exskibum

Thanks, Dave. That's kinda what I thought. The R/R on this thing is HUGE -- finned on both sides and sitting out from the frame right above the hole in the bottom of the seat cowling on a bracket where much more cooling is likely to take place, with fins front and back. And did we both say HUGE?!? Much larger than the finned R/Rs I've seen on other Birds, or the finned Yamaha R1 R/R I bought. I hope that means that in addition to the additional external cooling that Honda engineers have brought to the problem, they've fixed the internal heat failures that plagued earlier Birds.

Hey, I like that. So that's why I have a grinder? I heard a suggestion that you could take the fairing off and line up a laser on the bolt (e.g., I have a laser level), then reinstall the fairing and mark where the laser hits it. I figured that I'd probably end up moving something, or if I didn't get the laser lined up exactly on the axis of the center of the bolt, it'd hit the wrong spot on the fairing when it was reinstalled. Probably more reliable in the hands of a surveyor or engineer used to lining up such tools. I like your method much better. Thanks.

I'm on a roll tonight . . . spending money and asking questions. I've got a pair of Motovation race sliders that mount to the frame -- using a motor mount bolt. And of course, a hole needs to be cut in the right and left lower fairing panels so that the sliders stick through. What is the easiest way to locate the hole and cut it? I'm assuming that I can find the proper sized hole cut saw for a drill motor, but that still leaves me having to accurately locate the center of that hole right over the center of the motor mount bolt. Dreams of mishapen and/or off center holes dance in my mind. I'm sure the pros have a way to get it right every time. What is it? TIA,

Yes. You can also simply load the zero map before you take it in. You should run a clinic, Tim. Mucho thanks . . . AGAIN.

Gonna put a Micron 4-2-1 on my '03, and figure I better put a PCIII on it to set it up right. From researching the things, it looks like a really well thought out way to control ignition and fuel. But there's a chance I'm going to be moving back to Kalifornia, and my '03 is a 48 states model. I was thinking about putting on the Micron system with the PCIII, and then, if I move back, adn after I have the required 7500 miles, registering it in Kalifornia. Fearing registration and inspection problems, I am thinking I'll simply put the stock exhaust system back on for that and pull out the PCIII while the stock pipes are on it long enough to get it registered and titled there. So, my question is . . . Is that possible? Once the PCIII is pulled, do I get the default ignition timing and fuel delivery of the bike in stock configuration? Looks like it would be that way to me, but I'd rather ask than be wrong.

Looks to me like the '97 and '98 rectifier was the most anemic version, lacking any cooling fins and being pretty small. Despite the fact that my '97's r/r is fine, I bought the recommended Yamaha R1 rectifier to replace it and printed out the article about the conversion -- I didn't want to face the problem in the future, since the results of a r/r going out can be nasty. That article's author (in Australia) suggested that he didn't know if the latest models had fixed the r/r deficiency. So, now, I've got an '03, and today, I looked for the r/r under the left side of the seat cowl where I expected to find it -- but it's not there. Instead, there's a monster finned r/r over on the right side under the seat cowl. So, I looked in the '97 - '02 parts catalogue that Joe has posted on his site, and see that from '99 to '02, the rectifier is finned and a little bigger than the '97 - '98, and maybe has changed a very little between '99 and '02, but those all appear to be on the left side, and not nearly as different or large as what I see on the right side of the '03. So, anybody know for sure? Did Honda make a change in '03 to a much larger, much more cooling fin adorned r/r??

Had some e-mail correspondence with the seller and it appeared that his "mechanic" didn't know what he was talking about, so the guy admitted to being somewhat "confused". He just cancelled the auction, presumably in response to my e-mail asking him to verify the I.D. on those VFR bars he was selling. My guess is that he somehow got stuck with VFR bars that didn't fit, got some bad info from his "mechanic" and now knows what he has -- which are pretty useless to XX owners. Thanks for the education, guys (esp. Redbird). This site and the dickheads on it are indispensible if you own an XX.

Gracias. I like those a lot more than the Heli bars. If I decide to raise the bars, that's the way I think I'll go. I hope somone at TBME has a set on his or her XX so that I can check them out. Come to think of it, Sport Chick is renting a VFR, so I'll have to ogle her rental bars while I'm at it. (Never paid much attention to VFR bars on VFRs before.)

Well, I should know when I get the Carrozzerria wheels from the GB. I ordered a rear sprocket with 46T, instead of the stock 45T. Didn't want to go very much lower and have to rev it much higher at highway speeds on trips, but did want just a tad more grunt. (I already have a speedo healer to install, so I figured I could easily even out the even greater overstated speed error in the speedo display.)

So, which VFR bars (any or just some years) can be substituted for XX bars?

