Gotta Turn a Wrench!

I've only had her for about 30 days and I'm already itching to tweak her.
She's essentially a stock 2003 VFR Interceptor 800 ABS.

Everything seems to work just fine and I know what some of you are thinking... 'Just leave her alone, dude'.

I never could leave well-enough alone, though.

So, without going too far, too fast... what gets me the biggest bang for the buck?

 

NEP throttle lock best mod ever big bang for the bucks:wink:

 

I found that tapered head bearings were the best bang for the buck. But a cruise control is also a pretty useful and cheap mod.

 

Gutted stock exhaust would be your second mod. Low cost little to none $$$$$ :biggrin:

 

As for cheap ones. Some good grips. I like the pro-grip gel style. Eliminates the numb tingling hands. For the more expensive ones a power commander and pipe seem to be very popular. Along with a freer breathing air filter and to disable the flapper and pair valve. Another good one and not to expensive are fork springs and shock springs set for your weight. And better than all that is the best gear you can afford.

 

Most bang for the buck? I'll go with gas in the tank and miles on the road. Wrenching is fun, but just throwing money just because? nah, just ride her, if a problem/annoyance comes up, fix that

 

My sentiments exactly. I would suggest mirror extenders, almost imperative.

 

Great to see so many replies. As I have little experience on sport bikes, other than about 500 miles on an '89 Yamaha FZR 400, I'm not too sure what 'good' would feel like.

The VFR is kind of hard to steer in the canyons and at low speed, and it really fatigues my grip even after about 45 minutes.

The transition from low rpm to higher where the secondary valves kick in is kind of spotty. And there's a bit of drift in the front end when dancing over bumps in the road.

When wheeling around in the garage it's like pushing a sled. Not exactly a smooth rolling bike.

I haven't felt a flat spot in the power band yet, so maybe I'm just lucky there. And the brakes seem spot-on.

The exhaust note isn't pretty or commanding but I see some gut the canisters so that may be a solution for me, too.

 

I have to split lanes every day and the mirrors are pretty vulnerable already. How do you get the rear view without tagging someone else's mirrors?

 

Thanks... Will definitely look into that. I like longer runs and a cruise control is a great way to reduce fatigue.

 

Ok, so what function(s) do the flapper and pair valve perform, and how big a task is it to disable them?

 

Sorry for the naive question... What do tapered head bearings do for a bike? Make it easier to steer??

 

What about your tyre condition and inflation? Just saying, would be amazed how many expensive bikes you see with under-inflated tyres are out there.

As you get to know your new ride, feel free to experiment with suspension settings. You could slid the forks up in the tripple trees 5-10 mm which will quicken your steering. Could change your fork oil too, just the tip of the iceberg really, lots of wrenching to be done :smile: Cheers.

 

I appreciate the advice.
Sounds like I have some homework to do.

Aside from learning how to ride this bike whadoes I do to lower the front forks? Is there an adjustment wheel or nut or is it more involved than that?

 

You must have mind reading abilities. I've been meaning to check the tire pressure and every time I go to ride I'm looking at them thinking they look a tad low (but I get on her anyway).

You're absolutely correct and I will make sure they're properly inflated before I turn the key this morning. And it sounds like you answered my question back to mello dude about lowering the front forks. I have a follow-up question, though... if I shorten the front forks by sliding them up, does that affect the shock response and if so, how?

Many thanks!

 

Soooooo, Mello, it must be asked.............How often do you spend at 10,500 RPM so that a flat spot bothers you?? Just askin???

As for bang for the buck, my money might go with gel grips, cruise control (throttle locker), and suspension tweaking to suit your riding style and weight. After that maybe a Sergeant seat to extend your range and riding comfort.

 

Mthinks "Raven" should tone down the canyon carving down a bit or he may be another Mike Hailwood who didn't know all that much about bikes but could ride the shit out of one.

MSF course? A day at Willow? A sleepover with norkleboy?