4 Things I HATE about the 5th Gen VFR800fi
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- This one may cause some controversy 😅
Following on from my previous review video on my 1998 Honda vfr800fi, I thought I'd make a video explaining 5 things I hate about the bike.
Spoiler ... I could only think of 4 things.
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Got my 00 in 05, still have it although not ridden much lately. As others have stated, the first three gripes were pretty much fixed in the 00-01 iterations. Two things that are fairly universally disliked that weren't mentioned are the seat and the suspension. The original seat tilts forward to an obscene degree, and coupled with a terrible rear shock I was exhausted after each ride from getting bounced up on the tank and having to push myself back up to the back of the seat. A heated Corbin Smuggler and a Penske rear shock were such immense improvements that it made a good bike just simply fantastic. Other good additions are bar risers for taller folks, and increasing the length of the rear shock plus dropping the forks in the triples to reduce the truck-like handling of the bike. Many people also opt for a hi-mount exhaust to show off the single sided swingarm when they do a stainless set of headers.
Not widely known is 98-99 headers are a little freer-flowing than the 00-01 pipes...when picking up a set of Delkevics I opted for the 98-99 spec. I eliminated the oxygen sensors, soldered in a pair of resistors into the plugs, and tucked them away. No check engine/FI light, and the bike runs just fine as after the briefest of warmups it no longer uses them. Also much lighter with no catalytic, and emissions weren't significantly increased.
Hi Anonymous did you register a spike in fuel consumption with your mods on the exhaust? I imagine also the operating temperatures where down a little... Also, do you have shots from the exhaust when you let off the gas (running lean)?
I did track days on my 5th gen with linked brakes and they worked just fine. I'm no Valentino but I get around and these were just fine with a set of EBC HH pads, tapered head bearings and a 10mm shim to raise the rear ride height. Amazingly capable machine / all rounder.
Hi Mate, yes VFR800 5 gen owner. Mirrors no problem mine are perfect, I'm 5ft11. Steel headers rusting yes so what, you can't see them. what does rust and is a pain in the arse are all the little fairing screws. Now big rant, if you want to work on this bike yourself be ready to battle with hundreds of fasteners and bits of plastic. A wild weasel can not get in there get at it quick do not imagine an impatient Englishman can do better. I can strip a bike to the last bolt and reassemble, I used to shim valves on Desmo Ducatis to Zero thou BUT adjust valves on a VFR, Go home masochist, I put it in the local Honda garage and let them suffer.Rectifier, it failed after 120 or 15 years can't remember. Now i keep the bike VERY standard it was so good out of the factory that you don't mess with it. I replaced rectifier but was annoyed. ,It overheats because it is hidden perfectly under all that plastic. Let's solve that. On a desktop or gamer PC, you have a fan over the CPU to keep it cool. It is 12v, a bit of glue and it fits on the VFR Rectifier, connect the two wires (Solder please) to the rear light cable. Your rectifier will be cool and not fail. VFRs are cool. As for the breaks, they are seriously good, you don't realize how good, there is a natural ABS built into the design very hard to lock up except viscous on gravel. On Kawasaki or Suzuki Sportbike with two fingers I can tie the bike up in knots, SO exciting, probably not the fastest way round the bend, yes I'm not Hailwood or Agostini.
On my older 800 I replaced the reg/rec, as it fried my battery. Also replaced the stator as being 20 or so years old, lots of the coils were burnt out. Replaced battery too and all was fine. I got ride of the linked brakes on that bike, never felt right after, very wooden. Have a 50th model now, completely standard. Loving it!
It's good to have these kind of videos even from machines that have very little issues.
Couldn't find much videos on the 5th gen so I said no harm to make one! Might even help others make the right decision to purchase one in the future :)
Bike in hot climates doesn’t like city commuting or going slow and heats up very quick but apart from that awesome bike love mine to bits 👍👍
I put 2 ip67 fans on the right side radiator. Solves the problem real quick.
I like the linked brakes. Interesting feeling for sure.
I de-linked my brakes because I wanted to get rid of the weight and complexity, but I thought the linked brakes worked just fine.
I have bought my '01 2 years ago, I have made about 14000km, I didn't have any problem, the sound, comfort and the feeling is perfect. The CBS has only some minor problems on feeling with hard breakings in downhill because it tends to tail off the rear, but it can be easy managed, for other use is perfect. I have added a voltmeter to check the battery charge, USB to charge the phone and the Healtech quickshifter: it takes some time to set up but once done in sports use it's a lot of fun, it can be easily deactivated with a connector underneath the seat (for touring use, because if the lever is accidentally touched, the quickshifter 'cut off' the engine for about 100ms, this is because I have the ring sensor).
