It's been a month since the VFR has been with me and since the ride from
Bangalore to Mumbai to bring her back, I haven't had much chance to ride her too much. A solitary ride to Lonavala and some city jaunts have been all the action she's seen since the long ride.
Part of this has been due to my schedule which has me traveling more days that not and tyres that need replacing and the associated lack of budget for that at the moment. However, another reason, albeit a subconscious one, was that I didn't really know the VFR like I should.
To really feel connected with the machine, you have to know what exactly you're riding. More so when the machine in question has passed through a couple of owners and is quite a few years old. What lies beneath the shiny plastic fairings? Part of me is afraid to find out actually, as no matter what precautions you take, you can never really be sure of what you're getting.
So this Sunday, my first free one for quite a while, and the only free one I would get till mid-December, I decided to pass on ride and decided to get to know the Viffer better.
Tools in hand, WD40, armor all and Turtle wax in tow, I head downstairs to strip her to the chassis and see what lay underneath. There are always surprises, some good, usually not so good. So I went down not knowing what to expect.
I had acclimatized myself well enough with the bike from the Clymer Service Manual I recently purchased. As Manson pointed out, this is probably the most expensive book I have bought recently! I begin to take apart the fairings. It’s a relatively uncomplicated process on the Viffer, far better thought out than the million screws and fasteners I had to remove on my ex-ZZR.
Mirrors off first, followed by the screen. Unscrew the 3 allen bolts on either side, followed by a couple of plastic clips on the mid section and the entire top fairing comes off smoothly. This holds the headlights and turn signals. However, I notice many of the plastic clips are either missing or broken. This was expected as anyone who’s ever worked on anything will tell you that you will usually end up with a couple of extra bolts/clips or a few less! And considering the age of the bike, it wasn’t too bad. All the essentials were in place, though I would need to buy a few new clips and screws to make up for those missing ones.
all fairings off
With the front, mid and side fairings off, I take a close look the insides of the fairings to check for any signs of damage or the beginnings of any cracks. I was prepared to find a couple. I was happy to be proved wrong though. No cracks or damage repair visible. However I could see that a small portion of the front fairing had been repainted. I presume this may be due to some scratches that it may have picked up along the way, as there were no signs of any damage. Another point to note is the sheer quality of the fairings as compared to the Kawasaki. The Kwacker had hard plastic fairings which had very little “give” to them. Hence, they are more prone to cracking. On the Honda, the fairings were far more flexible, sort of like a bumper of a car – they had a lot of elasticity inbuilt in them which gave them a rather rubbery sort of feeling which I feel could easily absorb small bumps without cracking. I do hope I don’t have a chance to see this though!
So we’re off to a good start. Aside from a few missing clips, all is good. Encouraged, I dive in deeper. Next step, check the air filter and spark plugs. Undo the two bolts in front which hold down the front of the tank. Honda designers have made it so that the rear swivels on a base, and the tank is held up just like the bonnet of a car. This means no removal of the tank and the associated mess with fuel spillage etc. Another mark for the renowned Honda engineering team. A simple, yet useful idea to implement.
6 screws hold down the airfilter cover. I lift it up to see a filthy looking panel. I take the filter out and see the small inscription under the dirt. It reads K&N. Oh, neat! That’s a nice surprise, and one that will save me some money buying an aftermarket filter or replacement OE filters. I clean up the filter and move on to check the plugs.
The rear cylinders first. Plug one out, it looks perfect! Not rich, not covered in oil, not lean, just perfect! The remaining three cylinders give the same result! I am happy. The fuel injection and ECU seem to be in fine shape.
However, I peer down the intake with the filter out. Sure enough, years of crappy Indian fuel have left a gummy residue on the valves. I need to deal with this with a gradual addition of injector cleaner/de-gumming agent to the fuel. Too much too soon would cause chunks of this to break away and flow into the cylinders, which is not the best.
I do a visual check on all cables and coolant pipes and hoses. With twin, side mounted radiators (this allows Honda to reduce the wheelbase), there are a lot of coolant lines crisscrossing the engine bay. All these are still in good shape and not hardened up. All cables look well lubed and in fine shape.
No signs of the engine being opened for any reason, as it should be. The VFR has its first valve clearance check at 16,000 miles i.e.25,749km. Its done only 13,4XX till date. So I have another 10,000 kilometers before I need to check clearances. Even then, the VFR is known not to need any shimming for upto more than double that reading.
So far, the bike is living upto its reputation of being one of the finest engineered machines ever to emerge from the Honda stable.
I end the job with a well deserved waxing. A good 5 hours spent, and aside from a few missing clips for the bodywork, I was happy that everything was as good as the day it rolled out of the factory, and the K&N was a nice surprise.
My Christmas present is already fixed. I scored a good deal on a Micron slip on, which I shall have in my possession by mid-December. Which will coincide with new tyres and free weekends for riding. Oh yes, don’t forget the great weather and roads that should be newly paved after the monsoons. Do I sound excited? Well, I am!
P.s.: Please excuse the lousy photo's. These were taken from my phone with a shaky, dirty hand.