Shinigami

Oh, you're absolutely right, my mistake.  By the way, the "fish wrapper" I was referring to is "Young Bike", the Japanese magazine.

Nothing wrong with a breakfast Guinness.  A pork chop in every glass, after all.

On 2/23/2020 at 12:19 PM, BusyLittleShop said:

Honda's CEO didn't follow through with a new race bred V4... instead he dropped the strategy that Mr.Honda
put into practice in the 80s and 90s and little Ducati was free to champion a new race bred V4...

 

Quote Japan magazine Young Machine

Honda RVF1000R – Honda is preparing a new superbike with four-cylinder
V engine with which they aim to regain the prominence lost in the
World Superbike. From Japan, Young Machine magazine has produced a
render that promises to be very close to the sporty one that Honda
will put in dealerships from 2019 or 2020, a motorcycle that, unlike
the exclusive RC213V-S of 180,000 euros, the Honda RVF1000R will have
a more affordable price in line with other models of the Superbike
class such as the new Ducati Panigale V4, the Kawasaki ZX-10RR or the
Aprilia RSV4 RF, that is, in the range of 20 to 25 thousand euros.

The idea pursued by Honda is to repeat the strategy that the Japanese
brand already put into practice in the 90s, when the RC45 -successor
of the successful RC30 with V4 engine- coexisted in the market with
the Fireblade 900 RR, a model that at that time could not compete in
the World Superbike to have a cubicle superior to 750 cc. That’s where
the RC45 maintained its small niche market, offering a registered
racing bike that still, to this day, remains an object of desire for
fans of sports bikes of that time.

At the end of the 90s, with the changes in the regulation of the WSBK,
Honda opted for a configuration of two cylinders, then launching the
VTR 1000 SP1, baptized as RC51. Many years later another RC would
arrive, in this case the RC213V-S, derived directly from the MotoGP, a
motorcycle of which only about 200 units are produced each year
strictly numbered, many of them destined to live locked in a museum or
a garage private because of the incalculable value they will have in
the future.

According to the patents that Honda presented in the United States
last March -where you can see an engine in V4 configuration with the
stock anchored to the chassis as in the Ducati Panigale- it is evident
that the future of the brand of the golden wing in Superbikes it is to
leave aside the inefficient CBR 1000 RR Fireblade SP2 and bet on a
model that will be called the Honda RVF1000R.

 

The Honda RVF1000R

In its heart, we will find an engine derived from the one already seen
in the RC213V of MotoGP, a V4 at 90º that, unlike the street RC213V-S,
the Honda RVF1000R will have less exotic materials to reduce costs.

The cycle part will be in line with the rest of the superbikes in the
market, while the chassis could be an evolution of the double beam in
aluminum of the RC213V that would take advantage of the engine as one
more element to reduce its weight and dimensions.

And what will happen with the CBR 1000 RR Fireblade? It seems
difficult for Honda to quit a model with such tradition and with such
an illustrious name. The logical thing would be to think that the

 

Fireblade will continue to be commercialized along with the Honda
RVF1000R from 2019 or 2020, offering a more human model, with a
significantly lower price and benefits below those offered by the V4,
whose estimated power will move between the 210 and the 220 cv.

That fish wrapper magazine has cranked out fake renders of “the next Honda V4” (and at least once, V5!) every couple years since at least 2006.  Zero credibility.

Here’s a notoriously bad example from 2008, in which MCN glommed onto a story that originated in Young Bike (without attribution and claiming an “inside source at Honda “)

You can read this wretched pile of journalistic excrement here.

https://issuu.com/motorcyclenews/docs/mcnsampler060808

I’m wistful over the departure of the VFR from the USA market, but as long as they keep building them in Kumamoto, there’s still hope.  Unfortunately the Japanese domestic bike market has virtually collapsed.  It’s perhaps 10 percent of what it was 20 years ago.

On 2/16/2020 at 4:08 PM, Grum said:

A couple of fabulous photos and a couple of great bikes Shinigami. I've done 72,000ks on my 8gen and currently on my second chain with the original sprockets, due for a chain replacement in a few thousand k's however I will probably only replace the front sprocket, a close inspection of the sprockets recently revealed no visible wear! I've successfully ran at least two chains to a set of OEM sprockets for many years, I'm a bit of a fusspot for checking tension and regular lubing. YMMV.

That RF650 brake fluid is expensive, I know it's a very high performance product, but does it still require replacement every two years as per normal Dot 4?

Cheers.

Thanks!  Yes, the RF650 is a little bit overkill.  But, I like overkill on items like that.

I live in a very arid climate, and it’s possible to go up to 4 years between flushes, but I still stay with a two year interval.

 I have never had such low chain wear on my old 6th gen or on my current CBR600RR, 20k miles and the chains would be done, though I do pay attention to adjustments and lube.

Despite everything being well within spec on the 8th gen OEM chain and sprockets,  I just felt it would be prudent to change them out before the season really kicks off here.  I’ve seen the results of failed chains, and want no part of that.

