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  1. Earlier
  2. With the FCR reconnected. Does the Fuel Pump still prime normally at switch on? Try the spark test again with the Sidestand Up, does this make a difference? The ECM Must see either the Ground signal from the Neutral Switch (via the Neutral/Clutch Diode, then the Green/Red wire at the ECM) OR the Sidestand Switch UP (Green/White wire at the ECM). No Ground detected = Ignition Disabled. You also want to be sure that the common Ground wires for the Ignition Coils measure GOOD continuity back to the Battery Negative terminal, AND that you measure good battery voltage on the Black/White wires for the coils. The ECM provides the controlling Ground to the relay coil to energise the FCR. There is no feedback to the ECM as to the Fuel Pump being connected, going or not going. Consistent Fuel Pump ops rely on solid 12v available at the FCR, a properly working FCR with good connections to the relay socket. Good connections of the Brown wire to the Fuel Pump, clean and well connected Fuel Pump connector and the Fuel Pump Ground wire being solidly Grounded to the Battery Negative, along with good continuity of the ECM Brown/Black wire to the FCR. These connections also need to be confirmed as good at the Blue 18P Connector. And obviously a working ECM with confirmed all grounds good back to battery Negative and solld battery volts on its Black/White wire. Steer clear of cheap Chinese made fuel pumps. Reliability with a Fuel Pump is paramount !
  3. A Dutch VFR stood idle for years and years....
  4. Hi Skids, at the risk of being captain obvious, you said you were going to have to strip down and clean the mating surfaces. I'm assuming you haven't done that yet if you are still having to use hammer for chain adjust? Given our climate (heaven knows it's been like monsoon season this last 4 weeks) and winter salt, I'd strongly recommend a bit of grease on the mating surfaces. I'm thinking copperslip but others might suggest a different type. I'm trying to think up a simple means of covering the forward holes on the swingarm to avoid the build of of grit that JZH showed in his photo. I'll post if I find a working solution
  5. Welcome and great choice of a Honda. That is a suberbly refined model of the carbureted VFR.
  6. Hi all i`m new to the forum, i`d like to introduce my self. I'm Darek i have a 96 VFR RC36 in red with 25000 km. I'm seasoned hobby mechanic, and looking to share rep methods and opinions on how to. I also own Kawasaki motorcycles which i repair-restore my self. I'm currently working on my VFR, its firs Honda bike i own.
  7. Ok so redid the flow test and it’s now only flowing 3 oz so I guess next step is get a new pump and pray that my bike runs once it’s installed. Any recommendations on exactly what pump I should purchase? Oh and can u PLEASE answer this for me, I checked for spark on the left rear cylinder yesterday with the tank off the bike and there was no spark. Would the fuel pump not being connected cause the ECM to not fire the coils? The fuel cut relay was still jumpered so the ECM was powered on (FI light on for a sec then off like normal) but coils were dead
  8. This is the vfr1200 page isnt it? Yes it was. I even said which plug and colour of wire was the feed.
  9. Thanks for your help. I'll check the tacho as soon I get around to it.
  10. Assuming the 6gen is similar to the 5th gen in that the Tacho relies on 3 screws to make electrical contact to the PCB. Make sure these screws are clean and tight. Confirm the Ground, Power and Signal at the tacho all measure good continuity back to the Panel electrical connector. Confirm the Ground and Power for the tacho measure good at the tacho, looks like the Signal is getting to the tacho by your O/Scope measurements. If the panel electrical connector is soldered to the PCB inspect it for any cracked solder joints. Give the connectors a spray of electrical cleaner. Failing the above it looks like the Tacho itself might be toast. Good Luck.
  11. 37k miles is nothing. Ensure all maint is up to date and check all systems...then ride it like you stole it.
  12. Nice one👍 thanks for sharing this
  13. Hello all, I am new here, just discovered the forum a couple of hours ago, found this thread and others too very useful and have some questions. First some background: Me: -Writing from Germany -Viewing my first VFR1200F tomorrow, Sunday 20.10.2024 -Have owned several bikes, a lovely 1994 VFR750F (RC36) amongst them -Currently riding a BMW RnineT (which is staying) and recently sold an Italian superbike because it was absolutely killing my wrists The bike: -2013 , it DOES have the TC button which, I understand, automatically makes it the updated model with the slightly larger tank, different engine mapping etc (right ?) -One owner from new, 60K Km/37K Mi on the clock, full Honda service history. (Along with the Honda, I am looking at BMW K1300Ss and also modern (>2017) Ducati Supersports (I have test ridden one of them, the riding position is very humane). Yes, the Ducati is the "odd one out" (The BMW and the Honda being considered comparable) but, then again, bikes are rarely chosen only with the head. On to my questions: -Is the mileage of the VFR in question something that should give me pause for thought ? -Is there any "common knowledge/accepted wisdom" here regards how long the powertrain (engine+gearbox+driveshaft) lasts on VFR 1200s ? -Same question regards the clutch (yes, very much use/user dependent, I know); for what its worth the sole owner is a lady who tells me the mileage is all down to long trips. All other bits of wisdom anyone wishes to offer very higly welcome, thanks in advance everyone ! PS @ Scvfr really sorry to read about your mishap with the lovely candy red one ! I hope you enjoy the bike regardless and maybe even solve the 6th gear problem after all.
