Tightwad's Vfrness Install On 5th Gen (2000)

[Lobster]

I'm not sure if I am one of the first to put the VFRness on a 2000 VFR, but Tightwad was looking for some fit / finish information for how the kit worked on the 2000/2001 models and I promised him I would take notes and post a quick how to. Overall, the product is well made and Tightwad was helpful in answering a few of my dumb questions.

I still need to ride around on the bike for a few hours with the new harness just to make sure all is OK (don't ask...work has been hellish) and I also want to check for the signal wire issue and check the charging voltages. I haven't had any R/R problems yet (knock on wood) so I don't expect any issues post install.

Sorry is a few of these steps are "duh" in nature...

Remove the seat.

Remove the tail fairing (six allen bolts and four wire harnesses to the tail lights)

Remove the battery box cover.

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Disconnect the battery wires...watch the little nut on the bottom side of the connector!

The R/R is located on the left side of the bikle under the tail fairing. This should be pretty obvious once the fairing comes off.

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Remove the two bolts holding the R/R in place. be sure to watch for the nut on the back to fall off, or be prepared with a long, twisty magnet to retrieve them when they fall...ask me how I know that one.

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There are two wiring harnesses coming from the R/R. You only need to unplug one of them...the clearish colored one. Leave the white one connected.

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I also took the time to gently push / prod the stock wiring harness as much out of the way as possible. You can see here I zip-tied the harness to the frame rail. Take a few minutes at this point to clean things up, wipe off dirt, and generally try to straighten up anything which looks "hangy" or loose.

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Plug in the connectors of the VFRness...one goes into the factory plug, and the other goes toward the R/R. They will only fit one way. Now it's time to start thinking about where you want the extra wires to route. Honestly there isn't a lot of room to play with, and I recommend playing with a few options until you get something neat and tidy with no kinks in the wires. I guess you truly don't have to unbolt the R/R completely, but I think it helps to have that loose to play with wire route options. (The two loomed wires in the center are the new harness.)

Step 1

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Step 2

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Step 3

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Tightwad recommends bolting the harness ground to the R/R itself...I'm sure to save some wire and some space. I double checked the ground there and it was present as long as I scraped a little paint off things to get a good contact (although the wire has a ground through the harness anyway...I also found). You could perhaps grind some paint from the sub frame and make a new ground if you like.

The "extra" 20 amp fuse has plenty of wire to be put somewhere you feel comfy with. I chose to put it more or less right next to the stock 30 amp fuse. (Don't forget to change the 30 amp fuse to the supplied 20 amp fuse.)

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I also purchased the access plug panel, and with the Sargent Seat I had plenty of room to install it just aft of the battery box. Install is pretty easy...the purple wires connect the relays to each other...then just wire up pos and neg to the battery terminals.

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Getting the extra wires onto the battery terminals using the stock screw took a little effort. I stuck a small pick under the nut on the terminal so it would be held up high enough to allow me to start the bolt and cinch everything up. I also had to trim a little of the battery box cover away to make it fit over the new VFRness wires.

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Once you get that done, you're done. Check to make sure all the electrics work and the bike starts. Do the charging test (as recommended by Tightwad and many others here...) and then put everything back together.

I will update this post with my charging test results and the sensor wire fix (if necessary) as soon as I get a chance.

If I missed something, or you have questions, please chime in.

[Tightwad]

Thanks for the great writeup Lobster. I noticed my included leads are quite a bit longer that needed. I will shorten them for an easier install. On the 1998 model I did, we put the fuse holder on the other side of the main fuse, it could even be doublesided taped there if someone wished. I found it easier to change the fuse if it was a bit looser tho.

The signal wire is an easy test...if the relays trigger when you hook up the leads, they the sensor wire is live.

Nice work, and do be sure to check your charging system before and after to be sure it all works, and see any improvement.

[bear22099]

An easy way to get the nuts to stay up on the battery connections is to slip a short piece of vacuum line under the nut and leave it there. It will hold the nut up, and as a nice side effect, it will also keep the nut from falling out when battery is removed.

