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Sorry to hear about that Ducnut. Enjoy your freedom while you can, I think we all take good health too much for granted.

VFR To California from North Carolina June- July 2018. Part 1 ( Route and Pics ) Day 1; Charlotte,NC to Madison,AL. Total Mileage 460 Route Hwy 321 to Hickory,NC I40 from Hickory to Asheville. I40 to NC 74 from Asheville To Murphy and into Tennessee to Cleveland I75 to Chattanooga I24 to South Pittsburgh Hwy 72 From South Pittsburgh to Madison,AL Notes: Bad Interstate Traffic in Chattanooga. Took alternate route over Signal mountain . Blazing hot from Chattanooga to the hotel in Madison,AL. Had dinner at Logan’s Roadhouse in Madison a short walk from the hotel. Starting Odometer and yes that clock is right 0430 Hours. Too excited to sleep. Rest Stop Near Waynesville,NC Fellowship Presbyterian Church Huntsville,AL. My home Church. Day 2; Madison,AL to Fort Smith Arkansas. Total Mileage 501 Hwy 72 from Madison to Memphis,TN I40 from Memphis to Little Rock to Fort Smith. Notes: Hot as blazes from noon until the end of the day.. Made sure to hydrate at every stop. VFR was born to run 85+ cruising no problemo. No Pictures. Day 3; Fort Smith to Oklahoma City,OK. Total Mileage 204 Route I40 from Ft Smith to Oklahoma City Notes: First Gusty wind encountered on I40 in Oklahoma. No Pictures. Day 4; No Travel. Time with Family in OK City. Total Mileage 0. The Oklahoma City Memorial is Powerful. Day 5; OK City to Santa Fe,NM Total Mileage 566 Route I40 from OK City to Amarillo,TX I40 from Amarillo to Clines Corners NM Hwy 285 from Clines Corner to I25 I25 to Santa Fe. Notes: Morning rush hour traffic in OK City with rain. Incredibly scary wind gusts east of Amarillo. Stopped to look at the Cadillacs in the ground west of Amarillo. Cheap Burrito for dinner in Santa Fe. Cadillacs Planted in the ground just east of Amarillo,TX Day 6; Santa Fe to Moab,Utah Total Mileage 451 Route I25 South from Santa Fe to Bernalillo,NM Hwy 550 from Bernalillo to Bloomfield,NM Hwy 64 West from Bloomfield to Shiprock,NM Shiprock to Teec Nos Pos,AZ Hwy 160 from Teec Nos Pos to 4 Corners Monument 4 Corners to Hwy 491 Junction Hwy 491 through Cortes,CO Dove Creek,CO Dove Creek to Monticello,UT Hwy 191 North from Monticello to Moab,UT Notes: Cold crisp morning start in Santa Fe. Ate a decent cheeseburger on the Navaho Nation. 4 Corners desperately commercialized and crowded.Rolled through the parking lot and didn’t stop. Incredible rock formations on Hwy 191 going into Moab.Great Carne Asada Tacos from a truck in Moab. Hot as blazes last 3 hours. Day 7; Moab to Cedar City,Utah Total Mileage 358 Hwy 191 North from Moab to Crecent Junction,UT I70 West to Green River,UT I70 West to Hwy 24 junction. Hwy 24 south to Hanksville,UT. Hanksville to Caineville to Fruita to Torrey,UT. Hwy 12 to Grover,Escalante,Bryce Canyon. Hwy 12 from Bryce Canyon to Hwy 89 Intersection. Hwy 89 South through Hatch,UT to Hwy 14 Intersection. Hwy 14 West to Cedar City,UT. Notes: Cold crisp morning start in Moab. Stopped in Green River and ate an excellent Juevos Ranchos breakfast at Lupitas. Saw a sign on I70 “No services next 150 mi”. UT Hwy 12 was spectacular with senery and fabulous curves. Crossed one pass elevation sign was marked 9600 Ft. Bryce Canyon beautiful. At a stop saw a large entourage of scooters. Capital Reef National Park Capital Reef National Park Scooters can travel too. Bryce Canyon Bryce Canyon Day 8; Cedar City to Zion,UT Total Mileage 136 I15 South from Cedar City to Hwy 17. Hwy 17 to Hwy 9 Back to the hotel in Cedar City via I15. Notes: Did not make