Converting the 6th Gen from a SPORT-Tourer to a Sport-TOURER

Discussion in '6th Generation 2002-2013' started by stewartj239, Oct 2, 2011.

  1. suse

    suse New Member

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    Nice. Is the luggage easy to take on and off? Not that it's a big issue for me. I think once I put them on they would stay on. It's funny how you get used to having the storage available. Heck, I keep wanting to take my tank bag off but, I need the room for my gloves and misc stuff.
     
  2. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    Assuming you're talking about the mounting hardware that I posted pictures of, then it is NOT easy to take off in a short amount of time. It is definitely meant to stay on the bike. The luggage obviously comes on and off with the turn of a key. Like you, now that I have the saddlebags, I have no intention to take them off. They will remain on the bike as I will use them 95% of the time.

    I did see that GIVI has aftermarket saddlebags that has quick release mounting hardware, but I did not like the looks of them compared to OEM. To me, the OEM looks like they were made for the bike and as stated, I'd probably never remove the cases, so it wasn't a selling point for me.
     
  3. suse

    suse New Member

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    Yea, I was meaning easy removal of the luggage not the mounting hardware. It's nice to be able to pull the side cases off and take them in your hotel or tent. Then you basically have a pair of suitcases. I know when tent-camping with the ST the side cases came in real handy as small tables for lanterns and such.
     
  4. Guj

    Guj New Member

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    Stewart (or anyone who could give an answer),

    When you were looking for the hard luggage, were you able to buy the mounting hardware separately?
     
  5. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    From what I've heard and from what I've seen from other posts on this site, you cannot buy the mounting hardware separately. I've read some horror stories where people have bought the OEM saddlebags used that didn't come with the mounting hardware. They only realized after the purchase that they couldn't get it. If somebody knows otherwise, I'd love to know where you can get it.
     
  6. Guj

    Guj New Member

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    Hmm... Bummer for me.

    Thanks for the heads up though!
     
  7. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    How come Guj? Do you have OEM bags without the hardware or are you concerned that you might not be able to replace parts if you buy them?
     
  8. Guj

    Guj New Member

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    I have a set of decent soft luggage bags that I was going to try and use with the stock hard case mounting hardware. Save me the $$$ on the OEM hard bags.
     
  9. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    I have finally completed the conversion. I will say that I am extremely pleased with how everything turned out. I went with the black Heli-Bars and white seat welt. I also painted the radiator screens white and added some pinstripe to the hard cases and windscreen. Here are some photos of the finished product with the hard cases on.

    CasesOn-Right.jpg CasesOn-RightRear.jpg CasesOn-TopRear.jpg

    Here are some shots with the hard cases off. I don’t think that it looks bad at all with the mounting hardware exposed. It’s a pretty clean and tight fit. Besides, I do not plan to take the cases off the bike as I will use them just about every time I go out.

    CasesOff-RightRear.jpg CasesOff-Left.jpg CasesOff-RightFront.jpg

    This photo shows the rear of the bike with the hard cases. This is the only angle that I don’t like as it really makes the bike look wide. I know that any bike with hard cases looks like this from the rear. It’ll take some getting used to, but I’m sure it’ll grow on me.

    CasesOn-Rear.jpg

    This photo shows the 800 with it’s (much) older brothers. Behind it are my 1986 Interceptors - the 1000, 750 and 500. To the very right are the 4 dirt bikes - mine and the kids.

    AllBikes.jpg
     
  10. stoshmonster

    stoshmonster New Member

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    Very elegant and tasteful Stewart. That really turned out nice.
     
  11. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    Thanks stosh. I really appreciate your help with the seat selection. Your photos of the Corbin and Sargent seats made the decision so much easier.
     
  12. Alaskan

    Alaskan Member

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    You have a RWB thing going on in that garage! Very nice.




















    .
     
  13. motame98

    motame98 New Member

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    I read the post and I think the bike looks great. Since you made all these improvements for two up riding, how is the handling? have you considered any improvements to the suspension or did you already make them? I have made all the above changes to my 6th gen and it is a great tourer now.
     
