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  2. That is a nice looking machine! Are you gonna replace your VFR800X?
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  6. Looking good! Enjoy it.
  7. I agree that there are many hoses on the 5th and 6th but most of the extras are just associated with the rear pedal. At the front its no different to any other twin disc i.e. hose from master to a splitter, then individual hoses to the callipers.
  8. Welp, sadly I crashed after loving this bike for 14 years. Located in San Diego. Clean title. Two-owners, I bought at 24,620 miles in 2011 and it now has 73,750 miles. Bike's not a looker, but runs just like it did before my 35 mph spill on the highway. I don't have the heart or time to get her back to road-worthy condition. Would be a good parts bike or if you fab'd up a headlight mount you could run it as-is. Too many parts and upgrades to list, but they're all documented in my maintenance log (linked below). A video and a bunch of photos also linked below. A couple noteworthy upgrades: Penske 8981 rear shock w/second spare spring (can't recall spring rate, but I think it is for ~170lbs riders, the current shock spring is for my weight of 180lbs), front forks revalved and resprung by Jamie Daughtry and added cap adjusters, Power Commander, new-ish stator and RR, brand new drive sprockets and chain (stock gearing), bunch of stock/spare parts, other stuff I'm forgetting :-). Email please!: mstucken@gmail.com Photos & Video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/U9nLVJkEr8rY4XUj9 Maintenance/Upgrade Log: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bRgewcVuD4SUnzSY7Kl4jqfzbq65Dgu-eijlkkIOcP0/edit?usp=sharing
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  9. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273826520551 Seem to be some around. This is one example
  10. DCBS - The gift that keeps on giving.
  11. HEL do a build a line service, where you can either get them to build it to your specifications or you get a kit of fittings and pre cut lines https://www.helperformance.com/hel-custom-stainless-steel-braided-brake-lines
  12. Thanks...that is really helpful. I think I will hang on for a 2014-2016 caliper to come up.
  13. She finally arrived
  14. How about just replacing the front ones? I don't care about the feel in the rear brake or the responsiveness of the combined portion of the breaking. I'd like to have a better feel in the front. I'm thinking of taking off the whole front brake line assembly and having a custom set made. All of the aftermarket sets are 8 hoses + 3 or split fittings at 700€ or something crazy like that. I believe I can have the front portion made in braided steel for much less, like 200 or less.
  15. I've done 2 braided replacements, 5th and 6th gen and it's by far the biggest improvement in braking feel. Step by step, it's not that difficult. I did it, twice, so it can't be that hard.
  16. Hi Tim. The calipers on the 2017 onwards model are different from those on your bike. They are similar or the same design as the CBR1000R and have no pad retaining pin. I notice that the fork lowers have different parts numbers between the 2014-16 ( 51420MJMD11 and 51520MJMD01) and 2017 on (51420MJMD31 and 51520MJMD31) models so there is a chance that the mounts were redesigned as well. I cannot absolutely confirm that they won't fit but there is a risk. Out of interest, why do you need a new caliper?
  17. The 6th gen has a lot of brake line with eight hoses vs. the usual three. Changing to stainless braided is a big improvement on feel and modulation. It's big job but I would do it again. Combined brakes on the 6th gen (one of six pistons slaved to rear brake) don't bother me at all. Combined brakes on the 5th gen (two of six pistons slaved to rear brake) really do.
  18. Hi I need a replacement front caliper for my 2014 VFR 800. I've seen a pair of calipers on Ebay from a 2019 bike. They are Tokiko calipers and look almost identical...but I can't see the pad retention pin's in the Ebay calipers. It looks like an evolution of the design...possibly a different pad retention system? Does anyone know if they are cross compatible...Will I be able to fit them to my 2014 bike with existing rotors etc?
  19. I finally found a twin headlight for the Zephyr 550 Cafe/Scrambler, for a reasonable money, 25€, second hand, you used to get these for 35-40€ new but now days they are close to 100€! Also now has a orginal handlebar fasteners for it.... Just need to get that spaghetti (electric) sorted....
  20. keny

    Anything goes!

