So spring feels like it’s just round the corner and finally we started preparing for the new season. I wasn’t happy with the front breaks on the FE last year so we stripped down a spare pair of calipers popped out the pistons with an airline - a great tip! And degreased the calipers. We still have some of the stainless pistons we had machined up a couple of years ago. These were machined by a local engineer and work out much cheaper than Mr Hondas originals which are something like 18 quid a pop! Plus being stainless they should last a lot longer, I can post pics of them if anyone is interested, we did try selling them on eBay back in the day but without much interest. We have the pistons machined up and the slider pins, all thats required to complete the caliper rebuild is the rubber boots which are available from Mr Honda.
The FE was ripped out of it’s tank bag and the lower fairing I purchased from Italy tried out for size. We think this is an aftermarket Lockhart fairing. The colour scheme is almost spot on but we are a bit perplexed by the mounting brackets that came with it as there is no way that they meet up with any possible mounting point on the bike. It seems that a fabricated bracket connecting in the center to the triangular shaped mounting bracket on the engine and to the L shaped brackets supplied with the fairing will do the job.
Finally I also got the pro 'dor 4 into 1 exhaust into an engineers to fabricate a connector flange to allow me to fit a new carbon fibre can to it so hopefully this season will see new brakes, new fairing and a 4 into 1 to replace the exhaust system.
Happy New Year PAJ et al. Nice post. The pistons you’ve had made sound interesting…I haven’t got to the stage where I’ve got my pistons out of the calipers yet…but can guess they may be fooked.
Have you got any spare?
I’m afraid my VF1000FE rebuild has slowed right down…The weather is so bloody cold/damp that I can only spend a short amount of time in the garage…I’ve got no heating…and also I need to get my CB500 and Blackbird parked outside for me to work…and I aint parking the 'Bird out in the rain !!..Then when it is dry/fine…I’m out on the 'Bird !! Can’t win really.
Got the engine block into the spare bedroom last week so I could fit the water pump/sump cover after I’d fitted new O rings; and fit the heads and set the cams up…but my wife caught me[:0] and so the block is back in the garage[:(]
Which reminds me PAJ…as soon as I get to the stage when I want to set the cams up, am I O.K. to contact you re. that tool you’ve got for locking the cams in place whilst you set 'em ?
Hey Tim, I hear you regarding the weather spent almost everynight the last couple of weeks working on the bike in the evening and it was pretty chilly! 4-1 exhaust system is on, tidied up the rear brake caliper mount and arm and finished the brackets for the fairing I got from Italy - pics to follow - would welcome your comments!
“Roll on April 1st” - I always tax the FE on April 1st for 6 months and take it off the road over the winter - so April 1st = start of the season!
I’m sure you could borrow the cam adjusting tool, will need to check with my mate as it’s actually his.
Hey Tim, I hear you regarding the weather spent almost everynight the last couple of weeks working on the bike in the evening and it was pretty chilly! 4-1 exhaust system is on, tidied up the rear brake caliper mount and arm and finished the brackets for the fairing I got from Italy - pics to follow - would welcome your comments!
“Roll on April 1st” - I always tax the FE on April 1st for 6 months and take it off the road over the winter - so April 1st = start of the season!
I’m sure you could borrow the cam adjusting tool, will need to check with my mate as it’s actually his.
Peter.
Cheers PAJ…look forward to the photos…WHEN I get round to the cam setting bit I’ll get in touch…slowwwwed down the rebuild due to Blackbird riding !!!