Update 1/19/09 Sorry for the lack of updates in quite a while. Long story short, I upgraded my version of MS FrontPage from when I originally created this page and it hosed my original files. I've been trying to slowly salvage the original links and content, but I finally decided to just say screw it and just start putting more info on here. I've done and learned a lot about the bike, suspension, tire wear, brakes, you name it. Keep checking back as I add things... (scroll down to updates section in links)
For further updates, go to this new page: http://southeastgradient.com/F4i.htm
This page will remain static until I can resolve the Frontpage file conflict issues...
Hwy 178 - Near NC/SC Border
Latest trips - Deals Gap and the Tail of the Dragon
Track Days:
Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC w/ NESBA (Sept 05)
Turn 1 Pictures 
Current Modifications:
Frame Sliders (Updated w/ Crash Performance)
ZeroGravity Double Bubble Wind Screen
Philips Headlight Bulbs - H7 Vision Plus
Pazzo Racing Adjustable Brake/Clutch Levers
Gregg's Custom Flushmounts w/ VFX Running Light Kit & Flash Equalizer Pro
Competition Werkes Fender Eliminator
Woodcraft Rear Sets
Traxxion Dynamics Fork Springs & AK20 Cartridges
Micron Standard & Highmount Exhausts (Carbon Can - Oval - Race Version)
Updates: 1/19/09
Brembo Master Cylinder (in progress)
Galfer Wave Rotors
Vesrah RJL brake pads
Cheetah Track Day Upper Fairing
2CT tire wear & air pressures (in progress)
Track Days (in progress)
Baxley Sport Chock
Laptimer for track days
Track day pictures
Future Mods & Updates:
Michelin Pilot Powers - Tire footprint results & images based on various tire pressures & loads.
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04 CBR F4i Rear Brake Light Wiring.jpg
04 CBR F4i Wiring Diagram Scaled Image.jpg
Update - I'm do NOT recommend these frame sliders for track usage. They held up well in a 25 mph lowside on the street due to gravel. But, they didn't work well in a recent 45-50 mph crash at Carolina Motorsports Park in Sept. 05. Both frame sliders did protect the frame, but they both broke off at the mounting base as well. A set of Woodcraft sliders are installed now to hopefully avoid any further complete failures.
Original frame slider installation:
I picked up a set of Pro-tek frame sliders from DennisKirk.com and some furniture grommets as shown below. Update - don't use these frame sliders, they suck!
Woodcraft is the way to go if you want something that is built correctly and performs in the event of a crash. They aren't intended to completely protect the fairings, but they will protect the bike very well. I've already crash tested these on the track and they fo perform.
These grommets can be purchased at any Lowes store in the special fasteners section, look in the pull out trays for the grommets in various sizes. I bought a hole saw from MSC, got the (60mm) Blu-mol model to drill the holes in the fairings. The grommets give the fairing holes a more finished look instead of leaving any rough edges around the frame slider.
Install Notes:
As for marking the center hole on the fairing. I learned a lot by several
mistakes... Measure 3 times, cut once should be my rule now.
I referenced several webpages for instructions, run a search on each site ,
cbrworld.net, and
others found with google.
First, take your time! Have several hours to check, and recheck things. Go
slow and methodically in marking things.
I started by swapping the bolts with the frame slider bolts and leaving them
sticking out of the frame location a bit. From there, I put the fairing back on
to make an impression in the foam on the back of the fairing. Here's my first
mistake - the foam isn't the best locator, it deforms and flexes back a little
before you can get the fairing pulled off and the impression marked. Remove the
foam around the approximate frame slider location - it just pulls off.
Use the playdoh method to find the bolt center, it should give you very good
results. Once you find the bolt center, drill your center hole with a small
drill bit. To verify that everything is lined up, I would mark the original
engine/frame bolt in the center with a sharpie pen - reinstall the bolt, and put
the fairing back on. You should be able look through your center hole in the
fairing and see the frame bolt mark. If it isn't exactly lined up, make your
adjustments to the center hole now, you could use a dremmel to open the center
hole a little bit on one side for alignment if needed, then redrill with a
slightly bigger drill bit. The accuracy of the center hole is what determines
the whole job. Using the hole-saw for the big hole in the fairing is easy, just
take your time.
I purchased a heated grip kit from another vendor, but this one is virtually the same:
http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Rider/heated_grip_kit1.htm
Be sure to pick up a heavy duty 30A relay (HR30B) available at any Auto Zone, etc in the electrical section. This keeps you from draining your battery if you leave the grips on.
