Like a hole in the head...

[nvr2old]

Thanks guys, I guess I was just being a smart-a$$. I really do appreciate your interest. Should have the parts ready for primer by Saturday, block sand them over the course of the following week, prime and block sand one more time and then they should be ready for paint. I'm hoping to have it all done by the end of April. The biggest challenge at this point is not having access to my shop. My wife just can't take the vapors of spraying which get into the house because the garage is attached. She barely survived the fiberglass work. I have to use my friends shop to do all the spraying and I have to drive 50 miles to and from to get there on the weekends.

Yeah..I thought about restoring this one because it was so complete. It would've been the only correct restoration in my life...but I just couldn't leave well enough alone. I'm justifying it by trying to make it look like what might've been a 400F if Honda had made a special European-only "R" model..

Thanks again for the kind words.

 

[rustybronco]

Larry, whom do you know that doesn't follow your work?

Always...

 

[nvr2old]

You're very kind to say that rustybronco. One of the biggest reasons I start threads is not to get praise for the work, but to have open conversations with the friends that I've made on this site. You guys are really about the only link (lifeline) I have to like-minded individuals. This is such a small town and the people who do ride bikes here are, for the most part, Harley owners who don't give a flip about vintage Japanese bikes. Me and my wife both feel like we're on a deserted island sometimes. This 400F is therapy for me, and I'm glad to be able to share the progress. Thanks again for the continued interest.

 

[steve murdoch]

Larry, i agree about these old bikes being therapy.
But more so these days it comes from riding and not so much the wrenching. So i have to get my fix from following your threads.

 

[rustybronco]

You sir, need a project bike.

 

[GSX1000E]

I would say that pretty much everyone that actually rides bikes on this forum watches your every move so that they may learn.

 

[tkent02]

I would say that pretty much everyone that actually rides bikes on this forum watches your every move so that they may learn.

+1, We are all mere grasshoppers in your presence.


I paint a few of these bikes, some in the end look pretty good, none are ever on the same level of magnitude.

Good to see it done to this standard.

 

[nvr2old]

+1, We are all mere grasshoppers in your presence.


I paint a few of these bikes, some in the end look pretty good, none are ever on the same level of magnitude.

Good to see it done to this standard.

Thanks for the kind replies. There's many very talented people on board here. I've learned as much, especially mechanically, from many of you about these bikes, so it's mutual.

Crap. Just found out my friend that owns the shop where I'll do the spraying is going to the Portland Swap Meet tomorrow, so no priming this weekend. Oh well. I'll get the turn signals and tail light securely mounted and out of the way, get the tank and final side cover smoothed out and ready, then try and figure out some way to get the license plate mounted. Haven't got a clue as to how that's gonna work. It looks so good w/o a plate. It's a shame it's the law..

 

[nvr2old]

As an example of how remote this town feels at times..this is what we woke up to this morning..my dog going nuts looking at these three moose calves munching on bushes next door..

 

[steve murdoch]

Tell them to stop.
I don't much about moose but at that age is the mom likely to be too far away?

 

[nvr2old]

Our neighbors were basically trapped in their house for 1/2 hr. They're just not intimidated by us mere humans. Didn't see the mama moose, but she was probably around somewhere. People give them large leeway around here, for sure. That's at least the third or fourth time this winter that they were hangin' around looking for something to eat..and then they just disappear. One second they're there, and then..poof, they're gone.

 

[Vmass]

Hey Larry.... I 'm watching and it's coming out awesome.

Thanks for the moose pics, that's something we don't get to see around here. In fact, I think I've only seen one in NH, from quite a distance.

As cool as they are to look at, I can do without them in my front yard!

 

[Jedz123]

I hate moose...

