new vfr guy with a few questions

Hi all!

I am new to the VFR. Previously I rode a Suzuki sv650. I loved that bike, but wanted more power and a more comfortable seating position as to take long trips. The vfr seemed to fit the bill. I loved the sv's v-twin. The vfr has the v-4 and is supposedly known as a smooth running bike that is very versatile. I have thus far put approx. 1,000 miles on my vfr and have found that i get a crazy amount of wind noise/buffeting and pronounced vibration of the handlebars and fairing. I have cleaned the bike thoroughly and have flushed and changed all the fluids. Tire pressure is correct and tread life seems to be at about 50%. Did I get a lemon or are these common issues with simple solutions? I have no problem with putting some money into the bike, as I got a pretty good deal on it. Any Ideas? Does it need new tires? wheel Balancing? new windscreen? throttle-body syncronization? The previous owner seemed like he took care of it, but I do believe it sat for some time in a garage. (He got laid off from work and didn't ride for over a year. That is how I got it for a decent price.) Any and all ideas are welcome. Thanks.

 

welcome to the boards... how did he have it stored? just on the side stand or on the center stand? you may want to have the tires balanced....

 

I had front end problems with the metzler M-1 front once it got down to 50% after storing it for the winter.
put on metzler M-3 and no problems at all.
this winter I will store the bike on a front end stand so front tire will not carry any of the weight. try to rebalance front tire first but it seems that some tires will cause the bars to shimmy and some don't, something w/ tread pattern I think bridgestone bt 016 shimmy as well

 

stock wind screen will buffer the head ( I was in car accident and messed up my neck )
after installing ZG dbl bbl it helps a ton over stock but you still will have wind noise.

 

Welcome aboard and congratulations.

Wind buffering may be a little normal, but I don't think vibrations are.

Windscreens can definitely change the air flow (guess you know that), but your height may make a difference on what brand you want to go with. If you use the search function on this forum, you might find some interesting threads that will help you decide.

Flat spots can occur on a tire especially after sitting for some time. You can try balancing, but if you're paying someone to do this, you might want to consider just getting the new tires anyway. What's a front and rear balance cost - $50 to $100 total? Hell, be secure, get yourself some new rubber, and put what you like on her.

Good luck and keep us posted to let us know how you made out!

 

I picked up an 03 as well about a month ago. At speeds >45mph, if I took my hands off the handlebars it would start shaking like crazy. I believe the bike sat unridden for quite some time before I purchased it. New tires (went with Shinko 005's, $200 out the door mounted/balanced) solved the shimmy 100%. It's a whole different animal now.

 

When I bought my 02 three years ago it had only 5k miles on it.. The guy was second owner bought it used from dealer with 2k miles and it had original metzler tires on it.. He used it once a year to ride to Louden and parked it and rode it home and when I got her she was dieing to roam free...

I had the exact issue you describe and a new set of Michilon Pilots took care of the issue.

To Quote Harry Hog: "Tiiiirrrreeeesssss Make the difference."

Buy a set of tires online for less than 250300 bucks and pay someone 50-70 bucks to mount and balance them... it will be worth it...

 

Guys, thanks for the feedback. I really do appreciate it. New tires and balancing was the direction I was gonna go. Can't wait 'til spring; new tires, exhaust, windscreen, pazzo levers, cruising the coast,,,it's gonna be good, man.

 

My stock tires took a huge shit at 2500 miles. Bike was not rideable. They would balance on a machine but junk. Problem started a thousand mile from home to make matters worse.

 

MRA Vario Touring Motorcycle Screens
have a look at these just fitted one to my bike