Reanimating a greybike RVF400 (NC35)

[RVFRick]

Session 1: Finally got key. Cruddy gas cap.

I've got the bike stored at a workshop between work and home so I can only drop in on my commute home. And then I only get an hour at most. This day job thing just gets in the way:mad. Slow steady gets the job done.

If you recall the bike came w/o a key so I figure first step is to find one. I gained access to the seat lock by removing the rear body work. I removed it from the bike and took it to Lockworks Unlimited in RWC. After a bit they were able to cut me a key by using the code stamped on the side of the lock. Most motorcycle locks have the key code stamped on the side. Original key has code stamped, too. Modern bikes oft have transponder keys rendering this replacement method useless afaik.

Key status:
Seat lock :thumbup

Went home and...
Ignition :thumbup

Tank lock :thumbdown Damn!

Wouldn't budge. All that gas sitting for 6 years must be ugly inside. Okay, par for the course something always goes wrong and life is never easy. I've heard about gas stabilizer but it never really paid it any mind. I mean I let my lawn mower sit for a year and it fires up every time (Honda!).

Maybe the lock is broken? I spray Liquid Wrench into keyhole in hopes of lubing and loosening corrosion. Try key over and over no change. Decide to wait 24 hours and try again. Next day try key again. No change. Must be something else stopping key from turning probably latches inside are corroded? I'd be surprised though. The spare gas cap I have looks like it's a zinc alloy. I wouldn't expect it to corrode inside a gas tank. Im patient and not willing to drill just yet.

I decide to shake things up. Maybe some mechanism is sticky. I cover the tank cap with a towel and smack it firmly with a a block of wood and hammer BANG~BANG~BANG all around the cap being careful not to dent the tank.

I stop and check the cap it rotates and wriggles ever so slightly. Progress. Try the key, it turns 2 degrees, that's 2 degrees more than before! Smack the cap with several more firm hits and the key turns further. I can work the lock now, it feels gummy but turns more and more with each try. A few degrees at a time until finally 90 degrees and the cap pops open!:thumbup:thumbup:thumbup:thumbup

I pull that cap out and it looks like someone caked 1/8" of plumbers putty. In fact that's exactly what it feels like only dried out. Marzipan? How does that work? Why would a tank cap get all funky with caca? It's a good 6-8" above any liquid gasoline. Does gasoline vaporize and condense solids? Whatever, I now know that 6 years of stewing gasoline results in stalactite formations. Would have never thought.

Next: examine gas tank internals.

 

[RVFRick]

EDITED
OP has obviously bought it but here's a breakdown of expected costs:

160% of current registration fee ($46 x 1.6= $73.60)
$100 CHP late fee
$100 Reg late fee
Vehicle license fee: 0.65% of your motorcycle's value (Conservative est @ $4k = $260) Thx 1962sila
County/district fees: Between $1 and $19 each; vary by location.
Use tax: Between 7.5% to 10%; varies by county.​

Yeah this was the biggest gotcha so far. A week after I got the bike I went down to the DMV to transfer the title and got a rude awakening: $650 in back fees + sales tax! :bigbarf

In hindsight I was got caught up in my excitement and blew off doing any DMV homework .

Biggest plus for that bike is that it is in the DMV system. Nice score!

:thumbup Gotta get my money's worth and get her running on the roads I help pay for. :ride

 

[RVFRick]

Session 2: RVF strip tease

Today the bodywork came off. I was eager to inspect the plastics and see what secrets they would reveal about the history of the bike. I was also hoping they would be OEM as they are quite expensive to replace.

It am almost positive they are the real deal - Honda lettering and mold artifacts. If they are the original set that came with the bike I would favor the bike has never been down.

The condition of the plastics was excellent. Shiny, clean, and no stripped threads or bosses. Even the underside of the front fender is smooth and free of road debris pitting. Hmmm, new? Properly washed and waxed they should make Swarovski proud.

Beyond some minor scratches, the worst I found was a 2cm hairline crack on the front fairing near the left headlamp. I invite expert advice on the best way to patch this. Fiberglass reinforce from the inside?

The windscreen is a bubble design. I'm pretty sure that is aftermarket. Also a few of its screws are missing.

