enzed_viffer

Yeah, very very nice! :unsure:

Kal, what are the implications in Oz of fitting a supercharger, from a legal and insurance point of view? Here in Noo Zilund, I don't think there'd be any legal issues, but it might make it difficult to get insurance.

Y'know, I've tried a few times to disable the PAIR valves, and every time I've re-enabled them, because I reckon there's no significant benefit, and that the VFR doesn't run quite as well. Same as the flapper valve, although in that case, what it does is flatten out the the hp/torque curve, so there's less of a kick at the point just after the flapper valve opens, which makes the engine seem comparatively flat and lifeless. IT's not, of course, but does change the character. YMMV..

How long is a piece of string? :blink: Fit an Evo Star shifter kit, some aftermarket mufflers, a PCV (and get some dyno time), heated grips (if you plan on riding in cold weather), a decent set of tires, some advanced rider training at a track school, and that's pretty much it. That gives you a good gearshift before it becomes just another Honda gearbox, a decent V4 sound, a smoother fueling curve, and some reasonable skills. If any of that's not enough, then maybe you could spend some $$$ on some Ohlins and Racetech suspension bits.

One of the best mods on my bike is the fancy drilled footpeg brackets I got from a nice Canadian VFR owner - they're MUCH better'n my bent ones! :rolleyes: Unlike The Mailman, I like my one-tooth-smaller front sprocket, but I know what he means about looking for another gear. It's not really a big deal here, as the maximum speed is 100km/h, which puts the bike at 5k rpm, so there's still a fair few revs left... That's what I'm currently doing. I bought my powerbronze hugger sight unseen from an ex-member, and it's a piece of crap - seems like they didn't even both to test-fit their prototype against a real VFR. I tried to auction it off, but failed, so decided to just keep it ad make the most of it. I've trimmed it up a bit to give more tire clearance, and next thing is to fab a new bracket. Like you, I've decided to go with aluminum, and I'm going to tap some threads to screw it to the swingarm. The worst mod by a previous owner would have to be crashing it. It was 'fixed' when I bought it, but not properly, so in strong sunlight the panels aren't the same colour, the footpeg brackets (now replaced - thanks Rob!) and brake pedal were bent, and the right-hand disk is off a different model of Honda, so it was a different colour and pattern. I've since spray-painted it to almost match the other one, but when it gets wet it rusts more as the rotor is a different grade of s/steel. Oh - it also had a bright yellow headlight protector, which I got the dealer to replace with a clear one before I even paid for the bike. Still, at least part of the fixit job included a new Satantune zorst, and the PO fitted a pair of heated grips, so these two mods and the blue paint were why I bought it in the first place.

Phantom/Muzzah: I must've missed something along the line somewhere - the last I knew, your bike was black. [Edit: looked back at the earlier posts in the thread about colour choice. Ahhhh....] Anyway, it's looking very good! :unsure: Can't wait for the next exciting instalment.

Doofus here again, coming back for more foot-in-mouth. :goofy: Whelp, here's what. Front: when the forks went back for the springs to be changed and damping recalibrated, the technicians rushed thejob, and didn't cut new spacers for the shorter Ohlins springs. So... to get the preload in the ballpark, I had to wind them in a long way. I didn't want to end up with no adjustment left, so I ended up with not enough preload in the front. This morning I wound in another turn: much betterer. :cool: When I have some spare time, I'll cut some new spacers. Rear: I haven't checked it carefully (too many vehicles in the garage, not enough space, not enough time), but my quick check of the preload made me realise the free sag was a bit on the low side (Racetech CKT recommended 10-20mm, and it was barely 12). So, I wound that off by about a turn. It now feels more compliant to my untrained butt. I'll check that properly (winding the damping off to zero, BR!), and when that's set, at least I'll have a proper base setting to work from with setting up rebound and compression.

