enzed_viffer

Which year CBR1000RR is that? A co-worker has a new CBR, but it was a 2008 IIRC. The mirrors look identical in shape to the VVFR800, but the angle and mounts are a little different.

Glad to hear you're OK, Doug. Apart from the fairings, the bike doesn't look that bad, so I'm sure you can rebuild it! You can make it better than it was before! Even more bionics.

I've only ever once left my helmet on the VFR - usually take it with me. I do have a combination lock with cable that I use when leaving things on the bike (like my Ventura bag, if I'm popping into shop for a few minutes).

You're obviously not talking about late model CBR1000s (or CBR600s) as the shocks on these is incorporated into the swingarm. :warranty:

Yeah, awrrriiiight - I'll play your game. 2001, with straight whatsits. Supposedly a UK model, but who knows? It doesn't have HISS like it's spozed to. I reckon it's been cobbled together from a pile of parts. That would explain the mismatched front disks, now cunningly disguised with a can of gold wheel paint, so they don't look quite so obviously different.

Both Racetech and Sonic Springs spring rate calculators tend to come up with a spring weight that's a bit higher than it should be, so as Insomniac said, go with the 0.90 springs. Sonic supply spacer tubing, and good instructions for how to measure it before cutting. When you calculate it, wind the preload adjusters in a couple of turns, so that it gives you some leeway for adjustment either way. I did this, and when I cut the spacers, I came up with a sag of 40mm - bang on the money! I used a hacksaw then sanded the ends smooth (I have a pipe cutter, but the spacers are a bit thick for that). I found Sonic Springs to be very helpful and efficient, and the price was very good too!

My experience with stiffer fork springs was different. After I fitted the Elka rear shock, I found the soft front end was kinda overwhelmed by the rear suspension - they felt totally mismatched. So, I ordered some 0.95 kg/mm springs (maybe a trifle too stiff) from Sonic Springs. The front end felt REALLY bouncy and underdamped, so I siphoned out some of the new oil (Motorex 10W) and put in some heavier oil (Motul 20W). This helped things a bit. However (but!) because the front damper valves ports are - according to the Ohlins suspension expert who's currently overhauling my forks - too small and flow oil too slowly, the action on compression was harsh. On rebound it was better'n it was, but still not good. This was a result of a much stiffer spring overwhelming damping components that were both inadequate and kinda worn out. But (however!) as others have said, the springs DO improve the ride over bumps, and the handling, crap damping or not. It's a good (and cheap!) easy mod to do.

The air guide presumably guides air somewhere. Why? Dunno. To make the bike go a poofteenth of a mph faster? Maybe it's bad Engrish, and it's supposed to be a "hair guide" to stop hair going into the rear sprocket (like when you have Rapunzel on the pillion seat). Oh - and "those ugly stickers" DougFromIndy was referring to are the ones for tire pressure, chain wear, etc. You don't need those; the chain wear one is useless (you should be able to tell when your chain is worn, and in any case, it won't work now you have a bigger sprocket on), and the tire pressures you should know. In fact, many owners use different pressures anyway. For a Clean Look, the only stickers/decals you need are the Honda logo, and maybe the VFR one. All warning stickers are teh ghey, and tire pressures etc belong in the owners manual. Huh. Just realised I don't have one of those. Anyway, your New! IMPROVED! lightweight chain guard is a definite hit. I removed the air guide years ago, but didn't think of cutting into the chain guard. Now I will.

Where did you put the viola? I don't see it in the photo... :laugh: This is off topic(ish) but reminded me, looking at your beautiful pipes. I followed a wine-red VFR800 home last night. Dunno what pipe he had on (I think it was a TBR low-mount), but it sounded gorgeous: not very loud, but a very nice tone (nicer than my Satantune, to be honest...) He'd probably gone for the cheapest option (apart from a helmet, he wasn't wearing proper bike gear either), and while it sounded nice, it looked bad from behind, with two gaping caverns under the rear cowl where the OEM mufflers used to live. On the plus side, he lives only a couple of blocks from me, and the wine colour looked nice. Probably a cabernet or pinot noir...

