07 vfr surging

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by troutkiller, Jul 15, 2012.

  1. troutkiller

    troutkiller New Member

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    hey guys, i recently purchased an 07 vfr that ran like a dream when i purchased her. bike has around 4300 miles on it now and is surging when cruising. still feels smooth while accelerating but there may be some power loss. that may just be me getting use to the bike though, hard to say for sure. the real problem is when im holding my speed. the bike surges or lurches, almost as if i were getting on and off the gas. at first i thought it must be bad gas but ive run three tanks through her since this started and it only seems to be getting worse. problem is at all speeds, all rpm's (at least up to around 6k. dont cruise her past that much so im not sure) and it seems to get a little worse as the bike gets warmer. my first thought is fuel filter, air filter or both. i know the bike is do for an oil change but doubt that could be the cause and it seems a bit early for this thing to need plugs. i work on, even rebuild/restore, all my own vehicles so i am fairly mechanically inclined. but, this is my first bike. im not about to take it to a shop so i am hoping to find some guidance here.

    gonna do a full tune up here soon. so if someone could point me to the good stuff (plugs, filters, oil, etc...) for these bikes i would appreciate it. but i want to know whats causing this problem first. any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance
     
  2. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    It sounds like you need to do the Pair valve and flapper valve mod. This will help sort out the mixture issues that are causing your bike to surge. Apparently the emission control system (PAIR) dumps air into the exhaust which gives the oxygen sensors an erroneous reading and then the ECU tries to compensate. Then it goes too far and has to compensate in the other direction. It becomes a kind of yo-yo effect in the fuel mixture.

    Please correct me if I'm getting this wrong guys!


    Here is a link to the task in the 5th gen forum. I don't know if there is a DIY for the 6th gen bikes or not but they are basically the same.

    http://vfrworld.com/forums/5th-generation-1998-2001/35929-how-pair-removal-5th-generation.html
     
  3. dogman

    dogman New Member

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    There's nothing much to tune up on these bikes, especially with the low mileage.
    Its odd that the problem is getting noticeably worse. Its not unusual for these bikes to have surging issues in stock trim, most people solve it with a powercommander and other mods mentioned.
    Its possible that you may have a faulty oxygen sensor, so you could try eliminating them, do a search on how to, its cheap and easy, that would stop it going into closed loop and dropping out again, thats what causes the surging.
    The first thing I would do though is have a look in the airbox to make sure everything is connected properly and that no rodents have set up home, which is reasonably common.
    These bikes are notorious for poor fuelling, a powercommander is the solution.
     
  4. Pliskin

    Pliskin New Member

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    Troutkiller?? I love fishing, but I'm a catch & release guy.

    Anyway, tell us more of whats going on and the story behind it.

    First thing though - you said you don't get over 6K rpm too often. Are you lugging the bike? If your in 5th or 6th gear doing 45mph, that's a problem. These bikes basically "need" to be kept above 4K RPM.

    How long ago did you purchase it, if you have 4300 miles on it now?
    Its a 2007 with not even 5K miles - less than 1K miles per year average. Where was this bikes stored/garaged previously? Maybe it sat around with bad gas in it, and you have fuel filter issues, or your fuel injection is varnished up from sitting around with gas (i.e. ethanol) in it.
    How bad is the surging? Meaning is it incredibly obvious, or something that you're now in tune with after wracking up some miles?
    Maybe a long shot here, but could the elevation where you live be playing a role?
    Another long shot, but is you chain good & properly adjusted.

    I'd definitely check the air filter box for rodent nests. It might not hurt to give that thing a blast of the throttle, too. Your VTEC kicks in at 6500RPM (give or take a few...) feel free to wring that lady up some. Get her up to 9K or 10K every now and then! You just might like it too!

    I don't have a 6th gen, so maybe my opinions don't mean jack. But for those of you that do (Jethro, Dogman) you really need to perform those sort of mods to get a smooth ride from a bike with 4300 miles on it? How bad can it possibly be?

    As for oil, filters etc. Everyone has an opinion. Do your own research and decide what you want to do. But the engineers at Honda probably know a little bit about these bikes, and since they designed specific oil, oil filter, air filter and plugs, I'd suggest sticking with Honda parts until you decide how you want to deviate.
     
  5. troutkiller

    troutkiller New Member

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    im on the coast here so i doubt that elevation is an isue. highest hill in the county may be about 25 feet above sea level. bought the bike from a friend. it has always been stored in a climate controlled garage. was ridden regularly just not a lot. howard has several bikes and rides them all. ive had the bike since fathers day and have put about 1200 miles on it. and for the record, i have opened it up plenty :) it is lots of fun. i keep it between 4-5k when cruising. the surging isnt awful, but it is noticeable and some what agrivating since the bike is such low mileage. and since i put close to a thousand miles on her before the problem started i think we can rule out varnish or rodents. but i will check the air box anyway, put in a high performance air filter, change the fuel filter, the oil and look into the mods stated above. this might not be a bad thing though because now i NEED a power commander!!

    and pilskin, yes i love to fish. and i am a catch and release guy also, just released a few specks into lake crisco yesterday!
     
  6. racerxlilbro

    racerxlilbro New Member

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    I would take a look at the battery, its voltage, and all the grounds.
     
  7. troutkiller

    troutkiller New Member

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    good call on the chain pilskin. it was bad lose! adjusted it and the bike rides and shifts much better now. especially when getting on and off the throttle in traffic. but, the surging is still there. just much less pronounced. will do the pair mod and power commander when time and funds allow. hopefully soon. but its riding good enough that i think i will get some new tires first. front tire is shot, cupping and almost bald on the sides. back tire is flat as a car tire in the center, bout 3 inches wide.
     
  8. SouthTexasRich

    SouthTexasRich New Member

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    I have an 07 Viffer as well. Lots of weird surging goes on around 4K-5K RPM. Bike runs great otherwise.

    I used to ride the bike in 6th on the highway, with RPM about 4800ish. Now I stay in 5th, keeping the RPMs higher (5800ish), and the bike is happier. So am I.

    I still may get rid of the O2 sensor and do the PAIR mod eventually, though.
     
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