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5 hours ago, Gebruiker said:


Now you want it closed? I just can’t please you people. Open. Close. Never good enough. I could close it for a picture but then the motorcycle would fall over. And that would be bad. Also, depending on which side it falls, I might not even get the picture after the fact…

 

...Hang on...

 

 

 

IMG_4169.JPG.862b98e4202caf578c11cf7c35624926.JPG

 

There. Closed. Well yeah. It could be better. I got the alignment pretty good just by tweaking the rubber spacer boss things. But that gap between my home made cover and the lower side fairing is pretty big. Remember I cut the bit away that goes over the side stand swing bolt. And I had to shorten that very section because it was interfering with the shift. Next time, I'll be more exacting. I might just go and run the whole thing over that side stand bolt, no dimple, and recut the top bit off squarely so it meets the front lower fairing. I could try to make another cardboard patch prototype while the sidestand is up. I haven't figured out why those crazy angles are in there on the original in the first place.

 

IMG_4169b.jpg.72539553d22025c85c9d45e248a41a0a.jpg

(...In there, pretty big gap, crazy angles copied from pictures of original, see entries above...)

 

So I could start again with another quarter section of my PVC fence. Now that I'm almost there, I should be able to get the thing just about right next time, but ya know, mmmmmno. Maybe later. 

 

Since we’re down there anyway, does it look like the steel under belly behind my shift and side stand has been um, modified? It looks a little bashed and dimpled to me. But maybe it’s supposed to be like that… Also it is typically black, or is it supposed to be the same color as the fairing?


I have to think more. Starting all over with a new section of PVC. That is discouraging. Rats. Dutchy won’t be proud of me now…

 

Aw hell.
 

Fantastic work!  Plus, you can make three more for your friends at VFRD!

 

All of the panels were the same colour on US-spec bikes and all other models, except for the 1993 ROW models (like mine), which had silver lower fairing bits.  In that case, the lower fairing, the metal fairing pieces and the side stand cover were all silver, etc.

 

That said, after I had my little off-road excursion in the Sierras in 1991 (the "Bodie Handstand Dismount") I discovered that Honda's own metal fairings didn't really match the plastic fairing colour, so they may as well have been painted a different colour...

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

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On 3/31/2020 at 3:56 PM, Thumbs said:

If you have enough room then gluing rivnuts on the back would dispense with the carriage bolts 

 

 


Definitely room for those in the design. I decided on carriage bolts because I didn’t want to use glue for anything at all. My thought was that glue…any kind of glue…would be the first thing to fail in a final product. The carriage bolts may be obvious but they won't be the bits that break. That was my compromise. Let’s see how the thing holds up…

 

Now rivnuts might also be countersunk to the collar from the face of the PVC. Then the hole filled with epoxy. That would be invisible and maybe strong enough too. The countersink would take away maybe, what, 1mm of the 4 mm thick pvc structure, and it would concentrate stress at that point due to the small diameter of the rivnut collar as opposed to the comparatively huge carriage bolt head. But rivnuts would be a more elegant way to go.

 

My general standard for all my little projects on the VFR is ‘good enough’. From the beginning I never thought to make my bike a show bike. Is this sidestand cover good enough? Ahhhh, for now…maybe.

 

I’d sure be interested to hear if anybody else decides to start with my basic materials and design, then improve on them to make their own cover. We've already seen several ways to go. No fair spending more than 2 dollars.

 

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On 3/31/2020 at 8:00 PM, JZH said:

Fantastic work!  Plus, you can make three more for your friends at VFRD!

 

I could do that. Or, I could inspire millions of generation 3 owners to make their own… I sortof like that idea better. Either way, no worries John. I’ll absolutely make sure there’s a scrap here for you next time you drop by the house... 

 

IMG_4174.jpg.e24e20e4730ac70a369e7c7c4b793a37.jpg

 

On 3/31/2020 at 8:00 PM, JZH said:

All of the panels were the same colour on US-spec bikes and all other models, except for the 1993 ROW models (like mine), which had silver lower fairing bits.  In that case, the lower fairing, the metal fairing pieces and the side stand cover were all silver, etc.

