Brake and clutch bleeding. The brake and clutch fluid needs to be replaced periodically and it's a cheap preventative maintenance task that pays lots of dividends, especially for bikes that sit outside year-round. My other bike's (91 Nighthawk) fluid has been neglected by its owner and the VFR was no different. The clutch fluid was a dark brown, evidence of old fluid, which absorbs water and will eventually corrode the system internally. So I replaced the stock bleeder screw with a speedbleeder, topped off the reservoir, attached a hose to the speedbleeder and kept pumping until the fluid ran clear. I repeated it on the front and rear brakes. It's also impossible to service the rear brake's hydraulic without removing the rear cowling in order to access the fluid reservoir. Anyway, I made sure the circuits were free of air and spongy action, including loosening the top banjo bolt on the front brakes due to pilot error (I let the fluid in the reservoir drop too low). Even completely bled the front brakes are a little spongy for my taste. UPDATE - stainless lines are in and a double-air-free banjo bolt from Lockhart Philips at the top end is great.

Oil and filter change. It's not a tough job on the VFR. You really only need to take off the left side middle fairing to get to the oil filter, but I find it easier to take off the right side middle fairing while I'm at it. It makes the drain plug easier to spot. For those of you keeping score on these matters, I use Mobil 1 15W50 (yes, "car" oil) and the Honda OEM filter. UPDATE I've been using Shell Rotella synthetic 5W40 and "dino" Rotella 15W50, since the fall of 2002, due to problems I was having with the Mobil 1 and starter clutch slippage.

Tire changing. I tackled changing my tires for the first time. It's not that hard. It helps having a second set of hands, especially to keep the bead down in the "well" of the rim while you're trying the lever the rest of the bead over the rim. Here's a great DIY tire changing web site with everything you need to know. You will need a homemade PVC adaptor or the one from Tire Qwik to balance the rear wheel. UPDATE - I now own a share of the DC Cycles tire changer. It's great having access to professional tools. FURTHER UPDATE - I've got the complete Tire-Qwik setup now.

Spark plugs. Changing plugs on the VFR requires removing the fuel tank for the rear cylinders. The front requires removing the lower cowl and middle side fairing, then swinging the radiator up and out of the way. Use a couple of wire ties to hold the radiator in the "up" position. I used the OEM tool kit's plug wrench, which is exactly the correct length to reach down in the deep spark plug wells.

Carb synching. On some bikes, taking the fuel tank off gives easy access to the carbs, adjustment screws and vacuum ports. Not so on this bike, unless I missed something, due to the configuration of the airbox and carbs. You have to come in from the sides. No problem for cylinders #1 and #2, but the #3 and #4 ports are behind the "Pulse Secondary Air Injection System" control valve which serves the rear cylinders. The manual doesn't mention that the vacuum ports on #2 and #4 cylinders are connected to these "PAIR" valves.

The location of the valve makes for very tight quarters to say the least on the right hand side. Due to the necessity to come in from the sides, the tubing of the synch tool (mercury type) was almost too short. I rigged up a way to hang the thing from the clip-on to get an accurate reading.

It turns out only #4 carb needed adjustment. The screws are deep inside the "V" and there's not much room for my hand in there. A short screwdriver, hot sweaty fingers and a little swearing got the job done, although a "sidewinder" would probably simplify the job. Synching the carbs did smooth out the engine a little bit, not that it ran that rough to begin with. Turn the screws "in" (clockwise) for more vacuum and "out" for less. UPDATE: a friend showed me that having the right tools (in this case a right-angled socket driver with a thumbwheel) makes all the difference.

Valve clearance check. I tackled this on a Saturday. Most of the time is consumed in removing bodywork and the radiator to get the valve covers off. The manual says that you can "swing" the radiator out of way and still take off the front valve cover.

It helps immensely if you keep it organized. Make a diagram to record the valve clearances for each of the sixteen. Remember which ones are the intakes and which are the exhausts. They are different on the front and rear cylinders. When using the feeler gauges, the correct clearance is indicated when the gauge offers a little resistance, but it shouldn't feel like you need to "force" it. Luckily my valves were all within spec., so all I had to do was button everything back up and I'm good to go from another 16,000 miles. Otherwise, I'd have to pull the cams, remove the buckets, measure the shims, put anything back together, buy new shims, reinstall, etc., adding considerable time to the job. UPDATE - Valves still in spec at

Chain and sprockets. I've replaced the original chain at 29,000 miles with a DID X-Ring and stock size sprockets. The job is fairly easy. The worst part for me was getting the front sprocket cover off. It was suffused with brown waxy crud, a combination of Chain Wax (not using that crap again) and rust. I did notice that the OEM sprocket in encased in a rubber mount which probably gives a little more smoothness under acceleration. It does seem a little more snatchy now. I'm thinking of a Scott-Oiler to provide chain lube, or the spray-on Motul chain lube which apparently mimics the consistency of the white grease that comes with the chain. UPDATE: got the Scott Oiler, see Mods page.FURTHER UPDATE: Ditched the touring reservoir and I am now using just the metering unit.

Rectifier/Regulator replacement and charging system tune-up. The charging voltage started heading south during my ride back from New Hampshire in Sept. '02. I cleaned all the connectors in the charging circuits and installed a new finned Honda rectifier/regulator.