bdouvill

19 hours ago, JZH said:

They are separate systems.  You can have both a reserve switch and a low fuel light, but you need a bunch of parts from the US model, e.g., the fuel tank sender and the tachometer.  Other than that, I think I just had to change the 2P connector for a 3P connector and add one wire.  I happened to have a US model in parts, so it was easy to combine the two.  Here's the two senders (US-spec on top):

 

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

Thanks again @JZH for sharing the thruth 😉

Will keep the reserve switch and keep relying on the odometer to determine when to refill.

Assuming the maintenance is not so bad- all fluids flushed, tires and chain in good condition then +1 on suspension for sure.

At least refresh fork oil and seals. 

Adding new straight rate springs and is super easy. Updating the shim stack is not super difficult either - see my restoration thread. 

I did all of that. I used 0.85 kg/mm because I had them with me and when I can, I'll go for 0.90 that should be more suited for the weight of the bike - I'm around 80kg in full gear, but Vivian - my VFR - is in the 240-250kg (damn she's heavy).

Here, we are talking about 200€ in material and again, this is not rocket science.

If you do that, then replace the rear shock or get it rebuild. When I can, I go for a Shock Factory one, this is very good quality and around 400€ so I guess there is nothing cheaper that is new and that quality.

Next, update the brakes. I completely rebuilt the front system but I kept the original brake pads. Not enough braking power for spirited riding. Still haven't chosen if I go for 4 pots VTR calipers or at least replace the pads with softer ones (CL A3+ or Brembo SA).

Forget about all the shiny and/or noisy bit, that's for kids 😉

8 hours ago, Gebruiker said:

 

Yes!

 

Yes! Unless you count Canada, then No... 😁

 

You're not missing much. I think I prefer the old fashioned reserve switch...which we don't get. My fuel gauge is so finicky, the light comes on when I have about 2 gallons left in the tank. So I've learned to just keep an eye on the trip odometer which I reset at every fill up.

I did not realize that was replacing the reserve manual switch. Having to switch to reserve while driving always happens at the worst time, so I try to stay away from that as much as I can. I try to refill when I reach 150 km on the odometer because so far, I have only rode it around town or near town so no exceptional gas mileage.

On 9/24/2020 at 12:15 AM, damionj said:

Putting on the base plate for the air box is a bit of a bear!  But I hooked up to a battery today and heard the motor turn over! All the electronics seem to check out. 
 

It sounded good. Just need to keep pushing along and find all my missing pieces. 
 

 

Hello fellow VFRists,

What the he... is that fuel warning light on the dash? Is that specific to US models? I don't think mine has one...

@damionj keep up the good work, this bike is worth it. I enjoy mine anytime I ride it even if it deserves some upgrades I cannot afford right now 😉

That's impressive. I look forward to read any progress 😉

I would be interested to hear a little bit the more the details about the Coil over plugs. I read several info on this forum and I thought the output was it did not work on 3rd and 4th gen for obscure reasons. I understood it works fine when idling then start making some weird thing (so unreliable) when hot. @monstar could you please elaborate a little bit more?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Hi,

Performed my first oil change after 1800 km and 18 months. Usually, I do an oil change at least once a year or at 5 to 6000 km max. 

At the same time, I mounted the fairing on the left side. I relocated the coil holders without issue (I jacked the engine just in case).  I also rebuilt the broken tab on the lower left fairing with Plastifix (damn that works well) but I forgot to take a picture. 

Now I have a mixed condition fairing parts with top heavily damaged, bottom damaged but ok and side panel in excellent condition... I have a bad condition right side panel (with missing air duct) but no lower part. I struggle to find it on Ebay (in Europe). But I'll find it (or I'll try to order a replica from LineaMoto in Italy). I also have a (broken) red V fairing but I need to mount the right side before repairing (and mounting) it.

Now I see that the combination of color is not original by not bad (I mean the silver rear is matching the silver bottom of the front fairing).

Cheers.

