Lorne

4 hours ago, Kbear said:

Is there a technique that you guys have a handle on that may give me more confidence in lifting this motorcycle to the centerstand

Good advice so far, but your reply is vague as to where you hold onto the VFR. I hold the left handlebar with my left hand, foot on the centrestand, and right hand palm-out holding the passenger peg/pannier bracket as indicated below. 

So long as the ground is level your VFR should be quite stable while you lift. As the others note, press down and lift at the same time.

6 hours ago, YorkshireVFR said:

Gen3 query regarding the stock exhaust can. Mines stamped HM MT4 E1. Would one stamped HM MY7 E1 be a  exact replacement?

Assuming both cans look the same, yes. 18310-MT4-670 is the p/n for the 1990 & 1991 models, and 18310-MY7-670 is the p/n for the slightly longer but otherwise identical unit Honda made  for 1992/1993. The 1994-1997 exhaust, p/n 1831-MZ7-670,  is completely different - and much less attractive. For reference, I've attached the pertinent pages from the parts catalogue.

As it happens I have a spare -MY7 but shipping halfway 'round the world would be costly.

Today, in preparation for my trip to the MotoAmerica race at Laguna Seca I did an oil & filter change (Motul 4T 10/40 + oe Honda filter), and cleaned & lubed the chain. Of late I've been using DuPont Chain Saver, a wax based product w/teflon - or so they say.

I also replaced the left hand switchgear because cancel function of the turn signal with is hit & miss. 

Anyhow, it is a good excuse to show another VFR pic. This one on California's PCH at the Willow Creek vista viewpoint, south of Big Sur.

3 hours ago, MaxSwell said:

What/how did you do the first step: "strip fork lowers"?

 

You may be referring to my post above Cogs', if so here is how I tidied up the forks of my '92 VFR750.

As I recall I used 'aircraft' paint stripper, liberally applied to loosen the paint, then more stripper on #0000 steel wool to remove any stubborn bits.

After washing them with plenty of hot, soapy water I used emery cloth to smooth out any scratches/divots. After getting the paint off I took them to my fave mechanic to have him install Race Tech springs & valving kit.

Then polished them with Solvol Autosol (any similar product would work). The process was a lot easier than I expected, and the shine lasted for years and 20K km afterwords.

Obviously, the smoother the fork legs are the easier it is to get them shiny, and my VFR's were pretty smooth.

20 hours ago, JFGarro said:

The last task for the weekend, was to polish the OEM exhaust terminal

Your exhaust pipe looks really good, though the outlet end was originally gold coloured. The plating was very delicate and the bike is 30 years old so not a surprise that it didn't survive. Here is what it looked like originally.

7 hours ago, Captain 80s said:

Obtained a seat cowl in Granite Blue.  Brand new.

Now I need to come up with a bump pad, or other solution. 

As I recall, the bump pad was colour matched to the seat material. Your seat being black should make finding one relatively easy. Good luck.

45 minutes ago, RossR said:

The white really looks good against the yellow.

It certainly does. I had the wheels painted in a pearl white, it has a bit of sparkle in direct sun. I really miss my yellow '99.

The pics in this thread show the difference: stock bars vs. LSL kit on a 6th Gen VFR800.

1 hour ago, RossR said:

Has anybody ever measured the ST cables with regard to length and free play

I used ST1300 throttle cables when I installed an LSL Superbike handlebar kit on my '09 6th Gen. They are p/n# 17910-MCS-G00 + 17920-MCS-G00, and about 4’ / 100mm longer then my VTec's oe cables, and my guess is that it is very similar to your 5th Gen's. Other folk have opted to reroute the stock cables but I couldn't make the oe cables work.

I just noticed this on my YouTube feed, a lap of the Isle of Man TT:

Onboard with John McGuinness | Full Video

ps. you'll have to click the link as I couldn't figure a way to embed the video or make the photo linkable

On 3/9/2022 at 5:31 PM, Grum said:

Just fitted a new 180/55/17 rear tire a Michelin Road 6 at the cost of $389AU. My last rear a Pilot Road 2 was exactly $130 cheaper.

 

I was told that there have been two recent price increases somehow connected with covid issues!! 

Seems like Michelin are pricing themselves out of the market.

Clearly, I'm late to this thread but thought I'd pass along the Canadian perspective. And I can relate to the huge cost disparity between US and everywhere else. 

I've been a Michelin fan since my first set of Michelin Pilot Sport more than 22 years ago and a couple weeks ago I had a set of PR5 installed. They cost C$209 & C$269 (AU$295) before tax & install. 

It's been awhile since I last had non-Michelins; my '09 VTec's oe tires were D207(possibly D204!) and for the next set I tried a set of Pirelli Angel ST. Calling them rim protectors may be a bit harsh, but the third set of tires were Pilot Power 3 which transformed the VFR. 

Lastly, while the Pilot Power/Power RS feel even better than Pilot Roads, their lesser mileage isn't worth it to me.

Glad that you have the rear brake working properly. The service manual doesn't offer a lot of help in adjusting the pedal.

8 hours ago, Dutchy said:

Time for a wee dram

Your ability to maintain that fleet of motorcycles without a garage or shed leaves me only one excuse - laziness 

Thank goodness you have a nice glass to enjoy when the work is done.

1 hour ago, Cogswell said:

That's it! 

You have good taste, mon ami.

