Lorne

5 hours ago, JZH said:

Thoughts...?  (Especially re the crazy shelf idea!)

If nothing else it'll be a hell of a lot less work/$$$ than Colin Furze's underground lair.

I'm guessing your benches/toolboxes will sit underneath the bikes, right? Castors will let you rearrange them easily to suite your needs. Please snap a few pics of the build to show your progress.

The only green 3-pin connector I can find in the wiring diagram. The visible part of the connector in your pic goes up to the bank angle sensor. Are the wires to the other end the crispy looking ones behind it? On my '09 Vtec the connector goes to the left and into the loom.

Note that the wire colours differ on either side of the connector. This shows the early and post '05 wiring diagram of the relevant connector.

Good luck.

Today pulled the cover off my VFR and gave it a bath. Even under a carport and with a bike cover the dust finds a way to get everywhere. Then I cleaned the chain, aired up the tires, installed the battery, and changed the oil & filter. Next job will be replacing the cam chain tensioners, a task I've put off far too long.

For a variety of reasons it's been almost 3 years since I last rode it. Since 1991 I'd never skipped a year until 2023. 

Not the most exciting story, but it's an excuse to show this pic.

On 6/4/2025 at 10:11 AM, IrishViffer said:

anyone who's done a similar conversion and used extended lines steer me in the right direction!

My VFR is an '09 Vtec but is similar enough that my install solutions may help you.

I chose a set of ST1300 cables that are about 4"/100mm longer. Rerouting the clutch & brake hoses behind the fork tube gave plenty of slack. I was able to move the brake reservoir intact, but there wasn't quite enough space for the clutch. Here are the details:

Yet Another Lil Handlebar install- 6th gen

On 5/29/2025 at 4:44 PM, St. Stephen said:

He headed inland on a back road, waved to say what fun! I waved back.

(almost) Any ride on PCH is fun, but it's even better when you cross paths with a like-minded rider/driver and share the joy.

Very nice VFR you got yourself.

Curious about what prompted the fork tube replacement. Not bent, I hope. 

You have an embarrassing number of great roads to play on, so let us know how you adjust to pavement riding. 

I admire everyone that takes on a challenge like your rebuild project. Mine always start with great enthusiasm but my follow-thru lacks commitment.

Might also be a good idea to check the master & slave cylinders, and all the lubrication points in the lever pivot. While you're at it you should check the front brake lever & hydraulics.

Hmm, the Triumph holds an extra half-gallon of fuel but the Tuono is a bit lighter and shorter wheelbase. But aren't they both pretty similar to your Multi ? Both of 'em are good looking bikes.

You should also check your starter relay(adjacent to the battery) and all its connections. Remove the rubber boot to get a good look at all the wiring terminations. Charging power from the rec/reg gets to the battery via the starter relay.

I still wonder how a 6th would run if the VTEC valves were forced to operate throughout the rev range. Alas, my mechanical skills are not up to MacGyver'ing something like that. And it may be that the ECM wouldn't like it.

Take a close look at the wiring diagram for your VFR. The clutch switch is tied to the side stand switch and both are connected to the ECM.

Does your neutral light illuminate/extinguish when you shift into/out of neutral?

One wire from the clutch switch changes colour to Green/Red and goes to the starter relay, located under the seat adjacent other the battery.

Check the condition of the starter relay and all the wires connected to it.

5th Gen wiring diagram in VFRD Downloads:

Thanks for the tips, fellas. The paint (clear coat methinks) on my '92 VFR750's forks was scarred in a few places, and after stripping I found most of the legs were reasonably smooth. Some areas of the side facing the wheel still showed some casting texture.

Both legs are stripped, the lower one's been polished with emery paper, scothcbrite pads and Solvolautosol. Didn't take too long to have it looking presentable again. Decided not to repaint them, and they still looked great after 2 years and 15K miles.

