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Hey everyone, Just wanted to get some input on paint jobs before I go ahead with this. Which do you prefer? (yes I know, the second image is the 25 year anniversary paint job that belongs on the 2007 and not my 1998. If anyone believes I’ll have issues with that, let me know)

Hello all! Just wanted to share a quick appearance upgrade! My chain guard was becoming quite the eyesore so I decided to do something about it, With some Carbon Fiber 3M Vinyl Wrap and some chemical resistant gloss white engine enamel I was able to walk away with this gem! It is important to note that I switched over from conventional chain lube that flings everywhere to Dupont Chain Saver Wax-Based Chain Lube based on multiple recommendations. And I gotta say that the stuff is pretty amazing! No mess, no hassle and great lubrication! It keeps my pretty white chain cover, well, pretty and white!😍 Anyways, enjoy!

Some of you may have seen this on Facebook already but I had a few minutes and thought I would share it here. I acquired this very nice 2006 / ABS model a few years ago and decided pretty quickly that I did not like the graphics or the overall look that much. I began thinking about what I wanted to do. I changed out the rear wheel with a nice 8 spoke that I found on Ebay early on. This helped but still not what I wanted. Then I looked at a lot of paint schemes to see how I wanted to go. I wanted this to be a little understated but "sporty". I am lucky that I have a friend who is a painter who agreed to help me out. I did all of the prep work. I scuffed the existing plastics and the tank with 1000 grit paper to give the new paint something to grip. It's really pretty scary to see what you've done to a pristine finish the first time you try this. Trust that when the clear goes back on it really is like magic. Next I laid out the design and let my friend shoot it. I used two additional colors. This one is a Lexus/Toyota color called "Storm Gray". The second color is from Jaguar and matches the wings on the tank. I finished by adding a pinstripe that we put under the clear. Once the paint and clear was on, I did the final buffing and leveling. Here is the final result...

I picked up some near pristine OEM fairings recently for next to nothing, and thought about using them to change the color of my bike. The paint is flawless on the fairings, and matches my bike's OEM color. I'm reluctant to sand and paint them should I need one, and have been looking into vinyl wrap (which allegedly can be removed) as an alternate. I've done all the on-line research but thought I'd confer with the VFRD SME's before I go any further. Anyone wrap their bike? How's it hold up?

I have two cases which are scratched up, and I was wondering if anybody had ever refinished a black GIVI case and had lasting results. They are made of polypropylene. I was thinking of painting with flexible paint (like car bumpers) or covering with 3M film. Any input and ideas would be highly appreciated, or if the topic has been covered please point me to the relevant thread. Thanks

My dealership can't seem to find some Pearl White touch-up paint for my 2014 VFR-800 Deluxe. I have searched the web but still can't find any. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I like lists, i like sharing lists. I also like to get feedback on work or addons to do. Would love to get replacement mirrors with that 'memory click' position thing like modern bikes have - But would need to pretty much be bolt on and go. Even better if they have built-in indicators. I'm mostly restoring or improving bits around the bike right now; Older bolts are being replaced with OEM parts, some of the weird green-ish ones are being swapped out with stainless versions and/or being upgraded to a caphead. DONE new OEM front spindle bolt new OEM front mudguard bolts new handlebar bolts new OEM fairing bolts new OEM rear sprocket nuts new OEM rear wheel nuts new OEM rear wheel locking nut new tank bolts delete airbox snorkel disable flapper valve add MRA Vario touring screen add Stomp grip pads new mirror bolts modify undertray - remove document tabs add USB socket new front fork pinch bolts paint buffed sealed and waxed paint rear sprocket paint forks Fit bar risers (AMAZING difference) TO-DO touch-up bracket holding speedo and replace nuts and bolts replace bar pinch bolts replace protruding bolts near grabs with something smaller replace fuel cap bolts with new caphead clean and spray around front engine area behind front wheel replace carbon heel guards Disassemble parts under top yoke and clean replace calliper bolts w/ caphead rear sprocket washers engine bolts (6x32) x22 - replace visible only w/ stainless caphead get paint chips and scuffs fixed ADDONS 350mm Delkevic high-line can Denali sound bomb (horn) (split version) R&G bar end sliders R&G crash bungs Pipercross air filter Wheels powdercoated Puig lever set Riderscan DID X ring heavy duty chain & sprockets Mirror spacers (20mm) Tank shield oxford heated grips (sports) Exhaust protector Yamaha R1 reg/rec (2004-2006) Must be MOSFET / FH Headlight protector Pilot road 4's reflective rim tape MCT suspension service CNC foot pegs Jollify carbon heel guards grippy seat re-cover + mod for lower angle Voltage meter

