So, this thread has been a long time coming, but I finally have some time to post the progress up until now, for those interested in seeing builds in progress - I know I dig following others' progress, so here goes...

 

In the beginning...

...there is my F2 as it was when purchased - I actually got one of the best specimens one could find - the original owner bought it following a divorce, in his very late 40's - kind of a "mid-life-crisis-chick-magnet" attempt, I'm guessing.
He never rode it very hard, and being that it had around 4000 miles on the clock, a full 16 years later, he clearly didn't ride it all that much, either.
The bike was in full stock form, and maintained to the tee, with all service receipts available, as well as original dealer receipt, owner's manual, and service manual.
My boss at the time, bought it from him, and put about 300 miles on it, before I picked it up for $2300 - the boss I speak of, is a VERY conservative individual, who probably never took it over the speed limit.
The only issues it had, were the original tires, which are crap, and kind of "aged", and carb issues due to it sitting a very long time.



In my opinion, this was the sharpest, most "modern" and "timeless" color scheme they produced for the F2 - I'm not saying I don't like any of the others, I'm just saying this is definitely the one I would have picked, had I the option after viewing all possible schemes - positively a less "dated" look then some of the others, and in PERFECT condition
It's like it had just come out of the crate from the factory.

 

So, first thing's first, time to scrap the dry, old, second-rate rubber, and put on somethin sexier and stickier.



I know the Harbor Freight tire changer is lacking in features, but it has paid for itself many times over at this point, being that it was only $50 or $60 to begin with.

 

Here she is, shod with Dunlop Sportmax Q2's - the turn-in and cornering was absolutely transformed, and they didn't slip at moderate (let alone steep) lean angles, like with the hardened-with-age old hoops - not to mention, they look a lot better.





Much better.

 

And I thought i got lucky with my 94 only having 7200 miles on it. Great buy! think looks amazing.

 

Now it's time to start shaving weight, and making performance improvements.
I removed the annoying, and in my opinion, very unattractive tubing, that goes from the passenger foot peg bracket, and attatches to the subframe. It is NOT structural, it is just used for a cargo net, and for the helmet holder on the left side, neither of which I use.



Oh yeah, and it holds the rear reflectors, which I will be replacing later with a much better and more attractive alternative.

At this point, an oval carbon fiber Yoshimura RS-3 goes on as well.

 

Thanks Full Throttle... and 7200 ain't so bad anyhow, these things will run forever, if properly cared for.
And...it LOOKED amazing...now it looks amazing in a different way - you'll understand soon enough.

 

sick bike..i envy your clean plastics, i bought my f2 all beat up and battered but for $1200 i couldnt complain..

 

After removing that rear bracket, I de-burred the cut area, used plumber's putty to fill the now semi-hollow space where the tubings joined, and repainted the part - it's not gorgeous, but it doesn't need to be, the passenger peg brackets are not going to be there all that long anyway.

Left side...





Right side...



Note that there are some decals on the bike at this point that maybe don't make too much sense right now - this is because I forgot to take some of the pics at the actual time of the change, and so I snapped them later - it will all make sense soon enough.

 

Next: time to remove that enormous ugly plastic fender apparatus, and put in a fender eliminator kit.

Removed the old fender unit, and added the small aluminum angle brackets for bolting the tail light assembly and small center fairing piece to.



Fender eliminator fully mocked up.




Though the fender eliminator kit is significantly smaller and more compact then the original unit, the fact that it involves more metal than plastic, means the weight loss was only about a half pound, but the Yoshimura exhaust saved a little over 5 pounds.