  14. Not sure on fuel pressure as I don’t have a gauge to check it. Plan on trying to pick one up this evening as for the fuel pump priming being solved I believe it was the engine stop switch because they were since I pulled it apart cleaned it. Everything’s been good.
  15. Good day to all the VFR owners out there. The rev counter on my VFR isn't working and I was wondering if anyone had the same problem. When I turn the ignition on, the needle goes from the resting position against the stop to 0 (so it's doing something) but when I start the engine the needle of the rev counter just stays still. The speedometer (mph) works fine. I measured the signal on the back of the Tacho with a oscilloscope and got a square wave signal, however it didn't change a significant amount when I was reving the bike. Without comparison it's difficult for me to determine if the signal is good or not. I run a separate ground wire on the connector that courses commonly issues, (I think it's the blue one but can't remember exactly.) but that didn't make any difference. If anyone had a similar problem please let me know. Kind regards Tobi
  16. Thanks m8. I do still have to hammer it to adjust the chain.
  17. Today I worked first on the Zephyr cafe making the undertay plate of 2mm aluminum sheet, that needed a bit thinking to get formed at other end Now I need to bore the fastener holes, see where battery will be located as mouth R/R as connect tail light as turn signals Then a thing did go forward The FJ entered for valve adjustment Yes, my local Yamaha dealer did finally have time to visit my garage to adjust te valves. He is actually Yamaha European Technician Grand Prix 2023 #2! Actually #1 now as the guy that won the competition has moved to 2 cylinder Italian bikes stabe nowadays. So I'm quite convinced my valves are at speck now!
  18. So I’m already in this deep, I may as well check the suspension bushings and swingarm bearings, and why not swap out the rear shock (which was in surprisingly good shape given its age and my, ahem, weight). Crusty linkages and swingarm spindle removed. Quick polish with some white spirit and most of the buildup was gone. My favourite Redlibe grease to pack out dry swingarm bearings. Fortunately they were in good shape and turned freely without grit or binding, just a bit dry. I didn’t disturb the seals either. Swingarm spindle looking a bit rough before… And now much better after a white spirit clean and some ACF50 rubbed in. Then coated thinly in my favourite grease, ready to install. Same cleaning applied to footpeg - white spirit to remove all the chain oil buildup and corrosion, followed by ACF50 wipe down. Suspension linkage before.. And after white spirit/ACF50. I also polished these bits quickly with some Belgom Alu using a scotch pad and then a cloth (any metal polish would work fine). Copper scouring pad makes short work of rust and dirt buildup on bushings. Bit of fresh grease in the linkage bearings. Looking at the rear shock now, I have a choice between Maxton and Wilbers. Here are the three shocks arranged in weight order (you can see the weight in kilograms written faintly on the left of each). Wilber’s is lightest at 3kg, Maxton at 3.5kg and OEM at 3.6kg. Decided to save the lightest for the race bike so Maxton going into The Donkey. It has a 17.75 spring which is best for an 84kg rider, and stiffer than the 15.00 spring fitted as standard. As if I didn’t have enough on my plate, decided to give the engine a quick spruce up. First, wipe down with white spirit. Then a scrub with brass brush. Then scotchbrite with metal polish. And finally buff off with a cloth. Not looking brand new, but definately a bit smarter and less tired. Now the saga of exhaust crush gaskets begins. Initially I ordered some fibre ones off eBay for a 5th gen and thought nothing of it. But when they arrived it was obvious at 31mm internal diameter they were too small for a catless 5th gen header. So I ordered new ones with a 35mm internal diameter, but it turns out they were too big to fit on the head. Below is a pic of all the various gaskets I messed with. From top left clockwise: - OEM copper ring removed, shows protruding bulge - 39.5x31mm eBay gaskets for 5th gen are clearly too restrictive - 42x33mm gaskets are too big to fit in the head but good internal hole 42x37mm Kawasaki gasket. Flat soft washer designed for high spec race pipes with tight tolerances. I NEARLY went this route but bottled it for fear of leaks from imperfect headers - 33x35 copper ring is far too big but I thought about snipping and rejoining it… See how perfectly the Kawasaki flat washer would work…if I had the guts to try! But the Kawasaki gasket had another use - as a stencil. I turned its outside diameter down on the bench grinder and put it in the bore to show how much narrower the exhaust port is than the pipe flange. Marked the excess with a Sharpie: poor man’s engineers blue. And ground away the excess to make it flush. Same in the rear. Swarf from rear cylinders caught by tissue stop if going into the newly grease swingarm and suspension bearings. If I did it again I’d have fitted the new stainless studs after. With grinder in hand I