Newbie. Cheap modifications/interchangeable parts?

[07asg24]

Hey all

New member to the forum. I bought an '89 CB-1 on eBay. It was imported from Japan (I think?) in 1999 and has an NC23 engine in an NC27 chassis.

I'll put up some pictures shortly. I'm in the process of doing some street fighter style modifications. I have fitted some flat Renthal bars and have fitted a nice carbon Micron can. I recently fitted a new headlight from a Kawasaki KL650. I had to cut away a lot of the plastic surround, paint it and weld up new brackets to mount it on the bike. I'm really happy with the look of it but unfortunately the beam is pointing at the ground about 7 feet in front of the front wheel so it's going to need a little more work.

I'm posting to ask for a little advice. I am going to replace the crank cases due to one of the engine mounts being broken, it has been welded but it's a pretty poor/messy job. My first question is where can I buy new gaskets and bearings?

I would also like to know what parts are interchangeable between bikes. I don't mind doing a bit of modification to make things fit either. The main ones are a front end to upgrade to twin discs and possibly a seat and cowl, I like the feat and cowl from the super four but it looks like it wouldn't be an easy swap.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[a_morti]

Hi,

Welcome aboard!

Let's have pics please.

Careful with renthals. If you want em, the way to do it is use a top yoke off a cb400sf or some other bikes fit too. Can tend to look a bit rubbish with home made adapters.

Loads of things to do for the twin brakes. Almost any Honda 41mm forks go together. For good brakes, get vtr1000f fork lowers and gold nissin brakes off cbr929,954 or 600rr3-4. For the wheel get 3 spoke off Vtr or 6 spoke off vfr400 or 750 or cbr400 or 600. Years of non 400s about 95-8.

I used a whole 45mm adjatable front end off cbr900. There I recommend 96-7 with gold brakes an wheel as above, see my big thread on here somewhere.

ISTR you can use a cbr600f2 rear wheel fairly easily? On mine I used a cbr400 wheel but thy won't work with original swingarm.

In fact my thread is a good place to start if you want to see what can be done easily an cheaply.

I'd leave the seat alone. It looks good and is in proportion. Any swaps I've seen done always looke too big for the bike. Only one I'd consider would be a mito 125, that'd have to be right for size. But anything like that would mean changing subframes drastically. If you raise the back a bit it looks quite good. IMHO.

If any of that waffle helps then ask I will expand. Do read my thread and a few other before asking though please!

[taxonomy]

Hi,

I have not really found I needed duel brakes on the -1. It doesn't weigh all that much, and I tend not to ride with too high a terminal speed.  If you're not riding on the track the single disc is adequate.

The last year of the CBR600 F2 and all the F3 years have cartridge adjustable for rebound forks that will slide into the -1 lowers.   This is a common swap on the GT650 Hawk.  It allows you to keep the stock wheel, master cylinder and controls without having to go searching for a new headlight bucket and mount for the gauges.

Jamie Daugherty is my go to guy for suspension and he works a lot with the first couple of generations of the VFR, also a linkless rear suspension. He's building me a custom Fox TC for the back of my -1 for $400.  Very reasonable considering custom valving and spring.

There is no good direct rear spring swap as all modern bikes use link suspension and therefore will be underdamped if you simply swap out the spring. 

[a_morti]

Adequate is one thing, but is it enough ? 

I put a single brembo caliper off a mito 125 on my old -1 with an adapter from Spiegler and that was more than adequate.

Cb-1 does weigh about as much as a modern superbike and they mostly have dual radial brakes these days. so that's worth considering, it may have been adequate braking in 1989 but anyone who has ridden newer bikes will expect more.

[taxonomy]

For maximum braking on track smooth surfaces you may want more than the -1 has. I'm not hauling the bike down from triple digit speeds for a 30 mph corner.  The single disk on the -1 is fine for sportriding between 30 and 80 MPH.  If you're going faster than that it's go to jail speeds. You just can's sustain riding like that for long in a world with cops, sand, leaves and dogs.

What makes the -1 such a loveable bike is it appropriate to the job that most of us use it for. The Hawk was very similar.

What the -1 can use in the real world is better damping.  The front is easy, Race Tech Emulators. You can also do the CBR F2/3 upper swap, but it's no better than dialed in Emulators. These Emulator knock offs http://www.debrix.com/41mm-Fork-Damper-Valve-2000-up-Harley-FXST-Softail-p/24-0361-vt.htm also work great. They are only $27.

The CB-1 uses essentially the same fork as the SV650.  It's a 41mm Showa damper rod fork.  With an emulator setup lots and lots of these have won many races.  It's all you need.

The front is 90% of the challenge. For the rear you need a real shock and it's hard as it's not a linkage design. So, nothing off the shelf will really work.

[Efreeman55]

Hagon makes a very nice rear shock for the CB-1.  I fitted one to my bike since the stocker wasn't up to my 240 lb fat ass.  Hagon used a stiffer spring and the shock works superbly.  Wouldn't fit into the 'cheap mod' category though!

Eric

[a_morti]

Hagon makes a very nice rear shock for the CB-1.  I fitted one to my bike since the stocker wasn't up to my 240 lb fat ass.  Hagon used a stiffer spring and the shock works superbly.  Wouldn't fit into the 'cheap mod' category though!

Eric

It comes with a 180kg spring which was too soft for me (with the blade forks). I got a 200kg spring. Should have got a 190kg spring.

I weigh about 170lb with my gear on, bike has stronger blade forks, and I often ride 2-up.

The damping is good, but the whole usable adjustment is within about 3/4 of a turn so it takes some careful setup.