Has a high & low heat setting using this switch.
F4i Rear Brake Light Wiring Diagram:
I used the Bl/Br (Black/Brown) wire to connect my relay to a switched power wire.
Here's the wiring instructions that came with my kit:
Wasn't too bad to install. I spent a lot of time with routing the wires
& wrapping with plastic split loom and black electrical tape. You can't
tell the difference between the stock bike wiring and my added wiring. I
picked up a fused power lead from radio shack. For the relay, I tapped a
lead off one of the running lights in the rear brake light, but you can use many
others. The relay prevents the grips from killing your battery if you
leave them on when the bike isn't running - well worth the insurance IMO.
I have the relay wrapped in black electrical tape and tucked into the left side
of the tail.
It was definitely worth the time, and a pretty cheap mod. They have been
great riding in the SC/NC mtns the last several weeks.
Notes:
I picked up additional insulated male/female disconnect crimp style connectors to make the connections a little better.
I created a front and rear wiring harness for the heated grips. That way I can remove parts of the system and reinstall if one section ever has a short or worn area.
For the front:
I ran the heated grip wires from the handlebars along the throttle cable that runs up under the front edge of the gas tank. Then the wires ran over to the left side of the bike beside of the main wiring harness. I then added crimp connectors to the end of the heated grip wires. All of this wiring was then wrapped in split plastic loom and black electrical tape, then secured with zip ties.
For the rear:
From there, I started another set of wiring with crimp connectors to connect to the heated grip line already finished. The second set of wiring ran to the back of the bike to where I setup the relay. Everything was routed carefully once again and wrapped just as before. The relay is tucked into the left side of the trunk (see partial image below for part of the rear harness) The relay rests in the left corner of the rear of the bike tucked out of the way.
Portion of rear Heated Grip Wiring Harness (wrapped in black tape):
On/Off Switch
I drilled the 13/16" hole for the round switch using an Irwin Unibit purchased at Lowe's ($35-$40). These bits are stepped for a range of hole sizes, this one goes from 3/16" to 7/8".
ZeroGravity Double Bubble Windscreen - Smoke Color
Mirror Extenders - Purchased from the site below:
I ordered this windscreen from Zerogravity on Ebay. $60 with shipping. Works much better than the stock windscreen at deflecting air.
The following pictures highlight the raised flat that is included on the rrmotorsports mirror extenders.
Pazzo Racing Adjustable Brake/Clutch Levers
These levers are worth every penny in my mind. Not only do they look smooth as hell, they feel so much better than the stock levers. The adjustment levers work very well and give a very precise high-quality feel when being indexed.
They fit 3 fingers perfectly. Fit and finish are excellent.
These are the shorty levers with gold adjusters:
Gregg's Custom Flushmounts w/ VFX Running Light Kit
Installed the flushmounts without the running light kit since I am waiting for them to arrive.
Some 5-6sec files of the flushmounts blinking. Will add some at night soon...
In order to keep the running lights working with the flushmounts, I purchased the following LED running light kit:
VFX Running Light Kit Install Instructions
Front wiring diagram for 04 F4i:
Notes on wiring to an 04 F4i:
Left front signal:
Connect the Yellow running kit wire to the solid orange wire on the signal.
Connect the blue running kit wire to the orange wire with the white stripe.
Connect the black running light wire to the green wire.
Right front signal:
The Gregg's flushmounts change the load on the circuits of the bike, so I also ordered this product for full adjustability of the circuit loading. I plan to add an undertail later, so I can simply remove a jumper on the flash equalizer and keep the new additional LED's in the tail from affecting the flash rate again. The nice compact package and adjustability of this product for later LED additions are what help make this a slick install.
The instructions are very well written. Diagrams and pictures are in color. You get what you pay for with many products. VFX has some very well thought out products and their customer service is top notch. Other suppliers of aftermarket products for bikes don't even offer half the level of service this company has. I plan to purchase other products from them in the future based on my experiences with them.
Flash Equalizer Pro attached to side of subframe:
Finished product:
Undertail & Flushmounts on 04 F4i - Submitted by Mark from CBRWorld.net
Thanks for the pictures!
Undertail was purchased from seller on Ebay. Install instructions to follow soon...
Competition Werkes Fender Eliminator
The instructions that came with the kit sucked! For $135, I would expect to get better instructions than one page made on a worn out copier where the text is barely legible and the handful of images are completely invisible!
