Jump to content

Cogswell

Member Contributer
  • Posts

    4,453
  • Joined

  • Days Won

    122

Everything posted by Cogswell

  1. I might add that the recall work can be checked on line yourself using the VIN number. If a Honda dealer checked the bike over they should have run the VIN to confirm that. Other than that, I'm setting out on the same vintage bike for 1,000 miles on Monday. As mentioned above, enjoy.
  2. Great looking trip. Thanks for the photos!
  3. LOL . . . ! Maybe it's like Dyna Beads - pour the cat food in to the tire and while you ride down the road the cat food does the balancing . . .
  4. Post up pics along the way if you can.
  5. I've seen the price difference between Costco and neighboring stations as high as $.70 per gallon, though here it averages between $.25 and $.50 depending upon how rapidly prices are changing. What I save on gas alone more than pays for the membership. I also like that their pumps are always in good condition and can meter out fuel slowly so I can get it filled to the top without spilling. IIRC New Jersey is the only other state besides Oregon that does not allow one to pump their own gas. In OR bikes are allowed to IF the attendant hands you the hose. Beyond the pale stupid - yes. COST is good about it though - they just let bikers go about their business and leave you alone. If you're in your car apparently you are suddenly too stupid to do it yourself . . . I didn't realize that our lawmakers are so smart.
  6. As above, joined the new tire club today. Got Road 2's (love these tires) from a vendor on Amazon. The ones coming off had 7,933 miles on them. They would have gone longer, but a long trip is upcoming and I wanted new rubber. I taught myself to DIY my tire changes, so that makes it go down easier. Plus I don't have to wait for a shop and make multiple trips to drop off / pick up. Filling up at Costco the day prior. For those of you that have not been to a Costco previously - some have enormous capacity - this one can fill 24 cars at a time - 8 lanes each 3 deep. This was in the a.m. so it was still slow. I asked once when an 18 wheel truck was there filling the underground tanks how many of those they get per week - maybe one every few days? The reply floored me - they told me that they get 3 or 4 delivery trucks every day! Installing the front. If you have the right tools, this is not a bad job at all. I've done around 15 sets now for both myself and friends. The block of wood was to keep the tire lever from resting on the rotor. Just after this photo was shot the lever came around the steel bar clockwise to finish it off - it was complete in under a minute. Note the lube on the tire bead - it would be nearly impossible without it. Levering the tire off is just as easy - just use the opposite end of the bar with the removal bit on it. The hardest part for me might be breaking the bead. I have a home-made setup using a 2x4 and some other wood pieces. It works, but it's by no means elegant - but it gets 'er done. Note the car rim underneath - kind of hard to see (there is heater hose around the perimeter so no wheel scratches) to keep the rotor from touching anything. I have not switched to metal stems - probably should - so I change the stems with every set of tires. Just like the tires - they break down with time. Link to the tire lever - I consider it a good investment - very happy with it. (Looks like the price has gone up since I bought mine). https://www.mojotiretools.com/mojoweb.htm Comparison of the rear tire old / new. Not bad at all for that mileage. Note the arrows (added) showing the edge of the harder, center compound. That concept really works. I was very happy with the way these hold up. Baby's got new shoes . . . While I was at it, I have some Colorite paint in the OEM color for the wheels. The rear was showing some chips from use and the front had a scratch, so I sanded and re-shot and cleared them before installing the new tires. The photos don't show it, but it just freshened things up nicely. I'd guess I have around $225 total in the tire lever, Marc Parnes balancer, the car wheel ($5), and miscellaneous items like valve stem tool, a selection of weights and other things. That was probably paid for after the 2nd set of tires. These tires were $220 shipped, so that's my total cost going down the road.
  7. Honda's term for them in "resonator". Maybe they change the tone or loudness of sound emanating from the airbox, or they could have some effect on changing the airflow through it . Goes to show that Honda puts a lot of thought in to those - they're not just there to hold the filter. Great observation by Mohawk about the bike being on the side stand and breather effluent flowing to the downhill side and ending up in that intake tube. Once pointed out it seems to make so much sense out of something that otherwise made no sense!
  8. That one intake butterfly seems very odd. How does its spark plug look compared to the other 3? Even if a localized air filter leak it would seem that it would affect the other 3, though to a lesser extent. Can you start it with the filter out and note whether that one butterfly is moving equally with the other 3 as throttle is applied?
  9. Same here. There's a XX for sale nearby and I'm exercising all my self control to *not* ring the number. We do indeed love pics - both of your 5th gen and 'Bird. Cheers
  10. That I believe is the fresh air intake for the canister - see diagram. You can remove the canister if you wish as long as you block off the vacuum port at the purge control solenoid. That was discussed in this recent thread. https://www.vfrdiscussion.com/index.php?/forums/topic/98889-is-this-needed-anymore/&tab=comments#comment-1127754
  11. Cogswell

