Mk1& Mk2 comparison

[tony.mon]

So, which do you prefer, the horrible blobby welding type of fairing brackets or the unfinished ones with sharp edges to scrape your paint over when taking the fairing on and off?

Weigh them!

[E.Marquez]

Thank you, do you know what year the change was?

Old


New

[VTRDark]

Late 2001 onwards I believe the change was over here. Interestingly there was another change in the later later models...IIRC 2003 onwards and they decided to redo the colour on the Clutch and Generator cover from a dark Graphite to a Golden Bronze. Golden Bronze that don't sound right but I can't think of another way to describe it.

[Kev L]

Late 2001 onwards I believe the change was over here. Interestingly there was another change in the later later models...IIRC 2003 onwards and they decided to redo the colour on the Clutch and Generator cover from a dark Graphite to a Golden Bronze. Golden Bronze that don't sound right but I can't think of another way to describe it.

F2 had black cases, bronze cases on F3.

[E.Marquez]

Late 2001 onwards I believe the change was over here.

Perhaps it was a non US market change..
Both my 2001 and 1998 have the "early" aluminum ones as does the customer 2003 in the garage now.....

[jchesshyre]

There were a few carb changes in four stages in UK models, namely '97, '98-'00, '01-'04, and '05-'06, as follows:

'97: #45 pilots, needles A1UD front A1UC rear, carb ID VPT0B
'98-'00: #48 pilots, needles A1UD front A1UC rear, carb ID VPT0G
'01-'04: #45 pilots, needles A1UF front A1UE rear, carb ID VPT3A
'05-'06: #45 pilots, needles A1UF front A1UE rear, carb ID VPT3E

General consensus is that the A1UD/C needles are richer than the A1UF/E ones.

I don't know if these different carb ID numbers reflect any actual changes in anything integral like the needle jet or what.

Interestingly there are some different part numbers for the slide springs...

'97-'00: 16050-MBB-640
'01-'06: 16050-MBB-D41

However I don't know if a new part number always means a new part.

The specified idle speed changed as well (!):

'97: 1,100 ± 100 rpm
'98-'06: 1,200 ± 100 rpm

[podman]

Keep in mind they are all old-er bikes now, so which bike is the "better", excluding the bar and tank difference, will largely be down to how its been looked after and maintained over the last 12-20 years...id rather have a nice 1997 model than an abused and unloved 2005 one...

[tony.mon]

Keep in mind they are all old-er bikes now, so which bike is the "better", excluding the bar and tank difference, will largely be down to how its been looked after and maintained over the last 12-20 years...id rather have a nice 1997 model than an abused and unloved 2005 one...

Possibly.
But the abusing is the fun bit.....
And respecting your bike in the morning is optional.
It won't even notice if you've forgotten it's name