Brandnew VFR 800 Owner with first questions

[Dalexander]

Hi,

just a short intro about myself and a request for help (information).
I live in Bangkok and have been riding bikes (Honda Hornet 250 - yes it exists!, Yamaha TDM 850) for 3 years. Now it was time to graduate to something a bit more sporty but still with some touring capabilities. For month and month I searched the local market for something appealing (to me). It needs to be said that the market is limited in that big bikes (as they are called here) are either extremely expensive or of dodgy origin. The range of decent bikes for sale varies daily. It's virtually impossible to select the bike you want by reading mags and go out and buy it. So I made a list of maybe 10 bikes I might like and shopped around for a fairly long time. My favourite bike would have been either a Honda Blackbird or a Kawasaki ZZR 1400. Both are very very hard to find. So by chance I came across a Honda VFR 800 BJ 2003 in optically mint condition. I made an on the spot decision, bought it and drove home on it. (leaving my TDM at the shop to pick up later).

Since then (yesterday 4pm) a made a number of mixed experiences.
1st I nearly crashed within the first 10min of riding as the VTEC kicked in on a slippery fly over ramp. The back wheel spun out but I got it under control. Ok my mistake and I need to take it slow for a few days.
Then in the evening I spend 1 hour in more stop than go traffic and that's when it started to dawn on me that this bike is maybe not designed for Bangkok traffic. No question, I will keep it and will grow to understand it but I desperately want to know if the bike is ok. Why?, the bike gets extremely hot. Within minutes the engine temperature reaches 105 degrees C and after maybe another 10 min it starts to get uncomfortable. The heat coming out from under the seat is really burning sensitive body parts. I was shifting my position on the seat all the time to get as far away from the tank as possible. The heat seems to come out between the edge of the seat and the tank. And the frame gets so hot that I can barely touch it.

The experience repeated itself today in similar driving conditions. So I guess that will be the norm for my inside town driving. Or maybe not?
I searched the internet for hours and I did not find any complaint about this heat issue by other drivers. The only contentious issues seem to be the VTEC and the linked brake.

I love riding motor bikes and I have done many thousands of kilometers crisscrossing Thailand. Tomorrow I will go on another 4 days trip - this time on the VFR and plan to ride maybe 2000 km. However I am worried that maybe something is wrong with the cooling system and I will damage the bike on my first ride out. So I really hope that somebody out there picks up my plea for advice / information and tells me if the heating up is normal on the VFR / a sports bike??

Thank you very much
Dalexander (Axel)

[Rollin_Again]

What is the temperature outside while you are riding? Are you hearing the fan kick on? Lots of stop and go traffic will cause most bikes to generate excess heat and you'll always feel it more since there is no moving air around you to help dissipate the heat.


Regards,
Rollin

[drewl]

Welcome aboard.
The VTEC kicks in at the same RPM range every time, so just be aware of this and you should get used to it.
The heat is definitely an issue with this bike, always has been. It is a hot blooded bike. Many VFRs run near 220 F when in traffic. It should cool down when the airflow increases. The danger comes when it reaches the 240-250 F range and this should be avoided at all costs. I am sorry I do not have the C conversion handy.
Good luck.

[nozzle]

Axel-

VTEC or not, there is more torque with the v-4 than inline 4's, so it may just have been a damp metal expansion joint. The torque curves I've seen are pretty smooth - even when the VTEC hits ~6500.

Heat, yeah, there is more engine under your privates and more exhaust under my seat than I'd prefer. When I sit in traffic, I get hot. I have been know to turn off the engine and practise riding very slowly down hills, but there is a lot of heat stored in the 500lb beast... it keeps on giving.

- nozzle

[reg71]

welcome to the site and as these guys mentioned the bike does run hot. the single biggest improvement I made on that account was to switch from reinforced jeans to leather pants. Now I rearely noticed the engine heat on my leg. The pants do get hot on 100 degree days, but it's a small price to pay to keep my skin.

[Nungboy]

SAWADHI KRUP!!! Welcome to the Forum and the world of VFR's! (I lived in Bangkok as a child in the 60's.) The heat issue is fairly normal for a bike with side radiators. We here in Tucson regularly see 110 degrees F in the summer and the bike doesn't overheat. Sure, it gets warm but the fans handle it. If you really want to have over-baked legs, there are other bikes that run even HOTTER! I think you'll be ok. It is a great bike.
Kap kun krup for joing us here!

[julianivfr]

If you can find some good waterproof/windproof overpants, wear them over trousers and not shorts. You'll forget about the heat. I never even realized my vfr gets hot until I rode in hot, heavy traffic with jeans only.

[Gears]

Like you have all ready found out VFRs run hot, but it doesn't seem to affect the bike.
Besides the heat the truth is" THESE BIKES DON'T LIKE TO GO SLOW"!!
Maybe its the FI maybe its the gearing or maybe just the engine type but my VFR is most likely the worst bike for heavy traffic or city riding I have every ridden.

OK guys ... now is when you start posting that your VFRs are just like Vespas in the city.

[Dalexander]

A big thanks to all of you! not just for confirming that the VFR is just a 'hot bike' but for so many answers which I most definitely did not expect!

Usually the temperatur in Bangkok is around 30 to 35 C in the shadow / at night (90 to 100 F I guess). That is best case expect for a few weeks in the winter.

And I have to admit the dress code is business pants (ride to work) or jeans mostly. So no heat resistance there. Only the 'collector' riding the bike...

Don't get me wrong please, I did not want to be picky with the bike - I will love it as it is .., actually it stares into my eyes right now (carport door is open and I sit inside having breakfast, preparing my 4 days trip starting in 20min and writing my thanks to you), I was just concerned that I might damage something.

PS: I have a stupid question. Before I logged on to VFR world I wanted to check the coolant (water) level and I did not find anything that would allow me to check the level. I am certainly just blind and would gratefully accept a little guidance..

So, I finished my coffee and it's time to find a solution for putting my luggage on the bike without scratching the nice paint work (red by the way).

If anybody of you ever thinks about riding in South East Asia I would be more than happy to help getting the basic stuff together. For Thailand I can provide lot's of input.

Thanks again and kind regards
Dalexander (Axel)

[reg71]

Originally Posted by Gears

Like you have all ready found out VFRs run hot, but it doesn't seem to affect the bike.
Besides the heat the truth is" THESE BIKES DON'T LIKE TO GO SLOW"!!
Maybe its the FI maybe its the gearing or maybe just the engine type but my VFR is most likely the worst bike for heavy traffic or city riding I have every ridden.

OK guys ... now is when you start posting that your VFRs are just like Vespas in the city.

nah, I have to agree with you. the vfr feels like a tank below 15 or 20 mph. It gets on your nerves dealing with the FI hesitation if you dont have a power commander, too. the handlebars feel heavy, too. Once you get a little speed, though, the weight disappears.

[reg71]

Originally Posted by Dalexander

A big thanks to all of you! not just for confirming that the VFR is just a 'hot bike' but for so many answers which I most definitely did not expect!

PS: I have a stupid question. Before I logged on to VFR world I wanted to check the coolant (water) level and I did not find anything that would allow me to check the level. I am certainly just blind and would gratefully accept a little guidance..

If anybody of you ever thinks about riding in South East Asia I would be more than happy to help getting the basic stuff together. For Thailand I can provide lot's of input.

Thanks again and kind regards
Dalexander (Axel)

you are certainly welcome. look in the picture below, this is my bike with all the fairings off. If you remove just the left one you can see the coolant tank right behind the left radiator. There are lines that say low and high. Just keep the coolant level between them. At least that's all I do. I have only changed it once in 3 years (I think).