VFR Thread, How many of us have 'em?

[btl68]

There are a couple of VFR forums (vfrd and vfrworld) that can help you a lot better.



Got my seat back from Sargent. Gonna ride this puppy a few miles in the next few days...

[toolfan]

Originally Posted by viajero

Sounds like a stuck thermostat to me, with the fuel mileage issue. What kind of operating temps are you seeing? But if that's mileage from just running around town (not highway miles at reasonable speeds), then maybe it's about right for the 6th gen. My '00 gets better mileage than anyone's 6th gen I've ever ridden with.

I'd skip the power commander until you have exhausted all other possibilities. But then I'm not a big believer in them for normal street riding, on most Honda bikes, anyway.

As for the starting issue, could be any number of things. Check the Honda service manual (you did buy one, right?). There's a troubleshooting section which can be very helpful.

No manual, Temps seem normal enough, warms up to just shy of 200 when moving, fan comes on at around 220 when stopped, as I recall.

36 mpg is around town, but even highway miles I'm not seeing 40. If I could get a consisten 40 I'd be happy, because that would give me 200 miles to a tank.

Part of it might be that I've been driving like a dick head, but I have gone easy on it and not seen a marked increase.

[viajero]

Originally Posted by toolfan

No manual, Temps seem normal enough, warms up to just shy of 200 when moving, fan comes on at around 220 when stopped, as I recall.

36 mpg is around town, but even highway miles I'm not seeing 40. If I could get a consisten 40 I'd be happy, because that would give me 200 miles to a tank.

Part of it might be that I've been driving like a dick head, but I have gone easy on it and not seen a marked increase.

Ok, things appear to be working properly on your bike, at least from your description. I'd say that you're most likely in the normal range of mileage for a 6th gen. Unless you need a new air filter and plugs, only being more disciplined with the throttle will have any effect.

Rider weight and added gear (saddlebags, etc...) will also have a bearing. I'm a lightweight, so I get the better mileage.

[PalePhase]

Originally Posted by toolfan

Alright, I've had my '02 for 3 months now. Got the bags, replaced the tires, life is good.

My only complaints - it's a hard starter on brisk (~50 deg) mornings and the gas mileage is embarrassing (36mpg, which means only 150 miles between fill ups). I was thinking I should pull out the air filter, but I doubt that's it.

Could a power commander fix my problem? I've never used one before. Are they user adjustable these days, or do I need to take it to a shop to get it tweaked?

I have had an '02 for almost 2 months. I currently suffer from "bag envy."

No issues with the engine or electronics but my mileage is atrocious. Finally figured out the rear caliper is not fully releasing once it warms up. Time to take it loose and clean it up and relube the pins.

*** Update ***

Found that the sticking caliper was not as big a drag on ym gas mileage as was the stuck wide-open thermostat. Noticed when the weather got cold that I never saw a coolant temperature above 165°, and the colder it got, the worse the fuel economy was. Of course, any of you who have already replaced your 6th Gen's thermostats know how infernally difficult Honda made it to to replace it.

[toolfan]

Originally Posted by viajero

Ok, things appear to be working properly on your bike, at least from your description. I'd say that you're most likely in the normal range of mileage for a 6th gen. Unless you need a new air filter and plugs, only being more disciplined with the throttle will have any effect.

Rider weight and added gear (saddlebags, etc...) will also have a bearing. I'm a lightweight, so I get the better mileage.

I'm only 180lbs, I guess probably +15lbs with gear, the bags probably add some drag. I guess if my one complaint is that I want 10% better mileage, I'm doing alright.

Originally Posted by NoMoreMrNiceGuy

I have had an '02 for almost 2 months. I currently suffer from "bag envy."

No issues with the engine or electronics but my mileage is atrocious. Finally figured out the rear caliper is not fully releasing once it warms up. Time to take it loose and clean it up and relube the pins.

I'll see if my brakes are hot when I get home.

The bags are nice, I love a bike with locking luggage.

Priced the honda factory stuff.

Givi was still pretty steep, but they at least kept me in my budget.

[PalePhase]

Originally Posted by toolfan

I'll see if my brakes are hot when I get home.

The bags are nice, I love a bike with locking luggage.

Priced the honda factory stuff.

Givi was still pretty steep, but they at least kept me in my budget.

Yes, indeed, what price color-matching?



If I get hard bags, I'll probably go with Givis, too. Which cases did you get? Even the V35s with the mounting rack are cheaper than the best price I have yet seen on the OEM cases by themselves before adding in Honda's rack mount.

