JZH

FWIW, the following information (relating to an RC36) is from my bearings page: Steering stem bearing—upper angular contact ball 91015-KT8-005 32005X Japan MCI 26 47 15 (note ID—must be 26mm) steering stem bearing—upper tapered roller 91015-425-832 N/A 26 47 15 (note ID—must be 26mm) steering stem bearing dust seal—upper 53214-KA4-701 N/A 27 48 4 metal ring with rubber edge steering stem bearing—lower angular contact ball 91016-KT8-005 32006JR Japan MCI 30 55 17 steering stem bearing—lower tapered roller 91016-371-000 N/A 30 55 17 (32006JRRS— has integral dust seal) steering stem bearing dust seal—lower 53214-371-010 N/A 31 56 4 metal ring with rubber edge Those are the Honda part numbers and the bearing dimensions/names of the steering stem bearings (both tapered and ball). IIRC, US dealers used to get their tapered sets from wholesale suppliers like K&L or Parts Unlimited. I've had those sets in the past, and one of the brands I know of was Parts Plus (they were, like All Balls, simply re-packaged industrial bearings--in this case, the bearings were manufactured by MCI, which is a Koyo subsidiary in Italy). Ciao, JZH

The 'ol Kerker left-exit half-system... I bet it's loud! Ciao, JZH

Many high mounts are tucked in pretty close already, so spacing one of the racks out a little bit more to clear it is hardly noticeable. Alternatively, getting a spare low-mount pipe for touring, as mentioned, is an easy option. Ciao, JZH

Honda alloy triple clamps usually have the part's PCN cast into the bottom somewhere, e.g., "MT4" for a '90-'92 VFR750F, "MGB" for a '98-'01 VFR800Fi. Those holes actually look smaller than the top, and the offset looks smaller (30mm vs 40mm?), too, so maybe it came off an earlier or sportier model? I don't recognise it, and I have many Honda triple clamps lying around... Never assume an eBay find is what the seller says it is! Ciao, JZH

I'm surprised that it is so difficult to find basic industrial bearings and seals in the USA. I've had no problems at all finding "proper" bearing and seal suppliers in the UK and EU over the last 25 years or so. The only one I know of in the USA is/was CBR Bearing, but this company seems to have exited the retail side of the market. Here are a few of the European online bearing suppliers I've used in the past: https://www.123bearing.co.uk/ https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/ https://www.onlinebearings.co.uk/home.php The safest thing to do, of course, is to buy all of your parts from Honda. Ciao, JZH

I had a set of Genmars one time, and IIRC the caps were press-fit chrome-plated steel, which eventually rusted. IMHO, a rubber cap or blank grommet would probably look (and function) better... Ciao, JZH

The "quality" issue is directly related to the fact that All Balls doesn't make bearings. They just buy standard industrial bearings in bulk (from wherever) and re-package them for the motorcycle aftermarket. If they only sold SKF, Timken, Nachi, NTN, etc., then there would be no issue at all. Do they? Or do they buy cheaper bearings? Anyone got a set on hand? The manufacturer's name will be etched into the edge. Ciao, JZH

Hi JZH, Thank you for your donation of 100.00 USD. We look forward to improving the forums with your donation. Thanks VFRDiscussion

Assuming it is simply a matter of the connectors, that's not going to be easy...but it should be possible. Japanese automotive manufacturers nearly always use outsourced connectors and terminals, which are all available in the aftermarket in Japan, so it is a matter of identifying the exact connector manufacturer and connector family and tracking down the associated terminals, seals, etc. A good source is https://www.hi-1000ec.com/, but you may need to do more research elsewhere. Another, more motorcycle-focused source is https://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__Products/Connectors/connectors.html. In the US (you may get lucky), try https://cycleterminal.com/. Note also, that many of these specialist terminals require the use of special (and expensive) crimpers: you CANNOT get good results using the wrong crimper! Ciao, JZH

That looks like the OEM reg/rec, with the original spec (flat fins). Honda replaced this model reg/rec with a different one with a curved fin profile, but you'd really be better off upgrading to a MOSFET or series-type reg/rec. The stator wires appear to be overheated, which could be due to corrosion on the plug terminals, or (when considered along with your bulb-blowing problem) due to the reg/rec outputting excess voltage when hot (or both). My suggestions: 1. Get a new reg/rec (not the OEM one); they are hard to test because they can sometimes read okay until they get up to a high operating temperature 2. Cut off the stator connector and splice those wires together permanently (which eliminates the corrosion problem), being sure to seal the joints 3. Your battery may very well also have been damaged, from the over-voltage, so load test it or just replace it 4. Check all of the other electrical connectors in the charging system for signs of overheating (clean and slather with dielectric grease to prevent further corrosion) Ciao, JZH

I had a Corbin on a CBR1000FP which was absolutely torturous (the push-back problem combined with a long OEM reach to the bars), but the Corbin Smuggler (half-seat) on my VFR800FIY is perfect. But I've never compared Corbin/Sargent on the same bike. Ciao, JZH

As the original owner of a '90 VFR750FL who powder coated the wheels black in 1992, all I can say is: once you go black, you don't go back... (That said, black wheels on a white bike would look weird.) Ciao, JZH

I'm now potentially interested in a set, too, so I will continue to watch this thread... Ciao, JZH

It did seem a pretty crap way to decide a championship, but given that it's F1, I wasn't particularly surprised... Ciao, JZH

Sure, that's a sealed Delphi Metri-Pack 280 6P female connector, TPA and terminals, holding three ATM fuses and topped with a cover. Very handy for adding three light-duty circuits. https://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__Products/Fuseholders/body_fuseholders.html The set-up in that pic has been there since 2014, but I seldom ride that bike, so unfortunately it's not like it's been used in anger for six years... Ciao, JZH