Lorne

4 hours ago, Rocks98 said:

Did you reroute the controls or go with longer ones?

I used a set of ST1300 throttle cables, but had enough clearance with the electrical & hydraulic lines by rerouting. Unlike some of the other guys I couldn't make the original throttle cables work.

On 8/22/2019 at 10:44 PM, Marvelicious said:

Has it made a noticeable difference?

Wow, sorry I didn't respond back in August.

To answer your question, yes. The bar end weights reduced vibration almost as much again as changing to tubular bars. Plus, they added a finished look to the conversion.

18 hours ago, fatshoutybloke said:

I suppose alloys aren't strong enough without reinforcing ribs of some kind, which inevitably means nooks and crannies but if they're solid the wheels are too heavy and it's way too expensive to build them hollow.

Au contraire, mon ami, early Suzuki GSX-R750s for example, had three hollow spokes that would be very easy to clean. Don't look as nice as Honda's designs but show that other affordable options exist.

Here is the third Honda V4 GP bike, again from MCN Australia, this time Michael Doohan's 1994 NSR500. Time marches on, as do sponsors which explains the lacklustre graphics. Mechanically the bikes improved every year and in 1994 the NSR took Mick to the first of 5 consecutive championships. 1994 was also my first visit to a GP race, the USA round at Laguna Seca, California, where Doohan finished 3rd - his lowest finish of the year.

 Doohan's '94 NSR500 

Here's another Honda GP bike, again from Australian Motorcycle News. This time it's one of Eddie Lawson's 1989 NSR500s:

 Lawson's '89 NSR500 

Very pretty, and pretty damned serious bit of kit.

Motorcycle News Australia has a lovely photo feature about Wayne Gardner's 1987 Honda NSR500. These Honda GP bikes are spiritual cousins to the VF/VFR street bikes, despite sharing nothing with each other.

Gardner's '87 NSR500

3 hours ago, St. Stephen said:

I know that Laguna Seca and SCRAMP do not have their act together these days…

That's perhaps a bit harsh. Between the gentrified developments complaining about the very existence of Laguna Seca and the feckless Monterey County board of supervisors it'd be tough for anyone to do better.

Monterey County have, in a very suspicious manner, dumped SCRAMP as managers for Laguna Seca: Monterey County sham 

Don't forget that SCRAMP built Laguna Seca more than 60 years ago on what was then US Army land that was later deeded to the county. By contrast, COTA has benefitted from a very sweet deal with the state of Texas - not that there's anything wrong with that.

I know that many -most - of you have never had the fortune to visit Laguna Seca. It is a beautiful place to see a race, though not always with the most exciting racing. Set in a bowl-like valley with grassy slopes dotted with oak trees, and if you clamber up top there are lovely vistas in every direction. You can walk beside the track almost the whole way 'round, and often find yourself mere feet from the racers. 

There is plenty of accommodation within 30 minutes of the facility, though I prefer Pacific Grove/Monterey. On Saturday night in Monterey they close Cannery Row to car traffic but there'll be hundreds of motorcycles displayed all along the street. Also great for people watching - all sizes, shapes, and colours.

Also, Northern California has some fantastic motorcycling roads that those with a few extra days vacation can entertain themselves with. 

MotoAmerica has a tentative date of July 10-12, 2020 so fingers' crossed there'll be some on-track action at Laguna Seca next year.

Thanks, Miguel, it never occurred to me that map data would be so troublesome. You work hard enough on VFRD so don't give it another thought.

I noticed that location data isn't available in a photo's EXIF info. I know that it needs to be encoded to the file before uploading, and I do so for all my images. Then when uploading there was an option to display it or not. What am I missing?

signed,

Blind in Toledo

Jimmy, two months on and I’ve yet to do a proper write-up of my summer trip. In the meantime how about a video of one of my favourite roads, northern California’s Monitor Pass.
  Monitor Pass - 2003 & 2014 comparison 
  Monitor Pass - 2014 westside ascent 

I took another turn over Monitor Pass this summer. Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains, it lies north of Yosemite NP and south of Lake Tahoe. Pine and aspen forest on the west side make way for sage and grassland on the east. The summit offers a nearly mile long straight across an old dry lake, perfect for those wishing to calibrate their speedo. Do stop at the viewpoint, a short ways down the east side, to enjoy a refreshing beverage and take in the view of Antelope Valley, Topaz lake, and the Sweetwater Mountains. Gives you time to decide to carry on or retrace your route. My preference is to ride eastbound, but that may be because it better suits my trip planning.

The road itself is good fun, fairly open and with no tricky corners. In my experience it is lightly trafficked and has always been well paved. The pretty scenery encourages a slower pace with plenty of stops. One of these times I might do so.

There’s plenty of choice for accommodation nearby: South Lake Tahoe & Carson City to the North, Placerville, Jackson, and Sonora to the west, and Bridgeport to the south.