I'd like to know that answer, too. And is it the same issue with Heli bars 9i.e., different Heli bars for different year Birds?

Not sure how long you had the shitty gas in there, but esp. if you had a less than full tank of it, is it possible that you have that shitty gas in your carb float bowl? If so, the most volatile components of your gasoline may be long gone to evaporation. And that's the part of the refined petrol you need to fire a cold engine. If you haven't tried it, drain the float bowls to make sure that only new gas with enough volatiles are in the carbs to start the engine. Have you tried a squirt of starter fluid?

Great article; thanks! I was taking my info mostly from Kevin Camerons' book, where he is talking generally about putting too wide a tire on a rim too narrow. Interesting to see the 180/190 profiles specifically addressed, since these are the ones we're always talking about with the XX. The shoulders of the tread are indeed steeper, but the middle of the tread description is interesting. Riding with a friend who had a 190 on his Bird, I saw exactly what the article describes, while he was wary of getting the bike very far over due to handling feedback. When I looked at his warn rear tire, it was amazing how squared off the middle of the tire was from wear -- and that article seems pretty well to describe that.

Yeah, we had a couple good long threads on it on the old site. In a nutshell, what happens when you put a 190 on a 5.5 inch rim is that you change the tire's profile so that the shoulders of your tread area are greatly steepened because the sidewalls of the wider tire are cantilevered out by a rim that's too narrow for it, while the middle of the tire is flexed up into a pointier profile than it was designed to be. Seems like there's some other effect, like heating up the tire sidewalls due to more flex, but I can't remember right now. If you want to run a 190, you need to go with a 6.00 or 6.25 inch rim, or get used to either wider chicken strips or having it step out on you, esp. as it gets worn in.

I've heard Akrapovic, Micron and Yoshimura most often mentioned as the best full exhaust systems for the bird. I have a stainless steel Micron 4-2-1 (though not the serpent bent header pipes) I'm putting on with the Micron carbon fiber can. Can't speak to performance (hp or torque curve differences from the pipes), but can tell you about weight. Weighing the new system (pipes, can, hardware) with me on a bathroom scale several times, I get about 16 pounds, and Joe (rockmeup) posted somewhere that the two stock cans and header totaled 34 pounds, so there's your approximate weight savings: about 18 pounds.

Well for me, since I have no intention of buying a true sport bike (too limited, plus budget constraints, though I got stiff for the new $20,000 R1-LE in the local shop two days ago). My other bike is a sport tourer better suited to long distances and two up riding, so the XX is my one up twisties carver. And yeah, it is what it is. But when it comes to feasibly reducing unsprung weight along with the suspension upgrades, I'm interested in making it handle as well as I can within limits -- NOT in racing liter bike or 600 class sport bikes through the mountains. The exhaust is just too easy to lose substantial pounds to offset a few farkles and more, but the rest of the weight loss I'm after is unsprung. By winter's end, I'll have done all that is feasible on my budget, and I expect to enjoy its handling more this summer than last. (Hehehe -- and I gotta find all the justification I can for buying those gorgeous new Carrozzeria wheels in the GB -- so please humor me.) :wink:

Thanks, Dave. Nice to have such a thorough telling of the end of the tale . . . esp. with an expert's explanation AND pictures.

Damn you, Ed -- got me thinking, now that my axles are off. What diameter gun drilling bore would you think leaves enough steel in the stockers to remain sufficiently strong for street purposes ? And what would 4130 or Ti axles cost and where might they be found? (I expect to fall out of my computer chair, figuring you're talking high end race parts.)

Doing it now -- bike is missing a LOT of parts as it sits in the garage naked. Unfortunately, too many are critical to it running. From what you posted long ago in another thread, the stock exhaust system totals 34 lbs. I weighed my Micron 4-2-1 plus carbon fiber cannister and hardware and got something like 16 lbs. That's an 18 lb. reduction. Against all reason and financial prudence, I jumped on the Carrozzeria GB, so that is supposed to save 8+ lbs of the most critical kind. Probably adding back a pound or two with the ballasts from the HID GB, and I suspect that when I buy a Wilbers for the rear, I'll add another pound or two over stock. Just not a lot more to lose easily on this bike. On me, though, I can lose 15 to 20, and have ordered suspension components based upon a loss of 15 -- as another incentive. Gym bag packed and sitting near the door right now.

