Member Contributer Terry Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 My 5th gen has close to 50,000 miles/80,000km and I love it to bits, but I'm also mindful that the bike is 15 years old and not getting any younger. When I bought the bike this year I was under no illusions about its age, and having read the forums here and elsewhere I expected a bike with a reputation for durability (barring some well-documented electrical issues!). I am working my way through expected wear items like the rear shock, brakes, tyres and chain, and I have also replaced a thermostat, and have an upgrade planned for the front end. I've also had a good look at the rectumfrier © and alternator wiring and they look fine, but I would like to be prepared and have an eye/ear out for any other items as they wear. I have ambitions of keeping this bike for a good long time (and I kept my last bike for 19 years!). I suspect that my fuel pressure regulator is on its way out because my fuel consumption seems horrid (33mpg) compared to others here, when I am confident I have little/no brake drag, standard gearing and muffler, no squirrels or other dead rodents in the airbox, the right grade of oil, new spark plugs and no fancy power commanders or the like. And while I enjoy "brisk and spirited" riding on windy roads, I am not using big throttle openings or high speeds and I don't weigh more than the bike, but IMHO the VFR has an unhealthy thirst and sooty tailpipe. Does my diagnosis sound correct? So my question for you higher mileage 5th gen owners is, what items have failed on your bikes at what mileage, and what were the symptoms? As always, I thank you gents (and ladies?) for any and all input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-Oz Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Q: "what goes wrong with age?" A. I'm not as fast as I used to be! But seriously, my '99 has turned 15, has 120,000km on the clock, but I've replaced a LOT of things, even when they didn't need to be replaced! Like front end, rear shock, PAIRs blocked, Air filter, Evo Star (shifter), Pazzo levers, LED dash lights, all other lights/bulbs, etc. and the usual: consumable fluids, brake pads, tyres, chains, sprockets. The things I've never had problems with: fuelling thermostat R/R clutch wiring Valve clearances (checked at 35k, 70k) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldboyracer Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 My 5th gen has 130,00 km on her and is used probably harder than most here I would say , lots of touring on dirt back roads here in oz . I do an oil change every 10,000 km with filter and pretty much ride it till some thing makes a noise or leaks , so far fork seals and rear wheel bearings and the usual chain , sprockets and brake pads are the only things that have failed . Yes I know I should do more but all my touring starts the same , fill with petrol and ride , if I wanted a high maintanance bike I would have a Ducati . And she still runs 11. 5 sec on the drag strip , not to bad for an old girl . I think they pretty much go forever if you keep clean oil up to them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 start picking up bits of bodywork when they come by at a reasonable cost and store for future use... and that is it I think.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Get a voltage meter to keep an eye on your charging system. 33 mpg is terrible! I would check all sensors in the fueling system....something is lying to the ECM~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted July 21, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 Get a voltage meter to keep an eye on your charging system. 33 mpg is terrible! I would check all sensors in the fueling system....something is lying to the ECM~ What checks would you suggest specifically? Other than the fuel consumption, I think the bike runs beautifully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gmtech94 Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 Does it come up to proper operating temperature most have had a partially stuck thermostat which makes fueling a rich mixture . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted July 21, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 Does it come up to proper operating temperature most have had a partially stuck thermostat which makes fueling a rich mixture .yep fitted a new thermostat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfr350 Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 Shorter question might be what doesnt go wrong w age?? Anyway i'm not sure the effect on mpg, but have you synced the start valves yet? My recent first time doing it although not spot on my rolls from a start went from chug to a smooth pull, might have an effect on low to trasition fueling, maybe? Poor injector health might lead to less than ideal fueling. What octane is used? My fuel pump seems to be winding up slower over time, sure its a matter of time now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Recalcitrance Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 60k mi on my '06 and nothing wrong at all. Regular maintenance and the usual checks and I'm good to go. Only thing that went WRONG was the tstat and that wasn't a big deal. Next on the list is suspension and forks but those haven't gone wrong. It's just time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 The rubber bits ( brakes & cooling ), and the wiring are the two things that deteriorate with time alone. Make sure you actually test your charging system voltages with the bike warmed up to operating temp. If you haven't done it already I would suggest going through every connector on the bike including grounds cleaning with DeOxit or similar, and re-tensioning the critical connectors for the charging system. This will prevent problems, and may even solve your mileage issue. It's worth a try before you start replacing components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MadScientist Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 As far as the fuel mileage goes - check out your fuel pressure regulator. The diaphragm inside begins to leak fuel back through the vacuum line. I've had 2 go in the last 3 years/20k miles and I'm currently working on a retrofit of a bosch automotive FPR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Get a voltage meter to keep an eye on your charging system. 