  21. Last week
  22. Hello Fabio, Clean the pistons and sliding pins, then chane de fluid and live with it. Yes I have changed brake line over the years (on VFR, VF, RC51 and recently Morini), but found that ethetics was the most improvment. If one feels that VFR's brakes are inadequate (after cleaning) then I'd spend my money of buying fuel and improve braking skills by riding a lot. Throwing money at parts will never improve the underlying skillset. Reading the road, anticipate... YMMV...
  23. For 5 gallons of rust removal solution add 2000 grams citric acid, 1300 grams baking soda, and a dash of Dawn dish soap to distilled or soft water. Soak for 12-24 hrs. It'll remove the rust, and leave the paint. Add the baking soda SLOWLY or it will foam like crazy.
  24. Unless you wanna do a brake swap i.e. eliminate the DCBS getting rid of the the stock lines is probably the best upgrade you can do bang for buck. I rebuilt my calipers when I did the lines so it was a big improvement. Yeah the initial bleeding is time consuming, but not difficult. Just be prepared to do it right. Vacuum tool, hoses, proper line wrenches, plenty of containers etc. FYI I freakin hate brake fluid even more than coolant or gear oil. Yuk.
  25. On both my 5 and 6 Gen bikes, I have replaced the rubber hoses with HEL steel braided lines and went with CL brake pads (Formerly know as Carbon Lorraine), mostly due to the amount of track riding I was doing on my 5 Gen and liked their performance enough that I also put them on my 6 Gen. They have a more progressive feel and a lot less fading than the EBC HH pads I had on previously. Both bikes also have ASV shorty levers, so I do get a little more finite adjustment to play with lever reach/pull. As for Terry's comment, I too noticed that my 6 Gen front brakes have a bit more feel to them and just slightly a bit more bite than my 5 Gen. It's possible that the 5 piston activation from the front brake lever on the 6 Gen, versus the 4 piston activation on the 5 Gen could be a contributing factor, as both bikes have the same pads and after market rotors. If I were to make an observational comment, I think the brake feel on both bikes improved when I put on the steel braided lines. Another comment on my 5 Gen though, I have not been riding it like I use to, due to several reasons but since I commute on my 6 Gen, I always make sure it's kept in good running condition, so essentially more attention to things like brake pads, oil and coolant levels and most particularly, the clutch and brake fluid. My 5 Gen has kind been sitting for sometime so I have not been paying as much attention to it like my 6 Gen. I recall when I was track riding it, the front brakes felt really good, well, the whole bike in general. Hopefully soon, I'll give the 5 Gen a once over and see if it feels like I remember it.
  26. Vinegar is acid. Weak acid, but still acid. Maybe start with a Evaporust type solution first, as it will not harm paint and works very well. It is re-usuable up to a few cycles too. Biodegradable when you are done. Just make sure to not let the aluminum of the cap and fuel valve stay in contact for long periods, it doesn't play nice for some reason.
  27. Ok, thanks! Honestly, we've worked on quite a few older bikes and can't recall a design like the VFR's... Ever. It just seems so odd that all of that stuff is solid. But, it is what it is 😆... I read on here, on a different thread, about using vinegar to soak and clean the tank... Have you ever done this? I wouldn't think it would hurt anything, but since that stuff can't be removed I'm afraid of messing it up. If I use the vinegar and let it soak for a couple of days and then rinse it out with gas, I'm hoping it will be ok. Thanks for posting on this so quickly! I appreciate the advice!
  28. Negative. You could tip the tank on its side and with some tubing and a funnel run some cleaner thru the lines from the face where the fuel valve mounts. Then blow them out real good. But you are still at the mercy of the strainer mesh.
  29. Hi Everyone! I'm working on an '86 VFR700F with my Dad and I was wondering... Is there some way to remove the fuel pickups in the tank? There's some rust from where the PO left it sitting for a long time and we're trying to clean out the rust that has developed. We were soaking the tank with vinegar but just wished there was a way to take the pickups out and clean them! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! TIA!
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    1. med_gallery_491_3463_298783.jpg

      Juniper Pass

      I took a day off from work and also from my bicycle training to take out the Veefalo one last time before the weather turns ugly, supposed to snow the rest of the week and possibly start sticking to the ground along the Colorado Front Range. I took a leisurely pace up hwy 105 toward Morrison and got reacquainted with the bike since its been over a month since I took any sort of twisties on it at all, hwy 105 is a scenic ride along the front range between Denver and Colorado Springs, its mostly easy fast sweepers and lite traffic so its a favorite road of mine when going north. Then I have to negotiate a bit of traffic near Highlands ranch and up hwy 470 into the mountains. I decided to take the Morrison Exit and try either Lookout Mountain or head up Golden Gate Canyon - this time it was Lookout Mountain, I was sort of making it up on the fly as I went along. Lookout Mountain is my old bicycling haunt from my days while I was working at Coors, its a killer ride and all uphill - I don't think I could do it today If I had to, not quite there yet! I saw a whole bunch of riders doing it though and wished I was in shape enough to be there doing it as well. 30 more lbs and I will be able to do it! On this day I would do it on the Veefalo instead.

       

       

       

       

      I took a video from the gateway to the top at the Lookout Mountain State Park, getting past riders, the guy in the green jacket actually pretty much astounded me with how far he had gotten in the short time it took me to set up my camera, some 3 miles at least and up to the gateway from the turn off at hwy 6! Amazing I thought. I took the first two turns slow then got more comfortable as I went up further, till I was doing well, I made some gearing mistakes and took the tight 15mph marked hairpins in the wrong gear so I lugged it a bit on one or two. Still enjoyed it though and then got off at the top and hiked over a rock outcropping for an overview of the road for the pictures below.

