2008 Can't give it away

I have a 2008 non ABS. I bought it new December 2008. I have never liked it and have made no secret about it. I rode it home and called dealer the next day. They didn't want it, wouldn't take it in trade for anything. They told me to make my payments for a year and we could deal. December 09 I called back and the deal was like my bike and $2,000 and 60 payments of $200 for a $5,000 four wheeler, total with payments made and to be made would have been about $19,000 for a $5,000 Rancher.

Tried again December 10. Just about the same deal.

Called Honda America and had a long talk. They would not accept it for free as a contribution to the museum in Japan,figuring I could use it as a tax deduction.

Delivered with 20 miles on it new, it now has 64 miles on it. I have changed the oil every year,changed gas and kept Stabil in it. Kept on a battery tender, stored indoors.

I have been trying to list it for $7700 with the extended warranty/ road side service and a helmet for $7700. Not a single bite. Tried again ( Craigslist) for $7500. Still no bites, not a nibble.


Why can't I sell this bike? Seems I am married to it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. After 31 on time payments according to Honda I have ZERO equity / negative equity... What is this bike's actual value? A life long Honda rider, I am never going near another one unless Bubba Shobert calls and wants to get rid of his RC 30. Most people have a bike. I got a bike payment. I know she's a great bike,just not what I expected after owning other non V -TEC VFRs...


Taken to a Harley event could I count on 750 people to give $10 a piece for a swing with a sledge hammer? Or should I hope for 325 people at $20 a swing?

 

Dude got news for you. I just went to the dealer and bought 2008 off of show room for $6999 two months ago new. These bikes took the worst price dive I have seen. They once were the proving grounds for new tech now there just good rides. My suggestion is use it. Or find out what it will take to do a full drain long term storage and keep it for 30-50 years. You will get your money back then. Same things the NT 650 Hawk did its honda loosing touch with the market.

If you wanted to make money you could take it apart and make more parting out the bike right now. Each major part is about 200-750 bucks.

Why don't you go to a college city and sell 100 raffle tickets for 100 bucks. Or Talk to a local bar and have them do a raffle and make up some flyers. Moose lodge or elks or something.

Sorry to hear

If you consider parting it out drop me a line. (Dibs on wheels) and maybe engine if the wife would let me spend that much.

How much is left on pay off note?

 

60 miles? Sounds to me like you never gave it a chance

 

Hey, if your really that desperate to get rid of it, I'll give you $100 and my 1993.

 

Since you don't seem to be able to sell the bike, maybe you could modify the things you don't like about it.
It might be throwing good money after bad, but it looks like you have a future museum piece as it is.

Why not make a list of the things about the bike you are unhappy with and see if they can be changed/corrected.
Granted, the VFR may not be the right bike for you, but trying to make it work might be a lot better for you in the long run.

 

When I bought my 98 I rode it and the first day I was thinking that I made a mistake. Then I thought what the hell, I have it I may as well ride it to work since it gets better fuel economy than the CBR. After a while I really grew on me. Hell, I even took it to the track when my already-paid-for-track-day came up and the CBR was down.

Give it a chance. I have ridden a 2008 just like yours a couple of years ago when I was in California. We rented bikes and I picked the VFR not knowing what it was. I thought it was a sport bike. After 450 miles in one day I figured out it was a Sport/Touring bike. The other two guys picked a GSXR-600 and an R6. They were hurting way more than I was at the end of the day. Plus the larger fairing served me well in the morning when it was rather cool.

 

All good advice. I think I still owe about $5700 or so. I guess my biggest gripe about this bike besides the V-Tec is it's portliness . Seems for the years from 87 to 08 for every pound I gained the VFR gained two. There is an 06 on ebay right now with 50 miles on it that hasn't met it's reserve and is stalled around $5200. I know it's the same bike but I find it much prettier than the gray 08. 100 raffle tickets now there is a hell of an idea! To the fella with the 93, I think that bike was /is a beauty,one of my favorites of all time wish I could have one too. I just wish my dealer would have offered me anything in positive trade . Needless to say I don't go in there anymore. I guess I just need to come down a lot more on this bike or go a head and consummate my marriage with her. Thanks for the advice.

 

I wasn't crazy about the gray 2008 either. I did like the way it rode. I was keeping up with the guy on the gixxer through the mountains until I had an oh-shit moment. That backed me down a bit. Ha!

 

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Just curious, didn't you take the bike for a spin prior to buying it?

Hope I don't feel the same way after buying a my first VFR. Keeping my eyes open for a 5th gen. When I saw a 6th gen at the dealer, I thought it was huge physically for me. Then again, I'm 5'6" and 160lb.

