Hello all! Glad I was referred to the group by the previous owner.....a meticulous maniac like ME. My new acquisition: 96 VFR Original Owner (TX since new) 13.3 K Miles Brand New Pilot Sport 3's Two Brothers Black Series Carbon Fiber Slip-on (and MINT factory silencer) Full RKA Soft Luggage Set (Rear / Sides / Tank) Corbin Perforated Leather Saddle (and MINT factory saddle) All tools / manual / underseat goodies intact Bilt Cover Battery Tender Spare right side plastics from a light "down" Brand new OEM fuel tank (not even sure WHY....) Full records from servicing dealer (forthcoming) My primary concerns now relate to WHAT I need to do to it / WHY I need to do it / WHEN I need to do it - relating to the fact that the bike is simply 18 years old - has seen relatively little use - and surely NEEDS to have some preventive measures taken with parts that may have lost their integrity due to age. What should I look for / what should I do without hesitation? I am very mechanically inclined, and can do most anything a bike needs myself (short of carbs and the like) - but I don't want to tear the thing apart without good reason. This is my 5th bike - so I understand the primary needs - but I am looking for model and year specific recommendations from my esteemed peers out there.... Thanks for your help! INOV8R
Welcome aboard. Most here will tell you to change all the fluids, if nothing else it gives you a clean base to start from. Probably the biggest fault with the 4th gen is the charging system, so give that a good going over. Check the charge rate with a multimeter across the battery terminals, then check the plugs (one on the R/R and the other under the left side fairing when viewed from the front) for corrosion and signs of excessive heat. If the battery looks old or not showing a healthy 12.7v, then replace it. Also check the main fuse next to the battery. Otherwise they are pretty trouble free.
Per PO, all fluids were changed at the end of 2012 - and I am preparing to do an oil change simply based on elapsed time - and baselining. Not sure I want to jump into all other fluids as I'd be surprised if there were 2K miles put on it in the last 1.5 years. This machine is like new - and was kept covered in a garage when not in use. I am pretty certain the plugs were changed recently as well. I do appreciate the recommendation on measuring the charge rate (running) and static voltage (sitting) - but what should the voltage reading be (or range) at idle? Do I need to raise the RPM's in order to take a good reading? The bike was just seen by a dealer locally who cleaned and adjusted the carbs (out of necessity), and ended up also replacing the fuel pump which failed almost immediately after the carb work was done. They don't open till tomorrow - and wouldn't give me much history details until the bike was actually mine. The PO is going to contact the servicing dealer (only one) to ensure that I get all records to date so I understand what's what. Pretty sure the battery is rather new as well. Lastly, the throttle stays wherever you twist it - but does "want" to return with a little help. Don't know where to look first on that one.....cable binding upon reassembly / old sticky cable lubricants / sticky shafts and/or linkage @ carbs? Runs like a scalded bat - and idles fine - just requires manual closing (which I tend to do anyway). Thanks again!
I personally haven't changed any fluids (save for oil and filter which I do every 5000Km) on mine in the 4yrs I've had it but that isn't a recommendation at all. You should be getting between 13.5 and 15.5 between say 2000 and 5000rpm, with the headlights on bright, the magic number is about 14.4. (I downloaded a manual from this site, don't know if it's still available) As regards the throttle, I found mine was the bar end weight tightening up against the grip which was making it a bit sticky. I put a washer behind it to space it out a bit and that fixed it.
