Solomoto

Been a long time since my last visit here, haven't been too active in riding the past few years so it's time to sell the VFR. See here for the post.

Why deviate from OEM pads to start with? Honda (and most other OEM's) engineers their stuff to work and fit right; it may not always be the most premium material nor highest performance due to practical costs but is appropriate for the application, and tested to the nth degree because the manufacturer's reputation and liability is on the line. The after market is usually just generic parts shoehorned to fit a particular bike without careful system considerations or testing. Brake pads and exhaust systems are perfect examples of this. The after market is also use at your own risk, they don't have any legal obligation to design and test to any particular engineering or safety regulations. I recall a couple years ago Recalcitrance on this site used an after market ride height adjuster for the rear suspension; after some miles the threaded link stripped out and dropped the back end of her bike onto the tire while riding on the freeway. She managed to get to bike off the freeway but that easily could have been a deadly failure. I doubt the vendor ever did any bona fide engineering and testing to ensure such a failure never occurred. Many after market vendors are fabricators, not engineers who perform rigorous analysis and design safety in their products. Almost anyone can fabricate, but few can engineer. Caveat emptor.

I recently had my bike serviced (under extended warranty) for an issue with blinking ABS and DCT clutch grabby-ness from a stop. After diagnostics, it was learned that the battery was worn after 4 years and couldn't maintain sufficient voltage at low rpm's. At first I was dubious that a simple battery change would make much difference given the complexity of the DCT system, but such a system is highly dependent on the electronically controlled actuators. Changing the battery made a huge difference and essentially resolved the problems. Since your bike is a 2010, you may need to change the battery regardless, the low miles suggests the battery probably sat for long periods and may be sulfated as a result.

This is true. A few months ago, my ABS light started to blink for 10sec after starting, then held steady as it should before moving. Along with the blinking ABS, my clutch engagement (DCT) was jerky for the initial engagement after starting the engine but then normal thereafter. Last month, this was diagnosed as a worn battery which would not hold proper charge nor maintain steady voltage. This made sense since my original battery was 4 years old. Once the battery was replaced, the ABS and DCT symptoms went away.

Hi fotodaddy, While it is encouraging to hear from Honda about your dilemma, it is not good practice to post all of your direct communication on this or any forum. It can potentially sour any goodwill between you and the other party. Transactions of goodwill should be kept private lest it jeopardize future instances of goodwill. If Honda or any mfgr of goods sees its actions broadcast like this, it will be less inclined to do so in the future simply because it establishes the perception that this is now legal obligation for any such instance when in fact they are acting beyond their legal obligation. Furthermore, from a cultural perspective, the Japanese and most Asian cultures expect confidentiality in the business dealings. Violating their trust can scuttle the best of intentions. IMHO you would do well to keep a lid on it.

Here is a list of tires for your consideration in a thread I posted last year. It's not a review, just a list of options. I currently use the Metzler Z8's which now have 4K+ miles and perform quite admirably. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/71613-vfr1200-sport-touring-tire-list/

Hi Dobs, I happen to live in San Jose also and I had Rob at Evolution Suspension set up my Penske 8983 and tune my forks. Originally I had 1200 lb/in. on my shock but for me that was too much, I had Rob install the stock VFR spring (1035 lb/in.) and this worked out just right for me. The rule of thumb I've found among tuners is 10mm free sag plus 25-30mm with rider for a total of 35-40mm total static sag. Unlike what a previous poster said, the slope of the spring force vs. displacement function requires 2 data points to determine the spring rate (or slope of the curve) which is why both free sag and static sag are needed to determine the spring rate. For the forks, he adjusted the compression and rebound stack for general road sport riding, and the springs are now linear 1kg/mm vs. the original progressive. For your weight you might need 1.1kg/mm. Also, the stock sag was 48mm (for my weight), the internal preload was adjusted to give 40mm sag. Since this raised the front end ride height by 8mm compared to stock, I raised the fork stanchions by 8mm to restore the original ride height. Once you get the internals tuned, then it's a matter of tuning the external compression and rebound to give the desired ride. Rebound has the most dynamic effect, too much rebound and the ride becomes very harsh but stable, too little rebound and the ride becomes wallowy or floaty with less control. According to basic tuning guideline from Penske, the easiest process is to separate the rebound and compression adjustments. First dial out rebound to minimum and compression to minimum. Find a straight road with moderate bumps and gradually increase compression damping until the initial hit starts to become noticeably sharp, then back off a click or two. The ride will be wallowy or floaty at this point without the rebound damping. Then gradually increase rebound damping until the floatyness stabilizes, too much rebound and you'll notice the ride start to become harsh (almost like too much compression). Next take it out to your favorite sweepers and check for stability, if it still feels wallowy, then dial in more rebound a click at a time. The same idea works for both front and rear. It will take a bit of experimentation to help distinguish the front from the rear response as sometimes what feels like the back end may be caused by the front end or vice versa. Hope this helps. Thanks for the very useful info Solomoto. Do you mind me asking how much you weigh with gear? I weigh about 160 lbs. ready to ride.