Hello all - I've done the standard 'search my brains out' attempt to find info, but have come up with only one thread. I am working on a build/rebuild of my friend Hammerdrill's [That is his vfrd user name, not his actual name] 2002 6 gen, and he's putting together a very nice color package. He'd like the radiators to be black to complement the black powdercoating of various components [See attached photo as an example]. I know the 2007 RWB models came with black radiators, but we have not been able to locate any used black radiators for sale. Eastwood makes a well-reviewed radiator paint, but evidently our great golden state [CA] doesn't allow it to be sold here. I can find it online from Amazon, Eastwood themselves, Pep Boys, and other online vendors, but when I attempt to put it in my cart and buy it, it comes up "NOT AVAILABLE" from every vendor. I found a thread here about painting radiators where Badbilly added some valuable insight but, the OP ended up not painting his radiators. *My preference would be to anodize them. A local shop said they would anodize both radiators from the 2002 in black for $85, but there must be absolutely no metal except aluminum in the radiator assembly. Question 1 - does anyone know if a stripped down 6 gen VFR radiator is made up of anything except aluminum? Question 2 - I've seen a couple guys on vfrw mask and paint their frames without stripping them down [See attached photo]. Can anyone [Badbilly?] recommend an optimum prep/prime/paint process for the VFR's frame? I believe it is anodized clear. Thanks for any assistance.

So, today I hand polished all of the painted plastics on my bike for the first time. Since it was pretty cold here, I kept the garage door closed and brought out my powerful halogen work light to help spot the swirls easier. When I got to the topbox, I noticed that the paint doesn't have the gold metal-flake as the rest of the bike and the Honda saddlebags (see pics). Has anyone else noticed this? I'm wondering if my dealer ordered the wrong one, or maybe Honda uses the same one for different black models...It doesn't bother me at all, in fact it took me 2 years to really notice, just curious...

Well it was bound to happen. Just completed a month long ride/work/ride from Maine to San Diego and back. (12,000 miles+). Good times and great memories. However, in a target fixated rider mistake I drove the poor bike off a right hand corner onto the soft shoulder at the lassan volcano national park in california. (Easily one of coolest places I have ever ridden). So, does anybody have a lead on replacement stickers for an 2007 rwb? Also, would you file an insurance claim for replacement upper and right side cowl or Buy oem replacements Or See if body shop can fix my rashes stuff?