You be the judge on the instructions:
My 5 year-old yellow lab could have written out better instructions. So, for better instructions for your money, click on the image to email my dog. He will gladly send you some info for a dog bone.
I will write up some guidelines and more helpful instructions than the company provided to help out with the general procedure of where and how I went out about installing the fender eliminator. When I am required to cut anything off of my bike, I strongly prefer some detailed, concise steps that show images and placements. Competition Werkes provided neither initially, nor does their website list any updated instructions or diagrams/pictures.
The fender eliminator is made of stainless steel. I primed & painted the stainless with flat black paint.
For now, here's a few images of the install.
Original Fender:
Removing rear grab bar with a few light taps from a rubber mallet to loosen the bolts:
Rear plastic removed:
Lock Assembly and being disassembled:
The first pictures shows the small clip that I removed from the base of the lock assembly. This clip holds the lock itself in place against the surface of the fender. The second shot shows the clip pulled up out of place just slightly.
Wiring Details - Rear Signals shown as placed on rear of bike (left signal on left & right signal on right).
(Note wiring & connector color differences)
Mark your fender, I used a piece of tape to highlight one of the areas to be cut. You want to cut approximately 1/4" down from a radiused edge:
Take your time. I cut sections off at a time, working my way to the maximum point of plastic to be removed. I felt better working this way to ensure that I didn't remove too much material. A couple of my final cuts took off a little too much material due to the impressive instructions I was working with. Follow the 1/4" guideline I mentioned above and you can figure out how the cuts should line up with the pictures.
So now the cutting is complete. I recommend a step here that will help in lining up the holes to be drilled to hold the fender eliminator in place. Go ahead and connect the funky kind-of "L" shaped brackets to the fender eliminator plate (FE plate)and the rear subframe bolts. The pictures below outline what I am talking about:
Once you have those two brackets bolted to the subframe and connected to the FE plate, look to see where the FE plate lines up with the plastic trunk/toolbox area. There are two holes on the leading edge of the FE plate, mark those holes with a sharpie on the bottom of the plastic fender and drill them out. Look at the two bolts sticking up out of the plastic fender for more details on where I am talking about:
Since you have already bolted the FE plate into place, now you have accurate holes drilled into the trunk for securing the other side of the FE plate...
Check the images below for alignment and placement from several different angles. I re-routed the lock cable just slightly to help with correcting the extreme bend it had in it once connected to the new lock location. The whole piece of cable is now below the rear seat bar instead of having one end come out the top through a recess.
Be sure to secure the lock cable with a couple zip ties on each end to make sure that the cable doesn't work loose and leave you with a permanently locked seat! If this does happen, just remove the rear grab bar and use a couple screwdrivers to get the lock cable back in place, pain in the ass - but it worked.
Once the lock is installed, then loosen the bolts connected to the rear edge of the subframe and install the license plate bracket and turn signal brackets onto the FE plate.
Finished product:
Galfer Brake Lines, Fluid, Pads
This was one of the best mods that I have done to the bike yet. The brakes finally have the bite that I was looking for. Immediately after the install, I did small stoppies for the first time all over my neighborhood as I was bedding the pads in. I also added Goodridge Speed Bleeders to ease bleeding the front& rear brakes. Easy mod and great results. I also installed an inline rear brake light pressure switch since the Woodcraft rearsets do not accomodate the stock switch.
The stock cam chain tensioner lifter started making all kinds of racket after about 5000 miles. I normally wear ear plugs due to a 25 mile ride on interstate & hwys heading to/from the mountains. Once I rode the bike without ear plugs once, it sounded like the motor was something off a cheap pushmower! Nothing like pulling up to a light with some hot chicks in the lane beside you and your bike clanking like a Model-T.
I replaced the stock unit with the APE manual cam chain unit. Installation was a total pain in the ass. There's virtually no room between the right side of the engine and the frame to get your hands in there and start / finger-tighten the allen bolts. I actually wondered if it would have been easier to pull the motor and install it that way... It probably took me 2.5 hours to do the install since I worked very slowly and methodically trying to puzzle out the best access methods and how to be sure the tank was propped up and supported well.
Here's the APE model vs the shitty stock Honda part:
I disconnected the clutch cable to get a little more room under the edge of the frame. Second picture is the CCT removed and the mounting flange. The third shot is how I got my arm/hand worked down far enough to start threading the bolts.
