You may remember the story we had a while back about the VFR800 with the homebuilt supercharger. It was one of those projects that started innocently enough and just kept growing. Well, Jon, from over at the VFR Discussion forum, let me know that project has become a complete bolt on kit you can buy to put on your own 5th generation VFR and raise your horsepower over 50 percent! Dyno runs show almost 160 horsepower on 93 octane pump gas from the V4 with stock internals.
The kit looks to be well engineered, high quality and very complete. You can reserve a kit now with first shipments planned about May 1st. Price is $5495 + shipping.
Dan is working on other blower kits for for the newer 6th gen Honda and the ZX-10R and GSX-R1000.
Now, what was I saying about “just doing it?” Nice job, Dan.
Link: A&A Performance
JR says
Wow!
Who makes the supercharger?
A bit pricey, but it looks sweet and I bet that things pulls hard!
todd says
That’s really cool, no doubt, but I never felt the VFR was lacking. Here’s to doing it for the sake of doing it.
-todd
ep says
a gsxr killing vfr, excellent. too bad you could buy a nice used one for the same price as the kit. looks like a lot of fun though.
The Phantom says
Todd, agreed that the VFR goes pretty hard, but more power is just nice, and the chassis is largely up to it.
EP – that’s the point! Instead of a new GSX-R, get a 1998 VFR and the blower kit, and wipe the floor with the GSX-R…
johnny says
wow..very nice! looks very ‘factory’ too.
marshall says
I do believe my billowing pantaloons would get caught in that exposed belt.
Chris says
JR: From the Temple of VTEC (vtec.net), the Rotrex Supercharger is as follows:
” Rotrex superchargers have been around a while, but they’re relatively new to the US tuning scene. They are technically centrifugal superchargers, but instead of the noisy gear drives that typical centrifugal superchargers employ, Rotrex uses a traction drive system that spins the impeller at more than 3 times the rate of a traditional centrifugal supercharger. This means the compressor side is churning at roughly the same rate as that of a typical turbocharger (90000-100000 rpm), and for this reason the Rotrex uses a compressor design that is very similar to a turbocharger’s. One of the upsides of the Rotrex is that it is capable of developing rather high levels of boost without suffering from the thermal transfer issues of an exhaust-driven turbocharger. ”
Marshall: It looks like the belt-drive system is hidden under the fairing. Unless your pantaloons are also nice and lacy I doubt they’ll get caught =P
So Rotrex superchargers are better than traditional superchargers in reduced amount of supercharger whine and creating additional “drag” on the engine at high RPMs.
In any case, this looks to be an extremely high quality kit. Those billet and anodized components sure look nice, as is the CF air intake.
The kit is pretty pricey, but honestly, just for the Rotrex supercharger alone this kit sounds like it’s worth it.You get what you pay for.
Clive Makinson-Sanders says
haha billowing pantaloons.
i want a vfr now.
Jar says
Just lovely.
Well packaged.
Phoebe says
You’d have to have some really big pants to get it caught in that belt with the bodywork on 😉
Seriously, though…this was really awesome as just a one-off project. It’s even cooler that he’s brought it into production as a kit.
Bo Nielsen says
5500 $ + a VFR : why not buy a proper sportsbike with better handling and less weight?!
JB says
“Bo Nielsen 5500 $ + a VFR : why not buy a proper sportsbike with better handling and less weight?!” For the same reason people will supercharge a 500ci cadillac motor, drop it in an 80’s m&m hearse and take it to the dragstrip. Because they can. I love the thought of these kits being out on the market, unfortunately price keeps one out of my hands. I looked at a Trask Turbo kit for my Harley, and they run in the 4995 range. Oh well I can dream can’t I?
The Phantom says
“why not buy a proper sportsbike with better handling and less weight?!”
Proper sportsbikes are great at racetracks, where the lower weight and razor-sharp handling comes into its own. But they are not so good in the real world. The VFR is also great at the racetrack and far better for day to day riding – whether commuting, touring or scratching. The extra weight means a more stable ride, and better longevity.
