Welcome, Dane,
Very nice bike considering it is old enough to drink ;-) My previous VFR was a twin to your '92 other than your left exit TBR. It looks like the p.o. changed the rear turn signals, makes for a much cleaner backside. Check my gallery for photos of mine stock and modified:
http://www.vfrdiscus...m/6562-my-vfrs/
The weakest point for VFRs of all years is electrical. It would be cheap insurance to clean all the wiring connectors, including at the starter relay located adjacent to the battery.
Looks a nice bike. I'd overhaul the brakes too (dremmel & brass brush will clean behind the rubber seals in the calipers very well), fit braided hoses and then look towards fitting upgraded suspension, which will make it a much sweeter bike to ride. I have a set of forks & a shock possibly going up for sale shortly if you're interested...
Just some friendly advice - off roading will have taught you the more important aspects of riding on the road, but not about the caveats with heavier bikes - so this may help:
Be sure to use the back brake when moving slowly, stalling when turning is one of the most common causes of slow speed tip overs - back brake gives plenty of stability whilst slipping the clutch.
I'd put a tool from the tool kit under the sidestand when on grass... And never park it facing down hill! :happy:
I keep a plastic side stand foot ,either a 3" plastic coaster or a 3 x 4" rectangular piece of plastic, in my tankbag and use it under my sidestand any time parking I'm on soft ground. The rectangular one was given to me @ a gieco booth @ an AMA race. Nice bike, but definately get some new rubber (michelin Pilot Road or Powers are awesome tires) and change your fork oil and brake fluid, oil , antifreeze etc. Have fun , be safe and assume that the cage drivers will do the stupidist thing and that they don't see you ( wave to the ones that do see you and don't pull out in front off you).
I can't wait to transfer everything in my name and get to riding! I will be getting a set of tires for it as well. I was surprised how cheap they were. $225 for a set is not bad really. As far as the grass goes, yeah it did sink in there a bit. I wheeled it over there to snap those pictures. Another thing I need to get is some riding gear that is comfortable in the Texas heat. I'm not used to that!
what type of tires are we talking here? Beware of the online tires too, verify date codes as you can get some old ones and no one wants that.
Welcome to VFRD from across the pond :beer:
Original bodywork is rare, but there is always aftermarket should the event occur..
What was said, check the connectors between stator, RR and battery as well as the main fuse holder.
Enjoy he ride!
Hey thanks a lot! I plan on going through the bike real well and checking everything out. I've read to stick with OEM pads and I'll definitely check with the tires. I may just go to a motorcycle shop and find tires there. As far as shock oil, I'm a big dude (220 lbs and 6'1") so should I do anything suspension wise to help with the extra heft?
the suspension is one area that could use improvement, but just changing the fork oil regularly improves the front end considerably. James Daugherty (a member here) can set up your suspension for your wt and riding style and can rebuild a cbr929rr rear shock and adapt it to fit your 3rd gen, also race tech gold valves, shims and correct springs can improve the front end, but your bike is adjustable for preload on both ends and has very low miles, so I think for the time being just change fluids and ride it(and maybe turn in the preload to the next line on both ends) have fun
I will probaby do that. The previous owner had the factory service manual so I've been reading through it and making sure all is well. The front end is a bit soft so I will probaby adjust the preload an change the oil. I read on here about adding heavier weight oil to help with heavier riders. Is that something that would be adviseable?
Also, I need to tune the carbs a bit. There is carbon buildup in the exhaust and the rpms slowly drop over a period of 20 seconds from 1,800 down to 900 (then it dies). Once the bike cools down, I will check the color on the plugs. I might as well get all this stuff taken care of now. I can't really ride it a whole lot until I take the advanced rider's course next month. It is a requirement for us Navy guys (I think Marines as well) before we ride. Too many inexperienced people were buying R1's and Busa's and ending up as a smear on the highway. These free (read: required) courses have really helped cut down on motorcycle accidents.
the suspension is one area that could use improvement, but just changing the fork oil regularly improves the front end considerably. James Daugherty (a member here) can set up your suspension for your wt and riding style and can rebuild a cbr929rr rear shock and adapt it to fit your 3rd gen, also race tech gold valves, shims and correct springs can improve the front end, but your bike is adjustable for preload on both ends and has very low miles, so I think for the time being just change fluids and ride it(and maybe turn in the preload to the next line on both ends) have fun
Jamie's work is awesome ! I have his CBR's upgrades front and back .
I think taking advanced riding classes should be a requirement for everyone. I'd try mixing some seafoam in your gas and run a tank or so thru it and see if your carb issues clear up. As far as fork oil, you may want to try 10wt or so, I just used ATF (approx 7.5 wt) in the forks of my 4th gen. and it feels a lot better than 2yr old bel ray fork oil 10wt