SlideRule

Some of the discrepancy may be due to the Standard US models not coming equipped with a center stand, while the US Deluxe and all Euro models have them fitted. I prefer to set my chain slack on the center stand since it is more consistent. Remember, too loose is better than too tight! -SlideRule

We have the same front calipers as late model CBR 1000 & 600's - although we do have different master cylinders, hoses, etc. The literbike guys seem to like the Brembo RCS19 master cylinders, braided lines and upgraded pads on the stock calipers. No personal experience, just what I've found when looking into the subject myself.

With my 8th gen I routinely get 250+ miles per tank, sometimes on flash, sometimes not. I haven't tried to get 300 miles on a tank, always in too much of a hurry. Keep in mind, I commute on California freeways where its legal to lane split, so very little stop & go. My 6th gens showed 220 miles under similar conditions, with a bigger tank.

I've used the centerstand with a cut 4x4 block of wood on all three of my VFR's. Bike up on centerstand, push down on pillion & slide the support under the headers: Both tires off the ground. Stable enough for tire changes.

Another [partial] data point: my 8th gen feels like it runs cooler than either of my 6th gens I've had prior - the fairings do a good job keeping the heat off the rider. The radiator fan works well, actually cooling the bike and cycling on & off instead of turning on and staying on like the previous gens. Because of this, I don't usually monitor the coolant temp, keeping the display on mpg or external temperature instead.

The 8th Gen quickshifter compresses while upshifting. If you flip the linkage, the upshift would put the quickshifter in tension, so you would lose the functionality. Supposedly liter-class CBR or RC51 rearsets will bolt up to a 6th/8th gen after enlarging the mounting holes a little. You'll have to play with the rod length, but I'm pretty sure 900/929/954 rods are shorter than the RC, which would be more desirable in this situation. Not speaking from experience, just after quite a bit of research since I was in the same boat after getting my VFR years ago. Decided to live with the standard shift pattern on the VFR after getting rid of the track bike.

Sorry, out of town the past few days. No issues with the bike aside from replacing chains, tires, oil & gas on a regular basis. In my opinion these bikes were made for this sort of thing, and a bit more fun than your typical "Commuter" bike. I use my "Bazooka" for carrying full-size plan sets - a 4" tube with strap to sling over my shoulder. I have several different size tailbags to choose from depending on how much I need to carry that day; A bag big enough to hold a helmet should be able to carry a 3-ring binder & hardhat without too much trouble. I have been known to lane-split 50+ miles with a big ol' SWPPP binder balanced on my tank when I forget my big bag!

Yep - I travel between 80 to 200 miles a day for work, depending on jobsite visits, permits or sometimes just "taking the long way home" after clocking out. Fighting thru the Southern California traffic daily, I can't really afford not to take the bike, I would spend too much time stuck in traffic otherwise. I typically average 2,000 miles a month or 24,000 a year. This is my third VFR. My '14 has just under 36,000 miles on it currently.

I replaced the fronts on my 8th gen at a little over thirty thousand miles. One of the four pads was worn nearly to the backing plate, the other three the wear bar was just visible. Replaced with EBC HH purchased from the local Cyclegear who had them in stock. (Benefits of having CBR1000RR calipers - parts availability!) I didn't replace my brakes on my 6th gen the entire time I owned it - sold with 64k on the clock; apparently I ride the new bike a lot more aggressively!! No complaints with the EBC pads; slightly different feel from OEM, no excessive rotor wear, and the bike stops a bit better.

I use a zip tie across the two left/right holes; it securely holds all four panels together. I just clip the zip tie for every oil change and replace it with a new one.

I live nearby, so we deal with similar climates: I've had both a 6th Gen and a Blackbird, both of which were similar in the heat department. I agree with MotoPumps - very little heat from the 8th Gen. Not only does it run significantly cooler than either of my previous bikes, the rider is insulated a bit better from the frame/tank heat with those plastic guards on either side of the tank. Once the fan does turn on, it dumps the heat on your ankles when your feet are down at stoplights. I've been riding mine since late July with no complaints.

Although I only have one bike at the moment, I usually have two. I didn't want to get into the habit of forgetting to turn off my signals whenever I jump on another bike. I guess when the time comes I'll replace the left-hand switch for the same reason - I really don't understand why Honda decided to swap the location of the horn and signals. Everyone gave BMW enough crap over the years that they decided to conform, then Honda changes it up for the sake of "ergonomics"?? Sorry, not for me. I've got a spare gixxer switch assembily that I'll swap the connectors to make "plug & play". It has the turn signals & horn in the right locations, as well as "Flash to Pass" that I rather like. I also want to repurpose the gixxer's built-in hazard switch to function as the TC control so I can get rid of that silly button on the handlebar clamp. Here's a pic of a 2006 GSXR switch:

I was able to pull the pins, but only after fussing with it for fifteen minutes or so with a jeweler's screwdriver. The tool I made to depin connectors didn't seem to be much help in this instance. The weatherproof connector is fairly typical in design, although I haven't seen this particular style before - it seems like a weatherproof version of TS040. After taking the connector apart, lift the tab from the front while pulling the wire from the back and the lead slides right out - but I was having trouble with it for some reason. I spent about fourteen minutes getting the first one out and less than a minute with the second! Heat Shrink or tape the bare ends and tuck them back into the sheathing, put the covers back on the connector and you're ready to go. As long as you don't damage the connector when removing the leads the mod is completely reversible.

I've had a lot of trouble figuring out when the signals cancel and when they flash the full duration; it seems like they have a mind of their own. To me, it just isn't worth the hassle of looking down, checking to see if my blinker is still on, leading up to the turn. Since I feel they aren't working as they should, I finally said "Screw it" and looked into what it would take to disable this "feature". In the pic below (sorry its a bit fuzzy) highlighted in yellow is our "Magic Blinker Box" behind the right-hand headlight. I figured if I disconnect the wheel speed feeds, the system would think its stationary all the time, letting the flashing go indefinitely until you manually shut it off. The two wires you're looking for are the Pink/Green and Pink/Blue which are fed to the relay thru the connector highlighted in green. I pulled the pins from the back, but the weatherproof connector was a pain to work with; I'm sure it would work just the same if you clipped the wires. The inset in the bottom-right corner shows the location of those two wires when looking at the end of the connector, clip facing up. Double-check the colors & location before doing anything permanent! After making sure all the bare ends were shrink-wrapped and/or taped, I plugged the connector back in and buttoned up the plastics. So far everything has been working as expected: ABS, TC & Hazards all work fine - the only difference is I have to manually cancel the blinkers like any other bike.