Hi Dobs, I happen to live in San Jose also and I had Rob at Evolution Suspension set up my Penske 8983 and tune my forks. Originally I had 1200 lb/in. on my shock but for me that was too much, I had Rob install the stock VFR spring (1035 lb/in.) and this worked out just right for me. The rule of thumb I've found among tuners is 10mm free sag plus 25-30mm with rider for a total of 35-40mm total static sag. Unlike what a previous poster said, the slope of the spring force vs. displacement function requires 2 data points to determine the spring rate (or slope of the curve) which is why both free sag and static sag are needed to determine the spring rate. For the forks, he adjusted the compression and rebound stack for general road sport riding, and the springs are now linear 1kg/mm vs. the original progressive. For your weight you might need 1.1kg/mm. Also, the stock sag was 48mm (for my weight), the internal preload was adjusted to give 40mm sag. Since this raised the front end ride height by 8mm compared to stock, I raised the fork stanchions by 8mm to restore the original ride height. Once you get the internals tuned, then it's a matter of tuning the external compression and rebound to give the desired ride. Rebound has the most dynamic effect, too much rebound and the ride becomes very harsh but stable, too little rebound and the ride becomes wallowy or floaty with less control. According to basic tuning guideline from Penske, the easiest process is to separate the rebound and compression adjustments. First dial out rebound to minimum and compression to minimum. Find a straight road with moderate bumps and gradually increase compression damping until the initial hit starts to become noticeably sharp, then back off a click or two. The ride will be wallowy or floaty at this point without the rebound damping. Then gradually increase rebound damping until the floatyness stabilizes, too much rebound and you'll notice the ride start to become harsh (almost like too much compression). Next take it out to your favorite sweepers and check for stability, if it still feels wallowy, then dial in more rebound a click at a time. The same idea works for both front and rear. It will take a bit of experimentation to help distinguish the front from the rear response as sometimes what feels like the back end may be caused by the front end or vice versa. Hope this helps.

Instead of listening to second hand word of mouth, try it out for yourself before you write it off. Believing everything you read from a forum like this is akin to getting marriage counseling from your in-laws.

My bike originally had moderate surging at low rpms. After I had the 18K service, the bike suddenly began running almost as smoothly as a table top. The difference was so dramatic I asked if the mechanic had updated the ECU with a new flash image. Nope. All they did was disconnect the battery which was needed to do all the servicing. Apparently this resets or recalibrates certain settings in the EFI module. It has continued to remain as smooth as ever, now with 30K miles. I suggest doing the same as a cheap experiement, it just might eliminate all the aftermarket bandaids.

I just noticed that you were in the driveway of the Kiva Koffehouse along Hwy 12 in the Grand Staircase. I too stopped tbere on my recent trip but unfortunately it was on a Tuesday their only closure of the week. Did you happen to go inside? A very unique establishment built by a man with a taste for artistry. I wish I could have gone inside. Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

Fantastic trip and photos! I recently (May) did a 2 week trip thru AZ, UT, CO, and NM from CA. I too stopped in the same spot as you did by Monument Valley on Hwy 163. Did you know that spot is a famous bit of movie trivia? That is the exact spot where Forrest Gump stops running and says "I'm pretty tired, I think I'll go home now" and turns around and walks down the hill.

I too attach the bars at the top of the fork tubes to elevate them, but this comes with caveat: if the clamps happens to be under clamped but still tight enough to hold them in place in normal riding, one grip potentially could suddenly swing forward under heavy breaking load. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the aftermath of such an occurrence. I was at the Laguna Seca Corkscrew for WSBK some years ago when Doug Chandler lost his right grip (it broke off but same principle) under heaving braking, he went over the bars and his bike torpedoed Akira Yanagawa as he was turning into the corner. Very bad crash for both but especially for Yanagawa. I've been contemplating having a custom spacer fabricated to prevent such a rotation but as it is I have to periodically check to ensure the bolts are tight.

Have fun, I did a 3500 mile solo trip in May thru UT, CO, NM, AZ from CA on my DCT. Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

Here's an alternate perspective or theory on the power restriction in 1st and 2nd: The degree to which the actual throttle is restricted (and therefore HP output) below 5K rpm is a function of the rate at which the grip throttle is opened. I make the distinction between actual and grip throttle because of the VFR's throttle by wire. The tendency to spin up the rear wheel is partly a function of the time rate of change at which HP is delivered to the wheel, e.g. if a 30 HP change is delivered over a 1 second interval, the tire contact patch endures much greater acceleration forces than the same 30 HP change applied over say a 3 second interval. Obviously a lessor acceleration force will help prevent traction loss which is the assumed purpose of the flat spot. Most dyno runs are made with the grip throttle whacked open at low rpm's and held until redline is reached. Doing this in 1st or 2nd gear triggers the drop out in power. I would be very curious to know if the flat spot is reduced or eliminated outright if the grip throttle is rolled on gradually. My seat of the pants experience seems to confirm this. When I do a gradual roll-on instead of a ham fisted opening, the flat spot feels absent and acceleration is linear. But in the same situation with a ham fisted opening, the engine deliberately falls flat until the magic 5K rpm. I've found that managing the throttle in this manner almost makes the flat spot a non-issue for me. Try it and see if it works for you.