Adjustment wasn't bad, I simply started the bike and slowly threaded the bolt in until the metallic clicking sound stopped, then backed it out 1/4 turn and tightened the lock nut. I also found some instructions for a similar bike at the following link:
http://www.morrowmarsh.ca/concours/techpages/camchaintensioner-manual.htm
Traxxion Dynamics Fork Springs
Yet another great mod that really made a difference in the handling of the bike. The stock fork springs are way too soft for even me at 145 lbs without gear. During my first trackday at Barber in Alabama, I was bottoming the front forks during heavy braking. The front tire was actually chirping as my speeds increased throughout the day. Nothing like a little pucker factor on the track to encourage spending some money and correcting issues with the handling of the bike.
I upgraded the springs with a 0.90 & .95 spring for an average spring rate of 0.925 as recommended by Traxxion.
They sent me everything I needed to swap the springs: new springs, correct spacers, fork fluid gage & fluid height.
Basic wrenches and a vise with padded jaws were all that was needed. Overall a very easy mod, and I've never worked on any motorcycle forks before. I did everything in about 2 hours which included: removing the upper cowl & fairing, front wheel and calipers, clipons, & removing the forks from the triple clamps.
Since the forks were off the bike and apart for the spring install, I drained the stock fork fluid and replaced it with Maxima 125-150 Racing Formula fork fluid (7WT. SUS-VI). The front end feels far more planted now and good sag numbers for street or track are easy to attain.
I plan to upgrade the valving or go with the complete cartridges offered by Traxxion Dynamics sometime in 06. I will most likely go with the cartridge upgrade since they can be fitted to any bike, so my investment will continue to be useful even after swapping bikes in 2-3 years.
Traxxion Dynamics AK20 Cartridges:
http://www.traxxion.com/store/product_pages/products.fork.asp
The cartridges in the forks just weren't giving me the kind of adjustments that I needed for a lot of track day duty, nor were they working very well on the street. I sent the forks to Traxxion and had them back in a week. The difference is night and day, I can now turn make compression & rebound adjustments in slight increments and see / feel the impact to both handling and tire wear. If you are going to be doing track days, I highly recommend getting the valving & springs reworked in your forks. The effects are really nice on the street as well, the bike rides better and soaks up bumps in the pavement giving you a lot more confidence that the bike will hold a line and traction.
Penske Triple clicker rear shock
http://www.traxxion.com/store/product_pages/products.shock.asp
This was a night and day difference mod to the F4i as well. My stock shock had significant internal issues with the adjustments, turn an adjustment screw and nothing changed. It sucked to say the least. I put on the Penske with Traxxion's initial ride height & settings and would up with an even better bike. Small adjustments are noticeable and make the bike handle so much better at all speeds (track or street). Worth every penny if you are going to ride this bike hard. Ride height adjustment jacked the rear end up slightly higher putting the bike in a better overall geometry. High speed on southeast tracks is much better now (Road Atlanta, VIR, Barber, etc).
Details of install will be added later...
Sprockets & Gearing for Street & Track
After doing some track days, I quickly found that I was not in the power band all the time and that I just couldn't seem to find the right gear in some turns for the best exit drive. I was watching a lot of guys pull away from me coming out of the turns because the gearing was setup more for street usage and low rpms. I promptly called up superbikesupply in Asheville, NC and got a new DID chain and AFAM sprockets. They are worn out after 1.5+ years of hard use, so I'm putting on a new chain and Driven sprockets very soon, will take some pictures of the installed parts.
Stock setup: 16 tooth front, 46 tooth rear
Ideal setups for me (by track):
Barber: 15 front (-1), 48 rear (+2)
Road Atlanta: 15 front (-1), 46 rear (0)
VIR North: 15 front (-1), 48 rear (+2)
These setups can use the exact same chain and just swapping the rear sprocket and adjusting the chain tension correctly each time. I picked up a used rear sprocket carrier, so I have a 46 tooth sprocket on one and a 48 tooth on the other. I generally take the 48 tooth with me to track days just in case I decide to swap it out and check out the difference. The F4i isn't the latest bike with the highest horsepower, so it's all about keeping the bike in the powerband and maximizing your drive. Ever since swapping the sprockets, I've done much better against the newer bikes on drive. Once I got my corner speeds up, it was a great combination of more speed than some riders and great drive when you want it. I've been riding with NESBA for several years now in the I group. My bike performs well and holds it's own against all types of bikes, 1000RR's, 600's, you name it. It's the rider and bike that determine how you do. I can say that it is really cool to hand see an old school 600cc bike hand a much newer bike it's ass on the track. There's all types of riders and many can make a bike with much less power really fast, I'm still learning for sure. I've seen a guy on an old F4 walk on nearly everyone in I group at Road Atlanta and that bike has nothing topend-wise vs. the other bikes, but he can ride the shit out of that bike.
