volume low pressure) spray gun,... you -will- get overspray on everything. The inside of my shed is pink.
I also learned a lot about removing orange peel and otherwise cleaning up and making paint look better. I will post a tutorial on that as soon as I get the pics off the camera, and have time to do the write up. I used Dita for that one.