GearWhyne

I was going to do a one thousand mile impression post of the eight gen. compared to others I've owned so this is as good a place to do it as any. Keep in mind, most of it is opinion. BTW, my opinions are almost always right....LOL......

Background, I've owned a 5th gen., 6th gen., and now an 8th gen. among other bikes, one definitely faster than VFR's.

I did not like the downright dangerous front stock suspension of the 5th gen. Few people ever experienced what it is capable of doing to you but let it suffice there is a very good reason the sixth gen. has one millimeter larger diameter front forks. They can save your life. I had a likely near death experience with my fifth gen. when I put it in a "just right" cornering position that twisted the front forks on dry pavement. It's a complicated phenomena that gets a bit hairy to say the least but I never trusted the bike again after that. Too complicated to go into here. The sound of the gear driven cams never really was an orgasm to me. I did like the very slightly better acceleration over the sixth gen. due to one more tooth on the rear sprocket.

Sixth gen.: I liked it except for the looks compared to either the 5th or eighth gen. The front of the 6th is just ugly to me as are the upper rear mounted exhausts. Other than that, I liked the way it ran. The VTEC engagement never really bothered me nor was mine abrupt. If it came on in the middle of a tight corner, I just never had a problem with it. Like any VFR, it's fast enough for me. If people got their way and it magically turned into a liter engine, they couldn't handle the power so that's no big deal where I ride....in the Appalachians....the most challenging overall riding in the country IMHO. Witness how first timers struggle at TMAC.

Eighth gen.: Mine is "snatchy" on the throttle but that will go away in time as my 6th gen did. I think VFR engines really smooth out over time. Overall looks are much better than the 6th but the 5th is a beauty too. The instrument panel is an abortion. Time will tell if an oil change and maintenance is easier to deal with considering the new body work. I like the smaller front fender but not the forward sloping gas tank. I used to be a tank hugger in the twisties. The stock muffler is titanic in size but mine will likely stay stock as I don't see the point in loud "billy bad ass" mufflers. It's hard to get meaningful more power out of a VFR. The power curve is definitely different in the 8th as is the VTEC engagement. VTEC engagement never really bothered me on the 6th even in curves so no big deal to me. The 8th just isn't like a part of my body yet and that's because I've been totally off of bikes for 5 years. I'm also not in as good physical shape but that's temporary. Riding a VFR quick in the Appalachians takes more physical effort than some people know. I live in the Appalachians so that will take care of itself. I really don't care if I get back up to my "quickness" level or not because I was burning through good rear tires in 2000 miles and less at times. That's getting on the dark side with a VFR to me. So, to answer the OP's question, I think the 8th will end up being an overall significant improvement in spite of a few faults. Oh, if those that want a liter engine got them, they would likely not last long anyway. How fast do you want to go in the twisties? My experience with significantly more hp in the Appalachians doesn't necessarily translate into faster asphalt speed for the vast majority of riders. Bailyrock being the exception of course. He can outrun most of us on a scooter......

You're taking the piss, right..?

You should have taken the other mirror off and got some bar-ends.

You could've added a second engine for less than that.

Yep, especially if you happen to be in the U.K.

Four cams do sting a bit with getting work done.

I wonder if you could electroplate the cam lobe faces to get more lift and maintain the stock profile?

Evidently this German mob still still over a "Stage 1" cam reprofile for 3rd and 4th Gen, but nothing for earlier or later models.

A bit of a change from the usual story of later models getting most of the goodies these days.

http://www.gw-racing-parts.de/index2.php?view=nocken&HID=15&lan=en

Almost at the bottom of the list.

250 degrees and 9mm lift quoted for both inlet and exhaust with no specific mention of needing different springs than stock. Possibly a fair indication of a safe amout of extra lift for otherwise stock harware. 5th Gen was enough of a redesign that what might be doable along similar lines might be more of a guess, but the above numbers might be something to take onboard.

I'm more interested in just some extra lift without otherwise altering overlap any more than necessary, though the increased duration might just be maintaining the same lobe profile with that greater lift. I wouldn't want to move the curve to higher RPM with the smaller inlets/header diameters on the 4G compared to the 3G, although it's for both models. It does say more top end, but whether the extra lift gives any net gain down low is the question.

Unless I'm missing something else, more charge/higher pressure making for faster flame propogation might mean leaving the ignition advance stock would be the way to go for a daily road rider.

585 (Euro, I'll assume) doesn't sound bad, depending on freight and how it exhanges with one's own currency at any given time.

I wonder why they don't do the 5th Gen?

*Edited to add link for pricier tuning packages, like headwork and such - http://www.gw-racing-parts.de/index2.php?view=tuning&HID=15&type=VFR%20750%20RC36&von=1990&bis=1997&lan=en

There were aftermarket cam reworkings for the 1st Gen that at least a couple of guys I knew put in at the time, but I never knew the name of the company. I rode one and there was a nice extra surge as the revs climbed. An unscientific performance evaluation over a quarter-mile had the VFR just hanging close behind a VF1000F by the end of the run, before The Plod showed up and enquired what the VFR went like.

Given the stock header and carb/intake layout, especially the downsizing on the 4G and mild tune, I've wondered if a sensible bit of extra lift could be an ideal mod, and easy enough for most companies, even if not ones that are bike-inclined.

