quote:

ORIGINAL: notny41

I don't think it's too bad.  I think its pretty cool actually.  Riding's fun, but fixing ain't too bad either - especially if it is cosmetic stuff.

Get it running so you can get that load off you.  And then just enjoy the thing.  If the tires aren't all that great, get some cheap race take-offs and you will surely love the bike!  That's a good color scheme!

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ORIGINAL: elmer

It really doesn't look that bad.  It actually looks alot better than mine when I bought it.  Course, I bought it out of a barn with a smashed gas tank and it didn't run, mostly because it only had 3 spark plugs in it.  But yeah, on that chin cowl you're going to want to bolt those two pieces together before you tear off on it (which shouldn't be too long, right?) because they'll get blown back into the manifold and melt.  It happened to me, and now it looks ugly.

quote:

ORIGINAL: notny41

I used to have an 86 vfr 750.  I loved that bike.  Traded it for a sea-doo.  One of the worst decisions I ever made.  Had the opportunity to ride an identical bike this summer and made me want one again.  I love the low end torque, but I hear ya about liking the inline 4's.  I ended up picking up a TL1000R not long after so now I get my low-end fix.  I have plenty of screaming rice-burners to keep me happy too.

What was it that you didn't like about the vfr?

I have two bikes that are showroom mint and I love it that they are flawless, but I also have other bikes that have lots of cosmetic issues too.  If this F2 were my bike, I'd grab a couple of cans of cheap spraypaint that are "close" in color to your colors and spray the paint into the cap of the spray can and take a paint brush and just dab on the colors to touch up all of the flaws.  My approach on these bikes is not to totally restore, but to get them as close to stock looking as possibly with the least amount of pennies coming out of my pocket.  The chips on the tank, I would try to get as much rust off as I could or treat with a little naval jelly to convert the rust into something you could hit with some touch-up paint. It doesn't sound like that bike will ever look perfect unless you invest 5 times of what it's worth into it.  So just get it as close to respectable as possible and don't blow a bunch of cash on it.  Noone can see imperfections on bikes that are moving on the road anyway.  And if someone has a problem with some cosmetic flaws on a bike sitting in a parking lot, that is their problem.

Get it looking respectable, ride it and enjoy the bike - and do it without dumping a bunch of moolah into it.  Check ebay a lot for any parts you need or see if you can find the parts in the forsale section on this board.  People are generally more than fair here when it is someone who really needs something.  People want to help.  You're in good hands here.  Don't worry about the transaction and chalk it up to learning.  Everything will turn out fine and you will learn alot about your bike as you transform it.

I have found that motorcycles have become a passion in my life.  Not just riding them, but now I buy crashed bikes and nurse them back to health.  I get great pleasure in doing that.  I have never had any formal training - these boards have been invaluable to me.  So for that I thank everyone out here reading this.

Get her up and running and make us all happy.

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ORIGINAL: Hershey

Man, that's such a bummer... if I lived close to you I'd be in your garage getting that thing running myself!

For the fairings there is such a thing as plastic weld, but you can also take a small butane torch and very very carefully melt the 2 edges of the crack and use a flat-head screwdriver to blend the plastic together and fuse it into one piece, get a friend to apply pressure and push the pieces together while you do this to ensure a close bond.

Then when you have your rough fit-up you can use body-filler (bondo) and sand it down smooth.

Riddle my brain all you like, I'll try to help as much as I can. I'd love to see you get this bike to a state that you can enjoy it and not kick yourself for the trade!

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ORIGINAL: notny41

I would also say that the very first thing I do when I get a bike is pull the fairings off and clean them up good.  I use goof-off on any spots that don't come off with soap.  Sometimes that stuff will pull of stubborn stuff (or alcohol might work too - not the kind you drink hahaha).  Once you have the plastics off clean both outside and inside.  If there are cracks, I ALWAYS hit those spots on the back side of the fairing with a product called Plastic Weld (it is a two part epoxy) they claim it bonds to most plastics.  I spread it on nice and thick and sometimes reiforce it with mesh on the back.  You'll also get an idea for any hidden damage (hopefully none).  It would be at that time that you probably want to lift the tank up and get at those carbs.  I understand this probably wont be until you find a new place.  Maybe you can find someone who would help you clean the carbs.  I know that most people who have ever cleaned a carb would be willing to help you do this.  Get a can of carb cleaner and if you can find a thin guitar string those are pretty handy for cleaning jets out.  Once your jets and needle/seat are cleaned out I'll bet that thing fires up.

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ORIGINAL: notny41

Should be able to sell the old carbs and rim if you wanted to - that would help recoup costs.

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ORIGINAL: Hershey

If you want to give me your old carbs I could sure use them :D

Something is up with mine!

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ORIGINAL: notny41

Right on bro, you're having fun already!  You're bike is going to love you.  That is way cool that there are no leaks on the engine.  Looking forward to hearing more progress.