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1998 to 2000 conversion


bmart

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On 3/21/2022 at 11:55 AM, bmart said:

In a rare move...I lightly cleaned it after the brake fluid flush and oil change. 

 

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When I bought my 5th gen new in '99, I really wanted a red one, so searched all over and ended up finding one about 200 miles away just as the 2000's were hitting showroom floors.   I was in a rush because I really did not want the yellow on the Y2K's.  At the time I had no idea about the cat, wax unit and other things that changed on the 2000, but I really didn't like the yellow.  Now that time has passed, the yellow has grown on me - I've come to like it a lot. It's unique as a one year only color, not to be seen before or after that year.   There's one for sale about 150 miles away.  If I were going to have a 3rd VFR I might go check it out. 

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My last 5G was a red 99, and I really wanted to find another just like it. However, at the time I was shopping, there were no decent red ones, only this one in yellow. I wasn't sure that I wanted a yellow VFR, but I am now absolutely smitten and think it might be the best colour ever. Actually called Pearl Shine Yellow, it has a very fine pearl mixed into the yellow, and looks awesome in the sunshine. On the downside, it sure does show up any bugs that are magnetically attracted...

 

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If I won the lottery, I'd be a collector of 3rd though 6th gen and 8th gens, and would have one in every color.  If I count correctly that would be 19 in all.  My favorite is the '91 with gold wheels and ironically one of my least favorite is the '08 silver that I own.   That would be some significant MBD . . .

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50 minutes ago, Cogswell said:

If I won the lottery, I'd be a collector of 3rd though 6th gen and 8th gens, and would have one in every color.  If I count correctly that would be 19 in all.  My favorite is the '91 with gold wheels and ironically one of my least favorite is the '08 silver that I own.   That would be some significant MBD . . .

Sounds like a pretty sensible life goal to me. I see you left out the 2nd gen, I recently bought and lightly restored one of these but fell out of love with it quite quickly as while very pretty, it just felt kind of old. I started riding in the era of tube frames, crossply tyres and single piston callipers, things did get much better with the advent of alloy frames, decent forks, 17" wheels, and the 3rd gen onwards would fulfill my criteria for "modern (ish)".

 

Oddly enough I've never ridden either the 3rd or 4th gen, but have owned a VF750F, multiple VFR700/750 RC24s, two 5th gens, and I have ridden the 6th and 8th. I still think a gently upgraded 5th gen is the sweet spot. 

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I did . . . it isn't that I don't like em, it's just that I'm smitten with the SSSA formula.  Particularly the 3rd gen.  I do respect the earlier gens and enjoy seeing them and am always pleased to see when an owner is preserving / restoring one.    :fing02:

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I couldn't find a thread for funnies/memes/videos so just posting here. 

 

 

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On 5/7/2022 at 2:07 AM, JZH said:

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Here's an even faster colour...

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

 

Is that "The Yellow Peril"?

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On 5/4/2022 at 6:36 PM, Cogswell said:

If I won the lottery, I'd be a collector of 3rd though 6th gen and 8th gens, and would have one in every color.  If I count correctly that would be 19 in all.  My favorite is the '91 with gold wheels and ironically one of my least favorite is the '08 silver that I own.   That would be some significant MBD . . .

Looks like you left out the 7th Gen... If I could only have one, that would be it! Power of a toro-charged 800, and everyday reliability. Does not feel it's weight, and with LSL bars you can really row that thing through the corners! More comfy than the others too...and can still haul the beans fully loaded with a passenger. Way better brakes, easy exhaust valve adjustments, never a chain to clean/adjust/replace, and parts still available!

 

It's biggest downfall is the looks, and what people think of the weight, and range. They aren't really an issue in the real world, as opposed to what the numbers look like on paper.

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15 hours ago, RC1237V said:

Looks like you left out the 7th Gen... If I could only have one, that would be it! Power of a toro-charged 800, and everyday reliability. Does not feel it's weight, and with LSL bars you can really row that thing through the corners! More comfy than the others too...and can still haul the beans fully loaded with a passenger. Way better brakes, easy exhaust valve adjustments, never a chain to clean/adjust/replace, and parts still available!

 

It's biggest downfall is the looks, and what people think of the weight, and range. They aren't really an issue in the real world, as opposed to what the numbers look like on paper.