One the lower cowls was secured with a loose nut on the inside while the other side had a weld nut on its support stay. I will have to take a closer look at that. Getting a spanner on the inside to hold the nut from spinning was a PITA. Need a smaller hand, younger eyes and a better tool set.

I cold tell much of the hardware are not original - lots of lock washers and flat washers that are too shiny and unrefined. This kinda stuff bothers me so I plan to make better by buying some stainless fasteners I found on eBay.

Apologies in advance for the poor lighting, it was early evening.

 

[thenewwazoo]

Goddamn, that's some nice stock bodywork.

If you want to buy hardware from Honda, their fasteners are universal, and you can xref parts from CMSNL and your preferred US parts vendor. That may also help answer questions about what fasteners go where, stock.

As for the repair, you might consider plastic welding with your Dremel. There's a risk it'll damage the finish on the other side. Barring that, a little bit of epoxy and some FG matting will probably do the trick.

 

[Whammy]

I'm soooooooooooo Jelly:thumbup
Reading this again just makes me smile.:teeth

 

[RVFRick]

Goddamn, that's some nice stock bodywork.

If you want to buy hardware from Honda, their fasteners are universal, and you can xref parts from CMSNL and your preferred US parts vendor. That may also help answer questions about what fasteners go where, stock.

As for the repair, you might consider plastic welding with your Dremel. There's a risk it'll damage the finish on the other side. Barring that, a little bit of epoxy and some FG matting will probably do the trick.

Thenewazoo, thx for the awesome tips! Looks like more homework sorting out the fasteners.

As for the plastic repair that Dremel trick is very clever. I want to try it. I will see if I can find some garbage parts to practice on.

For the past few weeks at work we've been doing a bunch of material evaluations that use a heatsealer to bond layers of membranes. For our application, like polymers and similar melting temps formed the stongest bond. Any idea what polymer(s) the fairings are made of?

 

[Crom]

Congrats on the 35. I love those Honda V4s. Own a couple RVF400s myself and it's my favorite. I even got an rc45 to match. Those JDM bikes are addictive

Glad you met Mike too. He's a good friend of mine.

My OEM bodywork is flawless thanks to Jim Granger's touch up skills. He's the man if you want any scratches or cracks repaired.

#1 recommendation is to use Moltul 300v or Mobil 1 full synthetic if Mike hasn't told you already. Those oils prevent engine wear more than anything else.

-Collin

 

[RVFRick]

Hey Collin, thanks!. Your toy collection is one to aspire to!

Who is this Mike you are referring to? Is he an importer?

Jim Granger is certain to know what fairings are made from and I'd like to talk with him. Contact info?

Will add your oil recommendation to my shopping list.

-Rick

 

[thenewwazoo]

I think he means Mike Norman

 

[RVFRick]

I think he means Mike Norman

Ooh, right! Brain numb from mattress shopping all day with missus. Thx for clarifying.

 

[RVFRick]

Session 3: Bodywork funkiness

I only had 15 minutes today. So I took a look at more body work.

On the lower cowling I found two approx. 5mm diameter holes on 70mm centers along the vertical centerline. They didn't look like the result of damage. Google turned this up http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mNYwkQ6VyrS3WqSs2kkKTsw.jpg

From what I can make out there are supposed to be two plastic or rubber caps or plugs sitting there. It makes no sense to me why Honda put holes there only to plug them. Their function eludes me. Anyone?

Also, I wonder if the absence of the plugs allowed wheel throw-off to blast my radiator fins or does everybody else's look the same? In the attached photo the fins are battered. I will see how easy they are to straighten.

On the inside of the lower cowling I see red paint on one of the screws securing the mesh. Can't imagine how it got there during the manufacturing process. Anyways, other than that the cowling looks great.

Last discovery is slight damage and repair job to one of the mounting flanges for the headlamp cluster. Looks like JB Weld was applied and Dremeled out. Screw for this mounting boss was absent.

 

[Crom]

Looks like the original calipers were swapped out for RC51 ones. A common mod. You can look Jim up if you're on Facebook, or I can pm you his number and email.

I've replaced some tatty panels with some I got out of Japan. There's only two paint schemes for the 35 so they're not too hard to find. I've collected a whole set myself to hoard.

