ZenMoto

Turns out I had to use something hard (I used the edge of a flat blade screwdriver) to push the white tab IN further until the relief tab "collapsed" into the fitting, then it slid right off. ...very unintuitive, and again, different from the connectors shown and described in the service manual; both at the tank, and the two at the fuel rail on the throttle body. Just FYI, in case anyone else runs into this.

Ok, now that I've got the tank off ...I have a new problem. I've removed all the connectors from the bottom of the airbox, except the knock sensor connector. I have NO idea how this is held in place. I've tried everything I can think of, including a small, thin flat blade screwdriver down into the tab area, and nothing can free this connector from the tab on the airbox. In the manual image, it's the slotted tab to the right of the arrow. I'm completely stumped. Anyone? Video of it at the QR link.

Thanks, I was able to finally get the connector off, and you (and I) was right, there was no pressure in the system. ...but that fuel line will not come off. I gave up for the night so I don't break anything while tired. lol I'll have another go tomorrow.

Not sure if anyone is on here much these days, but I'm trying to do a full service on my new-to-me VFR1200X and I'm stuck with the fuel tank. You're supposed to "depressurize" the fuel system by disconnecting the fuel pump from the harness (which I can't figure out) and then after depressurizing the system, disconnect the quick-connect fuel line (which doesn't match the service manual). I'm baffled. The manual states there should be a "rubber cap" on the quick connect and a pair of tabs to squeeze in, what I have is an old school type with a plastic snap-in clip. ...except when it's out, the connector still won't come off. Maybe it's because I haven't depressurized the system, but I can't get that bloody plug to come free (see the dark photo of the plug). I'm not sure if it's a tab there that you push out with a flat screwdriver, or hold in with a flat screwdriver, but it's the only tab I see, and neither seems to let it pull free. I thought since the bike hasn't been started in a few days, there might not be any pressure in the system to relieve, but either way, I can't get that fuel line off and find it strange that it doesn't match the manual (not like Honda). Has anyone had experience with this themselves? ...any tips here? I don't recall having to do this with my 1200F back in the day. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

First step would be having a new key cut for it. ...then it's a matter of troubleshooting anything that might be wrong. Beyond that, it's a VFR, if there's no obvious damage, it should be pretty simple to get running; those engines last forever if they haven't been abused to death.

Asking price is $3k obo. ...it's a lot of money for me to gamble. If it were *that* cheap, it would already be in my garage. lol

Hey guys, I'm interested in a VFR1200 DCT near me that has been parked for a year, and the owner "lost the key". ...it's a great deal, if the bike isn't messed up in some invisible way, but with no key, I don't even know how to put it into a tall gear and rock the bike to make sure the engine isn't stuck. I know it's unlikely, but I'd rather know that, then trust that it "ran when parked" They also claim it has less than 5k miles (and it looks it) but with no key, I can't turn it on to see the odometer either. Is there a way to manually put the bike into 5th or 6th gear so I can at least roll the bike and ensure the engine isn't seized? I love my 2010 standard model, and this would be a great bike to get back on the road. ...just don't want to throw my money away on a good-looking bike, with hidden problems. Thanks.

So I ended up doing just that ...cutting off the anti rotation pin. It allowed me to rotate the clutch line enough to angle things down to a proper level. I spent a couple hours fiddling with rotating the bars forward enough for the clutch reservoir to NOT hit the fork's preload a damping adjusters (would be a lot easier if I screwed those things all the way down, lol). Right now it is basically resting on top of that stack, and I'm still interfering with the fairing at full lock ...but if I rotate the bars back toward the rider, that same adjustment stack on the fork forces the clutch master cylinder up pushing the lever back into an upward angle ...I think I'll just have to deal with it like this. I have a feeling that, after my neck surgery, if I can still tilt my head back enough, I will revert to the stock bars This is more comfortable for my messed up neck, but I don't really like the feeling of the bars like this when strafing canyons. ...gotta do what I gotta do to ride though. :) Thanks for the feedback guys, it all helps!

