I did a 2000 mile trip with the previous owner on this VFR 10 years ago... hearing that bike start made my heart jump, like an alarm clock going off. It brought back the morning wake up ritual we did on the trip - last one still sleeping got an earful of bike exhaust as an alarm clock. I was routinely the last one out of bed haha. Fun trip though - 3 of us: My RF600R, Drews VFR 800, and our buddies VTR1000F SuperHawk. Inline 600 vs V4 800 vs V twin 1000.
You guys must've stopped a lot with a firestorm/superhawk in the group because I used to have one and though it has a decent size tank, it liked to drink a lot. The most I have ever gotten to on the trip meter was approximately 230km/143mi with the last bar blinking. I could possibly get maybe 250km but was not going to risk haha. Someone who is throttle happy would most likely get a lower mileage and if they have a earlier model with the smaller tank. Beside that its one of the best bike I have ever owned, but I haven't owned many bikes so not much to compare to at the moment. Would I ever own one again if there's a good opportunity? totally :).
Was not expecting that you had to buy a freakin new tank just for the overflow....That hurts a little. Nice project overall though, she sound great. You are getting there!
Had one of these a few years ago with 57k miles on it. The only failure whilst I had it (3year) was the Regulator/rectifier which burnt out a section of wiring. New mosfet rr and sorting the wiring and the bike ran like a dream 👍
Nice one Hero. Keep up the great content as it inspires me to work on some old bikes I’ve kept just due to them being worth more now than when they were purchased new. Two examples that aren’t currently running is a 916 Ducati and a Suzuki RGV-250. Both haven’t run in over 20 years, have less than 2,000 kilometres each and still look as good as new. Just need to get motivated, your channel helps. Cheers, Marcus.
Sweet , I have a 2001 with 56,000 0n now. Had 15,000 when I bought it. I do all my own maintenance . I feel blessed as it was mint condition when I bought it. I keep it up and in my little shop I built. Putting on a 520 conversion chain really wakes her up. 2 up rear sprocket. ABM straight bar, all day comfort. Givi windscreen with x-tra on top. Excellent wind protection. I'm 65 live in North Idaho. As long as I can get on my bike, keep riding. Oh ya gear driven cams sweet.
I have an '01 and a '99 now. I went down this same exact rabbit hole, including leaking fuel pump gasket, on the '99 when getting my "garage find" going. Hang in there, you're chipping away at it. I would suggest doing "the drill" while the body work is off to ascertain the charging system condition. The reg/rec is a known weak point and a failure can become a big bill to sort through "after the fact". Thanks for taking the time to do these vids. Who knows who it might help going forward...
The bikes are mostly bomb proof, the weak link is the bodywork, the slightest off and the fairing is trashed with no original new replacements though there are Chinese copies. There are lots of mechanical parts available. I dropped my '98 VFR in Sept 22 and destroyed every panel so I bought an '01 model and will use the old one for spares. love these bikes. Buy a good one if you can.@@Surpriseify
I have my 98 vfr800fi and Its rock solid. When I got it, I had a choice of 4 bikes, aVTR1000, Kawasaki 900, hyabusa and the vfr. I wouldn't change my decision. It sounds great with an aftermarket exhaust system.
I absolutely love your channel man. It actually motivated me to try and get into motorcycle content creation. Thank you, and if you could, would you look into making a history of the Yamaha R1 video? Love your videos bro.
It’s funny because when I started riding I followed your channel. Then as the years went on we ended up doing the exact same thing. We got more bikes and then started fixing the old ones to bring them back. Funny how this sport works😄
Rebuilt a 1998 Gen 5 myself, at least as bad as that one. Used a donor bike and built 1 out of 2. You think the fuel pump is a pita try bleeding the linked brakes 8-) Mine is fully restored now with new custom shock, forks and brakes yes I have spent a fortune on it even though I did most of the mechanics myself. I had to get a new tank myself, same reason I could not get the old one to quit leaking, all worth it in the end. Done quite a bit of touring in the UK and Europe and next month Isle of Man for a fortnight. I have had a lot of bikes over the years but the 5th Gen VFR is the only one I missed so much I had to find and restore one.
