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As most might know, I and fellow member sfdownhill were great friends and were a couple of key members in bringing the high performance headers the VFR community. After his untimely passing, I volunteered to help his family with all of the motorcycle related items Lance left behind. One of which was his prized 5 Gen. After a long battle with DMV hassles, the title was finally transferred to his father’s name and that bike is now up for auction at IconicMotorcycles. Seeing the pics of his bike on the auction site brings back some tears, knowing that his beloved VFR is a step away from finding a new home and me having one less shared physical connection with my friend. (It hit a little deeper than I thought it would). He and I talked a lot about the mods he planned and did and I even helped install some of the parts it still carries. I originally planned on being the one to sell it but after a lot of thought, I felt it would easier for it to be handled by a shop like Iconic. As just seeing the bike being loaded on their van when they picked it up was hard to take, imagine me dealing with someone coming to me to buy it? I’d probably be like the over protective father who feels no man is good enough to take his daughter on date :] Seriously though, it took a lot out of me handling the three bikes I took in, amongst the other moto bits I helped handle. After discussing with Lance’s father we both felt good about letting Iconic handle it. On that end, they were really great to work with, especially knowing that I as the middle man in this process. Anyway, thanks for reading and hopefully whoever does buy Lance’s VFR will get the same enjoyment as Lance did and will appreciate all that went into this special bike. Cheers, D https://iconicmotorbikeauctions.com/auction/2001-honda-vfr800-interceptor-3/

Well well well... the mad scientist strikes again. the ladder trick really did the work! It was VERY sketchy, but after distributing the load with a block of wood up top and securing transversely with easy-straps, I was able to confidently say the magic words "She aint goin nowhere" Next was to punch out the axle... and that was interesting! Quite easy to do, to be honest, and by some accounts on this forum, I consider myself lucky it were so simple. She's a little sour on the "left" (from rider position), but a good clean and grease & I'd wager she's good for another 60,000 miles 😁 Would love to poll advise from the viffer collective consciousness on this one. LMK how bad she is Now for the big battle of the job... Never have I ever struggled with a circlip like this before... I really had to muscle that bad boy off, and even then... I walked it off around its inner radius. (foreshadowing...) But we got there! Yee haw! a very scary job made simple. For years I was timid about taking the rear end apart, but it really is as simple as it could be! (challenging? Yes. Simple? yes. Such things are not mutually exclusive in my mind) Pics of the eccentric/bearings: And now for the whole point of this exercise... enjoy the eye candy, folks: Billet Hel rear brake caliper. And as pretty as she looks on the table... it was time to bring it all back together (and calm my nerves by getting this machine back on the earth!!) --- Reassembly --- So here we went... Step 1: Cir-clip ... well crap... this didn't go my way the first time, barely getting it removed. So what makes me think I can get it back ON.... After rummaging around town getting other bits I may need (across three hardware stores...), Ol Faithful Harbor Freight came to the rescue with the largest cir-clip pliers I have ever laid eyes on... That's right, folks. This Is how I got it back on. 🤣 After dying of maniacal laughter from my successes (and at my struggles from earlier), I press on to button everything up. All goes smoothly, and here's the end results... 🤤 Now... this job isn't complete, as I'll be back in there one more time to be sure that rear brake is clamping onto some kit as premium as itself... Stay tuned!

Hi All here some pics from my rides in north part of Italy, close to Austrian border Gavia (behind me with my beloved XX, my wife with her SV 650) Pordoi with my glorious Africa Twin Getting Stelvio Pass on my XX Alway on my XX, riding close to Garda lake Africa Twin again, playing with the snow... My second XX, admiring a nice small lake in the so-called "lakes valley" My Z750 over the astonishing TENNO LAKE, with its distinctive color between blue and green Hope you may enkoy the pics as well as I enjoined the rides 😊

To be honest, I never would have known, or attempted this without the knowledge and feedback by the members here. I'm certainly grateful, and never take it for granted when someone on this forum takes time to answer my questions or offer information. Happy Trails guys.