I know some will consider this too fussy, but I do wash and wax my VFR a few times each season--particularly after a long tour, a ride with lots of insects, a rainstorm, before and after storage, etc. On my recent 3,500 mile (5,700 km) ride to SumSum3 and back, I used the Revpack Tourpack that I've had for many years. It's a u-pack that fits over the pillion seat. I like it because it keeps the weight low and is easily transferred between the VFR and my dual sport. It secures to the bike with two straps that go under the seat and buckle to the bag. I always criss-cross two additional straps over the top so it is very secure. When doing day rides from a 'base,' like the motel in Montrose, I usually remove the side cases and tourpack and just use a tank bag. I've done this now for all of the five summers I've owned my VFR without any issues. I have always left the under seat straps in place, though they're not difficult to remove. I did the same thing this year at SumSum, but on each ride we encountered construction, and by the end of the third day the bike was covered in a fine coating of Colorado dust. That's when I noticed that the excess strap that had been flapping around in the wind during the day rides had sanded a neatly triangular dull spot into my tail fairing beside the seat (Doh!). I could have easily removed the strap or put some 3M protection film on the area (I have squares of it to keep the buckles from rubbing), but it never occurred to me that the excess strap would sand off the finish. (Of course, when the pack is on the straps are held away from the paint.) Here's the offending strap--3/4-inch nylon, about six inches of excess: And here's what it did to the paint--not that easy to capture in a picture: So, the question: Will this buff out? If so, how? I know there are buffing wheels, cutting paste, various polishes and so forth--will some combination of same restore the shine or is this just another bit of evidence that my bike is a 'rider'? If so, I won't lose too much sleep over it. While on the subject of cleaning and finishes, I had a key fob with a black plastic piece on it that left some marks on the upper triple tree. I'm always careful to keep any key fob light and soft, with only the ignition key on it, but this one fooled me and left marks anyway. I've tried several cleaners in an attempt to get the marks off, but the surface is not smooth and so far I haven't been successful: Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Hello Everyone, Thought I would share my project with you and hope that you can benefit from some of the things I will be doing. I would also ask that if you have any input or suggestions please feel free to comment. I recently picked up a 1999 VFR800 with only 10,000km for $1400.00. Unfortunately the previous owner laid it down on the left side and then parked it for 9-10 years outside under a BBQ cover. It did start and ran a little rough, I am hoping that a new set of plugs and fuel injector cleaning will help. I was fortunate that a gentleman purchased this from the BBQ cover guy and spent some time going over the bike. He ordered some parts did some cleaning and then did not have time to complete the project. So...to start, the bike needs a lot of TLC: I have already started some of the work listed below and will post pictures following this intro. - The body will require some work, front fairing scraped left side, left signal light needs to be replaced, rear seat cowl cracked and damaged left side, left engine cover has a broken mount and the gas tank has a baseball sized dent. Some body filler, plastic weld, elbow grease and a fresh coat of paint will be needed...I have considered a new set although can't justify $700.00 for the set. - Front and Rear Brake calipers are stiff, so I will do a rebuild or at least strip them down, inspect and reassemble. The brake fluid is dark but not milky or clumpy, will flush all the fluid - The steering stem is a little rough so I will inspect and replace bearings if needed - Front and rear rims are oxidizing and will need to be stripped and powder coated - Front tire needs to be replaced, rear tire is questionable and may replace due to the age...no cracks visible and decent tread.. - Brake rotors do not have any grooves but are colored from pad wear...will try to sand them or use scotch brite pads to shine them up...any suggestions? - Forks have some spot rust on the chrome tubes but it doesn't look like any pitting, forks are not leaking but dust seals are cracked from age will need to be replaced, Fork bottoms are oxidized and need to be repainted - Gauge faces are cloudy from sitting for so long. Will try polishing with headlight restore kit - Radiator hose clamps are rusted - I will replace all of them ..just for looks :-), hoses look OK and just need a good cleaning - Radiator fluid is clean, although it's probably a good idea to flush the system..was considering to remove the water pump to inspect..still undecided - Rear axle and chain tensioner assembly have some corrosion so I will strip and clean the whole assembly while I have it apart Some Parts I already ordered..(wow!! Amazing how the dollars add up) - Mirrors L&R - Gas cap - Brake Pads - Brake and clutch levers - Standard Headlight bulbs - handle grips - full bolt kit for body panels - Zero Gravity double bubble wind screen - Front Wheel bearings and seals - Steering stem bearing and seal kit (All Balls) - Fork seal kit - Gas tank Seals - Battery - Front and Rear tires - Pirelli Diablo - Mightyvac Brake Bleeder - Plastifix (Plastic weld for fairings) - new brake and clutch master cylinders (incl new levers) - new chain - all new brake line seals and new bleeders - new wheel nuts - new nuts for rear sprocket - new axle nut and plastic plug - dust seals for swing arm, dog bone and rear shock - water pump seal - new cush drive rubbers - clutch slave seal kit - new start/stop and headlight / horn switches - new gas tank rubbers - new turn signal and brake bulbs - fork stop clips - fork protectors - all new dust seals for rear hub - new bolts for brake calipers - new spark plugs - complete new decal set for tank, fairings and rear cowl - new gear shift lever and rubber - new coolant reservoir - new clutch slave cylinder - new leather stitched seat cover - new upper front stay (oops, looked like it was bent) - crankcase gasket - new bar ends - new rubber for footpegs - new oil filter - new collars and pin bolts for foot pegs (sliders) - new rear brake switch and rear brake springs - If you have any suggestions or comments please share them

The purchase of a tank protector fell into one of my procrastination loops. One is finally in the mail now but that's after almost 5000 miles of the front of my jacket rubbing and pounding the crap out of the tank, dulling the finish there. Any advice on the best way and best product(s) to get the finish back to its original depth and luster before I apply the new tank protector there? Also, while I was cruising the aisles of Auto Zone... does anyone have experience with 3M Paint Defender? Could this be a decent alternative to tank protectors? Or a good way to augment the area around the protector? I was initially thinking of using it for the chin of the bike's fairings and maybe the parts of the panniers I keep leaving boot marks on.

