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Gentlemen, I give you VIN# 00089. Looking nearly as good as the day I brought her home from the dealer back in May 2001. She's not perfect, but I'd say the time spent in the garage has paid off nicely. Cheers, Justin

I used a little MAF cleaner that I had on the shelf. Didn't take much. I suspect carb cleaner would have worked as well. Just a few light, quick sprays to remove the old lube that was on the contacts. I then added a little brake lube that was out since I did the rear brakes. Worked great. On the turn signals (and all of the plastics) I used Meguiar's Ultimate polish on a white foam pad with my dual action polisher. For small pieces like the turn signals it can be done by hand if you don't have a DA. Just clean the part, add a bit of polish to a clean microfiber, use circular motion with light pressure for maybe a minute. Wipe off when done to reveal the shine, repeat as needed. If you want to polish the tank and fairings, a machine polisher is the way to go. I was a bit surprised to find that the plastics on the bike are single stage paint (got some red paint transfer on the pad) and only the tank has clear coat. They did polish up nicely though. @Grum I tried some Autosol metal polish on the pipe and it worked very well. Thanks for the tip! The bike is basically put back together at this point. Just waiting for some clear weather for a shake down run and some outside pics. Cheers, Justin

Hello again fellow Vifferini! Some of you may have read my long winded story here of getting back on a VFR after a 15 year absence from riding. I then posted the clean up thread here about that bike. Since purchase I have put about 10,000 miles on it having an absolute blast riding around the fine state of Utah, USA. The warm weather season is short but we do have a handful of excellent roads with endless scenery. The bike is set up just like my first VFR and it runs perfect. I couldn't be happier with it. Well, the plot thickens...which is to say I tracked down and bought back my original VFR. The one that I bought new in Northern California back in 2001. Yes, my actual exact bike, VIN #00089. Turns out the internet can be an interesting and effective tool. I actually got in touch with the owner a couple years ago but he wasn't ready to sell at that time. Finally, in recent weeks he let me know that he had upgraded and would sell it back to me, and at a very reasonable price. I was more than pleased, and my teenage son and I made plans to pick it up two states away in California. Not wanting to drag my small open trailer 1800 miles there and back, I wondered if a motorcycle would fit inside the wife's minivan. The Google machine quickly confirmed that I was not the first to consider this, as I found multiple pictures of various bikes shoehorned into spaces more commonly filled with soccer moms and soccer kids. That said, we had to test before the drive just to be sure. After some general measuring I figured that if we removed the windscreen and mirrors from my current VFR, we might be able to load it through the side door, which is exactly what we did. "Easy does it. Left a bit! Watch the ramp!" Success! Even got the doors to close with room to spare. Took it right back out and put it in the garage, neighbors shaking their heads, unsurprised at my usual shenanigans. So with that confirmed we made our way out to CA to pick up the original machine. Let me say this, one-on-one time with your kids is absolute gold. While going to get my old bike was cool, 20 plus hours in the car with my son was the real highlight of the trip. He's a fantastic kid and we had great time making new memories doing something that wouldn't make sense to most people. We arrived just after dark at the seller's home after a full day's drive. It was great to meet the gentleman and trade a few stories. I pointed out the small scratches on the clutch cover. "Yeah, that was me, trying to put it up on the center stand one day wearing flip flops and it slowly went over on it's side on the driveway. Not my first bonehead move." It was so cool to see that it still had every mod that I had installed more than 20 years prior, save the Sargent seat, but I'll just use the one from my other bike now. Looking over the bike further I noticed that he had the db killer installed on the Staintune, something I never used in my ownership. "Have you heard it without the db killer?" I asked, reaching for my set of Allen keys. "I didn't know you could remove it." he said. A few seconds later I had it out and fired up the bike inside his carport. Let it warm up for a bit and then gave it a few mild revs. "Whoa you can't have it now!!" he said jokingly, "I should have removed that a long time ago!" We both got a laugh. Every VFR guy has their favorite pipe, an uncorked Staintune is mine, though a period Micron is a close second. The Staintune look and sound just can't be matched. I removed the windscreen and mirrors, having done this exercise once before, and we loaded up the bike in the minivan. I strapped it down securely using the factory seat anchors and several ratchet straps. It was almost as if the van was made for this type of thing. We journeyed back home and put the bike in the garage, with some new memories and a new chapter to start. Seeing double, this looks familiar. The more recent left, modded to resemble the original, right. It even has my original plate on the back as plates stay with the vehicle in California. So what now? Get organized, make the punch list. Gotta go over everything to see that it is clean and up to spec. Fluids, charging system, brakes, etc, a nice winter project. The seller provided me with some receipts of maintenance he'd had done recently at a shop near his home. New plugs, valves checked (all in spec), new coolant and brake fluids. Mentioned an issue of stumbling in lower revs that the shop couldn't rectify. Also mentioned a slight coolant leak on the left side and a dent in the left radiator. Interesting but no worries, I have time to look over everything and make it right. When I sold the bike in 2006 it had 26,000 miles on it. Now it shows just 39,000 miles. I can live with that. In general it looks to be in decent shape still, just needing to be gone through a bit. I first removed the side fairings to have a look at things underneath. Hmmm...of the 18 or so fasteners I removed, only 3 were correct and all were finger tight or less. Luckily you can still order the correct ones from Honda. It's clearly been down on the left side at some point. The coolant leak is from an epoxy repair attempt at the bottom of the reservoir. Actually glad to see it's not from the engine casing as the reservoir is easy to replace. Odd repair though. The left rad is indeed dented on the bottom and the bracket bent slightly, though it is not leaking. It will work until I can get another one. When I removed the tail fairing some of the tool kit fell out of the left side, clanging onto the garage floor, and there is a small crack on the left of the tail fairing at the franken bolt insert. Yeah, it's definitely been down. But....(and it's a big but), whomever dropped it did put on an OEM side fairing so that's a win, and everything else I can deal with quite easily. I also took a chance to check voltage and saw 13.70ish at idle and a solid 14.44v at 4,000 rpm, right where it should be as far as I understand. I'll keep an eye on things once I start riding it later. I made a list and ordered a bunch of fasteners and a new coolant reservoir, OEM oil filters and fluids. Just going to take my time and enjoy it. More to come. Cheers, Justin