  14. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    I've only had the bike out for a week now, but in my opinion, the handling is affected. The Heli-Bars do make you sit higher on the bike, but the biggest difference is the weight of the stuff that you have packed in the saddlebags. Everyday to and from work, I probably have 10-15 pounds of stuff packed in each side and this weight sits about a foot off of each side of the bike. I guess this is normal physics of weight distribution, but you do notice the difference. However, the handling is not adversely affected as long as you don't push the bike like you would without the touring setup.

    I have not done anything with the suspension as of yet, because I honestly don't have any real complaints with it. Overall, I am really liking the bike as a tourer. Last fall, I was thinking about selling it and possibly going with an ST1300 or VFR1200 (with bags), but I am really glad that I decided to just upgrade the 800. I like the ligher weight and the motor is totally adequate for my needs.
     
  15. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    So we've had an early spring here in the Northeast and I've had the bike out for about 225 miles so far. Overall, I am very pleased with all of the changes that I've made. Last fall, I was contemplating selling the 800 and going straight to the ST1300 or possibly the VFR1200 with OEM cases. I am so glad that I didn't. This bike really shines when converted to being more of a tourer. This is what Honda intended and I'm glad I decided to invest the money in it. So here is how I would rank the upgrades.

    #1 - OEM Saddlebags. These are awesome. They look great on the bike, but most of all are completely functional. As stated before, I no longer have to carry a 20+ lb. backpack to and from work. Everything goes in the cases before I leave and when I get to work, that comes out and the helmet, coat and gloves go into the cases. I simply pull the liners out with my stuff and walk in without all of the bike gear. The only negative is that at speed, especially in the turns, you can feel this extra weight hanging off the side of the bike. You have to be conscious of the fact that it is there.

    #2 - The PCV is very close to being the best upgrade as the bike is now truly the way it should have been from the factory. No more choppiness, bucking or flat spots and I am now able to traverse parking lots at slow speeds as you would expect. Stop and go traffic at 30 - 35 MPH is now enjoyable.

    #3 - Sargent Seat. This one is obvious. Way better than stock. I haven't ridden 2-up yet, but the way the seat is formed, it looks to be a huge improvement for the passenger.

    #4 - Heli-Bars. These are definitely better than stock, but I thought that I would be more upright than I am. I do have them as far down on the fork tubes as they will go, so I do have about another 3/4" that I could raise them.

    #5 - Windscreen. The Zero Gravity Sport Touring windscreen is great. I like the looks of it and it does a much better job than the stocker of keeping the wind off of you.

    I didn't rank the BESTEM liners as I consider them something that you have to have with the OEM cases, but they too are a great addition. Just being able to open the case and pull the liners out with your stuff in them is great. They also seem to be pretty durable, so I'll have to see how they hold up with time.

    VFR800-1.jpg VFR800-2.jpg VFR800-4.JPG VFR800-3.JPG
     
  16. Alaskan

    Alaskan Member

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    So happy the Power Commander and the new seat worked for you! Those are 2 of the 3 mods (suspension being the 3rd) that made the biggest difference for me. See you on the highways.
     
  17. stRanger2001

    stRanger2001 New Member

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    PCV? Care to explain, I'm a complete newb at all this. I know what a PCV valve is in a car/truck. Not sure what it stands for here, and what the mod consists of.
     
  18. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    PCV stand for Power Commander V. It is a Fuel Ignition module that replaces the stock unit and really cleans up a lot of the problems that the stock bike has. This is a very popular modification for the VFR and in my opinion is a must. Here is a link to their site. By the way, the PCV will work on the 6th Gen even though they're trying to sell you the older PCIII.

    Welcome to Power Commander Motorcycle Fuel Injection Tuning Module 800 VTec&pc-ver=PCV&add-mdlyrid=16-005&add-mdlyrid2=16-005&fullstr=16-005
     
  19. stRanger2001

    stRanger2001 New Member

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    Hmmm very nice, that'll be something I will keep in mind if I ever get the spare $$
     
  20. Alaskan

    Alaskan Member

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    stRanger, I have the older PCIII with a custom map provided by a DynoJet tuner.

    You know that snatchy throttle in 1st at low RPM and that dead spot just before VTEC accuation? The Power Commander eliminates those annoyances. Completely.

    Although my gas mileage suffered a bit, it was well worth the $$$.
     
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