    P1000394.JPG

    Love that color combination on a 5th gen - the luggage is a perfect match for the bike - looks great.
  12. Check the 30A fuse next to the battery and while there that the connections to the battery are clean and tight. Also, for grins peel off the right fairing and have a look a the the connector on the stator's 3 yellow wires. I realize you said you had good electrics and it later started - but weird things do happen . . . If you have a multi-meter note what voltage the battery can hold while cranking for around 20 to 30 seconds. I did that with mine a few weeks ago and it maintained 10.8v. And if I read it right, you haven't yet confirmed that you're hearing the fuel pump prime the system when they key is turned on - or is that ok? If it abruptly turns off that sounds more electrical than fuel system related.
  13. God help me if they ever start smog checking bikes - I'd have to backtrack on so many things like this! I'd probably have to get a "rider" bike and relegate the viffer to track duty. I'm sure that I'd have a lot of good company!
  14. That is the purge solenoid for the now-gone vapor canister. The canister stores fuel vapors from the tank, and then the solenoid is actuated electrically and opens and closes using vacuum supplied by the hose to the solenoid to purge the canister of vapor through the intake system. You can safely remove the solenoid - tuck the connector away or zip tie it - the big thing is to then plug the vacuum hose so that you don't have a vacuum leak. If left unplugged you'll have idle issues and possibly lean running. You can trace the hose to its source to remove it and cap the vacuum fitting, or you can also use a ball bearing to plug the hose or cap it as well. As long as air is not passing through it. However you do it, the vacuum issue has to be dealt with when removing the solenoid.
  15. Both Honda and DID (right on the box - with an illustration), specify use of 90w gear oil, on the o-rings and rollers. And yet we still have debates about "what's better or does / does not need lube" - much like motor oil debates. The engineers at the major chain manufacturers spend a lot of time on testing and developing specifications, yet somehow we know better - grease, sprays, whatever are better than what's spec'd. Yes, oil gets messy. I use it though, and my chain cleaning ritual is prior to lubing, to rotate the wheel while holding a rag or paper towel around the chain. A few passes and the chain is spotlessly clean - same for the wheel. I have never once needed to use solvent or a scrub brush on it. Then I use a Zoom Spout to strategically place drops of oil where shown by the manufacturer. I don't over oil it, so I don't have a big mess. Oil takes the dirt away as it flings off - sprays and greases make it stick. Pick one poison or the other - oil to wipe off the wheel and other areas, or have a clean bike and grit stuck to moving parts. Chain maintenance is just part of riding. The best way I know of to avoid it is to get a 7th gen. To each their own. YMMV
  16. I wish I knew where the notion of using di-electric grease on connector pins got started - we see it regularly. Apparently the prefix "di" is not understood. In Greek it can mean "two", and in Latin "apart". Dielectric grease literally means "keep electricity apart from itself grease" If it were renamed that maybe its mususe would be much less. It indeed has its place, but likely nowhere on these bikes is its use called for or of any value. (I will call an exception to that - I use silicone grease on the gaskets of the turn signal and brake bulb sockets, makes it WAY easier to remove them). Use of it on connectors and then not understanding the problems that follow is to me as baffling as if an owner filled up with diesel and then could not understand why they had a no-start. Both gas and diesel are useful, but only when used appropriately. Same with DE grease and Oxgard. Soon after a I got my then new 6th gen, I separated each and every connector, carefully treating each pin with a tiny amount of Oxgard. A recent inspection shows them all remaining in as new condition. YMMV
