ron_al

Cogswell,

 

Thanks for the confirmation! I will post it over in the Classifieds, with the Ebay links for the various items.

 

Ron

Hi folks! It's been a while since I have checked in. I could use some advice, because I don't want to post something improperly.

 

About 5 years ago, I moved on from my 94 VFR. Before the bike went to her new home, I first removed the full Givi setup. So, in the interests of marital harmony decluttering the garage, we posted the wingrack & bags on Ebay. The listings end on Wednesday (July 29, 2020).

 

Now that I have found my VFRD login again 🙂, would it be kosher for me to create a post in the VFRD classifieds section, with the Ebay links?  (Or is the classifieds forum only to post items that one forum-member wants to sell directly to another forum-member?)

 

[EDIT: Or would this be appropriate for the Bargain Finder section?]

 

In addition, I took pix of the Wingrack when it was still attached to the bike (as I was removing it), both with and without the bags.

 

Should I upload those to the same post in the Classifieds? Or just add the pix to my album? (I see that my old photo album still exists, which is nice.)

 

Thanks!

 

Ron

 

About once a year, at the start of the riding season, I like to remove the pivot bolt for the front brake lever (removing the lever temporarily), and clean it up. I remove the accumulated gunk and apply a very light coating of grease when reinstalling. After that, i generally notice MUCH better lever action. At least, that's my experience from doing so-but that wouldnt cure a problem elsewhere (master cylinder, caliper etc.). Good luck!

Hi folks,

First, if I'm overlooking an obvious thread or online source, please point me to it.

I need to replace the left-hand switchgear unit for my US-model 1994 VFR750F - a 4th gen. (The local mechanic confirmed my initial prognosis - that's why my turn signals don't work.)

However, the local shop also told me that part is discontinued / unavailable.

I am checking on a couple of used parts on ebay.

However, if one of those does not pan out, is there another year and/or model with a compatible left-hand switchgear pod for a 4th gen?

Thanks!

Ron

Back in the day when I had an '86 VF500F, I thought that it went up on the centerstand fairly easily. That would take care of the rear.

I also seem to recall propping up the front of the bike with some solid wooden blocks underneath the front part of the frame rails, after the bike was up on the centerstand. That would take care of the front.

Of course, it's been 18 years since I had that bike, so my memory is kinda fuzzy on that topic. Hopefully another VF500 owner can provide a more definitive answer for you.

Good luck!

Ron

Will EMGO mirrors for late model vfr's fit a 1995?

thanks,

Marty

Marty,

I assume that you are looking for the "condom"-less style of mirror.

Like MK2DAVIS replied, be sure to go with the ones for the 5th gen; specifically, for the 2000-2001 model.

IIRC, the later-generation VFRs (2002 & later) use a different size base, so the mirrors for a 6th gen are not as easy to install as the ones for the 5th gen models. Someone else with both a 4th gen & a 6th+ can confirm that for us if needed.

Hope that helps!

Ron

Hi Maiku! Welcome!

It sounds as though you are trying to balance several conflicting factors - it may help you to prioritize 1 or 2. (for example, if you want to find a bike that would be a suitable first bike for your wife, and if you don't want to buy separate motorcycles, then you may want to pass on heavy, powerful bike like the VFR1200, at least, for now.)

Have you considered the NC750X with DCT? It has internal storage, is an ideal & frugal (70mpg+) commuter and is much lighter & physically smaller so it may suit your wife much better. It is built in Japan so the the build quality is well up to traditional Honda standards too and may suit your needs much more.

In Europe, I think there is a similar model called the NC750S, available with or without DCT, still with internal storage, if you prefer those aesthetics.

And if it is important to find a bike that your wife will be able to ride, then start by taking her to bike shows &shops, to see what she feels comfortable on. (Perhaps a Honda VTR250, or CBR500R, or the new CB650, or a Yamaha FZ6R, or a Triumph Street Triple 675, etc.)

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Ron

These suggestions are out in left field, so feel free to ignore them.