Tried to do a search on this 2 or 3 times, but get nothing, no matter how broadly I specify it, and I KNOW that the word "Galfer" has been used on the site, if only for wave rotors, but even that doesn't show up. But other searches do continue to work for me -- weird. Anyway . . . I missed out on the Spiegler Group Buy last year (wasn't participating on the board much then), and I see pics of Warchild's lines which appear to be made for the Bird's linked system. A couple weeks ago, I ordered the Galfer SS lines for the Bird -- sets for the Front, Back and Clutch. When I got them, I immediately thought: "uh oh -- THAT sure doesn't look like it's made to fit the linked system." Among other things, there are NO connectors that are not banjos, and there are clearly connectors in the linked system (as well as some short hoses) that don't look like the long line, banjo only Galfer sets I got. Figured I'd wait 'til I tore the bike down and took a much better look with Service Manual in hand before I asked about it here and then contacted the distributor. Confirmed -- might be able to use a couple or three of the lines in places, but that's it. My guess is that these are for a delinked system (not specified in any way on the web site I bought from) -- one in which the secondary master cylinder, proportional control valve, delay valve and all parts related to their operation are taken out of the system??? Each set is clearly marked as fitting my '97 Bird. Anyone know what the story is on these? Next question: what exactly do I have to do to get hold of the Spiegler set up I see in the pics of WC's Night Train for my '97? I know it won't be at GB prices, but at least it looks like it's made to fit the linked brake system of the XX. And does Galfer even make such a set up?

Interesting study of several aftermarket filters (including K&N and Uni) on a GM Duramax Diesel. Filter efficiency, air flow resistance, dirt passed through, etc. all addressed. http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm I respect everyone else's opinions, but after reading more than one air filter threads, and this article, mine is as follows: While I've had K&Ns in the past on other vehicles, and the idea of reuseability is attractive, I think I'll be sticking with the OEM stuff I have in my car and bikes until an aftermarket manufacturer demonstrates a superior product. There's a guy on the FJR site that is an engineer with GM -- I think about 30 years -- and I recall reading his take on oil and air filters, which was pretty persuasive. Essentially, he suggested that the OEM stuff is subjected to the most rigorous testing if for no other reason than that the vehicle manufacturer has the $$ to do it in spec'ing the parts for manufacture, and is the one with the most to lose if there are failures. By contrast, he noted that there are no testing standards for aftermarket filter manufacturers, no real liability, little money put into testing and a huge profit incentive. He suggested that a lot of consumers want to increase performance and will buy into marketing that promises greater power and/or cleaner oil and air. According to him, neither is likely to happen, and if it does, it's going to be negligible. None of that is to say that there aren't other good reasons to have a reusable filter. Just thought I'd add the study to a never ending, regularly flogged topic of discussion I doubt we'll all agree upon while we're all still young enough to ride and wrench. (Stole it from such a discussion on another site, BTW.)

Doing same thing to my bird in the next couple weeks -- it's pretty well torn apart, and the next task is taking off the front wheel and the sliders out. I've got a guy locally (1 man shop -- maybe 50 to 55 years old) who quoted me 2 to 3 hours to do the Race Tech gold valves, springs, spacers, etc. if I bring them to him off the bike. I provide the info re: weight and riding style, preferences, and he orders the parts (free freight shipped to him). Seems pretty experienced from the conversation -- including a willingness to discuss with Race Tech whether their calculations about correct valving rates and springs for my '97 XX would be different with a Carrozzeria front wheel that is maybe 3 to 4 lbs. lighter than the stock wheel upon which their charts may be based. So, here's my thoughts and questons: 1. It seems to me from what I know about how suspension works and my numerous visits to the Race Tech web site, that Race Tech can be given enough info to provide rebound and compression valving that is pretty close to ideal for my weight and riding style. The guy I'm going to have do it noted that "Race Tech stuff works", compared to some other unnamed brands out there that can apparently be a real pain in the ass to get set up right. Since I'm not going to race the bike, is there any reason to think that the compression and rebound damping rates provided by Race Tech are going to require any messing with the valving? Am I missing something here? 2. I'm also assuming that unless there is some preload adjuster provided as part of new end caps from Race Tech, the only way to adjust spring preload (and therefore, sag) in the front end is by lengthening or shortening the spacer (looks like the service manual calls it a "spring collar" on p.13-21). I believe that Race Tech ships spacer material with the kit -- to be cut to length. So, it seems that with the forks off the bike (and without the weight of me and the fairing, etc. on it), it's going to be pretty difficult to measure sag and then adjust it by changing spacer length until the bike's rolling again. So, would it be best to have the original spacers (spring collars) put back in, reinstall everything on the bike and then ride it up to see the suspension mechanic to measure sag, cut the Race Tech spacers to proper length and install the resized spacers from the top of the fork tubes with the bike in one piece? Too much I DON'T know about all this to feel confident doing it myself. I need to discuss this with the guy who gave me an estimate on this, but your collective wisdom is much appreciated in helping me ask the right questions.