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To our New Zealand and Aussie members. The celebration of ANZAC day is special in our hearts as we celebrate, honour, and remember those who gave their lives for the freedoms we have. Lest We Forget.

I just said goodbye to my Ol'Heavy. It was not easy but I'm happy because the young man who took her will be good to her and will most likely be joining VFRD soon. I will be much happier seeing her ridden. Looking back for a pic, I found this one. Appropriate because it was the beginning of the end. I loaned Andy my CB500x to join us on the PreRide. I ended up riding it one day and loved it in the mountains. The next year, Covid struck and I rode it while Rob rode Ol'Heavy. I became a much better rider on a bike that was 100lbs lighter and about half the horse power. It was really hard trying to get my old body back on the VFR. The other reason that the pic is appropriate is that it reminds me of the good times and great friends that have come from VFR ownership and membership here going back to '05. I will still be here for years to come, I hope, to continue enjoying the friendships.

Out of Winterization, installed a battery, primed the fuel system and checked the tire pressures... and rode the 95 for it's Spring opener. Nice rip in the Snohomish Valley after work and stopped for a beverage and some sweet potato fries at one of my favorites places, Duvall Grill and Tap Room. EDIT: WRONG FORUM!!! Sorry. I'm still leaving this here.

Well, after roughly six months of being able to ride again, primarily commuting, no "real" ride yet, but hey, at least I'm able to ride...or am I? Had another little hurdle thrown at me, hand surgery. Seems my left hand suffered from "trigger finger". For the most part, my hand worked like normal except when I used it in a fist for grabbing something. Essentially, it would "lock up" on me, and it was difficult to straighten my hand back out. Ironically, riding a bike and working the clutch didn't seem to be affected by this, so that was the good part. So last Tuesday I had it operated on. Figured it wasn't going to get better on it;s own, so I went forward with the surgery. I had two options, option 1, full anesthesia, option 2, local numbing and be wide awake. Well, after my "other" operation, I felt fully comfortable being awake for this one, especially since that was an option. So that's the route I took, numb the hand, and operate away. Much like my other surgery, the afterward was uneventful and believe it or not no pain! None, not even a little ache. There is some discomfort when making a fist, which is encouraged, well, at least to move my hand like normal as much as possible. That to me was expected, as the affected area was a bit swollen and I did have a sutured wound. Although I technically still ride in this current state, I am encourage to not ride until at least 2 weeks from the surgery date, so not a 9 month wait like the last one. So with dealing with a bunch of "life" stuff and work, I at least have stuff to occupy my time, and it's already been a week, so this time things seem to be moving faster at least. On another positive note, I helped a friend of a friend acquire a 98 5 Gen for $2,900.00! It was listed and was located about 10 miles from me so I went to check it out and if he didn't want it, I was going to buy it! Well, he ended up buying it and I helped him get it freshened up, as it had been sitting for a few months. There was few little pieces that needed attention, that I was able to fix/resolve for him and while he and I were talking, he tells me that not only is he a ski and snow board instructor, he also does motorcycle training. Well, needless to say, we became fast friends! I agreed to help out on a few other things and he said he would give me some one on one rider training, so I took him up on that the Saturday before my surgery. Let's just say, although my street skills are good, I can definitely use some "training" time, I am a little bit rusty after not riding for a while. Oh yeah, prior that Saturday morning we went to the 'Cars and Coffee' at the American Honda HQ in Torrance, CA. Anyway, good to be alive folks! IMG_3358.MOV.mp4

Very few bikes look cool without some cash and talent. More cash requires less talent while more talent requires less cash. Seb's naked bikes look like MONEY but we know how they got there.

Got my modified Crossrunner (same as VFR) axle back. Shortened then threaded so I can use my custom cushdrive & VFR400 brake parts. Thus keeping my chain & sprockets the same. Should get rear end back together this weekend 😁 Ready for MoT next week & NW200 trip on the 8th 👍

Yeah eventually I am going to buy all of the plastic for mine or try to repair the ones that are still savable. I was just wondering if there are cheaper alternatives. I like the stock look but at this very moment to put it back on the road I'll probably just throw on the damaged fairings so I can ride it until I can afford to put new plastic on. My brother knows how to paint and offered to help me once I have all of the parts.. I have owned my Honda Magna for 7-8 months and really like the V4 in that bike so I went out and bought this one. It might take some time and money but I think this bike deserves a second chance. Thanks for the advice guys I appreciate it.

Great news Duc. Speedy recovery. I fully understand the frustration from post operative blues of not being able to ride for lengthy periods. Nice partnership with your mate, rider training in exchange for bike help. I find it one of the joys of motorcycling, always learning and refining technique and smoothness, whether or not I achieve my goal is debatable! Great motorcycle porn shots! Guess you'd never want a faulty "trigger finger" with a six shooter in your hand! Take care and best regards.