Thanks for the picture @JZH

Sure when you realize it, seems obvious I used the wrong holes. Just remember when you put it on, you're in the middle of mounting the engine in the frame which I did twice already and is not fun at all... I clearly remember now you have to put one specific bolt first (front right side) and I guess the frame twists itself for the rest to go. Otherwise, this crazy b... never goes in... There's something like 2-3mm between the hole in the frame and the engine mounting point.

I hope I can remove the holders one by one and put them back without issue. Will probably put a jack under the engine to support part of its weight.

I ordered some of the missing bolts from CMS. I know that's crazy expensive (look at the price of the fasteners for the side panels).

So far, I only have experience with Japanese bikes (all 3 of mine come from Japan, only missing a Yamaha and will have one of each 4 brands). What I can say is that if you buy a bike in spare parts, will cost you probably around 100k€... This is insane 🤥

@Gebruiker thanks for the notice. I knew that I had missing bolts and/or incorrect ones. I originally took some pictures of the bike to count how many I need to order from Honda. Then I noticed the wrong placement of the coil holders. 

Additional photos of the holders. The marks tell me my assumption is correct and I mounted them incorrectly. Can anyone confirm?

Hi guys,

I hope you are all fine during those troubled days.

Some update and also some questions. 

I noticed a small oil leak on top of the clutch cover. Seems like there's a cut-in the top crankcase so the pulse generator can get out of the case. It's leaking there. The plastic housing that fits in this cut is not available on its own, you can only get the whole pulse generator... So I will order a new gasket for the clutch cover and will clean and use some crankcase sealant. I will change oil and filter at the same time.

Then I have some fairing questions for you guys.

I found some decent parts for the left part of the bike. 

There are a few broken tab but I feel confident Plastifix will handle it. 

I went to look at the bike to evaluate which bolts and screws I might be missing and here is what I found:

Don't ask me why but it feels like the coil holder seems like it's not in the right place. I am writing this and I feel like the answer is in front of me. The holder bolt should go through the left hole that we can clearly see on the last picture, is that correct?

I hope this is an easy fix since this bolt is holding the engine and I remember well putting the engine in the frame is not an easy task. I am pretty sure I have the same problem on the other side of the bike 😞

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Stay safe.

On mine, the "-" was grounded to the lower triple clamp where I think the horn is grounded too. Not sure this ideal but so far it works great and never generated any hiccups.

In the past, I grounded a LED turn signal relay to the frame of my Bandit 400 (which is steel and not aluminium) and this caused the bike to stop working when I used the turn signals... Back to normal when I used the battery ground terminal instead of the frame. I learned the ground is connected to the engine case and not the frame) even if they are connected to each other.

Hi,

I got the same kind of setup on my bike. Voltmeter is a Koso mounted on the triple clamp (was there when I bought the bike). Removed the almost new RR (pretty sure non genuine Honda but similar) because everyone on Earth knows how crappy it is and replaced it with a Shindengen. I think it's a FAA20 from a 2012 ZX14R. I am still using the original fuse built with the starter relay. This is important to note since with direct connection of the RR to the battery, charging voltage should be around 15V (I have this kind of setup on my Bandit 400).

Here is what I got when running (approx):

- 14.4V when running and lights are off

- 13.6 to 13.7V when running and lights are on

Note that these days (I mean 3 weeks ago before everyone was locked down, damn Covid19...), my battery was 11.9-12.0V before startup (bike sleeps outside under an Oxford cover).

I hope this helps.

Which schedule did you have in mind? Sounds like nothing will happen until April and maybe May. Just read this morning Isle Of Man TT 2020 is cancelled and it was supposed to happen in early June...

On 11/13/2019 at 9:35 PM, Dutchy said:

Found these bikes that were flooded in 2014 in Italy

 

https://www.rpw.it/Riparazioni/MM250_ER/MM250monoalbero.htm

 

https://www.rpw.it/Riparazioni/ArielSQ4MKII/ArielSQ4MKII.htm

 

 

My wife just said...... nope 😄

Damn it, I am 4 days late to celebrate 4 years of this thread 😉

Here is my (late) birthday gift - pics taken today

Quick update on the gas consumption:

Down from 7.75L/100km - 30.35 mpg to 7.0L/100km - 33.6 mpg.

