my new 90 VFR - Stock gearing, euro rear signals? Other stuff...

Hey y'all--

I picked up a nice 1990 VFR750 yesterday! 14K miles, $2100.




I'm pretty excited! Last running bike I owned was a 1984 Gold Wing, about 10 years ago. This is my 4th VFR - previous ones were a 92 (which I owned twice), the 87 700 I have in pieces in Florida (CBR F2 swap, 750, Penske), and an 86 750, which traded engines with the 87 700 and went away.

I'll put a set of fresh Metzeler Roadtec 01s on it this week (current ME-Z1s look good except the pre-2000 DOT date!), and do something about springs and shock shortly, as I'm about twice the size of your average Japanese guy. Probably do a Daugherty Motorsports CBR929 shock.

I'll be commuting on it (only 5 miles each way) and enjoying mildly sporting rides on local roads. No knee-dragging.

Are the amber euro rear turn signals still available new?

What RPM should it be turning at 60MPH? It's around 4200, which seems a little high.

It idles around 1300 and is stinky rich, so I have some work to do in the carb area. Will check for vacuum leaks. I hope I don't have to take the carbs off. Other than the smell and slightly high idle, it runs great.

Are carb boots (mounts, insulators, rubber thingys between the head and carb) still available?

I saw some info here about deleting the P.A.I.R. How worthwhile is that? Are the hoses that much in the way, or are they problematic in other ways?

Anybody know a great VFR mechanic around Westchester County NY? Lately my motorcycle projects end up as basket cases on Craigslist. It might be smart to pay someone...

Thanks!
kevin

 

Looks very stock. Looks like it's had some sort of fenderectomy, but otherwise looks unmolested.

The rear turn signals were "euro" in 1990-93, but came stock on all of the '94-'97 VFR750s. So, just look up the part number and see if they're still available new. Otherwise, eBay. [EDIT: 33606-MZ7-671 and 33656-MZ7-671 are the part numbers, but they're NLA...] [EDIT: the older euro part numbers are 33600-MT4-611 and 33650-MT4-611, and they show as available at cmsnl.com, maybe some other places.]

Stock gearing is 16-43; I don't remember the 60mph cruising rpm.

I think carb rubbers are still available: pn 16211-MT4-000.

PAIR valves are just a plumbing headache, but eliminating them doesn't have any noticeable benefit. I deleted the ones on my CA-spec VFR, but it was just to get rid of things in my way.

Ciao,

 

very nice

 

Boy oh boy she's purty


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks, everyone, and double-thanks JZH! IIRC those euro lights were ~$36, 25 years ago, and I thought that was a lot of money. Now I wish they were only $36! It has had some fender trimming, and that's the only change I've found so far.

Y'know what's weird? I used to be strongly anti-red-VFR. Now I utterly can't imagine why...

 

Reading through some 90 VFR stuff as I recently acquired one.
Does your run real hot near the right side down frame area? Is that normal?
Thanks.

 

They are noted for keeping your thighs toasty. Are all your rubber airflow baffles in place? Is your running temp on the gauge OK? If so, I'd call it normal.

Where are you?

I gotta say I really enjoy your work in the books, but the guy who plays you on TV is kinda wooden. I'm not into the show...

 

Very sharp looking bike. If you can find a Staintune for it that is the Cats Ass for a 3rd gen.

 

I know I'm in the minority, but I don't like left-exit pipes. I like a high-right exit. And 30 years after these bikes went out of production, searching for obscure aftermarket parts is a full-time hobby that I don't have time for! I've got a beat-up left exit TBR for an RC36, and I've got a beat-up Hindle for my RC26, but they're going to stay in my basement (unless somebody wants to buy the TBR). One day when my wife is _really_ happy with me, I'll get a high-right Tyga for the 90 and a new Hindle for the 87.

I've done a lot of stuff to the 90 since I bought it (see my sig), and not a lot of riding. I _still_ don't like the way it runs. I have a set of carbs to send to Joe Nelson soon, and a few other little things to take care of, and then maybe I'll be happy with it. I have a rear fender that's less hacked than what's in the pic above, but I'd love to find an un-cut one.

 

Looks like you got a clean one for a good price. I would check the air screws to see where they are. Someone may have adjusted them and messed things up.

 

Welcome to the 3rd gen club. I now have 2 3rd gens. My 93 was customized by me to my tastes. My new to me 90 was imported from the UK. You can safely remove the pair system. I removed the valves and plugged the lines. The front steel lines I removed from the head and cut off the line leaving the mounting block. I cut a drill bit that was a little bigger than the hole and pressed it into the hole then reinstalled the block to the head. The rear steel lines are hard to remove so I just plugged the lines and kept them in place. Interesting that my 90 UK model never had the pair system. Not even the holes in the heads for the lines. So its just a US emission bullshit. Less weight and less shit to get in the way. Also the UK bike got the amber rear turn lens and no stalk signals. 94-97 will fit.

 

I found a used set of the amber rear signals that need a good polishing. I found one new one, and that's on the bike, as well as a reproduction I got from one of the European suppliers, I don't recall if it was Boonstra or CMNSL. Anyway, I don't recommend the reproductions. I put it in a while ago, so I'm fuzzy on the details, but the tab wasn't right, and neither was the screw hole. I had to re-drill the hole and the new hole was just barely inside the edge of the tab, and I had to do something goofy with the captive nut. The lens isn't shaped right at the upper inside corner, and the plastic housing is black iirc instead of orange, so from outside the lens looks darker because of the black behind it. So, good enough to pass MOT maybe, but not the part for a nice bike. It'll go in my spares box once I polish one of the used ones.

I got a German taillight with the clear panel in the bottom for license plate illumination, so I can eliminate the license plate light. I'm tickled about that.

I put a Honda Marine voltmeter in the blank spot on the left fairing upper, where the Euro bikes have the fuel petcock. It has the right color and font to look like factory! Of course I have a VFRNess and an upgraded reg/rec.

I put an RC36/2 front wheel on, with floating rotors and Brembo calipers (Wemoto brackets) and master cylinder (all new parts except the wheel). I want to find a clutch master cylinder to match, not happy about not having that. Stripped and powedercoated both wheels. I've got about $1700 in the Brembo job, including the wheel and lines and all. I ordered one of the lines a bit too long, gotta sort that out and get the right length.

I got a Euro right handlebar control pod. We're not allowed to turn off our headlights in the US, so we don't get a switch. I hope to find a way to use that switch for my nuclear-powered LED driving lights, though that may not work out. They're mounted to the fork lowers now, but I want to try to mount them at the mirror bases. They're relatively large lights (Cyclops) and I'm a little concerned about designing a bracket that isn't ugly but won't have any possibility of failing.

I put Y2K mirrors on, new genuine Honda.

I added a Supertrapp slip-on. Got it on Ebay from a guy in Greece, new in the box. He had a container-load of NIB supertrapp stuff for random bikes.

Got a Superbrace off VFRW or VFRD classifieds. Got two Corbins off the boards too.

I put 55/60W bulbs in the headlights with the adapter rings. A pair of louder Hella horns, too. I used to have Hella Supertones in my 92 VFR but for the life of me I couldn't remember or figure out how I mounted them, so this smaller set is in the stock location, with a relay and direct battery power.

I got a 959 shock and matching fork guts from Jamie.

I'm sure I've done some other stuff I can't recall right now... My wife wants to know why I didn't just buy a new bike...