Hello guys, well recently I just purchased back my first bike, the cbr f2. I picked it up for a very low price since it would not start, and everything was really bad including fairings. My friend (the owner) didnt use it for too long, I sold it to him in may of 2012, and he didnt start in all of December and part of November. So he tells me that he wasnt getting help in school to pay his classes and needed to sell it as-is. So I went to go check it out this past Saturday, and well we cranked it and it was the hose that opens up the carbs/intake, the one next to the fuel reserve, so I put it in its place and pulled on it while cranking and baaaam the engine started but was badly full of fuel in the attempts that he and the mechanic had tried to start it. The mechanic who saw it told him it was the carb needles but it was just that hose. So I took it home and I'm riding it again.

The bads is this guy/friend doesnt know anything about the bike or cars in particular, when I sold it to him it was all blacked out including wheels. He painted the wheels back in white, the windscreen blue and the headers blue, he had no fairings so it was kind of a street fighter. I now put all the fairings back on although most of them have alot of scratches but that wont be a problem since I'm waiting on my seats and other parts for an 04 1000rr conversion. He didnt know how to reconnect back the cluster which has now been fixed as well. I dont have pics of how I sold it to him, but this is how I picked it up. I have now got the windscreen black again because I dont dig the blue at all. Thanks for reading my story guys!

 

Wow - he painted the headers? Hopefully with some hi-temp paint at least, otherwise I'd be scared of an instant flame-up.

 

Sounds like your pretty excited to get working in your old motor again nice work, should look nice.

 

Thanks guys, and well he said he used high heat temp. paint but now with all the fairings back on, you cant the the pipes at all.

I am thinking of doing a 04 1000rr conversion on the whole bike now that Mr. tax return is right around the corner. I'm seeing a cost of about $400 for everything. I have looked on the 1000rr forums and ebay for fairings, but what do you guys recommend? Getting some oem used fairings or get a hong kong kit? also do you guys think the 600rr would be a easier conversion to achieve or they would be the same?

Oh and it feels weird riding the same bike again. I was in the market for an 04 R1 but everything is too expensive in tax season. Then I saw my friend posted the bike for sale on craigslist and I said why the hell not. lol

Heres a picture of how it sits right now.

 

For a 600, the 600RR is more compact than the F2, and I've read somewhere, that the 1000RR front is easier to work with, since you've got a little more room for the dash, and for controls to have good clearance, but I'll readily admit that I have NO first-hand experience with this... as usual, it would be good to search the F2 forums for the various conversions that have been posted up.

 

Ive read alot of conversions and have alot of pictures saved of this. I even have one album of about 20 pictures of a guy who converted a 600 f to a 600rr, and he shows every detail of the brackets for the tail. I leaning more towards the 1000rr because I have some parts for it already, and I dig the 1000rr tail because of the side vents, and I have some parts for it already. Although the 600rr tail seems easier to cover the subframe part becuase its longer, I think I can find a way to cover it with the 1000rr tail. I have already ordered the seats, latchs and brackets for the 1000rr tail and hopefully soon open a new thread of the conversion with pictures as to what I did.

The only debate is, should I look for used oem fairings or get a chinese fairing set. The oem fairing range in price and most likely have rashes and maybe some cracks depending what you find on ebay. The chinese kit is $338 and is prepped for paint, maybe just needs some finer sanding for best paint results. I have added some costs and the oem fairings are a little more expensive if I search piece by piece. With the chinese fairings I would just need the fairing stay and headlight, oh and you get a free windscreen and heat guard with the purchase of the fairing set.

So has anybody used the chinese fairings before?

 

Oh yeah! And there's been a lot said about them! I'm not sure what all threads there are, but I know I've posted up some feedback here and there about the Hong Kong fairings, pros and cons.
I won't type too much, since a search for "Chinese fairings" or "Hong Kong fairings" will probably yield quite a bit, but in simplicity, I'll say this:

1 - The ABS plastic used in those kits is much more brittle, and prone to breakage, but that said, it just means you've gotta be more careful with them... the OEM plastic is just better quality.

2 - The fitment is usually fair, often times poor, and occasionally good... the kits seem to be molded incosistently, but if you're handy (and careful) with a drill and/or Dremel, you can adjust some of the mounting holes to accomodate most of the issues.

3 - The tail mounting tabs, that go in the rubber grommets can break pretty easily, if they are not lined up well, but this can be a blessing in disguise, since, once they're broken off (usually cleanly, at the base), you can make them stronger than before, using a mound of plastic epoxy to re-attach them, and reposition them if necessary, when you glue 'em back on.
The ones that have broken off on mine, and I've re-attached, have held fast for about 18,000 miles or so.

4 - One of the good things is the fact that most folks buy the ones that are not just prepped for paint, but fully painted, with graphics applied... this is nice, because you just put them on... that's it. However, the finish is delicate (not enough/poor quality clear-coat), so they can mark up easily. In hindsight, I wish I'd put a couple of coats of clear on, before mounting... once again, the OEM finish is just better quality.

5 - The hardware sometimes has to be purchased/improvised. My kit did not come with any screws for mounting the inner/front cowling, and these were cut in a metric sheet metal thread spec - it was harder than I figured it would be to find those screws, but no real big deal.
Also, various "quick-turn" screws and receivers, extruded U-nuts, and things like this, might not come with the kit, so you'll have to use some ingenuity with those things (if applicable). Some pieces I had to take off the original fairings, and re-rivet to the new farings, others I had to just come up with a different way to make it work.

OK... so much for "simplicity" - I typed too much after all!
Anyway, it's not all that bad, and with all these negative aspects, I would have no qualms about getting another HK kit, because you just can't beat the money saving aspect of it, and I have the ability to "work around" the issues - I would just do some things a touch different next time.

If you skim through my "Phase 1" build thread, you'll see where I began to apply the new Hong Kong street fairings, and even after it seems it's past, keep skimming the posts, because I addressed some little tricks/tips/fixes later on in the thread.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the feedback jns, im still debating on what to get, I have an oem tail so I could use that instead of using the one on the kit if I go that route. I have been searching for some used pairs on oem fairing like a right and left lower that way it will be much cheaper, but I cant find some, or maybe a full fairing thats scuffed a little with very minor cracks maybe. Since this is strictly a street bike I think I'm going all yellow or a blue. I'll see what I can find today or tomorrow so I can order something by the end of the week. I dont want to have to wait either till a ”good deal” on fairings pops up on ebay since the ones I have now are in a real bad condition, being zip tied and rashes every where since the PO didnt take care of it at all. I also do have a budget on this since I still have to buy a chain and sprockets, oil change, spark plugs and maybe even jet it but im still not sure. Thanks for the help though guys.

 

Isn't it funny that you were the original owner, maybe not the first owner, but a current owner, where there was a previous owner, and maybe a previous owner to the previous owner, which might have been the original owner, then you became a previous owner, and now you're the previous owner to the previous owner while being the current owner?!?!

 

LOL yea because by saying PO is the one before him being myself. haha yea it is weird that its the same bike, same beat up cluster with a cracked mph glass, but it was my first bike and I had to give it another chance.

UPDATE: What do you think if this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-04-07-H...477e6e&vxp=mtr

Think I can make it work? although I would not be able to go 1000rr headlight with this I can always put some ducati projectors or something like that.

I am having alot of trouble finding the oem used mid fairing for a 04 1k. I find some but for around $75 each yea no thanks.