Project RVF400 NC35
Searching and deciding on what to get
Having been eyeing off RVF400’s for quite a long time, I finally found one I thought would be a good as a project. Initially, I was hoping to buy one that had been loved and looked after. However, those seem to be very rare, at least in Australia. Over in the UK, RVF400’s are far more common, as are bikes that still have the original fairings, or at the very least, the original fairing style.
Most of the bikes I saw on the market in Australia had Tyga style fairing kits (I prefer the original style) and were at best in average condition, for good bike money (think $8,000 - $9,500). While you can convert the Tyga fairing bikes back to stock, that costs a not inconsiderable amount of money to do, and good luck finding an original rear mudguard. I also had the issue that all the supposedly ‘great condition’ bikes I inquired about had, when probed, very suspicious maintenance schedules by their owners.
Solution? Wait for a stock style bike that needed a bit of work, and had a price to match. Hmm, won’t you end up spending a similar amount of money overall, I hear you say? Well, yes, if not slightly more. However, the amount of work I can do and the parts I can replace for that money, means that I can get a lot more reliability and newness for my money (discounting my time).
Enter my 1996 RVF400. The bike had been looked after mechanically with an owner that had serviced every year (I can’t believe that is a selling point, but with old bikes, it seems to be the exception not the rule) had the valve clearances checked, and bought some expensive items like Tyga stainless steel headers, Tyga carbon front mudguard, Tyga carbon front fuel tank panel and a Nitron rear shock (that’s $2,500 right there). The bike had also been dyno’d at 62HP, which indicates (at least at that point) good compression.
Granted, during the time the bike had been sitting for a three or four of years it hadn’t been serviced, but it also hadn’t been run. The bike had been sitting for several years and that’s why you see some surface corrosion on the aluminium and some of the fasteners. However, the bike started immediately, purred like a kitten, and still felt very strong.
The fairings were pretty banged up (I suspect he had a low-speed drop) but then I didn’t like the paint scheme anyway. Much to my surprise, after removing the fairings and leaving them in storage for a few weeks, I decided to check whether they were original – something I was very sceptical of.
Well, I am happy to say, upon checking the first fairing, I did in fact see both the original foam stuck to the inside of the fairings and the Honda stamps.
Plans
One of the first things I do with any bike I get, is have the valve clearances checked. The clearances on this bike were last done 30,000k’s ago, so they’re due again now anyway. Doing that necessitates taking a part a fair chunk of the bike.
Having sat for a while, there is undoubtedly some gelatin like petrol inside the carbies too. While the fueling seems okay now, all it takes is for some of that residual gelatin to get stuck in a carb and you’re stuck on the side of a road.
I really want to minimise the extent to which I need to do work on this bike moving forward, particularly pulling apart the bike. As such, I’ve ordered as much as I possibly can to do everything while in pieces. That looks like new: radiators, coolant hoses and clamps, all new rubber pieces everywhere (mounts, cushions etc), bearings, oil changes for the suspension, brake caliper seals, brake master cylinder kits, gaskets and seals, a bunch of new bolts, and vapour blasting and powder coating the wheels, triple clamp, sub frame, and other miscellaneous parts. By the time I’m done, the bike will have had a major restoration.
Because I have to stop somewhere, one thing I am largely leaving alone at present are the electrics, other than installing an earth/grounding upgrade kit and replacing the battery wires. The rectifier has been replaced semi recently. At some point, I will upgrade the rectifier, install a lithium battery and possibly replace the stator and generator with a GSXR unit. The latter allows the engine to spin up a bit quicker.
I’ve got OEM style indicators, as well as LED lights all round. The headlights are a proprietary version of the H4 style. As such, if you want to fit H4 headlights (the only modern alternative) adaptor plates are necessary, along with trimming off the tabs of the new headlights. I’ll be getting some LED headlights and modifying them to fit.
The switches on the clip-ons will need to be lubricated at the very least.
My laundry list of parts to go on the bike is further down below.
Watch this space!
Parts for the bike
At present, I’ve got:
Cooling System
Alloy radiators - be careful, many sellers state that the VFR and RVF radiators are interchangeable: the top radiators are in fact slightly different;
All o-rings;
Samco coolant hoses;
Stainless steel clamps for coolant hoses; and
A new thermostat
The fan switch and temperature sensor are actually quite accessible on this bike. So I’ve left the existing ones in for now, pending testing.
Engine
New valve cover gaskets
New carburetor seal kit
New gasket set for side engine covers, gearbox cover and sump
Spark plugs
Stainless steel carburetor bolts
Bearings
Rear hub bearings
Front wheel bearings
Swing arm bearings
Steering head bearings
Chain and Sprockets
Honda OEM front sprocket (15T)
Tyga rear aluminum sprocket (38T)
DID X ring 525 chain
Brakes
Piston seal kits
Front and rear master cylinder repair kits
Rear braided brake line
Exhaust
450mm Tyga muffler to replace the Tyga maggot
Carbon fibre exhaust bracket; replaces the stock alloy bracket which is integrated into the pillion foot peg
New exhaust flange nuts and gaskets
Other
Honda grips and throttle tube
Throttle cables
Clutch cable
Speedo cable joint
Front fork dust and oil seals
Miscellaneous o-rings
Numerous bolts
Powder coating
Brake calipers
Triple clamp lower and upper
Gauge bracket
Rear sub frame
Fairing brackets