Hello everyone, my name is Matteo and I am Italian. Tomorrow is the big day, I am going to pick up my "new" VFR!!! It is a 1998 VFR 800FI, single owner, all original, Red color, very well preserved. Unfortunately it is not running, the bike has been standing still for more than 5 years and the fuel pump does not work and the entire tank was full of rotten gasoline. The owner has vision problems and can no longer ride it, he kept it in the garage for many years without using it with the hope of solving his problem one day, but not improving, in the end he decided to sell it. I paid €1,200 (just over $1,300) for it. If it can be interesting I will open a discussion when I start the restoration work. Greetings from Italy!! N.B. Sorry, I initially wrote in English, then the browser translator made a bit of a mess and published in Italian, I'll add now what I wanted to publish. Next time, be more careful! Ciao a tutti, mi chiamo Matteo e sono italiano. Domani è il grande giorno, vado a prendere il mio "nuovo" VFR!!! Si tratta di una VFR 800FI del 1998, unico proprietario, tutto originale, colore Rosso, molto ben conservato. Purtroppo non è in funzione, la moto è ferma da più di 5 anni e la pompa del carburante non funziona e l'intero serbatoio era pieno di benzina marcia. Il proprietario ha problemi di vista e non può più guidarla, l'ha tenuta in garage per molti anni senza usarla con la speranza di risolvere un giorno il suo problema, ma non migliorando, alla fine ha deciso di venderla. Ho pagato €1.200 (poco più di .300) per questo. Se può essere interessante aprirò una discussione quando inizierò i lavori di restauro. Saluti dall'Italia!!

I think I got it fixed, lots of hoop jumping and I might have to taxes taken out now..but I think it is working now. Freaking crazy set of hoops I had to figure out.

Yesterday I finally had the chance to make a ride to test the risers I built for my footpges. In the wait of affording something more effective and precious like the "Sebspeed" recipe, I just grabbed a square aluminium bar sleeping in my box to built two rudimentary risers. Of course, they are temporary; their scope was just to test the final position. And they did: the difference, although not enormous, does a valuable difference. I can handle the bike with my legs (as I'm used to do) much effectively than before, and the riding is more "active". The risers have a 27mm linear offset; by considering the inclination (let's round about 45°), we may say that I shift the foootpegs by 19mm (3/4") upward and backward. Here's the close-up: And here's the granny stretching her legs When money will come, I'm going to design a set of brackets to be coupled with my set of CBR1100XX rearsets, to finalize the mod. Meanwhile, next week I'll finally change these worn tires; I bought this bike fitted with Pirelli on rear and Mitas on front, tires that behave totally on the contrary (soft carcass for Pirelli, rigid for Mitas). I'm going to install a set of Mitas Sportforce+, that I tested with (a lot of) taste on mi wife's bike (Cagiva Raptor 650)

Howdy all! Been riding a 1985 CB700SC for years, and have finally decided to pull the trigger and get a VFR. Bike has about 15.4k miles on it currently, has a Corbin seat, Delkevic exhaust, and some aftermarket brake and clutch levers. Can't wait to put some miles on it. I feel it is safe to assume the plugs could use to be changed soon, as well as oil + filter, and probably most other fluids, haha

wanted to make my first post, thanks for letting me into the community! recently acquired this 2002 with 8700 miles, my second 6th gen. I wanted to start by replacing all fluids and giving the bike some love as it has been dormant for ~5 years. smelled a bit of coolant at operating temp and wanted to investigate. found out the leak was coming from a few hoses connected to the thermostat. ordered a new T-stat, O-ring, and hoses connecting to the housing. 1. wanted to say thank you to the forum for providing me information to do this. 2. are there other components that should be replaced while the vee is still exposed?