This came with the revised rear tyre (no getting in contact with the swingarm) together with me getting hand on the bike. Only back and forth to work, mainly in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear. 

I can expect to go down to 6.25L/100km - 37.6 mpg when I ride it on B roads limited to 80km/h - 50mph.

Some news again.

I got the rear tyre changed, or more accurately, I learned how to change a motorcycle tyre. With proper Motion Pro tools and plenty of information over the internet, I was able to put the new (old) tyre on my rear rim. I damaged a little bit the gold paint in the process. This is probably a mix of me learning and a no super quality paint job 😞

I need help from a colleague with a proper air compressor to put the bead in place. I did not balance it. It was not. I think the garage I went to put the original tyre back after the paint job does not have what it takes for single sided swingarm / automotive kind of wheel.

Result is tyre does not touch the swingarm anymore which makes me feel safer so I started using it again. Odometer is currently around 99800 km. I do my best to shoot it at 00000km 😉

Also, I removed the dark tainted high screen for an original one. Wind protection feels better. With the high screen, I had all the air deflected right into my helmet which made the situation super noisy. 

Last but not least, my whole stable. All are currently usable 😁

19 hours ago, JZH said:

Tyre widths can vary quite a lot.  I discovered this a long time ago when I was doing an NC30 rear wheel conversion using a 5" VFR750 rear wheel.  I measured a mounted 170/60ZR-17 Metzeler on a 5.5" wheel that was 1mm narrower than a mounted 160/60ZR-17 Dunlop on a 5" wheel!

 

But your Dunlop actually seems like it has been badly mounted or has been damaged.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

Thanks @JZH for the feedback. This seems like the same story for me. For sure, the tyre is good for a replacement, it has been manufactured in 2011 and it's pretty dry. I already felt it sliding at least twice on quick change of direction.

I found a used Michelin Power 3 manufactured in 2017 in 180/55 size for 30€. Will get it and have it mounted then check that this one does not touch the swingarm.

I measured consumption over my last tank. I only run for 6-8 km to go to work, mostly in lower gears so consumption has been pretty high: 7.75L/100km. This corresponds to 30.35mpg (which is pretty low). I hope a correct tyre will have a positive impact on fuel economy.

I keep the bike parked until this is solved. I share the result with you, I hope during July 😉

TBC...

New rear view mirrors from Thurn. VFR800Fi 2000-2001 mirrors.

I flushed the front brakes again and seems ok now. Not impressed with the stopping power but ok for now.

Next is rear tyre replacement. It's from 2011 (ouch) but there's something worse. 

It's a 180/55 which is supposed to be no problem on a 3rd Gen rear wheel bit I noticed again that on some part of the rotation (let say over 10 degrees), the tyre actually touches the swingarm which is really bad!!! It only happens for a small portion of the rotation but I don't like it (and it's not normal). I noticed again when cleaning/greasing the chain yesterday.

I measured the rear tyre width with a caliper and found between 188 and 189 mm (189 is where it comes in contact with the swingarm). I measured on a friend's bike and found 183 mm which seems more in line with the official 180 width.

This is probably linked to some shape change linked to time. It's a Dunlop (made in France BTW) and I hope this being pretty uncommon.

Did anyone ever face this?

Hi guys,

I am not quitting, just got plenty of things going on for the last 10 months, including no more garage at my new place and an insane new toy (2009 Kawi Ninja ZX-10R) as a daily driver.

I just got to get my VFR back and ride it. It has been almost 4 years since I got it and "only" slightly less than 300 km. I probably rode around 200 km last summer, then I re-opened the engine to change the valve stem seals which proved to be efficient since the bike is not smoking anymore 😉 I did not ride it enough to measure the final oil consumption. Time will tell.

Next problem to fix is poor stopping power from the front. I rebuilt the calipers but I need to check I flushed them properly, might be some air trapped into the circuit.

