CBR F4i Trackbike Project.

[toybm]

This is my Trackbike that I've had from fall of 2009, it worked well until the first track outing for this year and splat, 3rd gear is doing something wonky after a false neutral. So after getting a few quotes for repairs and having to continually pick my lower jaw up off the floor, I decided that I will get into it myself and be ready for Round 1 on 7th May.

Whats on the agenda;
1) Install used engine I bought from Cory (good guy) out in Sarnia (loooong drive)
2) Install FactoryPro Evo Star Shifter - to reduce the false neutrals and give better overall gear engagement (if I get it in time)
3) Install CBR1000RR Kill Switch
4) Install CBR1000RR Throttle Housing with 08 R6 Throttle Tube (OEM 1/6 quick turn throttle)
5) Install CBR1000RR Front Master Cylinder
6) Attempt to fix 3rd gear issue in original engine or seriously thinking about parting it out.


Step 1, tearing down for engine removal

After 1 Hr 30 mins we are obout ready for step 2.

Tomorrow engine comes out and new one goes in.

 

[WoBblyCaT]

Nice!

Does the new engine have a manual cam chain tensioner?

 

[toybm]

Nice!

Does the new engine have a manual cam chain tensioner?

Thanks. No manual tensioner at the moment, but as soon as I recover from this spend-fest I'll surely get one.

 

[sircastic]

Thanks. No manual tensioner at the moment, but as soon as I recover from this spend-fest I'll surely get one.

Way easier to put it in before the engine goes into the frame ...

 

[cagedcbr]

Did the spare engine you bought include the wiring? I'm looking for some wiring harness peices for my F4i project. If it did and you don't need it I would gladly take it off your hands.

 

[toybm]

Did the spare engine you bought include the wiring? I'm looking for some wiring harness peices for my F4i project. If it did and you don't need it I would gladly take it off your hands.

Sorry no such thing, bought only the engine that stuff is extra.

 

[toybm]

Day 2/ Step 2.
Surprised myself today and got more done than I thought I would.

Dropped old engine,
Installed new engine, wiring, hoses, rad, exhaust(I heard it run and shift before I bought it, good on Cory for selling engines that way)
Started it up and ran through the gears (the real test for both engine and trans. will come on Friday).
Installed 1000RR Throttle housing with r6 throttle tube
Installed 1000RR Run/Kill - Start switch.

Pics, yes I know I need a better camera. Some of the pics are reeealy crappy.

Old engine

New engine

Empty frame

New engine in frame, the biggest thing are those annoying adjusting spacers for the engine and doing the bolting in sequence but overall not that hard a job, and now I've got some nifty Honda Special Tools.

Throttle bodies and Rad on

Rad, exhaust, air box just before the tank and starting

Not quite step by step sequence by and overall one.

1000RR Throttle assembly.

Other than some minor grinding inside the housing for the R6 throttle tube to clear this was very easy, F4i cables worked perfectly so other than the grinding is a bolt on affair.

Standard CBR throttle tube on left and R6 tube on right - notice the difference this is you move from turning a full 1/4 throttle for WOT to 1/6 for WOT. This is apparently done on many other bikes for the 1/6 quick turn upgrade.

Excuse the crappy pictures.
The area where the cables come into the housing needs to be slightly groung to make room for the throttle tube (if you want I can highlight the area)
(I pilfered these pics from another site since mine were super crappy, thanks 1000RR.net)

1000RR Run/Kill - Start Switch
Not a bolt on plug in deal. The two plugs and pins are different so had to swap pins and plugs from original F4i switch gear over to 1000RR Switch. Also, both plugs have 7 pins but the wire colour coding is not the same, all the colours for the run/kill and start are the same but the brake light wires are different colours

1000RR on left and F4i on right

After plug swap

What the 1000RR bits look like installed

Day 3 will include swapping NRC alternator cover form old to new engine, iinstalling 1000RR front master cylinder, changing oil and filter, doing some safety wiring, bolting on some bodywork and waiting on my shift kit (which I doubt will arrive before Round 1).

If there are any questions feel free to ask for details.

 

[kellen]

you work fast! good job. see you next weekend

 

[toybm]

you work fast! good job. see you next weekend

Thanks. Hopefully we wouldn't need a boat this weekend Should be a fun weekend regardless. See you there.

 

[toybm]

Can't seem to post Day 3 of this project, I'm getting an error everytime I try posting more than a few lines . I'll try again later.

 

[cjones]

why the new engine? old one blew up or was just tired?

 

[toybm]

why the new engine? old one blew up or was just tired?

No. Engine not blown up. Third gear was doing it`s own thing, from 0-7000rpm it would jerk, similar to a slipping chain and over 7000rpm was perfect and worked normally. Every other gear was perfect and worked normally also. It`s a pity since the engine was very strong and worked perfectly.
Thinking of maybe fixing it, selling as is or parting it out - haven`t decided or thought about it much.

