JZH

6th gen is a little beyond my time, but what is it you want to know?  For individual parts you can check the bike-parts.fr website, which has microfiche for both versions. 

In the old days, French-spec bikes were limited to 100PS or something like that, but I had thought that emissions specs (e.g., catalytic converters) had been standardised since around 2000 for all European models.  There are also sometimes minor lighting differences between markets. 

Sorry I can't be of more help; someone with more direct experience of 6th gens in Europe should know more of the details.

Ciao,

JZH

I've got a simple "Sealey" manual tyre changer in the UK (probably the same as many others coming out of the same factory in China!) and it works absolutely okay.  However, I bought a separate, nylon enhanced tyre bar off eBay which works better than the original all-metal one the Sealey came with.

What made the unit work best for me was to bolt it to the driveway, using stainless steel button head bolts (slathered in anti-seize) threaded into Rawlbolts sunk into the drive.  When I'm done I unbolt it and put the bolts back into the holes.  So far, so good!

Ciao,

JZH

Also not from waaayyyy back, but still pretty far back.

I was both exhausted and satisfied after completing a SaddleSore 1000 ride just outside Boulogne, France, in around 1998.  I think the photo was originally a 35mm slide (which I was still using--and explains why I have several boxes full of slides and few digital photos from the early days!)

The FL was my original 1990, bought new in California.  Retired it after 60,000 mi or so, but it could have gone on and on (if I had replaced the cam shaft I broke whilst improperly tightening the cap bolts...).

Ciao,

JZH

Hi JZH,

Thank you for your donation of 50.00 USD. We look forward to improving the forums with your donation.

Thanks VFRDiscussion

It could have been an effort on the part of Honda to split the load passing through the terminals? 

That would have been a lot cheaper than upgrading to a half-decent OEM reg/rec, so you can see why they might have tried it... 

Ciao,

JZH

Welcome Afeef!  Glad you got it running again.

Did you know that you have an RC49, the police version of the RC46?  The bikes look very similar, but I'm sure there are many hidden differences, too.  Just keep that in mind when you're using the VFR800Fi RC46 repair manual!

Ciao,

JZH

The large fasteners are also available in titanium... 

Ciao,

JZH

Obligatory Dutch biking pic from yesterday's ride:

So, "two or three weeks" turned into a few more, and then when I finally got back to London I was too busy to touch the (motor)bike.  Typical!

From the previous post in this thread, it appears that I will need to press the steering stem back into the triple clamp and sort out the steering stops.  Drilling the clamp would be easier without the stem in place, but I can't locate the holes correctly without it.  But, I do have my own press, so in the stem will go, and commence the measuring I will.  If I can't drill the holes with the stem in place, out again it will come!  (An hour, tops?)  

Beyond getting the forks in place, it occurs to me that I might need to order or make brake lines.  Grrr.  (I hate making brake lines.  Stainless steel hates me!)  I'll see what I've got in boxes that might work--I'm sure I've got something that will work, if only temporarily.  Alternatively, I may have some bulk, clear-coated -3 line, but the question is always re the stainless steel hose ends, which I generally only buy with specific projects in mind.  I'd really like to avoid having to measure and then wait for the hoses/hose ends to be delivered, but we'll see...

Ciao,

JZH

There were a lot of "grey imports" into the UK in the mid-late 1990s, and at the time, most European models only illuminated one of the headlights.  So, unless you check your frame number, you may never know for sure if yours was grey imported into the UK where it was sold as "new".  Or, you might just have a blown bulb!

But if yours was a grey import, the grey importer would probably have fitted a UK-spec headlamp unit (to get the dip right), but may not have bothered to change the wiring to allow both bulbs to be used.  Bikes which were factory-designed to have only one lamp illuminated on dip/low beam often lacked a lo-beam relay, as V4 Rosso mentioned.  So if you do convert to use both bulbs, you should add a lo-beam relay.  Otherwise, you WILL ruin your headlight switch, eventually.  

Honda 400cc grey imports had similar wiring issues, not from having only 1x 55w/60 H4, but from having 2x 35w/60 H4s.  People used to throw in regular H4s, not realising that these bikes only had relays on the hi-beam side.  Many fried headlight switches ensued... 