 

 

So mine is supposed to be Honda granite blue...aka krylon fusion black stainless metallic… Yeah, that’d look better. That plate has obviously been resprayed with the same indifference as all other colored bits on the bike. I just wasn’t sure what color previous owner had covered up. If I ever take the bike apart for a proper cleaning then that’ll be on the list for a respray.

 

On 3/31/2020 at 8:00 PM, JZH said:

 

That said, after I had my little off-road excursion in the Sierras in 1991 (the "Bodie Handstand Dismount") I discovered that Honda's own metal fairings didn't really match the plastic fairing colour, so they may as well have been painted a different colour...

 

 

the "Bodie Handstand Dismount"...

 

...annnnnd, I am unfamiliar with this particular maneuver, but it sounds impressive. And well beyond my modest riding abilities... 

 

P:)

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On 4/1/2020 at 5:08 PM, Gebruiker said:

 

...annnnnd, I am unfamiliar with this particular maneuver, but it sounds impressive. And well beyond my modest riding abilities... 

 

P:)

Mine, too!

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

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Next up, Decals. Again.

 

I have a proper set of blocky decals in the style of the originals. These are the kind printed on heavy 3M decal stock. But given the current iffy silver-grey paint finish of the bike without any clearcoat, I’d been running other ideas in my head. Black decals seemed a good possibility. I also kindof prefer the swishy VFR logo of later bikes.

 

So as yet another zero budget experiment I made up a template and fished out my leftover roll of black vinyl shelving paper. If you know how to trace and cut, you have the skills required for this job. If you have a helpful kid around the house who can use scissors, so much the better. I downloaded the image. The scale is not perfect. Neither is the design. But you get the idea.

 

IMG_4098a.jpg.e10ca0da468569d578b9930f89c1982d.jpg

Template

 

IMG_4098b.jpg.c997217f809ab7a5b5120ea2ce0f5860.jpg

Decals

 

The job only takes maybe a lazy hour at the kitchen table.  And here are the results on the fairing...

 

IMG_4208.thumb.jpg.ca5e2d9b45b51cfeae0bf595e3cf6d01.jpg

...note the custom side stand cover, still in place after more than a week... 🙂

 

 

IMG_4234.thumb.jpg.7307cc427c0db062577ffcfa7818d233.jpg

(...in the driveway. I was supposed to be spring cleaning around the garage... Sun's from the wrong direction for the picture, but you can make out the decal isn't quite straight along the ridge of the fairing. Think anybody would notice that?)

 

You all know my standards for the bike by now. And so you would rightly assume that I think the decals will do…for now. The style and size and color are all okay. The gas tank doesn't quite match. If I stumble across a bagster tank cover I'll use it.

 

There are going to be decal durability issues. These are just not proper material. They can’t last long. The glue on this stuff is pathetic. One decent rainstorm and they’ll disappear by the side of the road. One good washing. Gone. I’m not even sure they’ll stand up to wind speeds above 50 mph before peeling themselves off. I wonder if a few minutes with a hair dryer might help soften the glue so they'll adhere better. Of course, I could apply proper glue. I have some spray-on glue around here somewhere. We'll see. Besides the glue problem, the vinyl itself is not weatherproof decal vinyl, so it’ll most likely crack and fade before long. Finally, I’m not entirely sure I got the the things on straight. I know. I know.

 

Anyway, should I ever get around to the 2K clearcoat, then that would probably seal these on nicely, and protect them too. Until that day I’m not overly concerned. I have a whole roll of black vinyl to make more. Next I’m thinking about maybe a black pinstripe on the after fairings.

 

(Ed. Nope. The decals lasted not at all. One got a tear right away. I just peeled them off before they fell off by themselves. Next up, a friend suggested Oracal 651, available from any craft supply store in sheets for about 79 cents each. Lots of colors. They are still not graphics quality VFR decals, but he used them on a boat. https://www.orafol.com/en/europe/products/oracal-651-intermediate-cal I'll dig out the scissors again. Stay tuned.)

