Just got a 2003 VFR800. Show me the ropes!

Hello all!

I am new to the VFR community with a 2003 VFR800 non-ABS with 20k on the clock. My previous bike was a 2002 CBR600 F4i. I love how smooth and beefy the VFR feels compared to my F4i which was a more of a rev happy rocket feel.
I recently bought the bike a couple of weeks ago and I am slowly figuring everything out about it... The bike is pretty much all stock and I don't have a maintenance record or the owners manual for it. Since I have had it I have noticed a few things that are kind of concerning me. Such as condensation in the oil. I have changed the oil to Rotella T6 and will change it again soon, and I have also ran the bike till the cooling fan comes on and let it run for a few minutes to try and burn off the condensation. If anyone knows some tricks to get condensation out permanently, let me know. I live in Oregon where it is humid rain and about 40 degrees at this time of the year... Also, there seems to be some minor problems with the wiring to the headlights. Just the other day I noticed only the left headlight was on, then now both of them work just fine... Idk what the issue is there?? And sometimes it will take a second for the brights to turn on after the switch is flicked over. Any ideas!? Then one last thing!!.. I'm not so sure if the VTEC is actually kicking in at 7k or not. I have only taken her this high a handful of times and I don't see a huge change in power other than the obvious powerband feel that you get with all bikes. Maybe it's because I'm not opening the throttle up enough or something. But I take really good care of my bikes and I don't like to abuse them.

As far as mods go I am expecting a K&N air filter to arrive today, and I have added Nelson-rigg sport touring saddle bags. I don't want to do power commander or any major mods like that. Simply because I don't have the expertise to install and I don't want to pay someone to tune it again. I'll probably end up upgrading the chain, adding heated grips, HID kit maybe, sargent seat, etc...

Thanks in advance for the advise!!

 

Hey welcome to the world of VFR!

Looks like a fine example you have there. I've found that the condensation can be stubborn an a good long ride is genrally what it takes to get her cleaned out. Not sure how Rotella may factor in as I have never used it myself but I'm sure there are other members here that know the score with respect to that particular brand of fluid.

You shoudl feel teh V-tec kick in. There is no mistaking it and the engine note changes substantially as well ast the rate your are accellerating.

 

I love Rotella. It's what a lot of F4i riders use and some of them have taken they're bikes over 200k with that stuff. But it might be different with the VFR. I'll just have to do some more research.
As far as the VTEC, I'm probably not as sensitive to the feel as most of the VFR riders yet. So I guess I'll have to get the feel for it better.

 

Congrats. just whind her up and go threw the gears...get on it and you will feel the vtec. you do have an after market shield. You will fall in love everytime you take her out. Enjoy

 

:welcome: to the nuts house
Nice bike you got there, ride safe :thumb:

 

Just noticed she got new PR3 shoes on her..............Wooooooooo Hoooooooo
She is ready for some twisty otstir:

 

As for the electrical issues, check with dealer to see if the front harness recall has been performed. Just call them with your vin number. If your bike doesn't have a hard vtec kick, adsuming it's working, then consider yourself lucky! Some like vtec transition some don't, some have a light transition and some have a hard vtec transition. I got a pc3 to smooth things out but a pc doesn't sound like something that you would benefit from with the way you ride. I think you should focus on the creature comforts and enjoy your ride!

 

Welcome my man. I would show a little more concern for that condensation. They type of oil you use is not likely to make any difference in getting rid of that. When you changed out the oil, did you replace the filter as well? If you had, and you let everything drain well, then there should not be any milkiness or condensation in the oil. I understand that being in Oregon, you may think the wet weather may play a part. Where I live, is far wetter than Seattle and mine is ridden year round. I do not have that problem.

I would think that a pressure test of your cooling system is in order. You just may have a seal or gasket leak somewhere. An average of 2K miles a year, it is not unreasonable to suspect something dried out a bit. Or maybe some things just need to be tightened up a bit. But alas, these things are well beyond my area of expertise. I even strip oil drain plug threads.

 

Welcome to the VFR world. Did you check the coolant level? If the level is OK, take the bike for a decent ride and then change the oil again.

 

Welcome!
Step 1: get rid of the red paint, as everyone knows that kills the HP by about 5-10.
Step 2: paint it Silver and gain your lost 5-10 HP back.




In all seriousness though, I agree with 34468 Randy. I used to live in Oregon, and the humidity is nothing compared to where I live now, and I have no milkiness/condensation in my oil. Something is getting in where it shouldn't. Hopefully it is a simple fix.

As for the V-TEC... as stated before, it varies, but you should at least hear the difference in the exhaust note when it kicks in.

 

Congratulation on your new ride! A thought about you headlights. Any chance the previous owner already installed an HID kit? Chances are, not, but it would explain why the highs are slow to come up, and when you first start the bike one low beam comes on first then the other comes on several seconds later. HIDs are remarkably bright.
I'm a wimp to the cold, so I love my heated grips. Check out 'Poly Grip' internal grip heaters. Their neat because the heating elements go inside the handle bar so you can use whatever grips you like and also you can hide the wires through the bars. If you are up to tackling the grips you can do the power commander. It's pretty much plug and play and you can get it with the map already loaded for your set up. When you feel like getting into these mods it's a good idea to run them through a relay. I got mine through 'Eastern Beaver'. Ok, sorry for the ramble. Enjoy the ride.
OBJ

 

Unless you are really good with electrics, don't mess with the wiring especially the harness in the foward part of the fairing. The recall on that bike can be done by a Honda dealer. A factory manual can be downloaded. The owners manuals are at best. basic.. Many of the online parts and farkle dealers will have assembly and parts breakdowns on your bike. Some drilling down is required..

Static runs on the engine are not the same as a long ride to maybe clear the moisture out of your oil. This may be motorcycle BS but I have heard the the synthetics tend to display an emulsified state moreso than plain dinosaur juice.

 

I would say that it sounds like poor connections or sticky relays are the issue with your lights but as Badbilly has already stated, the problem requires some drilling down. Start with the basics and make sure the recall is done befor eyou get too carried away.

BTW
You can check to see if the recal is done by going to the Honda owners LInk

https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp

Set up an account and register yourself as the owner of that bike. Once you have done this you can see what recalls were issued against it and which ones are completed.

This is what it will give you,

Concerned about safety? So is Honda. That's why Owner Link provides up-to-date recall information about your vehicle. Because Owner Link recall listings are based on your Honda's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), they are specific to your vehicle.


Your 2002 Honda Interceptor is included in the VFR800/A WIRE HARNESS RECALL Campaign.





Description VFR800/A WIRE HARNESS RECALL

Type Safety Recall Campaign
Status Fixed



If you experience problems or you have further questions, contact your dealer for assistance.

You can also find more information from:

Motorcycle Division
American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
1919 Torrance Blvd.
Mailstop:100-4W-5B
Torrance, CA 90501-2746
Telephone: (866) 784-1870

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590
Auto Safety Hotline (888) 327-4236