2002 - 2009 (and now 2014+, kind of) Honda VFR 800 Interceptor Modification Page

Site Owner:  Sean Murphy
VFR@seantmurphy.com

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Modification Links:*

Lowering Your VFR800 or How to Make Your Legs Feel Longer


Adding a Car Alarm or Put the Ignition Punch Down, Step Away From the Bike, and Nobody Gets Hurt

Adding Hazard Lights or Sir, The Lights Are Blinking and Flashing... Flashing and Blinking

Wiring Up Rear Turn Signals to Act as Marker Lights (Like the Front) or For the Love of God Don't Hit Me

Changing Your Side Markers or I Don't Want to Ride a Huffy

Changing Your Horn or Land Yacht... Coming Through

Securing Your Jackets and Non D-Ring Helmets or Is It Safe?  Is It Safe?!?

Invisible and Removable Tank Protection or Scratches... We Don't Need No Stinking Scratches, Man

Adding a Vista Cruise Throttle Lock or I Feel the Need... The Need for Steady Speed

PAIR Valve, Variable Air Intake Valve and Snorkel or I Don't Want to Hear It... The EPA's Energy Star Program Approved a Gas Powered Alarm Clock...

Exhaust Baffle Removal or Can You Hear Me Now?

Make your VFR a True Solo Seat or How Often Do You Ride Two Up?

Resources... We Have Resources?


My VFR's Specifications or Do You Really Care at This Point???

*Note:  The information on this page is not intended as instructional.  I am not a professional mechanic nor do I play one on TV, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.  These modifications can be dangerous and even deadly if improperly implemented.  You should always consult a Honda certified mechanic for all modifications.  I accept no liability for any use or misuse of this site (no good deed goes unpunished).  This fine print brought to you by the Law Offices of Dewey, Cheatem & Howe.     "I'm not even supposed to be here today."  --Dante Hicks, Clerks

 


Lowering - Updated June 4, 2009

Feel free to email me with any questions you may have, see email address at top of page.

  • The links, risers, and side stands are made by Ron Drake.  The lowering links are made of aircraft grade aluminum and his side-stands are cut down OEM stands.  He is also selling risers (I have risers on mine, no modifications needed to install them).  The side stand really looks good.    Bonus round for all you Engineers / Quality Control gurus out there, Ron is a Digital Six Sigma Black Belt:  ron_drake93@yahoo.com

***Click on thumbnail images to view high resolution photos***

This modification will lower your bike 1.5 inches.  OK, you'll need a set of Allen wrenches, box wrenches, and socket set.  Not to worry, this is fairly easy.  Note:  You do not need to remove any body work.  First put the bike on the center stand.  You may need a friend to help make it easier although you could do this by yourself.  But why not hang out with a friend?

 

Now we get to the meat of this modification.  Above is the original dog bone. This is a little out of focus, but you want a box wrench on the back nut and use an 8mm Allen hex socket on a ratchet to loosen up the bolt. Picture of the two nuts on the back.  The first is at the bottom of the triangle behind the muffler bolts in the foreground.  The second is to the right between the two headers. Use a box wrench to hold these nuts in place while you use sockets to remove the 14mm bolt and 8mm Allen bolt. Before you remove the bolts, put boards under the rear wheel as the wheel will drop down.  You will also use the boards as a lever to move the wheel up to connect the new, longer dog bone.
 

Dog bone removed.  Just place the new one in and bolt up the left one first (the one that attaches to the motor).  Then have someone lift the board until the right hole meets the dog bone hole (the one at the bottom of the triangle).  Put the bolt through and tighten them down to specs. Here are all the torque specifications for the rear.  The blue box is the area of focus. Comparison of the two dog bones,  Honda's on the top.  Note the collars in the top dog bone.  Push those out and put them in the new dog bone. Here is a tip, take two canvas bags and fill them each with about 30 pounds of weights, then hang them off the struts for the saddle bags.  This makes the bike's weight neutral on the center stand and will make lowering the front easier or have a friend lean on the tail.  With the bike on the center stand and the weights on the back saddle bag mounts, loosen the bolts for your clip-ons.  Then loosen the four pinch bolts on the fork tube of the triple tree.  You will want someone to hold the back so it doesn't drop down.  Then the person in the back, in my case my wife (thanks, Honey), can pull up on the back end lowering the front.  If you go too low, just push down on the back end.  The extra weights you added makes it really easy.  Just use a caliper to measure 68mm of fork tube above the top triple clamp.
Your stock forks extend 41mm above the triple clamp.  Raise up the forks to about 68 mm, this still gives you 4.3 inches of travel for the forks before the lower triple clamp, which is the max front suspension travel.  Now there are two black metal hose guides under the oil cooler on the left and right, just to be safe push them upward, they'll bend up.  This will make sure they don't hit your tire guard if you fully bottom out your front suspension. Finished with risers. Here is a little trick... On the bottom of the oil pan is a fin that protects the drain bolt.  There are two other fins in front and in back.  Take a level and put it across those three points, they are all the same length, and check to see if your lowering job is level. Side stand: Take the spring off, a pair of Channel Lock pliers work well. Then remove the 14mm nut.  Then use a 8mm wrench to remove the position sensor bolt.  Then remove the 14mm bolt.  Repeat in reverse for the new one.  You will need to remove the Allen bolt for the fairing right by the side stand so you can flex it out of the way to put the side stand sensor back in place.  Ignore the side stand in the middle.  Ron's is the short one on the right and stock is on the left.

Enjoy your new longer legs.

One last thing, you will need to adjust your pre-load on the rear shock as the default setting before being lowered will now have no tension on the shock.  For the 2002+ ABS models you will need to tighten the knob 6 - 7 turns once you feel tension to be set back to default stock setting (adjust accordingly from there).  For the non-ABS models you will need to get your wrench out and adjust the pre-load as well.

Total Time:  ~2 Hour
Total Cost:  ~$365.00 (Lowering Link, Risers, and side-stand)


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