VFRDiscussion ARCHIVE / READ-ONLYREAD-ONLY

My first VFR!

50 posts Started 26 Jun 2020 Last recovered post 1 Aug 2020 Wayback Machine snapshot 7 Aug 2020
#1 Skids Thread starter

The lower mounting plates are different shapes, though the mounting lugs look to be the same spacing. 

#2 rtho782

So the givi rack for the vfr1200f is a horrible one that replaces the stock 'arms' with the givi type ones that have a tendancy to rust and generally look crap, hence wanting to use the existing arms. I think I'm just going to clamp one of the generic monkey plates to the existing rack.

In other news, the r&g radiator guard arrived, however this required removal of the left fairing and I cannot get it to go back on properly no matter what I do.

Not quite sure what to do now, I don't want to ride it like this in case I rip the fairing off, so I guess this weekend is out now and I have to try to get it to a dealer or something next week 😭

#3 rtho782

Think I've sorted it.

A couple of the tiny plastic clips holding that top section of inner fairing to the outer fairing had snapped, not sure if that was me or it was already liked that, but a slight application of araldite rapid has hopefully fixed it.

There is no actual need for me to remove the inner bit from the outer bit so I'm happy with that.

#4 rtho782

Newest toys...

R&G kickstand extender thing, easier than carrying a puck as it stays on, and came in handy parked on grass today while my friend hunted for random cans in the nearby bin to rest his fjr1300 on!

R&G radiator guard, I always thought these were a little pointless, but having had a hole in the rad on my last bike convinced me otherwise!

My first decent ride with the wife as pillion, to Mersea Island, also my first time with all the luggage on. Unlike the last bike, it really doesn't struggle with the extra weight at all, I adore this bike.

#5 Skids Thread starter
3 hours ago, rtho782

I adore this bike.

Welcome to the club  :beer:

#6 rtho782

The Givi E251 topplate turned up (the generic one) and I mounted it to the Honda bracket, and put my old topbox on. Seems pretty solid, if I shake it the bike moves not the box, box definitely isn't as pretty, but it actually fits both helmets in at 55L vs 45L for the Honda one.

A friend of mine is having his FJR1300 boxes resprayed to match his bike, so I might do that.

Pretty incredible to think that's like 5 extra 2L coke bottles of space.....

#7 rtho782

[image: 1769482736_2020-07-0119_52_31.thumb.jpg.8fe9e3590de9714f75c057659c9a52bc.jpg]Anyone know where I can get connectors for this quad harness thing?

#10 rtho782

Thanks, I can't find the terminals I want so I think I'll just cut the existing ones off and put my own on.

Powerbronze rear hugger turned up today, hopefully this keeps some mess off the back end.

I was mooching at @Skids signature and looking at MCT, it seems they are in Stowmarket which is only 20 minutes from me and even less from work so might see what they can do for me!

Edit: I may have it booked in with MCT (sshhhhh don't tell the wife!!) although their next appointment wasn't until September!!

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#11 Skids Thread starter

Highly recommended. Had my first Crossrunner upgraded there too and the new one will be visiting sometime as well.

What options did you go for?

#12 rtho782

Full MCT rebuild on the front forks and the wilbers shock, the guy was saying that the preload siezes in the OEM shock (which I think perhaps is why I seem to be struggling to harden mine up, I think initially it was very soft which was why I thought it had been lowered).

Unfortunately it's not booked in until Sept 24th as he is very busy!

#13 Skids Thread starter

He's always busy.

Sounds like the same work I had done on mine.

You won't regret it, transforms the bike.

#15 Skids Thread starter

The issue, at least for me, with HiD Xenon is locating the ballast somewhere. It wont fit inside the headlamp unit which means you have to cut the existing headlamp wires and pass the ballast through the waterproof rubber gaiter. Then there is also precious little space to mount the ballast. I'm not 100% happy with where mine is but it's been there several years and seems to be working. It was a tortuous ordeal, involved pulling the front fairing off completely to access the headlamp unit fully, but there may be an easier way now as I fitted this back in the early days.