So spent most of today putting my rear end back together. Took wheel to local tyre shop to get tyre put on, they did if FoC 😁 👍 Then reassembled the axle & disc, needed different washers as spacers due to 800 & 400 axle having different cutout for disc mounts. But we got there. Fitted axle to the hub & tighten everything up to the correct torque & axle spins freely 👍 Then connected the rear caliper to the brake hose & hung it from the rear of the bike to bleed it, much simpler with the bleed nipple at the top. Remembered to put something between the pads to act as disc spacer. All bled up very easily, hardest part was keeping my mini reservoir topped up, 2 full pumps & its empty. Then bolted caliper in place & put wheel on the bike & torqued up the wheel nuts. Removed centre stand whilst bike warmed up & took it for a brake test up my dead end street. All good, rear brake works & wheel didn't fall off 😂 Get an MoT Monday/Tuesday & then some test rides 👍

Yes. I always expect a new helmet to be tight. It will adjust to your head and cheekbones, and you will adjust to how it feels. Far better than a lid that starts too loose. In the worst case you can change pads. And...I bought an AGV K6 S last year, and posted a review here on VFRD. I'll try to find it for you but the short answer is I love it so far. Light weight, field of vision and build quality.

Judging by the phrases used in his post and the general description of the starting point, I don't think either one of those options is in the budget. You could just buy a pretty nice 94 thru 97 for less money. Naked maybe. But if you want it to not look like ass, then usually any "budget" naked build is out too (imo).

Greetings from Finland I thought I'd put here a little of what has been done to my beloved motorcycle over the years, especially in terms of power increase. the first two pictures show the difference between the old configuration between the Delkevic and the original exhaust. other mods are the same. -PAIR valve mod, Flapper mod, and airbox mod -O2 sensors bypassed -Power Commander V -Air filter Pipecross -Iridium plugs -LeoVince Slip-on. Dynorun 2023 in the picture shows the changes made during the last year. Other mods are the same except the original headers catalysator cut off. -cylinder heads are lowered by 0.4mm -intake camshafts 8gen. -Air funnels all long. In a week there will be another attempt on the dyno. Changes to the old one. -intake and exhaust camshafts have been increased by 0.8mm more lift -adjustable camshaft sprockets -exhaust camshafts 6gen the camshafts are 4 degrees later -intake camshafts -8gen the camshafts are in their original position -V-tec system deactivated -airbox modded (own design) -Modded Delkevic 4-1 headers to 4-2-1 headers (1 Cyl-4 Cyl. pipes same Collector and equal length. 2cyl-3 Cyl. pipes same Collector and equal length. ) 2/3 cyl. pipes are 10cm longer than pipes 1/4 cyl. I don't own a tig welding machine, so the exhaust pipe seams are welded with a mig and stick machine and it looks like that 🙂 I haven't been able to do a test drive yet, because the arrival of summer is late and it's too cold outside to go for a ride. My english is bad so i have used google translator

As they mention as reservation #1: This is not an exact science https://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmet-reviews-by-internal-shape/

Maybe this will help

A quick and easy way to check correct fit of a prospective helmet is to begin with a large size and work your way down to a snug fit... and that is after you get it on your head and without buckling the chin strap, snap your head side to side in quick movements... if the helmet stays snug and follows your head then the size is probably correct... if it moves about then it is too large... try next smaller size... what you'll end up with is knowing what is too large and what is a snug fit without going too tight... in other words the correct skid lid for your cranial...

The more info I get, the more confused I get... bleah... 😛

Arai actually has three shapes in their line up, depending on model. Round-oval (Quantum, and it's derivatives), intermediate-oval (Renegade family?), long-oval (Signet).

Typically I'm a Shoei wearer (Currently a GT-Air2) but over the past few years I ventured out to other makes. Schuberth was my first step into both another make but also into a modular helmet. I bought the C3, then the C3 Pro, I skipped the C4 and C5 and went with the AGV Tour Modular. In between that, I also bought the Schuberth SR1, and found a screaming deal on the SR2, so I bought that model too. These two were my track day helmets and the SR1 proved to be a great helmet but ultimately sacrificed itself for me in a high speed crash at the track. I actually came out pretty unscathed, other than a dislocated pinky and torn up gear, I came away walking upright and no limping. Along this time frame, I saw and fell in love with an AGV K5S and bought it on the spot. I know, I know, get to the point D! Other than the first C3, which had a little "hot spot" in the forehead area, which broke in after a few weeks of riding in it almost daily, all of the helmets had a very snug fit. They still do, but they're slowly getting more "wiggle" room but not enough to feel unsafe. My daily helmet is the AGV Tour Modular and the street/sport helmet is the K5S, and off and on I'll go back to the Shoei. But if I'm being honest, I really prefer the AGV helmets over the Shoei now. For some of the same reasons mentioned above, light weight and great field of view. If/when a helmet feels a but too tight, I'll wear it around the house for a while and see if I start to feel fatigued or if I stop noticing the feeling. One of my Shoei helmets, which I bought online, was like that. I was at that time, was in between sizes, so I went with the smaller size but immediately new I went in the wrong direction. I wore the helmet in the house for about 15 minutes and new by that time, it was the incorrect size. Returned it and got the next size up. Still snug but not overly tight. Anyway, I hope this was helpful.

