EX-XX

Just wanted to touch on one comment you made above: What I am keen to try is the LCD "reversal" mod. Is there a howto around for that?

Damn straight...I'd have been tempted, despite prohibitive all-up costs.

Mine is at ~136,000kms or so. so around 85,000 miles...

That's one hell of a comprehensive reply. Thanks! I really appreciate the throttle body comments and pics. I've been thinking about COPS (despite the fact that I have two full sets of spare OEM coils). Pair valve block off was done long before I bought the bike. I will have to have another look at the T/Stat, as I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that they would include the replacement O-ring in the pack. Your post is a great example of why I (much) prefer forums like this to Facebook...The information is easily accessible (for me and others following), and won't "disappear into the ether" as posts on Facebook tend to. Thanks again, for both replies thus far. Very much appreciated! Edit: I had a quick look through the bits I ordered, and it looks as though I did order the o-rings required, per the attached exploded view: I have three o-ring "packs" in my kit... 1 x Thermostat housing o-ring, part number 91311-KE8-000 2 x 91304-GC8-003 2 x 01331-PC9-003 Image courtesy of https://www.bike-parts-honda.com/honda-motorcycle/800-MOTO/VFR/1999/VFR800FIX/Engine/THERMOSTAT-WATER-PIPE/13MBGW41/E__1500/1/10446

Soon, I'll be moving my 5th Gen from the garage to the shed, and after that will begin the "20-year" refurb work, as done by a few others on here in recent times. For the train spotters, yes, it is technically a year late, but still. I'd have started the work last year, but we moved into our (new to us) house in August, and I've since been doing - or having done - various things around the place to get it to a standard we're happy with. Not there yet, but have plenty of time, or so it would seem. One of the things I was doing was attempting to insulate and line the shed, as well as stopping up holes etc. to try and limit the entry of vermin. As with all these things, one thing leads to another, and before you know it, you're getting coax run/aerials installed, installing WiFi repeaters and making the thing into a "man cave". It's easy to lose sight of the fact that the shed is a place to do projects in, NOT to be the project itself! 🙄 Anyway, I digress... In preparation for our move here, I began preemptively buying bits and pieces I thought I'd use in the refurb work, as well as other things which are handy to have (you know, like a spare engine, a set of VFRD Group Buy headers etc...just the basics 😀) For the actual refurb, I've purchased the following, from a range of sources: 1) AS3 Silicone coolant hoses to suit '98-'99 VFR (these, of course, predate the availability of the extra hoses for the Y2K/'01 models...not an issue, as mine is an FIX) 2) New hose clamps (from AS3) to suit the hoses. 3) New plugs (CR9EHIX-9) 4) New thermostat (from I forget where - Partzilla most likely) 5) O-rings for the hoses in the V 6) Injectors - from the spare engine - were pulled and sent off for testing/cleaning etc. 7) Group buy headers. I'm aware that once I start disassembling the bike, I'll start finding other stuff I may as well do, "while I'm there". So the question is, what other stuff should I be thinking about getting in advance. One thing I'd like to do is replace all the throttle body hoses. I just need to know what i/d and o/d "mix" of hose I need, and will order some in bulk in advance. A couple of notes: The forks have been rebuilt quite recently, although I will likely need the dust seals at the bottom. I imagine these are the same as any 43mm inverted Showa fork??? (Forks are SP2 with Ohlins rebound valving). The rear shock (Ohlins) was also rebuilt not that long back. The bike has not been ridden much in the last couple of years, but has been garaged throughout. The front wheel bearings are new. I haven't touched the rear bearings (either swingarm pivot or hub). Brake pads are near-new (rear) and about 75% (front). What other things do people reckon I'll need, or should do while the bike is apart? Frankly, the idea of pulling it down (and more accurately putting it back together), isn't something I'm necessarily looking forward to. So I only want to do it once, if possible.

Geez...look at you go. I received mine last September, and still haven't even opened the box! To be fair, though, we'd just moved into our new home, and aside from general unpacking, I've been making my shed "project ready", before i start working on the VFR...won't be long now!

No worries. Just got a bit of a surprise when I received an email from MyUS about a second headers. I had something of a "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" moment when reading it... *Internal dialogue" "Hey, I might get a second set of the you beaut VFRD Headers...Excellent!" "But they actually belong to someone else, who's paid good money for them, so you need to the right thing and let them know...Bogus!" 😆 All turned out in the end, though, so all is good.

If there is a member here by the name of Beau Sampson, can her please send me a PM? It seems that your headers have mistakenly sent to my MyUS account, and they are querying it (as the ultimate destination address isn't recognised). Naturally, I'm happy to receive a second set, but thought I'd "do the right thing" by letting you know where they are. Let me know if you no longer require them... 😉

You do have to wonder why they say this ("planned obsolescence, perhaps?) I have a PC2 on my bike, and will be installing the Group buy headers later this year (along with the "20 year refurb" stuff - thermostat, hoses etc.) I've already spoken to a local dealer here about having the PC2 tuned. He's at least willing to give it a try. I know for a fact that I can run up the old PC software on a Win10 tablet, and connect to the PC2 via USB-serial cable. It will monitor the PC2, displaying revs etc. in real time and so on. And all the other crap is accessible from the interface (ignition/fuel maps etc.) Worst case, he straps it to a dyno with exhaust gas analyser, and uses the tablet to make "some" changes to the ignition/fuel mapping...Or is that not the case? I always suspect that Dynojet dealers/tuners have been "warned off" providing support for the old PC2s, and wonder why that is...

