ron_al

where does the 43mm measurement come from, the tube or the leg?

Typically, the 43mm measurement refers to the inner portion of the fork leg.

In a "right-side-up" fork (as on OEM factory fork on the VFR 800), that inner portion is what is held by the triple clamps (so they are engineered to hold 43mm fork tubes). The larger outer portion is thus at the bottom, and has the brake caliper mounting points & also the axle mounts.

In an "upside-down" fork (as in the ebay fork that you posted), that inner 43mm portion is the part that extends to the bottom, and the brake caliper mounts & axle mounts are attached to the 43mm end of the fork. The larger outer portion now extends up to the bike, and is held by the triple clamps. The ebay fork that you posted says that it has 56mm tubes at the bottom triple clamp mounting surface, tapering to 53mm tubes at the top triple clamp mounting surface.

So, in order to swap out these forks onto your VFR, you would need a new set of triple clamps, designed to accommodate those larger fork tubes (and that assumes that the fork length is sufficient to maintain appropriate numbers for rake & trail). And as The Phantom pointed out, you would also need to change out the front wheel, axle, brakes, & assorted bits to work with the USD forks.

HTH,

Ron

On a similar but totally unrelated note, I replaced a 5 year old Whirlpool dishwasher today with a new Maytag model. I would swear that the two machines were produced in the same Chinese factory of basically all the same parts with the only difference being the stainless tub on the new one and the cosmetics on the doors. Talk about mass production! I bet all the manuafacture's products are produced in just a few factories.

I know this is entirely :offtopic:

Whirlpool bought out Maytag in 2006; I would not be surprised if both of those models were made in the same factory (just like Ford & Mercury).

However, I would note that they do make at least some of their appliances in the US (or, at least, they were still doing so recently).

(I have a relative who worked for Maytag up until the 2006 acquisitions.)

Ron

AUT_4770.JPG

Kev,

That is just super sharp! Nice job integrating the gen6 bags on the gen4 tail!

Ron

The plastics on my 95 VFR 750 are shot. I either want new plastics or make it into a naked bike. Any suggestions on either. I think I would like a naked bike, but it has to be done right to look good.

A 95 should be a 4th gen - same as the 94 that StelvioOrBust posted here as a naked bike (although I think that he's using the windshield from a CBR600F4i...).

Ron

Nice unit. book marked. Thanks sPOTO, Looks like what I want, but can I get it for 1/2 price?

I'm not cheap, I'm just cheap.

It's not the same tent, but there is a $100 version on sale on REI's outlet site here.

(I have no experience with this tent, I just did a quick search of REI's Outlet site.)

Ron

I have a Eureka Timberline 2 circa 1990ish that works very well for backpacking and riding as it turns out. I also know that the 3 man tents from walmart that look like the kelly or rei brand of medium sized 3 man tents work very well, and are not overly large when setup or packed. One of the guys had to make a replacement purchase for his way to small tent last year.

I'll second Mark5948's recommendation for Eureka tents.

I use a Eureka Backcountry 2 tent (here at CampMor) when I am solo-motorcycle camping. I've had it for several years and am very happy with it.

• It packs down considerably smaller than most other tents I've seen - great for carrying on the bike without taking up much room.
  
• Setup is a piece of cake. (Emphasis added. -Ron) I can quickly & easily put this tent up even after a long and tiring day in the saddle.
  
• A "two man" tent is typically cozy for two people, but it's great for a solo motorcyclist WITH GEAR.
  
• Or, when the wife & I are car camping, it has enough room for two sleeping bags, but not much else.
  
• Note that this tent does not appear to be made anymore - it's not listed at Eureka's website anymore.
  

I also use a Eureka Timberline 4 tent (here) for two-up motorcycle camping trips

• A "four man" tent gives us plenty of room for our sleeping bags AND our riding gear.
  
• But, when packed down, it is still 24" long (due to the length of the pole segments).
  
• The Timberline 2 is still made & available, so it's smaller - but the pole segments are just as long.
  

Prior to acquiring both of these tents, we used a several cheaper tents (from Walmart, etc.) with fiberglass poles. After numerous pole failures with each of those tents, we realized that perhaps spending a little bit more for a higher quality tent (the 2 Eureka's listed above, both of which use aluminum poles) would provide more durability. And it has.

With those two endorsements out of the way, there are other tents available - Aerostich lists several, and Chase Harper offers a pole-free tent (for which you can use your bike as a tie-down point).

Good luck, however you decide.

Ron

Wingspan,

Given the purple-color of the spring, I'm guessing that's a hyperpro spring?

(Also guessing, based on the fact that you are replacing the spring on a stock rear shock, rather than an aftermarket shock.)

I've considered the same change myself - be sure to let us know (or me, at least!) of your riding impressions after this change.

(I'm actually thinking about getting their combination kit, with replacement fork springs and a new shock spring. Not happening yet, but maybe later this year.)

Thanks!

Ron