hellindustries Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Ahoy. It looks like i'll be keeping the VFR through to 2018 as i've got no real good reason to part-ex it and spend more money 'stepping up' to another bike (want to replace my PC instead, and i KNOW i'd deeply miss the V4 goodness...). I've done and added a LOT to the bike in almost 2 years of ownership, but i'm trying NOT to spend on it where i don't need to, and if i DO, it has to be very much worth it, so, i'm thinking: Custom seat (stock seat is slippy, holds water on the surface, provides nowhere near enough support for me or a passenger, and causes leg numbness). Wheels re-coated (they've always been a bit scrappy). Probably going metallic bronze. See here, top right. They're currently black. Maybe drop in some new front springs - Hagon 400-030-03 - But will see how an oil change feels, first. Not that there's anything wrong, but it might be better. Maybe (but probably not) a new rear shock. Current unit feels fine. Braided steel brake lines. Starting to feel that the brakes aren't sharp enough for my tastes. Another set of PR4's is looking likely.... I also need to keep sale value in mind, so some slight cosmetic work on the wheels is justifiable, given the sweet discount i can get via work. Shame i can't get the bodywork sorted out more, though. Nothing bad, just chips and a few scuffs. Nothing NEEDS doing, but i do need to sort the comfort out pretty soon, given that i ride to and from work daily, and do a few hundred miles a weekend, AND have plans to do a couple of larger rides next year. So, for now; After the seat upgrade, it's only getting what it needs. It's had more than enough money out of me!Current spend list: MRA Vario screen (since swapped it back to the double bubble it came with - for sale!) R&G bar sliders R&G side crash bobbins Front spindle sliders Rear spindle sliders Denali soundbomb horn USB charger STOMP grip pads to sides of tank Delkevic 350mm Carbon exhaust and link pipe (original can for sale) Genmar bar risers Oxford heated grips Puig clutch and brake levers Headlight bulbs - Osram nightbreakers (more than enough for my needs) Replaced Bolts (with good stainless) mirrors - Ermax direct replacements New EBC front discs Every single one of those (bar the brake discs) has been a good investment (and the discs were due to damage, but expensive, even with my nice discount). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer KevCarver Posted October 4, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted October 4, 2016 Suspension always feels fine. Until you get something better! Then you are kicking yourself for waiting. I'm always on a budget, so Jamie Daughtry upgraded stuff was what I could afford. Rebuilt 929 shock on the rear, and front built to my spec. After I swapped forks to SP1, of course. But great results are possible from stock forks. Before investing in steel brake lines, a good flush and bleed will do wonders. It's tricky to do right, but such a big improvement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellindustries Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 Indeed. Flush and bleed made a nice difference. Did that when I put the EBC discs on the front, replaced left calliper and hanger, and fresh EBC pads all-round. I'd still like a bit more power in the brakes, especially when two-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer thtanner Posted October 4, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted October 4, 2016 I don't like crash bobbins on VFRs. That leads to broken things worse than some plastics, I've found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer KevCarver Posted October 4, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted October 4, 2016 HH pads? 1 hour ago, hellindustries said: Indeed. Flush and bleed made a nice difference. Did that when I put the EBC discs on the front, replaced left calliper and hanger, and fresh EBC pads all-round. I'd still like a bit more power in the brakes, especially when two-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellindustries Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 Yep. HH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epyon007 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Money on suspension is always money well spent. Not only for your usage but your resale value and desirability when the time comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellindustries Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 A fair point. Updated progressive springs in the front it is, then. And braided brake lines.... needs more bite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Skids Posted October 13, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted October 13, 2016 Brakes & suspension are probably the 2 best things you can upgrade on the VFR.....any VFR! I put braided brake hoses on my 6th Gen and along with a caliper overhaul, they're now excellent. New suspension f&r on the 1200 transformed the handling. Upgraded f&r on the 6th has made a noticeable difference too. Done it on all 3 of my VFRs (5th, 6th & 7th Gen) and it's likely I will do it on my Crossrunner VFR800X as the long travel suspension is a bit of a pogo stick. What I'm struggling with a little bit is the difference in braking between the Tokicho 6pot front brakes on my very heavy VFR1200 and the Tokicho 4pot front brakes on my lighter but still heavy VFR800X. The 1200 has the most fantastic front brakes, but the 800X ones are nowhere near as good. They good enough, but only just and whilst I realise that 6 pots are better than 4, the added weight of the 1200 will surely counter most of that so why are the 4pot brakes so much poorer? Sorry for thread drift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted October 13, 2016 Member Contributer Share Posted October 13, 2016 Brake power and feel is a fairly complex subject. There are many variables of pad material, slave piston number and area, master piston area, lever pivot geometry and disc diameter, plus the pad material. It is perhaps worth reflecting that MotoGP bikes all use a 4 piston radial mount calipers, in concept the same as the VFR800X, so there is nothing inherently weak about a 4-piston brake. I'd suggest the difference between your two VFRs is down to pad material and the choice of components. If you were unhappy with the 800 then in the first instance I'd suggest EBC HH pads, and if that still doesn't work for you, going down a size in the brake master will add a lot more power for a given squeeze. I actually did the maths and the 800 has a slave piston area to master cylinder area of 40, which is higher than the 1200 at 32 so actually provides more pad-disc force for a given lever squeeze, unless the lever geometry is very different e.g. the hand leverage on the master piston may be reduced by a longer pivot-master distance. The 800 calipers have the same piston size as bikes like the CBR954, and I can confirm these brakes work exceptionally well on my VTR1000 even with a bigger master cylinder (which would reduce the hydraulic force effect). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellindustries Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 I currently have EBC HH pads all round, and EBC discs on the front. The brakes were bled properly when the pads and discs were fitted. So that part is all good. Maybe be the hoses are just getting old. Nothing in the service history suggests a change. And if im getting that done, I may as well get braided lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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