While you’re in the area you really ought to take in some of the other nearby passes: Carson Pass - Hwy 88, Ebbetts Pass - Hwy 4, Sonora Pass - Hwy 108 (my favourite), as well as Tioga Pass on Hwy 120 through Yosemite NP.

That was a long-winded intro to the video mentioned above. A couple years ago I put together a side-by-side comparison of my 2003 (’98 VTR1000) and 2014 (’09 VFR800) crossings. I fudged the timing a wee bit to better match them, but overall my pace was very similar. And there is a ‘glitch’ in the 2014 vid where I edited a stop at the viewpoint.

There's a British firm that specialize in dent repair. Worth checking out their videos to see what a pro can do:

Motorcycle Dent Removal

Afaik, there were no significant difference between 5th gen VFR800s from 1998 to 2001. Certainly none that affected handling or power.

But a few changes popped up, mostly starting with the 2000 model. They include eliminating the manual cold start lever, changing to sleeker mirrors, and changing to more stylish foot pegs for the rider.

Different colours were available during the run, but not every region had the same choices.

17 hours ago, trooper1999 said:

I've got it out of the van this morning

And doesn't it look fantastic! Great job on the fuel tank & bodywork, and the paint work looks perfect.

54 minutes ago, Marvelicious said:

That's the thing that has always kept me away from hard bags..

In fairness, the 6th gen Honda panniers are a *lot* narrower than a set of Givi. And not much wider than the RKA 47 litre saddlebags I used previously. 

I can attest that they are no wider than my handlebars and I haven't snagged a car whilst lane splitting into Santa Cruz.

The bridge too far for me are tail trunks, perched on high above and behind the seat.

It all depends on how much gear you need for a multi-day trip, though.

For others checking this thread, here is the on that works best for me. Simple, inexpensive, and easy to apply or release. Of course, I'd prefer a true cruise control.

Fwiw, here's how the VIN tag was positioned on my '98 VFR800 (Canadian model) when brand new.

What's important is whether the frame & engine number match, and match the number on the tag. 

1 hour ago, EazyRider said:

Is there a VIN tag anywhere else on the frame, like near the headstock tube ? 

No VIN tag, but the s/n is stamped onto the headstock and on rear of the engine just ahead of the shock.

The 1998-2001 service manual shows this Page 1-3, and much more useful information as well. Peruse the Downloads section of this very forum and you will find a pdf version freely available. In the meantime:

Knobby tires and UD forks, eh? Brings to mind this creation from Brivemo Motos. Sadly, not a V4 but an impressive piece nonetheless.

14 minutes ago, Boodysaspie said:

I'm trying to route a new pair of throttle cables.

I'll assume you have stock handlebars. Pages 1-25 & 1-30 in the 5th Gen service manual, in my paper copy as well as the pdf download here at VFRD, show the routing.

From the twist grip they route in front of the right fork tube and the frame (as you note), then inboard of the left fork tube and between the frame and the throttle body.

22 hours ago, LPadilla34 said:

I'm Laura from Phoenix

Hi Laura!  (don't forget your manners, lads - a friendly greeting ought to be the way you welcome a first time poster)

There are a variety of foam earplugs available from a safety supply shop like Grainger Industrial or AGS Safety - both are in Phoenix.

A little trimming with scissors may help to make them more comfortable.

Good luck,

If you look at enough ads you'll get a handle on the price range of 5th gen VFR800s. 

If its a keeper:

Condition trumps age - newer isn't necessarily better. In any case, they are all ~20 years old with no significant difference other than colour. Pro tip: yellow is best.

Condition trumps mileage - lower isn't necessarily better. Many owners have exceeded 100,000 miles on their VFRs, so 40K is a mere pittance.

8 hours ago, anth85 said:

as you can see the the gold one the ports are in line, whereas the newer one the bottom one is angled away

5th gen VFR800s have straight ports as in your gold example. Press photos and the Service Manual for 2002 VTec show it to also have straight ports.

According the p/n's in Partzilla the caliper assemblies changed in 2006, and these later VTecs have the angled ports.

The hose to the lower port carries brake fluid from the left hand caliper to the the right caliper. 

If you haven't already bought a set I'd suggest that it is better to dismantle, clean, and rebuild your bikes calipers. That way you'll know that they are in tip-top shape. Any used part should be treated skeptically.

Good luck.

1 hour ago, speedball73 said:

you said “just press the caliper inboard” - do you mean just using your hands?

Yep, just using hand-power. You are correct that it can take a bit of effort, as well as being awkward, so prying with a screwdriver is preferred. 

I assume this is to ease brake pad replacement? If so, I just wedge a thin blade screwdriver between the rotor and the outer brake pad and pry them apart. You don't really need much extra clearance. Alternatively, you can just press the caliper inboard.

Here are some pics of the left & right calipers on my '09 VTec and a press photo of the VFR1200's. 

Note that the brake line routes from master to the left caliber, then to the right caliper. 

The ABS ring and its sensor are completely independent of the caliper.

The 1200 has a totally different design that incorporates radial mounting.