The symptoms on my bike are that my right front rotor is cool to the touch when I get home from a five-mile test ride, the left front rotor is slightly warm, and the rear rotor is hot. My bike mostly sat around in the two years before I bought it, so I assume the caliper pins may be dry, dirty, or slightly corroded. Could easily be something else or something in addition, but I am really hoping I don't have to go into the caliper, the rear master cylinder, or otherwise break the system open. The bleeding procedure on the linked brake system looks a little complicated for my modest mechanical aptitude.

[Meltdown]

Don't own a VFR myself (I really like the electric screen on my FJR), but I ran across this one a couple of days ago and snapped a few pictures. It appears to be in perfect condition. Enjoy.

The color is a little off since I took this towards sunset with the camera built into my phone.

[(none)]

Originally Posted by toolfan

I'm only 180lbs, I guess probably +15lbs with gear, the bags probably add some drag. I guess if my one complaint is that I want 10% better mileage, I'm doing alright.



I'll see if my brakes are hot when I get home.

The bags are nice, I love a bike with locking luggage.

Priced the honda factory stuff.

Givi was still pretty steep, but they at least kept me in my budget.

psssst... buy used. I think i paid ~$400 my the Honda bags and racks i had on my VFR. I got lucky, they were already the correct color which only sweetened the deal. They had a few small scratches, but for 1/3 the price of new and still much less than the GIVIs, i couldn't complain. They are very nice bags. Better quality than the BMW bags, IMO. Check out VFRD, craigslist, ebay, etc.

[toolfan]

Originally Posted by (none)

psssst... buy used. I think i paid ~$400 my the Honda bags and racks i had on my VFR. I got lucky, they were already the correct color which only sweetened the deal. They had a few small scratches, but for 1/3 the price of new and still much less than the GIVIs, i couldn't complain. They are very nice bags. Better quality than the BMW bags, IMO. Check out VFRD, craigslist, ebay, etc.

That's a great deal, but I wanted them now, and new givis were about time an a half that, which was in my budget.

I got a good deal on the bike, and I'm sitting right about $3500 invested for bike+bags+tires.

My one complaint about the givis - they don't quite fit my helmet (scorpian size L). That's a nice feature, but I can live without. They do fit my roadcrafter (barely), so that reduces the gear I carry.

[Twohondas]

While I would never trade in my 5th gen for a 6th gen, the OEM hard bag option on the Vtec really adds to the Sport Touring cred of the 6th gen.

My Softbags are nice but......................I would love some really nice integrated hard bags as opposed to add-on/strap on types.

[(none)]

Originally Posted by toolfan

My one complaint about the givis - they don't quite fit my helmet (scorpian size L). That's a nice feature, but I can live without. They do fit my roadcrafter (barely), so that reduces the gear I carry.

if you have the v35s, it's the same way with the honda bags. You kinda have to postion the helmet just right and cramp it closed.

[hpsVFR]

Originally Posted by NoMoreMrNiceGuy

The symptoms on my bike are that my right front rotor is cool to the touch when I get home from a five-mile test ride, the left front rotor is slightly warm, and the rear rotor is hot. My bike mostly sat around in the two years before I bought it, so I assume the caliper pins may be dry, dirty, or slightly corroded. Could easily be something else or something in addition, but I am really hoping I don't have to go into the caliper, the rear master cylinder, or otherwise break the system open. The bleeding procedure on the linked brake system looks a little complicated for my modest mechanical aptitude.

You should be able to clean off and lube the slide pins, and even scrub off the exposed portions of the caliper piston, without breaking the hydraulic system open. I strongly recommend doing this.

I also strongly recommend flushing your brake fluid every year or so. This goes a long way towards preventing the build-up of water in your brake system, and reducing the chance of corrosion inside the caliper and pistons. If you flush properly, you won't need to bleed the system when you're done.

[Mastros2]

My 2003 VFRA. Great all around bike.

[RedRocket]

Originally Posted by toolfan

Alright, I've had my '02 for 3 months now. Got the bags, replaced the tires, life is good.

My only complaints - it's a hard starter on brisk (~50 deg) mornings and the gas mileage is embarrassing (36mpg, which means only 150 miles between fill ups). I was thinking I should pull out the air filter, but I doubt that's it.

Could a power commander fix my problem? I've never used one before. Are they user adjustable these days, or do I need to take it to a shop to get it tweaked?

Sounds about normal. I rode my 02 for over 55,000 miles, and got the same mpg. I will say I had a pretty well-used wrist most of the time.
I tried a power commander with a few different maps, and eventually took it off and sold it.

Pulling the air filter would likely just mean more air, and the desire for more fuel.

[creaky]

I ran across this '85 VF500F Interceptor recently and had to have it.