My vandalized '91 VFR has been patiently waiting in the garage for some sort of activity for nearly 2 years. In that time, I was able to scrounge up all the missing plastic the (rat-bastard) intruder stole from me. I recently tested the waters on selling it but could only muster up interest to the tune of half a month's rent, including all the plastic. That said, I decided on a rebuild v2 project and keep the bike indefinitely as a weekend runabout, part-time commuter and loaner for my out of town guests. There is too much value and nostalgia in this bike to give it away so cheap. And I still love riding it. Unfortunately, I moved to a location where I cannot work on the bike in the garage. Fortunately, there is a shop nearby that offers storage and unlimited use of full service mechanical bays, including tools and machine shop (and mechanics by the hour!). I rode the bike there a couple days ago and am now planning the build. The good thing about bringing the bike to the shop is the monthly fee is a good motivator to make timely progress. The first phase of the project is to take care of some mechanical maintenance, straighten the mounting brackets damaged by the thief and size up the new body pieces. Phase 2 is all about cosmetics. I am not yet sure if I'll stick to the factory paint scheme or do something custom. Resale value is no longer an issue so custom is looking a bit more enticing. The maintenance items are steering head bearings (already have all balls tapered on the way), fork seals (and maybe F3 internals if I can find some donor forks soon), and clutch plates (slipping when hot only under heavy load in low gears, second, third near redline). I may replace the clutch basket. I was told the "orbital" springs on the backside of the clutch basket are warn, causing a "broken connecting-rod like" knock sound at idle. No other symptoms. The knock sound goes away when the clutch lever is pulled-in at idle. These springs apparently keep the clutch basket stabilized at idle and when warn, allow the basket to bounce back and forth. Cause of the warn springs: abusive burn-outs by some dumb-dumb previous owner. I'll post what I can about the progress. I know there is already some good info here about the maintenance I need to do so I'll try to add value. And Pix.

I have been wanting to customize my bike since last summer. Thought about paint, but wrapping was quick, probably comparable in cost and I had a chance to design some of it myself (see the front fairing!) I'm loving the final look.

I am keeping a collection of all custom paints/photochops. Currently, they are not organized by any means. VFRD Paint jobs and Chops Last update: 30/3/13 11/22/10 - Moved from Flickr To Photobucket - added pictures since last update 4/1/09 - Sorted by generations 5/12/09 - Added more pictures If there are any pics you would like added or removed, just send a PM.

Hi all, I was unlucky enough that a stanley blade went through my, almost-new, back tyre a few days back on the road. I know because I found the blade in the tyre when I removed the tyre from the rim haha! I could barely believe it myself. Anyway now that I am waiting on new tyres I took a good look at my rims and think that they could really do with a paint. It's been in the back of my mind for a while now anyway. That begs the question, do I stay standard and paint them black again? Do I go with silver to match the frame? Do I go with a pale shade of gold to match the brake calipers? At this point in time the pale gold sounds appealing. Seeing as I'll be doing the work myself, I'd be happy enough to try it, see how it looks and then get it done professionally whenever I could save some money for that. The thing is, I've no idea what colour-code/name etc the front brake calipers are. I've a feeling they might close to Ford Champagne Gold which I can get hold of easily here. Any ideas? Indeed any pics of gold or silver wheels and tips on the job would be great. Thanks :)

Hi everyone. Long time member here, few posts though. It is time to scrounge some OEM hard cases for the VFR. It's very hard to find the colour you need to match though. I know people have painted them, although it can be pricey. Has anyone tried the car wraps? Are they capable of a good fit over the contours of the bags? What about price? 3M makes a wrap in CF which might look good if these can work? What about Plasti DIp? A can of this stuff is about 20 bucks in Canuckistan, which seems like it might work? Anyone tried it? Thanks. Joe