The shock is topped out in this situation (no rider on bike). Yeah, that's what I said meant. :unsure: Bailey Rock: as for the damping being at zero, no - I didn't do that. I can't do it with the front anyway, so I don't think it's gonna be super critical. I just bounced the bike a few times and checked the measurements several times to make sure it was consistent. BTW - it's unbelievable how compliant the front end is. With the Ohlins oil, and the work that was done to make sure the internals were set up right (concentricity, checking components, etc.) there's almost zero stiction. I guess to give the Elka a fair go, I should really drop the rear swingarm and remove linkages etc and check everything's properly lubed and lined up. (I did remove the dogbone, check the bushes, lubed everything, but I wasn't a perfectionist like the Ohlins guy was.

Yeah it does, so you bet wrong(see my reply to BaileyRock below). To be honest, I don't really know. The Ohlins guy fitted Gold valves and a modified shim stack, and the ultra-slippery Ohlins fork oil, as well as the new bushes, shims and seals I supplied. Then I sent the forks back again, and he replaced the springs and rejigged the valving/shimstack to match, and put another NZ$51 worth of Ohlins BabyAfghaniLesbianPenguinFurSealWhale oil in. Only a dollar? You're not very confident, are you? :beer: It's actually 12mm on the back, and around 20mm on the front. (That's the difference between suspension fully extended, and settled with only the bike's weight compressing it, right?) To be honest, I should also remeasure the rider sag, as I may have adjusted the rear end a couple of months back, without checking sag. Now let me get this straight - you're saying if the springs are too soft, then in order to get the rider sag (suspension postition of rider sitting on bike minus position of bike with suspension fully extended?) correct, there's so much preload wound on that the spring is effectively topped out? A VFR expert? I don't know, but I do know while most of his work is with setting up race bikes, he also does a lot of road bikes (inclduing numerous VFRs). He's also very much aware that setting up road and race bikes are very different, given that most racetracks are smooth, and NZ's roads are usually far from smooth. As such, Racetech and Sonic Springs' spring rate calculators usually come up with rates that are fine for racing, but just don't work on NZ roads and conditions. Having said that, he told me Ohlins' recommendation for fork springs for my bike were 0.80kg/mm, and I just can't see that. I suspect the ideal may lie between the Ohlins he fitted (0.90) and the Sonic Springs (0.95). Either that, or Sonic Springs sent me the wrong springs (or they're rated wrongly), or the fact the Ohlins are shorter springs makes a difference, but I doubt it. Either way, I'm surprised how much difference there is between the 0.95s and 0.90s. In any case, his work is guaranteed: if a customer's not satisfied, he'll fix it FOC, multiple times if necessary. He set it up based on the info I gave him, and using a suspension dyno, to make sure the valving was correct. He would've prefered to set it up with the bike, but I couldn't afford the time off work, as his workshop is 3.5 to 4 hours ride away from here. Plus the courier was MUCH cheaper than fuel etc. He's coming up here in a few weeks, and is going to check the bike out then. He's offered to replace the spring (if he can get one to fit) and change the valving on the Elka, if it looks like being necessary.

It's like this: I was having some misfiring / stumbling issues, and hadn't changed the plugs for a few years, so I decided to replace them. I asked at one of the local bike shops, and they didn't have standard ones or iridium or platinum ones for the VFR in stock. Furthermore, their prices were pretty high. On a whim, I decided to ask at the local car parts store. They didn't have any in stock, but said they could get some in 2 hours. Their price for iridiums was cheaper than the platinum ones at the bike shop, and only marginally dearer than the 'standard' NGKs, so I bought them. The bike seemed to start easier the first time, but doesn't seem an Fasterer! Moar powerful!! than before.

You were lucky the gym bag is all you lost. A few years ago, the owner of a Anniversary Model VFR (the red and silver 5th Gen) who lives near me woke up in hospital with severe injuries. He didn't know what had happened to him, but the cops believed his bag had come adrift from his rear seat at around 120km/h, gone into his back wheel, and made his bike crash. The bike was totalled, and he'll never ride again.

