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Finally installed another thing I got from @SEBSPEED: I also installed a new black plastic ignition ring (covered in Cerakote trim wipes), and wet sanded and polished the ignition switch face while I had it all apart. Twenty years of key scratches gone! Got a new key ring with a soft lanyard so I can hang my fobs and whatnot over the front, and hopefully prevent future damage. But the Cerakote should be waaaaay more resilient, I tried to lightly scratch the underside with metal and its not trivially easy like the original silver paint over aluminum.

I had been looking locally for a very nice 94 - 97 VFR for a couple years with no luck. There were some examples, but none were as nice as I wanted or cheap enough to change my mind to a project. This is the day my 95 rolled out of the transport van from across the country. 11K miles. Two seats, this modified one and a stock one that was still to arrive in a box, along with another seat cowl and the original mirrors. Damn near perfect. Well, it arrived last Summer and I had some great rides on it in between painting my house. The Staintune sounds just lovely and the bike runs perfect. I did a couple small things, one of which buying another set of passenger pegs and doing a delete. If the muffler didn't have that lower mount I wouldn't have bothered on the right side. But I didn't want an empty bracket hanging there and I sure as shit was not gonna start cutting and grinding on the Staintune. Took HOURS to get it right. I had to fill and shape the voids after removing that much bracket. I could have always went with a welded up or custom alloy bracket, but I wanted to at least try and mod the Honda piece for a somewhat stock-ish look. It actually looks way better in person, that is as small as I could make it and have something left to work with. Left side was "easy". Still had a pretty good amount of time shaping and blending. Wanted to retain seat latch and handle. Then this Summer I was balls deep again finishing painting my house. I had taken the bodywork off in prep for going thru a few things and life got in the way. So when I (finally!!) finished the house this Summer, wrapped up the outdoor projects and winterized all the other bikes, she rolled back on the lift.

So got word back from sfdownhill, looks like builder is ready to move forward...:)

If it's a creep towards Faceboof and that's all there is left, then I'm out. It was fun while it lasted. You will NEVER find me there. FUCK FB.

Dutch winters aren't what they used to be.... But I ain't complaining

It keeps getting smaller! Plans are: Steel braided front brake lines Race Tech springs Tapered steering bearings (future proofing while I'm here) Pulling carbs and documenting (not sure if somebody's been in there) Replacing all coolant orings Remove PAIR (creating block-off plates with the original fitting ends) Repainting headers YSS shock (decided to do it while I had the whole rear apart) Replacing Comp Werkes fender eliminator with a re-worked stock unit I think that's it. Getting even smaller... Here's the shock Glad I went thru the cooling system. I was pretty surprised the two on the heads were this bad. They were almost goo...

Hi Bmart. If it was my bike, I'd go through those fuses and replace every one of them, they are most likely original and show signs of corrosion or oxidization on the legs. Give the contacts a wash with something like Metho on a firm small brush, then fit the new fuses with a small amount of Ox-Gard on the legs of each fuse. Given the not so good look of your Sub Fuses, have a good look at the state of your two Main 30amp Fuses. Do the same for the three legged Clutch diode, cleaning its contacts, and lightly shine up the Diode Legs with very fine emery paper or similar, and also a coating of Ox-Gard on its legs before re-inserting. As for your instrument LCD. Most definelty the two main connectors making pressure contact to the PCB are a cause for the LCD to go blank(not the only cause!), as they can develop high resistance contacts. Again a good clean of both PCB copper contacts and the connector contacts then a light coating of Ox-Gard will help greatly. Do this then reassess the LCD situation. Good Luck.

Finally after dealing with hurricane Fiona damage and getting ready for winter here I have found time to put the 1999 restore project in its winter home. Looks like I have some extra work to do as well, I had a quick look at the stator wires etc. and noticed they were dam warm on the final warm up for a winter oil/filter change. I pulled the connectors apart and I would say there is signs of heat damage. And lastly I came across something I have heard of many times but nothing seen, a mouse nest on top of the air filter, I have to surmise that this nest was in the air box out west and hitched a ride here The little bugger was even chewing on the inside of the air box

You tried HispanicSlammer or Yokel? https://www.vfrdiscussion.com/index.php?/staff/ PM Duc2V4 and sfdownhill directly, they can put your friend on the list. It's going to be awhile before there is a new header build, if it happens, so no rush. This forum, like vfrw, is slowly fading away. It isn't bad, the bikes are just getting old, not as many riders left, people moving on, the ST models are dying off. (Hopeful Suzuki's GT has some success.) These forums are expensive and time consuming and generally thankless, unpaid work. Mike West built vfrworld from the remains he inherited of a hondavfr.com forum 20 years ago. At this point I never see more than a handful of people here or there. Whether it's FB or some other platform, it's much easier to let someone else manage the hardware for virtually 0 cost.

Still better than FB!

If I might add, do not neglect the ground side of things.... the spider connector taped into the wire harness, left side, and the grounding screw on the right side frame.

Well, with this in mind, time for a donation!