33 mpg is terrible! I would check all sensors in the fueling system....something is lying to the ECM~ What checks would you suggest specifically? Other than the fuel consumption, I think the bike runs beautifully. There's a Throttle Position Sensor, MAP Sensor, Fuel Pressure Regulator, Barometric Pressure Sensor, IAT Sensor, ECT Sensor. These all affect the way the ECM reads & reacts to changing conditions with the engine. Any or all of them could be the reason for your poor fuel economy, or it could clogged injectors, a tire fuel pump, etc. If you're not worried about the MPGs, just ride the bike~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 just put some viagra in the tank it will be fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 One thing I've found on two of my long-owned fifth gens, stearing head bearings have gone loose and were replaced by tapered roller bearings. One at about 70,000 mi and the other at 28,000 mi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted July 21, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 Shorter question might be what doesnt go wrong w age?? Anyway i'm not sure the effect on mpg, but have you synced the start valves yet? My recent first time doing it although not spot on my rolls from a start went from chug to a smooth pull, might have an effect on low to trasition fueling, maybe? Poor injector health might lead to less than ideal fueling. What octane is used? My fuel pump seems to be winding up slower over time, sure its a matter of time now. Yes I have done the synch, idle is smoother and throttle take up from idle seems better; the picture below shows the levels after adjustment, however I don't believe this has impacted on fuel use. I run 91 or 95 octane fuel. As far as the fuel mileage goes - check out your fuel pressure regulator. The diaphragm inside begins to leak fuel back through the vacuum line. I've had 2 go in the last 3 years/20k miles and I'm currently working on a retrofit of a bosch automotive FPR. Thanks MadScientist; did your fuel use improve after you replaced the FPR? I'm a little suspicious that I may have kinked/pinched a vacuum hose when I refitted everything after replacing the thermostat so I'll be going through the fun process of pulling the airbox out and checking those, and I'll look for a fuel leak through the FPR vacuum hose at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 At 50K I replaced all 4 throttle body rubber boots because they were getting hard and I replaced all the hoses and O rings in the valley under the throttle bodies because they were about to leak... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 I run 91 or 95 octane fuel. If the bike is basically stock i.e. no ECU trickery or highly modified engine components all you are doing by running high octane fuel is increasing carbon buildup inside your cylinders, and wasting money. Stock VFRs run just fine on 87. I would bet it's a big part of your fuel mileage issue as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted July 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 21, 2014 I run 91 or 95 octane fuel. Our knowledge about gasolines hasn't made much progress; because some people are still buying more octane than they need... A motorcycle manufacture's octane rating has to take into account the vast elevation changes in the USA... that means they must pick an octane based on the fact that you may venture from the highs of Colorado to lows of the Pacific Coast... your engine is more likely to ping next to Pacific Coast than in the rarefied air of Colorado... that means no matter what octane you choose... listen for pings... if you hear pings go up one octane... no pings go down one octane... all in all you may end up burning 87 octane even though the manufacture recommends 91 octane... you just live at the correct altitude that produces no pings... Most engines sport 11.5 to 1 compression and will still burn 87 happily... you may hear your combustion chamber ping once or twice each year... that's not enough to go up one octane... especially if the ping happens on the side of a steep hill in San Francisco while you're incinerating the clutch to get moving from a stop light... Owner manuals suggest octane ratings based on general terms and conditions in order to generate the least amount of complaints... but an engine will always speak specifically to your conditions and with more authority... how??? The internal combustion engines speak in their own language as to the correct octane... the ping or knock is their cry for the next higher octane... no ping means engine satisfied... smart riders start with the lowest octane and work up listening for the ping or knocking... Knocking is defined as an explosive combustion of part of the fuel/air cylinder charge, after burning begins... What the ear hears are the shock waves of the normal flame pattern colliding with the detonated fuel/air mixture... Most gas stations only have 87 octane, and 91 octane. 89 octane is created by mixing, 50/50 of 87 and 91 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted July 22, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted July 22, 2014 91 and 95 are my only options here. The fuel companies promote the 95 as containing cleaning additives so I feel better using the higher octane, but I can't tell any difference riding the bike. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFROZ Posted July 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 22, 2014 Many things go wrong with age, hearing, back, and excess hair growth out of your ears and nose. With a 5th gen, not much. I did a clutch at 64000k's, and front/rear shock around the same time. Apart from that, just general service as you would do at any milage. Mine now has 74000k's and still pulls like new. I get around 320k's out of a tank and I don't take it easy, I've got 400k's once on a particularly boring ride on a freeway at 120kh in sixth. If I'm really revving it (keeping it between 7000 and 10500rpm most of the time), I still get over 250k's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspanglish Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Erectile disfunction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted July 22, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted July 22, 2014 Erectile disfunction"just put some viagra in the tank it will be fine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Bassie Posted July 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted July 22, 2014 I have the 2000 version with 75000km on the clock, issues: NONE. But I do have a new chain-set around to do at the next maint schedule, just to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed_viffer Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I run 91 or 95 octane fuel. If the bike is basically stock i.e. no ECU trickery or highly modified engine components all you are doing by running high octane fuel is increasing carbon buildup inside your cylinders, and wasting money. Stock VFRs run just fine on 87. I would bet it's a big part of your fuel mileage issue as well. I run 91 or 95 octane fuel. Our knowledge about gasolines hasn't made much progress; because some people are still buying more octane than they need... Most gas stations only have 87 octane, and 91 octane. 89 octane is created by mixing, 50/50 of 87 and 91 91 and 95 are my only options here. The fuel companies promote the 95 as containing cleaning additives so I feel better using the higher octane, but I can't tell any difference riding the bike. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Um, guys - you're talking at cross purposes here; UnZud uses RON for Octane, so IIRC, 87 US is roughly equivalent to NZ's 91 (RON) octane. I run 91 usually, and occasionally (like in mid-summer, when the bike can knock slightly at low revs) 98, which also has (allegedly) beneficial properties for injectors etc. courtesy of detergents and whatnot. As for my bike, I'm about the jinx it by saying I've had no major issues, although I've replaced stuff (suspension, lights, wheel nuts, grips, tyre valves, thermoswitch, horns, etc.) just because I could. Had to replace the seat cover because it frayed around the front edge, and the steering head bearings (with tapered roller bearings), and all disks, one at a time because they were U/S. AFAIK, it's still on the original R/R (with a fan on it for the last 9 or 10 years), and the current battery's been in it so long I can't remember how old it is; maybe more'n 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.