Could not agree more. :beer:

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On 5/12/2022 at 1:07 AM, Cogswell said:

 

Is that "The Yellow Peril"?

 

Yes, and unfortunately, it still looks exactly like that.  Fairing has not been trimmed to clear the belt, nor have I fitted the RC51 forks and front wheel or the matching Pearl Shining Yellow front mudguard...

 

Of course, having read about the A&A issues, now I'm worried the Rotrex will blow up if I run it again!

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

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On 12/11/2021 at 12:07 PM, comradeQuestion said:

My bike came with Convertibars.  Not really sure I like them, but they do get you more upright.  There's just barely any room between the tank and nose fairing for you to change the handlebar position, so the convertibars have to be angled awkwardly for my hands.  Also, I can't have the clutch lever angled far enough down, so my wrist is in extension when operating the clutch which fatigues my wrist quickly.  It seems like every aftermarket handlebar I've looked at would interfere with the fairing and/or tank, or would need extended throttle cables.

 

Do you know whether the brake lines were changed for longer ones. Without changing lines and cables appropriately for the rise that you want, I don't think that you can get the full benefit of the Convertibars. The 'choke' cable might also have to be changed if you want them high.

 

If you don't like them and decide to sell them, please let me know.

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On 12/9/2021 at 6:40 AM, raYzerman said:

If you want more adjustability, try Convertibars.... I was lucky enough to find a used set... pretty rare they come up for sale.

 

https://www.convertibars.com/Default.asp

 

Could you post photos and/or your opinion about them on the 5th Gen? 

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3 hours ago, RossR said:

 

Do you know whether the brake lines were changed for longer ones. Without changing lines and cables appropriately for the rise that you want, I don't think that you can get the full benefit of the Convertibars. The 'choke' cable might also have to be changed if you want them high.

 

If you don't like them and decide to sell them, please let me know.

My bike has aftermarket clutch and brake lines which are noticeably longer than stock.  They're actually a little too long, but its not a big deal.  The fast idle cable is stock since it had obviously never been removed from the throttle body when I pulled the bike apart.

 

The problem isn't the lines, its the handlebars, levers, or master cylinders hitting the fairing (or tank).  I'm going through this right now with my project bike that has cbr600f4i forks and bars on it.  They aren't angled correctly and don't have the same rise, so they either hit the tank or levers start hitting the fairing.

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This is an endless game, comrade. I have varying bars on most of my bikes. They're all better than stock, but none are even close to great. 

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On 5/1/2022 at 3:57 PM, bmart said:

I did bump into this, which I hadn't seen before. 

 

I think that rising only would just make the levers even higher than stock. 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284690254630

I just can't bring myself to buy new bars at the current pricing, and reviews fornearly all are mediocre. I ordered the last of the ones in the link above and, fingers crossed, will get them in my hot little hands in a few weeks. I rode yellow bike for a few hours straight today and it really needs the bars higher!

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On 5/15/2022 at 10:08 AM, comradeQuestion said:

My bike has aftermarket clutch and brake lines which are noticeably longer than stock.  They're actually a little too long, but its not a big deal.  The fast idle cable is stock since it had obviously never been removed from the throttle body when I pulled the bike apart.

 

The problem isn't the lines, its the handlebars, levers, or master cylinders hitting the fairing (or tank).  I'm going through this right now with my project bike that has cbr600f4i forks and bars on it.  They aren't angled correctly and don't have the same rise, so they either hit the tank or levers start hitting the fairing.

I put  6th gen VFR800 bars on my last 5G 800 when I fitted the 43mm forks from a 600F4i. Worked like a charm.  

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Another beautiful local ride (five actually!) over the long weekend. There's so much to explore near Charlotte without ever being in the city or traffic. 

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Unwilling to spend the dosh on Helibars, which are a mediocre solution anyway, I ordered a set of extenders from Russia's friend Belarus. I can't believe that they actually made it, and that there were no made up fees. 

 

Tidy packaging. Quality parts, although deburring could have been better. Reused stock O-rings and the safety clips aren't needed (there's no space for them, but they could have machined it in...)

 

Easy adjustment with 10mm socket/wrench, so better than stock in that regard. I set them up with the same intended sag as the stockers. I need to check that before riding. 

