roxteady Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Hi All. Calling out to the big crowd from Norway where I have just taken on my first VFR800. A nice looking dark red beauty from 2008 with 31k km on the clock. Having tested the bike for a few days I am surprised about the amount of force one has to use in turns (both smaller and bigger turns) to keep the bike stable. I had a friend testing and he reported the same thing. Is this really how it should be?? It feels extremely "manual" when turning (lack of any better way to put it). I know the bike is heavy, but as a 187 cm / 90 kg guy I have not experienced this before. I come from various 1200cc. Would appreciate your input on this and whether it is supposed to be tricky to handle. I have found that the general squeeze around the tank gives more effect on this bike than what I am used to. Thanks and cheers guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Skids Posted June 26, 2018 Member Contributer Share Posted June 26, 2018 How worn is the front tyre and have you checked the pressure? Steering head bearings? Maybe it's an effect from coming from different bikes that it feels heavier, but I can honestly say that the steering never felt heavy on any of mine but then I wasn't comparing them to other bikes. It's certainly not as nimble as a sports bike but I always felt it was very stable yet controllable. Do you know any other VFR800 riders who could have a test and see if they can spot any differences from their own bike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Marooncobra Posted June 26, 2018 Member Contributer Share Posted June 26, 2018 Lift the front wheel and move the steering left to right. It should be smooth and no notchy feeling. The movement should not require any real input. If it feels notchy or it wants to stay in the centre it could be your headstock bearings are shot. Are they the original OEM ball bearing head race or has someone installed an upgraded taper bearing set? If they have been replaced with a taper set some times the bottom seal may need shimming to allow the seal not to interfere with the bottom race when installed. I found this on my first set of headstock bearings and had to install a 1mm shim. Are the forks at the correct height? Some people lower the triple crown by 8-9mm which improves the turn in of the bike but refer to this as dropping the forks. The previous owner mat have adjusted the forks the wrong way which would affect the steering input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFROZ Posted June 26, 2018 Member Contributer Share Posted June 26, 2018 +1 on the check tyre pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mohawk Posted June 26, 2018 Member Contributer Share Posted June 26, 2018 +2 on the tyre pressure. I had that a couple of yers ago after winter when i forgot to check the pressures, bike felt horrible & extremely hard to turn. Pumped both tyres up to normal pressures & it was perfect :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbanengineer Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Likely just a pressure issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted June 26, 2018 Member Contributer Share Posted June 26, 2018 +4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted June 26, 2018 Member Contributer Share Posted June 26, 2018 In my experience worn steering head bearings manifest it's self as a vibration in the front end (Mine was first diagnosed as a cupped front tire - replacement did not solve the problem). I do not remember it feeling like "hard to turn". So I'm a +5 on tire pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbanengineer Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Worn front bearings make it seem like a bike that won’t hold a straight line or take minor input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VARIABLE9 Posted June 26, 2018 Member Contributer Share Posted June 26, 2018 Lowering links, forks in yokes, tire pressures. Report back and LUK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxteady Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 Thanks a million for the feedback and needless to say I feel stupid for not checking the tire pressure before heading for the forum! The tires had 18 PSI (!!!!!) in them. God knows what the previous owner did or did not do, but the bike feels like a very different vehicle now that the pressure is back at 34PSI. Thanks again all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeper Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 You might want to check the date code on the tires. If they are old, all of the grip has escaped!Seriously, the rubber may seem fine but shouldn’t be trusted for any real grip.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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