  17. Generally speaking, IMHO fabrication projects for someone who has not done it before are generally under-estimated - not just in cost, but in difficulty. When you see a nice looking custom piece someone has done, it's because they have a lot of skill and experience. As above, I'm not trying to dissuade or dis-respect you - but body and paint is difficult and is tough to get looking really good - and often takes much longer than anticipated. I find it odd - for decades motorcycle exhausts for the most part came out the side(s) at the rear wheel. A "left exit exhaust" on a 3rd or 4th gen VFR was a very trick look. Then the 6th gen came out with the cans under the seat - following I suppose Ducati's lead - I recall early on the 916 with its twin shotgun cans. Now that's a "dated" look. Ah well - the cycles of fashion I suppose. Actually, if you have Staintune under-seat exhausts for that bike, have you thought about selling it? I'm guessing there would be quite a bit of interest.
  18. Probably b/c they're thinking about other things when "bra" is mentioned . . . Rather than do that, if my plastics were in as new condition, I'd get some Chinese fairings and beat the tar out of those and hang the OEM's in the garage. You might not pay much more for knock-off fairings than for some kind of bra kit.
  19. My vote is for white. Thinking about it the opposite way - has anyone ever seen a 1993 where someone went from white and put dark wheels on it? Newp - never. White wheels on a white bike are where it's at.
  20. I don't think the Prestone will harm the fuel pump gasket, but it will definitely do bad things to your water pimp seal. If it were mine I would drain and flush everything out as best as possible before another ride. That dilute an amount may not be fatal to the pump seal, but a 50/ 50 mix most certainly is, the dilute amount just might take longer. You'll know it when you pull over for a break to discover that your rear tire is covered with coolant. If you're running a Gen 5, note that the water pump is NLA from Honda, so you want to take all precautions to preserve it. I've been using the Honda coolant for their cars. The dye is a slightly different color, but it works great and is a fraction of the cost of what's available at power sports dealers, about $20. If you find your water pump leaking, you'll wish you'd spent the money.
  21. So, every so often there's a forum software change - been through a lot of 'em. I am puzzled this time by the "rank" assigned to everyone. When I first noticed this I was a "newbie 1/14". Then suddenly I find that I'm a "mentor, 12/14". Wow - I sure get promoted fast . . . I guess. Apparently there are 14 "ranks". Anyone know what this means and should I care? The only thing I for sure know about "rankness" is that when I've been on a long ride on a hot day, I'm very "rank". Maybe that's how I'm getting promoted, not sure. Fortunately for the rest of you, the "rank" is not transmissible via the internet, so the rest of you are out of range. Maybe for the next VFR meetup a "rank vaccine" will have been developed and no one need wear a mask to protect oneself from other's "rankness". YMMV . . .
  22. I tried both the Road 3 and Road 4 when they came out. Both scalloped and cupped badly - I ended up with headshake when decelerating at around 35mph. I was told that my steering head bearings were either worn, loose or both. I disliked both sets so much I took them off well before they were worn out. When I went back to Road 2's, the headshake issue disappeared as did the cupping and scalloping of the tread. I have not tried Road 5's, but at double the price, I'll stick with the 2's. I hope Michelin continues making them. The deal on Amazon is simply amazing.
  23. They are 2 rows taller, mite be a tad longer. Not sure that gives em 13% more though. I have no idea what the fitment under a 5th gen fairing would be like. The 6th gen doesn't seem to me to run any cooler than a 5th - so while an upgrade the difference might not be noticeable. As to the O-rings on the cylinder heads water necks, those things become absolutely fossilized. When removed they don't even look like O-rings - just gaskets. I suppose they take more heat than others in the cooling system. Definitely worth replacing while the throttle body is removed.
  24. I am in the process of fitting a new set of Michelin Pilot Road 2s. I have 7,933 miles on the PR2s I'm removing. They're almost to the wear bars. I suppose they could go another 1 to 2 thousand miles but I'm prepping for a long trip and want new rubber. If I commuted on them I'm sure I'd get 10,000 miles from them. They're hard to find, but Amazon has a vendor still importing them - a 120 / 180 set is $220 delivered via Fedex ground. That is a smokin' deal. Road 5s are double the price. Mine have an Oct, 2020 manufacture date. Road 2s have been my favorite tire - even at this mileage they still turn in decent and I've not had them step out or give the impression that they would let me down. Love em.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.