Two Staintune for twice the growl 😉

I traded the 1200 VFR a year or so ago for a KTM GT. Similar idea, but different take. The KTM has roughly the same HP, but 100lbs lighter, much more torque. I always loved the engine on the VFR it was a monster, I could pass a slow mover on a 2 lane road without even having to downshift, and be around them in mere seconds. The KTM is even more torque and it wizzes by rather quickly too. I was a bit tired of the VFR because I had this constant elbow pain, something about the ergos put a strain on my elbow, and my knees would be wrecked after a half a day of spirited riding. The KTM has a much more upright riding postion, which in itself has a whole different set of trade offs. Taller seat height, which I remedied with a set of lowering springs, stiffer and it dropped the KTM 20mm. Wow what a difference that made. I really like all the doo dads too, semi active suspension. I would describe the suspension settings as Comfort - wallow, Street - not quite, Sport - Bumpy as F**K. The new springs really improved that too, its dialed in now. I had an Ohlins shock on the 1200 that I kept for 12 years and had rebuilt 3 times, and Andretti front cassettes and springs, it was about as good as it gets, but I never could get the front end just right, but it worked ok fully adjustable one fork was rebound the other was compression - and old racer solution from way back in the day. I sold it because I just cant do that bent over knee wrenching riding style anymore. So far I am happy with the KTM, I put 80,000 miles on the Veefalo, so far I havent even scratched the surface on the KTM. 6k maybe now? I am getting ready to put on new sprockets and chain, new tires, oil and filter, and then a valve adjustment. Some weird KTM required cleaning, a strange oil port you have to clean to get smooth shifts, its got a little removable oil jet you have to clean every few thousand miles. Here is a you tube vid of me an 3 guys in tow doing one of my favorite local rides to Bishops Castle in southern Colorado, make sure to crank up the quality..Youtube always puts it in the lowest setting???

Additional eye candy: Fits like a glove. Happy camper.

Well, top trunks... I recently posted on another thread that it took me many years to come around to top trunks. Well, I still think they take away from the garage appeal of any bike, but they sure are useful! My Multistrada is now almost eight (!) years old. When I bought it I splurged on the OEM luggage and top trunk--which is huge. So today is day 2 of a four day ride to and through northernmost CA. I didn't even bring the saddlebags, just the you-know-what. BTW Rt. 96 is just heaven for motorcycles. 😎

Hi. I resume this old post to add my cave's pics.

Welcome! The VFR1200F is a great bike, seems to check a lot of the boxes you list. Fantastic motor, even better brakes, it can eat up the miles but also is very capable on twisty mountain roads despite its ~600lbs. Traded my 6th gen for one when it debuted in 2010, had that bike for seven years and loved it. You don't get a lot of modern electronic bells and whistles (ride modes, IMU, smart suspension and brakes, cruise control, etc.), and the looks were polarizing when it hit the U.S., but you do get shaft drive. Just add some Helibars and gas and have fun! edit: Someday, somehow, somewhere, you'll come around to the dark side and appreciate a top trunk. Took me decades!

I'm not sure why, but my brain never quite understood why steering head lifts could possibly be stable because of the pivot at the bottom 1/4 of the arm.... Well recently I faced the fear of garage-dropping the bike as I am running out of excuses for finally installing my VTR 1000 forks & brakes....(race tech springs, and basically all the seals & tools I need are standing by) and I needed the practice-run before the real deal. Turns out, I couldn't find a write up on this. I presume because everyone here is much more mechanically inclined than I, or has no fear of crushing their toes trying to use a system that appears questionably stable at best. I had an immense amount of fear using this type of stand for the first time, about the same as I had when using ye olde ladder method in a recent post. So here we go.... --- Starters: Get a steering-head/triple-tree stand off FB marketplace & get the 23mm pin. (I know vortex claims we need the 24mm, but I have the return-label right next to me as it didn't fit). As you can see, I also have my necessary leftward lower digits. Let's see if I can keep them! Next, remove the horn & bracket for the horn & brake line hoses. You want a clear shot to the center of the triple tree as seen: Lift the rear end with yet another stand (Probably not required, but my level of risk tolerance didnt allow me to do this any other way). Next (requiring two hands) fa-dangle the pin on the lift into the hole, set the lift on the ground, and press down to raise your viffer! (Careful not to scratch up the front mud-guard too much) And if you've done it properly, the front wheel shall be raised off the ground and all your toes should be accounted for! 😄 --- No excuses now. Time to get those VTR forks assembled, test-fit, etc. I'll put the defibrillators on my old thread regarding the swap as progress is made there. Ride Safe!