thought, “why not grind down the crush gasket to make it fit better. “Turns” out you can “turn” them down a bit. Now if only I could open up the internal diameter a bit to match the flat Kawasaki washer… Just grind away a little from the inside too. Some of the windings may unravel - just snap them off and finish with a file. And voila: before at top and after below. Much better fit and flow, and significant improvement on standard 5th gen gaskets. Used a suitably sized socket to push them into the head. Now time to fit the exhaust…which of course meant removing the bloody shock again… Bit of copper RTV on the joints and new stainless clamps (painted black). Stupidly forgot to paint the inside of the heat shield so gave it a smear of copper grease for now. Wire brushed the coolant spigots and fitted new Viton o rings, along with stainless bolts. Building up cooling system piece-by-piece with AS3 silicone hoses and stainless clamps. Had to remove the centre stand to fit headers, so gave that a good old wipe to remove chain oil buildup, road grime and rust. Did same with centre stand bolts, spacers and springs. In the perfect world I’d powder coat and paint everything but this’ll do for The Donkey. Sometimes good enough is good enough. Forgot to show fitting valve covers before the grinding was done (didn’t want aluminium oxide dust on the valves!). Drop of superglue in about 8 spots to hold the gasket in place whilst fitting. The glue will burn off after the first run so don’t worry about it. Smear of Threebond RTV on the semicircle cutouts - not too much that it dribbles into the engine. Some copper slip on the newly painted valve cover bolts. And may as well fit the super premium iridium plugs (as opposed to standard iridium) whilst we are here. Covers installed with PAIR block off plates.
  19. This picture, of one of my old bikes, shows what happens over time when grit builds up in the end of the swing arm (it enters through the big openings next to the shock). As you can see, the bearing carrier has a casting feature that can catch on any grit which protrudes above the level of the machined part of the swing arm when you attempt to rotate the bearing carrier for chain adjustment. Once the pinch bolt is loose, there is nothing which should require hammer force to rotate the carrier. (You can also gently open the swing arm carrier opening even more by inserting a large, flat blade screwdriver into the split.) I don't see any real need for lube on these parts. Ciao, JZH
  20. Please post your latest Turing Test results, and we'll go from there! Ciao, JZH
  21. So, being a glutton for punishment I thought, “may as well change out the exhaust system which is looking a bit rusty”. Little did I know it was falling apart after 26 years of salty British winters. Exhaust clamps disintegrated and you can see a big hole in the collector where my index finger is. Exhaust crush gasket removed shows how over-tightening has caused it to bulge in to the opening and restrict flow. So down from the loft comes an old catless 5th gen header, down to the machine shop for blasting and painting with a special German BBQ paint to keep costs down. Here you I’ve partially blasted it to show the difference. Now completely blasted. And I may as well do the heat shield (plus a spare for the race bike). And I may as well do the valve covers while I’m at it. IT NEVER ENDS! Just a quick pass over (after degreasing) to help the paint stick. Blasted on left and virgin on the right (ooh, that came out wrong!). And at this point I may as well grind away the weld buildup on the inside of the header flange. IT REALLY, REALLY NEVER ENDS!! You can see the weld fillet clearly below. About 30 minutes with a die grinder for each flange and it’s a smoother internal bore now. Virgin on the left and ground down on the right (that also came out wrong!). Finish with a file to taper it smoothly to the lip. Hung everything in the tiny spray booth and put them in the oven for 30 minutes to gas off. Ready for paint. After a single coat with Mipatherm black. Some areas got a second coat for coverage but trying to keep it thin. Then bake for another 45 minutes and let it all cool slowly, ready to fit. With work and family commitments I couldn’t get to fit these for a good two weeks. Missed the last of the riding season here in the UK. Serves me right for biting off more than I could chew…
  22. Thanks Terry. I’ve heard this before but couldn’t see any evidence of moly in the bores. In fact the only thing in there was filth, which has to be removed even if there was molybdenum. Appreciate you chiming in, Mohawk. Tapered bores, you say…🤔 I may burnish the bores with some tungsten disulphide powder afterwards. If I can be bothered (it probably wouldn’t make the slightest bit of difference). And you’re right - weather has been bloody awful. Bring your scuba gear!
  23. And how about pump pressure? Just incase you have an internal split hose. Think you also need to establish exactly why your Fuel Pump is now working. Without establishing a reason for its intermittent nature, it's doomed to fail again sometime in the future!
  24. Failed the fuel pump flow test. 10 seconds results in 4 fl oz. Service manual calls for 5 fl oz. Wouldn’t think that would result in a no start condition tho… thoughts?
  25. When the fuel pump wouldn’t prime the starter button would still crank the engine but the fuel pump now primes at every key on.
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    1. med_gallery_491_3463_298783.jpg

