Superhawk restoration on the cheap
 

I buy sad bikes for cheap and fix them up as a hobby. The Superhawk is the 10th bike I've tackled since I started doing this a few years ago. I'm typically on a fairly tight budget so I enjoy finding cheaper ways to do things and I have found that members of other forums are always interested in what I have done, so here's the low down on my Superhawk.

This sad 2003 showed up at my house a month ago for $1500:
http://photos.dehning.com/Bikes/2011...vtr1000f-1.jpg
It was missing the whole front fairing, windshield, mirrors, headlight. Grips and levers were screwed.

I did my usual deep cleanup and set to work on finding stuff.
Got headlight of eBay for $120 and a set of knock off 2003-2004 ZX6RR mirrors for $21 since the hole spacing was the same.
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/mirrors.JPG

I was trying hard to only get the minimum necessary to get the bike running but I couldn't help myself when a used K&N air filter showed up on eBay, got that for $29.

Got a clear windshield from eBay China for $23, shape is good, but had to open up some of the holes a little and I'm going to have to do something about the area that's normally blacked out.

A forum member made me some PAIR block off plates so I dropped the PAIR system too as they don't do emissions testing in Texas. :headbang:

Found an integrated taillight for $40 but I'm still waiting for it to be delivered:
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/taillight.jpg

Ordered some Pazzo lnock-offs for $38 because I have them on everything else and they work very well.

Got a used cyclops light from another forum member for free and found this little LED array on ebay for $3:
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/pics/vtrceg1.jpg
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/pics/vtrceg.jpg

I also found a set of helibars for $28 on ebay.

I seafoamed the bike (like I do every project) and must have got some crud in the carbs (I hate carbs!) so I cleaned them up and the bike ran much better but was still kind of lumpy low down in the revs so I found a DynoJet kit on ebay for $55 - Still waiting to fit those.

I was surprised how hard it was to find 6mm blue anidized bolts but eventually found soembody on ebay UK who sold me 6 for ~$10:
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/bluebolts.jpg

I knew the sprokets and chain were probably in sad shape, but I didn't realize quite how bad till I got down and took a close look. The rear sproket's teeth were either broken or worn to a sharp point so I realized that needed something quick. I found a 525 size rear OEM sproket for a CB600, a front 525 sproket intended for a VTR750 and an OEM DID 525 chain from s Ducati 1098 that had been cut off but still had enough links. Total price was $63! They fit perfectly in case any of you want to lighten your drivetrain slightly.

The fairings arrived a few days ago and I was both impressed and disaponted. The paint work was excelent no complaints there, but they were made with the older PV technology, not the new ABS technology like my Hayabusa fairings. Still, they look good on the bike:

http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/fairing1.jpghttp://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/fairing2.jpg
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/fairing3.jpg

I realized that I had some sintered front pads left over from buying the wrong thing for my VFR750, found some EBC HH rear pads on Ebay for $25 and some used Galfer front braided lines for $24.

I think I'm going to try fitting the OEM springs that were in my '99 VFR800 into the VTR as they are both the same size but the VFR's OEM spring rate is much closer to the suggested spring rate for my weight than the VTR's OEM ones, more feedback on that later.

Have riden the bike a few times now and am still amazed by how much torque that V-Twin develops low down, even compared to my 1300cc Hayabusa.

Will continue to post pics of any further mods. :p

Nice work - bung some manual CCTs in while you're fettling and upgrade the R/R before they cause any problems down the road.

Is the fairing a Chinese ebay jobbie?

I just did a manual CCT on my Blackbird, are the auto ones prone to failure on the SH ?
Regulator (beats head against desk), I just got through finally getting my VFR800 sorted out by adding an R1 regulator, guess I'm doing it again :(

Yes that is an Chinese ebay fairing although I asked the seller (who is actually doing the painting himself) if I could just have the stock logos, not the V2 below the saddle or his company logo.

I don't know how it will fit in with your ethos of "cheap", but I highly recommend roadstercycle.com as the place to find a MOSFET replacement R/R. $137 shipped for my Superhawk and once it's fixed, it's fixed.

Thanks for the info. I think I may just pick up another R1 regulator, the last one cost me $21 and they seem to be holding up, especially in the VFR community.

