TimC

Welcome to the forum! I agree with @bmart -- I'd go with a 5th gen. over a 4th mainly due to the new bike being fuel injected. But they're both great. I've seen some fairly tall riders and fairly short riders on VFRs over the years. Even without bar risers and a footpeg lowering kit, if you're a bit flexible and nimble you might be fine. Personally, I always recommend riding a new-to-you bike in stock form at first, then determine what you want or need to change.

Congrats on your 6th gen. and welcome to the forum from Ohio! 🙂

Congrats on your 8th gen. and welcome to the forum! 🙂

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.

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