I'm sure there are threads I found here a couple of years back about some owners sending away sets to get redone. With an aftermarket slip-on, possibly even just the inlet cams would do.

But the ignition advance on the 4G seems like something no one really found a mod for, as far a hunt around online some time back could find.

A bit of advance and a bit of extra lift sound like about all that would be worth doing unless you want to get a fair bit more serious and spendy. Aside from gearing, of course.

Has anyone had cams redone at the standard timing, but with a bit of extra lift?

It was a neat and cheap mod on a 4 cyl car I had years ago and gave a nice bit of extra shove everywhere.

I also searched a lot a couple of years back for anything done with playing with the ignition advance (on the 4th Gen), but didn't find much at all. On decent fuel I can imagine there being some easy gain there if there's a part or method to do it that isn't costly or a hassle. I probably didn't look at Power Commander type stuff that people use on the 5th Gen and up, so maybe that's already catered for in some way, but I remember back around '97 that a guy I knew had changed a part with something aftermarket on his GSX-R750 that moved the spark enough to help make his Suzuki howl more like a World Supers ZX-7R.

Ditch the single swingarm to save weight/cost, because almost no one else cares, or keep it on the a premium model.

You shut your blasphemous mouth!

Jehovah...

Sod the race replicas. Race the Vees and make the homologation and hand-made bikes by all means, but make the road bikes most people actually want, and bring the V4 layout and all its benefits to a wider market, instead of just the buyers that are already on one and often feel no great need to upgrade because the ones we have last so well, work so well, and often want the mythical 1000 version, as would many non VFR-curious rider that don't feel much compelled to look at either the current 800 or 1200.

360 degree crank, 90 degree Vee angle, dual shorter pipes (one each side), a grunt-everywhere 130-150hp at the wheel across naked, half-faired and full-faired models. No heavier than the current model, at the most, if not lighter in the case of half-faired and naked versions. Ditch the single swingarm to save weight/cost, because almost no one else cares, or keep it on the a premium model.

Isn't the VTR1000F fork lowers with modded internals to suit also one of the simpler swaps for the better brakes while you're sorting the springs/damping?

Also there was a VTR fork brace that was supposed to fit, which I recall seeing somewhere around here.

What is the purpose of the beak? Is it just a styling cue to scream,"I'm an adventure bike" or does it serve an off road function?

It's possible that besides the obvious styling cue, it may well provide some downforce on the front end out on the open road.

In fact, looking ot the overall front end design there's certainly some of that going on, and it's pretty much a given that Honda clocked up some hours in a wind tunnel.

http://archive.org/web/

^ Yep that's Holden Hot House Green. Terrific colour (and I'm a Ford man).

The Calypso Green that was on the (Australian) Ford XA and (I think) only a later model Cortina was a great colour. The metallic green on the XB and later models was different - a lighter shade and less depth, as I recall.

The Calypso Green was darkish, but almost glowed different shades under low light conditions as well as having a somewhat classy gradation with viewing angle, possibly due to it being made up of (among other things) two different metal flakes, plus black and gold.

The green on the first 2008 Street Triple was quite a bit lighter, but has a similar rich hint of gold glow with different light and angle.

The green Ford XA I once owned was a really nice green that wasn't garish and often drew the comment "I don't usually like green...".

It seems there's a green of the same name on some later U.S. Fords, but it's very different.

Also, I see there's a die cast model of the Ford XA GT in Calypso, which allowing for photography and PC monitor viewing, does look pretty much like I remember it. Flatter on screen, as you'd expect, but you can see some hint of the nuance I liked so much about it (and the tinge from the gold) in the second photo - http://motorfocus.com.au/product.php?productid=4153&cat=75&page=1

Because of how much it changes with the ambient light, other images that show up in a search come up looking quite different, but I'd say the depiction in the link above is pretty much as on the money as a digital image can be by the time it digitises, crunches, unpacks, then radiates out of whatever monitor you might be viewing.

Consider the Two Bros P1 tip as well. 3-4dB off compared to 7-8 for the P1-X above.

I fitted the P1 to mine (a recent TB oval carbon pipe on a 4th gen) and I find it's just right. It more or less trimmed off the blatty edge that the pipe had a bit much of for my liking when trundling around town - also sort of smoothing it somewhat, but without actually unduly stifling it.

It still barks nicely at higher rpm too.

For gawd's sake, don't start a discussion about this at the AVS forum or we'll end up with someone selling THX-certified airboxes.

The calender will probably become more labour intensive.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/08/10/article-2186619-147B3FFC000005DC-972_964x1141.jpg

Possibly some Helmholtz Resonance wrangling, like snorkels and flappers also play a part in.

It might be part of the seamless gearbox setup. Whatever the case, it appears to have both pneumatic and hydraulic connectors as well as a swich or actuator to the far right..

But what about the added gyroscopic effect..?

Well what declaration would be complete without a fart??

"I now pronounce you man and Wife..." comes to mind.

I misread the thread title as "Declaration..."

I don't think Rupert Paul knows the difference between those fries and a motorcycle.

Is he a celebrity chief or something? Sure doesn't know a thing about bikes based on his read.

If you look at the photos again you might notice that he isn't looking through rose-tinted glasses.

So... 4th Gen with 5th Gen motor (with sorted EFI) and 6th Gen Forks and headlights...

So you reckon gear-driven cams weren't made for functional reasons?

Reading up a bit might help.