For a variety of reasons I last rode my VFR over a year ago - zero miles in 2023. Today I threw off the cover, dusted off the cobwebs, cleaned and lubed the chain, then replaced the battery and started it for the first time in a few months. Fingers' x'd that I'll manage to get a ride in this year.

Just... WOW. Great job. Many VFRs just at the brink like that one don't get a comeback. The Honda Gods are smiling.

Hello! I'd like to introduce myself and my new (to me) 21,000 mile 1999 VFR! After riding vintage motorcycles for a while (1970 CB450K3 and 1969 CL350K1), I decided it was time to get a commuter that would be a little faster, more reliable, and most importantly.... FUEL INJECTED! After a lot of research and soul searching, I decided the VFR should fit my needs nicely. It's a substantial bump in HP, with a more comfortable riding position than a supersport, and it has that unique powerplant - apparently I have a thing for unusual valvetrains. Once I decided on a 5th gen VFR (it had to be fuel injected and it had to have that gear driven valvetrain), I waited until a clean one popped up for sale near me and pounced on it! A 1999 VFR in very nice condition, with all the OEM parts (muffler, signals, passenger pegs/grab handles) included, and just one problem - it doesn't charge the battery. Upon taking off the fairings, the reason why became quite obvious: Luckily, the stator and wiring seem to be good. No internal shorts when tested, 20V AC at idle and just over 50V when revved, even across all three legs. I just had to order a SH847 from Eastern Beaver with wiring kit and I should be ready in time for the season! So while I wait for that to ship, I've been cleaning, restoring it to OEM condition as best I can, and taking quick jaunts around town in an attempt to satiate my impatience. Thanks for the help - this forum was a great resource in diagnosing my charging issue and determining a course of action - and I hope to stick around!

Very nice!

Justin...All I can say is c'est magnifique! Great job. I guess your son has a grin from ear to ear. Magic photos, beautiful scenery. Enjoy.

I haven't changed the oil & filter, but I will in the coming weeks - whether or not I decide to put it back on the road. Handily, the tank is near empty so I'll have to refill it as well. The battery was stored indoors, and kept on a battery tender. Cosmetics, hydraulics, electrical connections, and more are worth thinking about, too.

You didn't mention if you stayed upright. 😎

So... I'm not a paint person. Got the cowl stay painted, the can says 6 days for the paint to cure but I don't think I'll be putting a clear coat on, I was having such a hard time; the part is so complicated to paint, I have it heavy in some places and light in others! I suck with a spray can...

Sorry Justin, can't honestly say and have never removed a cat from any of my VFR's, but seeing the O2 sensors are ahead of the cat and the cat has no active influence on the EFI system, and that its role is to reduce the toxicity of exhaust gasses, then I can't see how running without it would be a problem, other than to the enviromentally friendly people! Other owners who have removed their cat will offer better advice I'm sure.

I've used this stuff on the lower exhaust on my 8gen. Keeps it nice and shiny. Picture - Lower exhaust after 90,000k's.