 

Side Reflectors

 

A recent thread on VFRd discusses the side reflectors. Another thing I’d given no thought to. I have the ones on the forks, but now I know there are supposed to be others at the back fairing. Some folks think they’re ugly and remove them all. Apparently I am half way in this discussion without even weighing in. 😉  I still don’t give them much thought. 

 

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More on Decals

 

You know I don’t have any major maintenance or modification ideas these days because I’m still playing with decals. After my indoor shelf liner refused to stick on the fairings (see above), a friend suggested better decal material from the local craft shop. Oracal 651. You can look up their spec sheet here. They say it’ll work outdoors.

 

https://www.orafol.com/en/americas/products/oracal-651-intermediate-cal

 

It’s 79 cents for a 12x12 inch sheet. That’s enough material for maybe four or six decals, depending on size. My bike only has two sides so I got one sheet. Lots of colors to choose from. I chose the wildest ones to begin with. Matte black and silver. I got the silver to try to match the silvery oem Honda logo on the tank. The real thing is not silver. But it looks kindof silver from more than a few feet away. And yeah, that is two sheets. I splurged.

 

Anyway, more practice with scissors, cut and shape. Obviously you can make any design and size decal you choose. So far, I’m sticking with the semi-official VFR logo shape of one of the later generation bikes. Here they are, held on with sticky tape for modelling purposes. 

 

IMG_4454.jpg.b16fb8866877be697597f2407761fad9.jpg

 

IMG_4455.jpg.3a12457995ea885dc9faebe2a63f2a55.jpg

 

IMG_4456.jpg.bf99ae05dfeb12903f6fbadd5ec8c463.jpg

 

IMG_4457.jpg.b52c10a10c5cb240bc860c086d3acf3b.jpg

 

 

I’m thinking I might go bigger. And there are all those other colors to try. Various unhelpful members of the household have advised me the bike looks better with no decals at all rather than these. I’m thinking they just haven’t opened their minds to new creative possibilities. However, I am humoring them for the moment. And as you might guess, once you cut them up, you can’t return the sheets to the store anyway. So I’ll save them for times of more inspiration, and when nobody is looking.

 

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They look a bit small.  (You did ask for constructive criticism, didn't you?!?)

 

I believe I have some of the 2000 OEM decals (for it is the 5th gen VFR logo you've copied), which I can scan for you.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

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On 5/3/2020 at 6:23 PM, JZH said:

They look a bit small.  (You did ask for constructive criticism, didn't you?!?)

 

I believe I have some of the 2000 OEM decals (for it is the 5th gen VFR logo you've copied), which I can scan for you.

 

If you are so inclined, a scan would be good. Thankyouverymuch. Or just dimensions.

 

If you glance up two entries above, you'll see the decals that fell off were bigger. I was just going to revert to that template for my next attempt. I'm using download images as templates and there is some variation among them. I don't think any version of the bike had such big mid panel decals as gen3.  Lorne had submitted an original to me a while back with pictures. Page 2 on this thread. So I can make up those too if I choose the original style. Anything we can imagine is doable. I can use Ducati or BMW logos if we want to see Dutchy's head explode. 😉

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On 5/6/2020 at 8:49 AM, JZH said:

Here you go.

 

Thanks John. Got it. Boy. Those would take some fancy cutting. Three color overlays, with fade. Plus subtext. Definitely beyond my skill set that. I think I’d just have to reduce it to the basic one color logo from the pdf. It should still come out okay. Um, I’m not quite sure of scale. Out my printer the decal comes to about 12 inches length. Conveniently, that’s the maximum for a single cut of my 12x12 decal stock anyway. If it’s bigger than that, I’d have to make it in sections. Not rocket science, just one more thing. I'll go with 12 inches for my template.

 

I’m also currently considering making up some fake black NACA duct decals. Instantly turn my gen3 into a gen4. Whaddya think? Good idea? Make the bike faster? 
 

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For those with a little larger budget:

 

https://moto-sticker.com/HONDA

 

I've bought a set for my fifth gen. Sorry, I've forgotten where I put them and my camera is out of action if I could find them.