[Tightwad]

An easy way to get the nuts to stay up on the battery connections is to slip a short piece of vacuum line under the nut and leave it there. It will hold the nut up, and as a nice side effect, it will also keep the nut from falling out when battery is removed.

That is an awesome idea....vacuum line going in my battery posts from now on! ( I was going to say under my nuts but.....)

[RolandHTG]

I installed the 98/99 harness on my 99 tonight. Nothing to add to the post above except results plus I have 2 questions. Since I am leaving on atrip Wed am I was in a hurry and did not paln ahead, just did it. Went in without any problems. For some reason I bolted the ground lead to the back of the subframe (same bolt just other end) A lot harder to do, after seeing how Lobster did it I can't for the life of me figure out why I decided I needed to do it the hard way. Also, I fogot to swap the 2o amp for the 30 amp before testing. What is the theory behind going to a lower amp fuse?

Anyway, I fired the viffer up and the results so far are dramatic. From 13.3 at idle to 14.0 and 12.5 +- .2 at 2500 to around 13.5 +-.2. I did not go for a test ride as the rear cowl was off but I did let the engine warm a bit up to about 150 f and there was no change.

So I don't plan to relocate my ground wire. I will swap the fuse as that is a no effort job but am very curious why we are downgarding the fuse rating.

Thanks for a good product and quick deliveryTightwad!

[Misspent Youth]

Nice install. Looking forward to underway test results (as opposed to operating in the garage) before I order mine. Not that anyone cares, but I did the whole "add new grounds, buttonhook new positives into the main battery cable, etc." which meant soldering in my new upgraded R/R, so I'll have to restore the stock setup first and then add the VFRness. My current charge runs 14.06-14.09 at 5K, with volts dropping from .09 to .06 as rpms rise. I'd like to get a solid 14.6 or so from the VFRness, in addition to a tidier install than my current home-wired setup. Thanks for the install post!

[Tightwad]

Nice install. Looking forward to underway test results (as opposed to operating in the garage) before I order mine. Not that anyone cares, but I did the whole "add new grounds, buttonhook new positives into the main battery cable, etc." which meant soldering in my new upgraded R/R, so I'll have to restore the stock setup first and then add the VFRness. My current charge runs 14.06-14.09 at 5K, with volts dropping from .09 to .06 as rpms rise. I'd like to get a solid 14.6 or so from the VFRness, in addition to a tidier install than my current home-wired setup. Thanks for the install post!

If you already did the additional grounds and positive leads, my Harness will not add much if anything. My harness simply does what you did with no wire cutting or soldering needed, strictly Plug and Play.

I would say 14.09 may be the max your system will carry, unless you buy a new regulator.

[Misspent Youth]

If you already did the additional grounds and positive leads, my Harness will not add much if anything. My harness simply does what you did with no wire cutting or soldering needed, strictly Plug and Play.

I would say 14.09 may be the max your system will carry, unless you buy a new regulator.

Could be. I'll go ahead and install yours just to get the tidier install, alone, even if the volts didn't come up.

[YoshiHNS]

the pictures are down. Figures the one weekend I go to do it.

[Tightwad]

the pictures are down. Figures the one weekend I go to do it.

I can get any pictures you need, but it is fairly straight forward install. The one thing I don't explain well enough is that the VFRness fits INBETWEEN the existing R/R 6 pin plug, and the bikes 6 pin plug. The Stator connection is not touched at all.

Joshua

[Ron Mexico]

Just wanted to throw a plug out ther for the Vfrness. Its well made and has restored my confidence in my bike. Thanks!

[Polarbear]

Am I the only one who can't see the pics in this thread?

c

[Tightwad]

Am I the only one who can't see the pics in this thread?

c

Not sure what happened to the pictures Lobster posted, they were (are?) hosted separately from VFRD. I can't see most pictures from work so I can't tell what the issue might be.

The pictures shown are of a less refined model that was used for initial fit, I haven't had the opportunity to install one myself on a 2000-2001 model, but the 98-99 model would be very similar.

