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well the BCM thing didn't quite work out, but i got some very nice domino units instead. they were a bit cheaper than the other thing and still give me all the features i wanted, so it's all good. new MCs as well: new bars all set up: (was quite the relief to hook the switch blocks up and not blow any fuses or let any magic smoke out, all the buttons even work to boot including the ones that weren't there before) this digital flasher i've had laying around for like 8 years finally came in handy. chain and sprockets also on, swingarm's all back together: now some bad news. with the clutch SC back on, i decided it was finally time to start it. threw some fresh plugs at it, mashed the go button, it cranked, and...nothing. it did bark with some starter fluid, at which point it made oil pressure and showed no signs of leaks, but it wouldn't stay running. when i looked down the throttles, nothing was coming out the injectors. then i pulled off the return line and cycled the key to check fuel flow, which checked out just fine (which it damn well should, since i changed out almost the entire fuel system). so the injectors got gummed up. which means i gotta pull off the throttle bodies. son of a bitch. i think what i'm gonna do is pull the injectors out of the old motor and see if they'll come back to life, so i can just get the actual swap all done at once.

Is it possible the key is bent or twisted? Do you have a second key you could try? Graphite is the better choice for lubrication, too bad it wasn't your solution.

I've never felt the need to change from the stock screen on any of my VFRs - 3rd, 5th, and now 6th gen. Just enough air gets past to take some weight off my arms, and the airstream is pretty smooth. People come in all shapes and sizes, and they wear different jackets and helmets, so not everyone will like Honda's screen.

https://www.ngkpartfinder.co.uk/assets/Uploads/2019-Plug-Covers-ver3.pdf Here ya go, have a butchers at this, shows part numbers, check against what's fitted on your bike, yes plugs & caps must be resistor type.

So the stock rear is 130 70 18. I can a Bridgestone bt46 130 80 18 for a really good price.Does anyone run this tyre on the nc21 and will that slightly higher sidewall work witj clearance etc.

Whoa... you got quite the journey there! Best Wishes!

A few weeks with not much happening A few weeks with not too much happening as I turned my attention to other things but I did make a bit of progress....at least with diagnosing issues! When I put all back together a few weeks back it ran, but not happily. So! new plugs are ordered (will be here Saturday) and I've also sourced some vacuum hose to replace everything as lots are cracked or at the very least well dried out and waiting to crack. It would settle to a very high idle (4-5k) while it was warming up, so I figured I better look at the wax idle unit. I drained the coolant and popped off the hose which revealed some nasty white powdery gunk so I'm guessing someone has just had water in there which has oxidised. I'd say flow was at least partially blocked to the wax idle unit. while I was in there, I also realised the starter valves are fairly rusty looking and just aren't moving freely at all so I've ordered a good second hand throttle body which should take care of all of that. Now that I think about it I should probably test the thermostat while I'm in that far. Tomorrow if the weather is on my side I'll sort the rear brakes and loosen the throttle bodies off so that when the "new" ones arrive, I can just get on wioth putting it back together. Hopefully all those jobs will see her running properly in the next week or two. Oh, and it looks like I have an oil leak to sort too. Brilliant!

So will the Bridgestone bt46 with the slightly higher wall fit and work on tje rear of the vfr400r nc21.I can get ot for much cheaper and better quality than the 130 70 18 that's available

Photos... Hope this helps! Rubber shield and Tank Bracket.. Starter Solenoid Circuit Btw - You miight review my thread on Thermostat/hoses/brakes for ideas

Single Fuse holder above⬆is upside down. Did u inspect the female terminals in the plug? Prone to becoming loose when plugs been off a few times, causes a weak connection/high resistance, terminals lose their springiness & don't grab the male terminals in the relay enough, replaced loads of melt down plugs & relays, often cooks the loom making wiring stiffer than a porn stars 🐓 which needs cutting out & replacing too. If plug's good it's worth squeezing females back together with a small straight bladed driver for a snug fit onto males. New plug/terminal kits are available as a pattern part should the need arise, I always keep a few in stock for customers.👍

All of our spins have different purposes. Clearing our heads, hearing the roar of a V4, or just getting to work in the morning. This spin was my first since Christmas that didn't involve it ending, or starting, in the workplace carpark. This was going to be just me and my VFR heading on down to Long Strand to write a name in the sand, gaze out to the sea for a while, and then, wiping a tear from my eye, saying goodbye. Baby Croí would've been 3 years old last week and around this time every year since, I travel the hour or two to this beach where we said our goodbyes. This year I was going on my own so it was a great excuse to bring the bike and let that be part of my journey. It had been so long since my last spin, having a toddler will do that to ya, that I noticed my reactions and attention span weren't quite what they should be. I had a couple of warnings early in the spin where I went in a little too hot to a bend, or I didn't see a car at a junction (not that it pulled out but I'd pass it thinking "didn't see him there"). I tried harder to concentrate and tried to relax myself on the bike, my muscles used to the 30 minute commute but far less used to anything longer or twistier. Sweeping past the city and down towards west Cork, the scenery changes in front of you. It becomes more hilly, a little more rugged the further west you go, and especially as you towards the coast. Some of the roads are deceiving, they look smooth but are actually rutted and slap you around on the bike but then you come across twisty bits taken anywhere between 50kph and 80kph and the bike is a joy. It has so much mechanical grip that I always feel I could have been faster and it rewards you for riding well. Holding a gear rather than dancing through the gearbox is perfect on these bits, the VTEC coming on song as you exit a corner, waking up the locals. Reaching my destination, the beach is busy, and a lot of people take a second look at the bright red machine that has just rumbled into their midst. I step off of the bike, leave my helmet and gloves on the tank, and walk to the edge of the water. In the sand, I spell out her name, draw a heart, and take in the emotion. The sound of the sea in front of me is calming and, my moment of reflection over, I walk back towards the bike. I'm pretty hungry now so I get fish and chips. It fills me but it's disappointingly small for the price paid. Still, I got a great view of the sea and some extra time to think. Back on the bike, I turn for home, and end up following a guy on a little Honda Dax 125, a bit like the Grom. His lines are perfect through the bendy bits, making up for the lack of power on any straights but I'm never bored behind him. Eventually we part ways and, by now, my body is really not used to this and the last 40 minutes are a little uncomfortable. I can only imagine what a full-on head-down, bum-up sportsbike would be like for someone of my size, short limbs, wide shoulders. Still, the VFR has been a worthy companion. It's been immensely fun, it's encouraged me to ride my best, and it's brought me home. Couple of pics: https://ibb.co/5gVqMP3z https://ibb.co/FkQ9Kyrv

