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Worth reviving a 1993 Honda CBR900RR that's been sitting for four years?

35K views 220 replies 21 participants last post by  VFR750F3 
#1 ·
Coworker of mine has a 1993 Honda CBR900RR. Black and orange colorscheme. It's been sitting in a wood shack for four years because a previous tenant left the motorcycle behind. It's abandoned. It has a fireblades.org sticker on the back of it but clearly a careless owner.

Question I have is if it's worth going through the restoration/repair process for this bike? It owes over $700 in back taxes because it was never put into non-op status in California and in order to register it is a huuuuge fiasco (lien sale, sell to me, I try to get a new title, etc. etc.). I'm thinking I wouldn't ride this on the street much because I don't want to bother paying $700+ in fees. Maybe I'd convert it into a track bike but I feel like there are less collectable bikes out there that would be better suited as a track day bike... Just wondering what anyone here thinks about it. I've considered having a family relative in another state register it under their name to avoid the taxes and then I insure and ride it. But, again, a lot of trouble for a 25 year old bike...

Thoughts? I haven't seen it in person yet so I can't even decide if it's not total garbage yet. The one picture I saw made me think it's at least not completely busted but who knows. The engine might be completely destroyed AFAIK. Assuming it's just abandoned and not destroyed - what would you do?
 
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#2 ·
Black and RED?

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For $700 a non running RR that would eventually cost you, say $1700 to get road worthy, is surely worth every penny.

Making it a track bike might even cost you more money in trick track parts.

The one in the above pic was mine from 94-99, and if I had to put a value on the man hours and parts I put in it, it was a $30,000 bike. I sold it in 1999 for $11,500.00. Still less than a brand new 99 model if I remember correctly.

I bough this (below) non runner (sat for the better half of 5 years) for $500. Put some sweat equity in, and a full rebuild including rings, etc. probably got $4,000 into it now all said and done (man hours included), but it’s fairly custom too.

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I also saved a 99 that had a chunk of engine case missing from under the stator. Had it welded, cleaned it up, painted the engine, all sorts of trick track bits, but got it for FREE because it was abandoned. In a few years it will be vintage, and won’t need a title in CT in order to register it if I want.

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My opinion is totally biased, as I’m sure others will tell you. I’m a sucker for carbied 900RR’s. So when I say go for it, you have to take it with a grain of salt :rotfl:
 
#4 · (Edited)
Yeah. It might be black and red. It looked orange in the pic I saw but the color scheme looks the same.

Well, I'll check it out and at least see if the engine isn't destroyed. Any suggestions *besides* starting it up (since that would probably just make things worse) to see if the engine isn't just exploded internals? EDIT: Doubt I could start it anyway. There's no key.
 
#6 ·
I think so. So do a lot of others on here. Here's my before and after. I paid $800. You be the judge.

Super fun to ride. Lighter than most 600's. This is the bike that changed everything. It's really a piece of motorcycle history. If you don't want it, someone on here will.

Between Ebay, Craigslist and Amazon, we've gone to a "worth more in pieces" mentality about old bikes. They are just disappearing. Get her while you can before she ends up scattered on Ebay.

DD
 

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#10 · (Edited)
Checked it out today. It's got a lot of work ahead of it. Body work is in decent shape. It was definitely a track bike (or wanted to be) at some point because it has all the safety wiring done.

There's quite a few mods but I can't tell 100% what's stock and what isn't. There are some strange things on the bike and the person who had this clearly loved to record video with it.

https://imgur.com/a/GHJCA

It has about 28k miles.
 
#13 ·
All of our bikes start somewhere... if you have the time and the budget to restore and bring her back to life she is definitely worth saving.

Someone at some point was doing things with her, the wire locked bolts on the clip ons make me curious that there may be more interesting things to find within.
Even if you bought a better bike you'd only end up spending the same amount on it to make it your bike.
 
#16 ·
Yeah, I think it even have a lithium battery. I remember picking it up and thinking, "Wow, this thing is really light even for a motorcycle battery. Must be from being so dead." But it was a Shorai battery and they only sell lithium. So... that's probably why it was so light. I'll probably buy a CTEK lithium battery tender if it'll be compatible. I'll have to check the battery to make sure.
 
#17 ·
What do you guys think would be the best steps for starting a restoration/rebuild/get-working-well-tion of the bike?

I haven't picked up the bike yet but I want to... The reason I haven't: it's complicated - lien sale process is very long and drawn out here in California but I am thinking of picking it up early and just working on it before I legally own it. Guy who has it in his wood shed doesn't think there would be a problem with me doing that. I'd also rather get started on it and get it running before potentially paying $700+ in taxes only to find out the bike would be impossible to get going because the engine needs to be replaced.

So with the mindset of: I want this bike running and moving before I really start replacing/rebuilding everything, what should be my order of operations?

