jaimev34

I'm getting ready to put the stock can back on now. The donut went on, and is nearly flush with the end of the metal pipe. It won't twist down anymore, and I don't want to deform the donut for the sake of the 1/16" of the edge of donut that's above the edge of the pipe. I'm sure it will settle in, and I can re-check the exhaust clamp torque after the bike warms up. The can won't easily fit over the gasket. You'll find that you'll have to push it over the gasket, which will scrape some material off and damage it a little, at least that's what happened to me.

Once the gasket is installed on the pipe coming from the headers, how do you get the stock can/midpipe combo back on without squishing and damaging the gasket? Are the gaskets ever reuseable, or are they always so damaged from installation/removal that one must replace them?

Looks good. I know the pictures above are only of the mock up, but do you plan on keeping the angle of the tail like that? It looks like it should lay a little flatter (i.e., less incline in the seat). Other than that, Awesome! BTW, I know I've seen that redish/pinkish fighter with the funky tail up on Palomar Mountain. Edit: It looks like the subframe is angled to steeply making the seat appear too high. One more thing: From the photo from the rear of your mock up it looks like the left foot peg assembly is a little bent compared to the one on the right. Is this so?

Noice!! It's new to me.

Here is my simple seal driver! I think it's just a piece of 2"(OD) exhaust pipe, it works like a charm as I've used it for years w/o issue! :biggrin: Thanks! I'll have to get something like that for future work. Like a true moron, I hammered the bushings, washer, and seal in simultaneously. It's what the manual said to do. That's probably why it didn't work so well.

Yo, BR, can you please post a pic of what you used to pound in the bushings and washer, which lie directly under the fork seal? I presume you hammered those in, then gently hammered in the seal, correct? When I was trying to hammer the bushings and washer in using a PVC pipe, I had a hard time and had to take it to a shop to have them use their driver tool.

They be $90 shipped. And I must say that BLS is a cool dude. I bought a set a couple of months ago, but returned them when it looked like I was going to have to modify my bike more than I wanted to in order to accomodate my long ass legs (e.g., lower shifter, lower rear brake, modify kickstand, and possibly trim fairings so my shins don't hit). BLS was very cool about taking the product back and refunding my money. Then, a couple of weeks ago, after getting my fill of discomfort while riding, I PM'd him to see if he'd be gracious enough to sell me another pair, and he did. Just wanted to get this out there.

$29.99 at Pimps 'n Queers: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00912794000P?keyword=angle+grinder That's how I get tools. Just buy 'em when you need 'em and sometime later on, they're always right at hand! Yeah, that's a good idea. I didn't know they could be had that cheap. I don't have a bench grinder, so I may have to get one of those too.

Probably, but an angle grinder with a ZipCut disc is so much more effective, followed by a trip against the bench grinder and some spray paint. You need to remove the pin (gold thing in the pic) and thread the upside down "U" shaped swivel connector to take the locknut off. Not sure of it would be required with the stock rear master cylinder or not. As I mentioned in my post, I had an F4i rear master due to my brake delinking, and the pushrod was WAY longer than the VFR one. I shortened it, but left it a tad long "just in case". Can always go shorter, but mighty tough to lengthen! So, you MIGHT get away with just removing the locknut, if you run out of adjustment on the black swivel piece (meaning the threaded rod contacts the bottom of the upside-down "U" shaped swivel piece) than you might have to shorten the pushrod. You might have enough adjustment on the barrel of the brake light switch, you can thread the plastic adjuster wheel to make/break where the light comes on when you depress the pedal, so by doing that, maybe you can get the brake light to work. You'll have to look at it all once it's installed and figure out from there which way you need to go. Thanks for responding so quickly! Don't have an angle grinder, so I'll see what I can use to cut the tang off.

Hey, What did you use to remove the sidestand "tang?" Would a dremel work? Also, how did you remove the locknut from the brake rod, and is it necessary to shorten the brake rod if I have the stock master cylinder installed? In your opinion, would it be necessary to mess with (stretch) the brake light and brake lever springs if I eliminate the locknut and set the lever a bit lower to accomodate the lowering pegs? Thanks!

Hi Jamie, In a nutshell, normal riding feels exactly the same as before. If anything, compared to stock, throttle response is crisper, starting out is easier, and the engine feels smoother, but it is still a VFR800. Now, there is no doubt that you have more power available to you at all points in the powerband, but in general, if you are at very low rpms (2500-3500), you will not feel much of a difference over stock as the Rotrex is only pushing ~1psi. In most situations it has always felt to me like the bike is a gear (or two) lower than it would be stock. If you have a steeper gear ratio, the change will be even more noticeable. The power really starts to build around 5000rpm, with serious steam coming around 7-8000. From there on up, there is absolutely no resemblance to a stock VFR, as depending on the ride height and gearing, the front end becomes very light (with stock ride height and a -1/+2 gearing setup, I've had the bike wheelie in 5th-gear, but now with a lowered front end and stock gearing, it stays much more planted). The bike will pull to redline with absolute authority, as the power never stops increasing -- if you hardly ever reached the redline before, you will once you add this kit. To give you an idea of the power, the bike will wheelie on command from any rpm in the first two gears with the stock gearing, and can easily power wheelie in 3rd & 4th. However, due to the nature of the supercharger, the power is still actually controllable, and you don't have to worry about a sudden boost spike coming out of a turn. 160whp is still 160whp, though, so you need to treat it with respect, and you can have some tense moments if you're not careful. I have not ridden a Blackbird, but I can compare the powerband to a GSXR1000 & ZX10R. Basically, if it's low rpm torque you're looking for, this kit is not the answer. The bike is only 781ccs, and with low boost output at low rpms, this engine is not transformed into a 1200cc monster. Compared to the literbikes, around town I feel the VFR is actually a bit quicker due to the tranny gearing, but once you get in 3rd & 4th gear (and up), the greater torque of the 1000s (and their smooth firing 180° crank layout) provide a vibe-free, stronger pull from low rpms. If you really want to experience greater torque, changing the final gearing does wonders, but no matter what, 781ccs cannot compete with 1000-1300ccs in the torque department down low. However, if you're used to the VFR powerband, and are looking for more power, this kit does give you more oomph at all rpms, with an insane amount coming from midrange on up. It makes a great bike even better, and really puts on smile on your face when you crank on the throttle. Hope that helps. Toro, Thanks for the detailed response; you painted a good picture. Yes, it helps a lot.

Hey Toro, Would you please describe how the supercharged VFR feels compared to the non-supercharged motor? I know that asking you to describe a feeling can be very subjective, but as a 5th gen owner, I hope you'll be able to make the comparison. I'm wondering how the added HP and torque are felt by the rider. Does it feel comparable to the power delivery of a blackbird? Or is it only really noticeable at higher revs? Does the torque feel greater at the lower revs? Thanks.

Recently installed a Daugherty rebuilt shock (a stock 5th gen shock with a 1050#/in spring and gold valving), and I must say that I am very happy with the results. I had my front-end race teched a while back (.90 springs and gold valves) and the back-end was lacking. After a 200 mile ride today, my back has been transformed. It keeps the line well, and I felt confident all day. When I set up the rear suspension sag, I got a rider sag of 31mm and a free sag of 9mm with three turns of the preload adjuster (from all the way out) with 3/4 full tank of gas. I may lower the preload to see how it feels, but for now, I'm pleased. By the way, I weigh 185 lbs., but when I ordered the shock to be rebuilt by Jamie, I weighed 173-ish. Based on the desired sag numbers, I'm thinking that a 1050#/in spring is good for weights between 170-190 lbs. +/- 5 lbs.