This poor old bike has had a life as you can see and is my next project. 1994 CBR600f F2, factory fairings, 60,000 miles or 98,000 km's, 2 overseas owners and another 5 here. 2 owners ago it was a track bike. The last owner is a friend and he had plans to tidy until he got a deal on a 2008 VFR800. He let me ride the CBR the day he had it that one ride stuck with me - anyone who's ridden these will understand. I've had a few rides since and its a great bike goes fantastic even with all the miles, no rattles, no smoke - maybe a puff or so at red line, to be expected.

I'm not going for a 100% factory restoration, because well... this was my last bike, a Yamaha FZR250 - it kind of ended up with an Aprilia RS250 tail, ninja mirrors, snowflake pearl paint, I had FZ6R indicators and a CBR1000 tail light. It was a fun little bike but no good riding 2 up with that race cowl I made so I sold her on.

So I'm going to graft an F3 tail to the F2 one - I like the fins at the tank on the F2 I want to keep them. Replace missing panels, repair what I can. Maybe airbrush instead of vinyl - depending on cost. Smoked LED F3 tail light, the boxy indicators have to go - smoked slim flush LED's to come both front and back, tail tidy, new windscreen. Bling - Yellow/gold and purple to keep with the SJR theme, levers, bar ends, DID gold chain when it comes time later to do chain and sprockets, later model mirrors and eventually anodized yellow and purple wheels.

For go it already has an ebay muffler, is jetted and has a sports high flow air filter - of it does anything, so I'm not going to do anything here as this is all I would do anyway.

 

Good luck with the rebuild, glad the 'old girl' is being treated right

 

Thanks Hawk. I have the first part! I was going to use these on the FZR, put them away and forgot all about them. They say R1 but its universal. The big factory indicators were always going to be ditched, these will be up front once all the panel work is finished. I'm cutting the plastic housing off and will fill the hole in the fairing and these will be mounted there. Same will happen with rear indicators, I'll find some CBR/RR ones.

I have found a site selling complete re-manufactured SJ decals to suit an F3:
High Quality Decals for Honda Smokin Joe
I'll be getting #1447 on the bottom. Still need to find the "HRC" logos for under the indicators. I'd like to get the decals first before I start on the panels.

Decals for sure because I don't have an air brush kit and to get one will cost me the same, plus my air brush skills are limited, where as my paint skills are great - well I think so. That is spray cans on the FZR. Will be using 2K and a spray gun on SJ this time. I already have 2 hp compressor which will do the panels no sweat.

The Paragon Purple Pearl on the F3 is different to the purple used on the F2 which is metallic. I like the F3 decals, the aqua blue around the yellow letters adds an extra element. What to do? F3 colors and decals? Keep F2 colors with F3 graphics? I'm not going 100% factory - I'll be blending a 1998 F3 or F4 tail to the F2 one. I like the fins on the F2. I'd like to do something about how the yellow and purple meet on the tail and the tank for me it looks kinda strange. Have a few ideas of what I could do.

I like pictures, so even if there is just one picture as an update its progress. Next up I'll have plans on what I can save panel wise and what I'll have to hunt down.

 

I know its just fairings and it isn't seen as a "real" collectors bike, I know these aren't the most sought after, even though in the day the were top of the class and even today you can see why. I don't have some elitist complex - well I hope it doesn't come across that way lol. For me - I just like having something different. I hate stock - its too damn boring for me. I like something worthy of a second glance. To provoke thought. And to know its a genuine semi-vintage race scheme is to me icing on the cake and I'm just celebrating that - stuff like that is right up my alley.

For me this bike build is about fun, making a stand out machine, which can commute when I want, stand up to riding with the guys at an increased pace and yet can comfortably cruise around with my wife. A 100 hp (well 90 @ wheel) Sports bike that is smooth comfortable and forgiving is everything I want and need and will do it without a problem.

No one has hated or raged at me. I figured I'd just share the angle I'm looking at with the bike. It may not be everyone's taste, I may be considered a butcher for what I'm doing. Genuine rare parts will not be harmed. Its a rule I stick to with everything I do. Take the crappiest thing I can find if I want to cut or alter in a way if it can never be used again.

