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VTR 1000R SP1 (RC-51) Makis Edition

223K views 775 replies 68 participants last post by  stu_sp1 
#1 · (Edited)
This is my RC the next day I bought her



Previous owner had installed Marchesini wheels and an Ohlins rear shock. So he gave me the OEM parts too with the purchase.





The mileage when I bought her (in kilometers)



As you can also see, the prev owner had poorly installed a WP stabiliser by drilling the upper yoke directly :eek:
 
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#2 · (Edited)
First thing I did, was to take her home and give her a nice bath



Then I changed the oils and oil filter, giving her a detailed look too



In the pictures you will see that I have a pair of my brother's CBR1000RR '04 'Blade front brake rotors installed (he had installed Galfer wavy ones a few months before). That was because her OEM rotors were in bad shape and until I could afford a propper pair, I put those on. They were 310mm in diameter but I didn't have any other options at that time.
 
#6 ·
Nice job with all the maintenance. Bike looks really clean and in great condition. You have yourself a really well preserved SP my friend.
 
#11 · (Edited)


I sent all the grills for chrome coating (they don't come out that good in the pictures)





Tuned the bodies






And she was ready along with a new pair of front rotors from the same SP2 2004 I took the rads off

 
#14 ·
very nice ,,, your as bad as me :)
 
#17 · (Edited)
All of the SP2 used OEM parts were purchased from www.rc51parts.com (thanks again Ben :D)
When I installed the SP2 ECM I didn't thought about it much, and I just pluged it on my OEM harness as well as the throttle bodies. She fired up like before with no problems.
When I was about to install the SP2 radiators, having purchased the HRC Tuning Box, I decided I should give a good look to my harness and see how it actually is constructed.
So I sat down with the diagrams of
1) SP1 OEM harness
2) SP2 OEM harness
3) HRC racing harness

and I modified mine to a hybrid so that
1) The SP2 fans work as they did on the SP2 harness: they are engaged directly from the ECM through a headlight relay when in SP1 there's a grounding thermal valve (switch) bolted in the left radiator which closes the fan's circuit to kick in.
2) The HRC Tuning Box could be pluged on if, at some point in the future, I get my hands on an NL6 racing ECM (here in Greece Honda dealer is sold as a kit with the harness for $4500
)
3) I removed the rev limiter as well (I found it's existance reading the HRC harness's diagram. Later on I came accross rc51.org modifications)








 
#19 · (Edited)
Looks a very nicely kept bike, Makis - well done!
If a Honda technician chooses an RC51 above the normal sportsbikes, then it's got to be something special, eh! ;)

Bike looks perfect, only thing I can think of is to perhaps lose the keyring, as it might mark the nice new top yoke moving about at speed.
 
#21 ·
Thought of that in the first place. Keyring is a Samco sample which is totally yoke friendly and apart from that, I alway insert the key with the keyring facing the dash and NEVER the other way.........oh God I need help!
 
#25 · (Edited)
In November 2011 I purchased these two beautiful carbon pieces



I chose the plain carbon option and they are very good in quality.
The only downside was the rear hugger that on it's right side it covers the whole half of the swingarm. I used a dremel cutter to make it look like it's left side (the one in the picture). It was quite easy mod to do.
Part where purchased from here
 
#26 ·
Good to hear Makis - you obviously pay close attention to the finer details; the mark of a good engineer ;).

MR stuff is lovely quality... My bike also has the same, as well as the mirrors and instrument cover. Mirrors especially are very good. Wide vision and have lasted on my bike about 6 years so far. I clipped a toll barrier once (don't ask :D) and broke the glass and MR supplied a replacement, no problem.
 
#27 ·
Thanks for the tip.....I was wondering if they were any good. Though I am quite satisfied with the stock ones, I will maybe buy them at some point.
The dash cover doesn't immpress me much. My brother installed one on his 'Blade and I can't say I like what I see. I am considering taking the dash apart, mold both halves and make them out of carbon myself (I've done it before with other stuff) but I haven't figured out what to use for the window opening.....
 
#31 ·
That is exactly what all consumers say these days! Bosses are whining about loosing their business but that's all they do about it. It's like waiting for the customer to feel petty about them and just give them some money.
Of course not all business are like that, but most of them are. On the other hand money are short, and they start to be extinct, so taking a risk to see if a businessman worth it, is huge.
I have been working with people in China for customized sprockets, or in the states for used parts (like Ben in rc51parts), for the last 4 years and their honesty, direct service and full aftersales care, made me feel human again and not just a deep pocket.
I feel very sorry for saying that but 40% of Greeks don't want to change their habbits and they are taking the rest 60% doen with them!
 
#32 ·
Well, from the looks of your work and the sounds of your posts there's a lot of businesses where you are and where 'we' are that could take several pages out of your notebook and learn from it. Hats off to you big time!
 
#33 · (Edited)
When I was trying to set my own business by repairing/modifying bikes I discovered that 99% of the people wanted "the cheap stuff just to get by" and not the correct work. That's why there must be like 50 guys like me in whole Greece who care to do it right. And that was one of the reasons I didn't start my own business eventually.
That is the reason why I chose to work as a truck driver to see some serious money in my pockets and help my family. All the education I had, all the experiments I did in my own cost so that I could learn from my own mistakes and despite all the endless days in the workshop to obtain the knowledge, just didn't matter. No boss would pay for it.
Just an example from 2004 before the crisis:
I was working in a KTM dealer's workshop (the larger in Athens) for 15 hours a day 5 days a week. I had at least 25 bikes through my ramp every day. And may salary was 480 euros per month ($600-$650)
Driving a road assistance truck 8 hours a day where I don't even have to finish high school to do that job would pay 900 euros ($1100) per month. And that's the best salary for an average guy in Greece right now. But it won't be for long
 
#34 · (Edited)
That's much like the poorer countries of Europe, unfortunately - I see exactly the same sort of attitude in Portugal when I visit family there. Mostly people just can't afford to spend money as just covering the costs of daily life is very expensive, especially since converting to the Euro. It's a difficult situation, especially these days but unfortunately I don't think it'll get better for quite some time yet.
Sounds like it's especially difficult in Greece, sadly.

Even in Japan things are difficult, although people have a different attitude here to service & honesty.
Having said that, with the strength of the Yen not so many exports are going out of Japan as before so it's getting worse here too. A lot of people are tightening their belts.
 
#35 ·
Oh my friend, you couldn't be more right than you know......it's going to get A LOT worse for the whole world in the next five years. But until then we can burn some more fuel on the road, before we hit the mountains and the caves
 
#38 ·
It was clearly my choice after many testing relocations because many times I need to readjust the preload while driving and I can do that easy with my left hand while holding the throttle with my right one.
 
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