Should I give up my search for a 5th gen in favor of a 6th gen at a great price?

@ stewartj239: indeed. but even you felt it was necessary to modify the 6th gen for more sporting performance!

We all know Honda has intentionally moved the VFR away from the lightweight sportbike mainstream since they stopped racing it. so despite the addition of new technology, there are no real sporting performance advantages of getting a 6th gen. one would have to really love the the tiny gains in touring capability that the 6th gen offers to justify the switching costs.

If Falco had asked, "I really like the torque that a V-4 engine offers, what VFR should I buy?" my response would be, "They're all awesome. Ride 'em all and pick your favorite."

If Falco had asked, "I love Hondas, what sportbike should I buy?", I'd recommend he check out the CBRs, because those are the models that Honda has actually spent effort engineering out the weight. I wish I could say the same about the evolution of the VFRs.

 

From the picture I remember seeing, your R is pretty cherry. In that condition, they routinely go for $6K+. Earlier this year, one on eBay went for $8K. It's only worth what somebody is willing to pay for it, but the R's in great shape usually go in this price range and they're only going to go up in value.

 

Yup. The VFR is no CBR. If I had kept the 5th Gen, I would have geared it down too. The way I look at it, the VFR is a niche bike, kind of like a dual purpose bike, that tries to cover multiple diciplines. With that always comes a compromise. I feel that I've hijacked Falco's thread here, I wonder how he made out ......