TimC

Welcome back to VFRD! 🙂 I sold my 6th gen. a couple years ago now, but I'm still here harassing the locals once in a while. This forum is just too good to give up, plus there's always a chance I'll buy another VFR eventually. 😉

That is both a scary and impressive amount of work for a bike I'm sure you didn't think you'd have to put that much into before you get another Africa Twin. Kudos to you for all that work and finding parts as cheaply as possible! 👍

Welcome to the forum from Ohio! 🙂

Welcome to the forum from Ohio, and thanks for posting those gorgeous photos! 🙂

Congratulations on the deposit and welcome to the forum! 🙂 Checking over and possibly replacing fluids and checking electrical connections are all good suggestions. Check the date codes on the tires, and if they are over 6-7 years old I'd consider replacing them now. If the tires are several years old, at a bare minimum check the condition of the rubber. Is it harder or softer than new tires? Are the sidewalls free of cracks and discoloration? There are tons of internet posts and articles on tires, but if the tires on your VFR are iffy at all, it's better to replace them. As for ergonomic changes, I recommend riding the bike as-is for a while and finding out if you're comfortable on it with the current setup of handlebars and footpegs, or if you want to change their positions. I was happy for many years with the stock bars and pegs on my old 6th gen. VFR. Good luck with the rest of the purchase process, have fun, and ride safe!

I've only ridden a 6th gen, but from what I've read the 8th gen only improved on what was already a great bike. If you are happy with the ergonomics of your 3rd gen - and I'm assuming the 8th gen's ergos would be similar - I'm sure you'd love it. Newer bike, better suspension, fuel injected, more reliable, factory luggage, many available farkles, etc. I considered one myself before buying something completely different. Good luck finding a nice one that's perfect for you, and hopefully you can get a test ride!

Just amazing work, Seb, and an amazing story and photographic documentation of your whole project. Congrats on a wonderful build, and I'm so glad I got to see it in person! 🙂

That's a great update!! 👍 But jeez, what a hassle to get your driver's license reinstated. Considering that all the morons we see who make idiotic and dangerous moves on a daily basis get to keep their licenses, it's incredible it will take months to get your license back. I guess safety first, but I'd worry more about the average boneheaded cager than you on the road! Anyway, onward and upward! 🙂

Congratulations on your 5th gen. and welcome to the forum from Ohio, USA! 🙂

What a tragedy there are multiple apps for to monitor and check routes for wildfire smoke. 😞

Sounds like an amazing trip, even on four wheels! 🙂 My wife and I have been considering a West Coast trip, too, but only California. We just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary and want to do a special trip, and driving Highway 1 was one of our first thoughts. Unfortunately, we're leaning toward something else now, but we will do that CA trip someday! I agree the gun carry thing gets overblown in the media. The US is not the wild west. Same thing with the 'defund the police' movement. There's a lot of media hype. You will be fine. The one thing I will say is to check national and local news sources on the web for any problems with the roads you want to drive. There have been landslides, fires, etc. that have closed roads or regions of California the last several years. It's isolated, but you might save some time and heartache knowing ahead of time you'll need to detour a couple times.

What a shame. My wife and I are planning a West Coast trip for later this year, to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary (which is next Monday). We're planning to rent a convertible and drive Highway 1 at least one day we're there. Hopefully it will be clear of landslides during our visit.

Sorry to hear you had to source another engine for your VFR. FWIW, my old 6th gen. had a bad CCT, and it did not sound like that. Mine was more of a clickety-clack sound, which would increase in speed slightly as I opened the throttle, but disappeared once the throttle was opened a little more. Good luck getting the bike back to 100% soon! 🙂

Congrats on your VFR and welcome to the forum! 🙂 I wish I had the time, patience, and skills to take a rough bike and nurse it back to health. I can do some basic maintenance and mods, but not much beyond that. Kudos to folks like you who tackle this and even more extensive projects!

Unfortunately no. I never got an opportunity. The shops around me never had an 8th gen. in stock, and even if they did most Big 4 dealers near me don't allow test rides. 😕 I'm sure I would have loved an 8th gen, but like I said above, I was just ready for something different.

