Hello from Finland
Posted: Tue May 18, 2021 8:41 pm
Hi to all fellow VTR enthusiasts,
my first own bike, I've ridden my brother's bikes in the past but since he sold his last one I just had to have one of my own. Always had a weak spot for superbike v-twins, so it was either Honda or Suzuki, Italians were out the question as a first bike. My VTR popped up to local dealer's inventory and after a short phone call I bought it without seeing it in flesh or riding it. With a 50000 kilometers it was a very clean and well maintained bike with new tires, chains, sprockets and CCT's already changed to manual.
For the first summer I just rode it as it was but I wasn't quite happy how the carburetors were adjusted. Factory pro needle & jet kit with #50 idle jets made the bike very unpleasant to drive in hot weather, engine was pig rich. I did what I could with those parts and started to search for a better setup from this forum. Other things which bothered me was the soft front suspension and the brakes but I didn't want to mess the bike in the middle of our short 4 month riding season.
When the autumn came I parked my bike to garage and started the modifications.
Front telescopes are now fitted with Ohlins springs and Andreani piston kits, front brakes are updated with CBR600F4 calipers and GSX-R master cylinder. A Cobrra chain oiler kit was installed at the same time with the other mods to the front end. Pyramid plastics belly pan had a crack in the area where the side stand goes through so I had to repair it and it was re-sprayed from black to bike's original colour. Since the belly pan was off the bike I also buffed the dull exhausts to matt finish and ground off the execess welding material from inside the flanges. Carburetors are fitted with OEM needles and jets now and will be fine tuned along the riding season.
my first own bike, I've ridden my brother's bikes in the past but since he sold his last one I just had to have one of my own. Always had a weak spot for superbike v-twins, so it was either Honda or Suzuki, Italians were out the question as a first bike. My VTR popped up to local dealer's inventory and after a short phone call I bought it without seeing it in flesh or riding it. With a 50000 kilometers it was a very clean and well maintained bike with new tires, chains, sprockets and CCT's already changed to manual.
For the first summer I just rode it as it was but I wasn't quite happy how the carburetors were adjusted. Factory pro needle & jet kit with #50 idle jets made the bike very unpleasant to drive in hot weather, engine was pig rich. I did what I could with those parts and started to search for a better setup from this forum. Other things which bothered me was the soft front suspension and the brakes but I didn't want to mess the bike in the middle of our short 4 month riding season.
When the autumn came I parked my bike to garage and started the modifications.
Front telescopes are now fitted with Ohlins springs and Andreani piston kits, front brakes are updated with CBR600F4 calipers and GSX-R master cylinder. A Cobrra chain oiler kit was installed at the same time with the other mods to the front end. Pyramid plastics belly pan had a crack in the area where the side stand goes through so I had to repair it and it was re-sprayed from black to bike's original colour. Since the belly pan was off the bike I also buffed the dull exhausts to matt finish and ground off the execess welding material from inside the flanges. Carburetors are fitted with OEM needles and jets now and will be fine tuned along the riding season.