it into Zion National Park. Temperature was 100+. I had a tasty lunch and cool down at a restuarant in La Verkin. One of the locals rode his cruiser into the restuarant parking lot and absolutely freaked out when he saw my NC license plate. That was fun. Too hot to take pictures sorry ! Day 9; Cedar City to Minden,Nevada. Total Mileage 574 UT Hwy 56 West out of Cedar City to Modena,UT. Modena to Panaca,Nevada. Panaca to Caliente to Hwy 375 Intersection Hwy 375 West to to Rachel ( Near Area 51 ) then to Warm Springs. Hwy 6 from Warm Springs to Tonopah. Hwy 6/95 West to Coaldale. Hwy 95 North from Coaldale to Hawthorne. Hawthorne to Schurz,NV. Alt 95 from Schurz to Yerrington.Hwy 208 from Yerrington to Hwy 395 Intersection. Hwy 395 North to Minden. Notes: Cold crisp morning start in Cedar City. Stopped on the side of the road after crossing into Nevada to take a picture. The ground was soft and my VFR fell over. Fortunately a local in a pickup truck stopped and helped after about 5 minutes. Herd of Cows in the road on Hwy 93. Terrible gusty wind near Rachel. Stopped to look at a Solar Power facility outside Tonopah. Had a great lunch at a Mom and Pop Chinese restaurant in Hawthorne (Wong’s).Hot as fire last 3 hours of ride. NV Hwy 375 . Stood in the middle of the road for 10 minutes...no traffic. Nevada is vast and empty. Outside Tonopah,NV That bright light in the distance is a giant mirror that is aiming solar energy at a huge bank of solar cells. Hawthorne,NV. Day 10; Minden,NV to Watsonville,CA. Total Mileage 371. Hwy 88 from Minden to Kit Carson,CA. Kit Carson to Martel. Martel to Waterloo. Hwy 99 South to I205. 205 West to Tracy,CA. I5 South to Patterson,CA. Hwy 130 West to the Lick Observatory. Quinby Rd to Tully Rd San Jose. Tully Rd to Hwy 101. Hwy 101 South to Gilroy. Hwy 152 to Watsonville Notes: Cold at higher elevations on Hwy 88. Super hot and dehydrated in the afternoon after getting lost on 130 trying to find San Jose. Lane Splitting ( first time ) in rush hour traffic on Hwy 101 in San Jose was scary. Able to walk to a good Asian restuarant near the hotel in Watsonville. Just left Minden,NV crossing into Cali. Hwy 88 Scenic Overlook on California Hwy 88 Same Overlook Hwy 88. Hwy 88 Silver Lake Lost Outside Livermore,CA Day 11; Watsonville to Santa Cruz,CA. Total Mileage 78. Hwy 1 from Watsonville to Santa Cruz. Notes: Enjoyed an easy low travel day. Hung out in Santa Cruz. Ate cheap Mexican Seafood. Santa Cruz,CA Day 12; Watsonville to San Luis Obispo,CA. Total Mileage 321. Hwy 1 South from Watsonville to Ragged Point,CA. Hwy 1 North from Ragged Point to Monterey Hwy 68 to Salinas to Hwy 101 Hwy 101 South to San Luis Obispo Notes: Enjoyed riding the Pacific Coast Highway from Watsonville to Ragged Point. PCH was closed south of Ragged Point due to Rock Slides. Ate Mexican food at a Taquieria in Gonzales off of Hwy 101. Strong side winds on Hwy 101 especially around Atascadero. Hotel in SLO within walking distance of a good Italian Restuarant. PCH PCH My Hotel Room in SLO Hotel Room Shenanigans Day 13; San Luis Obispo to Inglewood,CA . Total Mileage 229. Hwy 101 South from San Luis Obispo to Carpinteria,CA Hwy 150 North to Ojai Hwy 33 from Ojai to Ventura Hwy 101 South to Hwy 1 to Malibu. Malibu to Inglewood. Notes: Took a little detour to Ojai before riding into Los Angeles proper. Ojai. Home of the movie Easy A. Day 14; Inglewood,CA. Total Mileage 0. Notes: Down Day to hang out with my Uncles and their families. Oil Change in my Uncle’s garage. Oil Change at approximately 4000 mi. Day 15; Inglewood to Kingman,AZ . Total Mileage 380. I405 to I605 I605 to I10 I10 to I15 I15 to I40. I40 East to Kingman,AZ. Notes: Getting out of LA proper is more than a notion. I left Inglewood around 0800. By the time I got into the desert it was cooking. The heat was brutal. I got to my hotel in Kingman around 3pm...could have continued to Flagstaff maybe but, maybe not. The most uncomfortable day of the entire trip.Saw a sign on I40 Barstow to Wilmington,NC. 3000 MI. Should have stopped to take a picture. Day 16;Kingman,AZ to Albuquerque,NM . Total Mileage 475. I40 East from Kingman to Albuquerque. Notes: Stopped at a Panda Express in Gallup,NM. for lunch. Saw some incredibly beautiful Native American women. Unsucessfully tried not to stare... Slabbing all day. Hot but, higher elevation made it more tolerable.... as do attractive women. Day 17; Albuquerque,NM. Total Mileage 0. Notes: Hung Out with my cousin in Albuquerque. Cool town. Great food. Green Chilis ! Sandia Peak Tramway outside Albuquerque. Day 18; Albuquerque to Oklahoma City,OK . Total Mileage 577. I40 East from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City. Notes: Cold in the morning leaving Albuquerque and riding through the mountains. Progressively hotter and more humid as I entered Oklahoma. Vicious cross winds around Amarillo,TX. I40 service road Near Amarillo,TX. Windmills on I40 in OK. Day 19; Oklahoma City. Total Mileage 0. Notes: Enjoyed a down day with family. My Aunt is a great cook. World’s Best Cheeseburger. OK City,OK. Day 20; Oklahoma City to Pine Bluff,Arkansas. Total Mileage 554. I40 East from Oklahoma City to Russellville,Arkansas. Arkansas Hwy 7 south from Russellville to Hot Springs. Arkansas 270 East from Hot Springs to Pine Bluff. Arkansas Hwy 65 South from Pine Bluff to McGehee. Arkansas Hwy 65 North from McGehee toPine Bluff. Notes: Arkansas 7 has been on Car and Driver’s top 10 roads so I had to sample it. Pretty good. Gully Washer Thunder Storm near Hot Springs. I missed most of it. I am a BBQ fan so I knew of a great place in McGehee called Hoot’s BBQ. It was worth the extra mileage. Hoots BBQ McGehee,AR. Day 21; Pine Bluff,Arkansas to Decatur,AL. Total Mileage 352. Arkansas Hwy 63/79 from Pine Bluff to Hwy 49 Intersection. Arkansas Hwy 49 East across the Mississippi River . Mississippi Hwy 61 North to MS Hwy 4. MS Hwy 4 to MS Hwy 4 to MS Hwy 7. MS Hwy 7 to MS Hwy 72. Hwy 72 East to Decatur,AL. Notes: Heat and humidity increased steadily all day. Took a break in the shade on the Natches Parkway where it intersects Hwy 72. Briefly rained on the VFR as I ate at a Taquieria near the hotel. Excited to be going home. Taking a break in the shade. Natches Trace rest stop near Hwy 72. Day 22; Decatur,AL to Charlotte,NC. Total Mileage 460. Hwy 72 East from Huntsville to South Pittsburgh,TN. TN Hwy 56 from South Pittsburgh to I24. I24 to Chattanooga,TN I75 from Chattanooga to Cleveland,TN. Hwy 64 from Cleveland to Murphy,NC. Hwy 74 from Murphy to I26. I26 to Asheville,NC. I40 East from Asheville to Hickory. Hwy 321 South from Hickory to Charlotte. Notes: Launched from hotel before daybreak. Ate a hearty breakfast at a Waffle House east of Huntsville,AL on Hwy 72. Heavy rain descending Black Mountain east of Asheville. Easily the most challenging weather of the entire trip. Great to get home and see my Son. Celebratory dinner at 131 Main Restaurant. SR71 Space and Rocket Museum Huntsville,AL. Hwy 64 near Ocoee,TN. Soon it would start raining. Mileage at the end of the last day. 20096-13042=7054 mi. Rear Bridgestone T30 at the end of the trip with 7000+ Miles. Front Bridgestone T30 at the end of the trip with 7000+ Miles. That’s all folks ! The end of an epic trip.