Vince, I originally installed larger injectors, but have since changed the fueling system setup. I now run the stock injectors with higher fuel pressure, and the rideability, fuel economy, and throttle response have all increased. Your kit has a higher-rated fuel pump; does it also have a higher pressure FPR? Is that one I see in one of the photos? One possibility from all the time and research you've put into this product is that you will probably be able to sell components to VFR owners who can't afford the whole kit, but are interested in components like the Laminova cooler, and the uprated fuel pump. But I guess you knew that. :fing02:

Good work, Dr Toro - that's a very professional-looking and well designed kit.

Meh! I say, "Meh!" My remote is invisible - mounted under the fairing, out of the weather, away from prying eyes. Can't even get damp from exuberant washing off the bike. It's not a problem being inaccessible, as the battery lasts so long that I don't need to get at the remote very often. And the switch? I toyed with the idea of using the high-beam flasher, and will use that method once my switch wears out or stops working (again - it's the second one; the first didn't last long). For now, the switch is where the headlight switch would be if the bike had one - I removed the blanking plate from the right switch block, drilled a hole through it, and remounted it. Magic Door Opener button

GIven how ugle the VFR's swingarm and rear hub look, anything that makes it less visible (like Toro's black paint / powdercoat) is a good idea.

Sorry, I haven't got my bike at work with me today, but a couple of cheap farkles I've done are to remove the "air guide" from below the swingarm (WTF is it for anyway?!?), the centre cap from the hub, and bought some chromed Honda Civic wheel nuts to replace the standard dull VFR ones. They're practically the same size, just slightly different taper on the inward end. I wasn't game to remove the chainguard even though it's ugly, as too much chain spooge finds its way around the bike as it is. Another no-cost farkle that was on my bike when I bought it was cutouts in the tail cowl so I don't have to remove the pillion grab handles to fit the tail cowl. I had to enlarge these slightly with a laminate trimmer though, as the handles are higher than stock due to the Ventura pack rack I fitted. I also have the unique VFR800Canuck 'racing' lightened footpeg brackets that he kindly gave me to replace my bent ones. They were cheap - cost me ~NZ$30 to be shipped on a SlowBoatViaChina (8 week trip, IIRC). Thanks Rob! :goofy:

AFAIK, they're just present to make it easier to put the cover in place, as they locate it and hold it there while you slip the bolts in. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it - just install them next time you take the cover off to change the countershaft sprocket or clean the accumulated chain spooge out.

I'd heard that RainX wasn't recommended for use on plastics, especially not visors. There's some other product that's similar to RainX and is OK for visors, but I can't remember what it's called. Lemon Pledge works OK though. I've recently started using it instead of Plexus. Years ago (about 1999), I made a wiper that attached via an elastic strap to my left glove, using a cutoff piece of wiper blade. It was terrible, partly because it wasn't very intuitive trying to get the wiper blad seated properly on the visor - took too much attention. My next one will just use foam or microfibre, I think...

I used silicon on the first two bikes I did, but because some people said silicon could wreck O2 sensors, I used hot-melt glue on the VFR800.

I've done this on my last two bikes (and the VFR750 before that already had a Unifilter fitted, saving me the trouble, and the VF500 that I took to a guy who did professional filter conversions). I've got a pictorial somewhere (maybe even on here?) but can't be bothered digging it out. The stock philter elephant is WAY over-engineered for summat that's disposable, so it's ideal to be re-engineered. Oh what the heck - here's the VFR ones: dirtyfilter.jpg She's a wee bit dirty, Jim! innards.jpg Oops.<br />It's fallen apart.... denuded.jpg Filter cut out. Remaining bits of the element were excised with a knife and sharp chisel. I decided to remove the middle rib, to make installing the new filter easier. I also cut away some of the bits of plastic the rivets holding the screen in place were embedded in. Seems to still be strong enough. done.jpg Filter all glued in place. Here's the VTR pix.

Your son got hold of old and severely exaggerated information. Yeah, well I did say I hadn't checked it out for myself. :fing02:

I need to check the veracity of this out for myself, but according to my [electronics/technology expert] son, solar panel technology is actually not good with respect to the whole global climate change / energy conservation saga. He told me that your average solar panel takes up to 9 times the energy to produce that it actually returns during its lifetime. They are horrendously inefficient at the moment, but improving slowly as pressure comes on to find alternatives to fossil fuel derived energy sources. I liked a comment in the paper here in respect to some lame-ass, ill-considered 'energy conservation' proposal: "CO2 emissions would be reduced more by the people concerned holding their breath for one minute".

Yes. A lot better than my '01 which has similar miles. :rolleyes:

Oh - you mean: