CBR600F2

[Bryn Mawr]

I recently changed my 23 year old VRF800FI for a 30 year old CBR600F2 - 2" lower in the seat, 45 lb lighter and only 8 BPH less in power and I'm very happy with it.

Then I had to take a photo of the mounting point for the centre stand spring for a fellow biker and I realized just how rusty the frame was getting. I'd been rubbing down odd patches of rust and repainting with Hammerite but this was beyond that - nothing for it but a complete strip down and powder coating.

One day into the job and it's coming along.

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One day into the job and it's coming along.

Definitely a good start. I take it if there's a structural issue someone will notice before it goes back together, but I didn't see any in the photos. It's a lot skinnier with all the outside off.

Might you treat yourself to a new chain?

[Bryn Mawr]

One day into the job and it's coming along.

Definitely a good start. I take it if there's a structural issue someone will notice before it goes back together, but I didn't see any in the photos. It's a lot skinnier with all the outside off.

Might you treat yourself to a new chain?

The swing arm looks rough but recoverable (there is one small hole that's rusted through on the inside of the pivot but that could be welded and one of the mounting points for the hugger I had to drill the head off the bolt). I don't like it though, so I've bought a nice looking replacement from a breaker for £25.

The next job is to remove all of the bearings. They won't survive the heat of powder coating so they have to come out and they'll all be replaced. Chain and sprockets are good but the cush drive rubbers will be replaced.

Then all of the holes have to be masked somehow, I'll work out how when I get there.

The current state of play :-

20231211_145039S.jpg (1.67 MiB) Viewed 3063 times

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Now you need to find an identical model in the town centre with an inadequate chain lock, open the lock, hide the bike round the corner and put that frame on instead. Jonathan Routh would definitely have done that. Pranks these days are heartless by comparison with what you grew up with, we should bring back the original style.

I recall a chap - not anyone you know - who didn't adequately cover the holes before he sandblasted his dismantled front fork. I'm not sure how he got himself out of that one but the tube sounded scratchy when he first put it back into the slider. You can't easily get bottle washers that big.

The distribution of oil on the swing arm highlights quite how asymmetrical a part it is.

If you put all the remaining pieces near the living room fire they'll warm up and dry out a bit. I'm sure that's been done in the past.

The front wheel has two brake discs which seems one more than I expected. How many does the back wheel have?

[Bryn Mawr]

Now you need to find an identical model in the town centre with an inadequate chain lock, open the lock, hide the bike round the corner and put that frame on instead. Jonathan Routh would definitely have done that. Pranks these days are heartless by comparison with what you grew up with, we should bring back the original style.

I don't know, eating live goldfish seemed quite heartless at the time. My favourite was the car pulling into the garage for an oil check - with no engine.

I recall a chap - not anyone you know - who didn't adequately cover the holes before he sandblasted his dismantled front fork. I'm not sure how he got himself out of that one but the tube sounded scratchy when he first put it back into the slider. You can't easily get bottle washers that big.

New forks - they'd be scrap. Even if you rebushed them, the sand would have wrecked the internals.

The distribution of oil on the swing arm highlights quite how asymmetrical a part it is.

It comes from having the brake disk on one side and the chain on the other

If you put all the remaining pieces near the living room fire they'll warm up and dry out a bit. I'm sure that's been done in the past.

I well remember stripping and servicing the bike in the living room and burning the oil off the baffles in the fire in the front room.

The front wheel has two brake discs which seems one more than I expected. How many does the back wheel have?

You don't need the stopping power at the back - it's hardly touching the road when you're breaking.

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I don't know, eating live goldfish seemed quite heartless at the time. My favourite was the car pulling into the garage for an oil check - with no engine.

You've spent a half a century not knowing he switched to an oval slice of carrot once he got the goldfish out the bowl????

As for the oil check, all you need is the right downhill gradient to coast in on and yes, it was perfectly performed.

[Bryn Mawr]

I don't know, eating live goldfish seemed quite heartless at the time. My favourite was the car pulling into the garage for an oil check - with no engine.

You've spent a half a century not knowing he switched to an oval slice of carrot once he got the goldfish out the bowl????

As for the oil check, all you need is the right downhill gradient to coast in on and yes, it was perfectly performed.

The look of confusion on the attendant's face was a sight to behold.

And yes, of course I knew how it was done but it was more heartless that way.