Got the Chinese race levers today, as always, they are absolutely perfect:
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/levers.jpg

Just curious as to where you got those fairings. The original parts are ABS but I suppose if the price is right....

I also far prefer ABS fairings, but as you say, the price is right on these. I spoke with the seller via email quite a bit and he seems like a stand up kinda guy:

eBay Link

BTW, the blue ones in his auctions are the actual ones on my bike, he took the extra decals off after the photo shoot. My logos are under the clear coat.

Do you know if your ZX knockoff mirrors stick out further than stock ones?

I am still running the stock mirrors, and can't see too much other than my elbows without moving my head down quite a bit.

I need the rear tail section and front fender for my recently purchased Hawk. I am SUPER hesitant to buy anything from china/hk due to a previous experience, but that was over 5 years ago and was not through an ebay purchase. This guy seems to have good feedback.

On the front fairing you purchased? Does it seem like its going to hold up ok? Meaning, is there enough "Flex" in it so it will resist cracking?

And what did he charge you for the fairing alone? If I could get the tail and fender at a reasonable enough price, I might just go for it..

Thanks!

I'm curious on this as well. Do you have a pic that shows them straight on from front or back??

Bunch of stuff done today.
 

I got a bunch of stuff done today, unfortunately I could only snap one pic with my cameraphone before I was out of time. I'll take more in a few days.

Firstly, I just noticed the questions about the mirrors, they don't stick out much so I have to pull me elbow in to get a good look behind me, but I think their shape is more modern than the original SH mirrors.

Today I did the following:
1. Fitted the OEM springs from my '99 VFR800.
2. Installed a Dynojet kit configured for K&N and aftermarket mufflers (Yoshi's arriving on Tuesday).
3. I fixed the fuel level sensor by finding the broken wire and re-soldering it.
4. I fitted some aftermarket front blinkers.
5. Changes the oil and filter (Trying Mobile 5000 10w40, have a bad feeling that it has been a while since the last change)
6. A few other sundry things.

I did all this stuff then took the bike out for a run and let me just say "WOW", with all the horror stories I have hear on here about messing with jet kits and K&N filters, I was fully expecting to have to mess with it for a while. I installed the 2 biggest jets in the kit (195 rear and 190 front) and set the E-Clip on the 5th position exactly per the instructions. the bike runs completely smoothly now, right down to idle (it was crazy lumpy before down low). It apparently has more top end now too because I managed to inadvertently pick the front wheel up too :P. The second amazing thing was the fork springs; Honda had to be nuts to include such soft springs as stock! The VFR's springs (and OEM spacers) immediately firmed up the ride and I found it absolutely amazing how much more confidence I immediately felt in the corners, I definitely recommend this mod for anybody who has the option.

Will write more soon along with some mirror-centric photos.
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/...-afterlist.jpg

I had an enlightening discussion with the seller about fairing materials after I posted my initial opinions on here. He told me that there are actually 3 different materials that fairing pieces are made from:
1. PVC - Almost not used anymore, grey in color & thicker than ABS and also easily cracked.
2. Compressed ABS - The most common material for aftermarket fairings, white in color and thinner than PVC and more durable.
3. Injection molded ABS - Same as OEM,very accurate and durable. Typically black in color but much more costly to produce.

My Hayabusa has Chinese injection molded fairings and the fit is perfect but the fit on the SH ones is still quite good. I don't know if many sellers would be willing to sell you only part of a kit, I know I had to ask quite a few to find somebody to only make the side fairings for my Blackbird.

My fairings cost $470 to my door BTW.

USPS finally delivered my Yoshi pipes (3 days longer than expected) and I put them on this evening. I might still paint the exhaust header with BBQ grill paint but otherwise the bike is done.

I picked up quite a few items that I didn't have to get in order to get the bike running but in total I have spent a little under $2700 for a 2003 with lots of extras. Not bad I guess.

