JZH

Sorry, VT, but it hardly matters--it's a Honda! My case was the opposite of your case: it's a lot easier to make a 530 into 525 than it is to make a 525 into a 530! I didn't want to use a 525 (or 520) chain on my 837cc VFR, but if it turned out to be too difficult to have a 530 setup, I could have gone with the 525 (or even 520, as the strength of drive chains has improved quite a lot in the last 30 years). It may even be possible to run a 530 chain on 525 sprockets, but that sounds like a desperation move to me. Ciao, JZH

Sorry, I've never made it to Brno. Sounds adventurous! The beer's supposed to be cheap and plentiful, though, which may help... Ciao, JZH

The UK-spec ones have different part numbers (003 instead of 670), but the principle is the same! Honda changed the design (worldwide, it appears) in '92, but they should still swap. The numbers stamped on the can aren't the part numbers, but they reference the bikes' PCNs (MT4 and MY7), HM probably meaning Honda Motor and the E1 being the European homologation code. Ciao, JZH

You can buy steel (even stainless steel) sprocket blanks, with just a hole in the centre. Then have them machined to fit. Had to do that with my RC30 swing arm on an RC36. Not very cheap, but effective! I bought one and sent it to someone here in the UK to be machined and he somehow found a slotted stainless steel sprocket and machined that one instead. Gave me a discount. Kept my blank for himself! But are you sure there are no 530 front sprockets that fit the VF? I've swapped several around, just based on the dimensions and JT sprocket diagrams. Honda doesn't seem to use that many different output shaft sizes, but I suppose the 1980s may have been different than the 1990s as far as engine power and 530 sprockets go. Ciao, JZH

I had some headlights for my Hiace van sent from Australia and they got caught in the same kind of limbo--I was never sent any letters--the headlights were eventually sent back to Australia, and then I got to fight with the seller about whose fault it was! (I won...) Ciao, JZH

Hydraulics is hydraulics, so it will certainly work. Not so sure about the brake bleeding justification, though. Most people bleed brakes at the caliper end (though it makes more sense to do it at the master cylinder end, where the bubbles want to go anyway). It may be a practical solution, but a bulky and clunky one, IMHO. I'd just make some new teflon lines (or have them made) and keep the OEM ones in a box for when the risers got removed. Ciao, JZH

I've never seen his videos before, but I did grow up in that area so I was curious to see the full route. Wondering why he didn't at least go up Crest Road; it's nothing special, but if you go all that way to RPV... I always found riding in LA to be rather soul-destroying. So much traffic, so few places to have fun. (A bit like London, lol...) Ciao, JZH

FWIW, I should also be ready to participate in the next round (if there's a next round...) 🤞 Ciao, JZH

I'm moving away from soldering wires in an automotive application. I used to crimp, solder and shrink, but the soldering part is apparently usually not done in any kind of competition environment these days. Recently, as part of my somewhat-impending 3UZ swap project, I've been reading a lot about the state of the art of performance automotive wiring. This will blow your mind: https://www.rbracing-rsr.com/wiring_ecu.html Ciao, JZH

Despite the dodgy sounding name (to my ears, anyway) Tour Max is actually a high-quality Japanese aftermarket parts brand. That said, I would not buy another shunt-type reg/rec unless it was a MOSFET. OEM, Shindengen or Tour Max are all high quality. Ciao, JZH

Yes, and unfortunately, it still looks exactly like that. Fairing has not been trimmed to clear the belt, nor have I fitted the RC51 forks and front wheel or the matching Pearl Shining Yellow front mudguard... Of course, having read about the A&A issues, now I'm worried the Rotrex will blow up if I run it again! Ciao, JZH

US import? Strange for someone to remove the remote reserve switch. Do you have a low fuel light in the tachometer? Ciao, JZH

Yes. For some unknown reason, US-spec bikes have slightly different levels specified. (Maybe due to the initial conversion from ml to oz?) The "air gap" does have a function in the way cartridge forks perform, but I'm very sceptical that a small difference in oil level would be noticeable. Ciao, JZH

Maybe Honda should have put the forks on security bolts, too... As mentioned above, the would-be thief was so unfamiliar with Hondas (they're all the same--if not most other Japanese motorcycles!) he didn't know that the security bolts holding the lock cylinder are on the bottom of the top clamp! Oh, dear... Btw, on Euro-spec and other Hondas with the HISS security system, the black plastic piece bolted on top of the triple clamp is a transponder for the coded chip in the ignition key. Removing it just means there is no way to send the corresponding code to the ECU to allow the bike to run. As it happens, this vandal only destroyed a decorative plastic bezel, which had no function in the bike's security system whatsoever. Be thankful for stupid thieves, I guess... Ciao, JZH

Here's an even faster colour... Ciao, JZH