 

It would not be difficult to raise them a tad more, if the cables/hoses would allow, with washers/shims keeping the alignment pins engaged (less than fully). 

 

Comfort shouldn't be worse! $106 delivered. Helibars are now a completely stupid $359 delivered. Surely worth a go!

 

A few shots of the difference on the bench and installed:

 

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On 6/26/2022 at 2:38 PM, bmart said:

Unwilling to spend the dosh on Helibars, which are a mediocre solution anyway, I ordered a set of extenders from Russia's friend Belarus. I can't believe that they actually made it, and that there were no made up fees. 

 

Tidy packaging. Quality parts, although deburring could have been better. Reused stock O-rings and the safety clips aren't needed (there's no space for them, but they could have machined it in...)

 

Easy adjustment with 10mm socket/wrench, so better than stock in that regard. I set them up with the same intended sag as the stockers. I need to check that before riding. 

 

It would not be difficult to raise them a tad more, if the cables/hoses would allow, with washers/shims keeping the alignment pins engaged (less than fully). 

 

Comfort shouldn't be worse! $106 delivered. Helibars are now a completely stupid $359 delivered. Surely worth a go!

 

A few shots of the difference on the bench and installed:

 

20220625_155340.thumb.jpg.a0ddb3cad3cd30ed78186f35d16e29c0.jpg

 

20220625_192600.thumb.jpg.28cd376a382bf7e24282c8279963b278.jpg

 

20220625_192617.thumb.jpg.1539cfb740b9dd37178431c518f552ea.jpg

 

20220625_192624.thumb.jpg.e297df87d6557137769fabebe8a68687.jpg

 

20220625_192635.thumb.jpg.f5ec080c9cfc67ddb262419031dab576.jpg

 

20220625_192927.thumb.jpg.4b8f7bb70a876408ab15e85cfad34e0a.jpg

 

20220625_192931.thumb.jpg.0f8db5e347ed824191ad1969d835bc72.jpg

 

20220625_195716.thumb.jpg.1ba773440ccfdbec1eba314c3e0e6caf.jpg

 

Yes, Helibars are a stupid price for what they are. Good marketing, just like Corbin seats.

 

Let as know what your riding experience is with those risers. I had put them into my Watch List on ebay.

 

Better to buy adjustable Convertibars if one is going down that route. I have not seen a single person who regretted buying Convertibars. Can't say the same for Helibars. The only thing is that your outlay is high up front as you do need to change all lines to get the best benefit. They are adjustable 4" up (possibly higher) and 4" back and the angle of clip on is adjustable too.

 

https://www.convertibars.com/product-p/honda-vfr-800-98-99.htm

 

AND, you can adjust the parameters in a few minutes with an Allen key when on the road so you 'tour' or 'track'.

 

Not sure if these have been mentioned before on this thread.

 

Apex clip ons are similar but their clamp is not as good as Convertibars. This was pointed out by a competitive cyclist on another forum who knew something about seat clamps. I think he said that Apex thread into the metal and will eventually fail, whereas Convertibars don't. I can't offer any opinion on that.

 

https://www.apexmfg.com/all-products/apex-clip-ons/apex-3-riser-clip-on-set

 

Windshield trimming may be required with both these.

 

 

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On 5/14/2022 at 4:08 PM, comradeQuestion said:

My bike has aftermarket clutch and brake lines which are noticeably longer than stock.  They're actually a little too long, but its not a big deal.  The fast idle cable is stock since it had obviously never been removed from the throttle body when I pulled the bike apart.

 

The problem isn't the lines, its the handlebars, levers, or master cylinders hitting the fairing (or tank).  I'm going through this right now with my project bike that has cbr600f4i forks and bars on it.  They aren't angled correctly and don't have the same rise, so they either hit the tank or levers start hitting the fairing.

 

I meant that I would be interested in the Convertibars if they do not work for you, not the lines.

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Finally got out for a local ride yesterday to test the Belarus risers. They are a lovely product and comfort was surely improved, and for a lot less $ than other options. I'm content. 

 

While the bike was warm, it gave me a chance to make some sag setting changes front and back, albeit sans gear...so they may need to be even tigher.

 

Rear shock 31mm rider, 10mm bike (from 48/26)

 

Front forks 35mm rider, 25mm bike (from 43/29)

 

Short local ride coming up!

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