Hello everybody, I am a 36yo french guy living in Germany and I got last year before the winter my first Honda and it is a VFR. Before that I had a Yamaha TDM 900 for 4 years, I found it quite nice, especially the engine, a parallel twin from the TRX/TDM and the first of its kind having a 270° crankshaft before it became mainstream recently. But I wanted something which felt less of a commuter and has more character. I randomly found a VFR 800 FI, an original 50th anniversary, at my local dealer. I tested it and felt rightaway that it was what i need, so I bought it and sold the TDM. Since then I am very delighted with my new motorbike, it feels more like a "real motorbike" to me, I don't know how to say it otherwise. I signed in here because I wanted to get some content about VFR things and maybe some help if needed, but so far it is running very well. The motobike is almost stock, I noticed first that the rectifier had already been changed for a Suzuki one ( from an Hayabusa I think), and I recently changed the windshield for a smoked MRA racing because it had a non transparent black with stock shape that I did not like. And I think that I am going to get the post 2000 rearview mirrors because the original ones, with the soft rubber are not aging well. That's it See you in other topics

Yes, it's a tax disc. IIRC, the practice was in effect when I purchased the bike, but discontinued shortly after. Skids: Never really noticed that they were on the left side TBH. Had to go through my pics to shake the cobwebs. Now that I am riding on the right side of the road again. Think I'll leave it there.🙂

Ciao Matteo! Here's a translation. I was born in Italy however, don't speak a word...but tech helps! Hello everyone, my name is Matteo and I'm Italian. Tomorrow is the big day, I'm going to get my "new" VFR!!! It is a 1998 VFR 800FI, sole owner, all original, Red color, very well preserved. Unfortunately it is not running, the bike has been stopped for more than 5 years and the fuel pump does not work and the entire tank was full of rotten gasoline. The owner has vision problems and can no longer drive it, he kept it in the garage for many years without using it with the hope of one day solving his problem, but not improving, in the end he decided to sell it. I paid €1,200 (just over .300) for this. If it can be interesting I will open a discussion when I start the restoration work. Greetings from Italy!!

Darryl, thank you, and thanks again, and again, for doing all this for Lance, his family, and his bike. Can't be easy for you. Hopefully the buyer will post a shot of the bike in action soon.

Hi everyone. I was an active member here a long time ago and really enjoyed working on my 2001 VFR800. When I owned my 800 and Honda announced the 1200, I was so impressed by the initial photos that I whipped together this video. Ever since then, I've thought about buying a VFR1200 but there were so many bikes that I wanted to try (around 20 or so!). The time was finally right, and yesterday I brought one home. It's a 2010 with only 9,400 miles. It has some nice modifications, and I'll ride it as-is and see what else I might like to change. I also own a first year 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing that I restored, a 2015 KTM 1190 ADV (favorite bike ever), and a 2021 Husqvarna 701 Enduro. I'm looking forward to learning more and interacting with other owners!

Jesus Christ. That windshield could even keep this helmet out of the wind...

So, bolted everything together, measured and found it was about 25-30 mm longer than the oem, which was fine as I was getting some exhaust residue on my soft bags before. A quick video of the bike running 20250415_145051.mp4

Another option (as this is an RC36) could be to "flip the eccentric". I did this on my RC36, but it wasn't to compensate for a too-short shock. Essentially, because the RC36 axle normally rides in the top arc of the eccentric, if you rotate the eccentric adjuster 180 degrees, the axle will then ride in the bottom half of the arc, resulting in about 30-40mm additional rear ride height. IIRC, you would need to countersink one of the rear caliper bolts, because the OEM bolt would otherwise hit the swing arm. Countersinking the steel bracket is a simple operation, however. (This won't work on an RC46, because the axle normally rides in the bottom half of the arc already.) This may not solve the problem if the stroke length is not compatible with the VFR suspension... And if you cannot remove and re-install the VFR spring... Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures from when I was using this contraption to disassemble my VFR's shock. (I may have only used it to service my Ohlins VFR shock, rather than the OEM one.) The part numbers for each piece of the tool are provided in the Honda Workshop Manual, but these parts are probably now unavailable and they are almost certainly too expensive for what they are! Good luck. Ciao, JZH

