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| i.p.phrealy |
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i.p.phrealy
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Mr Calendar
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 Posted: 11:59 - 31 Mar 2014  Post subject: |
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I like. But then I like older bikes.
If that's all you needed to do to improve then it's in good nick.
Shame with the cock-up of brake fluid over the tank.
On the front brake it looks like a cover that were popular for Honda to fit in that era. Not sure if there's a replacement (modern) conversion.
BTW panels on old bikes get broken because I've found old plastic becomes more brittle/less flexible. So taking on and off panels is likely to break/snap something.
Could do with a respray/rematch of the panel colours.
Enjoy 
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?  |
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| i.p.phrealy |
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i.p.phrealy
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Posted: 12:19 - 31 Mar 2014  Post subject: |
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the VT500C (shadow) has a standard looking disc brake, so I may see if I can swap them.
a repaint will be done at some point, but I like the slight scabbyness! 
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it is impossible to lick your own elbow...
and if you just tried you need professional help.
Finally allowed a big bike 19/03/14! |
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| Moxey |
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Moxey
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| Posted: 13:12 - 31 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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Inboard discs, Honda had a thing for them for a bit during the 80's (a friends VF 400 had them) prone to overheating and brake fade under heavy use, if your swapping out it looks like the VT 500 Ascot had a standard external brake disc
Dad had the VT 250, it was a nice little machine but started kicking out blue smoke after a while I recall, don't know if the 500's suffer similar (think it was the rings but then it was half the CC and highish revving).
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anthony_r6
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Mr Calendar
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| Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike
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Posted: 16:13 - 31 Mar 2014  Post subject: Re: Back to the 80s, Honda VT500E |
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Remember, disc brakes on bikes were a novelty in the 70's.
European bikes like Guzzi's and BMW's used cast iron discs like cars. They were powerful and predictable, and resistant to fade, but they looked horrible and rusted before your eyes.
Japs used stanles discs, cos they looked nicer; but they weren't as grippy, so initial take up on the brake meant they felt wooden, then they bit, provided they weren;t wet, then they got hot and faded out. They weren't nice.
A lot of folk still reckoned that drums were in many ways 'better' than discs, and in some ways they were right. Drums, have a self servo effect, a very progressive take up, and can be huge with enormouse friction area, and with finning on the outside of the drum, even more heat-sink and cooling area. They could also be lighter. Alloy slippers for the shoes, alloy drum with thin iron liner, and all the stresses contained within the hub, no need for heavy caliper or discs as well as hub and wheel spokes; in fact, bigger the drum, less spokes you needed.
Now... heady days of the technology race, the Japs pushing innovation to market as rapidly as possible; AP-Lockheed; just down the road from us in Leamington, were playing with a few then 'new' technologies. First of which was 'non metalic' braking materials; carbon fibre discs, ceramic pads and the like.
Other was the 'rim disc'
Made a re-appearance fifteen years later on the Beull:
https://www.diseno-art.com/images/buell_brakes.jpg
Basically, bigger the rotor, the more braking torque you get for caliper pressure, so you can make everything lighter, and dont need to have such a strong wheel hub and spokes to take brake torque from rim of disc to hub and back out to rim of wheel again. So win-win. But you have to mount the caliper inside the disc rather than outside to get greatest effect.
Anyway, Honda NR500, was a rolling test bed for Hondas advanced materials technology... you want the 'real' Silver-Dream-Racer (now we ARE talking 80's!), probably the closest thing. Rather concervative aproach to using the stuff, where Heron / Gallini & Armstrong were using F1 car construction techniques to make monochoc chassis, around honey-comb section; Honda were experimenting with wound filiment, self supporting tube, to mimic conventional steel tube frames; BUT they also experimented with C/F and ceramic brakes, and principle of the rim-disc.
And the Inboard-Disc was the road-going spin-off.
Its a a tiny cast iron 'inside out' rim disc, pretending to be a Drum. On the CBX550, the discs were even compound radially vented, two thin disc castings with radially finned heatsink between the two friction faces, which was advanced even for cars at the time. Dont know whats in the drum on other models... I'm still suffering PTSD flash-backs from the one on the CBX!
