Day 363 - Paperwork

Day 363.

If you don't already know, I am entering a journey of 365 days. There should be a custom Suzuki VX800 motorcycle at the end of this path. Who knows... There may be some other things as well.

So, Day 363 was a paperwork day. Parts views and "fiche images" were downloaded from mrcycles.com According to Suzuki customer service, this is where the most accurate information can be found.

After downloading, each image was edited, adding large text at the top of each image, indicating what part group it is. The goal is to create printable fiche pages and parts list. Using my laptop, or any computer for that matter to research parts while my hands are greasy and filthy is likely not the most effective think to do.

Past the Turn, Onto a Straightaway.

Project Vixen has now passed a vital hairpin turn. She's getting the wash of her lifetime. With parts cleaner on the right side of my bench and soapy water on the left, every single piece will receive my sharp attention.

Yes, Vixen is now on the straightaway of rebuild. She is no longer being disassembled, labeled and tossed in bags or boxes. She is now being gently scrubbed and checked down to the smallest pin.

Further, I now have TIME!

There are some major concerns that may alter plans somewhat.

• Cost. Plain and simple, spending $3,000 on a rebuild by a rank amateur (yours truly), while enjoyable, may be financial stupidity. Other VX800 motorcycles, operable ones, can be purchased for as little as $1,000. Why spend $3,000 or more on a rebuild, especially when I have never done this before?
• Parts Availability. The VX800 is not a common motorcycle in the USA. She was only available in 1990, '91, '92 & '93 through US dealerships. There are few opportunities to purchase 'junker' VX800s for parts. Luckily some parts can be substituted from other Suzuki bikes.
  

Stand by... 365 days of motorcycle rebuild and personal journeying ahead... Details later.

Good Carbon Fiber Link

For those who want to build your own motorcycle plastic pieces or otherwise use carbon fiber on your project, here is a great place to start: Motorcycle Parts from Carbon Fiber on WebBikeWorld.

Slow going on Vixen recently. Update on that soon.

Not Much of an Update

Other that deciding on the basic rebuild on the last post, and discovering that the paint job on the plastic side panels is exceedingly tough, not much has been done.

Yes, the plastic parts. I purchased a 320 grit wet/dry sanding sponge to experiment with the panel paint. The thought was to remove the paint, repair the plastic and start the carbon fiber wrapping process.

Not that easy. After 30 minutes of scrubbing, the sanding sponge did almost nothing to the paint. So, a fellow at work suggested I simply repair the plastic, scrub the paint with a coarse sanding medium, not removing it, just roughing it up, and then start laying down my black, clear, carbon fiber, clear, clear, etc...

The only concern I have with that, is that the plastic panels will end up being slightly larger than stock and may not fit. Well, considering the condition of Vixen right now, that may be the least of my concerns.

I did manage to get some tar off the radiator and rear fender. At the recommendation of a fellow I know at AutoZone, I tried Rust-Oleum Wax & Tar Remover. While it doesn't just turn the tar to jelly, the chemicals do loosen the tar enough to scrub it off with a brush.

Also, I will soon have a parts inventory and refurbish list completed. It is a form of spreadsheet; one for each parts fiche page. It will help me keep track of what state all the parts are in. When it is done, it will be available here for your downloading pleasure.

The Reconstruction Begins...

Unfortunately, even after searching, not only could I not find a decent picture of a VX's plastic panels on-line, but I could not locate my camera! The lack of photos on the 'net does not surprise me. Considering the fact that I just finished a move, it is no wonder I can't find my camera.

But, it is time. The plans are roughly set and I am going to get started. Here are the plans:

1. Color Scheme: Frame, radiator guard and swing arm will be fire engine red. Engine will remain aluminum. Exhaust will be matte black, eventually being ceramic coated. Most chrome will be black unless appropriate. Plastic parts will be cleaned, stripped, painted black and coated with carbon fiber composite; finished off with plenty of clear coat. Tank will be the same as plastic pieces; black, wrapped in carbon fiber and clear coated. Honestly, I have not decided if the wheels should be painted or not.
   
2. Basic Concept: Most of the mechanics will remain the same as necessary. The goal bike will be a sport tourer style where comfort and functionality will be paramount. This bike should ride well on asphalt and gravel.
   
3. Lighting: Incandescent turning signals will be replaced with high intensity LED. The typical single VX800 headlight will be replaced with two HID lights.
4. Fairing & Additional Plastics: The dual headlight mount will likely be custom. The headlight cowl and small sport-like fairing will be make similarly to the method, builders of the KR2 use. A positive mold will be made of foam and fitted to the bike. Then it will be built up with carbon fiber and epoxy. The black color scheme will remain.
5. Engine: If possible another VX engine can be merged with mine. If that is not possible, an Intruder 800cc engine will be used.
   
6. Saddle: Unless a saddle in great condition can be located, a Corbin will fit the bill nicely. Corbin's black saddle suits the basic color scheme. Not sure about the purple piping though...

So, first things first. Now that my move is complete, I will start cleaning and cataloging the parts I have, and cleaning and working on the plastics.

Oh, what a wonderfully strange path this is going to be!

Little Update

Well, not much forward momentum on Vixen. There do seem to be some inexpensive parts bikes out there. With my recent move and my daughter starting her second year of college, money is exceedingly tight.

An interesting little thing I did learn from the VX800 e-mail list was that there are likely less than 10,000 VX800s on the globe. That may seem like a lot, but in the grander scheme, it really isn't.

According to some statistics at www.webbikeworld.com there are roughly 204,100,000 motorcycles in the world. So, on average there are 20,410 motorcycles for every VX800. Given that the VX was sold in the United States for only a few years does indeed skew the numbers.

What does this boil down to? Well, there just aren't many VX800s around anywhere.

OK, ok, ok... Getting Dirty Again

After a little discussion, the final decision has been made. I keep Vixen. The end of this path is unknown. If Vixen is rebuilt and running, there will likely be no worry about the end of the path. We will simply blow past it.

OK... Links for Motorcycle Restoration, Parts, Research, Repair and other information.

Jaxed Motorcycle Craigs List/E-Bay Search Tool. This is a pretty cool little tool that allows the user to search all locales in Craigs List and e-Bay. It is pretty good, but does seem to miss a few things on the e-Bay search.

Cheap Cycle Parts.com Well, maybe not cheap, but definitely reasonable.

Suzuki VX800 Discussion Forum. Not much traffic but some good information.

VX800.net Mailing list, links, FAQs, information, manuals, pictures and other stuff.

Finish Restoration. This is a nice place to go for information about restoring the finish of a motorcycle and reviews of products.

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Restoration. Some interesting points about motorcycle restoration. This is a Geocities site, and as such, will be coming down soon. At one point, I should copy it.