What is this "permanent load" you're talking about that solid-state relays would save? Why would solid-state relays place less load on electrical system? Power consumed (load) is determined by devices being powered by relays. Low-beam filament consumes 55w. High-beam filament consumes 60w. Doesn't matter if it's mechanical or solid-state relay doing the switching, they will still have to pass exact same amount of power to bulbs. And electrical system will still need to generate and flow exact same amount of power with either type of relay. Solid-state relays have many benefits: faster switching times with less electrical noise & static, higher power-transmission in smaller size, cooler operation. But power-savings isn't one of them.

At this point I bet he'd be happy if we hit the annual fundraising goal, 50% to go in the next month!

Another FB denier here, dropped it in 2016 and never looked back. Hopefully we don't lose this forum any time soon as I intend to hang on to my VFR for the forseeable future. I think I have at least 5 - 10 more years of riding left in this carcass . ACE

it's due to either human error or the result of creeping entropy. it would be near tragic if the WORLD disappeared 🤣 . 🤣

The looks are polarizing for VFRs, but I've always liked these years. The 94 VFR lost over 20 pounds from the previous generation, WITH the addition of a factory delivered center stand. You can see it in almost component when comparing to the 1992 in my shop (next on the lift likely). If I don't know for sure it has been done recently (properly), all of my (new to me) bikes get the cooling system completely gone thru. Did it to my 1998 ST1100 last year too when I had the carbs out and removed pair. When I am going thru all of my V4 carbs for the fuel tube o-rings now too, the coolant system gets gone thru. Almost every bike has had at least a couple o-rings at imminent failure. I am very anxious to ride it too with some suspension improvements. Gonna add a little ride height to the rear. Standard cartridges for now, I need keep this round of mods under control somewhat. A few parts I got for free when I flipped a 1990 VFR last Fall, like the fork springs, brake lines and paid for the shock with other parts I sold off of it. For the next set of tires, I have a 8 spoke rear (off the 90) and an extra front wheel that will get a nice Honda Metallic Black paint job and the perfect originals can go into boxes.

You were not bull shitting when you said it is dam near perfect. What a nice piece The 94-97 was always one of those bikes in my bucket list. In the 90's we had Honda make the NR750 and I figured a 94-97 was as close as I was ever getting the holy grail I am surprised at such a perfect bike having the o rings in the cooling system that bad, I was thinking of leaving mine in the 1999 alone due to what is involved but I may have to rethink that. It will be interesting to hear your feed back on how it handles once you get the suspension completed

I had my last VFR start to reset the clock when I started it hot. It just needed a new battery. For less than $100 it is a cheap thing to swap out if you've not already done so. Cleaning the fuses and diodes is a sound strategy too. Thanks to Grum's help, I figured out that my occasional hot-start problem on my ST1300 was a dirty diode connection. Who'd a thunk that?

The RBR is one of the most "noticeable" upgrades I've ever done, right up there with getting correct springs the first time. Headers open up the top end with it, but the RBR you will notice all day long at low RPM and midrange. And getting rid of bad closed loop behavior is the best!

Finally pulled the trigger on a Rapid Bike Racing module, can't wait to install it! Will be using stock headers/exhaust and stock o2 sensors for now. I would like to upgrade to a My Tuning Bike wideband at some point, but only after acquiring a set of VFRD custom headers. Looking forward to really smoothing out the fueling on this bike and adding some much needed grunt in the low-mid RPMs through the advancement of ignition timing. I'll ask any questions I have here.

Finally installed a quad lock stem mount on the VFR, including vibration damper and USB charger. Haven’t ridden with it yet, but the visibility looks good.

Not seen this before, looks great and saves all the hassle of actually changing to a single nut. Yes, I know the clever ones amongst you will revolt at a suggestion like this but for us mere mortals, a more practical aesthetic option. Customer Gallery - Rocket Ron Moto (rocket-ron-moto.com) Some very nice-looking projects too. Projects - Rocket Ron Moto (rocket-ron-moto.com) If anyone has used them, any reports, good or bad?

You can do more than one arm wiht a connector, or use a flexible arm. https://rammount.com/ Maybe this? https://rammount.com/collections/ram-flex-rod I have ine on the tank bolts, but there are other options like the triple tree center, clutch/brake master cylinder mounts, etc. Let us know what you decide!

