fotodadi

WOW!!! I am just seeinf this.... I am so sorry about your experience. I really do not remember having any problem splitting the engine like I did without any special tools. I do remember that I had some difficulty around the drive out of the gear box.

So how is it with you?

Finally she is up!!!

FEAR ME (2010 model) meets ROLE MODEL (2013 model)

ISo now you have TWO of them, since you had bought a replacement bike already, what are you going to do?

Have a friend who is just waiting for it to be assembled to take it off me.

What can I say!

A picture is worth a thousand words.

In this case....several! Honda came through for me BIG TIME!

Hmmmmm...what do we have here!

Hmmmm....a HONDA Van!

Ahhh....A Box

Looks like an engine.....could it be?

Ohhh yes.....a brand spanking new HONDA VFR1200FD Engine!

Getting reday for heart "transplant"

In progress.....

More progress!!!

End of day 1.

Hmmmmm!

What I can say is that it is not very easy to process imports into Nigeria. What with all the documentation that one has to do.....especially if such an item has never been imported before.

I am loving HONDA

I have received quite a few emails and phone calls. All seem to be pointing to a happy ending for this story.

When it happens, I will share with all.

Maybe you'll get ten 125's?

Ha ha ha!

Now that's really funny!!!

Update.

In the last 2 weeks, Honda have surprised me further with the care and concern they have shown.

I even got a visit from reps from the local assembly plant (assembling 125s and petrol generators) who took pictures and asked questions and stuff.

Good news soon?

We will see.

This is actually what has me very very concerned......."Why did this happen?".

I have observed that there was no discoloration on the crankshaft, con-rod or metal bearings. This leads me to the conclusion that the failure was unlikely to have been caused by a lack of lubrication. If there was lack of sufficient oil flow, there would have also been local overheating so that the metal would have been discolored.

Right now, I have sent the pictures and the video on a CD by courier to Honda Japan. I am hoping that someone will take an interest and perhaps eventually, I will get all the parts for free? At the time I decide to rebuild, I will be stripping the engine and cleaning thoroughly, all the oil channels.

Before that I welcome suggestions and ideas on possible angles as to the cause.

Looks Like I have a long battle ahead of me.

Below is Honda UK/EU's reply and my email.

Dear Mr Kanu

Thank you for your recent e-mail into our offices regarding your Honda VFR1200. I am sorry to hear of the recent problem that you have experienced with your Honda VFR1200.

Honda (UK) provide a warranty of 3 years from date of first registration on this motorcycle and it is with regret that you experienced this problem. The 3 year warranty is valid whilst the motorcycle is within the UK or EU and it would appear that the motorcycle is now used in Nigeria. Therefore, any warranty on the motorcycle is no longer in place.

With regards to a recall on this motorcycle, there are no recalls showing on this motorcycle as being outstanding therefore it is unclear which recall you feel is outstanding. At this stage, whilst sympathetic to your case, I am sorry to have to advise that Honda (UK) are unable to assist with this matter further.

Honda (UK) values all of the feedback that we receive into our offices as information of this type is used to improve the range of products and services that we provide to our customers and it is with regret that on this occasion your personal expectations have not been met.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards,
Sarah



Customer Relations - Cars
Customer & Aftersales
Honda (UK)

Telephone: 0845 200 8000




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"Ogbonnaya Kanu" ---08/03/2013 13:52:26---Hello CS, Following my call earlier today, kindly find pictures of the engine damage

From: "Ogbonnaya Kanu" <ogbonnaya@seindeo.com>
To: <customer.servicecars@honda-eu.com>,
Date: 08/03/2013 13:52
Subject: Case Ref 934264
Sent by: Ogbonnaya Kanu <oekanu@gmail.com>

Hello CS,

Following my call earlier today, kindly find pictures of the engine damage to my VFR1200FD along with a link to the video of the engine (and its operation) prior to disassembly. http://s856.beta.photobucket.com/user/fotodadi/media/VFR1200FDGeargoingbad.mp4.html?sort=3&o=0

<<...>> <<...>> <<...>> <<...>> <<...>>

As I have mentioned earlier, I would like to order a new VFR1200FD, 2013 model in Black and receive a new engine to replace this failed one.

I do look forward to your speedy resolution of this problem.

Best Regards

Ogbonnaya Kanu

Interesting...the bulletin says the DCT version is not affected. Although my VIN is in the range....001235.

BTW...made a video before I opened her up.....its not the best of videos but its here

Thanks for the support guys!

Several constraints I have.....I am Nigeria in Africa.....bike was bought from a dealer in the UK.

Apparently, my warranty is only valid in the EU zone.

However, my dealer, Doble in the UK, has promised to see what can be done so I am hoping for the best. I dont even want to think of having to rebuild that V4 lump.

It is with a heavy heart that I inform us all of the worst.

I have a damaged crack-shaft.

Piston 1 appears to have lost its bearings somewhere along the line and the pictures say the rest.

Still trying to upload the video...we will see how that goes.

So the pictures say the story.....for now.

Fillings in the sump. Strange because I have only every serviced the bike with genuine Honda filters and I use the synthetic oil recommended by the shop I bought the bike from (I actually bought 6 4-liter cans along with the bike). My service interval is 5000km and I always change both the oil and the DCT filter.

What could have gone wrong???

Sunday 03.03

So...there I was....on my return trip from a Biker Event about 1000km from home.