You're shooting blanks...

This is the exact same thing as I did. Thanks

Just my two cents worth, I hope others with more experience in this area might chime in. Interesting question. SV synch is fundamental to good even idle, and smoothness in the small throttle opening zone, a mechanical setting, adjusted at normal operating temp, without the influence of the fast idle Wax Unit, and butterflies closed. Stands to reason this should be carried out first along with correct warm idle adjustment of 1200rpm. Assuming badly balanced SV's, and especially during the cold start enrichment phase, a slight touch of the throttle opening and the added air might cause a stall. I know of a similar effect (possibly in both hot and cold modes) on a 5gen. a faulty signal from the TPS at low throttle was measured, but not bad enough to force an Fi DTC. The whole throttle body was replaced and problem solved. All warm engine ops are normal according to Shane the OP. Perhaps signals from MAP and/or ECT are marginal at cold temps and might need checking. Watching the Wax unit action on the Starter Valves, and if the movement is smooth and gradual from cold fast idle to the warm Idle, you can then discount the Wax Unit causing any problems.

4 years later.. just weighed this afternoon when changing tires, using a postal scale. Marchesini forged wheel from a 1098 Duc - 7 lb 14oz VFR 5g-6g oem 5-spoke - 13lb 4 oz

On the topic of hand controls, by coincidence did the same for my 6th gen's clutch & brake levers (similar to the 3rd thru 8th gens). The old grease becomes sticky over time and I've found that spritzing WD40 or similar on them in place doesn't do all that good a job of cleaning. When removed the levers can be dismantled, a tricky but not impossible task for those too inclined. That also gives access to clean the master cylinder pivot which ensures the smoothest possible response to input.

Was it actually worn out, or stuck together?

Here's the article. Motorcyclist - September 2014 Reader - ZINIO5.pdf Motorcyclist - September 2014 Reader - ZINIO4.pdf Motorcyclist - September 2014 Reader - ZINIO3.pdf Motorcyclist - September 2014 Reader - ZINIO2.pdf Motorcyclist - September 2014 Reader - ZINIO1.pdf

I have never heard of this hack before. I'll have to say, I am absolutely not surprised it didn't work.

FJ still, but not fork yet, but carb diagrams. The old where no good anymore, even the plastic dip paint treatment didn't help, only worked for a day. Costly parts, OEM list price ~150€ each!, aftermarket parts locally in shop ~100€ each, managed to score these from ebay for 320€ for 4, and they are OEM mikuni ones! Have to say was quite tricky to get the needle plate in place as there is a spring under it to hold needle down, other a straight forward jobb. Next to get motivated to pull one more fork apart as lube the shock linkage

juhttps://www.youtube.com/@raceandretrost stumbled across it

Its been quite a few years... I had a Shoei RF-1100 that when the last time I put it on, I got showered with shredded foam. (yeah, I know I'm overdue.)

Dainese own AGV. I have an old Dainese helmet, which was made for them by AGV. AFAIK they only sold Dainese branded helmets for a couple of years. I used to use AGV as they had a ML size that fitted my head well. They stopped doing ML but Dainese still did them 👍 Looking at the latest AGV size chart the current Large is 58-59cm which is the old ML size !

Nine years ago my wife and I visited the ANZAC war memorial in Auckland. It was a pretty neat place. What we were particularly impressed by, if I remember correctly, was that it wasn't just about NZ soldiers who served--they had specific and detailed sections for the men and women from every country who fought. Nice bike Grum!

How long since your last new helmet? While a headache is perhaps a sign, where are the pressure points that are giving pain? I sold helmets for over a decade, from the 90s into the 00s. If it has been a while, a properly fitted new helmet can be a shock.

Webike is legit Japanese seller, I've bought from them a few times.

