I just did a sprocket and chain swap. It was time. The previous owners (I think there were two before me) didn't take very good care of the old girl.
I went with -1 on the front and stock rear. The chain is a 530. I added a speedohealer and calibrated it with a GPS. It's pretty much dead nuts at 80mph.
Last week on the way to work I hit ludicrous speed going up a mountain. It was great fun! Sometimes the inner hooligan in my bust loose. What can I say?
So my question is, does anyone else ride the shit out of their 5th Gen?
It's all relative to the limits of the rider..........Aah ,,Dud
In my case I should get a lot of miles from mine. I do like taking the next step, but riding solo, I get stuck with my pace. I like going to T-Mac where I can ride with some peeps that are faster than me, every year I can see how much better I am when I get back and ride on my home roads.
Always ride the shit outa me vfr.... always have!!!..
After courier riding My VFR for over 15 years in and out of London with no accidents...finally coupled with a years ban £100 fine (nothing) for dangerous driving to prove it...(dangerous my arse ive got the dvd!).. just the cops were miffed parking my bike in my garden and not on street and could never catch up without a chopper. Try telling the cops in their super fast cages defense riding means you gotta stick your bike right in the way to be safe and seen!!
Last VFR chain swap i went for a 520 diderv3 racing chain with Alu sprockets...Magnesium Dymags a slipper clutch and quick shifter... carbon body on Alu. sub frames all round for less weight.. will it ever end?
To all the dead bikers that have had fun doing what they love. Ride on...full throttle before bikes are extinct to the pathetic motor car....
Yes there's a real rush when you can go from 0-80+ and have made some really smooth shifts while getting there, or you just took that curve with total confidence and right at the edge of your abilities. We all know that gear whine gets so much sweeter when you get close to the red line even though it still sounds great at any RPM. So yea I might push the VFR a little once in a while. Always try to ride safe while I'm doing it and enjoy the day and the ride every time I get on the bike. :fing02: Mike
I am not done with this bike. I want to have a 929 shock reworked and put Racetech guts in the front. Right now it's pretty much all stock except the Delkevic can, -1 front sprocket and a Speedohealer. That's it.
[image: View Post]deadsmiley, on 15 September 2011 - 02:50 PM, said:
So my question is, does anyone else ride the shit out of their 5th Gen?
My answer could depend on how one may define the phrase "...ride the s..t out of...".
I consider myself to be more of a ride "the pace" vs. a "hard on the gas...hard on the brakes" kind of street rider. Before purchasing my low-mileage, one-owner, 5th-generation in February I spent 16 years and 90k miles getting to know the handling characteristics of my '94 ST1100 pretty darn well. As a result I've had more than a few riders comment on how smoothly and quickly I can hustle that big old 700lb sport-tourer through a set of familiar mountain twisties. Since purchasing my '98 Triumph Speed Triple a few years ago and more recently my '98 VFR 800FI, I can't honestly say I generally ride any faster on these quicker and lighter machines than I have on the ST1100 over the years, but I do realize that my cornering limits aboard the S3 and VFR are certainly higher.
A considerable amount of my focus while riding is on being smooth AND defensive. Maximum speed and low e.t.'s are far lower on my list of street-riding priorities. Perhaps it's just been my good fortune, but since obtaining my motorcycle endorsement 27 years ago (so far) I've managed to avoid suffering an accident over the 200k+ street miles ridden on two-wheels...and I'd like to keep it that way.
One of these days I really would like to sign up for a track day so that I could explore and increase my limits in a safer environment. Perhaps after my two kids are out of the house and I'm no longer responsible for providing for their needs. Unfortunately, by then I'll be past age 60 and my reaction time, mental acuity and perhaps more importantly, ability to heal will have declined. A few years ago a friend and riding companion who's about 10 years my senior went down after overcooking a corner during a track day during the annual gathering for the Mid-Ohio races. My friend severely injured his ankle in the accident and faced a long recovery period with a lot of time spent in w/his leg in casts and having to get around on crutches afterward.
So for me I'm not sure experimentation while trying to discover my motorcycling limits would be worth the potential price in pain, suffering and inconvenience.