Dunno what percentage acid is in cola, but I dare say it would be effective as a rust remover too. Most commercial rust 'neutralisers' are orthophosphoric acid, which is an ingredient in softdrinks. The acid partly removes the ferrous oxide, partly converts it to a phosphate complex, which is more stable than the straight oxide, so it tends to stop the rust progressing. Aluminum corrosion is a little different; the straight oxide is fairly stable, so it tends to be only one molecule thick on the surface then stops progressing. All you end up with is the aluminum looking a bit dull. However, get some other substances in the mix - like salt - and it can form less stable sulphates, chlorides or whatever.

If you're the same weight as the bike was designed for (what is that - 70kg?), then springs will be fine. Otherwise, the front springs will be too soft: 0.74kg/mm, whereas they need to be at least 0.80, or more if you weigh more than 80kg/170 poonz. They are also progressively-wound springs, which is not the best for setting up suspension. The other issue with the OEM Showa suspension is the damper valving in the front doesn't flow oil very well, so the suspension doesn't cope well with sharp bumps, making the action harsher than it should be. The rear suspension doesn't offer much adjustment, which is fine if it's well matched to you and your riding. You could manage OK with the stock suspension if you're not a porker, and ride only on smooth roads or round town. However, it's one of the best "bang for your buck" mods you can do. There's little you can do to improve power, unless you spend $5k on a Torocharger, and most other things are just cosmetic or for bragging rights. Braided lines, for example: they won't improve your brakes, just change the way they feel (although they can arguably make them feel 'wooden' and therefore worse). Another mod that's got good "bang/$$" value is a Factory Pro Evo Star shifter kit, especially if you install it before your transmission has any significant wear.

Suspension.

When I did my '90, I made a scraper out of a scrap hardwood strip. No problems with that dissolving... I'm getting closer to doing the 800's wheels; although the silver paint doesn't show the scratches as bad as the white on the '90 did, they're pretty messed up.

Sounds promising.. a bit like a benelli tornado with under seat mount rad and fans? You mean, like a Britten, with an underseat radiator, and cleverly designed aerodynamics to route airflow through the middle of the bike and past the radiator? (Benelli came along more laterer).

Well coderighter, I think your idea has merit, especially if you can get the appropriate trigger threshhold. :blush: Where would be without people having creative ideas and putting them into practice? A couple of years back, I had my son make me a programmable version of the Hyperlights flashing brakelight. It worked really well, until something in the circuitry blew. The really crazy thing was the local transport agency had decreed they were illegal! You know what the reason was? They said they thought they would cause target fixation! What's even crazier, is some time after I had them on the VFR, they were one of that same agency's proposals to reduce motorcycle accidents!

Interesting to have this thread dug up, as I recently had a similar situation to baileyrock, with front springs that were too stiff compared to the rear, but in my case, it was just because the front was too stiff. Like him, I had 0.95s in the front, beautifully revalved with Race Tech and Ohlins parts and new seals and bushes, to go with the Elka on the rear. It handled beautifully steering wise, but was a bit harsh on choppy road surfaces at certain speeds (around 40-50 mph). The front springs were subsequently replaced with Ohlins 0.90s, and revalved to match, and the ride was much more plush and compliant. It meant though that this highlighted the incorrect setup of the Elka. Luckily, I dialed everything back to the mid-point settings, hoping that Elka would've set it up so these were close to being right for my weight, and it turned out a couple of clicks off this felt pretty good. I've lost some of the scalpel-like precision, but I'm getting used to that. It's still MILES better than the stock setup. Jason - I don't know what spring Elka have in the back (but I'd like to know - is it stamped on it? Can I find out from John at Motoworld or Elka themselves?) My weight is around 190 pounds, so I think the 0.95 would be the right front spring for you. As for Ohlins vs. Elka, personally, I'd go for the Ohlins, but that's based on the fact that the only suspension shop here is an Ohlins one, and because Ohlins have much more road and track experience than Elka, so that gives them an advantage with knowing the best set up for internal valving.