Cut my wrist and it will bleed Honda red but HRC engineers have run out of Rs they need a V... Honda's pedestrian I4 street bike labors in the shadow of MotoGp technology as their MotoGp race bred V4 sits on the side lines... Throw me in coach, I'm ready to go... [youtube] [/youtube]

for a smaller, lighter bike the '88-'90 VTR 250 is great, feels just a bit heavier than a bicycle and handles nice. this 250 is not slow, 13,000 redline.

The Tourmax and K&L pumps are made in Japan (Mitsubishi) and have the correct pressure and flow. You may have to use some adapters to create the correct angles for the fuel lines. Tour Max Pump - eBay K&L Pump - eBay You can also use this K&L chart to see what models use the same pump for buying used. K&L Chart Here's one off of a low-mileage YZF600 I did on one of my VF1000R, which originally uses pretty much the same pump as the VFR, with 90 degree inlet/outlet

2014+ V-Strom 1000 is the only bike I know of. Suzuki part #32800-31J00. This is how you’ll want install it.

Thanks Grum, The plan is to enjoy the ride outs with a mate I can trust 'not to go all Rossi on me' over the summer, and then use the winter months to tinker and make good. I'll be looking to remove that connector altogether if I can! Cheers Andy

Quick update. Just picked her up from my mates garage with a clean bill of health, woop! The tech guy has bypassed that blue connector for the fuel pump, but I think over time I'll do the others too as was suggested. The V4 certainly sounds the part, and although I'd read many people find the vtec intrusive, I cant say I find it a problem...I dont tend to sit around 7k rpm, I'm either changing up before then, or I'm on the throttle and wanting more power anyway..🤔 Happier times...cheers all. Andy Oh, and the ground to the frame fix has already been done so hopefully any problems with that have already been prevented...fingers crossed.

Stopped on the way home to mark a milestone...

Hi, I am starting to dismantle a 2007 crashed VFR. Suspension, wheels and most metal parts ok. Have stock seat, gen mar bar risers, throttle lock. Trying to gage intrest. In Houston TX.

I've been riding since 2011, and within 6 months had written off my ER6f on the motorway, and went with a Yamaha XJ6 Diversion F, as it was all I could insure at the time (For about £1200 a year!!). 9 years and many happy miles on it later, it's time for my dream bike, the one I sat on and loved in the showroom back when I passed my test, but thought I'd never be able to afford or insure.... So, I've just put a deposit down on a VFR1200FD, DCT, 23k miles, 2014, so the model with TCS etc. It looks pretty tidy to my untrained eye (and due to COVID and distance I haven't physically seen it yet), but I thought I'd share with you lot the pics I have so far, because, you know, I'm so excited I'm boring all my friends and family about it!!

Just wanted to thank all those who post and upload manuals, diagrams, pics etc. You made my double chain tensioner replacement today a super easy task, even had time to replace the plugs. As I'm just a backyard mechanic I wanted to post a puzzle to other part timers with a picture of a bolt I was left with in my parts container after re-assembling the bike ( I bloody hate when that happens!). I had already started the bike with the fairing off to listen to the smooth engine sound minus the rattle so the bolt isn't critical to keeping fluids in the motor. I wasn't game to start it again and was going to post the question here but the embarrassment drove me to scour the workshop manual supplied from this very site to identify it's source. So if anyone wants to hazard a guess I'll let you know when you've got it. No real mechanics please, let us rookies have a go. I know I'll never forget this bolt again! Thanks again & stay upright, Cheer, JohnF

You already had the info when you were on Bike Bandit; Honda BOLT, FLANGE (8X12) Part # 95701-08012-07, 😉 They are M8 x 12mm (notice the part number also gives away the size, 08012, often the case for fasteners with many manufacturers. Likely anything Honda starting with 95701 is a flanged bolt.