My '09 VTec came with black painted fork legs, and I've been thinking about stripping and then clear coating them. Does anyone know how smooth the aluminum is? Tia

On 5/5/2025 at 9:33 AM, Worfje said:

I had a back-and-forth discussion with the owner of Eastern Beaver on the root cause and I am convinced their advice on connecting the R/R directly to the battery led to the issue in my situation.

Electrically, I can't see any difference between connecting the rectifier output via the starter relay (Honda) or directly (Eastern Beaver). And I 

7 hours ago, JZH said:

But it would also be interesting to know if the VFR's "standard" reg/rec wiring design is also used by other brands (or even other Hondas).

Wiring diagrams for the Honda VTR1000F, Triumph Speed Triple 1050, and Suzuki VStrom 1000 show the same wiring configuration as the VFR - charging output goes to the battery via the starter relay.

4 hours ago, 2ndHonda1stVFR said:

Can't wait to put some miles on it.  I feel it is safe to assume the plugs could use to be changed soon, as well as oil + filter, and probably most other fluids, haha

Your new VFR looks in very nice condition. Yeah, after 2 decades changing all the fluids is wise. Also check all the electrical connectors for corrosion/ signs of heat stress. Including the ones on the starter relay, beside the battery.

1 hour ago, St. Stephen said:

My ear worm was Blondie's Union City Blues tho

Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time… a long time.

Well that’s enough Star Wars trivia.

NorCal has so many great motorcycling roads that are usually nearly empty. And Hwy 96 is top notch.

 We have some good roads in BC but the engineering falls down in the tighter bits. 

On 1/9/2025 at 7:54 PM, FromMaine said:

I never hear about Rt 20, specifically between Willits and Ft. Bragg.

I'm not sure where I'd rank Cal 20, but definitely below Cal 1 (coast to Leggett) or Cal 128 (coast to Cloverdale).

22 hours ago, St. Stephen said:

BTW Rt. 96 is just heaven for motorcycles.  😎

Oh my, yes, Cal 96 is a terrific road. The whole ride is scenic and, as I recall, the twistiest part is between Weitchpec and Hoopa. Which you can view right here - also on a red v-twin back in 2003. 

Some history about the elf racers, Ron Haslam, and Honda:

https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Racers/elf_motorcycles.htm

4 hours ago, Captain 80s said:

Sounds F-ing great in person.

Your '86 sounds great, can't remember when I last heard a 2nd gen. The Yosh cans are pretty small but aren't harsh or overly loud, and definitely sweeter than e internal disc Supertrapp I had on my 3rd gens.

The number-of-the-beast license plate is: 

On 3/6/2025 at 2:50 PM, 95vfrinterceptor said:

cruising down the highway at about 70 miles per hour when I lost all power to the bike it just started bogging down

I agree with scup33's points.

Keep in mind that the battery gets recharged by your VFR's alternator, via the rectifier/regulator and the starter relay. Any of those components may be faulty, as well as the wiring and connectors that link together. 

Idle speed should be 1,000 rpm give or take 100.

If you don't already have them, owners & service manuals can be downloaded from

https://www.vfrdiscussion.com/index.php?/files/category/2-owners-manuals-and-other/

6 hours ago, FromMaine said:

I think we have the beginnings of a "club" here.😁

From the most humble beginnings...

I just wish I was competent to convert my '09 to accept an 8th men's 10-spoke 🧰🤫

On 3/12/2025 at 6:29 PM, FromMaine said:

That rim was on my 97 for 74,000 miles, and is now on my 2001.

My 8-spoke spent 45K miles & 5 years on my 1999 VFR800, and kept it when I sold the VFR. And it has spent almost 50K miles on my '09 Vtec.

6 hours ago, Captain 80s said:

The Guest/Rain bike...

The first time I saw a tricolore RC24 in the flesh was at my local shop back in '86. It really did look like the future. A few years later I was smitten by the 3rd's sssa so I never ended up owning one - or even getting a chance to ride one.

Q: in the pic shows the rear tire from directly behind it looks like the wheel is offset to the right. But I'm guessing the camera's position is at fault 'cause your work is always so thorough.