The bike spent some time in a carport and the right side showed some fading from exposure to the elements. A light polish makes a difference in no time. That Italian Red pops nicely. Even with 39,000 miles the headlight cover cleaned up great. This piece was missing when I got the bike back. It's a bulb cover under the headlight assembly. No bulb on the US bikes but I wanted the cover in place regardless. Fuel tank cushions were also missing, now installed. Fairing bracket missing from the left side, now installed. Even got a new tool bag and rubber band. I noticed that the turn signal switch was sticky. Took it apart, cleaned and lubed inside. Now it moves freely as it should. All that remains now is to polish the windscreen, tail and side fairings, install and final wax. I ordered a taller windscreen that will be here soon, we'll see how well it works. I'm hoping it will direct the wind blast a bit higher. Also need to figure out how to polish some discoloration near the bottom of the Staintune pipe. I have a few metal polishes to try out. Getting closer to a real shakedown run. Cheers, Justin

Slowly making progress as parts come in. New hotness vs old and busted. Nice to be able to get an OEM part to replace the original with the failed epoxy repair. Now with Honda blue coolant, sorted! Honda oil and filter up next... Looking good. With new oil and coolant I started the bike and let it warm up, checking for leaks and luckily none were found. I also wanted to confirm that the cooling fan functioned correctly. I let the bike get up to 230* F and the fan did not kick on. After the bike cooled down I put it on the side stand and topped off the coolant level, then went to the manual. Per the manual the fan should kick on from 208*-216* F. So, following the manual I tested the fan motor by running a jumper from the fan motor switch connector to a ground with the key on. Fan motor works. Then I tested voltage, looks good. I thought I might need a new fan switch but decided to do a continuity test first. I put the switch in a vise and attached the leads from a multimeter. I then heated up the switch base with a propane torch. After a few seconds of heat, the multimeter confirmed continuity. I did this 3 times just to be sure. On the last one I listened to the switch as it cooled down, and heard the click. Reinstalled the switch and let the bike warm up again. This time the fan kicked on right at 219* F and off again at 206*F. I let that cycle 3 times before calling it good. Next up, rear brake pads. The fronts are fine but rears were getting low. There is a very good chance these are the rear pads I installed many years ago. (The damage on the left pad is from me using a flat screwdriver against the old pads to compress the pistons) Caliper cleaned, pins lubed, new pads installed and everything torqued to spec. Torqued the front calipers, axle bolt and fork pinch bolts. Found two caliper bolts that were slightly loose. Good to have peace of mind on these things. Next up, more polishing and more OEM parts to install. Added bonus, the weather is starting to warm up nicely! Cheers, Justin

Good job I machine polish paint cars and bikes.. A good wash may be sufficient for some, a good wax when required.

LEDs are such a cheap, easy and effective mod. Highly recommended. You only need 5 for the backlights in the cluster. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08229N2Y5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Did a test spot with the polisher. I first used a rubber wheel on a drill to remove this old decal, then lightly hit the area with 2000 grit wet sand, followed by an initial pass of Ultimate Compound on an orange pad. Turned out nice. Before polishing: After:

Hand-washing the inside of your fairings? Love the attention to detail! Lovely time reading through the initial post and will follow along. About the zipties, I just have a nice pair of side cutters and flush cut right to the housing. Always comes out damn near perfect with no stickout - never cut your hands again and it looks quite tidy!

I can tell you this...I leave many of my zip ties long these days if no one sees them. The short ones cut up your hands when you're working in tight spaces!

Thanks Grum. It is a fun and somewhat mysterious project so far. Today I began cleaning things up. Took the rest of the body work off to inspect and wash inside and out. The fairings came out nice. I will machine polish all of the plastics before they go back on. Always interesting to see factory markings on the inside of things. Found more evidence of the left side drop, the gauge cluster is cracked on the lower left mount. I just took it out and super glued it back together. Luckily just the housing was cracked that I can see. Everything else looks ok. Took the opportunity to put LEDs in the backlighting slots as done on my other bike. That needle indicated 155 mph exactly once with me at the helm, in Death Valley around 2002. Actual speed would have been somewhere in the 140s but it was all she had. Still faster than my buddies Ducati 900SS at the time. We were headed to Las Vegas for Ducati Revs America. Ironically, after doing some top speed runs out in the desert we both got pulled over just outside of Vegas for doing 20 over. Found two more missing fasteners, and a lonely zip tie in place of one. The excess wasn't even snipped off. What kind of neanderthal put this bike back together? lol Just taking my time, trying to make a difference... Chain and sprockets are recent so they can stay. Little by little. Cheers, Justin