Can't wait for another vfr video, my favorite bikes from Honda. I will be using this as a guide for my next purchase of this gen vfr. Love my 94 magna but need the sportier variant at home too! Great videos
I have a VFR 800 from 98. I would replace the mirrows with the newer ones. Honda changed them with the 2000 model. The new mirrows don't have the annoying rubber tubes ;)
Good to see you still have your og VFR. You actually convinced me to buy one! Thank you. Best decision I've made. Made my first couple trips too(on my channel, I only have a gopro so no mic so bad sound).
there is an additional coolant drain screw on the forward bank of cylinders, just above the oil filter location. Look for a 10mm bold head with a copper crush washer under it, just like the one on the water pump housing. You need to remove that second screw in order to get all of the coolant (or water) out of the block.
A new tank isnt the only option. You could also seal the tank. There are kits for sale with a product in them that you poor into the tank and it hardens. They do this on oldtimer bikes where parts and new tanks are not for sale
I bought a Kawa ZX-7R as a motorcycle for the Nürburgring Nordschleife. I'm slowly rebuilding it. However, it's arctic cold here and when the temperature in my barn is below 0°C I can't do any work. I shouldn't have done that! I like these old machines from the 90s SO MUCH better than the overpowered motorcycle data centers that exist today. The designers pack the sports motorcycles with over 200 hp and then have to install a lot of electronics so that the horses can be caught again. Otherwise the motorcyclists would drive their butts off in the first few kilometers. I won't put up with this nonsense anymore. I have mothballed my CBR1000RR and will ride honest men's motorcycles again in the future.
I agree. Something special about these older more analogue bikes. I feel your pain with the cold it's been snowing here lately so progress has stopped.
I love your content bro. And right when i bought my 5th gen vfr, you uploaded first video of yours new 5th gen too. I am so excited for you and i wish you all the luck in this project. And with you, i am learning my 5th gen too. :)
I recently had a small hole in my gas tank in my gs 500 f 2004 and i repaired it with tank kit somehow and it worked great Unfortunately i wasn't able to even buy new tank in my country for this model that would be in a good condition and they are very expensive
Excited for you brother! Sounds really good, id imagine a real exhaust will be optimum af 😮 Keep motivated man, your motivating me to go put in some shed hours. I have a bunch of goodies for my zx14 that have spent too long off the bike haha. Really looking forward to the vfr transformation 🤌
That thing sounds so good! I would have wanted to throw a seat on it and take it for a quick rip down the driveway! Hope you find a good deal on a tank.
i buy wd-40 by the gallon and use a non aerosol sprayer (the wd-40 refill-able SPRAYER USUALLY FOUND NEXT TO THE GALLON JUG IN STORE) it is BY FAR CHEAPER than buying the aerosol cans i bathe the bikes in wd40 then wipe off....... works miracles
Oh, no. That sucks. After all that and you need a new tank too😖. Could you just, not fill it up more then 3/4 and it not leak? That's probably not an option for you, but would it work?
Technically. The problem is if you lean the bike then fluid could go up to it can leak and then go through. I thought about sealing the nipple where the overflow hose attaches or use a marble in the line to prevent it from leaking in the meantime but it's not a solution I like.
@herorr, it looks like there is an inline filter at the fuel pump. I'm assuming it is after the pump.is there a part number on it? What psi is the pump? I assume the bike is fuel injected.
So am a owner of a 2003 vfr800. I am having issues with finding people that are skilled enough to deal with my braking system with the linked brake system. My rear caliper is sticking even when it's been professionally rebuilt.. so I would love to know if your with in a few hrs of Northern va and would be willing to maybe deal with my braking issues or know someone that might be willing to deal with it.
Dude,granted that bike looks like it's been through hell and back,but WHY is it so hard to start on a Fuel-injected engine? If that were carbureted,then I could fully understand it cranking over a number of times before firing when cold,but an F-I engine should fire right up no matter WHAT the temp. is!?!? Do you still have the old plugs in it? Is the Compression good on all 4 cyl.'s Just wondering,cuz each time you tried starting it in this vid. it was STRUGGLING big-time to turn over!?!? May wanna start with checking that reg./rect. to check it's voltage,go with 4 brand new plugs,check your butterfly's and each injector just to be on the safe side! As always,GREAT VIDEO Brotha!!! Keep us updated! : >)
I wounder if riding it a bit would help.Like once you get a couple tanks of fresh gas through the injectors and everything with some wide open throttle. That would be my first no cost move.
Understood! Yeah,old gas will make anything very hard to start! Lol. Looking forward to your next video! Thanks for taking the time to answer me! @@HeroRR
Also, this was early days for FI bikes, that's why it needs a "choke" lever, which is really a fast idle lever for cold starting. Not 100% computer controlled like everything is now.