      Juniper Pass

      I took a day off from work and also from my bicycle training to take out the Veefalo one last time before the weather turns ugly, supposed to snow the rest of the week and possibly start sticking to the ground along the Colorado Front Range. I took a leisurely pace up hwy 105 toward Morrison and got reacquainted with the bike since its been over a month since I took any sort of twisties on it at all, hwy 105 is a scenic ride along the front range between Denver and Colorado Springs, its mostly easy fast sweepers and lite traffic so its a favorite road of mine when going north. Then I have to negotiate a bit of traffic near Highlands ranch and up hwy 470 into the mountains. I decided to take the Morrison Exit and try either Lookout Mountain or head up Golden Gate Canyon - this time it was Lookout Mountain, I was sort of making it up on the fly as I went along. Lookout Mountain is my old bicycling haunt from my days while I was working at Coors, its a killer ride and all uphill - I don't think I could do it today If I had to, not quite there yet! I saw a whole bunch of riders doing it though and wished I was in shape enough to be there doing it as well. 30 more lbs and I will be able to do it! On this day I would do it on the Veefalo instead.

       

       

       

       

      I took a video from the gateway to the top at the Lookout Mountain State Park, getting past riders, the guy in the green jacket actually pretty much astounded me with how far he had gotten in the short time it took me to set up my camera, some 3 miles at least and up to the gateway from the turn off at hwy 6! Amazing I thought. I took the first two turns slow then got more comfortable as I went up further, till I was doing well, I made some gearing mistakes and took the tight 15mph marked hairpins in the wrong gear so I lugged it a bit on one or two. Still enjoyed it though and then got off at the top and hiked over a rock outcropping for an overview of the road for the pictures below.