First, you're still reporting low mileage for the amount of gas that the bike is consuming. We assume that the # of gallons that you are pumping is accurate (that the gas pumps are correct), but what about the distance you are traveling? Some bikes have relatively-accurate odometers from the factory, but that's not a given. And a lot of people will change out sprockets to increase acceleration - but at the cost of higher engine speed at any given road speed (and also affecting the odometer accuracy, if that is driven off the rear wheel / drivetrain). You may want to run 100+ miles on the highway, using the highway mileage markers (or using a GPS), and then see how much gas you used. You may find that your odometer is off, and that your mileage is decent.

Second, are there things that could be affecting your rolling resistance? I assume you're not riding around on 15 psi in your tires, but it would be a good idea to double-check your tire pressure. Also, check that your drive chain is properly lubricated & not adjusted too tight. And check that you don't have any issues with one of your brake calipers dragging. (If you put the bike up on the centerstand, with the rear wheel of the ground, and you leave the bike in neutral with the engine turned off, how freely can you spin the rear wheel by hand? How much resistance do you feel?) While I'm thinking of it, it couldn't hurt to check front wheel bearings & rear axle bearings, too - although that's not as easy to do.

Again, these are out in left field, but I didn't see any mention of these, so I thought I'd suggest them.

Good luck!

Ron

Looks like there are 2 marinas on a lake just northwest of Paso Robles that sell real gas...buyrealgas.com or pure-gasoline.com ... I would not hesitate to see how it ran on real gas.

I am not saying that will magically restore the 25% you are down on power and up on fuel consumption but I know the blends that they require in your area are quite troublesome for the refineries. I would run a tank of pure gas just to see, and your panniers are taking a 3-5% hit on he fuel economy as well but they wouldn't impact your hp numbers.

<snip>

Call a few marinas in your area and see if they have pure gas or real gas available.

+1 to that suggestion. Try running an entire tank of ethanol-free gas if you can find it anywhere, and see what sort of mileage you get from that.

Also, in addition to the sites above, I find http://www.pure-gas.org/ to be very useful.

Good luck!

Ron

Thanks all!

Plug washer, check.

Oil filter socket, no.

The K&N filter that is on currently and the one I have both are the 17mm nut version. My neighbourhood motorcycle parts store lent me an oil filter wrench just in case.

FYI,

It was explained to me once that the 17mm nut on the K&N oil filter serves two purposes:

• It's there to give you a point to safety-wire on the filter (for people who ride on tracks requiring that such things be safety-wired),
• And it gives you a point to use to loosen the filter when you are removing it.

Notice the lack of a third purpose - that the 17mm nut has nothing to do with installation.

The same person who explained that to me said that it is important that the 17mm nut on the oil filter NOT be used to tighten/install the oil filter. (You should be able to do that by hand, after lightly-lubricating the rubber seal on the filter, with a dab of the fresh engine oil.)

Just an FYI, before you accidentally end up with an oil slick emanating from your bike.

Have fun!

Ron

So a week ago, I hit a milestone of my own on my 4th gen - see pic here http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/gallery/image/67296-first-100k/

I know that some of you have well over this, but I'm still tickled to have this many miles on my bike. (Before you ask, no, the miles are not all mine. I bought the bike used with 32K on it, so only the last 68K miles are mine.)

I recently turned 97K on my Hawk GT, so I need to cracking if it's going to catch up.

Ron

To the OP, I understand wanting to upgrade & replace components. But is it possible that your existing master cylinder just needs to be rebuilt? Just a guess - I've never seen a leak like that one before. Good luck with however you decide to fix it!

Jon IIRC the radial mount from the RC51 works because the 51 has the same size clutch slave cylinder...not sure if that helps you or if you want to the diameter of the R1 clutch slave to match your front end and brakes...

