1998 VFR 800 - Brake Delink Project - Complete (Step 5 & Final)

Well a few folks have PM'd me asking if I ever finished this project. I did finish 2 years ago and have 2 riding season on the new set up. I just never posted any follow-up pictures.

So the bike rides and brakes just wonderfully. I am much more comfortable with the independent braking setup. Also, I can really clamp down on the fronts now, with less dive due to the fork spring upgrade and much more controlled stopping power.

Some notes from the final assembly:

• Used two custom made stainless steel lines for the front brakes - and connected both lines to the front master brake cylinder.
• Used a single, custom made rear line and routed this line through the rear swing arm. Pic below
• Removed the rear brake light spring switch in favor of a pressure activated rear switch. Pic below
• Removed the rear brake light spring switch aluminum mount and the lower heat shield mount off of the footrest bracket. I just think it looks cleaner - I show some before and after pics of the bracket both on and off the bike.
• Determined the difference between the VFR and new VTR forks so that the top of the VTR fork should be set 43 mm above the top of the triple clamp. Pic below

Please reach out if you have any questions - always glad to share.

 

Nice work. I don't suppose you remember where you got the grommet you used in the swing arm?

Cheers,

 

Nice, with a bit of luck and timing, I might have mine done in a few weeks. Is that a 6th gen rear caliber?

 

Great work Mike - I dig the pressure switch and how it cleans up the right rear set's appearance. Thanks so much for posting the final pics.

What headers are you running? They look very nice.

 

Thanks - glad you approve. I finally got some free time over the holidays to catch up on my never ending list of stuff to do...

Those are not headers, just the stock exhaust with a ceramic coating...don't tell anyone...

Merry Christmas!

Mike

 

It is the stock caliper in the rear. I drilled a hole in the back of the center cylinder to connect the brake fluid passages, then put a plug in the center brake line port. In one of my earlier steps I show this in more detail.

Merry Christmas,
Mike

 

Yes. When I ordered the rear brake line from Spiegler, you can have the line made with a grommet pre-installed. It is the MR-250004 grommet from their web order form. Then I just drilled the hole to size. For the exit point in the rear of the swing arm, I used an existing hole with a piece of notched rubber fuel line to sleeve the opening and prevent abrasion to the brake line.

Merry Christmas,
Mike

 

Your ceramic secret is safe with me, Mike. I got stock 1998 catless headers for my 2001, but they came back from the ceramic coaters [Jet-hot] flat black. Didn't know a clean natural metal look was an option.

 

I use Jet Hot Coatings also. This aluminum finish is one of their oldest finishes. They have a facility located this just this side of Greensboro, NC, (I am in Raleigh) so it is very economical to run stuff up there and pick it up. I have used them for 25+ years to jet hot coat headers on several cars, I even had them jet hot coat automotive brake calipers once.