Abs Modulator Removal

[Volfy]

I too love GPI. It is the reason I'm unwilling to get the Bazzazz bomb. Now that I am used to having one, every time I jump on the S3R, which doesn't have one, I find myself having to change mental gears, pun intended, back to a more primitive way of riding.

It's like having a smart phone. I lived for decades without one and never thought of it. Now, I can't fathom not having one.

Anyhow, what are you doing for headlights?

[2thdr]

I wish I just had a red light that would tell me if I was in 6th!

To the OP, in a previous post when I accused you of being coy with what you were doing, I still don't see where you said that you were doing a naked project before I asked the question. I understand now why you don't want some obtrusive bit of hardware projecting off the frame like a tumor. However, I don't think I deserved the snide remarks. Anyway, sounds like you are on your way to an interesting if not difficult project...good luck.

[BiKenG]

I wish I just had a red light that would tell me if I was in 6th!

I always used to say that all that's really needed is a light to indicate first gear and top gear. That's all you really need to know, but the add-on GPIs are a revelation. Back in the early 80s when I worked for HUK, they introduced the VF750S (the first V4) and it had a really trick all electronic dash that included a GPI. We loved the GPI and mistakenly thought all bikes would have one from then on. Only took them another 20 years or more to realise what a good idea it is.

In fact, some manufacturers still seem to not get it. Despite the engine being able to have a sensor and the dash being certainly capable of displaying it, the new Ducati Monster 1200 has NO GPI. It's a lovely bike, but I'm dumbfounded that they thought NOT giving it a GPI was a good idea.

To the OP, in a previous post when I accused you of being coy with what you were doing, I still don't see where you said that you were doing a naked project before I asked the question. I understand now why you don't want some obtrusive bit of hardware projecting off the frame like a tumor. However, I don't think I deserved the snide remarks. Anyway, sounds like you are on your way to an interesting if not difficult project...good luck.

I'm sorry, but we seem to be reading different threads. In post #14 I explicitly stated I intended to "remove the fairings and make a naked bike" and that is before you made reference to my withholding information in #16.

I am also unaware of having made any snide remarks, In fact, I'm sure I did not so I'm completely puzzled by your remark.

But let's not dwell on this as actually discussing bikes is of greater interest to all us.

[2thdr]

Like you say, it doesn't matter...

Do you have a line on a bike yet? I want to follow this build if you really do it. I have moved to the naked bike as my favorite, coming from a 6th gen VFR. Even though it's not a V4, I think my little CB1KR is a great bike.

[Volfy]

Great looking streetfighter! The Yoshi carbon stubby is a classy touch, and whole lot better than the extruded elephant dung that came with the bike. What's with Honda and ugly cans?

You still riding up in OK this time of the year? This morning cold wind is starting to beat me up pretty bad on the S3R. It'll probably be mostly VFR1200 from this point on (I ride yr round). I need to get a flyscreen or bikini fairing.

[2thdr]

Great looking streetfighter! The Yoshi carbon stubby is a classy touch, and whole lot better than the extruded elephant dung that came with the bike. What's with Honda and ugly cans?

You still riding up in OK this time of the year? This morning cold wind is starting to beat me up pretty bad on the S3R. It'll probably be mostly VFR1200 from this point on (I ride yr round). I need to get a flyscreen or bikini fairing.

Yeah the little flyscreen helps quite a bit at speed. If I commute to work this time of year I get on the ST1300 to stay cozy cause it's a 100 mile trip each way to work.

We are in a cold snap right now, so I'm mostly just riding around town on the weekends. I went over to the Arkansas Ozarks weekend before last...it was great weather, but cold now. This is a good time of year to head down in your direction...need to make a trip to the hill country. Have you ridden that area?

[Volfy]

Hill Country? Heck yeah. That is the only reason for me having a sport tourer. If I cut out the weekend tours and long day rides, there would be no reason for keeping the VFR1200. I would just as soon go back to a litresport for local rides.

The group I ride with usually does a 3-day trip to 3Sisters twice a year - once in the Fall and one in the Spring. Our Fall trip got rained out - twice - so we are substituting a few day rides this season instead. We did one to Smithville about a month back, and we are planning to ride to Llano for BBQ at Cooper's next weekend. Last time we rode to Llano was just over 600 miles driveway to driveway for me, through all backroads and plenty of twisties and sweepers along the way.

I would like to make an Arkansas trip, and we've planned it a few times, but it needing to be a minimum of 4-day ride makes it kinda hard to coordinate around everybody's busy schedule.

[2thdr]

Hill Country? Heck yeah. That is the only reason for me having a sport tourer. If I cut out the weekend tours and long day rides, there would be no reason for keeping the VFR1200. I would just as soon go back to a litresport for local rides.