Modern LED are much easier. The one I recently fitted to the high beam was a simple swap, no external ballast, just plug in and go. I don't know if they're putting out enough illumination yet for night riding nor if the beam pattern is affected by the change in bulb type, but I'll take a look at the beam pattern as winter approaches. And the beauty of LED is no warm up time, it's an instantaneous ON, which is perfect for the high beam flash. For the low beam, HiD is ok as it warms up when you turn the ignition on, after that, it's on permanently but again, beam pattern may be an issue. Fortunately, it wasn't for me.

#16 rtho782

Interesting, thanks for that. 

The issue with LEDs seems to be that there are so many different ones to choose from and it's hard to know which are actually good and which are marketing lies, but I will look at them instead.

#18 Skids Thread starter
8 hours ago, rtho782

https://www.facebook.com/pg/sabsteef/posts/?ref=page_internal  This guy seems to be able to do ECU flash remotely if you hook up a laptop meaning I don't have to pull the ECU out and send it to the US....

Yes, someone else mentioned this fella a few weeks ago but I couldn't find the thread.

Will be interesting to read the experience of someone on here who decides to give him a try (as long as they remember that the restrictions are in the first 3 gears, not 2).

#21 rtho782

Givi screen fitted, which should keep the wind off me a bit more from all the reviews I have read.

Getting the little centre upper cowl bit back on properly is an ass, it wants to lift slightly on the bottom, but I got it in the end.

Edit: Just took it for a short loop around the A14 to test it, it definitely does it's job well, however it is.... easy to lose track of your speed shall we say!!

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#22 rtho782

Just booked it in for it's 24,000 mile service.... I knew this was a big one but £650!! fml 😞

#23 TimC
10 hours ago, rtho782

Just booked it in for it's 24,000 mile service.... I knew this was a big one but £650!! fml 😞

Major maintenance can be expensive, but take care of it and a VFR will run forever.  🙂 

#24 slowbird
13 hours ago, rtho782

Just booked it in for it's 24,000 mile service.... I knew this was a big one but £650!! fml 😞

What exactly does the 24,000 mile service entail?

I find most dealerships, both cars and bikes, like to charge for them to "inspect" things, which some techs just do a cursory glance. 

#25 rtho782
5 hours ago, slowbird

What exactly does the 24,000 mile service entail?

I find most dealerships, both cars and bikes, like to charge for them to "inspect" things, which some techs just do a cursory glance. 

Basically all the things, but for example it's the first time the final drive oil is changed, and the coolant.

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#26 slowbird
3 hours ago, rtho782

Basically all the things, but for example it's the first time the final drive oil is changed, and the coolant.

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Really? Oh. 

 Hmmmm....just my opinion but I feel like 24k miles is a bit early to replace the coolant.
Does the Brake fluid look dark? 

#27 Grum
32 minutes ago, slowbird

Really? Oh. 

 Hmmmm....just my opinion but I feel like 24k miles is a bit early to replace the coolant and brake fluid. 

Coolant maybe but Brake and Clutch fluid definelty replace it, never greater than every 2 years, the more frequent the better. There seems to be no end of brake system horror stories caused by not replacing the fluid by two years max.

#28 Skids Thread starter
1 hour ago, slowbird

Really? Oh. 

 Hmmmm....just my opinion but I feel like 24k miles is a bit early to replace the coolant.
Does the Brake fluid look dark? 

I'm guessing Honda (and all other manufacturers) have to cope with a very wide range of behaviours and riding conditions and so come up with a generic set of rules which are lowest common denominator safe.

#29 slowbird
17 hours ago, Grum

Coolant maybe but Brake and Clutch fluid definelty replace it, never greater than every 2 years, the more frequent the better. There seems to be no end of brake system horror stories caused by not replacing the fluid by two years max.

Really? Interesting. I haven't heard of any horror stories related to not changing brake fluid.

It is a good idea though. I agree with ya there. They are what stop us afterall

#30 Terry
1 hour ago, slowbird

Really? Interesting. I haven't heard of any horror stories related to not changing brake fluid.

