2002 VFR800 20,050 miles. 46 mpg last tank. Stock exhaust etc. Owned since January. Previous owner stopped riding it about 2 years ago. Hi, my VFR was acting up on a 2 hour trip, but lately seems to also happen on short trips in town. When i coast or back off on the throttle, the power comes back abruptly when i roll the throttle back on, this happens mostly below 3-4K rpm. Maintaining a constant tone through town at 30 mph is difficult, it wants to hunt back and forth rpm wise. At first i thought that it was a V4 thing, or a problem handling low rpms, but the abrupt return of power is un-nerving to my passengers. With some care, i can prevent this some, but i'm wondering if it might just be a tune-up adjustment or something. - Miles
First off, these bikes definitely hate to be run below 3000 RPM. That's the nature of the V4. I'd keep it at a minimum of 3500. Is it actually stalling, or just surging? Could it be something as simple as a really bad/tight spot in the chain? The 2002 to 2005 had a wiring harness recall. Did you or the PO have the done? Bad gas in a recent tank? Could check the various electrical connections - kill switch, kickstand, battery terminals, ground, etc. Couldn't hurt to pull the tail piece and examine the connections there. R/R ever replaced? Its all free to check these items!
It is a surge. Often, when i have the throttle backed off and reapply the throttle - the power will return in a burp, not smoothly. The gas is good. Its going to the local Honda dealer in a week or so, hopefully they are skilled enough to correct the problem and/or check for recalls. Not sure if the PO had any done. I will probably purchase a R/R this summer, a luggage rack and also a 12v power jack for accessories like my phone etc. Any recommendations for these items? The luggage rack looks like it is going to be hard to find.
Cant help you with the surging issue but you mention you were looking for a luggage rack for your bike. Check the classified section of the site. There was a rack and case (candy apple red) listed by one of the members.
Are you just applying throttle from closed without working the clutch to smooth out the power delivery? If so, that's your issue. These bikes require a bit of clutch finesse at low speeds, especially in stock form. Is the engine up to running temp when this happens? Because the PAIR valve is active below 168 F and will cause a surge at 3,000 rpm.
At first i thought it was my throttle technique, seemed worse when my arms were tired. But it does seem like something mechanical, happened whether hot or cool. My throttle issue is when re-applying the throttle after coasting, or when applying throttle to pass others. It did seem to be more of a problem near 3000 rpm. It has been much better lately, a few tanks of gas, and blowing out the carbon... (VERY high speed run). I might be purchasing a Power Commander V after i replace the exhaust, looking at the stainless Delkevik set, maybe even the header pipes.