 

[toybm]

Day 3

I was holding off for a little waiting on the Factory Pro Shift Kit to get here and installed for this weekend, but in reality things don't always work out. Not here and not going to be here for another week maybe.
So since I was really waiting on that, I just installed the front brake master, swapped the NRC cover and did some safety wiring; now I'm good to go for this weekend.

Checking fit of master

Installed

NRC Cover installed, got carried away9was in the zone) and forgot to snap appropriate photos.

So everything was put back together (refer to step 1 for pics, it looks the same), oil and filter changed, water water-wetter, checked for leaks (there were none), everything torqued, safety wired and ready for tomorrow. We'll see how this engine package behaves.

 

[toybm]

After Round One

Well Round One is over, was satisfied with how things turned out. From the work that I did here is what I thought of it.

1) Run/Kill Switch really only allowed me to run the radial front brake master, so in itself was neither here nor there.

2) Front radial 1000RR brake master - leaps and bounds better than the stock F4i brake master. I found myself braking much much deeper than ever, with much less effort at the lever. Brake worked hard from lap 1 to finish, twice. Really happy with this, can't imagine what a Brembo master would be like.

3) Quick Turn throttle - 1/6" upgrade without breaking $50 bucks, neat and it works. No more winding up for full throttle.

4) Engine - ran hard all day, no issues with gears or anything for that matter. I may need to retune the Power Commander to suit this engine though.

5) Bike - ran great nothing fell off, nothing ran loose. Biggest inprovement was moving away from the 190 rear that was on the bike to a 180 rear. I can't say how much better the bike tracked through turns, how much more I could get on the gas at corner exit without the bike wanting to standup and what it did for my confidence level. Best improvement I've done yet.

What's on the list next
1) Factory Pro Evo Star Shift Kit

2) Quick Shifter - Got a Dynojet/ power commander switch but it will not work with my PCIII, so I'm looking for a cost effective stand alone unit that doesn't cost an arm or a leg.

All for now untill the above installs.

 

[ScoTTY88]

Was it necessary to put the 1000RR kill switch on to get the new MC to work? I have a 07 CBR600RR radial MC here that I was going to put on my F4i and keep the stock run/kill setup... however I have seen other pictures and mocked it up briefly and it seems like it will work no issues.

Tho recently I have just decided to keep the stock setup and just put SS lines on and a good bleed job and be happy with it.

 

[toybm]

Was it necessary to put the 1000RR kill switch on to get the new MC to work? I have a 07 CBR600RR radial MC here that I was going to put on my F4i and keep the stock run/kill setup... however I have seen other pictures and mocked it up briefly and it seems like it will work no issues.

Tho recently I have just decided to keep the stock setup and just put SS lines on and a good bleed job and be happy with it.

I intially was going to do that but when I tried it with the original switch assembly on, the master would hit my birdcage, there wasn't enough room to move it where I wanted it. I also didn't like where the brake lever ended up in relation to how it fit my fingers and the proximity to the original switch housing when pulled. But it will indeed work, just a matter really of if you could find a comfortable position for it.

 

[ScoTTY88]

Interesting things. I think I'll just keep the new radial MC for parts and stick with the stock setup. Some new EBC HH pads, Goodridge SS lines and some fresh dot 5.1 should do the trick.

 

[FZ1Oakville]

Nice work so far --

 

[toybm]

UPDATES

I haven't ridden the bike for some time now and it has just been lying around so I decided to install a few things I got a while ago, FActory Shift Kit and Ignition Advance. So, here come the photos.

After draining oil, unplugging the ignition pickup, taking the clutch cable and clutch side engine cover bolts off, the cover is removed to reveal the clutch and ignition rotor. Actually getting the cover off was not really difficult but stressfull.

Side by side of original rotor and factory rotor

factory rotor installed

Time to install the shift kit, which is made up of a new shift star, arm with roller bearing and spring all behind the clutch assembly (yippie).

Clutch cover, springs/ bolts and a few plates in engine cover

Crack that big nut!

Some tissue just in case something wants to fall somewhere I didn't want it to

Side by side of shift parts

Where are those springs and bolts

Time to clean gasket surface and install engine cover, clutch cable, plug in ignition pickup, new oil and start.

Bike started up first turnover and sounds great, now I'll have to wait till next year or maybe brave it in 5 degree weather in November (I doubt it).

Oh yes I also installed a 14 tooth drive sprocket, wanted to go with bigger driven sprocket but chain was too short. I'll see how this setup works.

 

[Freestyle72]

Nice work man. I am loving all the photo documentation. Especially the comparison shots of the parts.