Rear brake is working fine but lever is bent (from a previous crash?) so it makes it difficult to find with my right foot. Will have to find only the lever and that will be fine.

Also I am about to switch to late VFR800i mirrors from Thurn because mine are broken (both). Security first, look will come after.

To be continued...

40 minutes ago, Dutchy said:

Gillet jaune!!!  

Nope Dutchy, this is just my rain suit. I would have never tought that I would be trendy one day with that suit 😉

Hi guys,

Plenty of things going on in my life recently like new house, no more garage (...), new job, same wife hopefully 😉

My Bandit is stuck with strange electrical gremlins mixed with carb issues since last November (more than 3 month ago), I barely finished my VFR restoration and rode it for something like 150 km just before I moved to my new place. My friend offered me to borrow his 2007 Triumph Street Triple 675 (he barely uses it) in exchange of good care (and catching up on the maintenance). My wife told me I would need to buy a more recent motorcycle (understand MY>2000 and fuel injected) since it would sleep outside (related to the new house - no garage thread). She told me to buy the Triumph, I told her if I was to spend like 3 to 4 k€ in a bike, that should rather be closer to my dream bike (one that would wake me up at night like my wife said). In the end, I found a Kawi ZX-10R would be a perfect daily ride to commute to work.

So here they are, all the bikes I currently own:

I repaired a center nose fairing. Fortunately, it was in dark green as well. I can't wait to get it back and ride it.

I have the custody of this one: 

And my new toy - that's the French 106 BHP restricted version, but I have the parts to unleash the  full 188 poneys (for racetracks only) 

As soon as I can, I try to make a picture with all 3 (4?) bikes on it.

I can't wait for better days/wheather so I can try to solve the Bandit issue(s). Also, that will be the opportunity to go riding with my wife as a passenger on the VFR. I 'll keep the Ninja for solo rides and have to register for trackdays in 2019 but with which bike - Bandit or Kawi? 

And I just noticed that I started this thread 3 years ago (and 6 days). It's definitely the time to ride it...

Because I don't want to accept easily the defeat, I dismantled the engine again... 

I removed it from the engine, removed the 2 cylinder heads to change the valve seals. I took this opportunity to lap all 16 valves properly with this tool which worked great. The seal I got from the Bay were fine. Some old one were ovals, no surprise they were leaking.

That was obviously before:

and after the lapping

The whole thing took me more time that I thought. Engine is now back in the frame and I synch'ed this bad girl. Fires like a charm and gone is the white oil smoke 😉

I am currently in the brake rebuild process: new seals and lot of red grease, braided lines, new fluid.

Let's hope I can run it again before Christmas.

The story continues...

So today was my 2nd ride. I went to work back and forth 2 times (I went back home for lunch) for an incredible total of 48km, yeehah!!!! 

It went smoothly, fires really quick at startup, no weird things, that was really cool... except for the temperature... This thing is so hot, I feel like she's trying to rost me 

Good thing is that white smoke really dropped even if still there, but that is less dramatic than during my first ride. I'll check the oil level tomorrow but I think I will barely notice the difference in terms of oil level.

I quickly bleeded the front brake last week-end (I know this should not be done quickly...). But they need a rebuild. Since I did exactly that last week on my Bandit (I have a track day planned in 10 days), I figured this is not rocket science and seals are cheap. Original brake lines will be replaced by braided ones. I see later for new pads (I like red Brembos).

Also, I need to address the front fork. I think the stem nut is not tighten enough so I feel (what I believe is) movements on bumps. Also, there might be some preload missing. I'll address that during the weekend.

Here are 2 pictures from work.

Note about the white smoke:

I bought from the bay a valve seal kit from a seller in Sweden (39€ vs 160€ at Honda) and received it yesterday. This seems good quality but I wonder why all 16 look identical when Honda has 2 references (1 for intake, the other for exhaust). The sellers told me his records says they should be the same. 

Anyone who know if they are supposed to be identical or not?