TimC

You said the rear tire is now touching the ground when the bike is on the centerstand. Is that a fairly new tire, or a worn one? With my old 6th gen. I found there could be a pretty big difference with how much the rear tire was in the air depending on the brand/model of the tire and how new or worn it was. Congrats on the weight loss!! I've lost 20-some pounds this year, and hoping to lose much more. It definitely makes a difference in how I feel on the bike, and the responsiveness of the bike's suspension. Also, glad to hear Traxxion did great work for a low cost and turned it around quickly! 👍

Sounds like a great trip, Seb! Thanks for sharing some details and the photos here. Sorry to hear about the problem with the rear shock. I don't think I've seen that many blown seals like that. Any idea what caused it to fail?

I'm sad to hear VFR will soon be gone, but I completely understand the reasons. Huge thanks to Miguel for all his hard work on this forum for the last couple decades. It's been the best resource possible for all things VFR -- organizing rides, maintenance and repairs, and a great community of like-minded people who love these fantastic machines. But it's been so much more than that to me. For several years this was my favorite spot on the web. I spent way too much time here, and was a real post-ho for a few years. I made some great friends, attended a few T-macs/Spring Memorial Rides, and learned how to work on my bike some, at least to the best of my meager abilities. (A good friend and occasional riding buddy I met through VFRD has helped me countless times with maintenance and a few mods, too.) I would even hang out here on a Friday or Saturday night, just cruising the threads for whatever interesting stuff I could find. I owned my 6th gen. a little over 14 years, and put over 97k miles on it. And though I sold my VFR about three years ago, I still visit here often. I can't offer much in the way of technical and mechanical knowledge, but I still enjoy the forum. And I have to say my VFR ownership would not have been nearly the same without this forum and the people I've met, ridden with, and hung out with over the years. VFRD has been a truly special place for me. And for all that, I will say it again: Thanks, HS. And to the Mods and to the community in general. 🙂

The last few years I had my 6th gen. I favored the Mobil M1-108, but I also used the Bosch 3300 a few times. Another cheaper but decent option for me was the Purolator PL14612.

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! 👍

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! 🙂

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.

Fantastic! I think many people have dreamed of a 5th gen mill in a 6th gen chassis. I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing the final results! 🙂 And the Ducati looks amazing. As sleek and sexy as their newer sportbikes are, the older ones just have more character. Maybe call it panache. Very sorry to hear about the crash and the damage to your 5th gen, but glad you were generally okay. And yeah, medical bills suck. I have excellent health insurance, but even with that a 3-day hospital stay and minor surgery last November has been expensive.

I have a db killer in the SC-Project exhaust on my BMW. It sounds good as-is, but I'm tempted to pull it out to hear how much louder it is without the baffle. I'm not a fan of loud exhausts, but I am curious so I'll probably give it a try soon.

I installed the R&G sliders on my 6th gen, too. One bonus of the sliders is if and when you drop your VFR, it will lay at a bit of an angle instead of flat on its side. That angle helps you get a better grip on things to lift the bike back upright. BTW, drilling my fairings was one of the most nerve-racking things I ever did to my VFR. It worked out just fine, but my pulse was racing at first.

I was going to add DOT reflective tape to my old 6th gen's OEM hard bags years ago, but never got around to it. I still have the tape in my tool chest. 😕

Hi TimC, Thank you for your donation of 50.00 USD. We look forward to improving the forums with your donation. Thanks VFRDiscussion

Wow. Sorry for all the bad news, but of course the most important thing is your family is okay. Bikes and even houses come and go, but I'm glad your VFR survived both the fire and that idiot tow truck driver. Why on earth would a guy to treat someone else's prized possession like that?! Anyway, good luck with the house rebuild, and I hope you find some time to ride this year! 👍

Those photos make me want to go to the garage and give my motorcycle a big hug.

Replaced all the front pads on my 6th gen this morning. I had a new front tire installed on Sunday, so it was a good time to easily replace the worn pads while the front wheel was already off the bike. Two notes: 1. The left caliper pads were more worn than the right. I don't remember if that's been the case before, but I don't think it's highly unusual for one side to wear a bit faster than the other. Neither side was bad, but the left were clearly more worn. As I'm hoping to do more long rides and hopefully a tour this summer - and since I already had a couple sets of new pads on hand - I thought I'd just replacement them now. Also, the last couple rides I noticed I had more front brake lever travel than usual. Hopefully that was due to the worn left side pads. 2. While reinstalling the front wheel, I had a tough time positioning the left brake rotor between the new pads on the left caliper. While trying to move then wheel into place, I knocked the inner side pad out of place twice. It popped out of the retainer spring and rotated down, just dangling from the pad pin. Has anyone else ever had this happen while reinstalling their front wheel? I don't recall it ever happening to me before, so I worried maybe I didn't get the pad installed exactly correct. But I checked it each time and it looked seated in the retainer spring to me. Maybe the edge of the brake rotor hitting it was just enough to knock it out of place. Now that the front wheel is back on, I'm sure it's fine, but it still makes me a little nervous. I'll check it during and after my next few rides while I'm bedding in the new pads and scrubbing in the new front tire. I think one of the hardest parts about wrenching (for me anyway) is I'm not as confident in my skills as other folks. I second-guess myself often, and probably unnecessarily. But that self-doubt makes for some anxious moments while working on my VFR. 😞

Hi TimC, Thank you for your donation of 25.00 USD. We look forward to improving the forums with your donation. Thanks VFRDiscussion

The weather here in NE Ohio is starting to really turn. I rode to Cleveland and back the last couple nights, and Monday the temp as I got home dipped down to 40. We'll still have a few decent days in the 50s where I can get a good ride in, if I'm free one of those days. I'm hoping to get at least one more long day in, but if I don't it's still been a good riding season!

Great tips above. I would add that in doing research on any particular bike and its potential issues/what to watch out for, you should make a list of bikes of similar vintage, condition, and mileage for sale (or recently sold) - ideally in your area or region - and the final sale price if you have a good idea what is was. You'll likely know when someone is obviously asking for an incredibly high or low price, so approach the offer or sale accordingly. Cycle Trader, Craigslist, and eBay are decent tools, as are model-specific internet forums (like VFRD) that have classified sections with bikes for sale by owners (like VFRD). Like Zupatun said though, don't be a dick about haggling. If someone wants an insane amount for their used bike, you might say you've done some research and $x,xxx is more realistic, and you're willing to offer $x,xxx. It's good to have too much information than too little to make sure you don't get ripped off. Also, sellers should be aware most minor mods are not going to net big increases in resale value. A full set of after-market pipes might increase the bike's value, but a set of chrome-plated car ends, not so much. You can take these things into account as a buyer, but again you should be educated enough to know when you should consider a higher offer or sale price according to the whole bike, not some individual farkle. BTW, I'd also watch out for unwanted mods that might say more about the owner and how the bike was ridden or even abused. Asking why the seller is selling the bike can be a good idea. It might help clue you in a bit about how motivated the seller is, and could influence your offer and the final sale price. (But again, don't be a dork!) One more thing: When I bought my VFR (which was listed in Cycle Trader), I met the seller at his home. The bike was pristine with low miles. And the seller's other vehicles were a great indication the bike had been treated properly. His car, IIRC, was a spotless VW GTI and his wife's was a new or newer Honda Accord, also in excellent condition. The more you can tell about a seller, the more confidence you'll have about the item for sale.

And it looks even better in person!