How competant would a fettled VFR800Fi be?

[veeeffarr]

Yo

Still got my VFR800, getting a bit tired of it although I think the bike sounds fantastic and I don't really want to get rid, I was just wondering how much of a different aftermarket shocks and brakes would make to it?

Would a full Maxton setup make it a beast in the twisties?

The bike's well better than I will ever be anyway!

T

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Put it on a diet. VFRs are pretty heavy as standard.

Braided Lines may help, but it'll be costly on the VFR because of the linked set up. I'd say that a caliper strip and fresh fluid would be more cost effective.

Suspension probably would help, but a fork re-valve and a re-furb of your existing shock would be more cost effective.
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[Chriss]

Hi, the SV is a bit of heavy beast, however, it's much more manageable with an Ohlins shock. Only downside is you can feel the faults with the front end (which will be reworked by Maxton soon).
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[Chriss]

Just to add, not personal to you, but to 99% of bikes. It's the rider that's the limiting factor, not the machine.

Chances are, your bike can go much faster than you can.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[veeeffarr]

That's what's putting me off getting another bike.

It has good pillion potential, sportyish, looks nice for a non sportsbike, but the brakes and suspension feel a bit tired.

Head bearings and some other stuff is getting done on Friday

[Gazdaman]

A VFR800 is almost certainly far more capable than you are. My Dad had an anniversary edition one. Had Maxton sus all round and braided hoses. The guy he bought it from used it as a trackday tool.

So yeah, crack on and do the suspension if it needs it. More likely you just need to twist that right wrist more.

Gaz

[MarJay]

The main thing that lets the VFR800 down on the track I would imagine is weight. Its got about the same power as a sports 600 and is heavier than a Triumph Daytona 955i. If you want a track weapon, then I suggest you sell it and buy a sports 600 from the last eight years or so.

If you want to show people up on the track on your 'grandad bike' then keep the VFR. Don't forget that its development was merely a branch off of what became the RC30, so it can't be that bad. And every now and again you see one in PB that has been trackified. As I said, the main issue will be weight which will be hard to solve because the weight comes from the engine and frame. There are some advantages to a heavy bike though like low unsprung/sprung weight ratio.

If you want to make it into a track weapon by all means do so, but be prepared to get occasionally pwned by eight year old 600s. It will however be more satisfying when you pwn sports 600's on your 'tourer'.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[duhawkz]

have a look at this

https://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=51&&st=30

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

The biggest thing that lets down sports tourer bikes and anything that isnt a sports bike is lack of weight over the front resulting in lack of feel of what the front is doing. Consider fitting some clip-ons/lower bars that will place more weight on the front and/or jacking up the rear.

Your forks springs are 8yrs old now so replacing them with new standard ones let alone uprated will make a big difference. Just putting in new brake fluid would improve the brakes let alone new lines. Ultimately though it's still a VFR and if youre bored of it then this is unlikely to change.

[colin1]

I havent heard stinkwheel getting bored of his vfr800, maybe ask him if he has done any little modifications that might keep you interested.

I suspect he has everything the way it should, so he may be able to say what things might need doing, to make it feel a bit better on a maintenance angle.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[neatbik]

A suspension and brake rebuild will make it feel like a new bike.
Just out of interest, when was the fork oil last changed?

[craigs23]

I'd have thought they were quick enough as stock. A suspension refresh on anything a few years in the running can improve things no end.

Is the bike actually getting out of shape, or is it just masking how quick you are actually going (from my experience, lazy V4s can be traveling deceptively faster than they seem).

However, the boys in blue can shuffle a heavier Pan V4 along at a fair old rate of knots.

[angryjonny]

I've had my VFR longer than I've owned any other bike. As a result I've found myself getting itchy feet - trying to think of a decent upgrade. I've considered everything from Ducati 749s to Buell Lightenings (most appealing option being an R6) but I can't think of any bike I would rather have than my VFR. Well, not more than that and the 5k I'd spend on upgrading to something newer and shinier. Not even the VFR VTEC appeals.

[proximity]

Im with angryjohnny on this one. I often look at the VFR in the garage and think 'damn im 22 i need to get rid of this grandad bike and get me a cbr', but then when i ride it, it makes me smile again. I think the only thing i'd rather have is a new ST 1050.

I recently changed the fork oil and replaced the rear shock with a CBR F4i unit. Its slightly lighter sprung but matches my weight well and has a remote reservoir and full adjustability. The handling and just general ride has improved a lot but its still not perfect. I think i need new tyres next, and the comments on brake fluid changing has given me the urge to do that tomorrow.

On a nice sunny day it holds the road well (probably a placebo but it seems to handle loads better when its sunny).
I've decided now that im going to go touring on it and its ideal for that.

Edit: have you taken out the rubber intake snorkle? It sounds immense when that is out. I did this video a while back, its shit but i never got round to putting my camera on again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSU_XHftH-Q
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2004 Aprilia Tuono

[veeeffarr]

Wow, that sounds awesome, never heard of that mod before

It's going to the mechanics tonight to have the brakes looked at, it needs new head bearings, some pads fitting, some bolts drilling out (I'll just fuck it up), getting the standard level link pipe put on instead of the high level (think it's killing some power) and generally getting some TLC, so hopefully it'll be much better.

I'm gonna check the 'bay for an aftermarket Maxton unit and some fork springs