Hi Andy. Glad you have it sorted. But just a word of caution, almost all that power that went through the Blue connector to the ESR (via your burnt high resistance joint for the Black/Pink wire) goes back out again through the Blue connector on the Black/White wire, (with the exception of the fuel pump) the same issue could happen with this wire, a Vitally Important Wire for all the other EFI stuff, be worth having a very good look at the joint for this wire, it needs to be given the same priority as the previous wire fault you had. Just a thought! Cheers.

G'day guys and gals, I have a 2012 VFR800 and it is hopping at low speed (0-60kph) with revs 1-4k. It's not missing - where the revs would drop slightly, this is gaining maybe 200-300 revs. It's not constant but will do it maybe 2,3 or 4 times every minute or so, but not like clockwork, but enough to be a real problem. Very tricky around some roundabouts! I don't notice it at higher revs/speed - maybe because the difference is a smaller proportion of the actual revs??? I'm guessing really. I thought it was water in the tank so I've run through probably three tanks now with 200ml of methylated spirits (which is basically ethanol) mixed in. The metho allows the water to mix with the petrol in smaller drop forms which are able to be burnt in the chamber. There are some good Youtubes on it. And I emptied the tank first (by lifting the front of it) to remove water as much as I could (didn't actually see any come out) and the inside looked clean. It seemed to help but the symptom (hopping) has now come back. Having diagnosed it a bit better now I would have thought water would cause it to miss (less revs), not gain revs so unlikely that was it. Does anyone have any ideas? Also, anyone know of a top shelf VFR mechanic in the Northern rivers of NSW or SE Queensland (Coffs Harbour to Brisbane)? Thanks in advance.

With stock tuning, you do not need them, 98/99 did not come with O2 sensors. However, if you want to use Rapid Bike or Power Commander autotune, you will. Nice stainless plugs can be had for $10 +/-. Having the bungs gives you the option to do some tuning later.

Czy jesteś Polakiem w Australii? Nie Dziękuję za pomoc! Zapraszamy. Just a short piece of wire of a similar gauge wire at the Thermoswitch. You just need to Ground the Black wire of the Thermoswitch with Ignition On that should start the Fan every time you Ground the Black wire. Dobranoc.

That looks like great fun. And reminds me a little of the go cart racing at T-Mac. I also noticed the similarities with mc riding.

This looks remarkably like the calculations from the movie Apollo 13! Can I safely return home or will I run-out of oxygen on the side of the road...

This is one of those things that you have to experience to understand. But if you're like most people, you won't gut pipes twice. Ciao, JZH

Good eye and great info! Thank you sir! I agree on the color, fantastic!!!

Love that blue color. IIRC that connector is on the left side. With the gold calipers that bike looks to have ABS. If so, the front ABS pump is mounted to the frame above the rad - there should be several bolts retaining it, any one of which could serve as an earth connection. There's also the cable between the frame and tank - that's another bolt that might also be convenient.

I'm a big fan of the LBS system on fifth gens. Motorcycle Consumer Reports (RIP) used to publish a used bike value list. At the end of the articles it published a list of best-in-category items. For braking from 60 mph to 0 mph the '98 VFR800fi tied for 6th best, stopping in 108.6 feet. Most mc reviews state 120+ feet is considered excellent stopping power. I have great confidence in my fifth's brakes and would not change them.

Givi screen fitted, which should keep the wind off me a bit more from all the reviews I have read. Getting the little centre upper cowl bit back on properly is an ass, it wants to lift slightly on the bottom, but I got it in the end. Edit: Just took it for a short loop around the A14 to test it, it definitely does it's job well, however it is.... easy to lose track of your speed shall we say!!