Boy,that takes me back! I remember when they just came out with fully-automatic F-I for vehicles,but that tech. was still lagging for bikes! As you had to (just like you said) manually pull a lever to make the bike start and idle faster than it normally would once it was warm! Great comment!@@80sDweeb
Hey @HeroRR, Can you help a brother out, I've settle on a 600 as first bike and I found a local listing for an 04 CBR600F4I w/ 10K miles for $5K. Do you think its too High or Reasonably Price? What year should I look for if I want a CBR600RR?
I did a 2000 mile trip with the previous owner on this VFR 10 years ago... hearing that bike start made my heart jump, like an alarm clock going off. It brought back the morning wake up ritual we did on the trip - last one still sleeping got an earful of bike exhaust as an alarm clock. I was routinely the last one out of bed haha. Fun trip though - 3 of us: My RF600R, Drews VFR 800, and our buddies VTR1000F SuperHawk. Inline 600 vs V4 800 vs V twin 1000.
You guys must've stopped a lot with a firestorm/superhawk in the group because I used to have one and though it has a decent size tank, it liked to drink a lot. The most I have ever gotten to on the trip meter was approximately 230km/143mi with the last bar blinking. I could possibly get maybe 250km but was not going to risk haha. Someone who is throttle happy would most likely get a lower mileage and if they have a earlier model with the smaller tank. Beside that its one of the best bike I have ever owned, but I haven't owned many bikes so not much to compare to at the moment. Would I ever own one again if there's a good opportunity? totally :).
This video series is giving me some motivation to return to my 600 Hurricane restoration :) nice work!
Ah man I miss my Hurricane, I had 3 1987 1000Fs
Was not expecting that you had to buy a freakin new tank just for the overflow....That hurts a little. Nice project overall though, she sound great. You are getting there!
Had one of these a few years ago with 57k miles on it. The only failure whilst I had it (3year) was the Regulator/rectifier which burnt out a section of wiring. New mosfet rr and sorting the wiring and the bike ran like a dream 👍
Nice one Hero. Keep up the great content as it inspires me to work on some old bikes I’ve kept just due to them being worth more now than when they were purchased new. Two examples that aren’t currently running is a 916 Ducati and a Suzuki RGV-250. Both haven’t run in over 20 years, have less than 2,000 kilometres each and still look as good as new. Just need to get motivated, your channel helps. Cheers, Marcus.
Cool. Just binged on all of these and now waiting on your 5th installment. Nice to see this generation getting some attention. Subscribed...
Sweet , I have a 2001 with 56,000 0n now. Had 15,000 when I bought it. I do all my own maintenance . I feel blessed as it was mint condition when
I bought it. I keep it up and in my little shop I built. Putting on a 520 conversion chain really wakes her up. 2 up rear sprocket. ABM straight bar, all day comfort. Givi windscreen with x-tra on top. Excellent wind protection. I'm 65 live in North Idaho. As long as I can get on my bike, keep riding.
Oh ya gear driven cams sweet.
I want one of these! Love the sound and the gear driven cams.
I have an '01 and a '99 now.
I went down this same exact rabbit hole, including leaking fuel pump gasket, on the '99 when getting my "garage find" going.
Hang in there, you're chipping away at it.
I would suggest doing "the drill" while the body work is off to ascertain the charging system condition. The reg/rec is a known weak point and a failure can become a big bill to sort through "after the fact".
Thanks for taking the time to do these vids. Who knows who it might help going forward...
The reg/rec problem looks to be sorted already, the unit looks like a MOSFET FH020AA.
@davidreed9217 Nice bonus! One less thing.
🙂
How is getting spare parts for these old VFR's?
Doable?
Hard?
Do you think its "last chanc" to buy and ride these things?
The bikes are mostly bomb proof, the weak link is the bodywork, the slightest off and the fairing is trashed with no original new replacements though there are Chinese copies. There are lots of mechanical parts available. I dropped my '98 VFR in Sept 22 and destroyed every panel so I bought an '01 model and will use the old one for spares. love these bikes. Buy a good one if you can.@@Surpriseify
@@davidreed9217 the 5th gen fairings are A LOT better than the 4th gen ones. they are a huge improvement overall
I have my 98 vfr800fi and Its rock solid. When I got it, I had a choice of 4 bikes, aVTR1000, Kawasaki 900, hyabusa and the vfr. I wouldn't change my decision. It sounds great with an aftermarket exhaust system.
it doesnt sound terrible stock either
I absolutely love your channel man. It actually motivated me to try and get into motorcycle content creation. Thank you, and if you could, would you look into making a history of the Yamaha R1 video? Love your videos bro.
