JoelF

Does the tach move when you crank it?

Regarding oil filters, you can run auto oil filters, good quality for $4 or so. Mazda Miata fitment works. WalMart SuperTech ST6607 ; supposed to be pretty good. Might be what's on my VFR right now. It still runs. Motorcraft FL-821 ; I have run dozens of Motorcraft filters with no issues. Purolator Pure One L14620 ; I have run many Purolators as well on my 944s and 968s.

You can trim the H4s to fit the oddball bulb socket. I'll be curious to hear how the Volar chain holds up, I read some reviews of uneven wear but some that said it was fine.

IMO if the chain is maintained decently the main issue is the front sprocket wearing out, and letting a worn out front sprocket eat the chain is just throwing away money. Plus labor. Changing the whole set for peace of mind is fine if you like, or if you allow the whole system to wear out that's what you need to do. But it may be smarter to replace the worn out element first and save the rest, get 50% more life out of the system at a modest cost. The idea of the set wearing together is clearly not true if you measure and see how much the front sprocket wears vs the other two components. However for sure if you let the front completely go it will take the rest of the system with it so it eventually becomes true. However this is at the cost of letting the smallest and lowest-priced element of the system destroy the more expensive elements. If you have 10-15K on your chain and sprockets maybe just the front is worn out. Why ride a bike with a worn out component in the driveline? I've also changed the gearing on both my bikes, on my Ducati several times and without changing the whole set; just the front, just the rear. No problems.

I sometimes get away with doing a front sprocket and chain if the rear is not too bad off but if the current parts are original they are probably long gone. You can measure the chain for "stretch" (more like wear/slop in the pins) and check sprocket wear with some small 1/4" sockets, see how large a socket will fit in between the teeth with 1mm relief in the gutter. I have a near-new sprocket from another bike I can compare. A new chain on worn sprockets will wear in pretty quick and wear out pretty quick if the sprockets are too pooched. It's a waste of time and money if one or both sprockets are too worn but maybe worth doing, maybe also with a front, if the rear is decent. Also sometimes a whole low-mile setup can be found from a wrecked bike on ebay for pretty small money. If cost is not a big concern just replace all three, otherwise I can try to help you measure what you have. -Joel.

I'm running a stock 6th gen 16T front, I like the gearing a lot more but I should add a speedo healer as the speedo is pretty happy. Next chain+sprockets I'll switch the gearing to a larger rear and 17T front for a longer-wearing system. I'm not concerned about the chain and sprocket mass. More teeth and less scrunch to the chain up front makes for longer life.

Thanks for the detail. I like the linked brakes and hope to keep my system clean enough to avoid any issues but it's good to learn about the innards. Changing brake and clutch fluid is key IMO. On all cars and bikes.

I have a pair of these I ran for a while before doing a bar conversion if anyone wants them for a modest price. You can install them with the VF1000F dampers in them and the only mod is a redrilled control pod locating hole.

I am running the Buell drop pegs and do not have kickstand clearance issues. I did rotate the shifter, and took a propane torch to the brake to heat+bend it a bit. That's easy, you just heat it until it looks almost wet then it bends easily enough without breaking or being brittle afterward.

Serious score. If that bike had been closer to me I'd have tried to get it for $500-$700. With the motor on the bench I suggest a new thermostat, clean and backflush the injectors, check the valves of course, maybe some rubber bits if anything looks weathered. I just did an inexpensive upgrade to a knockoff version of the MOSFET voltage regulator also. Everything looked good on my bike but I'm not a fan of the load-based voltage regulators. I also swapped in LED headlights, which I like but that's pretty far from the oily bits of the bike.

At 56K miles if you get it I'd say just swap in a used engine/trans assembly, under $500 shipped off ebay. That said it's probably not worth messing with at the price unless you have a lot of spare time. You do say he's letting it go cheap so maybe cheaper than advertised. That'd change things a bit.

Headlight bulbs could have been related, possibly too-high voltage. You'd have measured the voltage to see but that'd be before all this other damage. I'm planning to install a knockoff FH020AA unit I got for $30 (USD) from a USA vendor. There are lots of writeups on this. A genuine version is $130 or so, I'm game to try out a knockoff but not the even-cheaper ones direct from China, too much of that stuff I find are QC fails.

Hi, check the alternator stator connections, search for lots of helpful info: https://www.google.com/search?q=vfr+alternator+stator+wiring It could also be battery connections. If you wire in a voltmeter and reproduce the problem you might see the voltage cutting out. You can download a manual from this site also. Cheers, -Joel.

If you are paying for labor IMO a used engine/trans assembly would be a better value as it can just be bolted in with no particular skill or ability. Probably find an engine for $350-$450 if you are patient or a whole running parts bike for $500-ish.

I have had heated grips on a couple previous bikes, they were nice. Some suggest putting an extra throttle tube on the left side to insulate the bar from the heating element, I have not done this myself but instead glued on a section of heat shrink tubing to the bar to add some insulation with less worry about the tube coming off the bar, also somewhat cheaper unless you have a scrap throttle tube on hand. I am sure there is a safe way to mount a throttle tube to a left bar, I just never put my mind to it. BTW I am working on a bar conversion and might have a couple bar options up for sale pretty soon, VF1000F clip-ons (similar to VFR800 helibars) and SV650 helibars. -Joel.