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If you remove the wool tufts, the airflow will probably improve. We routinely shear the local sheep to prevent them overheating around here.

Only had time for a quick test ride, so it will be a bit before the RapidBike catches on to what's different in the back end here. But...I mostly like it! Only issue I have is the header plus exhaust is louder than I was hoping. On the highway it's not too bad, but at low speed it's way up there. If you get off the bike and stand ten feet back, at idle...quieter than you think. Yet it is loud, so I will be going through a lot of earplugs I'm sure. Performance wise, wow! It's a positive change across the rev range, and once again the higher gears are yet more useable at low RP

After a two week Covid-19 lockdown due again to Quarantine incompetence, and now with only a 25km distance from home tavel allowance.🤬 Did a basic service 84,000kms. Oil and filter, airfilter, fuelled her up and added a small bottle of injector cleaner, then went for a short run up the highway, and some back roads. Put an instant smile on my face. Love this baby and she continues to purr like a kitten. Cheers.

Hi all, I've just bought a vfr 750 FK, pretty much blind, its got MoT, the electrics work and runs fine, it is however as you'd expect a bit tatty round the edges, so this winter its going in the garage and getting worked on. Looking forwards to reading technical advice as I go through the forums.

Unfortunately, a drill bit may very well spin, too... So, before you get all medieval on it, try using an impact ratchet/rattle gun and a long Allen key to loosen it (again). The problem is that the lower valve body you're screwing into (or out of) is not anchored to anything within the fork, so it can spin within the cartridge. The impact-type wrench usually manages to jolt it free when conventional tools just spin. Be careful with the Allen key, however, as the OEM M8 cap screw is the "shallow head" type, so it is easier to round it out than with a normal screw: Make sure it i

When you buy bazookas for mufflers, it’s not going to be quiet. 😁

Danno, thanks for the info. Did not know about 775's and the false information regarding them. Cogswell's question and Grum's answer now has me thinking, should I add a fuse and possibly remove the C/B? Felt odd during install there was no fuse. Here's some more info with pictures on how I mounted the 847. I used the following stainless hardware. The narrow base weld nuts came from mcmaster, other hardware from local hardware store. M6 button head 40 mm length (2) M6 fender washer (2) M6 standard washer (2) M6 narrow-base weld nut (2) https://www.mc

Cogs recalls correctly, I purchased the steering stem RAM mount for my 7th gen from VFRD member Huntingguns five years ago, see photos below. Haven't seen him on the site for a while, but the concept is excellent--rock solid, and great line-of-sight when riding.

New tank pad... old one was getting discoloured. Took about 45 mins of scraping and a healthy dose of WD40 to get it off. Wasn't sure when I ordered this online but now I think it fits the bike nicely... Also painted the fuel cap. I had a cheap ebay aftermarket twist off cap, which I loved, but now that I have a garage and I park the bike inside full time - I can't have the fumes building up. That cap looked great and functioned great but didnt seal in the vapours. Outside I didn't care so much. At any rate I didn't want the silver cap so after reading about some other folks

I replaced mine with the MOSFET FA020AA kit from Jack at Roadstercycle and can’t complain. It’s simple, reasonable priced and I mounted mine on the left side of the subframe.

found it!

As VFR78 rightly states the 8gen only specifies 10w30. From what I've read and heard this is more about frictional losses at operating temperature when using a 30 over a 40 oil and achieving Honda's power specifications. However the 40 oil may offer better engine protection at high operating temps. Many 8gen owners who are previous 6gen owners (like myself) continue to run the same 10w40 without issues in the 8gen. YMMV. Oh No! Sorry, I didn't want to start another Oil debate.

Here is the bike with panels hastily reattached. Best I can supply on short notice. Snapped the chain and pulled sprockets tonight. Frightening amount of crud built up around chain, a good dozen links were frozen, explains why the chain was rattling. Should have new drive installed by end of the week so I can get her on the road. glad to be aboard.

I've also used RAM mounts (U-bolt base) from the gas tank bolts and put a ball just in front of the tank with a 6" extension. https://www.rammount.com/part/RAM-B-231ZU (you just need some longer tank bolts - longer metric ones) or On my current adventure bikes I've gone with the X Mount system and it works surprisingly well. You can also mount it on the front brake reservoir bolts.

Note that problems start with bare brass spade connectors in factory wiring; which corrodes over time and causes overheating. So always upgrade specs to tin or zinc-coated connectors. Another problem is current capacity. Highest-rated 1/4" spade connector handles only 24-amp! Honda uses it in 30-amp circuit! So of course it'll overheat and burn. There's special connectors made for higher-current with better springs: https://www.delcity.net/store/Maxi-Fuse-Modules/p_820374.h_820405.r_IF1003 Or use bolt-on maxi-fuse holder: https://www.delcity.net/store/MAXI®-Fuse-Blocks/p_9241

Not sure why anyone would ever by a shunt R/R, when series R/R are available. The cost isn’t much different to have the far superior SH847.