Yeah, that was easy. The clutch line is pre-bent in and down, then has an anti-rotation spur that prevents rotating the line at all. Right now the line hits the top clamp (the part from Spiegler / LSL) and forces the clutch lever up at a 30 degree or so angle. ...not a good position for the clutch ...not even close!!! :( The only option I can see, short of replacing the line, is to cut off the anti-rotation spur so I can rotate the line outward, allowing me to rotate the cluster forward and down.

Resurrecting an old thread here, for those who have installed the Spiegler / LSL bar kit, how did you deal with the clutch line? The way the fitting is bent down and inward from the factory means it's pressing right into the mounting clamp, and it can't be rotated at all due to that, and the stopper that prevents it from rotating at the master cylinder. Everything is installed and working well, but that clutch lever can't be rotated down to even flat, let alone slightly angled down as it should be. ...not sure I want to risk bending that fitting as it may crack, then I'd be hosed. lol Any input / photos would be appreciated. Thanks.

That's pretty messed up! ...my dealer just took down my VIN, and ordered the parts against the VIN. When the parts came in I dropped off my bike, and had it back 2 days later. I think your dealer is jerking you around, but I can't imagine why they'd want a bunch of bikes just sitting around!

Had the recall done a couple weeks ago ...bike seems exactly the same. :)

I've put a few (hundred thousand) miles on 4th, 5th, 6th, and my beloved 7th gen VFRs, and was able to flog a press bike 8th when they first hit the market. My opinion of the 8th is that is an incremental improvement to the 6th gen with no negatives (that I noticed) compared to the 6th, but improvements in suspension feel, overall suspension balance, brakes, and definitely in VTEC engagement (though, to be fair, the latter 6th gens were getting that pretty dialed in). To me it felt a little more nimble compared to the 6th gen, and was a LOT better looking (subjective) with overall better fit and finish. Of course it's really no comparison to the 7th gen as they are completely different beasts. I think Honda is as close with the 8th gen as they are likely to get to bringing the soul of the 5th gen to us (some of us will always miss the gear driven cams ...especially when it comes to doing service). Even though the frame is the same, the 6th gen always felt a little less compact to me than the 5th, and the 8th returns to that feeling of compactness ...not sure if it has to do with the revised swingarm design, or just a psychological effect of the more compact bodywork. IMHO the 8th gen VFR is as much bike as anyone really *needs*. It has enough grunt to go anywhere relatively quickly, and is just such a well mannered and balanced machine that you will never find a reason to move on besides the want for something new / different. I can hustle my big V12 just as quickly through the canyons of southern California as I could on the 750 / 800 VFRs, but it's more work ...the payoff is simply a lot more torque and power; but if the 8th gen had come out when I was looking to dump my 5th (front suspension was dangerously bad, and I didn't want to drop the coin to upgrade it at that point in the bike's life) I would have bought the updated 800 ...I never really liked the 6th gen's looks enough to go down that road (though I did "borrow" one for a few months). :) Just my $.02 but I think the 8th is a fantastic motorcycle, and a platform that is capable of doing just about anything you could want it to. ...and the white version is just begging for some blue and red racing stripe graphics!!! :)

I'm on my phone, so short answers, but look here for my "One year review" of the 1200. I have the Bazzaz stuff and love it, but I rarely use the quick shift and have yet to trigger the traction control, so if I were paying for them, I'd skip those two and just do the Z-bomb and Z-Fi (their version of the power commander. IMHO I think the Z-Fi is better than a power commander. I have the hard bags, so my exhaust options were limited, but I went with Akropovic as they have a low mount option as well as the high mount that is so popular. ...with the removable baffle out, it sounds fantastic. I may be wrong, but I believe it is the only aftermarket that keeps the servo flap in the exhaust, I actually prefer the slightly better torque vs the slight top end gain you get by removing it. Once you fix the 1st / 2nd thing and mapping, the bike is pretty fantastic. ...or if you're big, like me, expect to replace the shock and have the forks tuned to make it really great!

