Frame Slider for 2000 vfr800 ?

I just purchased a 2000 vfr800 fi and i'm brand new to this website so sorry if something is not right but I am trying to find frame slider protectors for my bike but i'm not having any luck whatsoever. Could anyone tell me if I can even do this and if so maybe guide me on where I could purchase a pair. Thanks guys and by the way I love my first bike and I believe the VFR was a perfect fit

 

Hi CJ, welcome to the Madhouse. When you get a chance post up some pictures of your VFR.

As for frame/fairing protection don't waste your time looking to fit cheap crash bungs(mushrooms) which simply attach to a fairing bolt. They may work for smaller bikes but the VFR is a heavy bike and when it goes down a crash bung will probably ensure you rip a chunk out of the fairing and bend or break the mount rather than simply have a scratched up fairing to contend with. For the 800's its only worth fitting proper sliders which mount right through the VFR Frame, which can handle the impact without making things worse. Even so, if you drop the bike, remember your mirrors, levers and bar ends will potentially hit the deck. Cant do much about them, except you can protect the mirrors by only tightening the pivot bolt just enough to keep it still whilst riding but ensuring it will twist around rather than snap off if you drop the bike. Some try the same trick when clamping down the clutch/brake levers but just make sure they are tight enough so they don't move whilst riding. It can be a big shock if your brake lever is not where you expected to find it and you really do need to stop.

As for sliders I can highly recommend the R&G frame sliders kit which I fitted to my 6th Gen - I know they work! These are widely available in Europe and I think they supply in the USA as well. Their kit uses quality materials and attaches directly to the bike frame offering decent protection if the bike goes sliding down the road, however it is not cheap as it includes a replacement coolant bottle and will require drilling holes into the fairing.

Hope that helps


Skimad4x4
Proud Member 6th Gen Militia # 218 - European 1st Division

 

Thank you. I will have to look into that. My friend already dropped it and damaged the fairing a bit but it's fine because I was looking to get new fairings anyway. And yes, I will have to post some pictures, when I figure out how to work this site a bit more.

 

Sorry, mandatory ribbing for we likey da pictures, also :welcome:

Another R&G fan here, I know I know, koolaid for all. I haven't had a drop at speed with them but they definately saved my bacon one day when I dropped her on the shop floor. They are pricey, but the mounting point and the quality of the materiels means you get what ya pay for. There are definately US distributors but finding one is a slight challenge. Navigating R&G's site for locating dealers is a pain. Let us know if you need any help, that's why we're here.

 

Still adding stuff to it but this is what i got in the mean time. Fixed it up and got it running perfectly after the previous owner hadn't ridden it in about 3 years. And now im just focusing on altering the appearance a bit more with some aftermarket parts and maybe some new fairings as a gift to myself for christmas this year . Thanks for the input guys its nice to have a place that I can go to and ask questions or just chat with some like minded people.

 

I just put a set on my 98 and got them from Twisted Throttle, although I did have to sit through a 2 week back order. Some britich e-bayers stock them as well but the shipping to the USA is prohibitive.

Also, I would like to share a couple of installation tips that I haven't seen on any of the threads. First, I used the "paint on the bolt head" method to locate the holes but with a slight difference. Rather than apply paint directly to the bolt head, I had some round Velcro with a diameter almost the same as the bolt head (don't remember where I got these, but someplace like Staples would be a good bet). Each set of Velcro fasteners has a stiff piece and a soft piece. The soft one makes a good paint pad so I stuck it to the bolt, making sure to center it. The pad holds more paint and, because it is round, leaves a nice round spot on the back of the fairing. This makes centering the pilot hole easier and more precise. Second, I used neither a tank cutter (R&G recommendation nor a Dremel tool to cut the hole. I used a 19mm Greemlee chassis punch (16mm is spec'd. but I wanted some wiggle room). This is a tool used to cut reltively large round holes in aluminum and soft steel and were common during the vacuum tube era in electronics (holes for tube sockets, RF connectors, meters, etc.). Each consists of a cutter, a threaded die and a bolt which is used to slowly draw the cutter through the panel into the die. With some judicious e-baying, you can snag one of these for $10-20 (search "Greenlee") The resulting hole is perfectly round, precisely sized and so clean that no deburing is required. A second pilot hole (typically 1/4" or 3/8") needs to be drilled for the bolt, so make the first pilot hole small and use a self centering bit for the larger second one. I was very reluctant to cut my fairings but this approach worked perfectly. The only issue is that you can only do this if the hole location is on a flat area of the panel. This works fine for Gen 5, but probably not for Gen 6. Don't know about the others. Don't have pics but can take some if there is interest.

 

typos

I meant "british" and "Greenlee."