enzed_viffer

OK, thanx for the help I ended up just diving in and taking things apart to see what was going on. To answer my own question, the thermo fan switch is 16mm with 1.5mm thread. It also doesn't have a long 'snout' into the radiator as appears on the parts diagram; it's very short (only about the length of the threaded bit) and there's only space for one about 15-20mm longer than that. The waterpump seems fine, so instead of ordering a NZ$85 Honda fan switch (and waiting maybe a month or more for it), I'm going head out to the autoparts store armed with the numbers from four car ones and see what they've got and how much. (I'm also aiming for a 95C-85C model).

I'm going with a thermoswitch with a slightly lower temperature, and a manual override for in traffic. First I've got to take my U/S thermoswitch out, verify it's 16mm with 1.5 mm thread, and then off to the autoparts store. I've already got the manual override switch, which is just as well seeing the thermoswitch died shortly after (because of??) fitting the manual switch.

Thanks for the help and your kind offer, but I've had a manual switch fitted for ages. There's just the odd time when I forget to use it, and end up with a very hot bike. A few times I've ended up with a puddle of coolant on the ground under the bike, which is weird because a very good bike mechanic serviced it 5 or 6 months ago. Some time afterwards when I was testing to see if the thermoswitch was working, the temp got up to around 110C, and I ended up with a very large amount of coolant spit onto the garage floor. Since then I've also done the "topping up on the sidestand" thing, and last weekend topped it up again, and ran it for ages with the fan on, and even with lots of revving the temperature never got above the mid 80s. So... I have no idea what condition the cooling system is in with respect to the pump, radiator cap, thermostat, etc. It's done 61,000 miles, and apart from a few coolant changes, I'ts had no work done on it. I'm thinking I'll fit a lower temperature thermoswitch (say 95-85 C) as most of my riding these days is commuting, where due to the entrained air column when sitting in a stream of cars, there's actually very little air movement through the radiators. Then if it behaves OK, I'll leave it alone. If I get any more coolant puking, I guess I need to look at a new radiator cap and pump overhaul? I was actually going to buy all the parts on ServiceHonda, but they didn't have the pump parts under "water pump" in the catalog!

My thermoswitch is non-functional. Can you tell me, is the thread on it 16mm with 1.5mm threadpitch? The reason I ask is that a Honda switch is unavailable here, so I'd have to order one from overseas, or I can buy a non-Honda one as several are available in various on/off temperature points. I' don't want to have to take the old one out until I've bought a replacement.

I doubt that dealers here have significantly discounted 1200s available, because they're generally not like that. Just as well, because I did the dough from my mother's estate (she died last year) that wasn't spent on the house, on toys: Sena gear, new helmet, and (the big ticket item) a car. After reading all the positive comments, I think I might have been tempted. The thing was, I'd decided there wasn't really anything around that would do anything my bike doesn't do. However, in the last couple of weeks, the VFR has started feeling a bit rough. It had a big service nearly 6 months ago (the first I've ever paid for), and was really smooth. Now it has an annoying vibe around 4-5k rpm, the suspension feels like it needs a service, and I'm just not enjoying it like I used to. Doesn't help that my riding for the last 15 months has been ALL commuting - 15 or so minutes each way.

I've got a pair of SMH10s, a pair of the helemt clamp kits with the two different mic options plus plug-in earbuds, and an SM10 so both the pillion and I can listen to the same music. I've ridden with the cellphone (Nokia N8) paired, listening to the music player on that, taken a phone call while riding (so easy!), and with both the cellphone and SM10 paired. This thing works so well! The only thing I've found is that streaming music from my phone in heavy traffic, I get occasional clicks and pauses, presumably caused by momentarily picking up bluetooth signals from other phones(?)