       

       

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      Lookout Mountain - Golden Colorado

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      Zoomed in

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      Lookout Mountain Park top of the mountain

      From there I headed up interstate 70 to Idaho Springs for a beer at the Tommy-knockers brewery, I was the only customer in the joint - slow day for them so they treated me like a king! I got a nice tour of the place sort of impromptu, they made me a nice Pastrami sandwich on rye and with the brown ale it was fantastic. I must say the beer is much better there than in the bottles - its always good at the brewery. I am glad I stopped

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      Tommy-knockers Brewpub Idaho Springs

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      Idaho Springs Colorado

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      Mashtuns and fermenters

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      Rows of fermenters

      I finished my lunch and since the road to Mount Evans is right there I headed up Squaw pass hoping to get in some nice pictures I wasn't expecting what I found, ICE IN ALL THE SHADY PARTS

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      Icy patches on Squaw Pass definitely taking it easy on that road

      There were some section where the ice covered the whole road for 300 yards or so I had to roll through it with my legs out to help keep the bike from sliding and falling over, I took it real slow. A Ford pickup was right behind me so I pulled over to let him pass but the guy was going slower then even I was so I pressed on - in places where I could see I just cut over to the oncoming lane and out of the ice where the sun was shining on the road more, but some places there was not alternative so I just had to go slow, good thing it wasn't slick but rather they tossed some gravel over the worst parts so I had some traction!

      I did stop for pictures in all the best spots

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      Echo Lake at Mount Evans showing off my new plate

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      Elephant Butte Park and Denver

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      Close up

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      Veefalo on Squaw Pass

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      Juniper Pass

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      Juniper Pass

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      Mount Evans

      My route A is home B is Tommy-knockers

       

    2. martinkap
      Latest Entry

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      Not that it matters and not that I expect anyone had noticed, but to those who sent me "where are you?" I would like to say I am back. Not only that I am officially returning to VFRD after nearly 2 months break but I have also ridden my Hawk last weekend and had FUN! Let me restate that; I had major fun riding! Something I have almost given up on.

      Most of you have been riding your whole adult lives and riding is not only a hobby to you, it is part of you. But I started riding three years ago and even though I have encounter some setbacks, till this spring I loved riding with whole my heart. However, I have always considered riding as my hobby. As a hobby which suppose to make my life better, more fun and more rich. Life is too short to do something which we don't fully love.

      My love of riding received a first major scar this spring: I lost a friend on the racetrack. He was a total stranger who offered me his help after I lowsided at CMP track last year. I still remember hearing his "Hi, my name is Todd, do you need help?" while I was duct-taping my roadrash from ripped jacket. He helped me straighten up the shifter and we kept in touch. The next time we saw each other was the day he died.

      With 9 months delay, I can say that Todd's death shook me more than I have realized. It rooted fear in me which was fueled by seeing and hearing about others getting hurt over and over again. If I was to summarize this year - it would be one big accident report. I became sensitive to every broken bone, every roadrash, every lowside. And even though I did 10 track days this year, I became slower and slower and slower. Suddenly, I have acquired this 'grandma' riding style on the road, frozen with fear that behind every corner there is car standing in my lane, or major sand trap or deer staring at me ... I was crippled with fear not only for me about also for my fellow rider.

      So, at the end of this year, I rode more and more by myself. I could not bear the feelings of responsibility for others on the road and my lines were crippled by my own fears. It all culminated this fall at WDGAH. In a freaky accident Love2rideh82crash was taken down by a truck crossing into our lane. I was done. I finished the weekend, locked the VFR into a garage and took a break.

      Until the last weekend, I pretended that motorcycles do not exists. As a last instance after 2 months break from riding, I decided to go to CMP track to see if I can still have fun. I also felt like I should go for the memory of Todd. I went and I had fun! I had much more fun than I expected and the most fun on track I can remember. Suddenly the whole track connected into an uninterupted line of turns and I felt one with the bike riding around! I was giggling like a little girl in my helmet and keep on giggling ever since smile.gif

      Granted I was not the fastest one and through out the weekend, I have never exceeded about 60% of my riding abilities, but I had no "oh-shit" nor 'blond' moments. I could have maybe go faster, I could have brake later for the turns and I could have lean further, but I am no Rossi nor Stoner. I decided to ride for fun and I had amazing blast riding well within my comfort zone.

      I was proud of myself when, after bandaging Ricks arm, I was able to distance myself and go back to riding without the year-long fear. I did feel bad for him but the feelings were not crippling my lines nor my mind. And when a total stranger came to me and said "Hi, my name is Todd", my heart stopped for a minute though but I suddenly knew that my life went a full circle. I probably will never win MotoGP :idea3: , but I am back! :wheel:

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