Lots of aftermarket radiators but some have had issues like the wrong size thread for the fan switch. You're probably going to be ok if you clean your lower rad and straighten out the fins with tweezers and a small flathead screwdriver.

 

[weak_link]

I love this thread, thanks for taking the time to document your experience.

 

[RVFRick]

Looks like the original calipers were swapped out for RC51 ones. A common mod. You can look Jim up if you're on Facebook, or I can pm you his number and email.

I've replaced some tatty panels with some I got out of Japan. There's only two paint schemes for the 35 so they're not too hard to find. I've collected a whole set myself to hoard.

Lots of aftermarket radiators but some have had issues like the wrong size thread for the fan switch. You're probably going to be ok if you clean your lower rad and straighten out the fins with tweezers and a small flathead screwdriver.

I was wondering why calipers were gold because all the photos I saw online show black. It looks like you did the swap, too. Besides cool looks is there a functional advantage?

If you ever decide to unload your bodywork or bikes for that matter "dibs"

The internet says most factory fairings are injection molded ABS. In my college days I was a model maker and we fabricated many projects out of ABS material solvent bonded with MEK (methyl ethyl ketone). Fast, strong, clean joints.

BTW any thoughts on the mesh holes? What goes in there and why are they there?

 

[RVFRick]

ort

I love this thread, thanks for taking the time to document your experience.

You're welcome! :ride

Because my memory is shite I tend to be an archivist anyways. If there is interest I am happy to share.

In return I get good advice and insight from those who've been there done that ort

 

[Krooklyn]

Also, I wonder if the absence of the plugs allowed wheel throw-off to blast my radiator fins or does everybody else's look the same? .

You should see mine. :wtf Mine aren't great by any stretch, but my bike never runs hot.

 

[RVFRick]

Session 4: Got another set of new wheels!

Today's progress indirectly contributed to project RVF400. I, at long last, bought a tool cabinet. A Harbor Freight members-only $99 special! I heard that a clean & organized workspace makes for efficient use of time and less grey hair. Oh yeah, also got a free flashlight :thumbup

The rolling tool chest is a radical departure from my traditional MO of the last 30 years: tools stored in 9 medium sized plastic tool boxes. Rubbermaid, generic tackle box, Flambeau, dollar store shoe bins, Sterlite, 5 gallon buckets, etc. Of course none of them have defined compartments, they are simply boxes with handles stuffed with tools. My favorite organizer is a 5-gallon paint bucket with a multi-pocket nylon fabric sling that wraps around the bucket. Not pretty but at least I can find what I need.

I work out of a tiny 9x12 garage with no electricity, filled with accumulated "stuff" & shared with lots of spiders and creepy silverfish! Fuggin want nuke them!

When the bike came along I shoved everything to the back of the garage and left the front 1/2 clear for baby. I hope to build a tidy and functional workspace along the way.

 

[Frisco]

When the bike came along I shoved everything to the back of the garage and left the front 1/2 clear for baby. I hope to build a tidy and functional workspace along the way.

Purchasing this bike has made you a better person. :laughing

CJ

 

[Phanuel]

There's definitely something zen about organizing tools neatly into a nice toolbox with trays for me.

 

[RVFRick]

Session 5: Preparing baby's nursery

Snuck over to the workshop for 15 minutes before work. Got as far as wheels attached to the base. Woohoo!

I am pleased with the build quality. Well packaged, legible manual, smooth slides, and organized fasteners. I built a play structure for my kids one time. It took two engineers a full week end as the 1000+ fasteners were all mixed together in a single bag! Who does that!?! In the end, the girls played on it for as long as it took to build. Thank you internet.

Photos of the other tool loot I picked up. Note the Costco acquisitions of a socket set $79 and a fire extinguisher for just in case :thumbup
Safety first! I still like my bucket tool box :laughing

Priority tool is a compression tester with quick-disconnect. Sage advice from Santa Clara Cycle Accessories: check compression before getting too far into this project. TheNewWazoo reminded me I'll need one with an 8mm adapter (tiny!). If I can't find one at a reasonable price I may try to make my own using an old spark plug.