TNRC51

SP-2s were a slight improvement over the SP-1. The changes to the fuel injection along with the swingarm made the handling and fueling a bit better. All of them in bone stock condition are a bit jumpy to ride at slow speeds. They are also geared too high for most practical riding. Most owners opt for a fuel manager and change the gear ratio. Usually, one up in back and one down if front does very nicely to make it easier around town. The 2006 models are the most "rare" if that matters. By 06 Honda was using up the frames and parts they had on hand and there may have been as few a 400 examples. I've never seen any vin numbers higher than that. The '05 is also all black. From 2002 on they are all identical from year to year except paint schemes. That being said, for some reason the 04 Nicky versions are all much faster than the others... 😉

Getting that line to follow across from the side to the tank was challenging. I ended up using a laser to strike a line for the tape.

Some of you may have seen this on Facebook already but I had a few minutes and thought I would share it here. I acquired this very nice 2006 / ABS model a few years ago and decided pretty quickly that I did not like the graphics or the overall look that much. I began thinking about what I wanted to do. I changed out the rear wheel with a nice 8 spoke that I found on Ebay early on. This helped but still not what I wanted. Then I looked at a lot of paint schemes to see how I wanted to go. I wanted this to be a little understated but "sporty". I am lucky that I have a friend who is a painter who agreed to help me out. I did all of the prep work. I scuffed the existing plastics and the tank with 1000 grit paper to give the new paint something to grip. It's really pretty scary to see what you've done to a pristine finish the first time you try this. Trust that when the clear goes back on it really is like magic. Next I laid out the design and let my friend shoot it. I used two additional colors. This one is a Lexus/Toyota color called "Storm Gray". The second color is from Jaguar and matches the wings on the tank. I finished by adding a pinstripe that we put under the clear. Once the paint and clear was on, I did the final buffing and leveling. Here is the final result...

. You da man!!! Mine are loose. Got to check deeper to see how to firm them up. I had thought the aftermarket windscreen might be it and had already checked that. Tonight went to check your idea, reached down to feel the lens and bingo.

Sorry but this is starting to get to me. When I'm riding I can "feel" something in the bars that I can only describe as something hitting or loose. It's not a really strong sensation but enough that I've noticed it many times. I've checked the front wheel, hub and headset but there are only 5000 miles on it anyway. Anyone have any ideas? I'm wondering if it is the brake lines maybe? Or maybe the centerstand moving a little? I'm hoping some of you have run into this before and know just what this might be.

I did this today to my 06 and could not be happier. I did all four outlets. Be aware you will need a decent drill for this. My DeWalt got plenty hot. I tried to drill in stages to keep the drill motor and saw as cool as possible. By the last cut the saw is pretty well toast so having two isn't a bad idea. I got mine at Home Depot for about $10. Make sure to use a bimetal saw. A standard wood cutter cant do this. As for sound, it is exactly what I was after. A little throaty growl but not obnoxious. Nowhere near as loud as my RC51. I also like leaving the tips stock looking as well. I did get out for a short ride and it seemed a little smoother at the VTech transition. I am very curious if that impression will hold. Likely I was just riding a little different to "test" the sound. Otherwise, I did not notice anything negative. No loss of power, but no gain judging from the seat but that was not my goal. I just wanted to be able to hear it a little. Even my wife agreed that it sounds a lot better. Before, I could come back in to the garage and she would not know I was home on the VFR. Now she says it sounds mean..

One of the only things missing when I found my '06 was the passenger foot peg assemblies. Since my wife may occasionally ride along I needed to replace them. I checked on OEM factory pieces and found that by the time I bought everything required I would be almost $250. So I decided to go the junk yard route. I found the pieces on ebay and by the time i had them in hand I had invested just over $100. The downside is this is what they looked like I bought this kit at O'Reilly's for $17. Then I got to work with a die grinder and surface prep pads. They are like souped up Scotchbrite pads. I removed as much of the surface imperfections as possible. There were a couple of dings that were too deep to completely take out since I would have had to really take a lot of material . After cleaning it up I did a final prep with a medium Scotchbrite pad and wiped them down with alcohol to really get them clean. Finally I painted them in multiple light coats and finished them with a couple of clear coats. All in all they turned out really well. The color of the HyperSilver has a very slight "blue" tint that may not be a concours match but it works well enough for my needs.

Me for sure...

Over the weekend I discovered a quirk of my VFR. On an empty stretch of road I was coasting down and decided to stretch my back for a second. On my other bike I can sit up with my hands off the bars with no issues or drama at all. On the VFR it immediately started shaking its head. As soon as i touched the grip with either hand it stopped. Mind you i did not let it get carried away. Im thinking it could be a tire issue. Anyone else noticed this with their 6th gen?.

I would like to do the nashville classes if space is available.

Here is a link to the version used by a lot of the RC-51 guys. Also here is a forum link to someone who has installed them... http://www.rc51forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7997 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-New-Spal-5-5-Pusher-RC-51-Motorcycle-ATV-Axial-Motor-Fans-/191240676656?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c86d52530

Spud. Spencer rebuilds your existing seat pan and cover using new foam and shaping. In my case i sent pictures of my riding position along with what i wanted. If there is enough material he can likely raise you up some. Worst case he will have to put a new cover on it.

If you live in hot climate you should investigate SPAL fans. They come in many sizes in both rotations. Very common mod in RVT world to help with nut roasting. Most change to "pusher" version. These things move air. As for manual overrides, fighting heat early in traffic is a big help.

Had him do my RC51. Was money very well spent. He is a great guy as well.