When I was bike shopping a few years ago I did consider buying an 8th gen. But aside from the ergonomics that were getting tough for me on long days and tours on my 6th gen, I was just ready for something different. At 50-ish years of age, the VFR ergos were just too hard on my neck and knees. I could have added bar risers and lower footpegs for my old VFR, but after 14 years with it I wanted to try something else. But I'll also say there are times I wish I'd kept my 6th gen. I've looked on-and-off at buying another one, but if I were to buy another VFR I think I'd want to finally get a 5th gen. 🙂

Same here on the winter blues. I was really hoping for some very late season riding, but the weather has not cooperated. And when it was mild enough to ride a couple days recently I was busy with other things. There might be a couple decent days left here in NE Ohio this month, but at this point I'm better off winterizing the bike and shopping for any mods and accessories I want or need for next year. 😕 Thanks for posting the great photos and videos, @Sweeper !!

I carry a small first aid kit during trips and tours, but otherwise do not carry one regularly. I should have one with me during long single-day rides, too. I don't have a link to the one I bought, but I think I bought it at Dick's Sporting Goods. It isn't the best but hopefully I'll never need it! 😉

Congratulations on your VFR and welcome to the forum from Ohio, USA! 🙂

Hi TimC, Thank you for your donation of --. We look forward to improving the forums with your donation. Thanks VFRDiscussion

Must...resist...posting in...an oil thread... 😐 Ugh. I can't help it. Here we go. A little context first: I bought a like-new, bone-stock 2004 VFR in August 2006 with just 4,200 miles on it. I rode it. A lot. I sold it two years ago with just over 101,000 miles on the clock. I changed the oil regularly, every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, depending on what oil I'd last put in it. Shorter intervals for regular or semi-synthetic, and longer intervals for full synthetic. The engine was still funning as smoothly and strongly as ever when I sold the bike. When the local Honda dealer shop changed the oil (which they did a few times in the early years of my VFR ownership), they probably used whatever they were supposed to, hopefully the Honda oil, but I never asked. I did a bit of research a few times over the years as to what oil I should use when I changed it myself. Opinions varied, as did the data people posted, just as we've seen forever. When I changed the oil myself, I believe I started with regular automotive 10W-40 oil. Valvoline or something decent. Then as the bike got a little older and the mileage increased, I switched to "high mileage" semi-synthetic 10W-40. I tried a different viscosity when my CCT started clacking, hoping the oil would help. (If I remember correctly it didn't make a big difference.) In the last several years I had the VFR I went back and forth between the Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 and regular automotive full synthetic Mobil 1 10W-40, usually opting for the later because it was cheap at Walmart, who usually had it in stock. By the way, I think in the early years I used a couple cheaper oil filters, but soon started buying better ones. K&N, Mobil, etc. Motorcyclists talk about oil a lot, but not as much about oil filters, and we probably should. So here's my point. I'm no scientist or expert, but judging from my experience and the bit of reading I did along the way, as long as you use good oil in the right viscosity, your VFR will probably be fine. I put 97,000 miles on a 6th gen. VFR over 14 years, using a variety of oils (and filters), and never once had any kind of issue with the engine (not including the failure-prone CCT). If you are racing or doing track days on your VFR, subjecting it to extreme use often, I can see the value in pinpointing the exact best oil to prevent mechanical failure. You can do the same to help ensure engine longevity for decades to come. But for average use - like mine was - choose what you like within reason, and you'll probably be okay. That's just my opinion, take it or leave it.

Congrats on that sweet bike! Looks like it's in terrific condition, too. 🙂 When it was announced Buell was closing down and the HD dealers starting blowing out the remaining bikes in their inventories, I considered buying one of these in the naked version. I didn't really have the money at the time, and I wasn't looking to replace my VFR, so I passed. But I still think about buying a nice one for a fun short-ride road rocket. Congrats again. I'd love to read a review if you'd care to write one after putting a few miles on her.

What a terrific looking bike! I've always kind of liked the quirky looks of Moto Guzzis, but never really considered buying one. The Mandello looks like a great sport-touring option. And I love that it's different. It appeals to the non-conformist in me. But the downside for me is the dealer network. If my bike needed warranty work, the closest dealer is 150 miles away. And if I were on a trip and the bike broke down? Yikes. Still, I'd like to have something like a V7 or V9 for commuting and shorter rides. Seems like it would be a blast to ride!

Your passenger looks pretty terrible, too! I don't envy you that weather. Good luck on the ride home and be safe!