1986 VF1000R (x2) 1986 VFR750F (x2) 1986 VFR700F 1986 VFR700FII 1986 VF500F (x2)

The Givi E251 topplate turned up (the generic one) and I mounted it to the Honda bracket, and put my old topbox on. Seems pretty solid, if I shake it the bike moves not the box, box definitely isn't as pretty, but it actually fits both helmets in at 55L vs 45L for the Honda one. A friend of mine is having his FJR1300 boxes resprayed to match his bike, so I might do that. Pretty incredible to think that's like 5 extra 2L coke bottles of space.....

Dropped the bloody thing wheeling it back into the garage, caught the back of my shirt on the handlebar of my mountain bike and it pulled me off balance. Fortunately it went towards me not away and I managed to stop it but still managed somehow to snap off the mirror stem. Managed to get a used replacement on ebay but couldn't get to the electric connectors without taking all the side plastics off, what a pain! All sorted now.

Fitted this neat little white LED waterproof Voltmeter to the bottom of the GPS mount on my 8gen. Previous 3 wire voltmeter had died. 14.5v charging (when measured at battery) allowing for the 200mv drop through the wiring, 14.3 at the meter.

Well last days we had on the menu 😅 -new oil and filter and K&N air filter maintenance -removed CBS -assembled new Hel braided brake lines as well as stock VFR brake calipers drilled so to have all three pistons working at the same time and now I will deliver her Monday at the mechanic, so to have the used CBR 600 f4 front M/C I have bought rebuilt, as well as brake lines bleed, as I don't mess with that 😅 I can't seem to bolt back the screw highlighted in green, it's like if the screw thread which I believed existed inside the swing arm has vanished... or how does the screw holds to the swing arm so to keep the chain guard in place... many thanks for your help

I love my 14" Delkevic - makes the V4 sound glorious! Not too loud, especially when compared to the Arrow slip-ons installed on my Ducati S4R. I would not go shorter than the 14" version

New PowerBronze dark screen

You can get a lid in the side case.

While Bud was off the ground, added some T-Rex protection.

I did the Front Fork oil replacement on my 2014, went well though a little bit of mucking around getting the damping rod adjuster right on the first one, learnt the lesson for the 2nd one. I have also been busy with servicing and detailing my Wifes new ride a 2009 Triumph Bonneville SE.

Don't do it. The original muffler is an important item for resale value. There are so many options out there with better looking and sounding aftermarket slip on's and not too expensive. YMMV.

Oh m8. Never tighten a new filter with these. Great for removal only. Weapon Of Mass Destruction!

#throwback Today I just stumbled across this picture, back from August 2018 at Estoril Circuit 😃 Still far from the Pilot (me 😅) being able to take the most of our beloved VFR, we did a 2:07 high as a best lap. Can't wait to be there again 🏍️ 🏍️ 🏍️

To cold to ride = apply new go-faster decals!

22 celcius... Took my V4 for an icecream

Here's my 94 + 95, I have a few jobs to do during the Lockdown but in no rush yet.

Tore into the bike yesterday. Checked valve clearance on back bank, No 1 cylinder intakes at service limit .006, but they were 16K miles ago so buttoned back up. When it gets above freezing temps I'll have a go at the front bank today. Still to go: Bleed Brake system and calipers in the Ultrasonic. I do this every year. Remove rear tire, inspect, clean, grease rear bearing, probably time with 82K on the clock. Check front wheel bearings (new last year). Remove, clean, grease side stand and center stand, both are pretty stiff. Drop shock and clean, inspect and grease bushings. Retire OEM mirrors for second time and install replacement Y2K mirror(s) (one broke a while back). I'm sure I'll find more to do. OK, dropped the shock and dog leg. Inspected, took apart and cleaned and greased all bushings. Cleaned shock and inspected. Has been riding fine, so reinstalled. Did check it against a 929 shock with less than 10K on shelf, and the dimensions match. May re spring it and give it a go down the line if needed. Finished valve check on front bank, ended up draining the coolant, will flush and replace with new. Also took the time to give the airbox a scrub and detail. Awaiting new air filter. Removed center stand and side stand, neither looked like they had ever been serviced. Scraped and cleaned crud off both and when dry took a brass wire wheel to both. Reinstalled with a coating of high pressure waterproof grease. Now I may actually be able to snap the bike up first go. Installed Y2K mirrors. Today is rear wheel day, there is no play side to side and a check with a dial indicator shows it runs pretty true, about .002 out in 360 degrees, so I'll check the grease. I gave the front sprocket area a perfunctory clean while doing the side stand, so if time allows I'll remove and clean it and the output shaft area and remove and clean chain.