Yes, the '98 and '99 engines are identical. If you get serious about this, I can help. There are many helpful PAIR threads on this site, but all the info. isn't in one place. IG Thanks. I'll let you know. What is the reason for doing this mod ? My reasons are: 1. Reduce or eliminate the slight backfire/popping on decel due to the aftermarket exhaust and PAIR system. 2. Get rid of the hardware associated with the PAIR system. It clogs the area under the airbox. Will make future maintenance easier. Won't have to remove hoses, etc.. What? I have "an aftermarket exhaust" and have never had any "backfire/popping on decel". As for the PAIR system "clogging the area under the airbox" and this making maintenance difficult, I've owned my '01 for 9 years and this hasn't been an issue either. I *did* disable the PAIR valves once (even had some flash blanking plates to fit) and I reckon the engine ran worse, so I put it back how it was. FWIW, the only engine-related mods the bike has are a BMC airfilter and O2-sensor eliminators, and it runs pretty well (it will wheelie when accelerating hard in 1st and 2nd). All that unnecessary hardware can stay there forever as far as I'm concerned; out of sight, out of mind.

Awesome work, Dr Seb! You Sir, are a true artisan.

It's called a chin curtain. I have one on my old helmet (Shoei XR1000 or RF1000 for Mrkns) that I had to buy, and also one that came with my new XR1100 (RF1100). I also have a Whisper kit, which quietens things down even more. Both the chin curtain and whsiper kit simply poke in between the liner and shell on the bottom of the helmet. Both helmets aren't quiet: the XR1000 has lots of wind noise, while the XR1100 has less wind noise but makes a strange booming noise. I wear earplugs with both, regardless of chin curtains or whisper kit.

Good luck, Rob; I honestly and fervently hope things go well for you. Even though I damaged my shoulder in 1999, and then suffered what I expect is permanent partial nerve/physical disability of the same shoulder due to 'medical misadventure' during open-heart surgery in 2010, I can't really appreciate the sh!t you're having to go through. Eight months of physio helped to regain about 75% or so mobility, so I can't complain (but frequently do anyway, as it hurts most days, and sometimes it gets "the shakes" or doesn't work properly, but thems the breaks - or as the surgeon said, "You get that sometimes..."). All the best, Sir.

So, you mean you use the speakers plus foam earplugs? How does that work for you in terms of volume and clarity? I initially just fitted the speakers in the ear cavities in the Shoei, then added those pads. They work well, but it's hard getting both speakers in exactly the same place, especially with them trying to grab onto everything when you're trying to put them in! I was intending to maybe use earbuds on long rides, but I've had trouble (with all four pairs of earbuds I've got) to get them comfortable. I even tried taking the silicon flange thingos off the most expensive ones (some Sonys I bought before I went into hospital for surgery in 2010) and replacing them with cut-down 3M earplugs with a hole bored through the middle with a hot skewer. They fitted better, but still felt annoying. Strangely, the best buds for sound are the ones that came with the Walkman - not true in-ear ones, as they don't project into the ear canal. As such, they won't block out external noise much, and may well fall out (haven't tried them in the helmet yet). If they had some silcon rubber flanges that fitted to my ear, they might be ideal, but they're just smooth plastic, albeit a very slim profile. The couple of times I've used my new helmet plus sound to work and back has made me somewhat enamoured with the idea of just putting my helmet on without faffing around with putting earbuds in, squeezing the helmet over the top, plugging in the cable, etc. Otherwise, it's just negating the utility of a wireless system. From what I've read in the reviews on WebBikeWorld, these issues are common ones. It's a real pity that few if any helmets block wind noise, then all this would be easier, as it would if there were high-quality, reasonably priced earbuds with a slim profile and comfortable inserts. It almost makes me want to take the car.... - not!

