Motorcycle Parts Fabrication: CBR900RR Chainguard DIY on a 3d printer

The 1997 Honda CBR900RR didn't come with a chainguard, so I thought I'd 3d model one, but I wasn't sure what they looked like, so I did a bit of research.

Honda used the same chainguard on all the mid-late 90s CBRs, so if I can find a CBR600 F2 or F3 or a CBR900, they'd all fit.  If I can't find one I'll cabricate one.

Honda CASE, DRIVE CHAIN (CBR chainguard)

Part # 40510-KY2-700

This Honda 40510-KY2-700 CASE, DRIVE CHAIN (A) fits the following models and components:

Honda Motorcycle 1997 CBR900RR A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1997 CBR900RR AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1996 CBR600SJR AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1996 CBR600SJR A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1999 CBR900RR A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1996 CBR600F3 AC - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1996 CBR600F3 A - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1992 CBR600F2 AC - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1998 CBR600F3 AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1998 CBR600F3 A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1997 CBR600F3 AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1997 CBR600F3 A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1995 CBR900RR A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1995 CBR900RR AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1994 CBR600F2 A - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1991 CBR600F2 AC - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1999 CBR900RR AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1994 CBR600F2 AC - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1991 CBR600F2 A - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1993 CBR900RR A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1993 CBR900RR AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1996 CBR900RR AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1996 CBR900RR A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1995 CBR600F3 AC - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1995 CBR600F3 A - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1994 CBR900RR AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1994 CBR900RR A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1993 CBR600F2 A - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1998 CBR900RR A Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1998 CBR900RR AC Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1998 CBR600SE AC - SMOKIN' JOE'S EDITION Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1998 CBR600SE A - SMOKIN' JOE'S EDITION Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1992 CBR600F2 A - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 1993 CBR600F2 AC - SUPER SPORT Swingarm

Honda Motorcycle 2000 RVT1000R AC - RC51 SWINGARM ('00-'01)

Honda Motorcycle 2000 RVT1000R A - RC51 SWINGARM ('00-'01)

Honda Motorcycle 2001 RVT1000R AC - RC51 SWINGARM ('00-'01)

Honda Motorcycle 2001 RVT1000R A - RC51 SWINGARM ('00-'01)

Stock Honda Chainguard (above)

An alternate design for the same bike:

14cms between the mounting holes on the swingarm.

CBR900rr Chain Guard on Sketchfab

Print that scaled to a 14cm on-centre gap between the mounting holes and it should fit like a glove.  Time to see if we can fabricate something!

Here's the STL file if you want to mess around with 3d printing your own chainguard:  

COVID19 Rapid Restoration: Fireblade for the first time since Obama was President

The Fireblade project has come together nicely thanks to the strangeness we all find ourselves in with the COVID19 pandemic.  With a suddenly extended March Break, I was able to sort out the fairings, get the LED indicators wired up and finalize all the plumbing for fuel delivery.  It was all fiddly, last minute stuff, but with the time in hand it was easy to sort.  The adjustable indicator relay got wet when I cleaned up the bike which prevented the LEDs from flashing, so it got waterproofed and sealed.  The first ride was enlightening...

360° Video from RICOH THETA. - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

That's the first time it's been running since Obama was in office.  It's a very different thing from other bikes I've owned.  I'm a big guy and 50 years old, but the yoga helps with the flexibility needed to ride this machine.  The foot pegs are significantly higher than anything I've owned before, and I'm leaning forward over the gas tank in a much more prone position than on the Tiger.  I was very conscious of the clip-on handlebars and the lack of leverage you have when cornering - steering on an adventure bike is much easier because you've got big, wide bars that offer a lot of pull.  The Fireblade was so much harder to turn (the weight of leaning forward doesn't help) that I actually thought the steering was obstructed, but it wasn't, it's just a lack of leverage.

After the first ride I thought, 'this thing is virtually unrideable!'  But as I was working out the details and getting used to it the riding position started to make a different kind of sense; I think this bike can teach me things.  The centre of gravity is so low, and the bike is so much lighter (over 40 kilos!) than my Triumph Tiger, while producing thirty more horsepower, that it's a significantly different riding experience.  I wouldn't want to go touring with it, but for an athletic afternoon out on nearby twisty roads, it's the instrument of choice.

The inline four cylinder 918cc engine makes a glorious noise when you crack the throttle, and the 'Blade is responsive in a way that makes any other bike I've ridden feel heavy - that's something I could get used to.  On subsequent rides I got my legs into the cutouts on the tank and once locked in place the whole thing suddenly clicked.  It'll take all the core work I've got to work with it, but this machine expects you to take riding as a sport rather than a leisure activity.

So far I'm at $1200 for the bike delivered, $250 in taxes and registration, $280 for a replacement carburetor which I cannibalized with the one I had to create a working one (if anyone needs late 90s CBR900 carb parts, get in touch), and another $200 in parts that included the shop manual, oil and filters and the LED lights.  All in I think I'm at about $2000 on the road and running like it's new again.  Looking up CBR900RRs online, a one a year older model with three times the kilometres is on for $2800.  Low mileage mint ones are going for $6-7000.  I think I could sell it in a year for a thousand more than I put into it.

When the pandemic happened here just before March Break I took home the Structure Sensor 3d scanner and did some scans, which is what you're looking at here...

