Project 1989 FZR250 3LN1 Streetfighter

Hey everyone,

This is Bagheera my FZR250. 31,000km on the clock, previous owners had to move overseas quickly so I purchased her for $1600.00NZD expecting her to be more run down then she is.


My plan was always to do a street-fighter project, after buying her I decided I work at a motorcycle workshop I have to ride a custom bike of some kind.

So the to-do list is;
-Tail chop behind seat (Replace fairings with 1.5mm steel panels)
-Relocate Reg/Rec
-Relocate Coolant Expansion Tank
-Remove Front Fairings
-Trim/Replace Front Mudguard
-New Tacho Unit(Planning on using TrailTech Vapour)
-Make Frame Sliders (Will weld brackets onto the hangers holding the cylinder head to the frame)
-Repaint Tank, New Panels, Frame, Swingarm, Headstock, Forks, Engine, Master Cylinder, Brake Calipers & Clutch Perch (Black Engine Enamel Low Gloss)
-Fork Rebuild & Tune (15W oil, Shorten Spring & Lengthen Spacer)
-New Front + Rear Tyre (Sport Demon 100/80-17 Front & 140/70-17 Rear)
-Repack Cushdrive
-Motocross Bars
-Adjustable Levers

Completed to date;
-Straighten Stock Bars
-Carb Clean
-Valve Clearances
-Air Filter (Replaced with oiled foam element)
-Coolant
-Oil + Filter(Penrite 15W-50 Full Mineral + HiFlo 145)
-Relocate Exup Controller
-Fix right hand side "Engine Slider" (Pulse/Stater Cover)
-Wrap Exhaust Headers

Okay standby for photo spam;

The air filter mod I used a knife to cut out paper filter, then use a die-grinder to take off the glue and remaining paper. Cut element to size, oil and restrain with 1.2mm welding wire. Mixture was only slightly leaner so turned the mixture 1/4 turn to compensate.


For some reason the cables on my bike for the exup were shorter than usual and ran outside of the frame. So I took advantage of this and made a bracket between the top bolts of the rear subframe and attached the exup to it. Works well, just needed to extend the wires a little.


Some photos of the learner tested bars. Reasonably straight now, but it wont matter once the motocross bars make their way onto the bike.


Exhaust wrapped the headers, Makes it a little less tinny sounding but not really that noticeable. Will look nice when the fairings stay off when the headlight and dash is on.


Sealed the airbox to the rubbers after the carb clean due to some muppet die grinded out the holes for the rubbers because they wouldn't fit... All better now and sealed up with 5mm stainless nuts and bolts since the threads were all stripped out.


Cleaned up the damage to the stater cover, or as I call it "Engine Slider". Painted with Black Low Gloss Engine Enamel. Most of the bike will be painted with this paint.


This is the stop tail that I picked up a few days ago, this little LED is bloody bright and a nice size for the job. Can't wait to bum chop her and get it all together!

Also did the oil and filter today, Trying out Pentite's Full Mineral 15w-50 Full Zinc 4 Stroke Motorcycle Oil that just started being sold in Repco stores in New Zealand. Crank and Cams sound quieter, engine feels like its revving a little more smoothly and certainly I feel better now she has fresh oil in her.

So that is the project up to this date.

 

Okay prepare for another photo heavy post!

Been riding on the Pentite 15W-50 for a week now, Makes it a little harder to start on cold mornings but defidently makes her ride a lot better. Gearbox feels nice going in and out of gears, easy to get neutral. Cams are quieter, Feels smooth at redline also. Apart from the cold starts, I like the change of oil.

Okay so this weekends project; Front Forks.

Goal is to replace the oil and seals because I don't know when it was last done, and to paint the lower legs of the forks. This is what I got to start with;

Notice how the oil is clean, So someone has changed the oil recently. It looks and smells identical to the Spectro 10W we have in the shop, so I am going to assume it was 10W since that's also what the manual calls for. I will be using 15W, the original plan was to mix 50/50 10w and 15w to make a ~12.5W oil and tune the forks from there but that's out the window now.

Okay so after a massive fight involving a heat torch, vise, lower fork leg and a screaming mechanic the bloody oil seals finally came out. Been in there a long time by the feel of things, Whoever did the forks last was too lazy to replace dust and oil seals... or just couldn't get them out!


Okay so to protect the inside of my lower fork from the harsh reality that is the sand blaster, I began by putting a glove inside and shoving the old oil seal back in. I then cut off the remaining glove and shoved a rag down the hole to protect the glove from the sand. Into the sandblaster she goes!


After a quick blast and a trip to the parts washer, they are ready to be degreased with white spirits and off to be painted.


After 2 light coats with the same paint I used for the side cover I did last weekend, They are starting to look good.

Plan for tomorrow is to flip them and paint from the top downwards to make sure it all looks even. Re-assemble them and fill them with 15W oil and slam in the new seals. Then onto the bike and Ill be down the road!

Also some opinions would be good, This is the paint I'm considering using for the frame and swingarm. Its a spray on underbody, Usually used under vans and what not. Its textured and chip resistant, what do you guys think? Do I do the frame and swingarm in this, or use the same black I've used on the forks and sidecover and eventually engine/headstock.

Left is underbody, right is engine enamel.
Thanks!

 

Good point, I didn't think of that... But I immediately pictured the underside of my van... Gross...

 

Okay so today I put the last coat of paint on my lower forks. Looking pretty good at this stage;

Cleaned and Degreased all the internals and washed with white spirits, sanded the forks legs down with 1000P sandpaper then finished it with 2000p and cleaned ready for assembly;

Was very tempted to thread the holes in the bottoms of the lower legs of the fork and shove in a few massive(260 main) jets from a old carbs I have at work and run 10W and tune it that way. I decided 15W is still a lot less hassle and the heavier oil will prevent bush wear better than 10W would. Possibility of just welding one of the hoes up too, food for thought.