Bit of a safety issue doing that, potential of unexpected bike jolting forward, possible damage to the starter motor and starter relay. Not sure if the 5th gen has the "launch assist " like the 6 and 8gens where the rpm is slightly increased (via the ECM) as you let the clutch out when in gear, kind of an anti stall assist. Shorting the clutch switch wiring will screw that system. Another potentially nasty situation with shorted clutch switch wiring is an accidental pressing of the starter switch while riding, the starter will attempt to engage! The clutch s

I sometimes wonder why manufacturers put together such lame design configurations. The two conclusions I've come to have been that for one the average half-life of a typical bike is probably not very long (wrecked /stolen/neglected) so just make it to last for that average life and/or two the design is such to facilitate ease and speed of assembly. That fuse block seems like a lousy idea, but during the build all the workers need to do is snap the two halfs together and move on. We're all probably operating these bikes well past their expected life so find ourselves overcoming these types o

No too hard to do. Requires making spacers as the 929/954 pivot bolt is larger than the VFR800 bolt. Here is a picture of my 02 with 954 arm installed, I also have a 929 swingarm with extensions for drag racing. Yes, thats a 929 front end, and yes its a gen 5 gear drive non vtec motor..... Good luck with your project!

The wolf focks up sheep. Nothing focks the wolf

They don't...but they do use something called elastohydrodynamic lubrication. Under direct contact force, perpendicular to the surfaces pressed together, many/most fluids will "shear thicken" with a mathematical limit that is "way up there" and looks like infinity. Somewhere I have those equations, I still have a hard cover copy of Mechanical Design. Elastohydrodnamic lubrication was brought up in VFRD 1.0... 😎

I've been on the forums for a couple few months gathering intel on maintenance issues, and nuances of the Gen 5. Patiently waiting and watching the classifieds in SoCal until a 17K mile '98 popped up down outside of San Diego. On test ride, the flapper valve scraping noise nearly scared me out of the sale but I figured out what it was. Got the bike back to shop and there are a couple of issues.... Exhaust seems too rich and chain needs replacing (it dances and rattles when on the center stand in gear). Besides that, it needs valves checked, all fluids replaced and I am goin

Focke-Wolf? 🤣

A few months ago, I found this new, old-stock 2014 VFR at a nearby Honda dealer. It was still in the shipping crate and offered at a very hefty discount from the original MSRP, so I brought it home. Since I'm a tall guy, I installed risers and lowered pegs. I also added an Arrow exhaust and Power Commander V. I have ordered a new shock/spring and will have the forks rebuilt later this summer to accommodate my weight. I recently did a 1k mile trip with it and the suspension was my only real complaint. It's a great daily bike and fits nicely between my track bikes and dual-sports. I'

Thanks so much for all your replies. I made a wooden tool to jam the cartridge, which it did, but the bolt kept spinning even when pulling the damper rod & stanchion. So I gave up and went to a mechanic, he seemed very confident he’d be able to get it out “…you just need to shock it out with a rattle gun”. He came back after 5 minutes, “The bolt’s just spinning. It’s like the valve is spinning because something is jamming the bolt, I need your help.” So with the fork fully extended and the stanchion held in a vice he pulled on the lower leg while I pulled on the damper rod the

Adding a PC has made a noticeable improvement on all my FI bikes since the manufacturers always tune the fuel/air ratio very lean to meet emissions regulations. Increasing airflow with intake and/or exhaust mods only exacerbates the issue and a PC allows you or your tuner to compensate for the difference. Of course, you can achieve the same results with chip tuning, but I prefer to use the PC since it's easier to revert back to stock if you sell the bike later. On the VFR, the PC uncorked 3.9hp and 4.2tq while smoothing out the power delivery all the way through the powerband.

I also used the-U bolt base sands U-bolt at the gas tank bolts. On my 8th gen I do not need an 6"extension but carry one in case I expand a tank bag. I've been using a Ram x-grip for 8 years with no problems.

Thanks for the advice! Took me a while to get to this. I pulled the pump, and it looked rotten, so I just ordered a new kit from Quantum Fuel. Aftermarket pump and filter was $130. OEM was looking to be over $400.... Downside was the wiring didn't match so I needed to splice in the new wiring. Anyway, below are old pump and new pump photos. I am having trouble with the pump/tank seal. I've tried less torque, more torque, swapped for the old seal (it was in great condition), and just tried some Permatex PermaShield fuel resistant gasket dressing on the gasket...