I picked up my gen 5 two weeks ago in County Laois! I absolutely love the bike, I find it has such an amount of smooth power and it will scare the bejesus out of me when I give her the beans!
Now... She died on me yesterday 30km away from my house.
I had noticed the FI light coming on randomly and thought nothing of it. Yesterday tho the light came on and she just died. It would start up again when I hit the ignition but if I had any lights on at all it would just die again. Even the brake light had the bloody thing cut out so you can imagine what getting her home was like especially when it decided to absolutely lash down and every car was flashing me for having no lights on!
So got her home anyway and after doing some research and a closer look it appears to be a ground fault. The FI light ground is also looped to with other parts of the dash and there just seems to be a bad ground in general.
I've heard people having to put new ground connectors on those bikes to sort out electrical issues.
She's not fixed just yet but hopefully I'm on the right track
Hey man, hows everything now? I have a service manual I can email you if your still stuck, it includes the fault codes so when the FI light is on, you put the bike into neutral and put the sidestand down and the FI light should flash. It may help narrow down whats going on. I know I experienced the same issue with loose battery terminals so I hope the problem ground is easily found and not too much of a pain. If you need any help let me know!
I have a 00 fifth GEN and the first three points are fixed and the brakes are fantastic for the year it was made. Cheers
the pipes are fixed on the 2000+ year 5th gen tho. the problem is on the 98 and 99 models only. also the electric stuff is tougher, kinda fixed too
This HVSB system was the feature which convinced me to buy and then sell VFR. Now I found what this was - Honda Very Smooth Breaking system :)))) I am not native English speaker and thought I missed the 5th thing - luckily I read the spoiler after watching movie! Good luck my friend !
Haha so it is true :D Thanks for watching!
Wait you made a video advising people to get a VFR800i and you also happen to own one ? subscribed!
Cheers buddy 😁 Nearly 4 years of ownership now and I still love it 👌
Now that they're that much older I'd buy the bike and automatically do the R/R, stator, thermostat and valve check right away. I've had 3 VFRs and I learned that after the first 2. SS black widow headers and a tune really opened up the response in all rpm ranges. I de-linked my brakes and I go to say, I hate it now. It does unclog the plumbing though!
I've been holding off buying braided lines in case I was to delink my brakes, but lots have said they don't like it. Time to bite the bullet and buy the full kit now I reckon! Thanks for your comment 🙂
@@RHauto save the system just in case then! ;) I de-linked just because I went with swapping f4i forks. The adjustability is nice but changing the rear shock with a nice aftermarket one along with it being personally adjusted for me made it overall a great upgrade. Cheers.
CBS does not give me problems at all. I ddid not had a race bike and haven't raced on a track. But with braking I do not notice there is CBS in the way whatsoever.
I think it is a matter of taste. Overall the 5 dislikes of this VFR Fi are all minor things. Nothing big deals. The VFR 800Fi is bullet proof durable. You can come home safe on this bike ! Thans for the video and thank you for the nice work!
Yes all minor things which says alot about this bike, its really hard to complain about it so people make a fuss over the small stuff ;) Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to comment!
The linked braking saved my ass one time when I thought a pick up truck was going to pull out in front of me. I was doing about 70: mph when I grabbed a handful of brakes locking up the front wheel for sure, maybe both. I left a blackie about 60 feet long and the bike stayed perfectly upright as if I hadn’t just locked up the brakes. I never had to do that before or since, but that sold me on the linked braking, plus the lack of front end dive. My 2000 VFR is amazing. Everything but my exhaust can is completely stock. I’ve never had a problem with anything, but I only have 65,000 km on it.
Great job man. :) Keep going.
Glad I found this video! I have a '00 VFR myself, it had the condom mirrors so they got removed and my headers were rotten and blowing... Fitted a Lextec set... WORST JOB I'VE EVER DONE ON A BIKE. I love the V4... Hate working on it
I'd say it was satisfying when they were fitted in the end, horrible job alright haha
@@RHauto Yeah awesome sound, horrible job. It was worth and not worth simultaneously
I owned a '01. The previous owner substituted the original honda reg/rec with a tourmax one, and problem solved.
Best bike ever built.
rides,handles,makes a good noise...thinking mans crumpet...love my vf anyway
Stainless lines might be cheaper in a d-link kit, which would not include all the lines. You could fit most of the kit, but not actually d-link it. That would give front and back stainless lines for about €150.
I changed rectifier to one that came with VFR1200F - no more issue. I forget that there is rectifier.
I dont normally like very old bikes but I love this one and the look too, reminds me of a gixxer. Im more of a naked bike person.
Ya the tail kinda looks like the srad 750 lol. The only thing about a naked is getting blasted by wind. Having fairings really helps, and keeps the rain off ya when you tuck in :D
Terrible gas mileage ('98 only), bad rear shock, annoying CBS. But i love my viffer.
