FUNUGI Looking for Guidance, Oh Wise Ones!

I had a job where they all called me FUNUGI from day one. I didn't want to appear clueless, but asked one of my colleagues what it meant. "F#cking New Guy!" Got it.

Anyways, I'm a long time admirer of the VFR and ready to begin the full court press on the missus. Given our sour economy and constant threat of job loss, she's not thinking that it's a great time for an expensive toy. Bottom line, I'm looking at a used '91 with less than 20k miles this coming weekend - and since it's relatively cheap - might be able to make it work. So just looking for opinions on the 3G VFR - and any special warnings beyond the standard "has it been raced or crashed". Did the third gen have specific problems that I might want to be looking out for? Any other thoughts? Sure do appreciate the guidance, folks!

 

It's FNG in my part of the world.

I don't know what your budget is, but you may want to consider a generation with FI.

Good luck!

 

NOOB, FNG, cherry. wet behind the ears, training wheels needed, uh.....anyone else got a name for a newbie?..... oh yeah newbie!!!!!!!!!

welcome to the forums

 

Welcome aboard.

The 3rd gens are fairly solid. The Fact that they are getting old means parts are getting harder to find. Carbs seem to be a recurring issue on the older bikes. The regulator/rectifier is prone to failure on most Honda bikes.

Good luck.

 

Gen 3 is a good ride and the only bad thing I can think of is the lack if parts , but they still can be found if you look hard enough.:thumbsup:

 

I would look at:
rectifier (I have been lucky, but I am religious about using a battery tender when not riding)
headstock bearings (10K miles, heavy track use though)
wheel bearings (lucky, but a "sometimes" problem)
condition of tires (cupping indicates one of the above may be an issue
brake lines (mine were dry rotting after 17 years)
fluids (assume you will have to replace all)
speedo cable - make sure well lubed, I only get 4K out of mine, but it's a $12 part

 

This noob hangs his hat in Northern Virginia. My current ride is a 2003 Kaw Mean Streak - nice enough bike, but getting tired of wrassling that thing around. VFR seems like a nice combination of ergos and sport for highways and hills.

I get the parts concern! This 91 VFR is nearly 20 years old, fer cryin out loud! I'll take a close look at the issues list. Honestly, you have to assume some of the 19k miles were hard, but that's not a bad thing if it's been maintained. So there will be some of that intangible stuff like, "would I trust this guy on a date with my daughter?" Key for me is probably to be patient, but not so much that the window of opportunity closes!

My thanks all for your comments, suggestions, and welcomes!

 

I am in western Loudoun county, if you need help or want to ride, let me know

 

I would be looking at a brand new 7th gen. We can then all lean on you for advice. Tomorrow a brand new missus. JK Welcome to the rubber room. Sticker price can be very misleading. Purchasing a lower priced older bike makes no sence if you are hit with higher maintainance costs, or it just sits while you look all over hells half acre for a simple part to get it moving. How important is this bike to you? If it is that important to you, it should be somewhat important to your mate too. How big is her wardrobe compaired to yours? Shoe closet?

 

Honda = Swiss Watcha

Besides the usual RR= regulator-rectifier and scheduled maintenance as per the millage of each bike dont worry about "issues" mine has 77 thousand miles !!! and runs like new.

Think of a well maintained VFR as a Honda car with only 2 wheels then you will start to appreciate they value & longevity of these bikes.

When comparing trully antique bike parts to an older VFR , finding VFR parts is a snap, you just have to be patient and scan VFRworld, VFRDiscussion forum, Craigslist via a google search using key words when in google type in 90 VFR parts or other such tags words, also the Cycle trader & of course Ebay

As far as FI vs carbs, or VTEC or 3rd vs 5th generation etc.. don't worry, once you plant your ass on what ever VFR is your very1st one, you will have no comparisons to judge by so the older one that has been well maintained that is your 1st one will the "tit's" to you and you will love it.


The best generation is the one you want and can afford.

Your gonna buff it out and add all sorts of stuff to it so it will be personalized and fit you like a glove, even if a new one comes along you will be like most of us and not want to sell the 1st one , lol :wink:

 

Well, I was gonna go look at it tomorrow - but we're due for a foot of snow. And anybody from the mid-atlantic knows that we don't know what to do with that much of the white stuff! The seller tells me that it's going to need two new tires to pass inspection. Is $250 a fair estimate for the cost of new rubber if that's all it needs?

 

I'm not really sure if $250 will cover the cost of a set of snow tires for the viffer...

Yes, you should be able to get your hands on a nice set of skins for that price, but take into consideration mounting and balancing if you don't do it yourself (I don't). M & B could be another $50 to $100 for both, depending on your local places.

 

Faaaack. A complete new set of skins front and back mounted here runs me about $600.

 

$600 would get me TWO sets of front AND rear tires. Are you buying the tires directly from the tire mounter? You can save a ton buying tires online and take the wheels of yourself and carry them over to the tire mounter.

 

The 3rd Gen is a fine machine and should give you many more miles of pleasure should you decide to purchase it! As previously mentioned, the R/R unit on the bike is prone to failure so if it hasn't been replaced I would recommend an upgrade. These bikes also tend to put out alot of heat on the right hand side especially near your right thigh so if you notice this don't worry about it unless your right leg catches on fire. Like others have stated, parts are getting relatively difficult to find for a bike that old but since the one you are looking at has low mileage for it's age I wouldn't worry about it too much unless the bike has significant body damage. I will say this though, be very careful when removing your fairings, cowl, etc. because the plastic on these bikes tends to get very brittle after almost 20 years and it is very easy to crack or break with not much stress applied to it. On average these bikes run in the $2000 to $3500 range depending on condition. With around 20k miles on your bike and it needing new tires I would expect the price to be somewhere in the $2300-$2800 range. Just keep in mind that if you plan on test riding the bike check the tires for cupping or scalloping since this can have a huge impact on how the bike handles and feels. Has the bike been sitting long? Do you know the service history?

Regards,
Rollin

 

Oh, yeah. Want to look him in the eye and ask. "What do you have for maintenance history?" "How long since the last oil change?" "Why does this gas look like milk?" Maybe I should watch that show about the guy that can tell when you're lying! "Lie to Me"!

 

If you don't mind me inquiring, how much is the current owner asking? As for the wife, she should understand that because the economy is bad there are great deals everywhere that can't be passed up. Just remember to duck after telling her that :biggrin:

Regards,
Rollin

 

Asking price is $1600! But with poor tread and rashed plastics. Hard to tell the whole story from the grainy pictures! I will report back if it ever stops snowing in Virginia.

 

Recently I got a chance to take a short ride on a 3rd gen. I was pleasently suprised by how nimble and responsive it was. If the overall condition is good go for it, but remember in this market you can dictate the price. Also I agree that a test drive may be misleading if the bike is in need of new rubber. Good luck and welcome to the madness!