Lance, given the deadline for deposits on the first run is the 18th, can you please keep an eye out for the cheque I sent you. I also sent through tracking details via PM. Once the cheque is received, we'll need to discuss shipment options, as we are moving out of our place at the end of March, so if shipping is a 6-week proposition, I may have to provide an alternate address for shipment. On the passivation side of things, I might have to wear the PayPal ripoff (on exchange rate) to have that done.

What's the go with retaining the VTEC solenoid? To "fool" the existing ECU into believing it's still "driving" a 6th-Gen engine?

Bugger. Wishful thinking on my part, perhaps...

So...how'd the dyno run go (was going to be done on Tuesday, IIRC?) Inquiring minds and all that... 😉

I'm sure the "dutiable value" will be less than $1000 when shipped 😉

For that kind of money, you'd be better off swimming over there to collect it. Can you get mine while you're there? Thanks. 😉

Aus Post refers to a service called "ShopMate" for this purpose. I haven't used it, as I'd either have the person ship it direct, or use another service (Shipito etc.) for the purpose. Have any of the other Oz members used ShopMate for US-based purchases...?

Like (many) others, I'm pretty happy to see something like this looking like eventuating. It's taken a long time to be potentially this close (not for lack of effort on behalf of a number of people!) While I've put my hand up as interested in the headers themselves, "if" there is a full system eventually available with Carbon slip-on, I'd almost certainly be interested in the whole thing. (Will need to get a handle on shipping to Oz, though). Given that the $AUD is falling against the $USD, I'd also be very keen to pay for the header/system in $USD if at all possible. (I guess the question there revolves around methods of payment available).

You could be right about the non-linked brakes, I'll have to double check (i.e. go through pictures of the parts until I find some of the brakes etc. 😉 ) They were - apparently - produced from 2001-2008, and have a number of differences to the standard 5th Gen. "Ventilated" rear rotor (presumably for low-speed work with lots of rear braking), ABS, completely different instrument panel (all digital), and quite a few differences in plastics etc. given the intended (Police) use, plus some other stuff I've forgotten.

Coincidentally, I saw an RC49 for sale on the Japanese auctions last night. A cool $AUD24K (~$USD17500)...

Thanks for your input. No-one (least of all me) suggested that it should be a "race header". What I (and others - not quoted, BTW) was after was some kind of empirical data on the headers when actually fitted to a motorcycle. My comments weren't directed at Lextek. They were directed at BW which, as most know (and has been photo-documented in this forum in other threads), has had issues in terms of construction quality (particularly around merge welds etc.) The current (seemingly collaboratively designed) versions "appear" to have less than optimally placed O2 bungs, which may or may not have 00/01 bikes throwing codes/requiring spacers/fitting of O2 eliminators etc. So, I'd have thought it natural to want to see how the system tests on a bike, rather than simply buying it "sight unseen", wearing freight and exchange costs, only to (potentially) wind up with a system that's no better (and potentially worse) than the one I currently have. I'm not suggesting it would be. What I am suggesting is that I don't know one way or the other. I I also take umbrage at the comment about "people whinging about the product probably wouldn't buy it anyway". What would you know about what I would/wouldn't buy? All because I (and others) wanted to see a bit more rigour around the product's sale than "here it is, buy it". Good on them for (co)designing it. No issue there. If it turns out to be a decent system, I'll be more than happy to put my hand up for a set, noting that people here in Oz will wear (significantly) higher freight, and exchange costs, than will the UK and US-based people. (And likely pay a GST on top of all that). It won't be as "dirt cheap" as you suggest, by the time its landed here. But in BW's case anyway, I'd suggest that they have some goodwill to make up from the "SandyBike Spares" days...and some empirical testing on a bike would go some way to restoring that.

Probably why they're coy about releasing dyno data. In the email I posted an excerpt from, the BW salesperson was waxing lyrical about "how much better their new system would be than my old '99 one." Really? Prove it (with empirical evidence) and I'll consider a purchase. Genuinely not fussed one way or the other. My ceramic-coated headers will probably last the life of the bike, given that I live in an environment that doesn't experience heavy snowfalls/salt on the roads etc. So, for me to consider changing them out with something else...well, I'd need to be convinced that the "something else" was demonstrably better, wouldn't I? So...who on the forum is going to be first to grab a set of these things and "back-to-back" dyno test them against a control set of '99 headers?

Pretty sure that people here (in Oz), have 1997-plated bikes. I'm almost certain that, like you, I saw a 1997-plated bike (a silver one) at the end of 1997.

For those wanting Sandy Bike Spares/Black Widow dyno numbers, I'm going to paste an excerpt from an emailed response I had from them on this topic. " We do not release Dyno results on any of our exhausts as these can vary due to the age, mileage and set up of the bike, we are happy to post owners results as these are specific to their bike and are unbiased. Please see our Facebook page for owners results from some of our other designs, they are excellent. " Sorry, but that's crap. For the record, I asked for dyno comparisons between a stock, "catless" header, and their design. They refuse to provide this info. Also, not sure how relevant "seeing a Facebook page for owners results from some our other designs" actually helps one form an opinion as to the gains/design eficiency of this new header... Maybe I'm missing something...? Or not. No. I won't be purchasing either of these until I see empirical, back-to-back dyno testing. Same bike, same dyno, "catless" headers vs these new ones (obviously with the same slip-on fitted to both headers). Pretty simple, really. They either provide them, or they don't.

To my untrained (jaundiced) eye, they look press-bent. Probably won't make a huge difference (assuming everything else stacks up). just an observation...