1997 Honda Fireblade CBR900RR

by timking17

on Sketchfab

It's very satisfying to bring the 'Blade back to life.  Now that the mechanicals are in order I'm thinking about racing stripes.  Amazon has some well reviewed ones on for a good price, I'll give them a go rather than painting them on.

Unfortunately I'm stuck for getting the bike safetied and registered on the road because everything is closed at the moment.  I'll spend the time making sure everything is order and looking to the aesthetic details and hopefully I'll be able to put the bike on the road when we put society back in motion again in May.

1997 CBR900RR Parts, Cables and Hose Routing

Notes for next round of work on the Honda.  Doing it for myself so I can follow what I'm doing on the laptop in the garage, but might help out other '90s Honda Fireblade CBR900 restorers too.

Missing tank mounting hardware:
BOLT, FLANGE (6X40) (missing bolts for front of gas tank)
COLLAR C6.3, MOUNTING

Throttle cable running under the right side of the centre triple fork

Vacuum routing - but not particularly helpful - air vent tubes probably connect to bottom of air cleaner box...

Upper and lower throttle cables are clear in this - they are over the handlebars now (wrong) - and like a burk, I put them together backwards, so you have to throttle off to throttle on - remove carb, remove cables, reroute and confirm on this before reattaching.

I tried a replacement LED in the neutral light - no joy - try reversing it?  Light receiving voltage when in neutral.  Confirm that?  Trace that  neutral switch wire?  

Double check choke cable - seems good the way I had it, but bike's in a choke right now, so no movement of front wheel to check routing when the handlebars are turned.

https://www.bikebandit.com/oem-parts/1997-honda-cbr900rr/o/m143417#sch20267

https://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cbr900rr-fireblade-1997-v-canada_model2523/partslist/#.XbSsz-hKiHv

LINKS:

1997 Honda CBR900RR Service Manual

Very clear images on this one:  https://www.cyclechaos.com/images/9/97/Honda_CBR929RR_Service_Manual.pdf

Online Microfiche for parts:
https://www.hondapartsnation.com/oemparts/l/hon/50541057f870021c54bede5e/1997-cbr900rr-ac-parts

'96 Technical Review Document:
https://mototribu.com/constructeur/honda/1996/1000cbr/doc/revuetechnique_900rr.pdf


Sub Air Filter  Honda FILTER, SUB-AIR CLEANER Part # 17254-KAZ-000
https://www.amazon.ca/Honda-17254-KAZ-000-Air-Filter/dp/B00HPTLPEO
Looks to be a foam filter - might see if I can source an equivalent - take the plastic bit in an size a filter.
https://www.hondashadow.net/threads/sub-air-cleaner.300257/
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hondashadowacetourer/sub-air-cleaner-what-is-it-39-s-function-t11508.html
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/atlas-briggs-stratton-lawn-mower-foam-air-filter-0607024p.html#spc

CBR900RR Bits & Pieces

1997 Honda CBR900RR parts, but I'm buying too many online when I'd rather buy them locally.  For someone who would rather support local business, I'm frustrated at the lack of competent parts people.  Canadian Tire needs to do better.

Fram oil filters:

The oil filter for the CBR is a fairly common filter - but the big Canadian Tire in Guelph didn't have one... or anything else I needed.  It's things like this that force me online to purchase when I'd rather just purchase locally.

Strangely, the Walmart across the street, the only place I can find the Mobil 1 oil Triumph calls on for the Tiger, had an oil filter for the Honda.  Not a great weekend for Canadian Tire.  You can't really brag on having 200,000 parts if your sales rep can't find any of them.


Winter flushing oil:
This is what I'm going to put in the Honda over the winter as it gets sorted.  In the spring I'll do a flush and go with Mobil 1 synthetic.

The only place I can find the Mobil 1 is at Walmart - it's the only time I usually go there.  Since I'm already there for the Tiger, I'll go for 7 litres and do the Tiger and CBR with the same super-oil.  Running the Mobil 1 in the Tiger has stopped any oil burning in it.  It's good stuff.

K&N Filters for CBR900:
https://www.knfilters.ca/honda/cbr900rr/900/1997
The HA-9092-A air filter is a strange thing - I thought the filter element would pop out of the plastic, but it's a single (expensive) manufactured piece.  Finding these is tricky.  You can find cheap, paper filters for about $40 a go, but I found the K&N on Amazon for $120CAD, so that's going in and getting cleaned regularly.  That should pay for itself within three changes.

I'm not in a place where I'm going to put the front end back together again and pop in the replacement LED when it comes in this week.  With the replacement carb from NCK Salvage in hand, I'm going to try and rebuild as much of the Honda as I can over the long weekend (it's Thanksgiving Weekend in Canada).

The Strange World of Dash Bulbs:

12v 1.7W wedge dash light is the warning light bulb needed for a '97 Honda CBR900RR.  These are hard to find - Canadian Tire was no help and the girl at the parts desk in Guelph couldn't remember the numbers for parts, so I gave up on trying to find them.  I want to buy locally, but with that kind of floor help, it just isn't happening.

I found LED replacement lights that should last better and use less electricity in the process on Amazon.

This light search led to a crash course in bulb sizing.  The dash lights on the CBR900RR are T-5 Wedge 12v 1.7W bulbs.  T5 means it has a 5mm base.  In this case they're 1.7cms long on that 5mm base.  The LED should be cooler, use less electricity and be brighter.