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On 5/6/2020 at 9:35 PM, Gebruiker said:

 

Thanks John. Got it. Boy. Those would take some fancy cutting. Three color overlays, with fade. Plus subtext. Definitely beyond my skill set that. I think I’d just have to reduce it to the basic one color logo from the pdf. It should still come out okay. Um, I’m not quite sure of scale. Out my printer the decal comes to about 12 inches length. Conveniently, that’s the max for a single cut of my 12x12 decal stock anyway. If it’s bigger than that, I’d have to make it in sections. Not rocket science, just one more thing. I'll go with that for my template. 🙂 

 

I’m also currently considering making up some fake black NACA duct decals. Instantly turn my gen3 into a gen4. Whaddya think? Good idea? Make the bike faster? 
 

The 2001 version of the decals is solid, rather than a fade, which might be easier to deal with.  I'd scan those, but they're on the bike!  Anyway, you get the idea of the size.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH  

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Thanks for the link MaxSwell. Those guys do seem to have pretty much every style produced by Honda. This is a picture of the one JZH sent me yesterday, taken from the same moto-sticker site:

 

vfr800decal.png.33852debac6b7bdbccc357fcb456d3bb.png

 

 

And here are all the homemade templates. His is the one on top. The smallest one, as noted above, is a little lost on the fairing…

 

IMG_4503.jpg.9d19909e55c4d92682448fb4c01f82b2.jpg

 

…and the new one sticky taped on the bike for size…

 

IMG_4506.jpg.613e346c8619e96b2a00a9f6bcb99fa4.jpg

 

I can make up a double layer decal easily enough. Just silver under black. I have enough Oracal for several attempts. And at 79 cents, even I don’t balk at the cost of getting more of that. 🙂 

 

Bear in mind my reluctance to spend money is not all about um, you know, spending money. Part of the fun is thinking of ways around it, especially for a non-essential project like this. Anyway, I’m thinking understatement will be more elegant. And I’m pretty sure no matter what I decide on…including no decal at all…none will attract much notice one way or the other. Or make the bike any faster.
 

 

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3 hours ago, Gebruiker said:


…none will attract much notice one way or the other. Or make the bike any faster.
 

 

 

 

If it is faster one is after,

 

 

 

 

painting her red will do the trick..... :goofy:

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On 5/8/2020 at 1:42 PM, Dutchy said:

If it is faster one is after,

painting her red will do the trick...

 

Red paint? Again? I already have the red seat cowl...buried under the black one. I think that a proper paint job is just a dream for now. Besides, I'm pretty sure the best way to make this particular bike faster is with a track day or even an MSF class.

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.....annnnnnd back to the hugger.....

 

I sometimes get an automatic notice when stuff I'm casually looking for is advertised online or reduced in price. This is the bmw hugger I'd thought I might try to adapt. It was too expensive an experiment at $35. Today it's 14.50 (sic) at amazon, postage paid. Now we're talkin. But you just know it won't be an easy modification.

 

The back wheel is about the right size, so the diameter should be close enough. But dang, I just can't see how to attach that bracket to my swingarm without modification. I don't think zip ties are gonna cut it. The obvious(?) approach would be to design some kind of secondary bracket from the one in the kit to the fittings already on the swingarm. Like that's gonna happen. Anybody out there with an R1200 looking for a hugger?

 

 

332492027_Screenshot(116).png.21b445213baf5e8486a5ea165ead03e3.png

 

Motorcycle Tail Hugger Rear Fender Mud Guard with Mounting Hardware for BMW R1200 GS LC R1200GS LC Adventure 2013-2018

 
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I’ve been paying attention to the various components, checking before rides, always concerned that maybe a zip-tied bit of fairing will crack or come loose one of these days. Holy cats! I should've been paying more attention to the damn wheels!