I used the HDR picture utility on my phone to grab this one:
http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/yoshi.jpg

Funny enough, I noticed the effect of the jet kit way more than anything I feel from the Yoshis, HOWEVER it SOUNDS much better now, the OEM cans made it sound like a lawnmower :rolleyes:

Everything is done and I rode it into work today and realized that the helipad (don't ask) at my work with the lake behind it makes a great backdrop for photos. Here is an HDR photo of the finished bike:

http://motorcycling.dehning.com/vtr/Scenic%20VTR.jpg

looks nice. it's good that we can get decent reasonably priced abs for the SH. I assume it's injection molded? And the jet kit worked out as well, so you're in business. Enjoy!

Early in the thread you mention that the fairing pieces are not ABS but the auctions say that they are ABS. Can you tell for sure that they're not? What do you anticipate the downside to be?

Great job on this, some really nice choices.

The body kit IS ABS, but is not Injection molded.
The jet kit did work well, but I (like so many others it seems) just discovered how much smoother the bike runs with the OEM air filter than the K&N. This totally sucks as I have K&N air filters on every one of my other 6 vehicles and they all work great. I may try building a metal plate that duplicates the baffle on the OEM filter and slightly restricts the opening on the K&N and see if I can at least get it to run the same.

I actually had a discussion with the seller about this. He said that pretty much nobody uses PVC for aftermarket fairings any more, he said it was much thicker and far less flexible. Instead he said that most of the current aftermarket fairings are made with a process where they compress ABS powder into molds. Injection forming is still a better, more accurate method, but is a substantially more expensive process.

Now that I have had some time to fine tune everything, I'd say that overall I'm very happy with the fairings, they look perfect to all but the most discerning eye and cost a LOT less. The only small thing I still need to fix is the tab that holds the seat cowl to the back edge of the seat, that was not attached to the correct place on the cowl so removed it and need to re-attach it sometime.


On a different subject, I actually picked up a couple of notable items off ebay that were from a 2005 Superhawk.
Firstly, I got a 2005 Fuel sensor which I now see has a little metal plate designed to protect the delicate internals of the fuel sensor from being damaged by a stray fuel nozzle.
Secondly I got one of those cool boxes of extra screws. I replaced the "screw" that is used to secure the shift lever and added some lithium grease and was amazed by how much less play there was.

I still think I'll ultimately sell the superhawk and get an RC51 but each little tweak I do is making her better and better to ride so it's becoming that little bit harder each time :D

[QUOTE=dehning;317029]The body kit IS ABS, but is not Injection molded.
The jet kit did work well, but I (like so many others it seems) just discovered how much smoother the bike runs with the OEM air filter than the K&N. This totally sucks as I have K&N air filters on every one of my other 6 vehicles and they all work great. I may try building a metal plate that duplicates the baffle on the OEM filter and slightly restricts the opening on the K&N and see if I can at least get it to run the same.

never used a K&N, but I wonder if a thin piece of foam would eliminate the issue, that is, in lieu of discarding it and buying a new one. The reason i say this is because i copied someone's idea and cut the paper part out and inserted a piece of foam and oiled as in dirtbikes. Works great for the past 20,000 miles. However, since you're going to re-sell it, you're better off to avoid the homemade route to maintain value.

Are you referring to the OEM filter ?

yeah, but i was wondering if you could place a thin piece of foam over or under and spray with a little filter oil to reduce air flow enough to get it to run better? That way you wouldn't have to buy a new one. just an idea.

FWIW I've tried this (although with a plastic plate) and still could not get it to work as well as the OEM. But I don't have easy access to a dyno either...

I was thinking of cutting a piece of that thin stainless steel that Home Depot sells for for roof flushing to the same outline as the K&N and then cutting a flap the same width as the filter media and height as the OEM baffle. This would leave most of the K&N media still covered so I could slowly cut more and more away exposing more filter media till I got it running like the OEM filter (I hope). I still feel like the K&N provides better filtering than the paper ones.

I actually ended up running around quite a bit more yesterday than I had anticipated. I can definitely feel that there's a slight edge missing in how it pulls with the OEM filter. Of course the one I am using is absolutely filthy, I wonder if the previous owner ever changed it in 17000+ miles :shock:

BTW, I got 124 miles off 3.3 gallons which translates to almost 38mpg which is much better than I was expecting considering the stories I have been reading on this forum about poor gas mileage :rolleyes:

I get 40-41mpg when I'm behaving. That with a full Yoshimura system on stock jetting, which carburates perfectly for some reason..