I remember coming around the bend over the top of RT 125 early morning on the bandit(In VT). As soon as I come out of the turn there is baby moose and mama moose. I slow to not startle them and the old B-12 backfires due to the declaration on the steep decline. Baby goes running to the woods and Mama come charging at me. That thing MOVED! With the wet windy roads I had a hard time getting away, she kept right up at 35mph... My friends say I couldn't get away because I was on a Suzuki Ha!... But it's true, those frickin' animals have no fear to us.

Any more updates on the little 4 banging Honda? I love this thread!

 

[nvr2old]

I'll probably have another small update by weekend's end. I'm finishing up the body work on the one remaining side cover and the gas tank today. Then all the parts will be ready to prime when I can get to my friend's shop, hopefully in a couple of weeks. Boy, I miss having my own shop at my disposal. It really slows thing down, but it's what has to be done, so I'll be patient. Still have to figure out how to mount the license plate, but the turn signals have been mounted and look pretty good. I also just got a pair of bar-end mirrors to mount, and I still have to re-shape an old GS seat foam (that I got when I bought my S) into something that'll fit the seat pan, too. Hate to cut this one up, but it's too far gone to use on a Suzuki, but it's the right foam to use for comfort.

 

[nvr2old]

This will probably be the last update for awhile until I can get going on the paint. All the body work is done, parts are just about ready for primer. Just a little more hand sanding to do.

I learned long ago never to throw anything away that looks like a bracket. I don't even know what this came off. I had two of them and was digging around for something to make a license plate hanger out of and came across them in a box-o-stuff.



With a little bending, a couple of holes drilled in the back of the tail light housing to connect them, and a piece of 1" aluminum strap..viola..



Wished it was a 1/4" longer, but it should work. Clean, simple.



Got the tail light mounted and the turn signals, too. Had to recess the turn signal posts into the fiberglass to get them to sit 90 degrees to the frame. Deeper on the front end, otherwise they were bent in and looked weird.





Pulled the dents from the front of the tank until they were just a little low and skim coated them with filler. Fixed a few dings here and there and it's ready to prime. Still need to sand the underside by hand.



Got some cheapo bar ends off eBay. They actually work pretty well after "modifying them" so they'd spread open enough inside the bars to tighten down..






Overall I'm pretty happy with the results. Can't WAIT to paint it. This next week I'm gonna focus on the seat.

 

[Guest]

Awesome as always Larry, and I also keep things that look like brackets, as well as all my aluminium and steel offcuts... never know when they'll come in handy!

 

[nvr2old]

Not a ton-o-progress, but I did get everything primed today. It gives me a better idea of how all the parts work together. Wasn't sure how the newer front fender and the Ducati tail would really look with the stock tank and side covers until it's all one color.





I'm thinking the tail looks to droop a bit, so I'm hoping I'll be able to visually correct that with the paint scheme I have in mind..we'll see..:-\\\



I'm pretty stoked about the tail section overall though. It hasn't even been block sanded yet and it's looking nice and straight already..



Just sprayed them a few hours ago, so I'll let them cure for a few days then start on them with some block sanding. One more prime, then they'll be ready for color. Can't wait..

 

[Nessism]

How is the seat foam going to attach? Contact adhesive, or is the cover going to wrap around the front section of the cowl?

Cool bike to be sure.

 

[nvr2old]

I plan on attaching the foam to a piece of 1/8" thick plastic heated and formed to the curve of the tail section to use as a seat pan with the foam glued to that and the fabric stapled on. Before gluing on the foam, the upholsterer said to drill holes and attach the plastic seat pan to the tail section with what he called "Christmas Tree" fasteners. They look like upside down Christmas trees that attach through holes in the plastic seat pan and then push through corresponding holes that attach it to the tail section. Two of them will be all that's necessary. Still working on a front mount. I'm thinking of a Z-shaped aluminum strap that will bolt through the very front of the fiberglass, then through the flat tab on the gas tank. It's only about a 1/2" rise, so it shouldn't be in the way of the seat.

 

[rustybronco]

Hey Larry, just a note to let you know some of us are still following along with your build.