Ciao,

JZH

(A little pedantry to lighten the mood: flipping the eccentric on a 5th gen would drop the ride height considerably; unlike the 3rd-4th gens, the 5th gen's OEM orientation is already with the axle in the bottom of the arc.)

(Not that I am suggesting this as a solution to a too-high ride height!  Something appears to be wrong, and changing the ride height in this way could just make the other things worse.)

Ciao,

JZH

I found them on Amazon and AliExpress.  They're called Mirror Block-off Plates, and they're not really designed to be used with mirrors, but that's a good adaptation!  Regardless of whether they're used with mirrors or without, it doesn't look like the LEDs are really pointed in the right direction for signaling, but it still might work okay.  

Which other Hondas have the same mirror mounts as VFRs?  The ones you used appear to have a 40mm bolt-spacing, and they are listed by "SMT MOTO" as being suitable for: 

1999-2000 CBR 600 F4

2001-2006 CBR 600 F4i

2003-2011 CBR 600 RR / CBR600RR

2000-2001 CBR 900 RR 929 / CBR900RR

2002-2003 CBR 900 RR 954 / CBR900RR

2004-2007 CBR 1000RR / CBR1000RR / Fireblade

(But I would never trust a listing--always measure things yourself!)

Ciao,

JZH

On 2/17/2024 at 4:07 PM, Hingley said:

had to grind off the rivet master link and since I do not have a rivet chain install tool I am going to use this type of screw master link that EK has.

 

Any Thoughts?

I've ground off link rivets before, but I've found it's a lot easier (and quicker!) to use a cut-off wheel or even a hacksaw on any two side plates.  You're not going to re-use the chain, so there's no need to be so "polite" by carefully grinding off the rivets!

Ciao,

JZH 

It's odd that the rubber part would be the same, yet Honda changed the PCN shown on the edge from MBG to MCW.  Did you measure them?  My eye says the MCW is slightly narrower.   Normally, if there is no change, Honda would continue to use the old PCN.

Ciao,

JZH

Speaking of ranting, I recently moved to the Netherlands and I am amazed how aggressive some of the drivers are here.  I don't remember them being so bad when I've visited over the last 30 years.  (And I'm comparing them with UK drivers, who aren't exactly timid.)  Maybe it's an influence from the unusual number of American cars and trucks you see on the road here...

Where were we?  Dashcams, right.  I have a Blackvue front/rear set-up in my van (which I sometimes swap to our car), but that obviously can't be transferred to a bike.  

My bike requirements include being able to transfer the set-up to different bikes, like my homemade "tank brick" does for power distribution and bike info.  So something like the Viofo might be just the thing.  I'd need to be able to buy additional camera units to build into each bike, which is pricey, but not as pricey as duplicating the entire installation over and over again.  The issue, as usual, would be finding suitable waterproof connectors, but I'm used to solving that one...

Ciao,

JZH

Back in the '90s, some people were absolutely convinced their colourful race-rep VFR400s were some kind of factory option.  I always used to post the Honda Parts Catalogues showing all the factory paint schemes ever offered, but some people still "believed"...  

You sometimes also hear about limited edition "white" RC30s.  There is some truth to that in that Honda did offer white bodywork on its race bikes (I should say HRC did--the RC30 was manufactured by HRC, not Honda), and for a limited time replacement white fairing panels for those race bikes were available, also through HRC.

The red/silver "Anni" version of the VFR shown above was a ROW option in 1999.  It was sold everywhere but North America (at least everywhere in Europe).  You can see its picture in the Honda Parts Catalogue, it has its own model ID and you can (or could for a while) order parts for it from any European Honda dealer.

There were also some distributor-made limited edition VFRs, like the red ones mentioned above which Honda UK had commissioned to celebrate Honda Britain's 50th anniversary.  No doubt other Honda distributors did the same thing.  Again with RC30s, there had long been rumours and claims relating to "Rothmans" RC30s.  Near as I could tell, there may have been a handful of these commissioned and sold (or given away in a competition, I don't recall) by Honda's French distributor.

But will all these non-factory specials, you could never just order parts for them.  Honda certainly didn't stock extra tanks or fairings, so in my book, that's not a factory bike.

Ciao,

JZH

My thought is the same as yours, but that's all I got!  Let us know what you find out.