Of course, if I was only in my twenties this opinion might be different.... :happy:
[image: View Post]smoothsailin, on 16 September 2011 - 01:14 PM, said:
So for me I'm not sure experimentation while trying to discover my motorcycling limits would be worth the potential price in pain, suffering and inconvenience.
Of course, if I was only in my twenties this opinion might be different.... :happy:
At 66 I couldn't agree more........
[image: View Post]deadsmiley, on 15 September 2011 - 09:06 PM, said:
I am not done with this bike. I want to have a 929 shock reworked and put Racetech guts in the front.
If you want to ride the living s&*t out of your 5th gen, you HAVE to address the suspension, it can not keep up in stock form.
(unless your 120lbs of course :smile: )
[image: View Post]smoothsailin, on 16 September 2011 - 01:14 PM, said:
[image: View Post]deadsmiley, on 15 September 2011 - 02:50 PM, said:
So my question is, does anyone else ride the shit out of their 5th Gen?
My answer could depend on how one may define the phrase "...ride the s..t out of...".
I consider myself to be more of a ride "the pace" vs. a "hard on the gas...hard on the brakes"
...
Of course, if I was only in my twenties this opinion might be different.... :happy:
Eloquently put my friend...I wish I was always aware of my limitations and fragility whenever I have those lapses of judgement and let my immature "id" take over...happens too much and I'm going to regret it one day I'm sure...
I built mine with delinked brakes and RC51 calipers upfront, traxxion valving with stiffer springs, Penske shock in the rear. Um, when I get into the twisties, Mr Hyde starts to appear.... :goofy:
Hey, if you get enough titanium in you then you don't have to worry so much about being fragile. It's not like any of us are getting out of here alive anyways. Ha!
I crashed at the track in April on my 954. Got a punctured lung and a plate to fix the busted clavicle. The plate comes out at the end of next month and boy will my wife be glad. She is ready to ride 2up with me at the track again. Doc says I shouldn't do it with the plate still in there. I am rebuilding the CBR over the winter so I should be ready for the track again this Spring. w00t!
[image: View Post]MachineBuilder, on 16 September 2011 - 02:27 PM, said:
[image: View Post]deadsmiley, on 15 September 2011 - 09:06 PM, said:
I am not done with this bike. I want to have a 929 shock reworked and put Racetech guts in the front.
If you want to ride the living s&*t out of your 5th gen, you HAVE to address the suspension, it can not keep up in stock form.
(unless your 120lbs of course :smile: )
More like 200 and that is my plan. To address the suspension. Don't think I will ever be 120 again. Ha!
Bought her with 17K on the clock in Nov. 09. She now has over 45K. Still in love with her, and yes the suspension/gearing upgrades are some of the best. Did 2 days with Reg Pridmore at Streets Of Willow Labor Day weekend, and had a blast. Reg took viffergyrl for a few laps on her, and the video is very entertaining.
[image: View Post]MBrane, on 17 September 2011 - 12:50 AM, said:
Bought her with 17K on the clock in Nov. 09. She now has over 45K. Still in love with her, and yes the suspension/gearing upgrades are some of the best. Did 2 days with Reg Pridmore at Streets Of Willow Labor Day weekend, and had a blast. Reg took viffergyrl for a few laps on her, and the video is very entertaining.
I've only had mine for a few weeks but have been enjoying the heck out of it. It seems like practically every time I ride it, I'm running it up to the far end of the tach through at least a few gears. So far I've hit 140mph indicated.
I also did a quick backroads loop with the VFR a few days ago over lunch. I didn't have terribly high hopes as I don't completely trust the tires (they are the original Dunlop Qualifiers with a few thousand miles of wear on them, and I think they're several years old too--they will be getting replaced with Pilot Power 2CTs probably in the Spring) and I hadn't done any tweaking of the suspension, but to my surprise, the bike handled the backroads very well. The Ohlins out back needed a little tweaking--less compression damping and more rebound damping--but then it was near perfect. It might need a bit more preload as well but I haven't figured out how to adjust that yet. The fork must have upgraded internals because it felt spot-on the whole way.
So, yeah, I'm enjoying this bike a lot more than I thought I would. (I usually prefer more "hard core" sportbikes.)