First 3 points are pretty much solved IF you had picked up a 00-01 5th gen ;) Oops
-condom mirrors you addressed (there are so little 98-99s out there now still with condom mirrors 😂
- most people don't know this but with the introduction of the Cat-converter the headers were updated.
- reg-rect WAS also 'slightly' updated with the 00-01 models. It is different AND is not as guaranteed to fail as the 98-99. But still MOSFET is the way to go. the OEM still gets stupid hot.
CBS is yeh, I think what annoys most that are against is: its different. imo it benefits handling and will help you in emergencies. lack of feel can be addressed with aftermarket discs and pads (do pads first makes a huge difference) But yeh it is subjective. I ain't removing mine.
It's the infomation you don't really know going to buy the bike :D I'm also lacking H.I.S.S but I don't mind that really, and I can say its a real 90's Honda! Haha
@@RHauto unless… your a real research nerd like me 😅 i didnt know all the differences. Like clutch plates, fuel efficiency improvements, Stainless headers. But i did know most mentioned above
My 2000 5th gen has equal length velocity stacks and 6th gen style catalytic converter exhaust (crossed over skinny headers)
It isn't clear whether the late 5th gens should have flat starter valve sync like a 6th gen or not.
I've retrofitted a manual cold start lever from a 98-99 and set the idle valves according to the manual but idle still isn't what I would consider smooth.
Have thoughts of buying one of these. My main concern is the maintenance costs. How long would it take a mechanic to get the fairings on and off? Seems I'd have to budget quite a bit more compared to a naked bike?
Any competent mechanic should have the fairings off in 10 minutes or less. Some naked bikes with belly pans or skidplates can take just as long to remove, there's not much more involved really! If budget is a concern I would definitely recommend finding a Haynes manual online and doing the maintenance yourself, you'd be surprised how easy they are to work on :)
The fairings have to be removed to access the oil filter and sump plug. I do mine every year, and it takes about 10 minutes. It really is no problem at all.
I'm not looking forward to valve clearance adjustment ( thank god its pre V-tech) but everything else is a piece of cake!
Rick's Motorsport Electric Regulator/Rectifier swap. Will last the rest of the life of the bike.
Don't notice the linked brakes. I do notice the back brake barely works. I try not to use the brakes anyway.
Plenty of engine breaking with it anyway ;)
I agree here, I have ridden on a few VFR's, and all the back brakes were shite, almost impossible to lock to rear wheel up. Hard breaking on the front locks the front wheel up first in my experience.
@@thenameisluckyboy Every year I have to explain to the MOT tester they are all like it and there's nothing I can do. What is hard to believe is that Honda get the difficult things, like putting a V4 in the frame in the right place to get the handling, but can't get a comparatively simple thing like a disc brake right.
Ok Dave
when buying this bike how do i check if it has problems with the electricity? i doubt the seller is gonna tell me if it has problems with the R/R and the wiring lol. i have to check everything myself to know for sure
I think any bike or car could have electrical problems, so best take someone with you who knows what to look for, but this should not worry you as it should be pretty obvious if theres serious problems with the bike. The VFR has fi codes, so the FI light should flash if there is any problems, which can then be solved by looking up the number of flashes. I think I said before that since the vfr is very reliable and has little issues, that when they go bad, people tend to over exaggerate
and it gives the bike bad cred even though it may be 1 in a million :) So many other bikes and brands have left me stuck at the side of the road broken down, but this has never happened in 3 years with the vfr. Best of luck finding the right bike!
@@RHauto thx
Psss, don't tell anyone but I finally just bought a 2001 vfr800 in red.
Woohoo, about time too haha 😁
@RHauto 😆 it's just getting checked over and a service, then it will be mine. I'm going on a ride out at the end of May. Hopefully, I'll have it by then. I might even tour near you if you fancy meeting up?
Regarding the engine rate at you're driving, you're also concerned by the V4's fuel consumption. This V4 is not very happy bellow 3000rpm.
On long trips, I regularly got over 60 mpg (Imperial gallons) with my bike loaded up like a pack mule. Tank bag, soft saddle bags and a gigantic duffle bag sitting across the rear seat. The duffle bag held my 3 person tent and my sleeping bag, mat, rain gear, shoes, thongs flashlight and a towel. Just crazy good mileage cruising along at 70 mph. My Scottish buddy, being a Scottish penny pincher was extremely jealous at fill up time. I enjoyed rubbing it in.
The LCD display has a habit of going blank.. Best bike I've had tho, & I've had lots. (Met a guy who owned a bike shop, he told me the same thing..!)