I second this suggestion. Love the R1.
Iv got a 1998 vfr800fi it's on 96k now due a bit of a refresh and tidy up but runs spot on
It’s funny because when I started riding I followed your channel. Then as the years went on we ended up doing the exact same thing. We got more bikes and then started fixing the old ones to bring them back. Funny how this sport works😄
For your black plastics, try the CERAKOTE Ceramic Trim Coat wipes. Works a treat and lasts longer.
Love the rebuild. Can’t wait for next episode
Keep em coming! Love the VFR.
I have a sixth gen vfr 800, crazy how different it sounds with those gear driven cams
Love all your videos, keep it up pls! Your first video on VFR's inspired me to buy my 5th gen a few years ago.
Rebuilt a 1998 Gen 5 myself, at least as bad as that one. Used a donor bike and built 1 out of 2. You think the fuel pump is a pita try bleeding the linked brakes 8-) Mine is fully restored now with new custom shock, forks and brakes yes I have spent a fortune on it even though I did most of the mechanics myself. I had to get a new tank myself, same reason I could not get the old one to quit leaking, all worth it in the end. Done quite a bit of touring in the UK and Europe and next month Isle of Man for a fortnight. I have had a lot of bikes over the years but the 5th Gen VFR is the only one I missed so much I had to find and restore one.
Can't wait for another vfr video, my favorite bikes from Honda. I will be using this as a guide for my next purchase of this gen vfr. Love my 94 magna but need the sportier variant at home too! Great videos
Let’s see it shine.
I have a VFR 800 from 98. I would replace the mirrows with the newer ones. Honda changed them with the 2000 model. The new mirrows don't have the annoying rubber tubes ;)
Hell yeah been waiting for the next part!
Good to see you still have your og VFR. You actually convinced me to buy one! Thank you. Best decision I've made. Made my first couple trips too(on my channel, I only have a gopro so no mic so bad sound).
Hell Yeah, those grunty blips sound as good ever.
I'm waiting for part 5.
Well done on getting this running Hero. I like the idea of just get a new tank, will work out well for you. Looking forward to the next one
there is an additional coolant drain screw on the forward bank of cylinders, just above the oil filter location. Look for a 10mm bold head with a copper crush washer under it, just like the one on the water pump housing. You need to remove that second screw in order to get all of the coolant (or water) out of the block.
I'm genuinely happy it finally ran! 😭
A new tank isnt the only option. You could also seal the tank. There are kits for sale with a product in them that you poor into the tank and it hardens. They do this on oldtimer bikes where parts and new tanks are not for sale
I have a 99 vfr800 as well as a 06 cbr600rr as an 18 year old I love the classics
I bought a Kawa ZX-7R as a motorcycle for the Nürburgring Nordschleife. I'm slowly rebuilding it. However, it's arctic cold here and when the temperature in my barn is below 0°C I can't do any work. I shouldn't have done that! I like these old machines from the 90s SO MUCH better than the overpowered motorcycle data centers that exist today. The designers pack the sports motorcycles with over 200 hp and then have to install a lot of electronics so that the horses can be caught again. Otherwise the motorcyclists would drive their butts off in the first few kilometers. I won't put up with this nonsense anymore. I have mothballed my CBR1000RR and will ride honest men's motorcycles again in the future.
I agree. Something special about these older more analogue bikes. I feel your pain with the cold it's been snowing here lately so progress has stopped.
I love your content bro. And right when i bought my 5th gen vfr, you uploaded first video of yours new 5th gen too. I am so excited for you and i wish you all the luck in this project. And with you, i am learning my 5th gen too. :)
Happy for you that it runs! Good job!
I recently had a small hole in my gas tank in my gs 500 f 2004 and i repaired it with tank kit somehow and it worked great
Unfortunately i wasn't able to even buy new tank in my country for this model that would be in a good condition and they are very expensive
Gry to restore the black plastic with some Frame Trim Pro from Ammo NYC.
I had a 900 RR , stolen in Mexico,miss that bike every day
Excited for you brother!
Sounds really good, id imagine a real exhaust will be optimum af 😮
Keep motivated man, your motivating me to go put in some shed hours. I have a bunch of goodies for my zx14 that have spent too long off the bike haha.
Really looking forward to the vfr transformation 🤌
That thing sounds so good! I would have wanted to throw a seat on it and take it for a quick rip down the driveway! Hope you find a good deal on a tank.
