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Hello from the frigid Midwest


ZCD76

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Hello all. 

 

New member (joined a month and a half ago to get in on SebSpeed's group buy on his windowed clutch covers) here. 

 

I go by Zac but zcd works on here just as well. I live, currently, in the Omaha, Nebraska area. After a pretty mild fall, winter is upon us in this part of the country/globe. I think 7*F is all the warmer it was today and we are not expected to see more than 26*F for the next few weeks.

 

Anyhow, I joined because I recently became the owner of a 2003 model with 1,800 miles on it at the time I purchased it (Oct 2017). The good: it has barely been ridden. The bad: it had been over on its right/non-drive side at some point (as in low speed if not non-moving garage tip-over) and...it has barely been ridden. There should be a couple of photos on here or linked. The right side fairing and headlight fairing took some light scuffing, as did the clutch cover. I took the plastics off and had them resprayed and had the original clutch cover re-powdercoated. I bought another Fleabay clutch cover to send to Seb whenever that deal hits critical mass. The second photo should show an "after" with refinished plastics, clutch cover, and a Puig windscreen and non-American model spec VFR decals in place. 

 

The "bad" in only 1800 miles on it when I got it is the lack of use takes its toll, so to speak, on stuff. It ran extremely rich and, overall, just poor when I got it. The injectors have been serviced by InjectorRX and that made a tremendous difference. Fresh oil, filter, new spark plugs, etc., were done at the same time.

 

It's parked for the winter...2,200 miles on the odometer. Beyond the decals and windscreen, the only changes so far are a VFRness installation (thanks Wire My Bike) and the original 14 year old Bridgestones were phased out for some Metzeler Z8s. 

 

Between now and spring plans: new set of cans (Delkevic, GPR, Max Torque Cans, ?), windowed clutch cover, Givi bags, new coolant, maybe brake and clutch fluid flushings, and possibly new r/r and piddly items like LED headlight bulbs. 

 

By chance does anybody know if factory 8th gen heated grips are an easy retrofit  (aside from wiring matters...which may be easy enough as I bought the VFRness with the optional fuse blick) on these 6th gens? By easy i mean is it simply acquiring them, bolting them on, and figuring out wiring? I rode my brother's Triumph Tiger 800 last month...and being it was the first bike I have been on with heated grips - that certainly is a nice luxury item.

 

Anyhow, I look forward to learning from the members and collective knowledge and experience on here.

 

Yours truly, 

 

Zac

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Low miles on a 14 - 15 yo bike is a double edge sword as you say. Good and bad.

 

5 minutes ago, ZCD76 said:

I think 7*F is all the warmer it was today and we are not expected to see more than 26*F for the next few weeks.

 

This sounds like the bad old days to me. Stay warm. :sleep:

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I cancelled my outside job here today because it is 63 F...no, really, we get to be terrible whiners after being here for 30 years. 

 

some of my friends are talking about soup and binge watching The Crown

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VFR4Lee - yes, it's definitely a double edged sword. I cannot say I've had a viffer before but have been "familiar" with them...probably aware is the better term - in terms of their reputation as being one of the best sport-touring bikes for many years, if not decades...and I familiarized myself with some of their known quirks (through this site and others) when I acquired this one. Such as the low rpm fueling or "throttling" issues - the abruptness if not rough operation at lower (idle to ~3000 rpm) engine speeds and the such. This thing sputtered and popped out of the exhaust and the exhaust (smell) wreaked of unburnt fuel at all times it was running (dead cold in the morning to full operating temp). Having the injectors cleaned/serviced seems to have alleviated a great deal of that, as well as adjusting the idle down. The idle, when purchased, would hover in the 2000 rpm range when cold and when, at temperature, would fall off into the 1500 rpm range. I adjusted it down to the 1200 rpm range at temp. And, when yanking the injectors to send them to be cleaned, I'm fairly certain I found one of the vacuum lines that runs to the fuel pressure regulator was not hooked up to the nipple/port on the regulator. If that was, in fact, the case that would explain some of the pig rich condition the bike formerly exhibited. 

 

As well, in the limited time I've had it and ridden it, a couple of times it has (circumstances in which I had run the bike down the highway/hard enough that the VTEC actuators engaged and then slowed down and pulled into a gas station or otherwise shut the bike off) exhibited a low engine speed (i.e. idle to ~3000 rpm) lack of throttle response and power as though the VTEC actuators were "stuck" like all 4 valves were operating. A few hundred yards down the road (and whatever marginal amount of potential increased oil temperature, or oil circulation/engine operation?) the bike, then, exhibited a "normal" low speed operation characteristic - much better throttle response/low rpm torque. I don't know if what I'm typing makes sense. I don't want to portray as though I'm flogging the thing at low engine temperatures and then immediately shutting it off from, let's say, 8k rpm. These are just a couple of times where the bike has been at some "reasonable" amount of temperature (i.e. 150*F+) and within a short distance of having pulled off the highway/road, the bike has been shut down briefly (to put gas in it, to run in the shop, etc.) and when re-fired and I pull out into the road, the low rpm performance of the engine is extremely abnormal - as in a complete lack of power and an audible "throatiness" as though the throttle bodies are open and the engine is trying to accelerate but there just isn't much there. It's not every time but has occurred a few times. I guess it's a matter of waiting for spring (nice weather) and just putting some miles on the thing. Probably, at this point, just being ridden will do it more good than anything else. 