       

       

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      Lookout Mountain - Golden Colorado

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      Zoomed in

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      Lookout Mountain Park top of the mountain

      From there I headed up interstate 70 to Idaho Springs for a beer at the Tommy-knockers brewery, I was the only customer in the joint - slow day for them so they treated me like a king! I got a nice tour of the place sort of impromptu, they made me a nice Pastrami sandwich on rye and with the brown ale it was fantastic. I must say the beer is much better there than in the bottles - its always good at the brewery. I am glad I stopped

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      Tommy-knockers Brewpub Idaho Springs

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      Idaho Springs Colorado

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      Mashtuns and fermenters

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      Rows of fermenters

      I finished my lunch and since the road to Mount Evans is right there I headed up Squaw pass hoping to get in some nice pictures I wasn't expecting what I found, ICE IN ALL THE SHADY PARTS

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      Icy patches on Squaw Pass definitely taking it easy on that road

      There were some section where the ice covered the whole road for 300 yards or so I had to roll through it with my legs out to help keep the bike from sliding and falling over, I took it real slow. A Ford pickup was right behind me so I pulled over to let him pass but the guy was going slower then even I was so I pressed on - in places where I could see I just cut over to the oncoming lane and out of the ice where the sun was shining on the road more, but some places there was not alternative so I just had to go slow, good thing it wasn't slick but rather they tossed some gravel over the worst parts so I had some traction!

      I did stop for pictures in all the best spots

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      Echo Lake at Mount Evans showing off my new plate

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      Elephant Butte Park and Denver

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      Close up

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      Veefalo on Squaw Pass

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      Juniper Pass

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      Juniper Pass

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      Mount Evans

      My route A is home B is Tommy-knockers

       

    2. martinkap
      Latest Entry

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      Not that it matters and not that I expect anyone had noticed, but to those who sent me "where are you?" I would like to say I am back. Not only that I am officially returning to VFRD after nearly 2 months break but I have also ridden my Hawk last weekend and had FUN! Let me restate that; I had major fun riding! Something I have almost given up on.

      Most of you have been riding your whole adult lives and riding is not only a hobby to you, it is part of you. But I started riding three years ago and even though I have encounter some setbacks, till this spring I loved riding with whole my heart. However, I have always considered riding as my hobby. As a hobby which suppose to make my life better, more fun and more rich. Life is too short to do something which we don't fully love.

      My love of riding received a first major scar this spring: I lost a friend on the racetrack. He was a total stranger who offered me his help after I lowsided at CMP track last year. I still remember hearing his "Hi, my name is Todd, do you need help?" while I was duct-taping my roadrash from ripped jacket. He helped me straighten up the shifter and we kept in touch. The next time we saw each other was the day he died.

      With 9 months delay, I can say that Todd's death shook me more than I have realized. It rooted fear in me which was fueled by seeing and hearing about others getting hurt over and over again. If I was to summarize this year - it would be one big accident report. I became sensitive to every broken bone, every roadrash, every lowside. And even though I did 10 track days this year, I became slower and slower and slower. Suddenly, I have acquired this 'grandma' riding style on the road, frozen with fear that behind every corner there is car standing in my lane, or major sand trap or deer staring at me ... I was crippled with fear not only for me about also for my fellow rider.

      So, at the end of this year, I rode more and more by myself. I could not bear the feelings of responsibility for others on the road and my lines were crippled by my own fears. It all culminated this fall at WDGAH. In a freaky accident Love2rideh82crash was taken down by a truck crossing into our lane. I was done. I finished the weekend, locked the VFR into a garage and took a break.

      Until the last weekend, I pretended that motorcycles do not exists. As a last instance after 2 months break from riding, I decided to go to CMP track to see if I can still have fun. I also felt like I should go for the memory of Todd. I went and I had fun! I had much more fun than I expected and the most fun on track I can remember. Suddenly the whole track connected into an uninterupted line of turns and I felt one with the bike riding around! I was giggling like a little girl in my helmet and keep on giggling ever since smile.gif

      Granted I was not the fastest one and through out the weekend, I have never exceeded about 60% of my riding abilities, but I had no "oh-shit" nor 'blond' moments. I could have maybe go faster, I could have brake later for the turns and I could have lean further, but I am no Rossi nor Stoner. I decided to ride for fun and I had amazing blast riding well within my comfort zone.

      I was proud of myself when, after bandaging Ricks arm, I was able to distance myself and go back to riding without the year-long fear. I did feel bad for him but the feelings were not crippling my lines nor my mind. And when a total stranger came to me and said "Hi, my name is Todd", my heart stopped for a minute though but I suddenly knew that my life went a full circle. I probably will never win MotoGP :idea3: , but I am back! :wheel:

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