Ciao,

JZH

Welcome!  I had a job interview in Muscat a few years ago, but it didn't work out.  I had a few days to drive around your beautiful country, however, so I'm very glad for that.  My plan was probably to get into 4x4ing, rather than riding in the heat--40C + high humidity--that's hot!

Ciao,

JZH

Curious about this, too, as the last time I looked into this I didn't find many options.  

The OEM oil cooler lines exit the engine case via small, one-bolt flanges.  The A&A supercharger kit on my yellow bike replaced these with AN-threaded replacements, but these flanges are no longer available.  The cooler elements themselves are difficult to upgrade, due to their being small and not having AN-threaded connections.  Best bet there is to find a larger one on a different Honda, which would use the same connections.

It shouldn't be too hard to machine the right parts to fit different oil lines, but when it comes to small batches of machined parts, it's always easier said than done...

Ciao,

JZH

On 1/2/2024 at 6:58 PM, Mohawk said:

You need to understand the loads through the part. It's what holds the swingarm & suspension parts in place & is the leverage point for all of it as well as the connection to the frame. Due to the leverage ratios it can have quite a load through it. The adjustable units would need to be doubled up IMO to be able to take the load without any worry. 

Indeed, but I'm probably not (certainly not!) the first person to think of this (although the reported Recalcitrance experience is a little worrying).  Adjustability adds complexity, expense and weight, but could greatly assist determining the ideal dogbone length.  So could acquiring a few Honda dogbones in various lengths--which would probably work out cheaper than buying high-strength rod ends...

Okay, it was just a thought! 

Let's get some more dogbone measurements.  I'll see what I can find in the shed (I'm pretty sure I have ended up with a few, given that I have about six different Honda swing arms tucked away).

Ciao,

JZH

The 929 lower triple is less beefy than the SP1 lower triple--that's obvious.  But, this VFR isn't going to be visiting many racetracks in its pampered life so I think I can probably get away with it...

I ordered a new sealed lower VFR bearing for the 929 triple.  I had one in storage that I had collected years ago, but when I tested it I was unimpressed with the interference caused by the integral seal--it may have been even more than with the ill-fitting seprarate metal disc seal!  Basically, when the bearing was compressed into the outer race, even by hand, I could then not rotate the inner race at all.  The leverage from the handlebars would have overcome that, but it didn't seem like that "solution" was much better than the problem I was attempting to solve!

But then I noticed that there is another version of the KOYO sealed bearing available, so I ordered that one off eBay, and it does work much better in my opinion.  The JRRS-2 version (now called "JTEKT" for some reason, but still a "KOYO brand", made in Japan) has a thinner seal lip, but otherwise appears to be the same as the JRRS version.

More importantly, testing reveals that there is much less friction between the seal and the bearing race, so I will be happy to install this version.

My ghetto-modified 929 lower triple clamp is nearly ready to go back together, but I have run out of time in London, so the next chapter will have to wait until I get back in a week or two or three...

I'm keen to press in the stem, and press on the lower bearing and test the clearances with the SP2 forks, 929 top clamp and my choice of Tommaselli adjustable or 929 Heli bars.  If everything works well, I will probably make the steering stops out of 15-20mm alloy round bar through-bolted to the top of the clamp--maybe drilled off-center to allow for fine tuning? 

Ciao,

JZH

Slightly off-topic, but I was wondering recently if anyone has managed to replace the VFR dogbone with something derived from threaded rod-ends?  They are available in various strengths and grades, and could conceivably be used to allow adjustability (within a range).  Would need appropriate spacers, because they are very narrow.  Might not be enough length to use right/left threads with a stainless steel turnbuckle, but there would almost certainly be enough room for something which could be easily adjusted after popping out one of the bolts.  

10mm ID rod ends would slide over the existing dogbone bolts, but larger ones could be used with a sleeve of some sort.

Is there an otherwise-obvious reason why this wouldn't work?!

Ciao,

JZH

I might be changing course here slightly...

This picture shows the OEM lower triple clamp sitting on top of a 929/954 lower triple clamp.

It is not a gull design, but is otherwise similar to the RC51/SP1 lower triples--apart from one other thing: it uses the exact same bearings as the VFR.  When I test-fit the SP1 triples the top two clamping bolts contact the inner fairing at what would probably be the end of travel (if the steering stops were functional--see the picture below).  But is does appear that the flat 929 triples would not present any clearance issues at all.  So, why am I using SP1 triples?

• With the 929 triples I could use the VFR bearings, and because the new VFR bearings are the same size as the old VFR bearings, there is no need to mess around with snap rings.
• I would have to shave off the 929 triple's steering stops to clear the VFR headstock--same as with the SP1 triples.  But, unlike the SP1 triples, the 929 triples' top surface is flat, which would make fitting new steering stops in the correct place an absolute doddle.
• I could use the 32006JRRS2 lower bearing with the integral seal...

Sounds good to me so far, but what could scupper the idea for good would be if, once the forks' height is adjusted correctly, the flat 929 lower triples do not clamp the SP2 forks in the 50mm machined area (this is only an issue with SP2 forks--SP1 forks have a continuous 50mm clamping area).  It's complicated to measure everything in advance, so I may have to suck it and see, potentially wasting some lower bearing sets, but that's probably a risk worth taking.

Stay tuned...

Ciao,

JZH

I popped the ball races out of the headstock and measured the height of the seating surface.  It's about 7-8mm.

This makes sense, because ball bearing races are quite thin:

Then I put the inside circlip into the headstock and I became slightly concerned...

Especially since I had been planning to use two of the inside spacers, instead of the combination of inside and outside that Rob had used.  Yes, the race would be ultimately held into the headstock by the steering stem nut, but putting a tapered roller bearing race into that seat even with one spacer did not "sit" well with me.  Certainly not two.  So, veering in the other direction, I ordered more 35mm outside circlips for the steering stem.

I also recalled at this point a bit of controversy about lower seals and tapered roller bearings, and how they tend to interfere with each other when installed.  The same rubber sealing rings are used for both the ball bearings and the tapered rollers, but the latter sit much closer to the rubber part and actually contact it when installed.  For regular VFR steering stems I used to buy the special KOYO lower bearings incorporating the seal (32006JRRS) to avoid the problem posed by interference with the separate seal.

Unfortunately, the 32907 bearing is not available with an integral seal, so the only option is to use the 3-1008 seal.  My solution, however, will be to sandwich the seal between two 35mm outside circlips, thus distancing the rollers from the seal rubber just enough to eliminate the interference.  (Hopefully!)  Alternatively, I could put both spacers between the bearing and the seal? 

One remaining concern is that the 3-1008 seal is 55mm OD, which is exactly the same as the ID for the bearing race--but the sealing surface (beyond the lip shown in the pics) is slightly larger than 55mm (maybe 56mm?), which may mean no matter what I do, the seal won't be doing much sealing!

Anyway, I hope to have the circlips today or Monday, after which I shall report how it went...

Ciao,

JZH

On 12/26/2023 at 5:43 PM, Duc2V4 said:

Abba stand to the rescue! I bought mine a few years ago and have used it for several VFRs (My own plus a few friends) as well as my Ducati. Great kit IMO. Good luck on your rebuild, looking forward to seeing some progress and possibly some ideas. I still plan on building the VFR Lance had planned for us to build together. He too had collected a lot of parts!

 

This is the first time I've used my Abba Sky Lift in anger (having owned a regular Abba stand for many years before I got this one), and I am growing to like it.  Especially the "wheelie" and "stoppie" positioning options.

That's with the rear wheel removed (and a set of Predator headers installed at the moment, rather than my new VFRD headers).

Okay, a bit of a mock-up with the SP1 triples, SP2 forks, SP1 front wheel and the beautiful 954 front fender in Pearl Tahitian blue...

I've decided to start at the front of the bike, as that is a pretty self-contained section for which I have most if not all of the parts to hand.  I've followed various others' 5th gen fork conversions, beginning with vfrcanuck's original write-up, but I've never done this particular fork swap myself.  I began by examining the bearings and races...

Ciao,

JZH

On 12/26/2023 at 7:29 PM, Dutchy said:

🤪

 

Oops...

Anyway, thanks for the words of encouragement.  At this point, the idea is simply to end up with a pile of OEM parts on the floor.  Later, who knows? 

I'm planning on moving all my US stuff to Europe next year (including the yellow bike), so once I have it back in my possession, why not take some measurements of those A&A supercharger parts? 

JZH