These tires have been the answer to what I was looking for: more grip on the edge and work great for any type of riding. I get really good wear and can use them for multiple track days without worrying about tire warmers. I've worked with control riders at Barber for several sessions on getting through some corners faster and getting a better drive. The best example of how I like the tires can be summed up like this: I need some help in turn 5 (A-C) at Barber getting a better line and drive out of the corner. I spoke with a control rider at the end of an earlier session and he agreed to help me in the next session. I lined up in the front and went straight out with him. I generally ride fairly easy for a lap to let the tires get good and warm, but I figured screw it, I'd stay as smooth as possible and if I felt the tires slip Id back off. So, I stayed about 5 feet off is tail the next few turns until we got to turn 5. I stayed exactly on his line, faded in on the brakes as he did, and absolutely gave the bike more throttle than I ever have at full lean with my knee on the ground and the tire stuck. I've never gotten that much drive from such a lean angle and I stayed right on his ass. Talk about a great feeling! Smooth throttle to brake transitions, and then easing on the gas again to pick the bike back up and back up to speed. I'm not saying whack the heck out of the throttle with these tires, but they do grip very well and reward smooth throttle inputs. I'm running in the top third of the pack at Barber in I-group with NESBA on an F4i and I can almost guarantee you there aren't many bikes out there like it. Almost all of them are newer and have a lot more power.
My own tire pressure settings:
Many of my experiences and tuning have been based on both the track and the ambient or high temps for the day. These tires can't shed the heat that a race tire can based on the silica based compounds used to offer good temperature range and wet traction for street duty. Keep them in above 30 psi or so starting on a hot day and you will have good results.
Pressures - track - ambient day temps:
Barber: 31 front / 30 rear for temps in low 70's for high
more to be added....
Tire wear examples and how to tune your suspension settings based on the wear:
more to be added...
Power Commander - PC3r
I picked up a used power commander in order to smooth out the throttle response and to aid in handling the new Micron exhaust that I added. For now I am using one of the maps downloaded from the dynojet.com website, but I plan to have a custom map & dyno completed prior to March.
I hooked up the PC3r and simply put the unit on top of the battery cover using some heavy duty velcro I got at Lowes.. It stays in place nicely and is easy to reach.
This is just a list of the various fluids and lubricants that I am using on my bike. I'm constantly trying new oils, etc to see what makes the bike feel and run better.
Water Wetter
Water Wetter and distilled water made a difference in the rate that the bike temp drops once moving. The temp drops quite a bit faster once traffic is moving vs standard antifreeze mixtures. I still hit the upper 220's at stoplights & in slow traffic, but the quicker cooling at low speed is always welcome.
Moto Pro Chain Lube - Available at Cycle Gear $6
I've tried probably 5-6 brands of chain lube and been disgusted with them all. Even after following the directions for each and making sure the chain is some what warm prior to application, I still get fling off all over the rear of the bike and rear rim. I try to be very meticulous about the maintenance on my bike, but I'd rather ride than clean a mess off the bike after every chain cleaning & lube application.
The best that I have used thus far is the Moto Pro chain lube at Cycle Gear. It isn't the wax based type chain lube, it sprays on and dries leaving a thin film on the chain. No fling off whatsoever! Best stuff that I have found of all the major brands.
Red Line Synthetic 10W40 Motor Oil
I've tried Repsol, standard Honda oil from the dealer, and Motul so far. The synthetic Red Line seems to make the bike run smoother - at least to me. Shifting feels great. I will be sticking with the full synthetic from now on even though it's $9.50 per quart. I've been using Mobil1 synthetic 10W-40 for quite a while. I generally purchase everything from my local Cycle Gear.
K & N Oil Filters - easiest filter to tighten and remove thanks to the nut on the filter. Even comes with a hole pre-drilled for wiring the filter.
Webpage Last Updated: 1/19/09
Questions - Email me: gwyow@yahoo.com
For a whitewater fix, I have a few videos posted:
