How many 100,000 mile VTRs are still out there?
 

I know of at least one...

Impressive

All those miles without the 2 piece crank mod?
Impressive indeed.

Honda Reliability ��

Wow that's awesome! Congrats. Cycle World had an article way back called "High Rollers" about super high mile bikes and it seems the one key ingredient is always religious owner maintenance.

Knock on plastic (I'm a modern man), every component is original OEM to my 1998 (Mfg 03/97) except the mufflers (original Two Brothers aluminum C2 ovals), oil & oil filter (Shell Rotella T6 & Purolator PL14610 every 4k miles or so), VRR (Mosfet off a Kawasaki ZX600RR), shock (Penske 2-way), fork springs (RT .85 & my own PVC preload spacers) and Greg Nemish fork damping modifications (plus a SuperBrace), battery (2nd, Motobatt 14AH), clip-ons (had Helibars, then Tommasellis now DanMoto), chain & sprockets (DID ZVMX Gold 520 & steel Ultralight Black 16T & 43T), tires (currently PR3s) & 90 degree valve stems), front turn signals (LP Type 3 with Custom LEDs white & amber LED insert with front OEM turn signals on the rear (with added running light power wire ran to rear) with high-out put LED "bulbs", LED high-output tail light "bulbs", LED position (3rd eye) "bulb", CBR600F4i calipers with EBC HH+ matching pads, stainless brake & clutch hoses, ProGrip grips, adjustable reach / length / flip-up brake & clutch levers, calibrated TPS, PAIRectomy, massaged carburetors, a second OEM rear velocity stack on the front carb, Zero Gravity dark smoke double-bubble, Yamaha R1 mirrors on mirror extenders, Sargent saddle reupholstered 2" higher by me, pilot foot peg lowering extenders and all-aluminum "race" pegs, Osram 65/70W H4 headlight bulb, CBR600RR stick coils and CCT (APE).

I may have forgotten a few other minor changes but I've had it since new, so it's been a few years. Now there are about 75 other modifications primarily for pilot comfort and safety if anyone's interested PM me your email address.

It still runs great, gets up over 115 which is as fast as I've tried to go lately but I try to stay well under that, it can cruise effortlessly and smoothly all day at 85, and handles pretty darn well IMO except in extremely choppy stuff (what can you expect from an motorcycle designed 20 years ago?) but it does "burn" a bit of oil (less than 1/2 quart per 1,000 miles). Most important (again knock on plastic), it has never let me down and I still want to ride it every chance I get. Funny thing is, (if not also sad and unfortunate), I've never ridden it farther than within a 500 mile radius of where I live!

Thanks! Being an aerospace engineer with ADD and OCD I tend on being just a wee bit anal retentive, so I've spent way too many hours not only maintaining but modifying my VTR. And without hurting myself patting my own back, I think it still looks pretty good.

IMO the VTR has classic, ageless lines that give the appearance of speed while just sitting looking sleek.

Congrats, that is awesome!!! Honda bullet proof engineering... with a few tiny twinks ;-)

Well... I'm not that far off... Depending on how you count... On the stock unmodified engine, I did ~120.000 Km (about ~75000 miles) and then I refitted that engine with about every doodah you can imagine, to the point where its putting out about 135 rwbhp... And I have since put another ~80.000 Km (~50k miles) on the bike, so the same engine block has done ~125k miles, but not without a refresh in between though...

But still 50k miles with nothing but oil changes on a rather tightly wound non-stock engine, spells good for reliability...

"Shell Rotella T6 & Purolator PL14610 every 4k miles or so....."
Oh Skokie, I wouldn't use that oil or filter. It will shorten the life of your engine.:)

Thanks for sharing the details of your ride and glad you are able to ride so much!

I can attest that is one extremely well maintained and super clean machine. Reaching that milestone in this condition is quite an achievement.

Markus,

When you state "but not without a refresh in between though" do you mean to the original unmodified engine and/or the 50k engine was the "refresh", and and if not what was/is a "refresh"?

And how's the baby, wife and shop?

Well... Renovating and rebuilding the engine to the last part most definetly counts as a "refresh"... The point was that the engine was at the time still as new inside, and was according to the dyno putting out more than the claimed baseline once the carbs was tuned up, so it wasn't really necessary... But it sure was fun... ;)

Well... I'd like to say good, but Ill hold off for now... The wife is just now sitting in post-op with the little one... She was born with a palate cleft (PRS), so she's just had corrective surgery... I'm on "food break" trying to occupy my mind since only one of us can be in there at the time...

But on the whole, we're doing good... ;)

Thanks for the update. We will be thinking of that little girl and wishing her a speedy recovery!

My prayers are with you all but I'm also sure your little princess will be fine and even more beautiful like your wife!

Can you tell I've learned maybe a little bit about women during my current (and sole) 35 year marriage and helping raise our three now adult daughters?

BTW, what HP & FP did the pre-refresh engine produce and what is its current output (dare I ask)?

Yep! But I'm guessing you're never fully taught... I'm working on trying to get my will with this two against one stuff, since according to my wife she knows my daughters vote...

I haven't got the actual numbers, but from memory the bike put out very close the claimed crank numbers at the wheel, which with the normal losses should, I think, put it "above average" as far as stock unmodified engines go...


Well... It sits happily at ~135 rwhp and it's been running like a top since then with nothing but normal maintainance... (3 years and counting)

The race bike (read rat bike, since it's a low budget build with mostly left over parts, except the engine), though is tad above 150 at the rear wheel, and so far with very little run time is performning flawlessly... But that's about three track days and two race weekends of running, so I'm not promising anything... I'm well aware that it might blow up in my face...

But that power sure is nice when you tangle with newer bikes at the track... They might have more power on paper, and for sure a loftier top end, but the low end grunt of the vtr means I'm usually half way down the straight by the time they get their bikes wound up... And the surprise effect of being the odd one there with a older, ratty looking bike isn't to be understated... It pisses people of to no end to get passed by an almost 20 y.o "sports tourer"... ;)

My view right now...

Hmmm! check out this hawk for sale. Look at the mileage?
1998 Honda Super Hawk, Simi Valley CA - - Cycletrader.com

Markus, daughter looking great, seems recovery is in order. Hope you be home shortly and you get some rest as well.
Good luck my friend

Nice miles...

I debated whether or not to post the following as I've never seen a photo of you but know women often have moment of weakness for certain men who attract them in a puppyish way.

It's a good thing little princess looks like her queen mother rather than the king or possibly the jester.

With standard Auto CCTs!? Very clean also. Maybe a typo?

Bah, humbug... I'm the pretty one...

Attachment 19747

Btw, the little one is now fully healed, and since I went on paternal leave 100% for six months just a few days after the surgery, the main reason I haven't been by that much is that being a full time stay at home father to a one year old hyper active girl with no sense of self preservation what so ever and a whole lot of will is a lot more tiring than going to work... Im usually out like a light no more than half an hour after her at night...

By now, it feels like I'm slowly catching up, and I can just about keep her pace without crashing at night... So I get a few hours of doing my own thing...

I'm still barely recovered from your "selfie".

You are right on top of things, as usual. Glad at least the offspring is spritely but your'e a wimpy dad. Mothers stay home for years with multiple children, so much for the "fairer sex".

6 months leave for the father, here the mother takes her chances having a kid and keeping her job with smaller companies let alone fat chance the father getting any leave. Even under communism it did / does not happen. Dam socialists. Bernie should retire by you now! LOL He'll just steal votes from Hillary against the Donald. (Shiver).

Oh, dont worry... She'll quite easily tire her mother out too, and keep going... The wife is loath to admit it, but going back to work about now might have been a good move... I'm contemplating if I need to childproof the cabinets over the tabletops next, or if I should give up the fight altogether... Today I found her climbing the bookshelf about three times her own height, as it got all too quiet for about 30 seconds...

According to my mother, I've gotten just the kid I deserve, whatever that means? I was always calm, polite and well behaved, at least that's how I remember it? I can't remember hurling toys at my father at the tender age of 14 months because he refused to let me climb onto the kitchen table (via the chair)...

In Sweden each child equates to the parents having a number of days of paid leave equal to roughly 80% of your normal pay from the government, with a certain number of days earmarked for the father, which 'releases' more for both mother and father if used. Basically, if my wife takes all her days, and I take none, we 'lose' my earmarked days and a few more... And it's also regulated in law, basically as long as I give my employer timely notice of when I want to use those days, my employer cannot legally refuse me, or even fire/reassign me (or my wife)...

Most fathers take at least the minimal earmarked to release the 'extra', but in my case I have an employer that more or less shooed me out the door, informing me that they'd cover the remaining 20% of pay for six months, without being mandated to do so in any way, simply because they are awesome... (It's not very common, but a few employers do this, mostly to encourage taking the time in one big chunk, as they can then get tax breaks on their costs of hiring a replacement in turn...) in my case, it's simply easier for both me and my employer to have me come back after six months, than spread it out in smaller chunks, as that would interrupt work a whole lot more...

I still have a few extra days to use when needed in the future, but most are used up at the end of this... The wife could however stay at home another six months if she needed to/wanted too, but since she's working part time with a few weekend days (retail), she'll just adapt her schedule to when the little one is in daycare, and I get a full day on every third weekend with my little girl, withou mommy getting in the way of our antics...

We have 3 girls (now women) and when young (or since), none ever threw anything at us when cautioned, reprimanded or denied anything. They may have voiced their displeasure or offered rationale as to why they should get what they wanted but violence or physical actions toward us were not part of the program (breath-holding for one was however a short lived response, and there was some feet stamping and back turning, plus some wonderful facial expressions of their extreme displeasure). They also did not watch TV much and preferred to read; and back then there were no home computers or the internet.

It obviously did not hurt their development, as one is an MD (ER physician), another an attorney (doctor of jurisprudence in family law and female protection rights) and the 3rd on her way to also becoming a doctor (veterinarian). My wife (originally a special, kindergarten and 1st grade educator) I "guess" should get 99% of the credit. Engineers are not much for close and extensive human interaction which I presume includes child rearing.

Sounds like some Swedish parents need to develop some new attitude adjustment techniques before it gets worse and they get hurt physically.

Well... I handled it in my own very untrained/un-pedagogical way... I threw it right back... Not hard, but on her leg, where she felt it... Haven't happened since, she's a bright one... Instead she just stomps both feet and tries to stare me down instead... So far, that's not working too well though, as her I have had longer training in being stubborn...

As far as I can tell, the problem seems to be that she can't really effectively yell at me, since even when angry it's just rather cute gibberish... And to some extent she seems to know that, which frustrates her to no end... (Her speech is a bit later due to the operation, so she understands a whole lot more than she can actually speak)... I imagine the problem will resolve itself somewhat by the time she can give her father a proper talking too when he's misbehaving, like I'd expect from a stubborn young woman...

She's already an expert negotiator, despite the language barrier... Everything is a negotiation of discussion... (It's a whole lot easier than just having her scream like a banshee...) and like all women she can be corrupted by shiny things and a backrub... Or good snacks... ;)