Anyway; principle was, that the cast disc had the progressive take up and power of cast iron discs, with the look of a traditional drum, and without the questionable wet weather performance of a stainless disc, and some weight saving.
Paving the way for the turn around they did over the entire V-Four hype a couple of years later.... insisting that V4 was the only way to make a water-cooled four compact enough to fit into a motorcycle without compromising ground clerance and handling.... The inboard disc was quietly dropped from later new models!
I believe it was first launched on the CBX550 of 1981; a veritable shmorgas board of Honda's technological wonders of the era, including self adjusting, self destructing cam-chain tensioner; cast alloy mono-shock rear suspension; and TRAC anti-dive forks.
Lack of linkages on your bike or big embossed TRAC acronym cast into the fork leg suggests you have been saved that little nightmare.
Now, when the VT was nearly new, there was a common conventional disc conversion, I THINK using the front wheel and fork legs from an XBR500.... same third gen Com-star wheel
However; its an authentic 'feature' on yours, personally I would keep it, it IS a novelty and a talking point, and a bit of motorcycling history..
They were maligned, BUT, poor maintenence and neglect was probably as much to blame as poor design 'principle'.
Out-of-sight out of mind; they often didn't get any attension until folk heard backing plates rubbing on disc; by which point floating caliper would probably be well gummed up with pad dust, sticking pistons, float pins and all that malarkee... all BLUDY hard to get at.
But, if cleaned out regularly, so that air could get through that cooling scoop; and the venting in the disc; they WERE remarkeably quite good, at least in my experience on the 550, which did have two of them up front. May be a tad more marginal on your bike, that looks like it probably only has a single disc in that drum. But, properly serviced.... ought to be more than adequete and better than many brakes of the era.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?' |
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Mr Calendar
Joined: 14 Jun 2004
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Posted: 16:32 - 31 Mar 2014  Post subject: Re: Back to the 80s, Honda VT500E |
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tl;dr version...
Give them a clean and service and give them a regular clean so air can pass through and they should be fine. They're a feature of the bike and motorcycling history.
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger? |
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| i.p.phrealy |
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i.p.phrealy
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| Efes123 |
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Efes123
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| BravoCharlie |
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BravoCharlie
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| Posted: 17:24 - 31 Mar 2014 Post subject: |
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don't know if it's normal of a 21 year old, but i'm loving all these older bikes getting posted lately. sucks about the fluid spillage, but i like that bike!
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Current: Kawasaki ZL600 Eliminator
Past: Suzuki GZ125, Kawasaki GT550, Kawasaki GPX600R, Honda vrx400,Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Suzuki SV650 K5
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today. |
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i.p.phrealy
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| Shaft |
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Shaft
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| Posted: 00:16 - 01 Apr 2014 Post subject: |
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I bought a 6 month old one to courier and it was OK in town, but it didn't really like speed; it would hit 70 easily enough, but show it a hill and a headwind and it was struggling, which also showed up a weakness in the clutch.
I didn't think the inboard disc was any better or worse than anything else, performance wise, but getting the front wheel in and out was like somethng from the Krypton Factor (old skool reference for you there ) but I would keep it, you don't have to do that job very often.
I got mine up to about 30K, then sold it to the courier firm I worked for; a fortnight later, an oil seal shat itself at full noise on a motorway, dumped the entire oil contents on the road and lunched the engine, so watch out for that hidden pleasure 
I remember it as a kind of lighter, smoother, better handling, but pointlessly more complicated Super Dream.
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Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035 |
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| STONEY! |
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STONEY!
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| Efes123 |
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Efes123
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| Posted: 10:17 - 01 Apr 2014 Post subject: |
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Only real problem I had on mine was overheating. Tracked it down to a failed water pump. Managed to buy a 2nd engine on fleabay for £100, so got loads of spare parts.