The group I ride with usually does a 3-day trip to 3Sisters twice a year - once in the Fall and one in the Spring. Our Fall trip got rained out - twice - so we are substituting a few day rides this season instead. We did one to Smithville about a month back, and we are planning to ride to Llano for BBQ at Cooper's next weekend. Last time we rode to Llano was just over 600 miles driveway to driveway for me, through all backroads and plenty of twisties and sweepers along the way.

I would like to make an Arkansas trip, and we've planned it a few times, but it needing to be a minimum of 4-day ride makes it kinda hard to coordinate around everybody's busy schedule.

A less attractive alternative to some would be to trailer your bikes up so you can cover the trip up and back quicker. Believe me, you will get plenty of riding in if you do that...

[Volfy]

We thought about that, but the logistics aren't in our favors. The largest trailer we have can take 2 bikes of average size, but we typically have at least 3-4 riders. Driving 2 towing vehicles just seem like more work than if we just ride. And it still is going to take 1 day each to drive back and forth anyway. I have no problem superslabbing up there in one shot on my bike. I've shot up to Dallas and back easily in a day with no problem.

It is more an issue of everybody scheduling 4 days off on the same weekend.

[Guest]

I'm interested in this project. I've always thought a VFR1200 fighter would be cool. Something like what BMW did creating the k1300R from the 1300S.

If I ever had the chance to buy a crashed 1200 I'd try something similar.

Not looking to get into the debate, but I've changed sides on the ABS thing. I always argued in favour of it but the few times I have inadvertently activated it on my VFR it has made me less safe, not more safe.

If you can come up with a practical (and reversible) solution to removing the ABS I would probably follow suit. I would keep the link though. The linked brakes only link back-to-front, and only mildly. The left caliper is modified with dual inputs to activate 2 pistons from the rear master cylinder. To remove the link you would need a different caliper altogether.

[crakerjac]

What happens if you just pull the fuse? I'm sure a dummy light on the dash will be light, but would the ABS be disabled?

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[BiKenG]

I'm interested in this project. I've always thought a VFR1200 fighter would be cool. Something like what BMW did creating the k1300R from the 1300S.

Exactly

If you can come up with a practical (and reversible) solution to removing the ABS I would probably follow suit. I would keep the link though. The linked brakes only link back-to-front, and only mildly. The left caliper is modified with dual inputs to activate 2 pistons from the rear master cylinder. To remove the link you would need a different caliper altogether.

I'm not fussed about the linked brakes. To eliminate it, just replace with conventional hydraulic lines and join the 2 connections on the LH caliper, so the Front brake lever just operates all pistons of the Fr. calipers. They won't be 'balanced', but that doesn't seem to matter as they can NEVER be balanced as standard with ABS and also many bikes only have a single caliper and you can't get any more 'unbalanced' than that.

Or...

Keep the Fr. master cylinder connected to the same pistons as std. with ABS and split the output from the Rr M/C to feed both the Rr. caliper AND the single pair of the LH Fr. caliper. So very similar to std with ABS, but with NO proportioning or delay valves controlling the split front to back. The braking force would be distributed relative to the piston sizes and that may be just fine. In the old days, linked brakes were like this, until Honda got in on the act and started messing with additional valving etc. and they keep changing it so one can assume none of the previous iterations were 'correct' - but they work. So I'm sure my simple connection would work, but maybe, just maybe the split would be too wrong. However I doubt it.

Unfortunately, it would have to be trial and error to find out. But I may just do that. In the interests of science of course :)

An alternative would be to keep Fr. and Rr. separate by drilling between the 2 sections in the LH Fr. caliper and blank off one connector point. So it just becomes a basic 6 piston caliper with a single connection.

Or...

If you must have identical braking L and R (not essential, but I agree, preferable) you have to change the calipers. There are some after-market braking manufacturers (e.g. ISR and no doubt others) that make 6 piston calipers with the requisite 130 mm mount spacing, or indeed one could fit the calipers from a late Yamaha R1 or MT-01. Also, Brembo have made some 4 piston calipers with 130 mm mounting (to fit the R1) which would be an attractive option, except for the price - about $2500 for a pair. :(

However, I'd prefer to be able to use all Honda parts and keep it looking like it just came off a Honda production line, so I might try my simple linking idea first and see how that works.

Can I just remind everyone that the need to eliminate the ABS is not due to my dislike of such systems, but because there's no physical room to keep the HUGE modulator once the fairings are off. Maybe a smaller alternative could be engineered in (I believe some of the Bosch systems are very small), but I don't like ABS that much to bother.