VFR750F junkie....
I absolutely love these bikes. I am a motor-cycling aerospace design engineer. I select my riding days and thoroughly immerse myself in the VFR experience. In a single day I can be out for 14 hours riding, with the occasional pit-stop and still feel fresh at the end of the day. This topic is on the 750's and one of mine is a '97 model... in red of course. I bought this one 5 years ago from an air force officer in Salt Lake City with 10k miles. The bike was as close to mint as you can get and it took me 6 months of looking to find the right one. If you are not mechanically minded let the dealer service your bike, if you are mechanically minded get yourself a Honda Service Manual and enjoy the amazing engineering of this unique machine... especially those gear driven cams. When I checked the valve clearances only one was out of spec limit. Even so, I removed all 4 cams just to check what size shims were fitted and make it easier next time....as I said I'm an engineer and I love the mechanical stuff.
These bikes do not need any modification to enjoy but there are always improvements to be made whether they are small incremental HP increases or performance improvements thru weight reduction. This is what I have changed on mine......
1. Braided steel hoses thru-out.....a no-brainer really and an immediate brake feel improvement.
2. Renthal sprockets, with an aluminum rear chainring and gold DID chain. Quality items and un-sprung weight reduction of over 1 LB.
3. Race tech front fork springs rated for my personal weight (150 LBS). Excellent handling and feel from the front end, especially under braking. Linear rather than progressive springs are the way to go...same as the racers.
4. Scotts billet oil filter.... aircraft oil filtration for your motor-cycle. Beautifully crafted, pity it's hidden from everyone... except me.
5. NGK Iridium tipped spark plugs.... only the best for my VFR.
6. Mobil 1 synthetic oil... every time.
7. Pro-factoy jet kit installed with titanium needles. Faultless carburation and a power hike.
8. K & N air filter.... obviously, rubber air-box snorkel removed. Easy breathing and weight reduction 1 LB.
9. PAIR system removed, blanking plates installed. Weight reduction 1 LB.
10. Staintune hi-level exhaust. Without a doubt the finest exhaust slip-on for the VFR. Looks great, sounds great especially with the baffle removed, zero maintenance from polished corrosion resistant steel. Fit was perfect. Expect 3 HP gain and a little more with jets and filter. Honda should have fitted this pipe as standard. Power increase and weight reduction 3 LBS.
11. The final mod is a Nitron rear shock. Check out their website to learn more. Quality aluminum alloy item that won't break the bank and comes with adjustable length as standard to decrease the steering head angle up to 1 degree. Planted rear end and over 1 LB weight reduction.
12. Tyre's are Bridgestone BT021s. Sticky and good mileage.Perfect.
Installed new fuel lines and all fluids changed as per maintenance service schedule keeps everything in top shape. The VFR with it's signature quad gear drive cams, V4 engine, aluminum alloy spar chassis and single sided swing arm started it all over 20 years ago.... simply amazing. Even now there isn't a single bike I would swap it for. These mods at over $2000 keep my VFR competitive even now. For the record my VFR returns on average 45 English MPG.. even with spirited riding. Power and torque are perfectly combined for road riding with low down grunt to pull you out of the corners, a tidal wave of mid-range drive to link the corners together and no acceleration sapping wheelies or heart-stopping head-shakes.
My mates ride modern ZX10's and R6's and when we are out they manage to keep up...just! The VFR750F....a real blast from the past.
