Dub_cubs baby blade

Dub_cub 89

RMS Regular
Messages
2,599
Location
Norn iorn
Drives
Evo 6 / cbr400rr
So having passed my direct access back in September last year I began looking for my first bike, not wanting to bite off more than I could chew and with a modest budget I had my eyes on old the 400s. I looked at a few that were too tired and some of the better ones I looked at couldn’t be bought for what I felt was sensible money. Fast forward a few months to January and I spotted this nc29 in Letterkenny...
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I went to view it and to be honest it was the dirtiest wee bike I’d seen in a long time... I’d seen cleaner dirt bikes coming out of fields. I took it for a wee blast and it felt a lot nicer on the road than its first impression had led me to expect, it was basically mechanically sound bar a couple of slight niggles... headlights weren’t working and the fork seals were hanging out of it, but easy fixes and it wasn’t dear so I couldn’t turn it down.
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I began by giving it a damn good clean and tidying up the wiring and refurbishing the forks while I registered it up here in the north again (it’d been up here before until 2012)

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So with the quickest of MOTs that was me officially on the road as a biker :grinning:

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My first proper outing was with a few RMSers for a wee run up the coast from Carrickfergus and within a matter of weeks I’d had it the length and breadth of the north and up to the north west 200...
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Dub_cub 89

RMS Regular
OP
Dub_cub 89
Messages
2,599
Location
Norn iorn
Drives
Evo 6 / cbr400rr
While up at the north west I kept looking for other nc29s but I only spotted one which made me realise how rare these have now become. I did however get a real good look round an absolutely mint wee vfr400 which was parked beside me on portstewart strand and it’s condition made me feel the need to make improvements to my own... and so it began...

The rear frame was rougher than I expected: Jap stuff loves to rust!
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I cleaned the rust from the inside of the petrol tank using electrolysis:
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It looks like a new tank inside now, really pleased with the result.

All sent off to get blasted...
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and made the most of the hot weather by getting the bits and pieces painted.
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Dub_cub 89

RMS Regular
OP
Dub_cub 89
Messages
2,599
Location
Norn iorn
Drives
Evo 6 / cbr400rr
Then the kit arrived, it was like Christmas mornin :laughing:

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So over the last couple of weeks I’ve been polishing away at anything that might come up nice and reassembling...
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Also bought it a new stubby exhaust because I felt the old one was oversized for the bike and once I’d taken the indicators off the back as part of the tail tidying it looked even bigger (indicators are now integrated into the new LED taillights)
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So this is how it sits currently, I’m waiting on a few more wee carbon fibre bits and pieces and the tank is going to get painted and stickered up shortly
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Dusty

RMS Regular
Messages
1,090
Location
Co Armagh
Drives
Honda CR-V
Looks really well. I remember having an opportunity to buy one of these at a really really good price and just not having the money at the time because we were just into the house. Devastated at the time, more devastated now!!
 

migs

RMS Regular
Messages
243
Location
Cookstown
Absolutely stunning transformation! Fair play to you, especially when you see the state it arrived in! The only thing I don't like is the stubby exhaust lol Get yourself a period Micron, would tie in so much better lol

Health to enjoy that!
 

Dub_cub 89

RMS Regular
OP
Dub_cub 89
Messages
2,599
Location
Norn iorn
Drives
Evo 6 / cbr400rr
Some job! Is was hard to start on our run out, have you tackled that?

No it’s still hit and miss on the starting, times it’ll fire up straight away and then times it takes a bit of turning as you seen, it’s not bothered me enough as it’s never refused to start...yet! The plan is to address this once it comes off the road for winter when it gets too cold... yes I’m not as hardcore as some of you lot who ride all year round. The first step was to clean the rust from the inside of the tank and replace the inline fuel filter, and I’ll work my way throughout the bike over winter, I’ve already got visions of the kitchen table covered in dismantled carburettors and eating Christmas dinner on the sofa lol
 

Chris666

RMS Regular
Messages
7,430
Location
Larne
Drives
Often
No it’s still hit and miss on the starting, times it’ll fire up straight away and then times it takes a bit of turning as you seen, it’s not bothered me enough as it’s never refused to start...yet! The plan is to address this once it comes off the road for winter when it gets too cold... yes I’m not as hardcore as some of you lot who ride all year round. The first step was to clean the rust from the inside of the tank and replace the inline fuel filter, and I’ll work my way throughout the bike over winter, I’ve already got visions of the kitchen table covered in dismantled carburettors and eating Christmas dinner on the sofa lol
Perfect christmas then :grinning:
 

Gareth

RMS Regular
Messages
4,992
Location
Belfast
Drives
Honda's
If you have done the tank and fuel filter then it can really only be carbs or plugs. Is the fuel vacuum fed or have a fuel pump? If it's vacuum, check for a split in the vacuum hose.

Next up is the carbs. Get them out and get them apart and clean everything, thoroughly. Change the plugs while you're at it, best time to do it. You can be guaranteed that you won't be the first to have those carbs off, and you might also need to replace the carb rubbers when re-installing. Make sure the main and pilot jets are the correct size too, bad jetting just causes more issues. Balance the carbs too, it's real easy to do. I'll dig out my write-up on how to bench-set them before befitting and fine tuning them.

If you get stuck with anything, give me a shout, more than happy to help out.
 

Dub_cub 89

RMS Regular
OP
Dub_cub 89
Messages
2,599
Location
Norn iorn
Drives
Evo 6 / cbr400rr
If you have done the tank and fuel filter then it can really only be carbs or plugs. Is the fuel vacuum fed or have a fuel pump? If it's vacuum, check for a split in the vacuum hose.

Next up is the carbs. Get them out and get them apart and clean everything, thoroughly. Change the plugs while you're at it, best time to do it. You can be guaranteed that you won't be the first to have those carbs off, and you might also need to replace the carb rubbers when re-installing. Make sure the main and pilot jets are the correct size too, bad jetting just causes more issues. Balance the carbs too, it's real easy to do. I'll dig out my write-up on how to bench-set them before befitting and fine tuning them.

If you get stuck with anything, give me a shout, more than happy to help out.

Very much appreciated, I’d say I’ll have a question or two alright, it’s been a good few years since I even seen a carb. I’ve new NGK plugs here for it but they’re not in yet.
 

mikey

RMS Regular
Messages
1,874
Drives
Celica
Almost bought a silver and black one of these for my first big bike. Would still love one! It would be a coin flip between CBR and VFR as I couldn't pick a favourite.
 

Dub_cub 89

RMS Regular
OP
Dub_cub 89
Messages
2,599
Location
Norn iorn
Drives
Evo 6 / cbr400rr
Almost bought a silver and black one of these for my first big bike. Would still love one! It would be a coin flip between CBR and VFR as I couldn't pick a favourite.

I’ve not ridden a vfr to compare but anybody who has had both usually prefers the VFR to the baby blade, but apparently they’re more awkward to work at because of their compact frame and engine layout so I was happier spannering at this for the first bike, I do love the noise of the vfr though.
 

Apis

RMS Regular
Messages
4,073
Location
NW
Drives
various
Almost bought a silver and black one of these for my first big bike. Would still love one! It would be a coin flip between CBR and VFR as I couldn't pick a favourite.

Or an RVF? Would be hard to walk past one of those if the budget was right.
 

mikey

RMS Regular
Messages
1,874
Drives
Celica
Or an RVF? Would be hard to walk past one of those if the budget was right.
Don’t much like the styling of the RVFs although gave serious thought to a cracking one for sale in Lisburn a few years ago. Low miles. £3k at the time, no doubt appreciated since then.
 
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