Apologies to all those people who know how to do this job already

But I'm guessing there's a few out there (like me) who haven't got a clue!

The first thing to note, is that it is DEAD EASY! If you know how to first of all remove the big fairings, you're 90% done! If you don't know how to remove the front fairings, then search YouTube for "How to remove the fairings on the VFR1200F".

The reason that I wanted to raise the fuel tank was initially to replace a dodgy Headlamp Relay. It is located underneath the tank on the left-hand side. While the tank is up, I might as well change the air-filter too.

Okay with the big fairings removed and put safely away, you need to remove the plastic panels which sit either side of the tank. Start by removing the front fastener shown in Figure.1 and then the rear fastener in Figure.2.

Now put your fingers underneath the bottom of the panel as shown in Figure.3 and give it a tug to release. Finally, remove the plastic fastener at the front-edge of the panel near the headstock (Figure 4).

Okay, you are now able to remove the panel (Figure.5), noting that it is attached at the front by a couple of locating-pegs. Store the panel away safely and repeat the exercise on the other side of the tank.

You will see in Figure.6 that the bottom of the panel was held in place with a single plastic tab. Note also that the panel has been scratching the frame, so I'll be putting a small piece of black Gorilla Tape on that to prevent any further damage.

With the side panels removed, you are now free to undo the two tank bolts at the front and lift the tank up. It pivots on the rear bolt and there's no need to slacken those off.

I suggest that you have a piece of wood handy so you can safely prop up the tank while you work on whatever you're doing. A length of wood cut to 16" (40cm) is perfect for the job (Figure.7).

The final photo shows the location of the relay itself, including the part number.

Hope that helps VFR newbies like myself.