Nice bike, congrats on the replacement! ...I really like the look of the seat. I wonder if the deeper welting is to prevent the bubbling of the vinyl that my 2010 is already exhibiting.

I've noticed that my left bag will allow water in, at least it did when sitting on the side stand, parked in the rain. If you are traveling in the rain, you may want to pack your gear in a waterproof bag. I've only had leakage in the left bag though, never in the top box or right bag, which makes me think it is an issue with water draining in when left on the side stand!

Agreed. ...and certainly, if you're looking to wring her out, you will have to shift, that's going to happen on anything short of a farm tractor (Harley). My point was, for in-town riding, and even for most twisty roads, you aren't going to be doing a hell of a lot of shifting with this kind of power and torque; the engine characteristics may be similar (when overlaid) but the delivery is worlds apart. ...like a previous poster said, "the benefit of displacement". Anyhow, I stand by my statement, beyond the 1st $ 2nd gear neutering (which is easily fixed) there's nothing surprising about the VFR's performance, and certainly nothing about it that I, personally, regret. If someone had set unrealistic expectations about what a heavy, yet superbly balanced sport-touring bike, would be capable of, it's kinda' on them. And as I mentioned, the OP is a big guy who likes to drag knee a LOT, and he is comparing it directly to a GSXR750. This bike is simply not the right one for him, and I can see where that is disappointing; you would expect a big bike like the VFR1200, to accommodate a big guy better than it does. But for my frame (6', 225#) it's perfect! :)

Torque/weight ratio or engine displacement are not that important to how often you have to shift. It's mainly the engine characteristics. See, with an engine designed for cruising with the peak torque at low rpm it doesn't matter that much in what gear you are, because when you shift down the torque goes down, so whatever you do you won't get decent acceleration. But our engine is a somewhat sporty one. I overlayed the acceleration charts of the VFR and the CBR 600 RR, based on torque/weight and gear ratio, and while it's always higher for the VFR mainly due to shorter gear ranges, it's not that high to maintain 2nd gear, especially with the 1st&2nd gear restrictions in place, and most important it shows a very similar characteristic to the sports bike - low low rpm torque, high high rpm torque. That was one of the reasons for me to buy the VFR, it has the punch where it's needed, as a (comfortable but) sporty bike should - but you have to shift to use that punch, as it is with every sporty bike no matter of engine displacement. It's a common mistake to think large displacement bikes should have high torque in the low rpm range but it's really a matter of characteristics, not size. That often leads to confusion and sometimes to regrets because one didn't get what he wrongly expected. Hmm, maybe we looked at different VFRs then. lol No, I thought you were perhaps crazy, so I dug up some dynos, though I can't find a dyno for a 2012 R6, but here's one for a '10, and I'm guessing they aren't dramatically different: And here's the dyno from my bike on the Bazzaz dyno: Pretty linear torque buildup, and lacking the hump and falloff of the R6. ...I admit I forget, because I have the Z-Bomb, just how neutered the bike was from the factory. ...still, by 4000 rpm, my bike is making 10 lb.ft. of torque more the R6 does at peak. 55 lb.ft. of torque may not be a ton, but it's plenty to hustle you around town without having to row the shifter. ...that said, I generally "cruise" around 5k rpm (about 65 lb.ft.) and rarely have to shift in either direction to get up and out of the way; a vastly different experience from a smaller inline 4 like the R6. If you are out playing, and hover up in the real powerband, say around 7000 rpm, you really don't need to shift very often. On the tight twisty roads around here I can generally run the entire mountain in 2nd and 3rd gears (maybe dipping up into 4th for some of the straighter sections). I agree, expectations can ruin an experience, but the VFR isn't exactly a newbie bike, and I would think most VFR buyers would have (should have) realistic expectations of what they're getting into. ...but Honda *did* neuter this bike from the factory; I did have buyers remorse before I un-screwed it with the Bazzaz gear. The good news, is that it's an easy fix. Just my $.02

Well the VFR is powered like a R6 not a R1 (mass/weight ratio). Maybe that's a problem too, especially if one missthinks having to shift less because of the bigger engine. Power to weight that may be true, the heavier VFR has an additional 43 (ish) hp at the rear wheel, but it has more than twice the amount of torque; I doubt torque to weight ratio between them is even close. ...so you really shouldn't have to row the gears as often as an R6.

