I purchased a K&N (Dynojet) Power Commander II for my '98 VFR. Installation was simple and took about 10 minutes. The PCII attaches between the computer and the VFR wire harness. The VFR computer is under the seat right behind the factory tool kit. Open the seat, remove the fasteners (same as those on the fairing) from the computer cover, slide it out to access the connectors, disconnect the left connector, plug the PCII in between the computer and the cable, route the wires, fasten the computer cover back down, mount the PCII behind the bar where the seat locks in place and your done! Changing maps just requires opening the seat and hooking the PCII to a computer.

Since the fasteners that hold the computer cover down break easily and are occasionally a problem to open I drilled out the holes and replaced them with the same fasteners that hold the battery cover down. Access is quicker now and you can save the stock fasteners for your fairing. The default map for the PCII offered a noticable power improvement in the midrange. Honda leaned out the mixture at rpms where the epa does testing to meet their standards and the '98/99 VFR has a little bit of a flat spot in the power band as a result. The PCII eliminates this and with the maps that offer ignition advance there is a little more power under hard acceleration. The 2000 VFR offers a power curve similar to a '98/'99 with the PCII and default map if you need a comparison. I haven't had the bike on the dyno yet so I don't know how much horsepower this little gem adds, but it is noticeable even in the Denver area where I live. You can view a dyno of the 2000 VFR on the Two Brothers web site to see how it's power curve differs from the 98/99 dyno runs posted on the web. Keep in mind older models should have more top end.

As for gas mileage, it varies greatly with my use of the throttle and with what map is in the computer. I believe it does improve mileage slightly with the right map and throttle use. If you ride like your on a race bike don't expect improved fuel economy! My mileage has varied so greatly that I think it depends much more on the rider than the computer. I don't think the PCII hurts fuel economy though.

Since initially posting the review I have also added a K&N air filter which doesn't seem to add to performance but does pay for itself after a couple cleanings. I also added a full Two Brothers exhaust which gave me a lot more horsepower and combined with the PCII the bike feels like a completely different animal. The front end comes up easily without pulling on the bars just by gunning the throttle above 7000 rpm in lower gears. I can't even begin to describe how the combination has changed the bike.

Get a PCII or exhaust first? At a little over $300 for the PCII, a slip-on offers more hp and better sound. If you already have a slip-on or want to keep the quiet stock exhaust, the PCII will give you a better powerband and a little more hp but I think the following speaks for itself. At the 2000 Pikes Peak round of AMA SuperBikes a group of people were gawking at the idling Ducati sitting next to my VFR. At least they were until I started my VFR and rode off. I distinctly heard someone say "what kind of bike is *THAT*?" jamesd@iname.com (James Diffendaffer)

I had one installed just after buying my '94 last year (October), and have been pleased with it. The motion sensor is easy to set so that loud noises won't set it off but any nudging of the bike will, and I've never had a false alarm (to my knowledge, and I often parked it right outside my window at work). When you disarm the alarm you can tell by the chirp whether anyone has set it off while you were gone, and you can set it to either auto arm on power-off or manual arming. A second button on the remote allows you to hook a garage door opener or other external device to the unit but I have not tested this. Caveat: The alarm does put a very slight drain on the battery. If you leave your bike unstarted for more than two weeks you may have to bumpstart or jump it. On the whole, the Ungo MC2000 works very well -- the ignition kill switch is most useful, and will set off the alarm if anyone messes with the ignition while armed. My only complaint is that arming or disarming causes a chirp from the buzzer, which cannot be disabled. This may be a problem in tight neighborhoods. Ungo sells a 'pager' that will beep you (within 1/2-1 mile) if the alarm is set off, but I haven't tried it. Final note: The alarm shuts off after half a minute unless further motion or intrusion is detected. grigsby@shell.portal.com (John Grigsby)

The reviewer states that it is not possible to turn off the "chirp" when activating and deactivating the alarm. Not true. I have the Ungo 2000, and you can disarm the chirp. I have mine set so the lights flash only (normally you'd get both the chirp and the flash), so I know it's armed. Also, my battery goes flat in two weeks, whether or not the alarm is armed. The "Battery Tender" comes in handy here! stanley@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com (Leslie Stanley)

I have a new 94 VFR, for security I installed the scorpio cyl-100 cycle alarm system. I shopped around for the lowest price and came up with $214.00. Also I got the optional perimeter sensor. So far the alarm works great if anyone gets within 4 feet she starts screaming and then resets after 30 seconds.(great deterent!) Also I installed a neon light kit (for safety really!) and is totally stealth and looks great. If anyone has any questions or opinions e mail at angel96@ix.netcom.com (John Doucette)

I use a Tristate TRS200 alarm (M&P) which cost 130 and took me about 90 minutes to install. The unit has very low current drain (quoted as 2.5 mA) and has so far worked perfectly. Andi_Picker@reading.sterling.com (Andi Picker)

I have a '93 VFR and I used to install car audio / alarms at a local stereo shop. IMHO the Viper alarm series a great alarm for a bike. I don't put all my trust into the alarms specifically designed for a motorbike. Theres no big difference between a car alarm and a bike alarm. Anyhow I have a Viper 900 on my bike with a dual stage perimeter sensor, and LED's in all of the turn signals, they alternate flashing patterns. Also Viper will pay up to $2500 for your deductible if your bike / car is stolen while the alarm is armed (you must have the starter kill relay installed). This is a great alarm with lifetime warranty. If it dies / breaks take to a Viper dealer it will be replaced / exchanged with no hassles. This is my $0.0276 (Canadian Currency) worth. Any questions about alarms? jstaker@lexicom.ab.ca (John Staker)