Technically, I don't think the RC51 clutch master cylinder is a radial-mount master cylinder. It may be that it does not have an integrated fluid reservoir - and, thus, uses one of the little cylindrical reservoirs - but that does not mean that the master cylinder itself is a radial-mount design. I think that the piston in the RC51 master cylinder is the same type of sideways-action as the standard VFR clutch master cylinder.

(I don't have an RC51 myself, so someone else should confirm. But last year I upgraded the front brake master cylinder on my Hawk to a radial-mount unit, so I know that it's more than just the style & orientation of the fluid reservoir. It's about the orientation of the master cylinder piston.)

I don't want to break any forum rules about posting a link to an outside sale item, but a quick ebay search for "brembo RCS clutch master cylinder RC51" should return an actual radial mount clutch master cylinder, if that's really what you're after.

Ron

There are some constraints. Seat height can't be higher than about 800 mm and weight must be less than 200 kgs fuelled. Cost wise I want to stay around NZ$15k ish plus it must have ABS. Cannot be a racer crouch either, she loved the look of the Daytona but said too prone ... Standard VFR and anything more upright than that is fine.

Other than that, no constraints. Chain, belt, shaft, brand, luggage, fairings etc...

These combined criteria rule out several options. Sounds like the base-model Triumph Street Triple meets your threshold (although the higher spec R model raises the seat height unacceptably). Also the honda cb500f and cbr500r. The Yamaha fz/mt-09 lacks abs currently. I may find some other options for you too...

Also, i think the bmw f800r & the g650gs and the ducati monster 659 all squeak in under your cutoffs. I think. And the f700r is close...

What a fun problem to have! Good luck,

Ron

Are you able to turn the broken-half-of-the-key to unlock the bag?

If you can remove the bag from the frame, then perhaps you can use a circlip plier to remove the lock from the saddlebag.

Once you have the lock off of the bag, then perhaps it would be easier to extract the key - or to take it to a locksmith who could do so.

Just a guess.

Good luck!

Ron

Im one to recommend making sure that the new helmet fits well.

The only way to be sure of that is to try one on for a while.

Still, i dont know scientific it is , but it appears the folks at webbikewold have different helmets categorized by shape. They list the new Shoei gt air as slightly narrow, but the old rf1k as medium round. No word on the new arai defiant.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/motorcycle-helmet-shapes.htm

Happy shopping! I like the chance to try on different helmets to find one that i like. Have fun!

Ron

Woot! Congrats! That is a nice feather in the cap. The bike still looks good, too. Nice work!

Ron

If i were looking for high quality mesh gear (& ready to pay accordingly), i would probably start with Motoport's kevlar mesh gear.

http://www.motoport.com/index.php?option=com_redshop&view=category&layout=detail&cid=27&Itemid=15

No firsthand exp with their kevlar mesh, but mw wife & i like our Motoport kevlar (non-mesh) gloves. And a local friend loves his motoport kevlar suit.

Good luck

Ron

Also, the caliper slide pins require a very thin film of high temp grease - might check that, too.

For an older VFR with sliding front brake calipers, I agree this would be a useful suggestion.

For bikes with radial-mount front brake calipers (like a 7th gen), I believe this would be unnecessary. But I don't have any first-hand experience with radial-mount brake calipers, so I cannot confirm. Just my impression.

Ron

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

Dutchy,

Nice job integrating the prettiest luggage with the most attractive vfr. (There, that should stir up some discussion.)

As far as covering or preventing access to the seat lock, it looks to me as if you could perhaps move the brackets/bags forward so that the seat lock is behind the left bag. Yes, would need to remove the left bag to use that key, but you also need to remove the passenger seAt cowl before unlocking the seat anyway. Just my opinion.

And seriously though, it looks to me as if you are missing two of the rear cowl mounting bolts (one on each side, under the front of the seat). I dont know if you were already aware of that, so i thought i would point it out.

Nice work!

Ron

Is there a fund set up for their trip so we can donate?

+1 to this. If someone can set up such a "make your donation here" link, I'm in.

-Ron

Also, are there any other components that I should consider replacing while I have the forks apart?

