TimC

I've never had a front stand. When I've needed to remove the front wheel I put the bike on its center stand and lift the front end of the bike with a floor jack, putting a small piece of 2x4 between the jack's "saddle" (the pedestal or pad) and the header pipes. I'll be buying at least one track/paddock stand soon though, so I'm interested in seeing others' responses. 🙂

I wish I could say the same about Honda automobiles. Other than the Civic Type R, it seems like there is zero inspiration in the company's designs now. It's like they're afraid to take chances, which is sad from a company which used to make great cars even some enthusiasts wanted. But thankfully they're still making some kickass motorcycles.

Just my $0.02...the VTEC transition on my 2004 was a little rough but not terrible. I installed a PCIII and O2 sensor eliminators and it smoothed out completely. Well, except once in a while, for some reason after riding through rain I would get a jumpy transition. I just learned not to let it transition in a turn after a rainstorm. I think removing VTEC is an intriguing thought and possibility, but I was happy with my 6th gen's engine, especially installing the Power Commander. If you go pursue this, I'm sure we'd all love to see the work and read about the results. 🙂

I've seen both ends of the mod/stock world just recently. I've found most VFR owners might do some mods, but the overall looks of the machine rarely change very much. But over on the BMW R nineT forum I'm on, the bikes are often really customized, even if folks don't go for performance mods. It's pretty interesting to see. Some of the bikes are real lookers. Personally, I buy vehicles for the way they look and perform as-is, and as stock. That isn't to say I'd never go for performance mods, but most of my mods are for function, not power and looks. The new bike *might* get a

I'd actually just read this recently for the first time. I used to leave my VFR's tender hooked up through the whole winter, with no negative effects that I could tell later. But with the new bike I'll be unplugging it for at least a few days each month, or maybe a couple days a week. Our garage does get down close to freezing in the winter, but I'll still unplug the bike once in a while. I probably need to set up reminders on the calendar in my phone just to remind myself!

Once I get the suspension mods done on my new bike, I'll be eager to hit the twisties of SE Ohio on it for the first time! 🙂

I've never used an oiler, but I've seen bikes where the oiler malfunctioned, releasing too much oil, and coated the rear of the bike with oil. No thanks. I was never great at chain maintenance as far as cleaning went, but I did apply spray-on chain wax every 300-400 miles, applying it just after getting off the bike so the chain was still warm, and then letting the bike sit for 10-15 minutes for the wax to stick. This worked well for me. I probably replaced my chain and sprocket sets a little earlier than necessary, but usually do so at 18-20K miles, usually with a Regina or DID

I sold my 6th gen. two weeks ago. Ending odometer reading was 101,012. 🙂

That sucks. Very sorry to hear about it.

Glad you got it sorted out quickly and easily! 🙂

I don't have a tire changer at home, but I usually take the wheels off and take them into a shop to have new tires mounted. Before leaving the shop I always make sure the directionals are correct.

I don't really know the answer, but I'm going to take a stab in the dark here, and please don't take offense at this. Was the front wheel re-installed correctly? The wheel is directional, so if it was mounted backwards I think it's possible it might cause those issues since the ABS ring would be on the wrong side.

I've heard that about the STs, though I don't know whether it's just earlier model years or all STs throughout its run. The only other touring bike I'd heavily consider right now besides an ST would be a BMW R1200RT. I'm already thinking I might pick up an older one in a few years to use as a dedicated touring machine. Too big for an everyday bike for my taste, but like any good touring bike it just eats up the miles.

Just curious, how many miles were on the bikes they sold? And had the bikes been kept up well? I wonder sometimes whether municipal owned vehicles fare better or worse than privately owned vehicles over time and miles. Also, I can't imagine used police motorcycles come up for sale very often, so if you want one you have to pounce.

Sorry, I'm not familiar enough with the 'civilian' models to say what the differences are. I wish I'd taken a couple photos of the handlebar controls, but there were plenty of buttons and switches there. (I've attached a photo below from the dealer's website.) The windshield, bodywork, and saddlebags look stock to me, though some of the black with the otherwise white body panels might be unique to the police model. The other bike at this particular dealer, mostly white but with black side fairings, is definitely different and really stands out, like you replaced the fairings but didn't pai