 

Absolutely agree, it's your bike and as you say it's about having fun.

I can admire a bike that's been kept bone stock, but at the same time, it's great to see personalised machines.

Look forward to following the build

 

FWIW I vote pearl over metallic - always

Considering how many bikes end up flat black, I don't think anyone would call what you're doing butchery. Also, even really collectible bikes often have huge modding communities. People still cafe their Vincents, so I wouldn't worry about a bit of custom plastic on a Honda

More pics though, especially once you get to the bodywork stage

 

I can't stand flat black myself, although I have been known to ride with some primer panels at times during construction. Honestly I'm leaning towards the flake as well myself. Will have pics of the bike next week and I'll be going over what I can repair and what I'll have to replace. The bike isn't inspected yet, I don't have it with me in case temptation is too much and I start spending what I could do to make it tidy in tickets. Its getting looked at on Monday. Been a bit slack on this front, then again I'm still in research phase mostly.

It won't stop me with the tail. So I'm going to hybrid a F2/F3 tail. The F2 is just too plain on the back end to me, but I like the fins which you don;t get with the F3. Could I cut around the tail F3 light so it fits, then it saves getting tails? Otherwise I'll get used tail sections. I hope it is this simple and that the newer tail isn't that little bit wider which would make it look ugly and mismatched unless there is radical reshaping. I'm fabbing up a custom tail tidy to complete the back end. Custom license plate surround, black or chrome with either "Honda CBR 600" or black frame with "Smoking Joe's Racing " in yellow and purple text. Maybe a clear or smoked F3 tail light, not integrated though I'm not a huge fan of them, I'll have CBR RR indicators, clear or smoked depending on what tail light I get. Decisions lol. Images borrowed off google.

 

I have the fine old beast with me. Road legal Mechanically the forks have new oil and seals, both front and rear wheel bearings have been replaced. Chain and sprocket have 10,000 odd km's. Tires have decent tread. Overall the bike runs great. Relatively smooth which is good given its age, mileage and history.

I like to fully service every machine I get - plugs, all filters - oil, air, fuel, fresh oil, coolant flush and new thermostat. Good base to start from - then I know what needs doing when, helps keep machinery in top shape.

On top of this the bike will need - a clutch - slips at upper rpm's. I ride carefully since I'm getting used to it, no slip from the clutch yet. Fuel tap has a slight leak. Rear brake disk nearing minimum legal thickness.

Once this is done, I'll start on fairings, which I have close ups of and looking at what I may/may not be able to fix. We will start with damage to the left side of the bike, moving to the front and then to the right.

 

Front

 

Its pretty beat all round. I have a Clymer service book which will help out. I'm gonna have a ride on Sunday if weather is good to a bike show not far. I almost entered it as a joke as poor Joe stands for now. I'll enter next year when its done if the show is successful - this is the first year. Its called "Shiny side up".

Parking it over winter. I'm thinking about a good clean - maybe engine out of the frame, not sure if I'll go that far with it as it is a legal and functioning bike. Internally the engine seems healthy, I'd like to check valve clearances, since its sitting I'll check over the carbs too as well as changing the clutch - I'll be getting a clutch kit which it needs with genuine parts $240, I used cheap ebay stuff last time and while it was okay shifting felt a bit off, like getting into neutral from first was a pain despite adjustments - that said the clutch basket had seen better days. $44 gets me a fuel tap rebuild kit which will fix the leak, a full genuine Honda assembly is $210 new. $70 for a thermostat. $70!? I'm going to find a suitable substitute at the same operating range from an auto part store. Shhh. I used a Daihatsu thermostat in my FZR 250. Same specs - worked perfect, just $25 vs $67.

These shots are the right side. I need to give her a good wash!
Rear brake disk. Wavy rotors. I like how they look wondering if its a worth while investment.

Usually I'll go original over aftermarket unless its a trusted brand when it comes to mechanical. Anything else like levers and lights if its dot approved (lights) I'll get it if I like it.