There's an incredibly over-used phrase in U.S. sports: "the best ability is availability." In other words, talent isn't enough, you have to be able to play all the time. Well, I live near the PCH, one of the great roads, but it can be a tourist/RV parade in the dry season. 96 is the best of both worlds: 130 miles of just great riding with no one else on the road. Every curve is available. Great vid Lorne. My ear worm was Blondie's Union City Blues tho. I do enjoy those tight sections on either side of Hoopa, 500 feet above the Trinity River canyon, but honestly, I really love those 3rd and 4th gear sweepers that just go on forever further north. An opinion that was reinforced a few hours ago... I quietly parked behind Bigfoot this afternoon:

One of the left over bits when converting a Hawk to a VFR wheel is this center piece. It is conical, and slightly different, on each side allowing you to use it as a spacer that the balancing shaft cone can engage. I even used 2 of them to sandwich a Ducati wheel for a friend. I also bought an extra spindle to mount the VFR wheel to that works darn good. I am going to shorten it on a lathe to make it a little more handy and less bulky.

How's your day going? Yeah, April 9th........

Ahemmm... unfortunatly my VFR is not that exotic and cool. I forgot to mention that the Supreme Budget Committee (my wife 😆) didn't allow such a big expense for the upgrade, so I moved toward a more humble Superhawk conversion. It's still VTR, but... 😁 To make it a bit stiffer and more precise, I installed a forkbrace designed by myself. Of course it's not a USD, but "enough is as good as a feast" 😅

I still have the same snowshovel from when I lived in the northeast. It's handy for moving mulch. New snow was usually a lot of fun growing up in Massachusetts. But not in April.

I'm with the other guys on this. Get your spring rate and new sag adjustments right first. I'd leave adjusting the oil viscosity and, perhaps later, valving until you've found out how the system is responding with the new springs and whether you like it. In short, change the smallest number of variables at one time. You may be surprised that with the correct springs your current oil and amount of rebound adjustment is ok for your style of riding.

Getting the correct spring rate for you and your bike, choosing the right oil and height, will go A LONG way in improving your situation. Start there in my opinion. You will be blown away by the difference. After the honeymoon period is over and you perhaps start picking up on some areas you may want to refine regarding valving, that can be done fairly easily. The cartridge holder can be removed without completely disassembling the forks. If you go the dealer route, make damn sure they understand your desire for a specific oil height, and how/when to measure it. You don't just want "fork oil capacity", which is done far too often.

I'm not sure there is any easy answer to this. I applaud the idea of bespoke spring weights but damping tends to be an individual choice. My experience with stock fork valving is that it is a bit mushy until you hit a larger bump then gets too harsh, symptomatic of the HMAS valves with fairly restrictive porting. As oil is easy to change and experimentation is fun, I'd suggest just fitting the new springs without changing oil, and if that is not to your liking, try a high (or lower) oil weight. But 15W sounds like it would make the harsh problem worse.