About 200km to go I start feeling a very very slight vibration through my handle bars.

I stop my music and start paying some more attention to what's happening to the bike. I listen but can't really hear anything.....I am doing about 150km/hr. Slow down some and the vibrations increase.....I can also hear a strange sound. My first thought are of my front wheel bearings.

So I slow down some more and come to a stop to have a closer look at the front wheel. Strange thing happens as I come to a stop..the bike goes off. Oh well, what to do. I get off, put the bike up on the centre stand and have a look/feel of the front wheel. All appears ok. So I start the bike again and the knocking/crashing/grinding sound that greets me causes my heart to sink.

I am not going anywhere now....well at least, not on the VFR.

Hire a minivan and load her up. About 2 hours later I am home and she is standing on the driveway. I can't bear to listen to her again so I go in and call it a day! But as I go to sleep, I am filled with thoughts of having to purchase a new engine! Sleep doesn't come easy!

Monday 03.04

Get to her and start a visual check.

Oil level? Check

Water level? Check

Electricals or DTC? All good

So I start her up again.

The noise is terrible...but I listen on and I am pleasantly surprised to hear that the sound appears to be coming from the rear of the engine/gearbox assembly. perhaps the engine is OK and its just a shaft or bearing in the gear box? I engage first and the response is normal and as would be expected.

So dissassembly starts! I figure that I might be able to do some investigation from the sides. Taking the clutch cover doesn't reveal much....and I realize I have no choice that to take the engine out of the frame and open her up.

As the day end I ponder on what might be wrong. Starting from what I know

1. noise comes with the engine running

2. gear selection appears to be "normal"

3. noise appears to be coming from the rear of the engine/gearbox assembly.

I figure that its either the countershaft or the main shaft thats screwed up.

Tomorrow, I will share what I found.

Uploading the video with her running this morning. Will share the link when the upload is ready.

Has anyone had any experience with the DCT like this or similar?

Wicked!!!

How does she steer?

On the ABS modulator is a signal available VSP out. VSP goes to indicator panel and to the ecu.

Interfere in the wire to the ECU. Make a frequency compartor If VSP > 250 km/h then set frequency to ecu at 250 km/h [hz]. Pb me for the calculations.

Sent you a PM already! Thanks.

For the DCT the only mod possible is the speed derestriction mod. I you tell the ecu that the speed is 250 km/h while riding faster there is no error generated.

I am no Honda technichan but an electrical engineer.

Great!

The problem I see is that the ECU also uses the speed to determine gear change. The challenge will be to build some circuit that will allow the speed signal to get to the ECU at lower speeds (so that gear changes can occur) and cut the signal at high speeds so that the restriction is lifted (since the bike would already be in high gear). A "high speed" switch might do the trick but right now I can even find the wire (still looking for the wiring diagram)

An alternative will be to switch to manual mode when this switch is flipped. In manual mode, the ECU doesn't need to know the speed (since rider is changing gears himself)........but then another problem, ho do you prevent the engine from stalling? OR not. Since there is no speed, ECU might not engage next gear change (even though you gave the signal from the paddle).

So many unknowns!!!

Search continues!

Sadly, nothing for the DCT :sad:

Got this from another site. The author is a Honda Mechanic.

"the thing is like this...

you wont derestrict it as it is not restricted in anyway. The clutches are programed to ingage softly at a rate that the gear change is hapening much quicker than any person can do on a regular gearbox. Meaning that if the 1st and 2nd were restricted the clutch engage rate should be diferent for those two gears...but it isnt ;) .

All together it is a complicated system that you dont want to mess with with any resistor plugs or symilar...

Trust me when i say...leave it alone.

So lets get to the speed limitation...

again it is in the ECU and it is there because bikes cyclistics are not up to the higher speeds than the 250 km/h she is doing now (and Honda dont wants that somebody gets killed at that speed as the bike could be unstable ower 250 km/h).

Alltogether it is a triple secured system and it is impossible to change it without interfering in the ECU (only Honda can do that in the factory, but they wont) and fooling around with some blind plugs or resistor plugs for the wire loom conections will throw a fault light on your dashboard and you will be able to engage the 1st or 2nd gear only (sort of a limp mode to help you get to the nearest Honda service if something goes bad on the trip).

And then you wil need help of course (to get that gearbox back in neutral and get you going again).

Bottom line...dont touch anything on the bike...do not disconect any sensors, cable conectors or unknown switches as it will triger the fault light and it will record the faults in the ECU unit."

I think its safe to say that this applies only to the DCT bike. Means my dream is up in smoke! :angry:

News Flash

Honda dealers worldwide report vadalism to their VFR1200 on the showroom floor.

It appears that cable end are cut to remove a plug.

This mystery baffles Honda HQ.

Investigation continue.....

:laughing6-hehe:

:laughing6-hehe:

So who's been a naughty boy!!! :rolleyes:

I'm installing my HRC swingarm and in the process I had this chance to mock up my belt drive

conversion... biggest hurdle is still a 11mm pitch belt with the correct number of teeth... so it's not

ready yet... but all I can say is I'm shall never rest until it is done... right now just enjoy the

possiblities...

Awesome work.

Some thoughts. If the belt doesnt have the correct number of teeth, then I would assume it would be slack....so why not just get a tensioner like the buell's? I appear to see tons of space above the swing arm where it could be located, if below is not an option.

All the best

Sadly, nothing for the DCT :sad: