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

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

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

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

Twelve and a half years ago I began to modify a CA-spec Y2k VFR800Fi: Today, under vastly different circumstances and with somewhat different goals I have begun to modify its UK cousin, a Pearl Tahitian blue '01 VFR800Fi. I actually haven't worked on or ridden bikes for several years, for various reasons which all sound like excuses now, but that ends today. It's a good place to start. I acquired this bike ca. 2016, with low miles and apparently no damage (we'll see about that...) Over the years, I also acquired a load of parts for it, such as: SP2 forks, SP1 front wheel, SP1 bottom yoke, 929 top triple clamp, Tommaselli adjustable clip-ons, 8-spoke rear wheel, SH847 reg/rec, GiVi and SW-Motech luggage, Nitron shock, VFRD headers, Harris hugger, 6th gen rear cushion bracket, Sato adjustable rearsets, 6th gen ABS rear caliper, windowed clutch cover, xenon projector headlights, etc. Sadly, no supercharger or custom underseat exhausts this time...for now. Where to begin... Mmmmm. I do love cleaning years-old chain spooge... Wish me luck! Ciao, JZH

It's not looking very wintery over there, is it? (I'm in London at the moment, where it is also not very cold.) Ciao, JZH

10mm, I suspect (unless Seb's some kinda Imperialist).

Some kind of bot. Deutsch connectors are commonly used in high-performance automotive applications, as they're sealed, can handle high current and are reliable. But also expensive, as are the special tools you need to crimp the terminals onto the cables and the special Raychem boots used to seal them into a sealed wiring harness. I will be using them in my Hiace V8 conversion, but only for the part of the wiring loom which is attached to the engine and transmission (everything else will use OEM-type connectors from Sumitomo, Yazaki, etc.) IMHO, using Deutsch connectors on a bike would be overkill and needlessly expensive. Ciao, JZH

If it's not a re-spray, then it is probably colour code RP-147P, Pearl rasberry black (a Euro-spec 1994 colour). As Captain mentioned, there should be a white sticker under the seat with the paint code. The paint code can also be found under the number plate on the rear fender, though that label is often missing. Looks great anyway! Ciao, JZH

The 4th gen was available in a pearl black in 1994, and a metallic black in 1995 (albeit not in the USA), but I note the absence of decals on the bodywork. Could have been removed? Ciao, JZH

You wouldn't need to make any tubes--just a filter/strainer. Your US-spec setup only uses the RES and OFF positions on the petcock, so why wouldn't you want the pick-up point to be as low as possible in the tank? I have rebuilt these petcocks before. Good luck. Ciao, JZH

On the VERY off-chance someone in the UK or EU wants a 5th-gen version, I have an unfitted one I just received from the most recent production run, and I would be happy to swap it for an 8th-gen version (to facilitate a center radiator). Cheers, JZH

The petcock is interesting. I'm not 100% sure about the 4th gens, but Honda used the same petcock on all 3rd gens, whether they had the US-style "no reserve" or the ROW's remote reserve switch (but no low fuel light). (The "MT4" on the strainer tube suggests that the part is the same across all 3rd and 4th gens, however.) The difference at the petcock was in the knob used: the US-spec knob goes from OFF to ON, with RES being blocked. The difference between ON and RES is simply which inlet is directed to the petcock's output. But that only works when the OEM fuel strainer tubes are fitted, which make the ON inlet effectively a couple of inches higher than the RES inlet within the fuel tank. So, on non-US-Spec bikes, when the switch is ON and the fuel level drops to the level of the ON inlet on the strainer tube, the engine sputters--prompting the rider to turn the switch to RES (ideally in one swift move without breaking stride)--which then allows the RES inlet at the bottom of the tank feed the remaining fuel in the tank to the carbs. US-spec bikes only use one of the inlets (the RES, which is the lower one), which means that if your OEM fuel strainer tube falls to bits all you really need to do is fit a strainer/mesh to the RES inlet on the petcock and you'll have "full US-spec" functionality again. Or don't fit anything and rely on your fuel filter? (Not what I would suggest!) However, the petcock itself might be past its prime, but it can be rebuilt using common o-rings. Drill out the two rivets and tap the holes for M4 (I think it was--whatever is smallest that allows threads to be tapped). NRP in the UK sells dedicated rebuild kits, but any o-rings (which fit) can be used in a pinch. Unlike earlier petcocks which use special-sized seals, this model only uses round ones. With some trial and error, and a good selection of fuel-resistant o-rings in different sizes, you can rebuild these petcocks to again function perfectly. Ciao, JZH

I haven't ridden in winter in years, but when I was commuting into London I found that even with some nice OEM Honda heated grips and ST1300 controller (purchased separately, by individual part number, seemed to be the cheapest option at the time), because I usually had to cover the brake and clutch levers riding through traffic, my palms would be fine but my fingers frozen! That's when I switched to heated gloves and never looked back (heated glove liners would also do the same thing, assuming there's enough room in your gloves to accommodate the liners and your hands). My last set of leather heated gloves were Tucano Urbano Hot Road, IIRC. No longer made. One thing to look out for with heated grips is the wire to the throttle side has to move, of course, so it can short or break (with is usually irreparable). Careful routing and looping could help alleviate this, but that kind of constant movement isn't going to be good for the wires for ever. Ciao, JZH

That may or may not be something. My first thought, when you said the bike had sat for a while and wouldn't run, was clogged injectors. When I was building the Yellow Peril I had the OEM injectors professionally cleaned, but when I tried to start the engine I only had one or two cylinders firing. After a suitably long hair-pulling session I think I followed someone's advice on here and started tapping on the injectors with the engine running, and sure enough, they all came un-stuck and the engine began to run like a VFR engine should. Wooden mallet or stick. Give it a try. Ciao, JZH

OEM Honda parts are available everywhere, if you know the part number... The regular dealer network might only be "plugged in" to the local distributor, but secondary market OEM parts dealers like CMS in NL can often obtain parts directly from Japan or from the US distribution network. And some US dealer also ship internationally. Finding part numbers is a matter of finding the correct part catalogue/microfiche for the model you're looking to buy parts for. So for US-market parts, find the online parts catalogue at a US Honda dealer. Should be on the fairings page. Then pop the part number into the online catalogues for CMS, bike-parts.fr and maybe David Silver Spares (are they still around?) Ciao, JZH

By the way, I'm not sure about Aussie models, but UK and the other European models do not interrupt the headlight circuit when the started button is pressed. They expect riders to have the headlight switch in the OFF position when starting the bike. US models, with their always-on headlights, do not have headlight switches. The starter switches in the different models are, therefore, also different. Ciao, JZH

Damn. I didn't get to meet him, but I bought some SP1 forks from him five years ago. He was a stand-up guy. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Ciao, JZH