The electrical gremlins are always the worst, once it gets me home safe at the end of the day though, I'm happy! :D
I've heard that the lcd display, problems are caused by a bit of corrosion on the pcb. Apparently, it is an easy fix by hard wiring the affected tracks, and then covering in wax to prevent further corrosion.
My 1999 model, at 58,000 miles is just beginning to show intermittent failures. Will be giving the dashboard a bit of a birthday shortly.
But wait, there's more... Like the radiator fan that blows against the natural air flow. This causes the 5th gen VFR to overheat on a hot day when riding slowly (like 1st gear). But this is another easy fix.
I have never heard of this before, must check mine the next time the fan comes on
This is most interesting.
I too thought it was against natural airflow, crazy design. But assumed it was an attempt to get cool air through the rad, rather air heated by the engine
Please tell me the fix?.
Reverse the polarity of the fan seems the most logical
Does that work, and does it improve cooling?
@@VFRrider There are a few different fixes. One is to put a manual override switch in the circuit, so you can just turn it off when you're going slow. Another is to switch the fan out for one off a Firestorm (This option should include installing a stone guard grille covering the gap between the engine and radiator. Otherwise a rock can get in there and tear up your radiator). I don't know how well just switching the polarity on the fan would work... It might.
I have ridden slow through London traffic in summer and never experienced overheating. Sure the fans come on, but that’s why they are there. Temps drop below 100 in no time. My Ducati does the same. Love my VFR!
@@tinkertime7165 Lucky you! But many have had a different experience. Yes, the fan (there's only one) will kick on while moving slowly, but this exacerbates the problem, because the fan blows the opposite direction of the flow of air while moving, thereby stagnating the air flow through the radiator. So, the system works fine while moving at speed, or while stopped. But at a certain slow speed, it overheats. Cheers!
Hate is a way too strong of word to use about a glorious 5’th Gen VFR. Dislike is still too strong. Minor annoyances might be ok, only if few and if balanced by 3x as many things you really love.
Hi quick question all the way from portugal on your 1998 honda vfr800 fi do you feel high vibration from your left side footpeg? Thanks in advance 👍🏼👍🏼
No but I have heard people say they have felt it but I never noticed. I think it's just the V4 engine that rattles and makes alot of vibrations maybe
Thanks for the reply 👍🏼
And do you knlw if they looked into the problem and if they solved it?
Make sure the exhaust isn't touching anything like sidestand if using aftermarket can, the same, make sure it's got it's rubber insulaters on the hanger and rubber stop on the downpipe for the stand ;)
hi everyone!! Problem solved somehow!! Changed break pads, brake fluids, bleeding, new rear caliper and disc and whent for braided lines. And in all this somewhere i got the vibration to stop completely!! Happy dayyyssss
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Man, what max speed you did ever?
About 150mph I think
@@RHauto i see, tnx dude)
The stock header pipes are terrible. Never buy one that hasn't had them changed.
Cry me a river! Try riding a 1991 Suzuki GSXR1100! The VFR is a Cadillac!
Overrated, no roll on speed, gutless unless having its neck rung, low speed chugging is annoying, build quality and finish unfaultable, pegs too high, bars to low, seat too hard...
you are very very in the minority with those comments
@@ekspatriat sums up the fake world we live in... or the fact I've ridden 100's of bikes as a comparison... :)
@@markpoxton1119 sounds like u tried a dog. Pegs bars seats are your personal preferences
@@miles-thesleeper-monroe8466 not reallybud, just been spoilt on big bore 4 bangers... Had a vfr 750 that was similar... Even a a road speeds, vfr got no overtaking go unless you fiddle with the box, my old fazer thou will go down to 20mph in top gear and still pull away with out complaining.... Vfr won't... But like I say, vfr goes well when pushed.... I'm currently running hagon shock, upright bar conversion and lowered pegs, makes it a different bike again... Bars especially.
@@markpoxton1119 yeah well we're not married to them even if we'd rather be ha. Ur probably right about some of the hype but i will never part with mine. 1500 3 years ago over 20 years old 30k on the clock 4 owners and she's close to looking factory. I just think it's the last time an engineer and designer had the power over the accountant. Taking it apart is a joy to behold the thoroughness that went into designing and building it. I think that next level quality hooks us and we make allowances for another bike having more this or another bike having more that. It doesn't appeal to everyone tho ur right there
Had one of those - and the 750.
With this video, you have to listen ‘really carefully’ ‘VERY’ between his ‘opinion’ and fact.
Seems the Author is biased , IMO.
To the Author: do you realise the difference between fact and opinion ( I do understand the title of your post).
If the have a VFR, you must be okay, but maybe some more forethought first 🙂
Just a comment from someone who has been riding bikes since 1978 👍
It is a fact that I do love this bike! 😅👍