vikingGoalie

So I took a long hiatus from riding. Probably a familar story, I used to ride all the time but got married had kids decided I shouldn't be hooliganing around on my bike and sold it. So fast forward 15 years... I've always really liked 5th gen VFR's and always wanted one. Welp 18 months ago (roughly) I finally was like f'k it i'm getting a bike and I put search alerts up for a 5th gen vfr and bid my time. Finally I saw a deal pop up that I pounced on. A 1998, with 13k miles on it, the previous owner had an incident where it fell over in gravel 😐 so the fairing on the one side is scratched up. But I thought to myself at that mileage, for 2K hell I haven't ridden in 15 years maybe it's not so bad if there's scratches (barely noticeable from 10 feet away). So with cash in hand I came home with my VFR. At first I was unexpectedly a nervous rider, that only lasted a couple weeks as I got my riding instincts back. It probably took took a good 6 months before I was really second nature and was riding with my bike, instead of "on" my bike. But now, 5K miles later I ride whenever I can. Whether it's a simple hey we need some small item that will fit in my tail bag (I have a tank bag that I put over the pillion, which works really well) Or I just want to ride for the heck of it as long it's above freezing I'm good. Just other day I was riding though and I was really starting to push her through her paces. The bike is definitely still more capable then I but I feel very competent once more. But I just came away with what an awesome all around bike this truly is. It's one thing to know that you are getting a great bike, but another to experience and feel it in your bones. Anyhoo just wanted to chime that in... (Pic from day i brought her home)

Voltage before I fired it up was 13.0V. after farting around with it for a while and coming back it was 12.8V. I did check the contacts to the battery and the starter relay connector they look fine. Good call on the frame ground I will check that. So I took the battery out and over to batteries plus, they did a load test on the battery and it's CCA is above what it's rated and the voltage is fine so it's not the battery. That might be it! The bike was hot on the ride I did, the fan even kicked on at one point because I was waiting at a light. Now today I buttoned everything up and was like screw it I'm riding it's too nice out. I did about 25 miles with one stop it did get a little warm at one point where the engine was reading 212 while I was stopped but mostly it was a good bit lower then that. Thing is I checked the voltage when I left (13), checked when I got back, 13. So the battery was being charged and didn't drain at all. But I have to do another test now where I check the continuity on the stator when it's hot. I don't think I have an issue with the R/R though I might just replace that here soon, just because of all the stories about it. Thx for the tips guys, it's definitely a mystery. In some ways a failed R/R would make me a little happier, only just because I think 100% know what the issue is and I can fix that. I don't like mysteries when it comes to issues with anything.

Battery is 9-10 months old. The connectors look fine no burnt anything or corrosion. I keep the bike in the garage, but it is a pretty cold garage in the winter. If the bike is going sit for any length (which for me is just a month or two in the dead of winter) I have the battery on a tender. If it's the cold months I might be riding only 1 a week hopefully more, but since it's cold out there I keep the battery on a tender in general when it's cold and I don't think I'll be back on the bike in the next day or two.

I'm trying to troubleshoot a possible issue with my charging system. So I got on my VFR other day and started it up, it fires right up. But I notice something odd, the clock and my trip meter had reset. I set the clock while the bike is warming up, but my radar is up now. I run a few errands and the next stop I fire the bike up and the clock resets again, uh-oh I know when the battery gets really low this can happen. I tempt fate a little make one more stop an when I fire it backup it barely starts, meaning it starts pretty much right up but engine cranks over like it *just* had enough juice to fire up. After it's started it runs normal. So knowing that the charging system on these (98 VFR) is weak point and all the R/R failures people have had I get home and put the battery on a tender over night. Next day, after off the tender an hour or so, battery is reading 13V with the motorcycle off. I did a continuity test of the stator, testing to see if any of the phases are grounding out. Pass that test. I then did a diode test of the RR and that passes. I then put the meter on the battery and fire up the bike. I swear my first test I held around 14.5V when rpm's where up and 14V at idle. But 2nd time I video'd it and it seems like some variance. I know I need to directly test the output from the stator with the bike running, honestly just forgot to do it but will. But any thoughts?

Yea. like I said I know better. but i was rushed and in a f'k it frame of mind. While I might explore Helibars at some point, the reality is I don't need em. I can pretty much run a tank of gas out and my wrists ache some but not too bad. My hips/knees/back are 100% fine. But when I started cramping in that hip I knew right away why, it was stupid hot in the sun and i literally sweated through all my clothes by the time i was home. Which even that normally doesn't happen if I'm at highway speeds. I got lost after coming out of the forest and tooling around at 30-40mph in back little roads with no shade. But it started out awesome this road (google map photo) through a state forest is not something I'd want to go challenge at high speed but it's a very nice ride.

