Honda 87 CBR600F Hurricane, project

[Griffin]

Thanks! Priceless!
My target class is Vintage Superbike Middleweight (550-650cc, 1976-1981) Looks like Kawasaki is THE brand for aftermarket cams and Wiseco piston sets.

The 1980-1981 KZ550 would be perfect with a big bore kit in it. In stock form, they were faster than the KZ650 and 50 lbs. lighter.

[Buffalo Bill]

The 1980-1981 KZ550 would be perfect with a big bore kit in it. In stock form, they were faster than the KZ650 and 50 lbs. lighter.

I agree! However, that adds $1000+ to the budget.
Considered the Honda CB650 but discovered some weirdness about it. First, no support among racers, because the firing order is 1243, so they have a unique cam.
The Kawasaki and Suzuki 650s are hybrids between the 550s and 750s, so some engine parts are interchangeable.

OK, here's the real bummer: this 87 CBR600 blows any 550, 650 away. It already has 11:1 compression, 16 valves, liquid cooling, downdraft CV carbs, single rear shock, 17" wheels and full fairing, plus more little stuff and it weighs 440 topped off & street ready.
What kills me: AHRMA decided to skip middle weight bikes for their Superbike Gen 2 classes, just light weight and heavy weight. WTF!!!!

[Nessism]

The CB650 is a dog. It's an old design that dates back to the 1960's. The KZ650 is a much better engine and the chassis handles great too. The KZ750 like I have is basically a bore out 650 with thicker liners and (I think) bigger valves. The 750 turbo used the same basic engine too so that should tell you something about how robust the engines are.

The KZ550 engines are also good but there is some history of spun rod bearings. The bigger engine didn't have that same reputation. I had a 1981 GPz550 and loved it, but the KZ750 is WAY more fun to ride.

[GregT]

I agree! However, that adds $1000+ to the budget.
Considered the Honda CB650 but discovered some weirdness about it. First, no support among racers, because the firing order is 1243, so they have a unique cam.
The Kawasaki and Suzuki 650s are hybrids between the 550s and 750s, so some engine parts are interchangeable.

OK, here's the real bummer: this 87 CBR600 blows any 550, 650 away. It already has 11:1 compression, 16 valves, liquid cooling, downdraft CV carbs, single rear shock, 17" wheels and full fairing, plus more little stuff and it weighs 440 topped off & street ready.
What kills me: AHRMA decided to skip middle weight bikes for their Superbike Gen 2 classes, just light weight and heavy weight. WTF!!!!

Here they fall into pre 89 junior - which is up to 600cc. Same as our F2 of the period which was a continuation of the TTF2 which was an international class.
Last time I looked there were three or four CBR600's running locally. It's getting bigger with a couple of FZR600's turning out now too.

Yeah, the CB650 is a bigger, developed version of the CB500/4. Heavier and not a lot faster either.

The Z650 I based the build on was an early one with wire wheels and a drum rear brake. I have some reason to believe this version is probably the lightest of the 650's. As they aged, they put on quite a lot of weight. Spun crank bearings are largely a product of the type of use - and the care of the engine. The 750 bits came from an engine with a spun big end. Properly clearanced from the start, on a crank with well radiused oil galleries - not necessarily factory bearing codes either - they should last even when revved hard.

[Buffalo Bill]

painting this weekend…

Started the painting process. Will spray the red first, then mask off the stripes and paint all else black.
F_ckups changed the plan: had to spray more layers of red because it was a bit transparent, won't be hard enough to tape until next morning.
I painted the fairings that will be all black but darn, missed some undersides on the front cowl, so will have to go over that again tomorrow also.
Using my antique DeVilbiss air compressor.

[nvr2old]

Whoa..two painting projects going on at the same time. Might be a record for this site.. Patience is the key, Bill. Letting the red set overnight is the smart way to go.

[Buffalo Bill]

Picking up where I left off yesterday.
Will be taping for red stripes on the side panels then paint them black , plus some other all black parts.
Maybe get to the tank today. It needs some wet sanding, still a bit tacky.

[Buffalo Bill]

More work to do…

This shows today's results. The black bled under the tape, bummer…
Decided to seal it with a clear coat, then next week touch up the stripes with an air brush, re-clear coat.
It's not the mistakes, it's the fix that makes good work done.
Clear coated the tank with the same idea. There's places that will need wet sanding and buff polishing, not new to me.
Look close, you can see the black bleed under. PS: No way I could match the OEM tape stripe geometry, I did me best.

[nvr2old]

The parts look real nice, Bill. Are you using Fine Line or plastic tape for your stripes?

A guy I used to work for said the same as you.."a really good painter knows how to fix his mistakes" only he didn't he didn't use the word "mistakes"..

[Buffalo Bill]

I used green tape my paint guy sold me,'cept that was like 8 years ago. The glue has to be dried out.
I used new tape on the side cowling, that was mostly ok.
Taping stripes, you're asking for trouble. I forgot about using electrical tape.
I do a lot of experimenting when I work, looking for the best way. Sometimes it fails.
The stripes on my Suzuki Katana I did just last April came out great, that was stripe over base. This time I tried base over stripe.

[nvr2old]

Yeah, I've always preferred doing the base color first and the stripes last. Doesn't hurt to experiment, though. Fine Line tape takes all the worry out with almost a sure thing result, but it's expensive. 15 bux for a single roll. With this bike you can even put all the parts back on to lay the stripes out so they match up from part to part. Something I never had the luxury of when people were sending me stuff through the mail. Had to take a billion photos and measurements to insure they were correct.

[GS1150Pilot]

The 1980-1981 KZ550 would be perfect with a big bore kit in it. In stock form, they were faster than the KZ650 and 50 lbs. lighter.

I LOVED my GPz550.

[Buffalo Bill]

Got rained out of my exterior work day, so I spent the time at home air brushing the stripes, correcting all the bleed under fuzz. Looking sharp now.

[Buffalo Bill]

Body panels on…

Ok, still need to scrape, sand, buff and polish some runs on the tank, but lookin' sweet!!
PS:Only got the side cowling on one side for these photos, some of the fastening points need repair.

[nvr2old]

That's an amazing transformation, Bill..especially with how quickly you did it. Well done. Looks great.