F4 to F4i full conversion
#1
My F4 to F4i full conversion
So I picked up a 2000 F4 for 1400 about 3 weeks ago in hideous cosmetic shape. The idiot PO had lowered it by simply discharging the rear shock gas and dropping the front forks (unevenly) and had proceeded to gut the yoshimura and throw some half-*** underglow on it. A friend of mine happened to be (and still is) parting out a 2001 F4i for which he had some brand new fairings so last week I decided some plastic surgery was in order.
Heres a crappy picture which does no justice to the awful condition of the bike as I first got it.
After some tear down:
After swapping over the F4i subframe, I used some high fill primer and satin black rattle cans to cover the PO's ridiculous attempt at frame polishing
The next order of business was adapting the F4 wiring to the new subframe. I simply cut tabs into the back of the new battery box and installed the relays with their original rubber mounts.
The CF Hindle slip on from the F4i required some cutting modification to go from high mount to passenger peg mount. I also had to cut and bend the F4 peg to mount to the F4i subframe
The biggest concern with the project was the gas tank. I was not in any mood to try to convert the matching F4i tank with its high pressure onboard fuel pump to work with my bike. I also wasnt about to drop $250 to get my tank painted to match. Instead I happened to run into a shelfload of this metallic spray paint and decided to give it a shot
after 3 coats of rustoleum crystal clear gloss. The metallic effect is hard to see but the finished product is as far as I'm concerned a perfect match to the fairings.
The fairing swap itself was cake from here on. The sides are a direct replacement for the F4 and the tail slipped on perfectly. The front however needed a little work as I wanted to retain the F4 gauges and fairing stay. The fairing stay needed 1" chopped from each side and new mirror mounting holes drilled. I used a 3 ft piece of tubing to massage them into place for the F4i fairing. I currently have mounted the broken F4i headlight from the parts bike which I wired to have either low or high beam on to limit power drainage as I heard that can be an issue. I also threw on a hotbodies undertail.
Anyway except for a few finishing touches such as recovering the seats here is the finished product as she sits now.
Heres a crappy picture which does no justice to the awful condition of the bike as I first got it.
After some tear down:
After swapping over the F4i subframe, I used some high fill primer and satin black rattle cans to cover the PO's ridiculous attempt at frame polishing
The next order of business was adapting the F4 wiring to the new subframe. I simply cut tabs into the back of the new battery box and installed the relays with their original rubber mounts.
The CF Hindle slip on from the F4i required some cutting modification to go from high mount to passenger peg mount. I also had to cut and bend the F4 peg to mount to the F4i subframe
The biggest concern with the project was the gas tank. I was not in any mood to try to convert the matching F4i tank with its high pressure onboard fuel pump to work with my bike. I also wasnt about to drop $250 to get my tank painted to match. Instead I happened to run into a shelfload of this metallic spray paint and decided to give it a shot
after 3 coats of rustoleum crystal clear gloss. The metallic effect is hard to see but the finished product is as far as I'm concerned a perfect match to the fairings.
The fairing swap itself was cake from here on. The sides are a direct replacement for the F4 and the tail slipped on perfectly. The front however needed a little work as I wanted to retain the F4 gauges and fairing stay. The fairing stay needed 1" chopped from each side and new mirror mounting holes drilled. I used a 3 ft piece of tubing to massage them into place for the F4i fairing. I currently have mounted the broken F4i headlight from the parts bike which I wired to have either low or high beam on to limit power drainage as I heard that can be an issue. I also threw on a hotbodies undertail.
Anyway except for a few finishing touches such as recovering the seats here is the finished product as she sits now.
Last edited by Cliffhanger010; 09-01-2009 at 01:01 AM. Reason: Title change
#2
Wow props to you, man. If I was riding up next to you I wouldn't really be able to tell the difference, unless I looked straight at the front end. The gas tank matches really well with the rest of the bike, and 1400 for the bike is a steal!
I got mine for 2400 and the PO had lowsided it on both sides, so I think you definitely got a bargain!
Great job on the conversion!
I got mine for 2400 and the PO had lowsided it on both sides, so I think you definitely got a bargain!
Great job on the conversion!
#3
Looks good man, I was hoping that you would have went all blacked out with it, don't see too many F4/F4i's that way. That rear peg deal is a little sketch though don't you think?
#4
Awesome
And thanks for posting this by the way. I'm hoping to convert my front fairing and tail section to the F4i style eventually.
#5
The original F4 pegs have been altered to fit the F4i sub-frame. (see the pic, I wouldn't stand on it if I was a passenger). And my advice to you, unless the body is trashed on your bike already or you picked it up cheap that way, just buy an F4i instead.
#6
Thanks for the comments guys.
As for the passenger peg, as a mechanical engineer, i've manipulated metal in worse ways and I made sure to test it with my full body weight. The only rider I ever carry is my girlfriend who ways 102 pounds and never stands up on them. If i saw any issue with this modification I would have replaced it but it was a quick fix and is more than sufficient.
c_keeton if you need any advice on the swap let me know. It was fairly simple over all and I think it greatly improved the look of my bike.
As for the passenger peg, as a mechanical engineer, i've manipulated metal in worse ways and I made sure to test it with my full body weight. The only rider I ever carry is my girlfriend who ways 102 pounds and never stands up on them. If i saw any issue with this modification I would have replaced it but it was a quick fix and is more than sufficient.
c_keeton if you need any advice on the swap let me know. It was fairly simple over all and I think it greatly improved the look of my bike.
#7
I don't think one static test is really "sufficient" do you? You're not a PE, are you? Just giving you a hard time guy! Throw some pics up of the woman if she's good lookin!!