I'm thinking:

1. Drain the fuel system
2. Inspect and clean the gas tank thoroughly (possibly seal it? Suggestions?)
3. Take apart the carburetors and rebuild them (with a new gasket kit from here maybe? Honda CBR900RR Carburettor Kits )
4. Replace oil, oil filter, spark plugs, and air filter. Battery either replaced or recharged.
5. See if it starts. (Is there an easy way to hotwire these bikes because I don't want to buy a new set of locks and keys so quickly)


From there, it seems like the sky is the limit on what to replace/rebuild. I'm sure the front forks could use new oil and seals. The tires will need to be replaced. I don't know if rotors and pads are okay with sitting for four years in a damp environment.

Anything else?
 
#18 ·
Comments below

I'm thinking:

1. Drain the fuel system Yes
2. Inspect and clean the gas tank thoroughly (possibly seal it? Suggestions?) Yes; if necessary but I'd come back to it after #5
3. Take apart the carburetors and rebuild them (with a new gasket kit from here maybe? Honda CBR900RR Carburettor Kits ) Yes, after trying #5
4. Replace oil, oil filter, spark plugs, and air filter. Battery either replaced or recharged. Yes, but I'd remove and clean the spark plugs but only after #5. Spark plugs are expensive and if they were good when the bike was last run, to my knowledge they should be fine left idle for 4 years.
5. See if it starts. (Is there an easy way to hotwire these bikes because I don't want to buy a new set of locks and keys soYes, after #5 quickly)


From there, it seems like the sky is the limit on what to replace/rebuild. I'm sure the front forks could use new oil and seals. The tires will need to be replaced Positively, but after #5. I don't know if rotors and pads are okay with sitting for four years in a damp environment. Should be fine as long as there hasn't been any oil on the pads. Rotors are steel and can be cleaned.

Anything else? Yes, but after (say it with me)...#5
 
#19 ·
Kind of on the heals of what Jay is saying; make sure the engine turns over freely (wrench on the right side small access cover clockwise). Take the plugs out and toss a bit of engine oil or penetrating oil down the holes. Let it sit a bit. Then give it a go with the wrench.

If it turns without excessive force (you’ll know if it’s too tough to turn), then go to the next step.

If you don’t want to spend the money on a new battery, use jumper cables from you car (car NOT running), and hook them up. Bridge the 2 poles on top of the starter solenoid to see if the starter works. If the starter spins, in turn spinning the engine freely you can pretty much bet you’re good to go. If you still have doubt, you can always do a compression check then too, just keep the throttle WFO while turning the engine over.

If that all goes well, then clean the carbs and see if it will run on a remote tank. If it runs, check the tank to see if it’s salvageable. If there has been fuel in it all this time, you can pretty much call it FUBAR and will have to source a used one. If it’s been dry all this time you may be in business.

Then proceed from there. :thumb:
 
#20 · (Edited)
I feel like a new-used tank is going to be quite costly and difficult to find. I figured I'd be able to salvage it with one of the cleaning, rust removal, and sealer kits that's available on the market. They seem to be nothing more than some nice soap, rust remover, and then colored epoxy.

Alternatively, something like this method:
 
#21 ·
Of course the new-used will be the more expensive route, I added that as a worst case scenario.

I’ve never used a remover, cleaner, sealer. So I can’t comment on that, but I did get a used 96 tank last year not because of a rusty one, but a significant damaged one. I had no choice. I think I paid $175, and it was a bad silver repaint, with poor cleared over, crooked decals.

But they are out there, but buy wisely. Anything over $200 is not a deal.

I stripped mine, with this stuff from HomeDepot. It was biodegradable and supposedly better than “harsher” chemicals. It worked well, needing a few applications, but worked.

The problem was what I found underneath it. Both sides had bondo, and it was in rough shape. So I re-did the bondo’d areas a little better (first time working with body filler ever), and did a quick prime. It’s a metallic blue now on my track bike, but it holds fuel without leaking, so it’s good to go.


Motor oil Drain cleaner Cleaner Fluid Plastic


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Grass Lawn Plant
 
#22 ·
Got the bike today. Removed the fuel tank and emptied it as best as I could. But, with no key... it's kind of hard to do anything. Was expecting some kind of freak sludge to rush out but it was clear gas. Smelled like normal gas. Not sure how I am going to dispose of this stuff.

Any suggestions for how to open the fuel tank without a key? I can jerryrig up some hacky gas thing but I need to get this bike started.

The lithium battery read 0v exactly when I tried to read the DC voltage difference between the terminals... Never seen a battery /that/ dead before. Before I go buy a new battery, how do I get the fuel tank open and how do I get the ignition going?
 
#28 ·
Yes, no way to get it off with out ruining both without the key.

Try this. Pull the ignition out of the triple tree. Check the cylinder for a 3 digit code. It should be stamped into a steel portion of the cylinder. That’s the key code. Go to your Honda dealer and give them the code. They should have a tool to cut you a new key that will then fit everything.

