Mental way to change an instrument bulb

[vifferman]

The VFR's been off the road for four days because of a blown instrument panel bulb. To replace it, I had to dismantle half the bike! It's all good now though - I've got some bulbs, and replaced a few missing fasteners in the process.

[Coyote]

Know what it feels like. Had to take the tank, airbox and carbs out of the way to screw in the idle adjuster

[speedpro]

The VFR's been off the road for four days because of a blown instrument panel bulb. To replace it, I had to dismantle half the bike! It's all good now though - I've got some bulbs, and replaced a few missing fasteners in the process.

Years ago honda got a really good deal on 2,347,286 instrument light bulbs. Ever since they have been holding up a bulb and saying to themselves "What sort of bike can we build based on this bulb?" They then started constructing the bike around the light bulb. Hence the difficulty changing them - the bulbs are piece #1 in the construction process.

This is just another reason for never buying a honda.

[vifferman]

Years ago honda got a really good deal on 2,347,286 instrument light bulbs. Ever since they have been holding up a bulb and saying to themselves "What sort of bike can we build based on this bulb?" They then started constructing the bike around the light bulb. Hence the difficulty changing them - the bulbs are piece #1 in the construction process.

This is just another reason for never buying a honda.

You forgot to mention that the 2,347,286 bulbs are all peculiar 1.7W ones, so they're essentially unobtainable from anywhere except Honda.

[Wolf]

The VFR's been off the road for four days because of a blown instrument panel bulb. To replace it, I had to dismantle half the bike! It's all good now though - I've got some bulbs, and replaced a few missing fasteners in the process.

Faired bikes, BAD; naked bikes with ugly, crudely-bolted-on instrumentation that's easy to access, GOOD.

Bikes that have the spark plug hidden under the petrol tank with bolts fastening the seat and tank in place, also BAD - especially when their instrumentation is also on the petrol tank and you have to take the tank off to get at the bulbs.

It's not just Honda - Suzuki have their "moments" too.

[Zapf]

The VFR's been off the road for four days because of a blown instrument panel bulb. To replace it, I had to dismantle half the bike! It's all good now though - I've got some bulbs, and replaced a few missing fasteners in the process.

million dollar question... what sort of cage is that behind the Viffer!

[XTC]

would have been easier to strap a lamp to your helmet......
I had a similar problem fixing the clock on my VFR750FL. No fairing now so no worries

[Hitcher]

Years ago honda got a really good deal on 2,347,286 instrument light bulbs. Ever since they have been holding up a bulb and saying to themselves "What sort of bike can we build based on this bulb?" They then started constructing the bike around the light bulb. Hence the difficulty changing them - the bulbs are piece #1 in the construction process.

This is just another reason for never buying a honda.

The ST1300 was built around the earth block...

[Jeremy]

It could be worse, it could be one of those bolts that you can only unbolt after you've unbolted it, leaving you with a paradox that requires to go and lay down somewhere.

[speedpro]

Like the exhaust pipes on a Mitsi 1800 Libero. you can only swing a spanner to get the pipes off after the pipes are off.

[Lou Girardin]

Ya gotta love naked (or semi naked) bikes. 15 minutes to remove the entire headlight assembly.

[vifferman]

million dollar question... what sort of cage is that behind the Viffer!

Last of the Peugeot 306's. Has the goodies of the 307, without the ugly styling and poorer handling.
And in front (just out of frame): the Peugeot 205 GTi.

By the way, Lou: 5 minutes to remove the whole top fairing, instrument panel, headlights etc. from the VFR, and about 15 to put it back on. Not quite as easy as the VTR (6 screws, four connectors and the whole fairing comes off), but pretty good.
For those who rubbish Hondas, you should know that Hondas are renowned for very good panel fit and finish, so although it seems wacky having to remove all this stuff to get at a $3.71 bulb, it's a rare job, and not too irksome, and everything goes back together very nicely.

[MSTRS:Me]

million dollar question... what sort of cage is that behind the Viffer!

Bulb donor?

[vifferman]

Bulb donor?

I did consider that. But Peugeots (and most cars??) are even harder to get at bits on. Plus the bulbs are different;even the headlight bulbs (on the 306) are different, some HID things, I think. Luckily, the VFR's headlight bulbs are accessible with the fairing in place, and have been swapped from the mental OEM bulbs to standard 55/60W H4s.
We recently had to do the instrument bulbs in the 205, and it took a couple of hours to get everything out. They're now LEDs, so they shouldn't need changing in a hurry.

[XP@]

The VFR's been off the road for four days because of a blown instrument panel bulb. To replace it, I had to dismantle half the bike! It's all good now though - I've got some bulbs, and replaced a few missing fasteners in the process.

I been there too...
tried to swap the bulb on my f650 without removin the plastic, dropped the bulb cos it got too slippy with all the blood on it.
got a new bulb, a plaster then removed the fairing... was not happy chappy