Lorne

Hi Lorne, Thank you for your donation of 50.00 USD. We look forward to improving the forums with your donation. Thanks VFRDiscussion

That assumes facts not in evidence 😉. It remains unproven whether or not VTEC, as fitted to the VFR800, makes it better for the rider than the 5th gen. Would be interesting to see just how a de-VTEC'd 6th gen would run.

Thanks for all the replies. I have a hunch that VTEC is similar to eliminating gear-drive cams; they are solutions to a manufacturing problem that don't necessarily offer any benefit to the owner. I don't particularly dislike VTEC, but am curious how well/badly a 6th gen would run with it disabled. Considering all the different mods folk have performed on their VFRs I am surprised that no one has monkeyed with the VTEC system. To be clear, my biggest gripe with my 6th gen is the throttle response going from closed to slightly open. Secondarily, it's motor isn't as smooth as either of my 5th gens. Elsewise, I prefer the 6th gen - though I sorely miss my yellow '99.

Thanks, Joe. You can find plenty of my photos here: my VFR and trip pics

I don't recall anyone at VFRD experimenting with the VTEC system so as to force a 6th gen to operate all 16 valves all the time. Not even sure how to best accomplish this; monkey with the spool valve, or the slide pins, or ? I've owned 5th and 6th gen and never noticed much difference in overall power. Sure, the transition to VTEC can be noticeable, but below and above that point both generations seemed equal. Thoughts, anyone?

Thanks for the sympathy, but so I can't complain as I've been fortunate to ride in NorCal annually since 1994.

Might I offer this oddity to Honda's naming and numbering scheme? Honda's usual pattern is to release new models early in the calendar year. Occasionally, carryover models can be bought before New Years. One exception was the introduction of the VTR1000F, aka Firestorm/Superhawk. For some reason, despite arriving in the spring of 1997 Honda labelled the VTR as a1998 model. I bought the first VTR that arrived at my dealer on April 29, 1997. Both the owner's manual and the vin indicated a 1998 model year: JH2SC3621WM000026, with the W indicating 1998. Unfortunately, I never thought to photograph the id plate which would have shown the manufacture date. I recall the VTR being described by Honda as an 'early release' 1998 model. I always assumed it was because Suzuki would also debut their own v-twin in 1998.

Interesting article from Cycle World's Kevin Cameron about the debut of the Honda Interceptor: 1983 Honda Interceptor

My VFR cleaned up pretty nicely this week. Haven't ridden much since September but an open carport allows dust & varmints to mess it up. Took this photo before putting it under cover to hibernate through the coming winter.

All you need are the footpegs. They'll bolt onto your existing brackets in place of the originals, and use the same hinge pin and spring and feeler bolt. Take a look at a VTec and you'll see. Back in '99 I got a pair from the CBR600 F4i, but the VTec VFR uses the same ones.

Lovely colour and very clean, too. One small change would be to swap for the later(VTec) footpegs which have thinner and firmer rubber pads. And they fit perfectly. The original ones felt way too soft for my taste. If the handlebars seem too high you can swap on ~⅝" lower '90-'97 VFR750 'bars. The bar end weights are different, but your switchgear will mount properly. As I recall, there was no interference with the fuel tank or windscreen. But, the position of the locating tabs on the 'bars differ amongst the VFR models. No worries though, just ensure that the fasteners are correctly torqued.

Like Duc2V4 my stator failed out on the backroads, in my case atop Grand Mesa in Colorado. Actually, it was only mostly dead, unable to keep the battery charged. Managed to bump start and ride the remaining 75 km to Delta, Colo. Troubleshooting was indeterminate, but a local shop had a new battery so I took it as a spare after recharging both. After pulling the headlight fuse and disconnecting the e'vest hookup I managed to finish the trip and get home. Swapped the batteries a couple times along the way, and recharged both every night. I was able to complete our tour of Colorado and made it 3500km/2200 mi home safe & sound. Not the wisest course, but I figured the spare battery would get me to a town where I'd rent a truck. What it looked like after extraction:

Congratulations, HS, both to you and your trusty steed. I've come close to that mileage on a couple of my VFRs and both times traded up to a new bike shortly after. If you were to replace the Veefalo, what would you choose?