It also has the best motorcycle powerplant on the planet. Most people who try a VFR are surprised at just how capable it is.
Redmarque says
Looks like a very professionally produced kit. The planned ZX-10 and GSXR kits should sell like hot cakes .
Chris says
Now if they’d only make one to fit the ’94-’97 VFR……
QrazyQat says
Looks like a surprisingly neat and tidy installation. It’d make quite a sleeper, if you can call an already fast sportbike a sleeper.
jp says
A kit for the carbed models is unlikely without first doing an EFI setup. I am in the accumulating-parts phase of such a project though its unlikely to end in forced induction.
Nice to see this come to market..now if I had $5k for a VFR800 and another $5k for the kit… Would much prefer that to dropping the same on the new VTEC (I’m a gearcam junkie)…
Dave says
For that kind of money I would rather buy a ‘Busa.
Rich Peabody says
Way cool! I am a huge fan of huffers….the price seems in line….
I like it.
Azzy says
Nifty…. thats about all I can say. If I had that kind of spare scratch and had one of those bikes, then sure, why not?
todd says
Azzy, why not? Because of the new smog check regulations coming into affect, that’s why not.
-todd
Bob says
WHAT smog checks?
gunner says
” I looked at a Trask Turbo kit for my Harley, and they run in the 4995 range. ”
Hahaha, then maybe a Harley could stay close enough to a stock 600 to tell the color of his tail section, lol. Really though, if you like the comfort of the VFR but want more power…why not look into a Blackbird?? I used to own one and can get thenm to put out 180hp all across the range very easily and still have the Honda name and the comfort and all for about 1/4 the cost of a newer VFR and that kit. Plus the 1100XX motor is said to be the “most reliable” engine ever put in a bike. 135,000 miles not out of the question with proper maintenance. Makes too much sense to me but that’s why people “soup up” VW bugs. To each his own.
gunner says
And Harleys I suppose!!!
Tim says
I think it’s the perfect idea. Having sold my Ducati to buy an ’06 6th gen for more comfort and dependability it would make sense to me. Yeah the VFR is a little heavier than an RR but you can’t ride one on a weekend trip and be comfortable. Track days may be a squeak less zippy for me now but I’m not spending 2/3ds of my time and ALL my extra $ in maintainence and repairs. I love my bike and for me it acheives the best of both worlds. Can’t wait ’til he makes the 6th gen available.
paul says
yeah briliant! i want one. just paid £1500 for my 98 vfr 800 fi with 17k miles on it its like new! about 3k for this kit i think its defenitly worth it. i could use my bike for touring, track days 🙂 and commuting and i rekon could last me years. mine is not as smooth as the vfr 750 i had! does any one know if u get a completely new ecu with this kit? like 128 bit with a lot more precise steps setup for fueling? one thing i dont like about this bike is the vibration (not smooth power delivery). im even looking for good aftermarket ecu to sort this problem out.
just like to point out for those people who think race bikes have more power! gsxr 1000’s have a lot of bhp, but all this is at high rev’s. the gsxr 1000 has half the power than the vfr at around 4,800 revs which means if you race the two bikes around a track which has loads of s and u bends (i mean loads of twisties) the vfr will probably win. its not bhp that can win these types of races, its low down torx power. with the super charger kit the vfr will put out the same torx has the gsxr 1000 but at less than half the revs. i know which bike i would prefer! 😉
Shawn says
Oi… I am now accepting donations so that I may purchase this kit… 😛 *drool*
Will says
WOW how about one that works on 6gens now 😛
todd says
I just happened to read paul’s claim above about the GSXR having half the power of a VFR at 4,800 RPMs so I looked it up on the web:
At 4,800 RPM a 2002 GSXR1000 is putting down (up to) 70hp. At 4,800 RPM a 2002 VFR800 can get up to 35hp. I think paul’s math is backwards.
http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/sportbike_dyno_charts/photo_103.html
http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/sportbike_dyno_charts/photo_42.html
Yes paul, “race” bikes do have more power.
-todd