Ahoy all. Recently got myself a 2000 5th gen in the faster red colour as an upgrade from a '98 Yamaha FZS600 which was my first big bike. The Fazer was plenty fast and capable, but it was bought as a project and i was getting bored of having to rev the hell out of it to get useful power, plus everyone else has an inline four. Boring. I had the FZS for just over a year and the VFR came around at a good price via the bike shop i work in. Got it for a touch more than was paid for it as it'd had a little work done but not yet up for sale.
I've had it for about a month and change now, and i've been getting used to it and enjoying it more and more. It was quite the change of riding position at first, and i thought i'd made a horrible decision for the first few weeks. My wrists hurt, my back hurt, the screen was funnelling wind up into my helmet and making a huge noise etc..
I've gotten used to the position now, and thrown on some huge grip pads which have almost totally stopped me loading up my wrists. Back has gotten used to it, and i've added an MRA touring screen which has solved the noise problem, though not eliminated it totally.
Over the last couple of weeks, work has slowed down a bit as the season comes to an end in the UK, so i've had time and workshop access to work on my own bike for a change. I've been focussing on restoration with a bag of fresh Honda OEM nuts and bolts (EXPENSIVE) and fixing paint around the lower parts. Had the bodywork buffed and restored quite a bit, but there are a bunch of chips and scratches to get fixed still.
Naturally; I have quite the shopping list of things yet to be done, and a longer list of things i want to add. Might even get it repainted next year.
Never thought I'd say this but, Welcome Hell! This is a great site and I'm sure you'll find lots of info and support for you. I agree, inline 4's Zzzz...
Love the work you did on the forks , they look brand new
Most kind!
I'll probably get them powder-coated at some point, as this was just done with a wirebrush, two grades of sand paper, a few coats of primer and a few coats of generic silver paint. It'll be a good excuse to get the fork oil changed, too.
The only serious problem i have with the forks is that one of the pinch bolt holes has a stripped thread, so i'm temporarily having to use a long bolt with a nut to clamp it properly. Will be getting that fixed in just over a week. Then i can put the nice fresh caphead bolt back in.
I also plan to very strongly consider a late 6th or early 7th gen in a couple of years. Love the body shape. May also entertain the idea of a Crossrunner. May also consider the idea of another 5th for a streetfighter.
Speaking from personal experience, whatever route you take on the 6th or 7th gen, do not sell your 5th gen. Hold on to it for at least a couple months if not an entire season. My wife made me sell mine when I bought my 6th gen and I have regretted it ever since. You may not warm up to the 6th or 7th gen and you will have already sold the 5th that you bonded with.
The 5th gen is a magical bike. There just isn't anything else out there like it.
Very nice looking bike and as you work in a workshop, you should find it very easy to service & maintain the bike yourself.
There is a fairly standard list of 'improvements' to which I'm sure you've already added your own items. Keep us updated with your progress.
New guy buys the beers! :beer:
Well, i've looked around a bit, and nothing jumps out at me as vital for the bike. But if i'm missing something, please do tell me.
Vital? Nothing really. But the reg/rec is a weakness.
Usual suspects are suspension, seat & end can. I think yours has the s/s downpipes so yr ok there. De-PAIR'ing is a favourite on here, along with de-snorkel & flapper valve mod. If yours has the Cat, then removing that can help the flow too.
Cut out the tabs on the tray under the seat so i can fit a cable lock in there.
The rest is cosmetics, like levers, re-coating the wheels, etc. Might swap-out the mirrors if i can find a good plug-and-play replacement which has that memory 'snap' and maybe also has built-in indicators, but not essential.
Please do recommend useful things for me to do to the bike.
OK, turns out i'm doing the PAIR, flapper and snorkel mods as described here. Seems very simple and quick, bonus points for being reversible. And the possibility for smoothing things out seems to make it worth it.
It's in the Haynes & Honda service manuals but not in Honda's schedule.
Ahh right. Thanks for pointing that out. I shall check for symptoms / keep an eye out for them, and discuss it with the guys down the 'shop as they're proper mechanics and i'm very not.