Same with the spark plugs, the old ones looked great, but I hate to push intervals on items that can drop ceramic bits into a cylinder.

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'm just thankful they're still cranking them out in Kumamoto.  

And it also comes like this, in Japan.

On 12/19/2018 at 9:32 AM, FJ12Ryder said:

I think the worst thing, besides losing the money in the first place, is the constant dangling of the product as "almost finished",

"nearing completion", "nearly ready to ship",  etc. Why can't they just be up front and ethical about it? "Sorry guys, we fucked up

and found out we can't do what we thought we could".

Well, exactly.  At no time did they do anything except aggressively shill the thing.  What's amazing is the Stockholm syndrome-like attitude of some of those who were left with nothing for their money.

I hope this ends well for you, but it looks like quite a steep uphill climb from here.

26 minutes ago, andrearonin said:

If your bike is under warranty why don’t let Honda change them for you?

the dealer I spoke to was reluctant, but Honda Italia gave me the ok few hours later

I've had mine four years now, warranty expired last year.

Mine look quite a bit like "Andrearonin"s post above.  I've been meaning to get some self-sealing silicone tape to cover them up, as I would hate to have to install a whole new set.  I do use them in spring and fall, as I do a lot of riding at high elevation.

You need to understand this isn't the typical sport bike.  It's a relatively low volume bike.  For example, Honda sells not more than 450 units per year of this bike in Japan.

And because it isn't the typical "dropped-it-twice-got-scared-and-sold-it" bike, there isn't much of an after market for cowling parts, etc.

Honestly, buying one in this condition, with no experience or ability to work on it yourself and apparently very little knowledge (or money, since it seems you are doing this as cheaply as possible), isn't a recipe for a successful outcome.  

Besides, one wonders about your priorities.  For example- what's the condition of the engine internals and transmission? This is one of the biggest issues on a stolen/crashed bike. 

On 11/22/2015 at 11:53 PM, Shinigami said:

I imagine horror stories like the British drone company failure and the apparently soon to be/continuing horror story around the Skully helmet may have poisoned the well for some of us when it comes to this sort of thing.

Well, as I said three years ago on this very thread...

Well, if anyone's interested, mine is at 30,500 as of today, with no signs of nearing end-of-life yet.  I maintain the chain by spraying down with Honda lube, wiping with a microfiber cloth, riding 400 miles, and repeating.  Every three or four times I will soak the cloth in Honda chain cleaner and wipe off the chain, then re-lube.

The VFR800 is still being produced in Japan. 

I won't judge you for buying a stolen, stripped bike without knowing enough to know what you're in for to get it running.  That's sort of understandable.  

However.

You are showing absolutely terrible judgement, posting your personal information (including phone number, email address, and passport number) all over the internet.  Not smart at all!

Not even slightly surprised.  What does surprise me, however, is how many people are still willing to make these "investments" given the abominable completion record of the instigators of these scams. 

Just now, Rectaltronics said:

 

Or they are riding very conservatively.

I suppose, at 12 MPH, on well-worn shiny asphalt. one could possibly go 7500 miles on a Q3 rear.  Otherwise, not so much.  I once killed a rear in under 2500 miles on my 6th gen (front lasted twice as long).

No, Roadsmart 2 rear, Q3 front.  (Anyone telling you they can get 7500 miles on a Q3 REAR on a VFR is lying to you.)

I've never gotten more than 3500 miles on a Q3 rear on any of my bikes, but I am a little hard on tires, with lots of time in canyons.

Perhaps an Akrapovic can to start.  That would do a lot to improve on the stock look.

Just installed a set of Dunlop Q3+ front and Roadsmart 3 rear, and 500 miles in they display excellent handling.  Replaces a Q3 front/Roadsmart 2 rear that achieved 7500 miles, with perhaps another 750 miles to the top of the wear bars.  That had been an excellent combination for me for the past 3 sets.

I will never run Michelins again.  Too many bad experiences with their performance falling off drastically after the first couple of thousand miles.

EDIT UPDATE:  Still excellent after 2700 miles of mostly canyons.

I originally planned something similar.  Then I decided to look for airports in the path of totality.  Using miles, I got on a plane at 0940, landed at 1020, had breakfast and a bloody mary at the airport bar, walked outside the terminal, looked up, watched totality, got back on the plane and flew home.

As opposed to 4 hours outbound and 10+ coming back, with the record traffic on the roads in question.  Total cost, $22.00, for breakfast and the drink.

24K on my OEM chain, one adjustment since new.  I lube every 200 miles with Honda Lube with Moly.  Sometimes I wipe the chain off and sometimes I don't.  Sprockets look good too.

Now, rear tires are another matter- I am lucky to get 3800-4000 miles from a sport-touring rear.

I spend a lot of time in the canyons, and am not shy about giving it the stick.

Marvelous craftsmanship there.