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it. Club Racer, I guess it's a personal thing. I don't listen to music while I ride too much anymore (it just got too difficult to control an audio device since they don't have a convenient iPod remote anymore ...or at least, I don't. When I ride I'm usually singing or humming a song to myself anyway, and it's usually something like what I put in the video (Mark Knoplfer / Dire Straits). I like my music more laid back for riding, and the gnarlier the road, the more chill I like the music; I guess it helps offset the quick reaction of tight, twisty roads, vs. exacerbating it. I used to lane-split up the 405 fwy a LOT, and one day I dropped Pantera onto the iPod for the commute ...craziest commute of my life! lol ...never again! ;) Someone on another forum asked me for a video of Latigo Cyn so I made one Saturday ...and another following my boss up Mulholland from the beach on his little Triumph 675, so I'll link those below if anyone wants to watch. The temp at the top of Latigo was only 36 degrees, the roads weren't super clean, and I'd already seen black ice ...so I was taking it pretty easy. It was a little warmer coming up Mulholland from PCH so we picked up a little bit. Cheers! Latigo: https://vimeo.com/57421621 Mulholland: https://vimeo.com/57354119 note: I only have a dozen or so songs in my iPad (where I'm making the videos) so you get the same music selection in all of them ...sorry! lol

Thanks. ...yeah, pretty lucky, but sadly booked for the weekend ...no riding for me! :( lol

No, I believe the VFR1200 is a 50 state bike (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I believe).

Well, I do happen to love mine, no regrets at all. I've met the OP several times, and I certainly understand his frustration. For the record, he's a "big dude", probably 6'3", 240 lbs (guesstimate) and a faster-than-most type of rider who also runs with a very sporty crowd. I think his size is as much a contributor to his discomfort as the bike itself, and the crowd he rides with as much a contributor to his dislike for the size/weight issues. It's hard to be content with a big heavy bike when you always ride with guys tearing it up on R1s and Gixxers, etc.. ...but then there's always the X factor. Everybody is a little different, 2 guys the same height/weight could have one with a long torso and short inseam who just plain doesn't fit on the same bike. One of those guys might have a bony ass that is never comfortable on some seats. Thank God they make a crap-ton of great bikes; there's bound to be one that fits you! So no, I don't have any buyers remorse, and I'm not justifying a damn thing! I sold my KTM 950 Adventure a few months after bringing the V12 home because I never rode it anymore. And every time I walk in the garage I *do* get that "holy crap, that's mine!" feeling. I just posted a video of some local roads from Saturday, shot from my VFR ...all seriously tight & twisty, and IMHO the bike handles them all just fine; but you do have to take the weight into consideration. You have to plan your corner entry a little earlier than on a lighter sportbike, and you have to be cognizant of the weight loading onto the front tire in some off-camber turns, etc.. But damn it is the perfect bike for me!

It's been ages since I've played with my GoPro, and I have a lot of friends back east and in Chicago who are suffering from withdrawal, so I thought I'd help out! :) Saturday I mounted the GoPro as low on the fairing as I could without touching (I think it *may* have scraped slightly once) and shot a quick loop of the eastern Santa Monica Mountains. It's long at almost 35 minutes (over 2Gb to upload), but I really like the footage from the low angle, and it's not as jittery as I thought it would be (the suction cup arm tends to bounce a lot ...which sucks). Anyway, I'm not good at editing videos, so I dumped all the clips onto my iPad and threw this together in iMovie. ...just remember that I am an iAmature. Enjoy! https://vimeo.com/57103850 D - Oh yeah, make sure you check "HD" at the bottom, right corner.

Thanks Ed. ...took care of a few other minor bits tonight, then buttoned her back up and took her for a little test ride by moonlight! :) ...all is right with the world again. lol