The K&N might or might not be filtering better... But it has a higher flow/less restriction over the whole filtration area... And by reducing the filtration area until you get similar flow means you have now reduced the filtration, period... And even so, you will never get it rigth, because the loss of area also affects flow paths...

Get a fresh OEM filter, trust me, it's worth it...

HONDA VTR1000 F VTR1000F Super Hawk Air Filter 98-05 | eBay

is that a good replacement or should we legitimately get OEM in a hondaa bag? lol. I'll check honda pricing today.

I haven't got the faintest... It's not really an "aftermarket" filter, according to the description it's designed to be drop in with no changes to jetting... I doubt that's 100% correct, but it might be close... I guess someone will test it and report back sooner or later...

looks pretty oemish.

retail on new Honda filter is 50 so my price is probably between 35 and 43

I'm too lazy to go finding them right now, but there are some articles/tests that I've read that discount K&N's claimed filtration quality... in some cases OEM filtered out a ridiculous amount of dirt compared to the oil based filters...

Here's a cautionary tale...

The back tire on my SH was well worn on the center line, right down to the belt in a few places. I've been riding it like that while I get everything else fixed. I picked up a "new" Tomahawk tire off ebay after reading about the success others have had with them. That company actually does FAA approved aircraft tire remolds (not retreads) as their primary business. Apparently they do all kinds of testing on them beyond what regular tires have.

So I got the tire fitted 2 days ago and all looked good. Yesterday I left for work on my SH the same way I have done every morning for the last 4 years. As I shifted from 1st to 2nd under gentle acceleration, the whole back end came loose, low sided me and landed on my leg.

Even at 10mph, it all happened so fast, I found myself lying on the ground with the SH a few yards away from me, brand new oil just pouring out of what I assume is a cracked clutch cover. My gear protected me from any rash but my leg wasn't to lucky.

After an ambulance ride to my ER, the net result is that I have broken tibia and fibula, my leg hurts like hell and the right side of my bike is trashed.

*sigh*

that sucks! some fall off at 80mph and sustain less injury. Evidently all that oil coupled with a little torque caused the bike to slide out and slam down on your leg faster than you could get out from under it. Would t-rex sliders have helped or do you have them? When doing anything to the bike, it's a good idea to test cautiously, but it's easy to get casual and assume everything is well. been there!

at least, you didn't get rolled over by an oncoming cager. Heal fast

Holy crap! Did the tire come apart? I mean did it just slide out or did the tread separate? I took it to say the oil leak was caused by the fall and not that the oil caused the fall.

There was no oil on the road before I started, that all came from my poor bike after it went down. There is nothing visually wrong with the tire. My guess is that they are just very very hard. It was 65 degrees when I left BTW and the road was dry. I always take off carefully from my place, I'm too old to be doing anything crazy.

well i'm not getting it in that i thought the oil caused the slip. I doubt that the tire would cause this, esp since you took off easy and to have the tire slip out enough to slap you on the ground doesn't make sense unless the road was wet.

I had mefos on my xr and those sum bitches were hard enough to spin-up when straight up on a wet road; dry they stuck well even at lean.

I don't believe you have correctly diagnosed the cause of your git-off yet.

Could it have been "chainsaw massacre" related? It is Texas, after all.

Brand new Gixxer crashed - YouTube

Reminds me of the Kwacka and Ducati dealers that was a 1/4 mile or so from a roundabout, and despite warnings of take it easy for the first 100 miles, owners with new bikes /or those with new tires invariably crashed with alarming regularity (see vid). It was a tidy earner for the shop.

Heal well!

Thanks. This wasn't a new bike or road, just a new tire. I swap between 3 other bikes every day 2 of which are way stronger than the SH. I have been doing more research in the last few hours and I see lots of references to those tires being very hard.

Buell Forum » Interesting read on tire scrubbing, release agents & heat cycles

I found this on another motorcycle forum and thought it was pretty interesting.

The thread poster sent questions to tire manufacturers on tire scrubbing, 'release agents' & 'heat cycles'. Below are the responses from three manufacturers.