The code is generally a letter with 2 numbers. I.E. D26
 
#29 ·
Well, I'm far past that stage. Already took a drill to it. Isn't working... frustrating. Have to drill more, I guess. Honda (auto) dealers around here don't offer new keys for motorcycles. Guy told me to call a honda motorcycle dealer and see if they can order me one... but I'm slightly skeptical. Most places here sell a bunch of bikes and are not really in the business of selling parts.
 
#30 ·
I should have clarified. Yes, you have to go to a Honda Morotcyxle dealer. The auto dealers are just mainly component changers.

The cycle shop should have the means to buy the key blanks and make it happen. That’s the only way to get a key to fit what you have.

Or just ruin everything and get a Chinese replacement of everything.
 
#32 ·
Got it finally. Took a pretty large drill bit to get it and at an angle to finally get it to release.

A lot of metal shavings got inside, unfortunate. However, the inside looks absolutely perfect. I didn't see a single bit of rust and I did check as many angles as I could and put my gopro in to get a better angle. I should use a mirror on a stick to really check but I'm convinced it's fine... In some ways, I'm not surprised. The previous owner clearly liked this bike for track daying and what not. I'd guess they might have done a treatment to the inside. It's 100% grey inside, which is unusual for a coating IMO. Most coatings seem to be some kind of bright color to make it clear that you've applied a coating.

But, hey, I'm not complaining. Only complaint I have is that I can't drain the thing completely because there are some things inside the tank that won't let stuff out. There's some orange filter thing that is stuck inside for the main fuel outlet. I'd like to remove it and put a new one in (the current one is slightly damaged from what I can tell). Not sure if that's a replaceable part or not but it's definitely stopping stuff from draining from what I gather.

You don't buy a $200 battery for a POS bike. ;)
 
#39 ·
Tough call. The original one will probably leak when you put fuel through it, so it could come in handy, but you might get away with just putting the original one back in.

If it were mine though, I would have a new set up. As I did for both of mine. But like I said before, im crazy and don’t always make the “cheapest” decisions lol.
 
#40 ·
I don't think it was leaking when I was moving it around but maybe it was too low on fuel for me to tell. There was quite a bit that came out though.

Maybe I'll see if it starts leaking with the old one and if it does then I'll get a new one.

For now, I haven't gotten the thing to start yet (no battery). So, I'll wait around.
 
#43 ·
I'm not really too worried. Regardless of the bike I got, it was most likely that I'd be doing about 80% of the things I will be doing. I like starting mostly new with any car/bike purchase (in terms of maintenance schedule). I can't really trust the maintenance schedule of the previous person.

The only thing that would be off putting is if the engine or transmission was completely toast. At that point, I don't think I could do much with the bike because some of those parts aren't available OR they're ridiculously expensive. ($750 for a new crankshaft - ow) I mean, if I need a new crankshaft or pistons or something major besides new rings then the whole engine would require blueprinting and then finding out the entire thing is either toast or would require $1000+ in machining *plus* all new parts - and I have to pray after machining I can even use any of the OEM parts. Not worth it - for me. That's the scenario where either I get really gung-ho about this bike and try to buy a used engine (eh) or just part it out instead. I haven't registered the bike yet so I'm not in the hole much financially.

Right now, I'm mostly just trying to get it running AND if it doesn't run then I want to make sure I can part out the bike. In this case, the fuel tank is in what appears to be wonderful condition (internally at least!) and if I was to sell it to someone, I should remove the fuel cap anyway. And since I wanted new keys for every lock, I decided to buy the kit. I could've waited on that and just tried to hotwire the thing but I'm impatient and it's only $29. It'll probably arrive around the same time the battery does. Replacing the ignition seems easier than trying to hotwire and potentially messing up. So, it's done. :)

I'm not too worried abut this overall. I knew going in that it had potential to be a very intense project *or* that I'd have to part out the bike. Either is fine with me. Learning experience either way. ;)

For reference, I had read this: https://jalopnik.com/im-going-to-overhaul-this-legendary-honda-cbr900rr-with-1819709178 and then https://jalopnik.com/heres-exactly-what-it-cost-to-rebuild-a-1993-honda-cbr9-1819487774 . And that was with a quite pristine bike in most terms. My expectations were pretty low going in. I mean, the fuel tank is already *way* better than I expected. The oil didn't look black - and it makes sense the guy was probably religious about that with tracking the bike.

I'll be doing some more inspection today and trying to remove all the fairings.

Fun fact: Never knew that gun-ho (that's how I've always heard it and interpreted it as a gun/trigger-happy kind of thing) is actually gung-ho and is Chinese. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gung-ho
 
#44 ·
I didn't see much for '93 cbr900rr'. Great deals from Everett Powersports PARTS IN STOCK | eBay stores

I'll probably buy off ebay if I have to. My question is: Is the fuel strainer going to be necessary if I have a fuel filter? From looking at the fuel lines, it doesn't seem like there is an inline fuel filter but maybe I haven't been paying attention. :p

Yet, there are these parts online for a fuel filter.
 
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