Honda 87 CBR600F Hurricane, project

[Buffalo Bill]

Comprehensive insurance was (is) so expensive because if it tips off the side stand in the drive way, it could cost thousands of dollars in damage.

Then there's that whole young, unmarried male on a massively powerful sport bike thing.

I think those are the two main reasons.

"Massively powerful"???? Well that's a hoot, looking back from what 600cc power is rated today!
The 600cc market is entry level teen squids, so yeah the squid and his girlfriend got a 50/50 chance of annihilating themselves the first month of summer.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Some of the work detail

Some of the work detail

Now just doing examinations and planning.
Looks like it only needs about $500 of parts, and that includes: AMG battery, fork spring upgrade, chain & sprockets, rear tire, tank decals, gasket, and muffler.
I have PPG black, Chrysler Prowler red and clear coat on hand.
Original red wheels are under the spray bomb, comes off with solvent.

Bought this OEM right side mirror, will have to wait for a left side to show up.

 

[GregT]

Remarkably good under the fairings. Never ridden in the rain ? The Kerker slipon is a bonus too.

 

[Guest]

I see a white one with orange accents around here once in a while. sharp looking!

 

[Buffalo Bill]

A little mo naked.
Cleaned the wheels 95%, sanded and sprayed the brake and shift levers, kickstand, all were very rusty.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Working my way closer to the engine

Working my way closer to the engine

Nice 4-1 header design, fits tight to the oil pan, lightweight but not too thin.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Valve adjustment chore?done!

Valve adjustment chore?done!

Got into the valve adjustment chore, very good results!
Compression was so-so before adjustments. All the intake valves were too tight, and some exhaust valves. All set correctly now.
Compression across cylinders is; 1 to 4, 180-200-180-200 psi !!!
Got my bucket of soapy water and wiping away all the dust and dirt accumulation too.

 

[Cipher]

ace swear to god man its folks like you who make the internet something worthy of succeeding cave paintings
this type of journalism is what separates us from bloggers turned facebook influencers

 

[Rob S.]

Nice 4-1 header design, fits tight to the oil pan, lightweight but not too thin.

The headers look black on the bike, but in this photo they look like chrome that has seen better days. Any plans on cleaning/refurbing?

 

[Buffalo Bill]

The headers look black on the bike, but in this photo they look like chrome that has seen better days. Any plans on cleaning/refurbing?

Not sure what metal plating they had originally but it's definitely not chrome. Soft whitish silver, has to be zinc. But they were all black from the factory. The muffler pipe is aftermarket (Kerker-Supertrapp?)

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Noticed right away just how similar the CBR600 steel frame is to the GSX750F Katana steel frame. But scaled down some.
The Honda 87 CBR600 engine design is a decade more advanced than the oil cooled SACS engine.

 

[GregT]

Not sure what metal plating they had originally but it's definitely not chrome. Soft whitish silver, has to be zinc. But they were all black from the factory. The muffler pipe is aftermarket (Kerker-Supertrapp?)

Looks like a PO has stripped the OE black coating. What is left may be the factory anti rust plating done prior to black coating.
Nothing wrong at all with the stock header setup on those. People here put aftermarket pipes on them but I never found anything more than a slipon tailpipe and muffler to be necessary. At one point I remember having a first year Fireblade in the shop for tuning alongside a 600. It was only the newness of the Fireblade headers that let me tell which pipe was which, They're visually identical.
As an aside, the pipe on your Suzuki doesn't look optimal for that engine. They really don't like small dia pipes.

 

[limeex2]

When introduced in 87? they just killed the ranks in road racing, 600 production class, the fast guys could do some damage in the 750 class. They still make a great track day bike. A person I meet at a local track day buys every one he can get, keeps his track day bike going and E-bay's the rest. Says it more than pays for his expenses.

 

[GregT]

When introduced in 87? they just killed the ranks in road racing, 600 production class, the fast guys could do some damage in the 750 class. They still make a great track day bike. A person I meet at a local track day buys every one he can get, keeps his track day bike going and E-bay's the rest. Says it more than pays for his expenses.

They could indeed do damage in the big classes. Back in the day, I did a head for an out of town customer and told him where to set the cam timing. He went very well on that bike himself - but the best came when he loaned it out. A young Simon Crafar was looking to move up from 250 production class racing so it was loaned to him to ride at Wanganui street races. Si finished up second in the open F1 class on it - and then got disqualified for riding an undersize bike, LOL.
Every time I see the bike owner, he and I have a laugh about that.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

When introduced in 87? they just killed the ranks in road racing, 600 production class, the fast guys could do some damage in the 750 class. They still make a great track day bike. A person I meet at a local track day buys every one he can get, keeps his track day bike going and E-bay's the rest. Says it more than pays for his expenses.

Hey that's all real encouraging! I'm already lusting for a track day with this bike.
It makes sense to track it before I paint the body panels, in case I dump…
Already looking at everything I can unbolt, lights and brackets, mirrors and seat. Then put a race tail and seat on it.

 

[Carter Turk]

Hey, I thought you weren't into middle weights with only 70hp?


"I don't get using a SV650 on track. It's got the right weight, wheels and tires, but only 70HP??
You corner just as well, but 300 ft later you're left behind."

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Hey, I thought you weren't into middle weights with only 70hp?


"I don't get using a SV650 on track. It's got the right weight, wheels and tires, but only 70HP??
You corner just as well, but 300 ft later you're left behind."

Fair question. Looking back at my history, I jumped straight from a Kawi EX500, to my GS1100G. Then into a GSX750F that felt good, but track days are full of newbees on new liter bikes, they pass you on the straight, then bog you down through the corners.
Put a 1127 GSXR engine in there and I got a monster bike, maybe too monster, as I'm jumping out of the corners and ripping up to 130 mph, then hard braking into corners. Kinda intense.
I restored a couple 550s GS and Seca, liked the 550 Seca. Both way too slow for track days, I'd probably get buzzed all day.
Never owned a proper 600 sport bike. this will be interesting

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Working on restoring mechanics?

Working on restoring mechanics?

Some progress can be seen here, detail cleaned front wheel, and water hoses, new front tire, Engine Ice coolant. Painted the headers.
Pulled out the radiator and hoses, for better access during valve adjustments.
Great results after valve adjustments, compression is 1-4, 175-200-180-200 psi.
Waiting for new sprockets and chain. Have new rear tire ready. Brakes need to be bled.
You can see I have both L and R mirrors, the white mirrors sitting in the box.
Tires are Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S20 EVO, 140/70-R17H, & 110/70-R17H

 

[nvr2old]

Movin' right along.. Should be a very nice track bike. 600's are a great way to stay in the hunt even against 750's and are so much more fun then a 500 class bike.

 

[Carter Turk]

Fair question. Never owned a proper 600 sport bike. this will be interesting

I'd never ridden one till last March. An 08 Ninja 600 at Chuckwalla.
Was weird riding a rented unfamiliar bike fast on a track I'd never been on, with an open format no session or groups.
Some fast folks were out there, but it was fine.
The rev limit was also interesting coming from the old dinosaur.
10-14.5K was where in wanted to be.

The 93 F2 I bought for $100 last year is a plague for me now, as the new owner, did not change title and the bike was impounded.
I was the last known owner, so the towing company has sent me to collections. Ugh. Probably get stuck with bill.
Thought I might take it to the track, probably would've been fun.