So I know better, but other day I started off dehydrated playing a couple hours of hockey. Then I went and shovelled/wheel barrelled a ton of rocks from front to back of the house, oh did I mention it was 90 out? So then I had to go down to see my parents. It's a pleasant 60ish mile jaunt, i quaff down some water, foolishly don't take extra with me and head off. I'm an all the gear, all the time kinda rider. My jacket is warm, but it's well vented and as long as you are moving isn't *too* bad. My pants, they have 2 vents in them. Don't think they actually vent jack and I can tolerate them but they are, honestly, hot as hell. Anyhoo trip down is uneventful I gleefully don't see any rolling lights (no comment), trip back. I decide let's take the scenic route. There are some nice back roads in PA through the mountains/forests. I've never been this way but I looked at my trusty google map pretty hard before venturing out. Well the trip was rather enjoyable, but hit a snag. The road I wanted to go down was closed, bridge out, so followed the detour. Then I went off the rails I thought I could just kinda generally head a certain direction and I would hit the road I needed to hit. But this area is littered with HUGE apple orchards that you have to go around, it wasn't high speed driving, more like 40mph and I was burning up (heat index was north of 100). Finally I pull over into a shaded spot (hard to find in apple orchard land) consult my google map and get sorted out. My left hip flexor is cramping like mad, and even a day later is while a lot better is not 100%. (note I play hockey, a lot, as a goalie, I have *very* flexible hips). I ended up doing a giant circle (like xtra 35 miles), which normally that's kinda part of the fun of exploring while riding, which had me in the sun a lot more and a lot slower then anticipated. All I can say is 1. wow I must be getting old. 2. drink some damn water when you are riding. 3. I am an idiot. 4. cramping hip flexor's are a minor suck. I will also say, I had a great time tooling around on my vfr. While my wrists do get a bit sore on longer rides I love the riding position and 100% good with it stock. For me the wrists are not about the weight/up&down angle. My wrist complaint is along the joint going to the thumb. It's that lateral angle that can cause me grief,but... I can manage that I'm pretty much fine for a full tank of gas and at the end of it need a little break and then ok for another tank of gas.... I am going to take this bike cross country some day, anyhoo I'm 99% sure my cramping is hopping on my bike dehydrated when it's stupid hot out and not drinking water along the way, so moral of the story don't be like me 🙂

I love this site, thank you @Gebruiker

wow nice job on the 1400 i wish i was that talented painting wise, but that's a blind spot for me. the VFR decal at the bottom there is what I was looking for. I am kinda torn on this. While I want my VFR to be purtty she's not a garage queen. I will ride the piss out of this bike or as much as time allows. I definitely keep up on maintenance items. It's just the matte color is starting to annoy me more 😉 I greatly appreciate the offer to help out with a decal. I guess step one for me is i need to get my arse over to the body shop I know to see what they think about getting the paint right. Then making sure my finance minister (aka my wife) doesn't have an objection on that 😄 then figure out the decal part of it. I started this thread mainly because I was like hey I'll need decal(s) if I do a true repaint of this, started looking around for some and didn't find any.

When I picked up my 5G back in Nov 2020, I got a great deal (imo) on a mechanically perfect vfr, only had 13K miles on it and purchased for 2K. I've had 2K trouble free miles since then. The only real flaw was that the previous owner dumped the bike in a gravel driveway and scratched up the fairing. The fairing has some scratches in it from the gravel. *that* i could 100% live with. but the previous owner tried to repaint it and said they used offical honda vfr red paint. Problem is it's flat and not very glossy. He did not clear coat it. Still I was estatic with the bike, and I figured hell I haven't ridden in forever I might actually drop it so who cares. So my question(s) are. Could it be flat like this because it wasn't clear coated? and if I take it to a body shop to just fix it I probably need a new VFR decal and where do I get one? thx

the new camry's are pretty nice. this was a much older camry that looked like it was about to break apart ala 6 million dollar man style...

So I returned to riding after a long hiatus. I feel like I'm one with my VFR now, have about 1500 miles of saddle time on her since i purchased last november. One thing that I notice is how obscenely fast people in random non sport vehicles actually travel. So today, I'm coming back from a short trip to the store (If what i'm getting fits in my bag on the pillion I'm not taking a car) and perhaps I tool along a little faster on my VFR then I would otherwise but I like to think I'm a pretty safe rider, I'm going perhaps a little over the speed limit (cough 80 in a 65). and I have a guy in a base model camry blow by with a coffee can civic behind him. So I'm a curious fellow, just how fast are they going? Well only one way to find out... So I nail it and they are doing 110, it's not like they are sports cars. Now there weren't many cars on the road, or anything it was a straightish section of interstate and after my curiosity was satisfied I spun back down. But jeebus back when I rode all the time (oh wait I ride every day now) I don't recall generic cars flying along at triple digits like that. Thing is this is not isolated. I see it all the time around here.

thx for the info. Not my first bike, but the first bike I really loved was a '83 KZ1000J. I rode the piss out of that bike, did a couple 1000 mile rides on it, straight through mind you. (a lot dumber and younger then) so have a soft spot for the old inline 4 kaws

so next week we are supposed to crack the lower 60's. Today is gonna be 55. So really I had about a 45ish day pause in riding.

i almost bought one of those, I *love* the eddie lawson colors. How does riding your ZRX compare to the vfr?

ok, i'm such a liar. Either that or my VFR is a foul temptress, you decide... so I'm not doing any real trips per se. But any excuse i have to run an errand or do a short outing, if it's not brutal cold out the VFR is getting busted out. Today my wife called and had forgotten her wallet and was at the grocery store, of course I had to come riding on my steed to rescue my damsel in distress 😄 oh and then had to put a a few (er 20) miles on my bike before I went home. Perhaps I've just missed riding that much, but I'm truely hooked once more and don't mind that a bit. oh it was a balmy 39F when i ran out today....