It's been 84 years
Hi.... If you want there is also a bodywork kit to change the vfr 750 to the rc 30 look tyga performance...❤
Ugh! It's 18 degrees outside, and my '98 VFR 800 is stuck in the garage due to snow. :(
Could try gas tank sealer..!!
Purrs like a kitten
No throttle on cold start, always use fast idle (choke) on a cold start, it richens fuel, better for the bores on a cold start.
congrats on getting it to work, sucks that you have to get a new tank though
Chemical Guys VRP (vinyl rubber plastic) will bring that faded plastic back.
Thought you fell off the end of the earth I've been long awaiting this bike update
Man u told us on ur previous video not to buy an tbr exhaust bike since it's been cursed 😂
❤
Is there a part 5 for the fifth gen?
5:45
Yeap. Honest reaction
i buy wd-40 by the gallon and use a non aerosol sprayer (the wd-40 refill-able SPRAYER USUALLY FOUND NEXT TO THE GALLON JUG IN STORE) it is BY FAR CHEAPER than buying the aerosol cans
i bathe the bikes in wd40 then wipe off....... works miracles
Great idea!
If I had your talent i would find a wrecked 900 RR and rebuild it
919RR :)
Oh, no. That sucks. After all that and you need a new tank too😖. Could you just, not fill it up more then 3/4 and it not leak? That's probably not an option for you, but would it work?
Technically. The problem is if you lean the bike then fluid could go up to it can leak and then go through. I thought about sealing the nipple where the overflow hose attaches or use a marble in the line to prevent it from leaking in the meantime but it's not a solution I like.
@herorr, it looks like there is an inline filter at the fuel pump. I'm assuming it is after the pump.is there a part number on it? What psi is the pump? I assume the bike is fuel injected.
Anything new with this project in 2024?
Why don’t you use the choke lever when you start the bike?
I just forgot. lol EFI has made me lazy!
So am a owner of a 2003 vfr800. I am having issues with finding people that are skilled enough to deal with my braking system with the linked brake system. My rear caliper is sticking even when it's been professionally rebuilt.. so I would love to know if your with in a few hrs of Northern va and would be willing to maybe deal with my braking issues or know someone that might be willing to deal with it.
Dude,granted that bike looks like it's been through hell and back,but WHY is it so hard to start on a Fuel-injected engine? If that were carbureted,then I could fully understand it cranking over a number of times before firing when cold,but an F-I engine should fire right up no matter WHAT the temp. is!?!? Do you still have the old plugs in it? Is the Compression good on all 4 cyl.'s Just wondering,cuz each time you tried starting it in this vid. it was STRUGGLING big-time to turn over!?!? May wanna start with checking that reg./rect. to check it's voltage,go with 4 brand new plugs,check your butterfly's and each injector just to be on the safe side! As always,GREAT VIDEO Brotha!!! Keep us updated!
: >)
I wounder if riding it a bit would help.Like once you get a couple tanks of fresh gas through the injectors and everything with some wide open throttle. That would be my first no cost move.
It still had old gas in the injectors. I've started it a few times now and let it run though a lot of gas and it start much easier.
Understood! Yeah,old gas will make anything very hard to start! Lol. Looking forward to your next video! Thanks for taking the time to answer me! @@HeroRR
Also, this was early days for FI bikes, that's why it needs a "choke" lever, which is really a fast idle lever for cold starting. Not 100% computer controlled like everything is now.
Boy,that takes me back! I remember when they just came out with fully-automatic F-I for vehicles,but that tech. was still lagging for bikes! As you had to (just like you said) manually pull a lever to make the bike start and idle faster than it normally would once it was warm! Great comment!@@80sDweeb
Hey @HeroRR, Can you help a brother out, I've settle on a 600 as first bike and I found a local listing for an 04 CBR600F4I w/ 10K miles for $5K. Do you think its too High or Reasonably Price? What year should I look for if I want a CBR600RR?
What's up with the SV650 build?
It's finished for the most part. Now it's just my cheap track bike :)
like ''you buy a new tank''....how about those horrible homedepo handle bars??
I'm actually jealous
dont buy a new tank.. Kreem fuel tank liner or any other thin fuel resistant epoxy poured down the overflow will fix the issue.
The soil beneath your garage must be sooo contaminated
Don’t you Have a Gen 1 Zx10R? I’m looking For some Setup Advice or Knowledge to be Honest. There’s not much Info for Suspension setup online anyways.
Awesome work. Love the VFR, never ridden one though. What's your workout routine like, you're in great shape!