fallzboater

I took the long way in to work this morning, but it was a bit cool and foggy, so I didn't push too hard. As others have said, there is significantly less brake dive. Also, the bike seemed less sensitive to my sometimes ham-fisted (I'm working on it!) throttle and brake control in corners. Should be much better when I get a chance to wick it up a bit. Slightly harsher on washboard pavement, but not objectionably so. Next I'll have to play around with the f-r ride heights a bit. One thing I noticed on the Race Tech spec sheets is that the Hawk GT (400 lb) stock springs are 0.71, and they're considered too light for that bike. The VFR is over 100 lb (25%) heavier, yet the stock springs are 0.74, only 4% stiffer. Not sure how they measure those though, since the stock springs are progressively wound. Proper rate springs are probably the best $100 you can spend on your bike, and this is an extremely easy mod. :thumbsup:

I just did the Race Tech springs install myself, here are a few notes. I'm about 190 lb without gear, and I ordered the 0.95 springs, which I also noticed were the same part number as for many other Honda models with conventional (non-inverted) forks, including my Hawk GT and older CBR and VFR models with 41mm forks. You'll need a 24mm socket to get the caps off. Loosen the clip-ons first, and cover the tank with a thick towel at least so you won't ding it when you slip. :^( Back the preload screws out, jack the front of the bike up, and push down on the caps as you unscrew them to reduce the chances of buggering up the last thread when they release. Not much force is required. With the caps off, drop the front of the bike until the fork bottoms. You'll need two 14mm open-end wrenches to separate the top cap from the damper rod on each side. After that you can pull out the spacers and springs with your fingers. When you're not watching and the damper rods slide down inside the forks, you'll need needle-nose pliers to pull them back up. With the springs out, measure the oil level by dipping a tape measure into the tubes. Mine was low (~175mm) so I added 7wt oil to bring it up to 120mm. I'll change it next time, when I figure out what to do with the valving. I dropped the springs in, measured the top cap height, and went through the process of calculating the spacer length from scratch, but I'll save you the trouble. With three lines showing on the preload spacers, 85mm spacers (15mm shorter than stock) worked out perfectily. I put it all together, and without touching the preload caps, got 21mm of bike sag, and 35mm of total sag with rider (and full tank of gas). If the springs settle at all, I should be able to take care of it with the preload adjusters. Note that 5 gallons of fuel weighs about 40 lb, so keep that in mind when measuring your sag. I was a bit dissapointed in the Race Tech kit. The instructions were a bit hard to follow for a first-timer since they apply to every bike they make a kit for. The springs, washers, and spacers all fit in 41mm forks, so they don't really locate ideally in 43mm forks. They give you plenty of aluminum tube for cutting spacers (enough to screw up once and make a second set), but the ends weren't cut real straight, so you'll want to make a clean cut to start with. They sure give you plenty of stickers, though. Riding impressions will have to wait until tomorrow!

Good post. Have you, or anyone else here, done much significant suspension development work? I have a buddy a block from my house who does a lot of high-end motocross (and Baja) suspension work, and has done development work with a few of the suspension manufacturers as well. He's definitely available to work on my forks (or rear shock), and I'd love to get the suspension really dialled in. Unfortunately, I haven't ridden enough different bikes, and I'm not experienced enough of a rider, to really know what the bike should (or could) feel like, or which way to go with the different parameters. My buddy doesn't ride street-bikes, and he's a good bit lighter than me. So if I could tell him "it's too harsh on high-speed compression" or "I need 30% more low-speed rebound control", I think he could work with that, but I'm just not sure which way to go, or how much. He'll give me decent pricing, but I still don't want to go through too many iterations (too much down time!). He can either start with Gold Valves, or work with the stock internals. I should have my RT 0.95 springs later this week (I'm 190 lb w/o gear). I'd much prefer to work with him than send my forks off in the mail somewhere. Any particular tips for working with the stock forks? Any good references, or is it mostly trade secrets? As far as stiction, my buddy says the fit and finish of the tubes, bushings, etc. are pretty important, and that's a lot of what you get with nice parts like Ohlins. Also the ports are better shaped to minimize cavitation and hydraulic lock, the tubes are butted (variable thickness) for stiffness, etc. A lot of this is probably more important in moto-cross, but I imagine most of it applies to the road and track as well.

I don't see how this could've had such an effect. If your oil level is now much higher than before it would tend to make your spring rate more progressive since the air volume is less. However, the air volume (unless very small) should have a near-negligeable effect on your sag. I'm ordering some 0.95 or 1.0 kg/mm Race Tech springs tomorrow. No matter how far off my oil level may (or may not) be, it can't bring me from 50+ mm of sag with full preload, to 35 mm of sag with very little preload (preferable).

Almost. Unplug hose #24 from diaphragm #8 and plug the hose with a bolt or something. That will keep the flapper valve open. The snorkle is #8. It comes out with a bit of squeezing. Nice (yet subtle) noises!