There does seem to be a general design flaw on the starter motor where the blocks (don't know the proper term) get out of alignment and it sticks sometimes.
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Honda VT500 ED - SOLD
Projects Suzuki GS125 Done, then stolen - Kawasaki GPX750R SOLD - Honda VF750S SOLD |
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| i.p.phrealy |
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i.p.phrealy
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i.p.phrealy
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| Posted: 18:29 - 03 Apr 2014 Post subject: |
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So had another look at things today, trying to work out why it won't run smooth at 50.
thought this was a bit odd:
https://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y475/i_p_phrealy/DSC_1264_zps48a9fa7f.jpg
this vacuum pipe runs to the back of the petcock, and I can't see cable ties being tight enough to get a working vacuum.
so two hose clips later:
https://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y475/i_p_phrealy/DSC_1265_zpsee14c158.jpg
started spraying carb cleaner down the air inlet as a "For Now" until I get enough time to get the carb off and clean it, but hopefully it should help a bit.
also started looking at the body work, noticed there was a bolt missing from the front faring, so decided to have a look to see what size bolt was in the other side.
Dafuq?
https://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y475/i_p_phrealy/DSC_1267_zpsde359379.jpg
so, out came the M6 bolts and penny washers!
going to take it out for a bimble in the morning as i'm having my tea now!
Glad i'm at Mrs.Phrealy(pending)'s house at the moment as there are NSL roads within 250 yards.
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it is impossible to lick your own elbow...
and if you just tried you need professional help.
Finally allowed a big bike 19/03/14! |
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| UnspeedySam |
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UnspeedySam
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| i.p.phrealy |
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i.p.phrealy
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| Posted: 18:54 - 07 Apr 2014 Post subject: |
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| UnspeedySam wrote: |
As far as the inboard disc brake goes, I would stick with it if it works. As I'm forever having to rebuild brake calipers that have seized up with UK road salt. In theory your bike shouldn't suffer from that. |
yeah, decided I quite like the fact it's a bit quirky.
bit of an update, I flogged this today:
https://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y475/i_p_phrealy/DSC_1249_zpsc092d983.jpg
Bye bye to my Chinese 125  , got me into biking, got me doing rides for various BCF Bike Picture Challenges and it also made me want to go for better, also means I have some funds for stuff like food, petrol and any bits I may need.
did a bit of panel repair.
superglued the broken peg on with poundlandtm superglue as it doesn't really stick anyway, and drilled a hole through the panel. then I sank a small machine screw into the hole:
https://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y475/i_p_phrealy/DSC_1275_zpsf87b83e5.jpg
so it was like this:
https://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y475/i_p_phrealy/DSC_1272_zps59ad9704.jpg
used a bit of bodyfiller and I screwed the broken bit of peg back on:
https://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y475/i_p_phrealy/DSC_1273_zpsa9e1e296.jpg
filled the other side, but I'll smooth it down before I give it a going over with paint, guitarist of my band is getting his compressor back so he's said we can give it a respray properly.
Couldn't do much else today as it was a bit wet, however Mrs Phrealy (pending) bought toffee and pecan muffins!
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it is impossible to lick your own elbow...
and if you just tried you need professional help.
Finally allowed a big bike 19/03/14! |
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| slowlydoesit |
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slowlydoesit
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| Efes123 |
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Efes123
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| Posted: 17:23 - 08 Apr 2014 Post subject: |
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| Knacker |
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Knacker
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| Posted: 18:34 - 08 Apr 2014 Post subject: |
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Is it weird that I find this ugly yet awesome! (No Offence) 
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| trevor saxe-coburg-gotha |
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha
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| i.p.phrealy |
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i.p.phrealy
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| Posted: 23:07 - 09 Apr 2014 Post subject: |
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Efes123 the muffins were from Greggs.
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it is impossible to lick your own elbow...
and if you just tried you need professional help.
Finally allowed a big bike 19/03/14! |
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Efes123
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Posted: 17:15 - 10 Apr 2014  Post subject: |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 10 years, 12 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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