I finally got my forks back yesterday morning (after rushing them off last Tuesday, only to have them sit in the workshop for a week :biggrin: ), and installed them last night. CKT (the suspension people) replaced my 0.95kg/mm Sonic springs with 0.90 Ohlins ones; if these are too firm, then it's a free swap for some 0.85s. They also rejigged the damping, but I don't know quite what this entailed (probably modified shim stack), and put fresh Ohlins fork oil in, made from cold-pressed BabyAfghani FurSealWhalePeguins (we... it ought to be, at NZ$52/litre, which is not much less than 4litres of engine oil costs me). I haven't yet ridden the bike, or even checked the sag, as the weather is crappy today, and I'm too tired to ride safely. A full report will follow once I've tested them and dialed in the Elka, which is now mounted on the left rear footpeg bracket, so I can get at the compression damping dial easily.

I discovered that last week, before I sent my forks back. At first I thought, "Yup - Robert (the suspension expert) is right: these forks are too firm". Then further into my ride, I realised that the back end wasn't set up quite right, and was probably making the front end feel worse. So, I adjusted the rear a bit, and eventually got things working pretty well together. However (but!) a bit more tweaking to see if I could get it even more betterer, and I'd stuffed it up. More tweaking still, and being really tired after a couple of hours riding (haven't done any decent rides for a very long time) and it was even crappier than it started out. Yeah, that's what Robert said too: when you actually test the oils with a viscometer, the stated 'weight' is pretty much bogus. It also has little to do with engine oils' stated viscosities.

That's exactly how mine felt too, before the work on the internals. Over bumps, it wasn't too bad except on bigger bumps, which apparently was the ports in the damper being too small and not flowing oil quickly enough. After the first lot of work, it felt fine at less than 40mph or above 60, but in between, it was harsh, because the damping was set up perfectly to match the springs, but because the spring rate was too firm for my weight, the springs weren't absorbing smaller bumps enough, and it was damping the suspension movement too much.

After buying an fitting an Elka 2-way shock, I originally fitted 0.95 Sonic springs (because that's what their spring calculator recommended based on my weight (around 190poonds) and riding style (normal street). The forks were VERY bouncy, and I couldn't afford to get them revalved at the time, so I drained the oil and put in some Motorex 15W fluid. It helped somewhat, but was still bouncy, so I sucked some out and added some Motul 20W, and dropped the volume slightly. Still harsh, so I backed off the preload, which made little difference. Recently, I sent the forks away to be overhauled: new seals and bushes, Racetech valves, modified shim stack, every lined up, measures, optimised. The local Ohlins guru put some very slippery (and low viscosity) oil in, and told me that there is a huge difference between some of the oils being sold, and that as they don't necessarily follow the official standards, the numbers don't mean much. He also said that the standard VFR damping didn't flow enough oil, so was a bit harsh on compression. The forks felt MUCH better, and matched the rear end better, so the ride was very controlled. It didn't seem as smooth or compliant as I expected, and when I recently did my first test-ride on our crappy country backroads, although the ride was fine at 100km/h (~60mph), it felt too abrupt in action and was very tiring. When I talked to the Ohlins guy about it, he said he could revalve the forks (free of charge) but that he thoght they were probably oversprung, and as he'd valved them to match the springs, probably overdamped as well. Soooo... they're currently away being resprung and revalved. Again. Apparently, Ohlins' recommended spring rate for the bike is only 0.85kg/mm, quite a difference from the 0.95 Sonic and Racetech recommended, and closer to the 0.74 standard rate. He said that he felt 0.95 would be fine for typical American roads or for the racetrack, which sounds right, as the suspension felt great at higher speeds or on smoother roads. So, they should be back in the next couple of days, as he was trying to get them sorted before September 9th, when he's off to visit Ohlins in Sweden for a couple of weeks. I'm kinda anxious to get them back, after nearly a week of driving everywhere. I'm also anxious about getting the Elka dialed in; I've got the preload right, and that's about it. The remote has been relocated from under the seat where it was, to on the left pillion peg bracket, so I can adjust it more readily on the road.

Good work, Dr. Seb! :blush: It's coming along very nicely, Sir!

Man, the Vtec sure puts a nasty wiggle in the torque and HP curves. :blink: Fantastic looking bike you've got there, Roy! :rolleyes: