Voided76

13 hours ago, MadScientist said:

@Voided76, I'd be interested to know what kind of shipping quote you get for San Diego.  I went through most of the process to find that it is cost prohibitive to order a single unit for delivery to Milwaukee.  The quote I got was over $800 for shipping alone, not including import duties and taxes or the actual product itself.

  

Maybe I'm doing it wrong?

That's entirely possible.  that sounds like them trying to extract extra monies THROUGH shipping charges.

So,  we'll see.  they asked me to send them a 2014 header for reference if they were going to make me one.  

Ebay to the rescue.

tossing some low-balls around to see if I can score a header for cheap,  then drop ship it to wherever these guys are.  lol

If they see just how close '14 headers are to their own jigs I imagine they'd just fab up some '14 style front primaries and 8th genners would have a header worth spending money on.

They're all coming from the same shed.

Every process is so extremely similar regardless of how they're crossing.

Needless to say though now that I have an alibaba source I can get a header made at actual spec.  or at least request it and see what they say.

As in:  Suggest to the actual manufacturer of these headers:  aka,  not lextek or BW.  let's not mix that part up.   to put the O2 sensors per bank,  instead of stacked in the collector as if that would actually make useful data for the ECU.

We'll see.  I'll post them some things and see what they say.   my experience with ali manufacturers for fairings has been pretty much stellar.  

I hope these guys are just as reasonable and flexible.

As I keep reading,  they also offer the header in titanium.  Hmm.

"please add additional details and specifications"

 

https://message.alibaba.com/msgsend/draftPo.htm?spm=a2700.details.maonnacta.dorder.24056eeaTg7LJG&productId=60684155091&id_f=IDX12py7w2pdIxXHePTpPfiPgPCW9USkE8CWQnjD0LsJexWZchrvPrFJ_JHtYEStDmBZ&mloca=po_en_detail&tracelog=from_detail

go ahead.  click that.  lol

I'm not sold on BW having gotten me the correct facts, as a matter of fact.

I'm however sold on Alibaba,  BW,  and Lextek all having the same header.  lol

honestly though,  I was mad,  but they're close.

chop them at the first weld,  and put some 35.5mm ID tubing in there, which is cheap and cheerful,  and you're golden.

at some point, it's all custom.  I am more than likely going to have to contact someone to bend and weld similar front primaries to get it to work on my RC79 (Oh yes I will.) so there's that.

at some point there's going to be some silly dyno after I've gotten all the factory power out of the '14 VFR

while I believe that it does neck up to 36mm,  is 29mm a match for the cyl head or is someone smoking crack at BW causing exhaust gas to rapidly slow down after it exits the cyl head?

*cracks knuckles*

Here.  we.  go.

https://www.blackwidowexhausts.co.uk/vfr800f-vfr-800-1998-2003-rc46-exhaust-collector-down-pipes-228-p.asp

"An all new design concept from the Black Widow Performance Department."

Meanwhile after a BW rep send me the specs as measured......

that's a 29mm ID primary at the port boys.

The good news is:  
That's two EU and one USA sources
Might be able to find it on aliexpress and haggle a bigger bore setup from them directly.  

resellers and pretenders never do anything about their products.

Airisom: Don't misunderstand my position,  I'm not trying to heckle or flame you,  I'm questioning your thought process in case you had examined both headers sets of sales pictures as I have.  if I seem hot under the collar it's because we've once again been purposefully lied to.

black widow didn't develop shit.  both headers obviously were designed in the same house.  Any differences are exceptionally minor when you consider the way they are welded together,  the steps of the primary tubes lining up as if the same thought process brought them about,  and the same two o2 bungs in the same (wrong) spot on the main collector all point to the same house slapping them together.

And while it's not a bad design all in all,  it's disingenuous as fuck telling VFR owners for an entire year that you're designing a racing header and get handed something that is 98 spec primaries and nothing more.

Even after we gave them the data.  even after they'd seen the dyno curves laid out.  

it's disingenuous pretending you have a pulse on what a bike needs and then deliver a stock ass header.  

I haven't asked BW about their ID's but I'm 99% certain I don't have to.

Airisom,  you think that makes it inherantly different?
There is so much more like with these two headers than different.

no header has had these things since ever, and your refute is a dent?
 

how are you people arguing that these headers are any different from one another?

they both have the same seams and expanded joints in the same places,  when no other header before does that.

they both had the same idea at the same time and posted their "different" headers months apart from one another eh?  Hmm.