I mentioned there was a video from American Honda showing how to eliminate/reduce the buzzing from some 3rd Gen fuel tanks. A baffle spot welded under the top front of the tank might be just a little too close to the tank and ~5k rpm could create a hell of a racket. 

This is a dupe of a dupe of an old VHS tape so the quality is terrible, but it should give you a good idea of the problem.

Btw, the tool would hard to find nowadays but you can access from the bottom of the tank thru by removing the fuel level sensor. Be careful so as not to dent the tank with your efforts.

VFR750 tank buzz fix

Forgot to note 2: if you want slightly higher handlebars but still want them to look factory and option is to fit a set of '98-'01 VFR800 'bars. They are about 16mm / ⅝ " taller, but require a little trimming as the locating pin is in a different location. The bars from VTec VFR800s can fit but require a 1mm shim as they use 43mm forks.

Lastly, if you find that your gas tank makes a buzzing sound when the fuel level is low there is a way to fix that. There is a spot welded brace just ahead of the filler opening that can vibrate. If I find the Honda maintenance video I'll post a link.

Forgot to note that your VFR is missing the stalk-style signals. I assume the signals are now either side of the brake light, but their red lenses can be swapped for the amber ones used on 4th gen VFR750s.

10 hours ago, Captain 80s said:

...if it is "black" (Granite Blue) it will get some graphics that do not incorporate purple.

Graphics without the purple, eh? There are two other graphics that Honda used on black 3rd gens that both look better than the purple set you have. I changed to this VFR graphic on mine a few years ago, and have a spare set if you decide on black. then I used some red pinstripe tape to cover the purple on the swish stripe under the seat.

I also painted the wheels pearl white, and stripped the fork lowers then polished 'em by hand with emery paper/scotchbrite & Solvol Autosol. Two years and 20K km later the forks still glistened. Swapped on an old Supertrapp muffler and a set of Y2K VFFR800 mirrors, too. I should have kept this VFR - ah the impatience of youth.

On 4/1/2022 at 3:09 PM, trmoyer said:

Pondering a set of risers...

Here are a couple of options for you.

Cheapest is to raise your stock 'bars up the fork about ½ to ¾ inches. Be careful that the clamping bolt is not above the fire tube.

If you require more then an LSL Superbike kit might suit you. Note that this kit is for the 6th Gen VTec VFR800 which uses 43 mm forks, but a shim could be fashioned out of 1 mm sheet and curved to fill the gap.

A number of sites list the kit for the 5th Gen VFR800. Availability is unclear but worth a Google search to find out.

This photo shows what the kit looks like on my 6th gen, and here is my write-up of the install: Yet Another Lsl Handlebar Install 

Harrumph, it's about time somebody stood up for that small French upstart, Michelin 😉

Since Y2K I've gone through a number of tires but keep returning to Michelins. First pair were Pilot Sport, then Pilot Power, and most recently Pilot Roads 4 & 5. 

During this time I've also used Bridgestone 020, 010, and 014, as well as Dunlop D208 and D207(oe on my '09 VFR800), and one set of Pirelli Angel ST. 

My favourites have been the Michelins, their combination of ride, grip, and longevity suit me to a T. All of the others were adequate, but lacked something by comparison. Fwiw, only one track day and most of my mileage is on trips in the American West. Plenty of heat, grippy pavement - esp. in California, but also cold & rain.

You have an abundance of choice but nowadays,all of 'em are good.

8 hours ago, Cogswell said:

The ABS models have gold calipers

A slight correction: not all ABS VFR800s had gold calipers, my '09 has black ones.

3 hours ago, slo1 said:

Very few tar strips last year.

Looks a lot drier on your ride, so much greener on my trip.

Funny thing is that for me the tar strips were hardly noticeable. Maybe at 10/10ths they could catch you out, but with such large radius curves you're not leaned over far enough to matter - unless you're really motoring. 

The view at the summit is pretty damned amazing, eh?

Congratulations on the resurrection of your lovely VFR.

Now you've got me thinking that I ought to paint my callipers gold. They'll still be the standard 3-pot linked ones, but it'd perk up the front of my VFR nicely. After all, it is white/black much like yours.

As I recall, there are a number of green ground leads bundled together in the harness above the engine. Some owners have found corrosion at this junction to be the cause of electrical troubles.

If you haven't opened up the wiring in this area it is worth doing so to find out.

Well, for a multi-day trip the current price of gasoline will have zero impact on my plans - thought not on my wallet, unfortunately. For instance, on my 3500 mile / 13 day trip to Laguna Seca in 2019 fuel cost $307, meals another $450, and motels (split 2 ways) were $710. So fuel was about 25% of my trip costs. Mind you, even 3 years ago my average cost was $3.78/gallon - California commands a high price for motoring 😉, but oh the roads...

Otoh, prices of everything else will be higher, too. So for those on a tight budget it would make more sense to consider a shorter trip than to cancel altogether. 

4 hours ago, MaxSwell said:

I really like the first tune but I cannot remember the title or the performer.

First, glad you enjoyed the video. You are correct about how good a road it is, especially on a beautiful day like I had and with sparse traffic. Also, some of those curves go on for ever.

Sure, the song is Dreams by Irish band The Cranberries from back in 1993, sung by the terrific Dolores O'Riordan who was sadly taken from us a few years ago.

You might also like two more of their songs:

Linger - The Cranberries          

Zombie - The Cranberries

ps. I did list the songs at the very end of the video but forgot to include it in the YT description.