Hi everybody! Sorry for joining late 😁 Stephen, your translation is excellent🤙 Ciao Matteo!! Glad to see another italian guy in this madhouse 😆 ; you'll be fine, here: there's plenty of super passionate persons, very skilled and generous with info, useful advises and inspiration. It's a very pleasant place to stay ❤️ I own a 98 too, and I made a vast restoration last year; unfortunately we live too far away to actively be of any service (you have "Motor Valley" in your profile, so I suppose Emilia Romagna 😁, while I jump between Trento and Firenze) but... who knows? I frequently come across Bologna and Modena in my weekly Firenze-Trento travel; we could meet once your oldie will be completed And... YES, please open a thread to show off your restoration. It's more than welcome 😊

I made the same path. Once 50, I decided to go back to the VFR (I had a G4 20 years ago) for the same reasons you mentioned: mesmerizing whining sound, great riding, superb nobleness. Now I have a delinked, VTR frontend converted G5 and I'm happy. But... I come from 2 CBR100XX. The VFR sound is amazing and pays off most of the things but... sometime I miss the inexhaustible thrust of a bigger engine. Due to that, I think the 1200 could be a choice to consider more than a lot. And it handles much better than you might think

Current bid is criminally low for a VFR in this condition

Could just be reflections on the top of the ridges on the crankcase cover, hard to tell from that pic. Even if I download the pic to zoom in, it's not hi-res enough. Fitment of the upper cowl to right cowl around the damage, especially near the leading edge and hardware, looks "off".

On an old 86 I took a broken IP bezel and stuffed a Honda Marine meter in...

DrErgal: That link turned out to be great info! Clear, concise instructions and a list of what all the values mean. Jeez 24 of them....... My codes 2 and 11, came up as a maps sensor vacuum connection issue as trmoyer suggested, and a poor connection at the speed sensor. Since I had just installed an aftermarket gear indicator which required that I plug into the speed sensor, I just now unplugged it and put it back to original as I noticed yesterday my speedo and odometer had tanked, so an obvious culprit. I have a full tank of gas now, but will burn it down and have a look at my hoses. Right now there is no FI light with the bike running, so I'm not to worried. I have 2 trips coming up in May for about 7,000 miles (11,300 km) so want to start out without to many known defects. 🙂 Just a thought, I keep a small jumper in my tool kit at all times as it's useful to jump a bad fuel cut relay in a pinch to get your fuel pump running again, so I had one already. Had no idea I'd need one on a 5th Gen for diagnostics. Thank you very much for posting the link, it saved me quite a bit of time.

Hello all, I'm actively shopping for a VFR1200F here or within 100 miles of here. I'm a Honda veteran, I've had 4 bikes previously and it's been a few years since I've ridden, but the kids are out of the house and I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I'm shopping helmets, jackets and trying to find a VFR that someone's taken really good care of. I'm glad there's a group to swap information with! I'm retired now, spent 40 years in IT, most recently at T-Mobile. Divorced, four grown kids and have previously owned these bikes: '84 CB700SC - Red '94 CBR600F2 - Silver / Black '98 VF700C Magna - Yellow '87 Goldwing Apencade - restore project

Perhaps check the manual and run the FI code procedures?

Top cases are ugly, but they rock for utility. I didn't like any of the available racks for 5th gens so I made my own out of some spare 1" DOM. It's handy when your hard bags aren't easily removed. Pack street clothes/toiletries in the top case, and you can pop it off to carry into the room.

I'm not sure where I'd rank Cal 20, but definitely below Cal 1 (coast to Leggett) or Cal 128 (coast to Cloverdale). Oh my, yes, Cal 96 is a terrific road. The whole ride is scenic and, as I recall, the twistiest part is between Weitchpec and Hoopa. Which you can view right here - also on a red v-twin back in 2003.

I could never~ I try to treat my VFRD headers like the golden unicorn they are! I'm certain by your account that it works well, but I would probably cry if I cracked them 😭

Didn't ride today cuz it was still chilly in the upper 40s this morning and the roads were still damp after a storm. Thank you for some perspective.

Not a Ninja 1000 but I still keep my Yamaha FZ1 along side my VFR. And looking back, seems every time I had a VFR I also had a liter bike. While the VFR does it's thing really well, like DrE posted, I always crave a liter bike as it has it's own "rip" to it. I'm asked often which one is better and my reply is always the same.... BOTH. Keep telling myself I'll try the VFR1200 but none around to be able to ride.

Hi vfrcapn, Thank you for your donation of 100.00 USD. We look forward to improving the forums with your donation. Thanks VFRDiscussion