They both have concurrent/faulty dual o2 sensor placement in the same spot in the merges, .... nah.

same manufacturer.  they're just resellers for this.

On the highway my riot pipe is just barely audible to me over wind.  It's a lot more outstanding than you think it is.
What it does make is for very easy speed sense and control.  

The on-off button that is the low end of the throttle is especially so if you roll on,  then back off,  and let the engine brake to your new throttle position,  you will literally feel the bike die all the way down to the rpm,  then go "uhh, shit ok!" and jerk you forward even though your throttle position hasn't changed at all.  can be unnerving in bends and corners most of all.  the Evo,  and the Racing modules both actively tune on the O2 sensors in the header of the VFR.  I haven't had a throttle surge or anything but buttery awesome confidence in throttle position ever since.  

If you think it's smooth now,  with an Evo it'll be throttle by telepathy almost.  

 

I highly recommend a louder exhaust,  the  quick shifter,  and rapid bike evo.  then go looking for a used OEM centerstand,  and heated grips setup.   

Can't tell you how many cold rides have been A-OK because I switch the grips on,  and get in a half-tuck on the highway.

And I can tell you exactly how useful a center stand is.  the oil drains better.  it's sturdy when you ahve to muscle the oil filter out of the fairing brackets ect,  and you can remove the rear wheel with bike on the center,  and take it and a new tire to ANY car tire fitter to get it mounted and balanced.  it's 4x100 after all.  If you plan to work on your bike at all,  it's an outstanding bit to have.  up on the center,  then a pitbull for the frontend,  and it's ready for whatever.

(hah,   5x100 now. still used to my 6th)

Update:

I poked them with a stick like I said I would,  And BW has indicated their racebred header for the VFR will be a next year release now.
🙁  far cry from "Just a few months now!" back in july.

on the other hand,  now I'm looking up 17x5.5 wheels,  there have been some 12 lb forged pieces,   and I'm like 😏

While I don't have issues with stocker bars I'd say heli bars are your best bet here.  They're adjustable in a few different ways and I can bet you'll find something suitable when using them. 

On another note this guy has had 129 bikes and his vfr12 has what I think is a Delk pipe on it.  🙂

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VFR800-VFR-800-02-13-V-TEC-RC46-SILENCERS-CI23R-CARBON-TITANIUM-END-SILENCERS/152650127825?epid=624854342&hash=item238aa819d1:g:0lUAAOSwIclZhGJp&vxp=mtr

So that must be the race inspired can setup for the 6th.

Is that globby looking thing of a header the header?

Or is that the old stuff?  I have no idea.

So as it turns out,  either it was wrecked and put back to stock,  or someone bought it,  put a few mods on it and promptly wrecked it....  but that's the blue bike...  for sure.

https://poctra.com/2014-HONDA-VFR800-F/id-AykhMOfncyHiO8pe/CHARLOTTE-NC

<snip>
now that I'm looking at it.  that's not the same bike.. and it's a much nicer bike.  and it breaks my heart.  😞

a moment of silence for a sebspeed clutch cover at a wrecking yard,  everyone.

I picked up a set and they wouldn't seal.  they're going back.

Ebay has some gently sets of disks off an 8th gen for around 200 bucks if you can't get them straight enough to not be risky to run.

"vfr 800 2014 front rotors"
cycle reapers put theirs on sale.

stay tuned to the 5 gen header thread,  and keep your eye on Black Widow Exhaust on facebook as they're going to be the first points of discovery as to when the (good) header is coming out!

 

You will have a near-zero chance of making those headers fit your bike cheaply or effectively. 

They are designed for a front radiator  and that being so,  the front two primaries are going to smash the radiator hose between the two side rads on a 6th gen.  it won't work without modification on your part and in reality it might not work at all.

What's worse than that is this is a horrible header design that is soon to be superceded and outdone in every way by black widow's header.  at probably about the same sort of price. 

As a responsible go-fast parts buyer I can't stress enough that you should try to get your money back from Delkevic for the header,  even if you take a restock fee hit and wait a month or two on the 5-th/6-th header that is coming out.

 

fantacizing is exactly what a good third of the forums has been accusing us of when we wanted a legitimate race header for our bikes.

"just buy a faster bike" 

Never say never.

we'll certainly see,  won't we.  

my poking and prodding and emails I think might have finally paid off.  

...it only took 5 years.  😐