I jes' buyed me a dual SMH10 kit, two clamp kit base adapters for using earbuds and a choice of microphones, and an SM10 dual-stream bluetooth stereo transmitter unit so we can both listen to the same music. Oh - and a new Shoei XR1100 (RF1100 for you Mrkns) which one of the SMH10s is now fitted to, tinted visor, and two pinlocks. Last week I had the bike given a full service: all fluids replaced, ignition system and valve clearances checked (for the first time since I bought the bike 43k miles and 8 years ago), and throttle body synch checked. Everything in spec. The guy who did it all, George- "The Motorcycle Doctor" is a mobile mechanic, so he came to my garage, beavered away for 4.5 hours without stopping, and charged me NZ$295 all up. He did a sterling job - the VifFerarRi now runs like a top, very quiet and smooth. I think the thing that made the biggest difference was getting rid of the Mobil1 and putting Motul 5100 in. I've used Mobil1 three times now, and it ALWAYS makes the engine more rattly and the gearchange rough . George told me off and said I was running the wrong oil, and the wrong fuel. I might get him back to recalibrate the TPS to richen the mixture a bit, as it's running quite lean with the satantune and BMC airfilter, and he said tweaking the TPS would fix that - he's done it on several bikes. I don't have a decent map for the PCII, so I took it off.

Well, I had the Motorcycle Doctor (yeah, that's his handle - he comes to wherever you want, with his vanb full of gear) in this week to service the VFR. I bought it in 2004 at 37k miles, it's now at around 61k, and in that time, apart from oil/filter changes, sparkplugs, etc. and one SV synch, it's had no servicing. He checked the valves, throttle bodies, changed all the fluids, checked the electrics, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Everything in spec, took him 4.5 hours without stopping, and cost me NZ$295 (that's like ... I dunno, US$23?) It made a HUGE difference, mostly because of changing the Mobil 1 for Motul 5100, which is what I usually run. Every time I try Mobil 1, I hate it! It makes the bikes rattly, and the gearchanges sh!tty. He said, "Don't use it! It's not specced for you bike, and it's not right for it. He's coming back next week ($85) to adjust the TPS to get rid of the leanness caused by running a BMC airfilter and Staintune highmount with a cutdown restrictor. (I've given up on the PCII).

The first step is to make sure the springs are right for your weight and riding style (and prefered riding roads). I fitted a Elka rear shock a few years ago (VFRD group buy) and fitted a pair of new Sonic springs in the front. I then had the front forks overhauled, with new bushes, seals, Racetech gold valves and shimstacks, and it was great on smooth roads or at speeds below 40mph or over 60 mph, but otherwise gave my arms a workout. Turned out the springs were too stiff for my weight (Sonic Springs' spring calculator was - like Racetech's - too track-oriented). So, I sent my forks back for another fettling, and softer Ohlins springs were fitted, and the shim stack adjusted slightly. HEAPS better, but now the Elka felt wrong. So... I took a long ride at the beginning of this year to NZ's Ohlins specialist (who did the fork work) and they did some measuring, found the spring on the Elka was spot-on for me, and replaced the entire ELka internals with an Ohlins shimstack, oil, and seals. It's now AMAZING - I've made one minor adjustment to the compression damping, and other than that, all I need to do is give the preload ring a tweak up or down to dial it in for load and/or what riding I'm doing. It's so compliant now, and a pleasure to ride.

I've had my '01 coming up for 8 years, and never checked the valve clearances. It's now up to around 62k miles (mostly used for commuting, with only a handful of long weekend trips away). It's got some noises that might be valvetrain based, which are getting me close to having them checked by someone else. Once upon a time, I wouldn't pay for someone else to do work (apart from tyre changes), but there's a bike shop two doors up from my new job, and having my wife get tradespeople in to work on the house while I was recovering from surgery two years ago was a watershed moment for me. No - I didn't cry (at least not about that), but it made me feel OK about not doing everything myself. Just because I can do stuff, doesn't mean I have to now.

I just ditched my home-made Unifilter, after 5 or 6 years of use, and bought a BMC instead. The main reason is that the Unifilter foam was a pain to wash and re-oil (at least with the super-tacky spray-on dirt bike oil I used). My first impressions were quite good, apart from the BMC's frame having a slight curve to it, presumably imparted during shipping, but of course when the airbox cover screws were tightened it straightened out and clicked into place OK. On the first ride the bike seemed to run better, allaying my fears of it maybe running a bit lean due to the surface area being effectively twice the size, and the filter being thinner.

What an inspirational, exciting and uplifting series of posts, Lenna! I'm so glad to hear the way you and your friends have sorted things out to make you mobile again. (I'm also feeling rather contrite coz I showed this to my SpousalUnit and she told me off for my crap attitude.... Oops... ) Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to more stories and pix of further adventures!