It is a good idea though. I agree with ya there. They are what stop us afterall

The LBS system is shared with a number of other Hondas. The ST1300 and Goldwing get used for big miles and there are plenty of tales of woe, especially around the behaviour of the secondary master cylinder. These can seize or jam, and that in turn holds the rear pads on against the disc. There is at least one story of a Goldwing's rear brake actually catching fire from the heat generated (and there is enough torque that the rider hadn't noticed...), and plenty of examples of the rear brake causing excessive pad and rotor wear. So don't skimp on the brake flushing, that is a lot easier than a SMC rebuild or disc replacement. 

#31 Dutchy
4 hours ago, slowbird

Really? Interesting. I haven't heard of any horror stories related to not changing brake fluid.

It is a good idea though. I agree with ya there. They are what stop us afterall

If a prior owner left it long enough....

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#32 raYzerman

Agree on the flushing... once you've got it cleaned up, a flush and bleed every year is much easier and will keep things in top shape, including that SMC.  I like the LBS myself.  Don't forget the clutch at the same time.

#33 rtho782

To be honest, while it seems to have a relatively comprehensive service history, most of it is not by Honda (although the last one at 21k was), and given that I've just got it, I'd rather go over the top on the servicing and establish a baseline.

Future servicings I might even do myself for basic stuff like oil and coolant changes, I'm not too bothered about future value, as I was saying to the wife the other day that this is my last motorbike, it's the one I've always wanted, and once you have a 1200cc shaft drive sports tourer with 170hp, what is there left to upgrade to?

#34 raYzerman

It's a good find at 21k.  Nothing much to worry about, just change all the fluids to fresh, ensure the routine maintenance is all done and good to go for many smiles.  Yeah, I'd almost like to have a VFR 1200 but I'm liking the 800 well enough as a stablemate to my CBF1000 (a 2009 I got at 20k kms.).  Not even broken in yet.  Kinda bummed the VFR800X didn't make it to North America, or at least Canada, or I'd have one right now.

#35 Skids Thread starter
4 minutes ago, raYzerman

It's a good find at 21k.  Nothing much to worry about, just change all the fluids to fresh, ensure the routine maintenance is all done and good to go for many smiles.  Yeah, I'd almost like to have a VFR 1200 but I'm liking the 800 well enough as a stablemate to my CBF1000 (a 2009 I got at 20k kms.).  Not even broken in yet.

If we all had garages big enough (and wallets!), we'd all have a lot more Honda's in there, along with the odd Duke/Suzuki/Triumph etc. A Honda in-line 4, along with a Honda V-twin would complement my garage wonderfully except there's not enough room (nor is the wallet big enough).  :beer:

#36 RedlineDrifter

1x NR750 alongside the VFR12F would be enough for me.

After all, I don’t wanna be seen to be too greedy eh...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

#37 Dutchy

or build your own NR.....

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:beer: :beer:

#38 rtho782

Not done much to it recently, but fitted Helibars today, and a denali soundbomb airhorn (there really isn't much room under the fairing is there???)[image: spacer.png]

#39 Skids Thread starter
2 hours ago, rtho782

Not done much to it recently, but fitted Helibars today, and a denali soundbomb airhorn (there really isn't much room under the fairing is there???)

Did you take any photos of the Denali installation? I looked to fit one but could not find anywhere.

I also cancelled fitting my Helibars because it appeared I would have to destroy the heated grips to remove them and the controller started breaking apart, so I stopped quickly. How easy were yours to remove?

#40 rtho782

So I got the split Denali horn with the intention of putting the compressor on one side and the horn on the other. Got the compressor all fitted on the left side, screwed into a threaded hole in the frame, then took the right fairing off and found the ABS system etc.

I then managed to fit the horn in the gap on the left with some relays and tie wrapped it to various things and thought I was all done, went to out the fairing back on and discovered there wasn't enough clearance for the compressor.