I just had a buddy help me measure static sag, I'm OK in the rear with preload on "4", but I have 2" (50mm) of front sag with the preload cranked all the way in, and I'm only 190 lb! So, I think I will go with 0.95 or 1.0 kg fork springs. The front end will be quite a bit higher, so I expect I'll want to raise the rear end and leave the forks at 6-10mm up. If the springs aren't going to be available for a while, I might throw some more preload spacers in.

Thanks for the tips. Right now I have the forks raised 6mm, and have not changed the shock length. I didn't notice a real significant difference, but I'm new to the bike, so I'm still adapting to it every ride (probably best not to fiddle too much, but that's a lot of the fun for me). I plan to get some spacers for the shock, and will probably drop the forks back down at that point, to maintain about the same balance with increased clearance.

Sounds good! I've actually got a 38"+ inseam, so that would be a nice comfort increase for me (hard to believe I could ride my Hawk!). I'll add a catagory for "ERGONOMICS". -David

LSFD? Sorry, I'm new. My bike came with a $130 fender eliminator "kit", but I definitely would've just chopped it up, myself. Nothing like a good hack job. Yep, I'm definitely going to strip the outer rims, maybe the next rainy day here (I'm in the PNW, it's coming!). I think it looks awesome with the contrast. Doing the whole wheel would be too hard to keep clean IMO. There's no "edit" button on my post, maybe becuase I posted from another computer? BTW, I got a good ride in at lunch, and I'm very pleased with the flapper valve and de-snorkle-ization mods. Nice low rumble, and definitely smoothed things out a bit below the VTEC range. Sometimes you really can get something for nothing! Would be interesting to put a vacuum gage on the hose and see when the solenoid tells it to open and close. I had drilled a ton of 1" holes in my Hawk GT airbox lid which made a big difference in that bike (after re-jetting), I bet it would sound sweet on the veefer. -David

I just got my '02 VTEC for a song, and was able to pay cash, but not much left for mods right now. Great bike, but definitely could use some improvements, especially in the FI and suspension. I've been searching the forum, but thought it'd be cool to have a list of little to no cost mods to improve the bike, with comments on their benefits. Should be a good FAQ once compiled, and my bike is bone stock now, so I'm willing to be a guinea pig. Mostly looking for improved driveability and suspension performance, also aesthetic (visual and/or aural). I think weight reduction would be another good catagory. By low-budget, I mean: free, using (adjusting, modifying, or removing) stock parts (or used parts from other models) if possible or worthwhile, or the most cost-effective aftermarket options. For example, a new Ohlins USD fork would be nice, but Race Tech springs, gold valves, and rebound pistons and adjuster caps from an F4, while not free, would be more cost-effective for the majority of riders. Please add comments, links to how-to threads, and any new mods. I'll compile and edit as we go along, and add my impressions as I perform the mods. Feel free to PM me, or just reply. Let's go! -David INTAKE SYSTEM Mod: Flapper valve disable Benefits: Smoother acceleraton through 5k rpm??? Sound enhancement at low rpms? How to: Lift fuel tank, pull vacuum hose off of flapper control valve diaphram on top of air box, plug hose with bolt, secure with zip tie (optional). How it works: Disconnecting the vacuum hose will keep the flapper valve from closing the second intake opening under the control valve. Time: 5 minutes Cost: $0 Permanance: Completely reversible. Help: got to http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?page=parts click on "Air Cleaner" for drawing Mod: Remove intake snorkel Benefits: Sound enhancement at WOT, possible performance benefit due to less restriction. How to: Lift fuel tank, pull snorkle out of right front of airbox lid. Time: 5 minutes Cost: $0 Permanance: Completely reversible. Help: got to http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?page=parts click on "Air Cleaner" for drawing EXHAUST SYSTEM Mod: De-baffle stock exhaust Benefits: Sound enhancement, possible performance benefit due to less restriction. How to: Time: Cost: $0 Permanance: Not reversible without buying another stock exhaust. FUEL SYSTEM Mod: Adjustable fuel pressure regulator (FPR) Benefits: Improve drivability by reducing lean running conditions How to: Time: Cost: $130 (retail) Permanance: Completely reversible. Mod: Dynojet Power Commander (PCIII) Benefits: Improve drivability by modifying fueling maps How to: Time: Cost: Permanance: Completely reversible. FRONT SUSPENSION Mod: Heavier fork oil Benefits: Increased compression and rebound damping with stock internals How to: Time: Cost: Permanance: Completely reversible. Mod: Raise forks in triple-clamps Benefits: Improved handling due to steeper head angle, reduced trail How to: Time: 20 minutes Cost: $0 Permanance: Completely reversible. Mod: Replace fork springs with Race Tech appropriate for rider weight and use Benefits: Improved handling, reduced brake dive. Stock springs are too soft. How to: Time: Cost: $110 (retail) Permanance: Completely reversible. Help: got to http://www.racetech.com/evalving/SpringRat...SpringType=Fork to choose your rate, or direct (15% discount for VFRDG) or through your favorite vendor REAR SUSPENSION: Mod: Increase rear ride height by shimming under top shock mount Benefits: Improved handling due to steeper head angle, reduced trail, increased cornering clearance How to: Add approximately 4mm of shims under top shock mount to raise ride height ~12mm. Time: Cost: $0 Permanance: Completely reversible.