Solutions are often used on tyres during the curing process. This solution helps rubber flow and reduces defects. It is designed to blend in with the rubber. However, it can reduce grip if applied in large amounts. Most manufacturers have eliminated the use of this solution However, In simple terms, the surface of a tyre needs to be broken to help the tyre grip. This is where running in tyres is important. If power is applied too early i.e. before the tyre has warmed up, large tears can appear on the tread surface, this is called cold tearing and reduces the mileage of the tyre. Tyres can be 'scrubbed' in wet conditions but it takes much longer and is not adviseable due to the initial reduced grip. When tyres are first run, many of the long chain molecules break down, when the tyre cools, the molecules reform in a more uniform way, the tyre then runs cooler and is less likely to over heat.

Our official line at Avon is - When new m/c tyres are fitted, they should not be subjected to maximum power until a reasonable 'running in' distance has been covered. 100 dry miles (160km) is the recommended minimum (discount any wet miles covered).

Best regards,

Peter J McNally

M/C Technical Product Manager, Avon Tyres
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Running tyres in The best way to scrub tyres in is to simply get out and ride on them.

For the first mile or so keep the bike as upright as possible. This will give you a good area within the central portion of the tread surface that is scrubbed-in.

From here you want to increase your lean angle a little at a time, always keeping a portion of the scrubbed-in tread in contact with the road as you scrub-in a fresh part, leaning further and getting ever closer to the tread's edge as the miles go by. Make sure this is done on both sides of the tyre.

One mistake that a thankfully small amount of riders make is when leaving the dealer's premises within the first few metres of having the tyre fitted. When turning onto the road some riders lean the bike more than they should and then accelerate into the traffic, causing the new tyre to slide or spin up, dumping them in the road.

During the scrubbing-in process, tyres should not be subjected to maximum power, sudden acceleration and braking, or abrupt and/or hard cornering until a reasonable running-in distance of approximately 100 miles has been covered. This will permit the rider to become accustomed to the feel of the new tyres or tyre combination and to gradually scuff the tyre's surface from edge to edge in order to achieve optimum road grip.

The surface of the tyre can actually be scrubbed-in in less distance than 100 miles but this doesn't mean that the tyre is fully run-in because the tyre also needs to fully seat itself on the rim - a process not completed simply by the fitting of the tyre. The seating of the tyre's bead on the rim is separate to the scrubbing-in process. It takes longer and this is one of the reasons tyre manufacturers state that new tyres should be run-in for 100 miles.

After 100 miles have been completed the tyres should be left to cool for at least one hour and the inflation pressures checked for any leaks that may have occurred during the running-in period.

Because water acts as a lubricant, in the wet the scrubbing-in process can take two or three times as long. This is not helped by the fact that road riders rarely lean more than 28-30 degrees in the wet, meaning that the tyre will not be scrubbed-in from edge to edge. As you would anyway in the rain, extra caution with acceleration, braking and cornering should be taken. Leave the scrubbing in of the tyre's edges until the roads have dried out.


Heat cycles
A tyre's heat cycle refers to the process of heating a cold tyre up and letting it cool back down again. Cold to hot to cold again equals one heat cycle.

Heat cycles appear to be a hot topic (sorry) at the moment, but for road riders on road tyres there is no reason to be concerned about heat cycles reducing a tyre's life or performance.

Road tyres, even those designed for occasional track day use have many, many heat cycles designed into them. After all, why would tyre manufacturers design a road tyre that exceeds its designed number of heat cycles when only half worn? Word would soon circulate that a certain tyre's performance degrades rapidly before it has worn out and that tyre's sales would plummet.

However, there are tyres that don't have loads of heat cycles designed into them.
Race tyres are designed to be used once - one heat cycle. If that surprises you it really shouldn't. Nobody said racing was compulsory and nobody said racing was cheap and race tyres are designed to give maximum performance for one race. A little like a crash helmet, where, when it's done it's job of saving your life you throw it away, a race tyre has given its all in the race and its performance will now reduce the more you use it.

The reality is that race tyres will give pretty good performance for another one or two more races, but after this they really are junk.

Ever wonder why tyre manufacturers advise riders not to buy second-hand race tyres? It's not a global ploy to get you to buy new tyres. It genuinely is because the tyre's performance will be reduced. After all, ask yourself why would a racer be selling a perfectly good tyre?


