EX-XX

Not unless the 954 axle is 22mm, as that is what the SP1/2 items are. (I suspect that the 954 uses a 25(?)mm axle, but might be wrong...)

To be fair, you got what can only be categorised as a "smoking" deal on the forks. Frankly - as I stated elsewhere - I'd likely have picked them up myself at that price, if I'd seen them. The stuff you need is out there. You might just need to look at the cost in an "overall" context. I.e. you saved "X" on the forks, paid decent coin for the rest of the bits and pieces, but still came out in front, compared to what most people would need to shell out to get an RC51 front end on their bike...either that or view the thing as a long-term ("Phantom-esque") project, and slowly collect the bits and pieces as you find them at compelling prices. Not sure I'd want to have to attempt the swap from scratch on my bike. I could draft a BOM (based on knowledge in the various Viffer forums), and find the kit. Just not sure I'd be prepared to pay for it all, UNLESS I could get a key component or two at a price which made the whole thing financially palatable...

It's funny how many people say this (about the 5th Gen Staintune). I had one on my old 5th Gen (looked for several years to get a decent deal on a 2nd-hand one). In speaking to a motorcycle tuner, he reckoned that the flow design of the pipe actually wasn't the best. Granted, they're a long-term proposition, and you never need to repack 'em, but whether they're the "best" slip-on you can chuck on a 5th Gen in terms of flow/performance is probably debatable. My current 5th-Gen came with a small run custom high mount made for AB (and a few other 5th Gen diehards) back in the day. I'd have to get a VERY good deal on something demonstrably better than it to even consider changing it out. Frankly, I doubt that there's anything (including Staintune) out there that is "better enough" to be compelling...

There are two schools of thought out there about this. Yes, you're most likely correct, that a fan will pull more air through the radiator, as opposed to pushing. I suspect the equation changes somewhat when the bike is in motion, and air is being "funnelled" through the front of the bike (and by extension out through the rads). To the OP, the principle behind the swap is simply to have the fan (at slowish speeds) directing air in the same direction as it enters the bike - i.e. from "inside" to "outside". The standard VFR fans is fighting against air being forced in through the front of the bike, and flowing out the sides via the rads, as it is trying to draw air from outside the bike (ostensibly cooler air) through the LHS rad and into the area in front of the engine. If the bike is stationary, the stock fan is probably best. At pretty much any speed above that, the VTR blade is the way to go. (IMHO) For the record, I have done the VTR(F) blade swap in my '99.

I'm thinking of "de-dumboing" my 5th-Gen, as well as giving it a new colour (Black) to set off the Gold rims/carbon fender etc. I'm not super-keen to screw around with the OEM plastics, which are still in pretty good nick. The intention would be to store these, in case I ever want to return the bike to stock. So, does anyone (in Australia, preferably), either have, or have a line on some decent OEM plastics for a 5th-Gen? Some scratches etc. would be OK, as they'd need to be sanded/rubbed back and re-painted anyway. I almost pulled the trigger on some in Sydney recently, but they turned out to be Chinese copies, and I'm not sold on the fit of the Chinese parts... If you've got some OEM plastics you're desperate to get rid of cheap ( 😉 ), shoot me a msg. Cheers. Michael

Wow, they must be dirty, as they look stock to my (admittedly jaundiced) eye. Still, coated and wrapped, they'll definitely not be affecting the cooler too badly.

Personally, I like it! That said, I'd be considering ceramic-coating those headers to reduce heat soak. Is that run in series with the original 'cooler, or as a stand alone unit?

I recently scored an RC49 oil cooler and lines from Japan. The RC49 is the 5th Gen Police bike made from 2001-2008. There are a number of differences between the Police bike and a regular 5th Gen, including the use of a 3-row 'cooler, and - I'm hoping - similar/identical oil lines to the regular 5th-Gen. We'll see when next I do an oil change/have the fairings off, and attempt the swap. I suspect that another Viffer enthusiast has the same idea in mind, as I saw another one on the site I use, and it, too, was snapped up. As for the RC51 'cooler, I also have one of those, and reckon there'd be more mucking around to fit that, as the LHS hose connection is more angled than the Police bike's one or the 6th Gen, as far as I can tell. That said, I'll keep the RC51 cooler for when we - eventually move to a year-round warmer climate.

All too true. Here's one pic of the 'bike. At least "some" of the stated mods should be visible to the naked eye... (I'll post some others when I have access to my own computer later...and now a few more pics, now I'm home).

Great thread! I'm about to start - over a lengthy period - doing similar work on a spare Y2K motor I have in the garage, for eventual installation in my '99. Already have similar (S3 silicon coolant hoses/iridium plugs... One question - if anyone knows - if I do all the work to that Y2K engine, including the injection set up, is that a straight bolt in to a '99? I.e. is there anything I need to add/delete to retain the manual fast idle functionality/delete the Y2K fast idle stuff from the equation? One other question - probably blindingly obvious to everyone bar me - in respect of the throttle bodies, one thing which would slow me down in doing the hose replacement would be losing track of which one went where...how did you solve that issue? On second thoughts, I just re-read the first part of the throttle body resurrection...I think I should be able to work it out with the provided info. and the partzilla diagram...

Hmmm... My take? I have an Oz-spec. 5th-Gen, which also has the lights always on, and no on/off switch. On a previous Blackbird, which also didn't have the light switch, I bought both RHS and LHS switch gear from a U.S spec bike, and fitted the headlight "flasher" switchgear to the LHS (because for some unknown reason Y2K Blackbirds in this country also had the flasher switch blanked out). The flasher switch was definitely plug and play. As for the RHS switchgear, surely if you get "all" the wiring from the donor bike on that side, from switchgear to headlights etc. AND retrofit the parking bulb holder/globe, it would also be effectively "plug and play" (noting that you'd be removing and replacing a fair bit of OEM wiring, but not necessarily needing to solder etc.) Or am I missing something?

If you wanted something "NR" to go on your wall, maybe you should have splashed out on these...

SP1

Something like this, perhaps...