I'm using a Quadlock on my MT-10; they make lots of different style adapters including a steering stem mount. https://www.quadlockcase.com.au/collections/shop-moto/products/motorcycle-fork-stem-mount?variant=19824031072369 The ease and security of mounting the phone are brilliant.

I have one of Huntingguns ram mounts on my VFR. It works great and doesn't spin around like the cheap stem mounts. For my iphone, I took an old belt clip holder and cut the clip off. Then I attached a round ram ball mount to the back of the phone holder. I've used it on my CRF250 while riding some pretty rough off road and never had a problem. I don't have a pic but will take one if you need it.

Yes-actually I use Waze for this reason and would only need it for routing through shitty traffic or avoid accidents. Here in Nashville we have some crazy drivers and one never knows which artery will be blocked. Thanks for the advice. That ball mount looks like the one that held my old Garmin GPs. How would one find a cellphone case with that type of socket?

From the members I've seen here that needed new front wheel bearings they had seen more than occasional rain. Washing a bike with profuse amounts of water the way one would bathe a car is probably also not good for bearing's longevity and by no means ever pressure wash a bike. As Grum said, they should go a good long way and will give some signs of feeling rough before catastrophic failure. When the wheel is off, use an index finger to press in firmly and turn the races slowly. If there's no roughness and they're silent you should be good to go.

Particularly for gens that no longer have OEM stators available, it's probably worthwhile to employ what's available to extend their life.

Hi Mohawk. Sorry I wasn't really inferring MOSFET Shunt being the way forward, merely describing the two types. For sure, its a Great improvement on the old OEM SCR Shunt R/R technology. But have to agree with ducnut and many others, the Series stator saving type is the best way to go for sure, regardless of cost.

Welcome from down South, way down South! Congrats with the purchase, hope it brings you many miles of enjoyable riding. Better post a picture of it. Cheers.

Up until '60s in U.S., kids in school were still taught how to tie wires and solder. Then with faster mechanised production in '70s, crimping was used to lower production costs. It was all downhill from there!

Just added an 847 to mine. Mello Dude offers a nice flip plate that mounts either nicely.

Contrary to popular regurgitated internet-gospel, issue with SH775 is NOT RPM-related, because there's no RPM-input line to RR (it has no idea what RPM engine's running). Its voltage limitation and depending upon stator coil-windings configuration, higher-RPMs result in higher AC-voltage that must be regulated down. So... if your stator puts out more than 60-VAC at high-RPMs, then go with SH847 which can handle up to 80-VAC. My 15,000-RPM Ninja 250 track-bike uses SH775 with no issues. Stator puts out 30-40 VAC in mid-range and 60-VAC @ 15,000-RPM redline, so SH775 can handle it. Simp

sfdownhill wrote a how to on the other forum: https://vfrworld.com/threads/photos-of-no-drama-r-r-from-roadstercycle-com.54584/ Shindengen SH847 series-style r/r from roadstercycle.com (Jack) is a good source. Jack's site is informative, you can get info on why SH847 is a good choice.

This was when out for the ride grabbing a beverage and a snack. The weather was great except a bit breezy here and there pushing us around a bit but I’ll take it!

I know I should have put this out there two weeks ago. Sorry. I had a great time and was pleasantly surprised at the number of people that showed up (@30). I was expecting maybe a dozen. Met some new friends and found some new roads. Looking forward to the Fall event then next Spring. Bill Mersch aka MisterBill

Trackdays scheduled for July, can’t wait. this is from last year. IMG_8799.MP4

S'cuse me while I whip this out 🤠

Finally got around to fitting an 847 today. I've had no problems with the 6th gen OEM R/R but after 32,000 miles its output had become less stable. I have a Datel voltmeter and where it used to run at a steady 14.6v, it was moving around more between about 14.5v and 14.8v. The latter was making me uneasy b/c if it begins to fail and spikes too high it can possibly affect the ECU. This is an easier swap than I think widely believed and a great upgrade for the stator's life. Got it from Jack at Roadstercycle. The kit is really clean and very robust. If you're not familiar, the 847 is a se

Mine are fairly dirty in this picture but still look good. The wave rotors seem to create more brake dust that the stock rotors.

I'm with Careca on the suspension observations for UK roads. I collected my 8thGen in red last year and rode the 250 miles home on a mixture or motorway and twisty A roads. I had hoped the bike would be just like my old VF500F2 for handling but I was surprised to get home with a case or sore botty from the hard ride. Having got used to the full adjustability of a Suzuki GSXR but wanting to return to a more age- appropriate riding position and wonderful linear torque of the V4, it was a bit disappointing. Some months later I think I've got the suspension sorted for my style of riding; pretty ha