Made a stuff up and forgot the large washer under the oil seal on the first fork... Luckily I had a spare set of seals in the shop, Munted the new seal trying to remove it as the fork leg came out and left the seal in place! Put it all together and filled it with 385ml of 15W oil per leg, ended up being just shy of 106mm from the top of the fork so spot on enough for me! Slammed the spring back and in jumped up and down on it, decided it was too bloody soft still so got to work making longer spacers.


Stock ones are 31.7M Diameter and roughly 130mm in length, After a trip to Bunnings Warehouse to get a 1M Length of 31.8mm Diameter 1mm Thick galvanized pipe I was back in business!


Decided adding 30mm would be the most I would want to add, so cut myself 2 spacers at 160mm. Compared to the old ones, they were not very hard at all to get the caps back on but made them about twice as stiff as they previously were.


Here is a comparison for you guys if you want to try this yourself. I took her for a ride home, small lift in ride height, a huge improvement in stability cornering. Its been raining tonight so wasn't going very hard on her, but I was instantly 100% more confident leaning her over in the wet. However I could feel every bump going down the road, so tomorrow I'm going to take the spacer down to 150mm and go for another ride, my current guess is 145mm is the sweet spot for a 80kg rider. But Ill take it bit by bit until I'm happy with it.

 

So its been another busy weekend, I decided to jump in the deep end. Last weekend I did the forks, and messed with spacers. I have taken the spacer down to 145mm and feels near perfect for how I ride, so into the nitty gritty stuff!

Tail Chop;
So I took some before photos in the showroom at work before I started, This is what I had before I got grinder happy;


Rolled her into the back of the workshop and stripped off the rear fairings, and freed the loom and electronics from the frame and flopped them out the side;


Followed by an episode of "When Grinders Attack";


Then set about re-enforcing the rear end without disturbing the battery box, this is what I ended up with;


After some messing around moving the loom and shortening/lengthening the wires for the TDI(Technically a TCI I am told, not CDI) ended up attaching the TCI to side of the battery box facing the carbs. Its quite a nice fit, even fits through the frame nicely!


After some more messing around mounted the seat to the frame, Need to make up a spacer etc for it to actually bolt onto, but this will do for now;


Made up a make shift exhaust mount and tucked all the wires into the frame, Just need to find a home for the rear brake reservoir, coolant reservoir then make up the new fairings from panel steel. Will make some molded fiberglass ones when I finalize the rear end. Still very tempted to make a new one from scratch so to lift the seat and move the battery forward(maybe a smaller lithium battery?) so the tail is more sharply shaped. We will see... This is what I ended up with today;

Anyone after rear fairings, tail light, inidicators, pegs, seat etc etc let me know. I no longer need them haha.

 

Hey everyone, yet again I have been chopping stuff since the last time I had her together. This was the first rough rear end;



Since then I've revised the design and today did the welding and mounted the battery again, this is what I ended up with at the end of today;





Sorry can't be assed writing this up at 10:30 at night, will edit later with proper blurb and stuff.

Also decided to nick name her "Deltabob". Night all!


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Yet again too tired to be bothered writing anything substantial.

Redesigned the bracket that holds my relocated exup, it's now made from 20x5 flat bar. It now also houses the fuel pump and maybe the starter solenoid. Secured the battery box to where the fuel pump and regulator used to be. Mounted the regulator under the seat behind the number plate making sure it's earthed to the frame. Also secured the TCI and magic box to the battery box.








Tomorrow I hope to have everything secure, the tail painted and be getting ready ready to start shortening the loom.

Comments and suggestions welcome btw.


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Another update,

Yesterday I got stuck into it again, Finished shortening the loom and trial fitted the style of headlight I wanted to see If the direction I was going was looking good. I must say, Im really pleased with how shes looking so far. So much so I think Im going to stick with clipon's instead of motocross bars.

Rough throw together to get an idea;


I have decided the new angle of the seat is a keeper, Its only another minor change but once I lift the rear end it should be perfect.

Next plan for the rear frame is to rebuild it from scratch with a style similar to those of a ducati, this is an example from a Ducati Diavel;



Ended up forgetting to take a picture, But all the wires are pretty much between the carbs and relocated fuel pump and exup. Slapped her all back together minus the front fairings and a random mirror;


Just need to put together my front end when I get the clocks, Make a final rear end and do the exhaust pipe then I am ready to tear down and powder coat the rims, frame and swingarm. Clean and paint the tank, engine, exhaust triple tree. Then lastly its nice treads, clipons, controls, levers, mirrors and rearsets.

Nearly there!

 

So its Labor Day here in New Zealand, Got to ordering more stuff for my bike and decided upon this lovely little bugger.


Only 12k Graphical RPM gauge but 24,000 on the numerical gauge is perfect for this engine. Its light weight and small, So will compliment the minimalist look I want. Hopefully be installing it Wednesday or Thursday night.

 

Wooops forgot to upload the recent stuff, Dash, Headlight and Exhaust!




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it's from a full stainless system on my friends old hornet.


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2007 cb600f just found it on google, I'm not using the heat shield.


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Thanks man, Appreciate the comments.

Kinda getting to the tipping point of building and finishing. Got to make the final rear subframe, then it's time to strip it. Can't decide if I want to keep the tail like this or go a different way.


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Hey guys another update on my project. Bit the bullet and stripped Her down and sand blasted her. Going in to be painted soon hopefully, Ordering all the bearings and what not aswell.

Anyone wanting bearing numbers for the swingarm etc let me know they have all been pulled out.




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