* Intro Thanks to @RC1237V for the route from Starbucks Livermore to Alice’s Restaurant in Woodside, excellent ride! I broke my ride down to 6 stages and have Google Maps links for each stage with a short description. The original plan was for a few VFRD members and others I invited to come out and ride. Work and family obligations dwindled the group to me. Overview of the 260 Mile / 418 Km loop around the SF Bay. * Stage_01 Home to Starbucks Livermore (43 miles / 69.2 km) The day started late. I wanted to stick to the original group ride schedule and leave my house by 8:00a. I got sucked into MotoGP qualifying and left at 9:45a. My 5th Gen warming up. The ride from my house to Livermore is nice for the first 5 miles as you ride along the semi rural San Pablo Dam Road adjacent to San Pablo Reservoir. Though, you gotta be mindful of deer, coyotes, turkeys, skunks, possums and foxes that frequent the area. Once I get to Orinda and Hwy 24, it’s all freeway riding to lovely Livermore. * Stage_02 Starbucks Livermore to Alum Rock in San Jose (69.4 miles / 111.69 km) via Mt Hamilton ( elev 4,265′ / 1,300 meters) https://goo.gl/maps/FW53DAYYkgcQNdGM7 I was looking forward to a few sections of the day’s ride as they were new to me. The first section was Mines Rd from Livermore to The Junction. The majority of the curvy hillside road runs parallel to Arroyo Mocho. Sections of the road are just wide enough for 1 full sized American Pick Up truck and 1 motorcycle. Other than two trucks that appeared from a blind curve, I saw a few bicycles and no motorcycles on the road until the next stop. At The Junction Cafe parking lot, there were about a dozen motorbikes with the majority being KTM Adventure and BMW GS models. I went inside the cafe looking for a snack but they only had Lays Chips and burgers. Neither were appealing so back to the ride. Mines Rd. outside of Livermore to the base of Mt. Hamilton is a beautiful remote area. There are a few wineries early on Mines Rd, but soon you’re out in the sticks. And yes, there are mines out there and you can also go hunting for “deer, pig, and upland game”. Love me some upland game. It wasn't till I got closer to the eastern base of Mt. Hamilton that I stopped for a photo op at one of the many cattle ranches out there. Cows in shade, VFR in sun. One of many hairpins up and down Mt Hamilton. Work is required tossing your bike around Mt Hamilton. Great views up there but you have to focus on the road or else. * Stage_03 Alum Rock San Jose to Mount Umunhum (38.7 miles / 62.28 km) Mount Umunhum (3,489' / 1,063 meters) https://goo.gl/maps/xumnhLwajdT78TLx6 The ride from the Alum Rock to New Almaden was in San Jose’s suburbs. I keep my android phone in my pocket and rely on Google Maps unmuted for directions. Generally this works well except I forgot to disable “Prefer fuel-efficient routes”. Google Maps kept directing me to the most fuel-efficient route which took me away from the original route provided by @RC1237V. The next section of road I was looking forward to was Mt. Umunhum and it did not disappoint. You turn left off Hicks Rd and up you go to Mt Umunhum. The road was great! The pavement is generally smooth with limited loose gravel. Though not narrow, you have to watch for on-coming traffic as I ran into a few young men channeling their GTA skills (lack thereof) and folks not used to driving on tight winding roads. “Sierra Azul Parking Lot At Mount Umunhum Summit Area” * Stage_04 Mt. Umunhum to Hwy 39 / Hwy 9 Junction (29.5 miles / 47.48 km) https://goo.gl/maps/xHL3HibRGZK6mZ2f7 I rode Black Rd from Lexington Reservoir to Hwy 35 (Skyline) instead of taking Hwy 9 to 35. The detour was beautiful. A hairpin in the redwoods on Black Rd. While I was taking this picture, I saw motorbikes on the road for the first time: a large BMW touring bike followed by a VFR 1200. Another angle from the same spot on Black Rd. * Stage_05 Hwy 39 / Hwy 9 Junction to Alice's (13.7 miles / 22.04 km) https://goo.gl/maps/59CsdSnxAWRPqUe49 Skyline (Hwy 35) on the Peninsula (SF Bay) is very popular with the motorsport crew. On the north, the Skyline is bound by Hwy 92 in Redwood City. On the south by Hwy 17 40 miles later in Los Gatos. Skyline is a beautiful road that has access to other great roads to take you down to the coast. My short 13.7 mile trip was pleasant. For safety, I kept my speed within reason. Not on this trip, but in the past, I’ve seen cars and motorcycles fly on Skyline. The road surface is in great condition and the turns are for the most part sweepers compared to my local 60 mile out and back. By the time I arrived in the area, Alice’s Restaurant was super busy and decided to have lunch across the street at Skywood Trading Post. With the fog coming in from the Pacific, I had to get moving. I thought of riding the 57 miles home but the only way to end this ride report was to go via The Golden Gate Bridge and add another 13 miles. * Stage_06 Alice's to Golden Gate Bridge (Ft Point) (39.6 miles / 63.73 km) https://goo.gl/maps/PaX2GrnQC1CuNpiSA Without traffic, Google Maps says the 40 mile ride from Alice’s to Fort Point at the southern base of the Golden Gate Bridge is about an hour. With weekend traffic gridlock, this 8.5 mile stretch on Hwy 1 (19th Ave) can take an hour. The only way to handle this stretch, fold your mirrors back and lane split the route. The lights are well timed to the speed limit +5mph. If you can keep the pace, you can get through the gridlock in good time. On weekends and holidays, this area is full of people and traffic. I had to wait for a clear photo op. Note that on the right side of the picture you can see blue skies a few miles away in Tiburon. * Conclusion Great day of riding and thanks again to @RC1237V for the route. Next time, I’ll ride it counterclockwise!

Just did 532 miles yesterday, left around 7am and got home in time for dinner - exhausted! No messing around, just gas/water stops, a few snacks and lots of fun in the twisty's! My tires are done!