 

So I found this little plastic hubcap thing on the garage floor after a ride yesterday. The stub axle cap. It’s a cosmetic piece, about the size of poker chip that just snaps on and off the rear wheel hub. This thing:

 

IMG_4697.jpg.aafa33d75ab70803f0492570df56e1c3.jpg

 

I didn’t know why it was on the ground. I thought maybe I’d smacked it with a boot while parking the bike. But I picked it up and snapped it on the wheel. And it fell right off again. Bear in mind, this was just after coming in from a ride. The tabs were intact so I looked around the wheel nut. Nothing looked dodgy to me but the little hubcap thing wouldn't click in place. So I tried jiggling the nut. And it turned. By hand. I could hand tighten the whole nut. By which I mean, I could hand tighten the whole damn wheel. Yikes.

 

Here’s the service manual. Nut number 1. 

 

IMG_4546.jpg.37f492c6cbfa64ba88767e3defe7e290.jpg

 

There’s no indication of any kind of lockwire or cotter pin. Not even need for any locktite. Just a boatload of torque. Man, I dunno. That seems to be a pretty important nut not to have any locking feature. Is there something special about the washer (#2)? Maybe the locking feature is part of that.

 

Anyway, it’s a big nut. 46mm I think, which is way bigger than any socket I own so I had to try an adjustable pipe wrench. The torque spec says 19.5 foot pounds. I just went with pretty damn tight but a pipe wrench is not the tool for the job. 

 

(Ed. It's 19.5 kg-m. 141 foot pounds. Thanks to Av8r for the correction.)

 

I’d never bothered to actually check the nut in the two years and several thousand miles I’ve had the bike. Is that like, a regular maintenance check? I wonder what other major component is about to fall off? Front wheel maybe? Engine? Now I’m a bit more concerned. I'm also wondering if the nut could have backed itself all the way off. And if it did that, would the wheel have just come out the other side?


 

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Are you not supposed to stake that nut?  There is a groove on the axle for that purpose

 

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Just now, Dutchy said:

Are you not supposed to stake that nut?

What does that mean Leon? Stake it? The manual doesn't say anything...

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De bronafbeelding bekijken

 

The nut looks a bit like this yes?   

 

The thin upper ring is mallable. Look on the axle thread itself and you shoud see a "groove" lengthwise in it. After you've torqued to spec, take a steel pen driver and hammer the mallble ring on the nut "into the groove"  (thank you Madonna...)

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See the remarks at (1)

image.thumb.png.0f47a7c7cbedc94ebb7f9ac45a1ea6f2.png

 

 

 

Now repeat 20 times after me:

 

 

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

"I am a lucky SOB"

 

 

:goofy:

  

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On 5/15/2020 at 3:22 PM, Dutchy said:

Look on the axle thread itself and you shoud see a "groove" lengthwise in it.

 

Ohhhhhhh. I’ll be darned. Yup. The book does say something about unstaking the nut…but I sortof skimmed that part.

 

Here are pictures from my bike. It looks like a previous owner...or Honda...sortof ‘staked’ it, if by staking you mean denting. I’ll do it better. Much much better. Much much much better.

 

IMG_4552.png.c528d62696d33621bcf9c744c24ead46.png

 

The red arrow points to the groove. The yellow arrow shows a little existing dent which you can't really make out. I'm guessing now that I overtightened the nut by a quarter turn, or else have another 3/4 turn to go. 

 

I’ll have to send away for a socket. Local DIY stores don’t seem to stock really big single sockets. And I’m not seeing a size in the manual anyway. 45mm? 46? I can give the local dealer a call for that. When I get the right tool, I can just take the nut round to the point where the previous stake seems to be, and take another whack there… I'm just smacking it with a punch, yes?

 

Thank you Leon! Remember way back in the beginning of this thread when I said I wasn’t all that sure of POs workmanship?

 

And just so you know, luck had nothing to do with this particular issue. Luck is with winners of the lottery. Lucky are all the riders who never have this problem in the first place. Luck? Jesus had a special message for me. 😁


 

 

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“The torque spec says 19.5 footpounds so I had to go with pretty damn tight.”
 

Hi. Please note that’s wrong. It’s 141 footpounds; 195 Newton Metres; 19.5 Kgf.m.
You have seriously under torqued it which is what it seems the previous owner had done.

 

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