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Howdy everyone! New to VFRD. From New Jersey. Need help/advice


stuffwelike

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On 12/4/2021 at 10:24 PM, mello dude said:

What's the mileage on the bike? Probably the best thing for now is to install a voltmeter up front so you can watch the trend of charging. You'll know then when it's time for the upgrades...And a quick inspection of the stator to R/R connector.

-I'd probably would leave if alone for now since everything is "newish."

 

Sorry, this is the first chance I've had to login. Happy New Year, everyone! 

1,976 miles only. Yep. No truncation there. One thousand nine hundred seventy six miles! A real barn find. 

I can't even ride it yet, being how we're all frozen in New Jersey right now. 

I changed all the fluids to manufacturers recommendation. Put in a new battery. But it needs new tires. Current ones still hold air, but I wouldn't trust it cause they're old. 

I already went to the Hanover Power Sports in East Hanover, NJ. - https://www.hanoverpowersports.com/ 

The Service dept. manager there told me that my bike is so old and his service technicians are so young that nobody knows how to service my bike.

After reading all the advice on this thread, I'm definitely in over my head with the maintenance and modification.    

If I can't find a good motorcycle mechanic close by, I may have to sell this bike as I can't fully restore it myself.

But thank you for all the information. 

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I'm betting that you can get through much of this yourself. Just tackle system by system. I'm not sure about bike tires, but i've been waiting for tires for my car for many months. 

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52 minutes ago, stuffwelike said:

Sorry, this is the first chance I've had to login. Happy New Year, everyone! 

1,976 miles only. Yep. No truncation there. One thousand nine hundred seventy six miles! A real barn find. 

I can't even ride it yet, being how we're all frozen in New Jersey right now. 

I changed all the fluids to manufacturers recommendation. Put in a new battery. But it needs new tires. Current ones still hold air, but I wouldn't trust it cause they're old. 

I already went to the Hanover Power Sports in East Hanover, NJ. - https://www.hanoverpowersports.com/ 

The Service dept. manager there told me that my bike is so old and his service technicians are so young that nobody knows how to service my bike.

After reading all the advice on this thread, I'm definitely in over my head with the maintenance and modification.    

If I can't find a good motorcycle mechanic close by, I may have to sell this bike as I can't fully restore it myself.

But thank you for all the information. 

M8, I'm no mechanic but I was able to service my own '98 VFR800, even the 16k valve service. 

 

What you need is the Service Manual (in the downloads section) and someone to show you what to do. After that, it's not difficult.

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2 hours ago, Skids said:

M8, I'm no mechanic but I was able to service my own '98 VFR800, even the 16k valve service. 

 

What you need is the Service Manual (in the downloads section) and someone to show you what to do. After that, it's not difficult.

You also need a guy named Kanadian Ken to come down and hold a flashlight for you.  He's a world class flashlight holder.  You might have to lure him down with Sleeman's or Molson. 

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3 hours ago, stuffwelike said:

Sorry, this is the first chance I've had to login. Happy New Year, everyone! 

1,976 miles only. Yep. No truncation there. One thousand nine hundred seventy six miles! A real barn find. 

 

Whoa..... does it look like a muesum piece? Does it run? Look in the gas tank, do you see any rust? Dude dont freak out on this, you have a great bike...:beer:

Change the oil, get new tires... ride it! 

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4 hours ago, stuffwelike said:

I already went to the Hanover Power Sports in East Hanover, NJ. - https://www.hanoverpowersports.com/ 

The Service dept. manager there told me that my bike is so old and his service technicians are so young that nobody knows how to service my bike.

 

 

What-in-the-actual-fuck.  It's a goddamn fuel injected Honda.  I wouldn't take ANYTHING to that place.  That's bullshit.

 

"technicians".  Riiiiiigggghhhhht.  Fucking lot boys sounds like.  There isn't any system on that bike that a "technician" shouldn't be familiar with and able to service.

 

And for that matter, "manager".   Another joke.

 

You can learn new things.  Get a Service Manual and start small.  Or drive farther to a REAL Motorcycle Shop.

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29 minutes ago, Captain 80s said:

Or drive farther to a REAL Motorcycle Shop.

I've been on that hunt since I started in the mid 80s...still looking. They're all incompetent thieves stealing your $100+/hour and paying some kid nearly nothing to not work on your bike properly. I have so many stories...and don't get me going on how a car repair place wanted to charge my grandmother to change the air in her tires. We share wthe world with these people. 

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Just now, bmart said:

I've been on that hunt since I started in the mid 80s...still looking. They're all incompetent thieves stealing your $100+/hour and paying some kid nearly nothing to not work on your bike properly. I have so many stories...and don't get me going on how a car repair place wanted to charge my grandmother to change the air in her tires. We share wthe world with these people. 

 

I used to work at a Honda Dealer in the 90's and 00's.  We had real mechanics and we did real work.  You're always gonna disappoint / piss-off somebody at some point, but we cared and delivered.  And when we didn't deliver, we tried to make it right.  Shit happens sometimes, it could be a tough business.

 

There's got to be some out there still.  But your right about most places, they don't have "technicians" any more.  Not even close. 

 

Nothing pisses me off more than paying lots of money for somebody to damage my shit and then get a shoulder shrug and a "sorry" with the dumbest mother-fucking look on their face.  That's when I started doing my own tires too.  If I can't service it, I'm not interested in owning it.  That list is pretty short.

 

 

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Of over a hundred...

 

Honda dealer forgot to properly prep the new VTR 250 my girlfriend bought. It had no front brakes when we tried to leave. 

 

They stuck a tool completely through a plastic engine cover on the FJ1200...and didn't notice. 

 

Subaru dealer let me watch the brake flush so I could learn. They removed the cap, sucked out the fluid, topped it off with fresh fluid, pumped the brakes...and they were done. 

 

It never ends. If your life is important to you, do your own work and be responsible. The hourly savings covers any tools you need many times over. 

 

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20 minutes ago, Captain 80s said:

 

I used to work at a Honda Dealer in the 90's and 00's.  We had real mechanics and we did real work.  You're always gonna disappoint / piss-off somebody at some point, but we cared and delivered.  And when we didn't deliver, we tried to make it right.  Shit happens sometimes, it could be a tough business.

 

There's got to be some out there still.  But your right about most places, they don't have "technicians" any more.  Not even close. 

 

Nothing pisses me off more than paying lots of money for somebody to damage my shit and then get a shoulder shrug and a "sorry" with the dumbest mother-fucking look on their face.  That's when I started doing my own tires too.  If I can't service it, I'm not interested in owning it.  That list is pretty short.

 

 

Someone give you a wedgie today? :laugh:

j/k

 

 

Generally agree, I wont let a dealer tighten a licence plate bolt... 

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I have an independent auto service place that I let work on a couple of my cars.  They are all bike guys too and they know their shit and care.  I really prefer to work on bikes and sometimes really don't want to work on a car.  I don't even think twice about having them do shit, they are awesome. 

 

Also being at a point in life that I don't HAVE to work on a car is pretty nice.  My outer shop is big enough to pull a car in and have good access all around if I need to do something out of the weather.  But it fucks me for getting bikes thru if it's a bigger car, so I gotta have a good plan and time frame.

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4 hours ago, bmart said:

 

It never ends. If your life is important to you, do your own work and be responsible. The hourly savings covers any tools you need many times over. 

 

 

I couldn't agree more.  About the only thing I farm out is an A/C recharge - the equipment is just too expensive to have for a very occasional service. 

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