[Polarbear]

Am I the only one who can't see the pics in this thread?

c

Not sure what happened to the pictures Lobster posted, they were (are?) hosted separately from VFRD. I can't see most pictures from work so I can't tell what the issue might be.

The pictures shown are of a less refined model that was used for initial fit, I haven't had the opportunity to install one myself on a 2000-2001 model, but the 98-99 model would be very similar.

Yeah, I was just killing time, hoping to find something that would give me an idea of what to do when I get your harness (ordered to you and sent by you a few days ago according to usps notice-thanks btw). Your instructions should be fairly dumb-proof anyway, right?

Cheers,

C

[Guest seanwfd]

I just got my VFR (98) last week and I received my VFRness today.

It looks like that My R/R has been replaced with something different (Black connectors, and kinda bigger, I think)

The R/R is pretty much fully covered with the paint as in the pic. Should I remove the paint around that area for the ground loop?

[Guest da9b20]

I just installed it last night. i really wish Lobsters pics were still up for the 5th gen installation. anyone else got pics?

oh, i put the ground on the back of the R/R bolt. im looking at pics and seeing some people put the ground on the R/R, is that a good idea to have the R/R a ground?

[Crewwolfy]

is that a good idea to have the R/R a ground?

I believe the entire body of the R/R is a ground. I recall a short fireworks display and blown fuse while testing currents once. I know some R/Rs are designed this way.

[swas]

is that a good idea to have the R/R a ground?

I believe the entire body of the R/R is a ground.

I don't think it is important to have the RR body grounded, the units I bought thru Tightwad weren't internally connected to ground for instance. The mounting bolts will ground the RR body anyway. What is important is to connect the green wire from the Vfrness to a good grounding point and to have the RR body as snugged up to the metal of the frame as is possible even using heat transfer grease to eliminate air pockets. Some computer heat transfer compounds are full of metallic particles, I don't think that expense is warranted, we used to simply use silicone grease before the white gunk became available many moons ago.

Although this part of the frame gets warm from engine and exhaust heat, it is still much cooler than the internals of the RR can reach when in full bore (there was a recent post where this was elaborated to its full extent). The idea is to shunt this potential heat out to the frame as best as possible and keep the electronic bits inside at least as 'cool' as the bike frame, a computer fan may or may not assist but it sure satisfies that niggle in one's mind about doing all one can!

Mike

[Tightwad]

is that a good idea to have the R/R a ground?

I believe the entire body of the R/R is a ground.

I don't think it is important to have the RR body grounded, the units I bought thru Tightwad weren't internally connected to ground for instance. The mounting bolts will ground the RR body anyway. What is important is to connect the green wire from the Vfrness to a good grounding point and to have the RR body as snugged up to the metal of the frame as is possible even using heat transfer grease to eliminate air pockets. Some computer heat transfer compounds are full of metallic particles, I don't think that expense is warranted, we used to simply use silicone grease before the white gunk became available many moons ago.

Although this part of the frame gets warm from engine and exhaust heat, it is still much cooler than the internals of the RR can reach when in full bore (there was a recent post where this was elaborated to its full extent). The idea is to shunt this potential heat out to the frame as best as possible and keep the electronic bits inside at least as 'cool' as the bike frame, a computer fan may or may not assist but it sure satisfies that niggle in one's mind about doing all one can!

Mike

Very well said!

[Tightwad]

I have updated my website to include the pictures that were originally posted here. The biggest difference is I no longer cover the ground wires as I had feedback that it was too hard to stash the wiring with the extra bulk (and there really isn't a need for it). You can see the pictures here:

VFRness: http://www.wiremybike.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_4&products_id=270&osCsid=5e1672bbebc6c63ebef178cc5a4f272f

VFRness Bundle (same pictures): http://www.wiremybike.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_4&products_id=271&osCsid=5e1672bbebc6c63ebef178cc5a4f272f

Install is the same nearly for a 1998-1999 as well, just the connectors are different, and there is no relay.