 

bykemike - While I am originally from this part of the country (born in Omaha - all of my extended family is from this area of the country, as well), I grew up about 2 hours south of you in the Cocoa Beach area. I remember thinking 50* (in Florida) was cold and an arctic blast. That said, that (peninsular) Florida cold is a different kind of cold. 50* with all that humidity in the air down there feels a whole lot colder than 50* up here or in Colorado, especially, where there's comparatively far less atmospheric humidity. 

 

 

Carry on, gentlemen.

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Welcome to the asylum. This place can become addictive. You've got a of years and miles on that machine.

And checkout the group gatherings; there is a SumSum in Custer S.D next summer. That should be a short commute for you.

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  • 1 month later...
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That first pic looks likes AF1 Racing, down in Austin?

 

Hopefully, everything will take care of itself. Seems all of us who’ve bought used bikes have had a fair bit of sorting. But, it’ll be worth it. 

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Don't suppose you have had much time out of the deep freeze ZCD. But let us know how it goes when you thaw.

The prior owners neglect borders on criminal, so hopefully you can do a better job.

You know, put some serious miles on it come spring.  :beer:

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On 12/27/2017 at 9:48 PM, ZCD76 said:

Hello all. 

 

New member (joined a month and a half ago to get in on SebSpeed's group buy on his windowed clutch covers) here. 

 

I go by Zac but zcd works on here just as well. I live, currently, in the Omaha, Nebraska area. After a pretty mild fall, winter is upon us in this part of the country/globe. I think 7*F is all the warmer it was today and we are not expected to see more than 26*F for the next few weeks.

 

Anyhow, I joined because I recently became the owner of a 2003 model with 1,800 miles on it at the time I purchased it (Oct 2017). The good: it has barely been ridden. The bad: it had been over on its right/non-drive side at some point (as in low speed if not non-moving garage tip-over) and...it has barely been ridden. There should be a couple of photos on here or linked. The right side fairing and headlight fairing took some light scuffing, as did the clutch cover. I took the plastics off and had them resprayed and had the original clutch cover re-powdercoated. I bought another Fleabay clutch cover to send to Seb whenever that deal hits critical mass. The second photo should show an "after" with refinished plastics, clutch cover, and a Puig windscreen and non-American model spec VFR decals in place. 

 

The "bad" in only 1800 miles on it when I got it is the lack of use takes its toll, so to speak, on stuff. It ran extremely rich and, overall, just poor when I got it. The injectors have been serviced by InjectorRX and that made a tremendous difference. Fresh oil, filter, new spark plugs, etc., were done at the same time.

 

It's parked for the winter...2,200 miles on the odometer. Beyond the decals and windscreen, the only changes so far are a VFRness installation (thanks Wire My Bike) and the original 14 year old Bridgestones were phased out for some Metzeler Z8s. 

 

Between now and spring plans: new set of cans (Delkevic, GPR, Max Torque Cans, ?), windowed clutch cover, Givi bags, new coolant, maybe brake and clutch fluid flushings, and possibly new r/r and piddly items like LED headlight bulbs. 

 

By chance does anybody know if factory 8th gen heated grips are an easy retrofit  (aside from wiring matters...which may be easy enough as I bought the VFRness with the optional fuse blick) on these 6th gens? By easy i mean is it simply acquiring them, bolting them on, and figuring out wiring? I rode my brother's Triumph Tiger 800 last month...and being it was the first bike I have been on with heated grips - that certainly is a nice luxury item.

 

Anyhow, I look forward to learning from the members and collective knowledge and experience on here.

 

Yours truly, 

 

Zac

11515.jpeg

20171218_170714.jpg

 

I fit Honda ST1300 heated grips to my 6th gen.  Not easy to find, found a couple pairs of them a few years back from the UK.  Work well but very stiff.

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Welcome Zac :beer:

 

 

 

From Urals to Zero's, that is quite a stretch!!!

Mind you, I visited the old Moto Guzzi factory in the 90's.....  some serious antique workshops were still in operation, the window panes blackened by decades of grafting...  

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12 hours ago, ducnut said:

That first pic looks likes AF1 Racing, down in Austin?

 

 

It is. It's where I bought it from. The owner of AF1 and my brother (who owns a Triumph Tiger 800 and a few other vintage Hondas) know each other and he told my brother he had this VFR for sale...anyhow, yeah, I bought it from AF1. Technically I am the third owner as whoever owned it originally traded it in on something at AF1 so AF1 was the second owner of it. Whatever...

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1 hour ago, ZCD76 said:

It is. It's where I bought it from. The owner of AF1 and my brother (who owns a Triumph Tiger 800 and a few other vintage Hondas) know each other and he told my brother he had this VFR for sale...anyhow, yeah, I bought it from AF1. Technically I am the third owner as whoever owned it originally traded it in on something at AF1 so AF1 was the second owner of it. Whatever...

Dealerships don’t count as owners, so you’re only the second owner. 

 

I have a Tiger 800XCx, as my main bike. It’s a fantastic machine and the best all-around bike I’ve ever ridden. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Could your problem be the stator or voltage regulator or some other voltage gremlin? I’m a recent VFR owner (for the 2nd time!) but your problem sounds familiar to an electrical issue I had with my fuel injected Buell XB9R. 

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