I hope that helps.

All the best

Bryn Phillips
Product Support Manager, Motorcycle
Dunlop Tyres UK Ltd
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Release Agent.
The release agent is something that is in the actual mold and is used to allow the removal of the tyre from the mold itself. If you were to bake a cake without some kind of grease or lubrication, a part of the cake would remain in the baking tray, the same can be said for tyres. However, this also depends on the quality of the molds in question. The higher the quality of the mold, the less release agent is required. Some tyre manufacturers’ tyres do have a release agent in them. Bridgestone, however, use very high quality molds so our tyres do not have a release agent in them at all.



New Tyre Grip.
There is grip with a new tyre, albeit far less than a scrubbed in tyre…the best way to scrub a tyre in is to ensure every time you lean the bike over, there is half already scrubbed and half new - so small increments of lean angle at a time.

You also need to ensure heavy braking is avoided along with hard acceleration until the whole of the tyres are scrubbed from side to side.


Abrasive Material.
You can use an “abrasive material” to a certain degree but, running tyres in is not just scrubbing in the compound. Because the tyre is new you have to give the components on the tyre time to settle into one another. For example, if you loaded a van full of boxes and forced the last box in and it was touching the roof and then proceeded to drive down the road for a while, when you checked the boxes you will find they have settled down and that last box you forced in will now come out very easily as the boxes have settled down. It is the same with tyres, the plies and belts have to settle down too. As the tyres are fitted with a slippery paste the tyre could move on the rim if the rider was to brake or accelerate heavily. You should therefore take the bike back to the dealer and ask them to check:

1). The balance of the wheel / tyre assembly to ensure there has been, or not been, any tyre slippage on the rim.

2). Check to see if the tyre is still seated correctly on the rim.

You should do this after 150 to 200 miles or so.

Scrubbing in, in the wet.
You can still scrub a tyre in, in the wet but this will not be as efficient as scrubbing them in, in the dry. If it is wet when you pick your bike up from the dealer then just me more careful and ride to the conditions. You can also stop every now and then to have a look at the tyres to see how well they’re scrubbed in.

Heat Cycles.
Heat cycles are more common with race compound tyres as they’re designed to operate for a race, maybe 2. When a tyre is produced is goes into an oven. The length of time and the heat of the “oven” determines the softness / hardness of the compound. Again, the longer you leave a cake in the oven, the harder it will be when it comes out - same with tyres. So, every time you heat a tyre, let it go cold and then reheat it, the harder the compound will become. However, road tyres and their compounds are designed to operate through many many hundreds of heat cycles and during it’s life on the bike is unlikely to suffer from any degradation in performance from a compound point of view. The only time you’re likely to experience this is if you use race tyres on the road.

I trust this answers your question and thank you for contacting Bridgestone.

Hmmmm
 

You know, some sort of residue like a release agent on the surface of the tire makes more sense than anything else I have heard. Obviously I wasn't anywhere near full throttle when I came unstuck, I was barely above idle but the ease with which that back tire slid truly amazed me. The last 3 tire changes I did were to Shinko Ravens and they gripped predictably from the start, but perhaps you just discovered the source of my undoing.

I hate being the guinea pig here, but please everybody, learn from my (painful) mistake.

On the plus side, the Chinese manufacturer who made my fairings has agreed to make me replacements for the broken parts only which will save me quite a bit. The clutch cover and gasket was cheaper from Service Honda than anywhere else I tried.

I wonder how old this information really is. I say that because you follow the link posted and it basically says the same thing.... found this on a different forum....

Anyways, let me dig around and find the reference material that I have somewhere, so I don't get accused of making shit up again..... :rotf:

So what I have been told and found out from tire manufactures (well at least bike tire manufactures, who knows about the Tomahawk tires and maybe you should contact them) is that "mold release" is not used anymore.

The real problem with grip on a new tire comes from the surface being so smooth. It needs to be roughed up a bit before the actually stick well.

So, to me, it sounds like you just gave it too much throttle (easy to do if you are not used to a big twin) with a cold tire that was not scrubbed in.

It sucks but like they say shit happens.

Heal up quick......