You may Sir........ Copied this info from the 8gen. posting "Vent System - Update" from 2021. Assume the VFR800X has the same filler cap and vent system. Beware the tank vent hose! Pressure Relief - The common noise we all have heard, and as one member puts it "sounds like the Fuel Pump is priming with power off" or just a few second buzz, fluttering or gurgling sound. This is coming from the Pressure Relief Valve in the filler cap as the tank pressure builds and overcomes the spring tension on its valve. This process will continue to repeat any time slight positive pressure builds in the tank. As you stop a warm engine the heat transfer to the tank causes this to happen more frequently and if you open the filler cap in between the venting you'll always get a very slight pressure relief. Vacuum Relief - Negative Pressure relief also has to overcome slight valve spring pressure as the fuel level drops while riding. On cold days when topping up your tank you may notice very slight suction as you open the tank cap. So depending on temperatures and riding conditions it is Normal to have either slight Vacuum OR slight Pressure as you open the cap. The emphases being SLIGHT. Blocked, Kinked or crushed Breather Hose = DANGER! The problem with the 8gen is the first 12 inches or so of small diameter breather hose. When the Fuel Tank is raised to the maintenance position, the hose is pulled up through a lot of piping and general clutter in this area. If this hose is not manually pulled outwards at the small to large hose coupling taking up the slack as the tank is lowered, you run the chance of a blocked kinked breather hose. The nasty effects of a blocked breather cannot be overstated on these bikes! - Strong Vacuum, can make it impossible to open your filler cap. The Fuel Pump has enough strength in increasing the vacuum while riding to physically damaging your tank, bending the sides inwards. - Whilst having the bike in the sun strong positive pressure can distort the underneath of the tank deforming it outwards. Or virtually blasting the filler cap open as you unlock it. Any signs of strong pressures, negative or positive when opening the filler cap is a warning to check the breather hose.

A mate is selling his FJ1200 currently not running having sat for the last couple of years unused. £600 ono. Ping me if you want his number for a chat. Info from him below;- "Yamaha FJ1200 First registered 20/03/1988

The only time I'd spend 20k on a motorcycle it would be this one. VID-20240406-WA0049.mp4

Some good voltage checks especially around the ESR, voltage on fuse test points Ignition On and Off, visual inspections for strange wiring, continuity check of Ignition Switch function. Are all good starting points. Download the Service Manual form the forum if you don't have it. May the Force be With You....There's plenty of info to get the ball rolling, very interested in what you may discover, post photos. Strangest VFR fault I've ever heard of!

Second hand vehicles, esp. ones that are over 20 years old - You know you're going to be fixing some stuff. At least she runs smooth and rides like a dream

Beautiful memories. There's something about how bikes can link us back to memories of places we've been and trips taken. Ten years ago I was stranded on the dock at Cherbourg, France, because the ferry I was catching home to Ireland (an 18 hour overnighter) had a radar problem. Eventually we were allowed to board but I had to leave my VFR quayside. They were basically only allowing us on to give us all a place to sleep for the night. They attempted to empty us out the following morning with promises of other ferries but a few of us hung on and explained that we were entitled to do so under EU law. There was no guarantee that an "alternative sailing" would actually take us and once you've left the boat you're on your own. Eventually made friends with many of the staff, got a tour of the ship, saw the bridge, got the VFR onboard and got home a day late. The poor French lad I'd helped out through this, on a nice Kawasaki ER6, had a day robbed from his tour of Ireland because of it but I managed to get him a cabin so he was comfy (until he got to Ireland where it pissed rain..poor guy). Photo below of the VFR fully-loaded dockside. The two Beemer guys disappeared the morning the ferry was emptied, think they chanced the "alternative sailings" thing. Actually the Larry David lookalike there was riding a Honda Silverwing maxiscoot! One more edit - I'm sitting here now with my baby daughter asleep in my arms and am married to the woman who I was traveling back and forth to France for. We've our own little home, a lovely little dog, and a shed where I can work on/admire my two VFRs. If you'd told me that was gonna happen 10 years ago when that picture was taken I'd have been astounded. Life moves fast.

Good news thanks for the feedback. Don't hear of the Frame Grounds going loose like that too often!

I think you'll find there are some internal gearbox ratio differences between the 5th and the 6th. The crank is obviously different (gear vs chain sprocket for the cams) but AFAIK the bore and stroke are the same (so maybe rods and pistons?), and I assume the lower crankcase is too. I suspect the alternators are different. I know at least one person has swapped a 5th gen engine into the 6th frame so I presume the engne mounts are the same. So aside from the crank, upper case/cylinders, heads, gearbox, alternator...its all the same? Probably doesn't leave much.

And then there was night! My wife and I went out for a late ride Saturday at the Long Beach Harbor and Queen Mary area.

Haven't posted for a while but I thought it was time I put up the latest pics of mine. had it from new in October 2014, now just about to reach 69,700 miles. Looks and runs as good as ever.

Yes, basically don’t use in the uk as it ‘might’ rain…

...And... to give it a bit of Scottish scenic reference, or context...

Real men don't do this to their defenseless motorcycles...or cars...or kids...or wives