MBrane

Yup just moved the stock LP light up next to the taillight, and trimmed the fender even with the bottom of the plate. Cheap, and easy. I call it a "Fender Abbreviation".

I never clean my chains unless I need to handle 'em for some reason. Cleaning means wiping with a WD40 soaked rag to remove the outer grime. I run 'em on the loose side. They get lubed warm with Chain Saver every 300 mi or so roughly every other fuel stop. I replace 'em all when I can see hooking on the sprocket teeth combined with stiff links, and increased vibes/noise. Last one had nearly 40K on it. Minimal wear on the master link pins so it probably could have gone longer, but for $300 why risk it?

I just made a simple adapter out of some 1/2' x 1/8" flat stock, and some spacers. An added advantage is getting it away from the hot subframe. I even added a little axial fan. Probably not needed, but it can't hurt. It's not that difficult if you have a hacksaw, and a drill.

My 2 girls have different feel despite having identical specs. When I worked for a trucking company we once got 4 identical spec new trucks, and they all drove/shifted a little different. It's the nature of mechanical things I think. Just like guitars/amps, tools etc. Variances in tolerances.

Congrats dude I thought really hard about snagging that kit, but just couldn't justify the expense at the present. Too many other high dollar projects. Enjoy, and definitely keep us updated.

I have a pair somewhere (don't ask me to find them LOL) that I took off one of my bikes because they made my ass hurt. They are pretty simple just a machined L-shaped block that moves the peg down, and back about 1".

Interesting. I never saw the value in aftermarket levers, but then I have large hands. I do prefer thicker grips as the stock/thinner ones tend to give me hand cramps on long trips.

Haven't had any issues with debris into the L radiator, but haven't ridden on many dirt roads since the swap.

Those look great!

Too bad good used RC51 front ends are no longer plentiful. I've considered doing a front end swap for my day ride/track day bike, but then I'm not trying to shave tenths of a second off my lap times just trying to have fun.

Hi MBrane, Thank you for your donation of 100.00 USD. We look forward to improving the forums with your donation. Thanks VFRDiscussion

For 5 gallons of rust removal solution add 2000 grams citric acid, 1300 grams baking soda, and a dash of Dawn dish soap to distilled or soft water. Soak for 12-24 hrs. It'll remove the rust, and leave the paint. Add the baking soda SLOWLY or it will foam like crazy.

Unless you wanna do a brake swap i.e. eliminate the DCBS getting rid of the the stock lines is probably the best upgrade you can do bang for buck. I rebuilt my calipers when I did the lines so it was a big improvement. Yeah the initial bleeding is time consuming, but not difficult. Just be prepared to do it right. Vacuum tool, hoses, proper line wrenches, plenty of containers etc. FYI I freakin hate brake fluid even more than coolant or gear oil. Yuk.

Blackbird is kinda heavy for a track bike. Good on you for muscling it around! Bleeding DCBS just takes proper tools, and patience. An assistant helps, but I've done it myself more than once. Creative use of broomsticks.

For 2002 you may be lucky to get gaskets at all. I know 98-01 parts are getting scarce. Cam cover gaskets are re-useable if you treat them kindly.

Was a Michelin man for a long time. PP/PR2 combo on the 5G was hard to beat for overall performance per $. Then they quit making PR2s, and prices started creeping up. Last year when my commute mileage doubled, and changed to mostly straight roads due to a closure I found a deal on a set of Roadsmart 2s for commuter girl. Pretty impressed with the wear vs grip ratio. They are stiffer, and slower handling. It's not a huge difference, but noticeable. Dropping the pressure a few PSI helps.

Nice work! Personalizing bikes is they way to go. That said I'm one of those weirdos that actually likes the DCBS. It works awesome if you know how to work it. Ridden many a wet dirt road, and track days. Never a problem. The PAIR removal for me was strictly for ease of maintenance. That & the evap BS is just needless complexity, and weight. I know some would say the same about the DCBS. You do you. I have 2 '99s. The 49 stater is my commuter/touring bike with the Corbin bags, heated grips, radar detector. yada yada. The other is a CA spec bike with no center stand (I cut/ground the bosses off the cushion) no passenger pegs, Lithium battery, high mount TI exhaust etc. It's 50lbs lighter. It can hang in the upper 3rd of B group at a track day, and I'm good with that. I had a '94 4G for a while. Great bike. If I had more garage space I would have kept Grandma. A bit cosmetically challenged she had nearly 140K on her when I sold her, and still goin strong.

Likely the cowl stay is bent too if it hit hard enough to break the cowl. That will make it frustrating to reinstall the bodywork, and they are not easy to straighten.

Check your pedal adjustment to be certain the master piston is retracting fully. If that's OK next check the front caliper pistons. If they are sticking it's likely rebuild time.

Good job! Thanks for sharing.

98 was my first. Put about 70K on it before it developed a coolant loss issue. I suspect a cracked head as the temp had gotten into the 240 range on several occasions. I would have kept it for parts, but gave it to a friend who actually has room to store spare bikes. I could probably talk him out of it if I tried. I now have 2 '99s. One a CA model that is setup for day rides/track days, and a 48 state model that is setup for commuting/touring.

Not familiar with the ABS on the 1200F. Only bikes I've had with it are GTS1000, and R1150RT. They can be a bitch to bleed properly. I believe there is a copy of the service manual in the downloads section.

If "copper slip" is petroleum based it was a bad idea to put it on the pistons. It will probably damage the seals though they could be damaged already from wear. Piston seals are like O-rings only flat & square. They become more trapezoidal with wear which causes the piston to stick. Do the pistons compress relatively easy or do they require a lot of force?

i have nearly 2 complete sets of 98-99 bodywork in the garage attic. Most of it at least needs to be repainted. If I was looking for bodywork I would almost prefer to buy scratched stuff, and have it paint matched locally since even factory panels on these bikes often don't match.

I'm 6' as well, and with the stock screen I was looking at the front of it! Way too low, and curved. The issue I had with the ZG Double Bubble was the weird vortex it created in front of my neck that would shove bugs up into my helmet. The ZG ST screen works much better. As an experiment I cut the DB screen down even with the bodywork. No more vortex, and more airflow into my jacket for summer. Never tried a Givi, but I suspect it cause buffeting due to the height, and lip. I'm a Shoei guy, and they like to be in clear airflow. It can be a challenge to find an aftermarket screen for a 20+ year old bike.