 

I have never seen a dealer that will let anyone test ride a new bike. And it is a big bike, I'm but 5'7 myself. I am going to have to come way down on the price I reckon. Sucks since I have made nearly 7k in payments already. I just can't believe the dealer can't offer me $1,0000,100 or even $1 toward something else. I planned to ride this thing buying the extended warranty withthe roadside service ( which is transferable) I didn't think $7500 was too far out of line. I was wrong. I may not be able to get the $5700 I still owe on it.

Might be time to tear it down and sell it one piece at a time. I am sincerely disgusted.

 

Wow. I didn't know that dealer's don't do test ride. I would never buy a bike without test ride. But then again, I'm only on my 1st bike. Over here in the northwest, I've seen dealer selling a "demo" VFR1200. Must be a regional thing with test ride?

The bike should sell if priced correctly. We're in a recession, so that may be part of it. Most people don't realize it but the longer you wait, the thing gets older, and seller will still expect to get what they want last year out of it. It's like trying to sell a 2007 F150 with 1k mi for 30k, when a new redesign 2011 model can be had for 35k. I'm not sure how good an analogy that is but hopefully you get the idea. Price it right, and sell it soon. The longer you wait the less your going to get from it.

Good luck.

 

Of the four local dealers - one offers test rides no problems. The other three are generally " no test rides except for on demo days " - but if you don't come across as an ass - you can usually get a test ride out of them. Even if its just around the parking lot.

 

The 5th and 6th gens have the same seat height.

vfrchic and VFRShorty ride 6th gens.

 

Ok, ok, I'm willing to go to $200 and my 1993 Pearl White with the infamous 8 spoke wheel.

Seriously, sorry to hear that you don't like it. Everyone above had some great ideas. That one about the raffle tickets was pretty good. Hopefully you can come up with a solution that will at least get you what you owe. Good luck, and my offer still stands.

 

Someone at work rides a 5th gen and I looked at it. It seem like the 5th gen looks "narrower" than a 6th gen when I looked at the bike. Maybe it has to do with the plastics?

 

Could be. I think the front fairing is a little bigger. I have ridden a 2008. Liked it. Then I bought the 954. After that I thought I needed something a little more forgiving for the street and bought the 98.

I like the looks of the 6th gen better and it seems more refined to me than the 5th gen. If I could have both I would... and a 3rd gen in Pearl White (swhing!), and a Blackbird, and a Ninja 1000, and... and... oops, out of money! :crazy:

 

I think my favorite colors for the 6th gen is the 2007 red, the White (dunno what year) and the asphalt black (again, dunno what year).

 

I rode mine before purchase in '04. Seems to be just a dealer thing. Some do, some don't.

I can see how you would find it to be tall for your height. Have you looked into lowering it?
There are kits for that, or you could just do the 'triangle flip'.

 

I can tell you this I was riding a ninja ex500 and that ex500 is lighter than this but this bike seems more balanced, predictable, and finds a solid line. If you want to drag the pegs you can. If you want to get knee down I'm pretty sure it can do that too.

Or Change it up and Get the Givi Luggage and some riser bars and a new throttle cable and turn this bad daddy in to a touring bike with the trunk and backrest maybe the wife would ride it.

One of the biggest things that you can do because your bike is so new go get a different set of sprockets see if that changes the attitude about the bike your Motorcycle chain has not set the wear patter in sprockets yet so you can change it out drop some teeth in the front and add some in the rear.

I can tell you when i bought this I thought it was going to be a better commuter than the Ninja 500. To me its more of a sport bike than a touring.(I was thinking Touring) In stock form It will pull the front wheel off the ground if the hammer is thrown down. If i want to get stupid I can spin the rear wheel coming through a turn on the 204 oems(With A good set of sport tires This would pick the front wheel up and not spin the rear tire). Where I can say it is better is at speed the bike is way less buzz at cruising speed 70-75 than the ninja. My Wifes FZ6R makes a very good up right touring bike all except the foot peg location.


For what its worth I thought an still think I bought the wrong bike for what I was looking for something more touring/commuting in mind. If its any consolation I am also happy with my wrong decision but it took me ridding it to figure it out.

By the way Mileage doesn't affect this bikes price to much they go from 4-7k dollars with 15 miles on it or 15k so you might as well try a set of of sprockets or something.

 

Just picked up an 07 and rode it yesterday for the first time. No, dealers around me do not allow test rides either. Anyway, I agree that the bike is HEAVY. No Power. Twitchy FI. It has a lot of problems. I am going to try and tackle the FI issues, but obviously weight can't be helped.

So I am keeping it, but I definitely understand why you don't like it. I am coming off an 06 R1, so it was quite a shock to me...

Derek