Thanks.

If that picture really & truly shows original rubber brake lines on a 29 year old bike, then you may want to consider replacing those. Steel braided brake lines are a nice upgrade.

Ron

Also, what tire pressures are you running?

I'll second that. Let us know what pressure you are running. That will help others with a 7th gen to know if you're in the right ballpark or not.

Also, you indicate that these are new tires. What is the date of manufacture on the tires (the 4-digit code stamped into the sidewall of the tire)? (In other words, regardless of when you bought & installed the tires, how old are they?)

Ron

When someone tries to fit a SSSA to a bike like the Firestorm/Superhawk VTR1000F, it's easier to adapt a VFR800 swingarm, because they are both designed for the swingarm to pivot directly off of the engine case.

This leads me to ask: Where does the swingarm of the Varadero XL1000V pivot? Does it pivot in the frame (like the various models of VFR750)? Or does it pivot off of the engine case (like the Firestorm/Superhawk VTR1000F, or like the VFR800s)? Or does it pivot in both (like the CBR600F4/FX, or like the VTR1000R/SP1/SP2)?

We never had the Varadero XL1000V for sale in the US, so I cannot confirm this.

However, I feel fairly confident that the VF1000F (of the early 1980s) would have had the swingarm pivot only in the frame.

That may be one factor to consider as you plan this out.

Good luck!

Ron

Has anyone used this place in Encinitas, CA called Sole Performance to resole their Sidi street boots? It says MX boots, but I called and they do street boots too. About $115 inlcuding return shipping. He says they use a thin motocross boot sole that lasts longer.

Being vertically challenged, I wear out the toe area of the soles pretty quick...

Linky...http://www.factoryresole.com/

Howdy!

Yup, I had a pair of Sidi street boots resoled by those folks, oh, about 10 years ago. The quality of their work was good, but my feet weren't happy with the results (not their fault).

I posted more of my feedback about the resoling experience in last fall's thread here http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/73130-sidi-boot-feedback/page-3#entry864200

At the time, I could not recall the name of the place that did the work. I just went back & checked my records - it was the same outfit.

To sum up: again, the quality of their work was good, but I did not have enough room in my boots for the very small 'tuck' that they made in order to attach the new soles (which was not their fault).

Good luck with your boots!

Ron

In response to the OP:

So...rear shock upgrade, about $400

Are cartridge emulators available for the front?

Looks like a set of CBR wheels (or others that can fit) would run upwards of $300 and likely need new rubber. And new bearings.

My swingarm pivot is sloppy, that needs to be replaced too.

I don't know anything about the radial brake master cylinders, or how much they run. I think my rotors are warped too. They drag for half of the wheel's revolution when I'm pushing the bike.

What else goes on the wish list?

Regarding the front end & wheels, you may want to determine if the goal is to stay "stock-ish", or to upgrade the hardware (a la Frankenviffer).

If you stay with the stock front forks, then yes, it appears Race Tech does offer their gold-valve cartidge emulators for the 1986-1987 VFR700 front forks: part # FEGV S3501 from their website here http://racetech.com/ProductSearch/2/Honda/VFR700/1986-87

For front brakes, it would appear that you can replace rotors with aftermarket rotors: Galfer lists a part number for a replacement front rotor at http://www.galferusa.com/catalog/ and EBC list the VFR700 as well http://www.ebcbrakes.com/

I read in the Nov-2012 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News about the benefits of upgrading to a radial pump front brake master cylinder, even if keeping otherwise low-tech brakes. (They upgraded to a Brembo radial front master cylinder on a Suzuki DR650 dual-purpose bike, with a single 2-piston front caliper.)

I already know that some people would advocate getting a full replacement front end off of a later-model bike (probably gaining USD forks and/or cartridge suspension and/or better brakes and/or wider wheels). This would also mean that you are also exchanging the tradeoffs from your VFR700 forks for the tradeoffs in whatever fork you swap in.

Good luck with whatever you work out!

Ron