1. Possibly; they will fix the hesitation when going from off-throttle to on, especially if you make sure there's no slack in the throttle cable. 2. Not necessarily, but if you do, get a newer model as support for it will be available for longer. 3. Yes. I've had O2 eliminators for around 7 years, but a PC2 for only a couple of those years. It's much better than without them. 4. Synchronise the starter valves. 5. Unlikely, unless it's misfiring. 6. Maybe. Make sure it's clean. 7. Doubtful, unless your tank's full of crud or water. 8. No. Unless your cat is even more annoying than most felines... 9. Maybe, but probably not.

Nup - they were perfect!

Not even close, a 300 lb rider would need something over 1400 lbs/in to be even close. A 1000 lb spring on a VFR is good for around a 170lb rider. BR *snortl* Dunno what my Elka spring is supposed to be, but Kiwi Suspension Specialists measured it, and it was (IIRC) 890 lbs (or was it 800?) KSS's guru (Robert Taylor) said it was perfect for my weight and riding style, and so it has proved to be, once the Elka was Ohlinised.

Red? <snortl> How common... I have had no problems with rideability since I disabled the O2 sensors and took the slack out of the throttle cable. I ride it everyday in and around traffic, I've done three-day trips on it, gravel roads, all sorts of conditions, no problems. Probably why I haven't even test ridden another bike (even friends' bikes) in the last nearly 8 years...

Yeah, that would be because most VFR riders aren't squeeedz.

Are there any symptoms of this Rob, apart from poor economy? I just filled the bike up this morning, and a quick calculation says I got only 25mpg on the last tank. Admittedly, that was all commuting at often much less than 90km/h, but even so, it's lower than I expected. Admission #2 is apart from changing the oil and checking tyre pressures, I've done no maintenance on the bike this year (haven't even washed it for as long as I can remember). Next up (when/if I ever get time) is to clean or replace the air filter. Checked the plugs last night - they just look like plugs (albeit a bit weird, coz they're iridium NGKs).

Whelp, my forks have been upgraded twice. The first time, I put in Sonic Springs of (their) recommended spring rate for my 180 poondz - 0.95 kg/mm, IIRC. Then I had the forks fettled professionally, with Racetech Gold valves, and shim stacks of the appropriate collection (but (however!) I dunno what the shim stack was - didn't ask). The forks were also tested and machined for concentricity, new seals and bushes fitted, and new Ohlins oil fitted. The result was very compliant, and the steering very precise. The ride was great, however (but!) only at up to 40 mph, or over ~65mph. In between, on less than smooth roads (i.e., many of our highways), my arms got a severe workout. So... Round II. Sent them away again, had Ohlins springs fitted (once again, dunno what rate). The damping was eased somewhat to suit. The ride was now much less complaint and much more compliant, but slightly less precise in the steering. The real improvement came when I had the Elka rear shock fettled to match the front end - then the two ends weren't fighting one another. The spring rate was perfect, but the damping was ... just wrong. No amount of adjustment could get it right. It now has all Ohlins internals, including oil (pure baby lesbian afghani furseal penguin whale oil, of the rarest variety). It is now sensitive and easily adjusted just by winding the preload up/down. Even two-up with luggage, it's still compliant whereas before it was rather abrupt and let me feel every bump. After it was set up, apart from appropriate preload adjustments, the only adjustment I made was a couple of clicks on the compression adjuster. Anyhoo - dunno how/if that will help you. I can tell you that both Racetech and Sonic Springs spring rate calculators are biased towards racetracks (even if you put in 'touring' as the kind of riding you do), and too stiff for real-world roads (well.. those in Aotearoa, at least, which are mainly hobbit tracks...)

I just roughly cleaned mine, taped the disc, and used some gold wheel paint in a spraycan. (The right-hand side disc carrier was silver, the other gold, so sprayed them to match). Did the same with my '90 VFR750 when I had that too. It seems to adhere well to the aluminum, because it never flaked off.