Going into Brit mode here... Would you sodding believe it!!! 30 days after the above, another one. A three-quarter-inch razor-edged piece of flint carved it's way into my less than 400-mile-old rear Road 5. BOLLOX!!!!

Jump started my 94 off my 95 and took both of them for a quick ride in the sun before the rain set in

From yesterday 🙂 take care!

Beautiful day 🙂

Got a bunch of things done all at once: New DID chain and Sunstar sprockets despite everything still being in spec, with the OEM chain and sprockets still looking good at 40,150 miles (!) (I only use Honda spray lube on the chain) New adjustable billet levers from Japan New NGK iridium plugs Coolant flush Brake and clutch fluid flush and replacement with Endless RF650 Endless PRO2 front pads New Honda OEM quickshifter (busted the peg on the first one) Honda synthetic oil and OEM filter Honda OEM air filter Then I went for a ride!

I put the VFR in for its service today to the usual shop. I had also booked the loaner, a old, but smooth running CB250, that is a bit of fun. 124,000km - a minor service as I got out of sync a bit by doing my last major about 3000 early. The loaner was still out with one of the other mechanics and not due back. They were apologetic but the service manager set off to find another bike. He came back with... "How are you with larger bikes" - the VFR is pretty much the biggest bike I've ridden, with only the Streetfighter 848 any bigger in capacity and nothing heavier. I was a bit concerned as I expected him to rock up with a Boulevard or something. "Uh.. ok... I guess", trying to figure out what he meant - higher capacity just means being sensible with the right wrist. A cruiser or something means a whole different style. He led me out to the lot, "Because I was going to let you take this" He pointed to a 2002 Suzuki Hayabusa. I swallowed ... that's a lot of bike. "Ok, I should be fine." I must have been convincing, but I have heard that it's a pretty nice bike to ride, makes a great sports tourer and I figure its about the same weight with a lot more go, and that just means sensible with the wrist. I can do sensible :) So without further ado (well ok there was still the copy of the licence, sign away my life on the paperwork etc) I was away. Work is about 5 mins from the shop, so by the time I was rolling in the gate it had likely barely warmed up. I came back out at lunch and set off for a short ride. I rode down the freeway for several kilometres playing with the gears and roll on accelerations. Pretty nice pickup and a great sound from the Yoshi pipe that seems almost derigeur for most Suzuki sports bikes. I turned off and headed back into the local shopping precinct, to see what its like through traffic. On the less busy back streets I found it pretty docile, but ready to roar with a small twist. But a nice linear pull away. After several blocks of first gear slow riding it started to warm up. Whilst the temps didn't climb much my legs were starting to get very warm as the fans blew the air from the radiators over them. Uncomfortably warm actually and I was glad to roll up the on ramp (passing a bunch of cars as I did, grin) and get the airflow. Back to work. Overall, I did think it was a nice bike. A lot more power than my VFR, very rideable though and easy to control. I don't think I'll rush out and buy one though. Still nice to say I have ridden one and happy to ride one again. Just didn't step of it with the silly grin that I did with the -600. Might have to look into pipes for the VFR though. Oh, the service ... found out my licence plate globe holder has burnt itself out. I've been suspicious of this for some time as the last 2 registration renewals have commented the globe was out and I was testing to see if it was bulb life or something worse. Bit strange, perhaps related to either the wiring recall work or the alternator failure. The part is on order. Here's to the next 125,000 :tour: