Jump to content

This Is Gold!


criticalmass181

4,890 views

blog-0322350001419785625.jpgHow's this for a good start? Keep in mind, this engine is over 200,000 kilometers old. I started into it, over the weekend, and was going to go to town on it. Something this old SHOULD be showing signs of wear, right? It'd be in need of major work.....right? Well.....no, actually. The next time someone says to you that your VFR is getting a bit long in the tooth, keep this entry in mind. The cam lobes are literally unmarked. All of the warranty yellow marks are uncracked, and there's no real need to go any further, as far as i'm concerned. If I were made of money, i'd go for it, regardless....but i'm not. There are much better things to blow my hard earned on, than speculative rebuilding. The engine has no pair valves (none, as in the castings are left unmachined.), so that's off the list. The carbs are perfect, and all I need to do is hit the whole thing with some glass bead, to make it all shiny, and that's about that, for this bit. If it ever goes pear shaped, i'll drop it back out of the bike, and play with it then. For now, though, why fix something that isn't broken?
  • Thanks 2

5 Comments


Recommended Comments

Brilliant and makes me feel really good. Why? I have a VFR750 I bought new in the UK in 1988. About 338,000kms, or 210,000 miles and I have couriered on it, raced at Brands Hatch, been all over Europe and then bought it with me to New Zealand, where I now live. Bought and engineering business afew years back and we do bike and car engine rebuilds. Classics, V8s, diesels, trucks, anything. And the guy who runs it is a mad biker, with 13 bikes. So who better to work on it?

Back in the UK I had a bike shop specialising in VFRs are started the VFR Owners Club back in the mid 1990s. SO I know a little about them. Took it into be looked over and anything that needed fixing was going to be done. Like you, everything checked. Very slight wear on the barrels, just need a hone out. Rings fine, compression fine, carbs fine. Been dynojetted pretty much since new and got a race Renegade system on it with K&N air filter. So we'll do the hone, replace the rings, (be silly not to) and replace the clutch basket bearings as they are a little rattly. But apart from that, everything is fine.

So moral of the story is use your VFR. They can take it and their reputation as one of the best made over engineered bikes ever made is well deserved. I'll do many more miles on mine, I reckon I'll stop before it does! And I had a new 1998 VFR800 as well. Much quicker, smoother etc, but prefer the old 750. Like a pair of old slippers, after 32 years, we're kinda mates now and can't see me binning it!

Thanks for your story, makes me feel that we haven't missed anything on mine. These really are frigging good bikes......

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

They are. I have owned most of the makes out there and I have never had any issues with a modern Honda. I say modern as I once owned a 1975 CB500T. NEVER, EVER, get one!! Lovely bike but made of the softess metals they could find. Complete engine rebuild, including worn out cams, at 23,000 miles. Only made them for 18 months or so (from memory), as they were so shocking, and then went to the better 500cc engine. So anyway, didn't put me off Hondas, so I didn't learn my lesson, and now been a VFR fan since I bought one new in 1988. They just do what they say on the packet, and very well too.

Link to comment
On 3/24/2020 at 6:32 PM, pjtvfr said:

Brilliant and makes me feel really good. Why? I have a VFR750 I bought new in the UK in 1988. About 338,000kms, or 210,000 miles and I have couriered on it, raced at Brands Hatch, been all over Europe and then bought it with me to New Zealand, where I now live. Bought and engineering business afew years back and we do bike and car engine rebuilds. Classics, V8s, diesels, trucks, anything. And the guy who runs it is a mad biker, with 13 bikes. So who better to work on it?

Back in the UK I had a bike shop specialising in VFRs are started the VFR Owners Club back in the mid 1990s. SO I know a little about them. Took it into be looked over and anything that needed fixing was going to be done. Like you, everything checked. Very slight wear on the barrels, just need a hone out. Rings fine, compression fine, carbs fine. Been dynojetted pretty much since new and got a race Renegade system on it with K&N air filter. So we'll do the hone, replace the rings, (be silly not to) and replace the clutch basket bearings as they are a little rattly. But apart from that, everything is fine.

So moral of the story is use your VFR. They can take it and their reputation as one of the best made over engineered bikes ever made is well deserved. I'll do many more miles on mine, I reckon I'll stop before it does! And I had a new 1998 VFR800 as well. Much quicker, smoother etc, but prefer the old 750. Like a pair of old slippers, after 32 years, we're kinda mates now and can't see me binning it!

Thanks for your story, makes me feel that we haven't missed anything on mine. These really are frigging good bikes......

Hi, that wouldn't be Peter Thruscott by any chance?
If so then I remember being in the club way back in 1998 and going to you shop down in Goring-by-sea Worthing which became Sussex Rolling Road with a dynamometer tuning system.
I had a 1998 VFR800 FiX which was one of the limited edition 50th anniversary UK editions with the red, white & carbon paint scheme and other mods.

I still have a near identical VFR800 bike, albeit with Ohlins rear shock and a few other mods.

Best regards,

 

Tony Howard

East Grinstead

Link to comment
Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.