New member here with a few questions. Have a 1986 vfr 700 with 1900 miles and would like to know how a 15/45 sprocket set would work out. Am sure its been tried before. Also do they make a slightly wider rear tire for this bike
The sprocket setup you want should be just fine. Just remember that it will throw off your speedometer and odometer both. For the wider tire, you're kinda SOL there. You'll probably need to do a wheel swap for some newer 17" examples. There are plenty of resources here that will help you go about it.
Thanks for the info. Hope to give it a little mid-rage boost. Best all around fun bike I have ever had.
Up until 2 years ago, I owned a 1986 VF500F, VFR750F and VF1000R. On all 3 bikes, I was able to go 1 size wider on the rear tire without any clearance issues. Beyond that, I think there would be a problem. 1900 miles on your '86 is like having a new bike. Any pictures you can post?
I meant to say 19000 miles, but it looks like 1900 miles. Will get some pictures on soon. So would I need a 140/ 90/18 tire?
Your bike sounds like the one I had. My 750 was in excellent condition with 24K miles on it and I sold it for $4K. I think the stock rear tire was 130/80-18. I went with a 140 on the width for sure and had no clearance issues.
I should have been more specific. Yes. You can fit a slightly wider rear tire than the factory size. However, a little work and a little $ and you can swap your super 80s vogue 16" front/18" rear wheel combo for a set of 17" wheels off of a newer model which will yield more options for tires and allow you to run radial tires as opposed to the limited bias-ply offerings available to you now. This is my winter project and many others here have done the same. Merely a suggestion.
Sounds like the way to go. Newer cbr 600 wheels would probably work. I also have a blackbird for longer rides, but this vfr is a lot of fun and its pretty fast, not Blackbird fast but enough to get your heart pumping.
CBR600 wheels are the usual method. If I recall, the F2 and F3 wheels are the most sought after for the swap, and with a little machining and some spacers they bolt right up. I think the F2 even has the same speedo drive as our bikes. The forks from these models are a popular upgrade as well. I'm thinking of going with some Suzuki hardware myself due to local availability and my desire for USD forks, if for no other reason than vanity lol. On another note, I'm always happy to hear of another 2nd gen to share the road with!
My son has an 87 vfr also. Is there any difference in the motors? His valves are a little less noisy than mine. I have adjusted both but the 86 is a tad louder. They both run very well so I don't think its a problem.
There are some differences. Nothing as far as the valves are concerned though if I recall correctly. The differences have more to do with the ignition setup. The valves on my '86 don't make any noise that I would deem excessive. Mine has about 16k on it and I found them to be within spec while I was making her roadworthy after sitting in someone's garage for about 10 years. No telling if they'd ever been checked before as my lady came without any service records.