Thanks. I guess it's maybe because i've not posted beyond this topic yet, or the counter is broken.
I'll be posting, that's for sure. Progress of the restoration, feedback on mods, talking about accessories etc. Might even post my mockup for the planned re-spray next year.
Hi there,just up the road from you in derbyshire,i'm thinking of a suspension upgrade next year,not much else is needed,i can't believe how cheap you can pick them up for now,got to be one of the biggest bargains out there,oh and a aftermarket end can is a must :smile:
Yeah, a can is something i really want. Might be happening late this week or so. We shall see. I've mostly been focussing on restoration and cleaning now that i have the time to do it. Genuine honda bolts are NOT cheap... But unavoidable for some parts.
I really want to get the paint chips and scuffs sorted out, and the wheels powdercoated to get it all real nice.
Yeah, a can is something i really want. Might be happening late this week or so. We shall see. I've mostly been focussing on restoration and cleaning now that i have the time to do it. Genuine honda bolts are NOT cheap... But unavoidable for some parts.
I really want to get the paint chips and scuffs sorted out, and the wheels powdercoated to get it all real nice.
What kind if bolts are you looking for? On the other side of the pond they only run me a buck or two a piece. And the pound is much stronger than the dollar...
What kind if bolts are you looking for? On the other side of the pond they only run me a buck or two a piece. And the pound is much stronger than the dollar...
Some bolts i'm not replacing with genuine, but swapping for better looking versions, like the bolts which clamp the brakes and controls to the bars; I've chosen a stainless caphead over the stock greenish standards.
I spent over £65 on just these. At trade prices.
[image: post-33750-0-42202700-1442888502.jpg]
Genuine Honda nuts & bolts are crazy expensive over here. For no good reason.
Example of swapping for better looking:
[image: post-33750-0-11687100-1442888730.jpg]
Those i can get for less that a pound each, and in a lot of cases; Free, but that's because they're pretty generic bolts.
Apologies if this post doesn't flow right or a bit jumbled up. 3:30am here and i've just been woken up by a house alarm and written this whole thing without my glasses.
Vital? Nothing really. But the reg/rec is a weakness.
It is? I've had my bike 11 years now (and it's 14 years old), and had not a scrap of trouble with it. Mind you... I *did* fit a pentium fan and heatsink to it when I bought the bike, as the previous two bikes (1990 VFR750 and 2001 VTR1000) both had R/Rs blow. The voltage is always in spec, and the current battery (MotoBatt) is still strong, after many years (dunno how many exactly..)
There.
I've done it. The R/R is now going to fail, the battery will explode, and I'll crash, die, catch on fire AND burst into flames, and die all over again. :sad:
Vital? Nothing really. But the reg/rec is a weakness.
It is? I've had my bike 11 years now (and it's 14 years old), and had not a scrap of trouble with it. Mind you... I *did* fit a pentium fan and heatsink to it when I bought the bike, as the previous two bikes (1990 VFR750 and 2001 VTR1000) both had R/Rs blow. The voltage is always in spec, and the current battery (MotoBatt) is still strong, after many years (dunno how many exactly..)
There.
I've done it. The R/R is now going to fail, the battery will explode, and I'll crash, die, catch on fire AND burst into flames, and die all over again. :sad:
It's all someone else's fault too.
Serves you right! haha
Looks like your preventative medicine worked. :beer:
What kind if bolts are you looking for? On the other side of the pond they only run me a buck or two a piece. And the pound is much stronger than the dollar...
Some bolts i'm not replacing with genuine, but swapping for better looking versions, like the bolts which clamp the brakes and controls to the bars; I've chosen a stainless caphead over the stock greenish standards.
I spent over £65 on just these. At trade prices.
[image: attachicon.gif]IMAG0082.jpg
Genuine Honda nuts & bolts are crazy expensive over here. For no good reason.
Example of swapping for better looking:
[image: attachicon.gif]oemswap1.jpg
Those i can get for less that a pound each, and in a lot of cases; Free, but that's because they're pretty generic bolts.
Apologies if this post doesn't flow right or a bit jumbled up. 3:30am here and i've just been woken up by a house alarm and written this whole thing without my glasses.
See how much the stuff you want would cost. If it's a lot cheaper than in the UK, you could order it and have it shipped to me & I'll forward it on internationally. I've got no association with them other than being a satisfied customer.
What kind if bolts are you looking for? On the other side of the pond they only run me a buck or two a piece. And the pound is much stronger than the dollar...
Some bolts i'm not replacing with genuine, but swapping for better looking versions, like the bolts which clamp the brakes and controls to the bars; I've chosen a stainless caphead over the stock greenish standards.
I spent over £65 on just these. At trade prices.
[image: attachicon.gif]IMAG0082.jpg
Genuine Honda nuts & bolts are crazy expensive over here. For no good reason.
Example of swapping for better looking:
[image: attachicon.gif]oemswap1.jpg
Those i can get for less that a pound each, and in a lot of cases; Free, but that's because they're pretty generic bolts.
Apologies if this post doesn't flow right or a bit jumbled up. 3:30am here and i've just been woken up by a house alarm and written this whole thing without my glasses.
See how much the stuff you want would cost. If it's a lot cheaper than in the UK, you could order it and have it shipped to me & I'll forward it on internationally. I've got no association with them other than being a satisfied customer.
Where it says 'Quantity' is that what you get for the listed price, or the amount you need to order?
What kind if bolts are you looking for? On the other side of the pond they only run me a buck or two a piece. And the pound is much stronger than the dollar...
Some bolts i'm not replacing with genuine, but swapping for better looking versions, like the bolts which clamp the brakes and controls to the bars; I've chosen a stainless caphead over the stock greenish standards.
I spent over £65 on just these. At trade prices.
[image: attachicon.gif]IMAG0082.jpg
Genuine Honda nuts & bolts are crazy expensive over here. For no good reason.
Example of swapping for better looking:
[image: attachicon.gif]oemswap1.jpg
Those i can get for less that a pound each, and in a lot of cases; Free, but that's because they're pretty generic bolts.
Apologies if this post doesn't flow right or a bit jumbled up. 3:30am here and i've just been woken up by a house alarm and written this whole thing without my glasses.
See how much the stuff you want would cost. If it's a lot cheaper than in the UK, you could order it and have it shipped to me & I'll forward it on internationally. I've got no association with them other than being a satisfied customer.
Where it says 'Quantity' is that what you get for the listed price, or the amount you need to order?
It's the amount that the parts manual calls for. They don't have minimum order quantities, which is great. For example, if you go to the Air Cleaner section, you'd only need one air filter (at $42.25) but you'd need four air funnels (at $8.11 each) if you were building a new bike.
QUOTE>>>>OK, turns out i'm doing the PAIR, flapper and snorkel mods as described here. Seems very simple and quick, bonus points for being reversible. And the possibility for smoothing things out seems to make it worth it.
REPLY>>>>I'm shopping for a 5th gen at the moment myself. The mods regarding PAIR, flapper and snorkel in the linked post refer to a 6th gen. I assume they are the same for the 5th.
Can you comment on the amount variance that you see when performing this procedure periodically? Is 4,000 miles what those manuals recommend? This is the first time I have seen a spec for the frequency of this procedure.
There's no specified frequency for synching starter valves in the shop manual, but the idle speed is specified for inspection every 4000 miles. Unlike the 6th gen, the SV synch is easy to do on the 5th (just lift the tank and you're ready, whereas the airbox has to come off for the 6th) so if you had the gear, why not? Otherwise I'd only go looking at the starter valves if the idle was dodgy.
Nothing specified in the manuals and it's not even in the official service schedule but makes a huge difference if they are out and is very easy to do (even on the 6th Gen).
Welcome. For parts I've used Partzilla, although Her Majestys Revenue and Customs decided I should give them yet more money (although I still saved nearly £300 on parts!)
I also use MotoToro, who are based in Dublin. Very reasonable, sometimes cheaper than mainland UK! Good delivery times too.
Also bought stainless steel kit from eBay and paid around 6 quid
End of thread · 37 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 25 Aug 2017