Have an MRA Vario. It's handy because you can adjust it easily but I tend it leave it in the "up" position so there's less wind hitting me. I don't think it does much for noise though.

Check the slot cover, ham fisted use when inserting the key can bend the soft metal surrounds & jam the slot cover. You can usually straighten it all out with a thin flat blade screwdriver to lever the bent metal up which frees the stuck slot cover. Then squirt some silicone spray or WD40/GT85 etc into the lock mechanism through the key slot. Then work the key a few times to distribute the lube.

I've used WD40 previously on another bike, which worked, but I dont know if it is the best thing to use.

data point of one and not at all the same bike, but the stock fan on my sv650 was just downright not up to task for texas summers; if i was standing still, the temp would climb even if the fan was on. swapping it out for a 5" spal fan fixed that problem. (at first i had a pair of them but that turned out to be way overkill.) the vfr fan looks to be similarly constructed, so i wouldn't be surprised at all if the root cause of everyone's overheating issues is just a wimpy fan. i still have that second fan laying around somewhere, so before my bike's finished i plan to slap it on so i can see how it performs.

A question for the Hive Mind. The ignition switch is not quite right. Once the key is in and pressed, I can rotate the key easily, but then it is not easy to retract, feels kind of sticky, and I have to work it back/forth until it releases and can be pulled out. I have dusted some graphite powder into the lock but I don't think that really changed much. I feel that I should be spraying some sort of solvent in there to wash out whatever is making the lock sticky. Any suggestions? I am thinking of WD40 or penetrating oil.

Keep it apart....I'm sure to run into many other 'how does it go back?' questions. 🤣

If you see *continuous* temps higher than 220ºF or below 180ºF then trouble shooting is in order: Continuous engine temps above 220ºF or 104ºC is also a problem and the proper order of items to trouble shoot are: 1)Faulty radiator cap... system should hold 1.1 pressure ratio... 2)Insufficient coolant... 3)Passages blocked in the radiator, hose or water jacket... 4)Air in the system... 5)Thermostat stuck closed... 6)Faulty temp meter or thermo sensor... 7)Faulty fan... 8)Faulty fan switch... Engine temps below 180ºF or 82ºC is an problem... it means that the moisture produced during combustion is not getting hot enough to evaporate out the pipe as steam... instead that moisture will migrate to the oil and produce a milky white contamination... Note normal by products of combustion is water... . Every gallon of gas creates roughly 8 pounds of water vapor... we all have witnessed water escaping out of tail pipes on cold mornings... The sequence of events to trouble shoot are: 1)Faulty temp meter... 2)Thermostat stuck open... 3)Faulty fan switch... (stuck on) Leaky Head Gasket Check... You can visual inspect for a leaking head gasket by pulling the spark plugs and peering down each hole... if the top of the piston is black then no leak that cylinder... if the top of the piston is a bright shiny aluminum then leak detected... because a leaky head gasket allows coolant in and that produces steam under the heat of combustion... the net effect is a super clean piston dome and no nasty black... On bike Thermostat Check To check if the thermostat is opening start the engine at its lowest temp... open the rad cap... observe at what temp the coolant begins to flow... if the temp rises above 180F and the coolant does not flow then your thermostat is suspect To trouble shoot an oil leak start by tracing the wet trail back to its the highest point to determine the origin... if the origin is mid cylinder then investigate a possible blow head gasket... take a compression test to verify the effective cylinder..

Hang on... Mine's apart... I'll get a photo of mine and post it tomorrow.

Not what I was wanting to hear, but I appreciate the input. 🙂 The wiring seems really tight, and I'm not sure turning 180 degrees is going to be all that easy. Might need to find what is preventing that.... Update: Actually quite easy once I removed the tank bracket and unplugged the top cable. Much better.

You may be able to disassemble the plug caps and check; stick a flat blade screwdriver up inside and you should be able to unscrew the end, there is usually a spring and a resistor in there that will slide out (and can be easily refitted). I did this on my 86 VFR and found the resistor was broken and was a cause of poor running. The resistor was (from memory) 5kOhm.

Follow-up to this thread. It's cooled off a little bit and the bike is running much cooler. I'm now convinced it was the absurd OATs + jackassery that were causing the high temperatures.

These specs come from the past.. ‘86 vfr, 5K ohms (terminal/“cap”), ‘88 Hawk nt650, 10Kohms per terminal. Seems like there’s wrong info printed in the Hawk shop manual, as a total of 10K should result from plug(5K)+ cap/terminal(5K). My vote is to hopefully see 5K ohms when testing/measuring & call that an acceptable result..if you ever find an absolutely correct # please share

RC30 £132,250 RC45 £92,000 Gulp !

I'm also a big fan of Project Farm and also Torque Test Channel.... Together, they have cost me a lot of money! 😁