I then moved the compressor as well and it is all held onto the frame and a bolt in the previously discovered threaded hole in the frame with like a billion tiewraps.

It's not very neat but it is pretty solid and the fairing itself holds it in place. It's definitely very very loud (I had one on the old bike so the roadrunner meep meep was not enough), and while not ideally located I'm confident it's not going anywhere.

Next time I take the fairing off I will take some photos!!!

As for the helibars, my grips are not the OEM ones, but only the left one actually needs to be removed and I found isopropyl alcohol easily had it off, and I then fixed it back on with araldite rapid as it was what I had to hand.

The right (throttle) grip is actually glued to the plastic throttle thing not the handle, so that just slid off when unscrewed.

We went out for a 100 mile round trip ride today and I'm much much happier with the riding position, way more upright, and way less weight on my arms.

I'm only short with short arms, so for someone who already has long arms it might not be as much of a game changer.

#41 Skids Thread starter

Thanks for that. I didn't have any isopropyl alcohol or anything else that appeared to work so I stopped. Perhaps I should reconsider selling the Helibars and give it another go - I do feel the weight on my wrists far more with the advancing years.

My mistake, I thought you were talking about the Denali Soundbomb mini horn that doesn't have the compressor. I have one on my Crossrunner and it is loud enough for me but I think I would still struggle to get in fitted beneath the fairing of the 1200.

#43 Skids Thread starter
29 minutes ago, rtho782

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/341272 this is the one I had on my old bike, the split one I have on the VFR is the same but, well, split....

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/341273

I can't recommend the helibars enough, I'm 37, but only 5'7" with pretty short arms, so I did find I was leaned over more than I wanted to be before (although I still enjoyed riding!)

I take it no issues stretching the brake & clutch lines up to fit?

#44 rtho782
1 minute ago, Skids

I take it no issues stretching the brake & clutch lines up to fit?

None at all, the instructions are really good, really clear, I mean, I don't have a clutch but other than that!!!

The non-DCT ones actually raise the bars very slightly higher than the DCT bars.

#45 Skids Thread starter
36 minutes ago, rtho782

None at all, the instructions are really good, really clear, I mean, I don't have a clutch but other than that!!!

Good point, well presented!  :rolleyes:   :laugh:

#46 rtho782

Finally had my 24k mile service today, by a Honda dealership.

They inspected, but did not replace, the final drive oil. The owners manual states this should be replaced at 24k, but their little sheet, which seems to be a generic honda sheet not a vfr1200f sheet, states 32k miles. The owners manual does not go beyond 24k for anything, but they did tell me they inspected the final drive oil and it was fine.

Am I being paranoid? I kind of feel I want to talk to Honda UK about this as I'm a bit worried now...

They also couldn't tell me when the next service is due which I find very strange.

#47 Skids Thread starter

Errrr, consult another Honda dealer and see what they say. If they want your business, they should be honest with you.

#48 rtho782

Will speak to another dealer today.

Managed to get new shoes cheap from black circles!

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#49 rtho782

Forget the final drive oil...

The garage saw fit not to bother replacing this bolt on the rear hugger, when I assume they had the plastic below off to check the final drive oil.
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I noticed this because the rear hugger therefore flapping about had done this to the tyre with it's bolt...

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Definitely not going back there!!!

#50 Skids Thread starter

I think you have cause for a claim there, though don't hold yr breath. I took my 08 VFR800 for a 16k service to a Honda dealer and they dropped one of the oil collars from inside the cam cover. Fortunately it dropped into a small oil well so didn't try to chew up the cams.

How did I notice this? I didn't...my mates riding behind me complained of oil splattering their visors when riding behind me and of some smoke from the exhaust. I also had to keep topping up the engine oil - unheard of in a modern VFR800. So I took the cam covers off and found that the oil collar was missing. I managed to find and extract it with a magnetic stick.

Wrote to the company with photographic evidence and they couldn't have cared less. I managed to find the letter I sent them and here are 2 of the photos I sent to them.

End of thread · 50 posts recovered Wayback Machine snapshot 7 Aug 2020