Is this a deal? 2008 VFR 800, non current

VFR world,
First post, new guy, etc. Greetings one and all!
A wee bit of history: I've owned a shed load of motorbikes but am bikeless at the moment. I happened by my local Honda (et al) dealer and spied a 2008 Interceptor, gray metallic, non ABS, brand new. The dealer stated it had been purchased from another dealer which went out of business. Ok, that happens in our present economy. For openers, they are knocking $2K off the $10,9K original price and "would really like to see it gone". Is this price worth pursuing or not? I really have no interest in the new model. In my past inventory I had a '95 ST1100 which, like so many machines, I should have kept. Oh well. Thoughts on this "new" '08?

 

Welcome aboard. Opinions will range greatly on this,but it comes down to "its your money. Spend it as how you see fit".

They're looking for $8,900. Seems a bit high to me. The 2007 Anniversary Additions were (and maybe still are) being sold for right around $7,000 to $7500 (brand new). I realize that's a year earlier, but aside from paint schemes, there is no difference. Look through some of the classifieds on this forum or places like Craigs to get an idea on what a used one goes for. Not saying you want to buy used, but if there was a 2008, with ABS, hard bags, maybe an aftermarket seat and exhaust and it was going for $6500, would that put things in perspective? I'm only suggesting.

Also consider that on a 4 year old bike, even though its brand new, you'll need:

New Tires (4 years old is too old)
New Battery (I wouldn't take a 4 year old battery)
All fluids - brake, clutch, coolant, oil
What kind of warranty will they give you?
Do they have the owners manual, passenger grab handles and the seat cowl?

If it was me? I'd be comfortable offering them somewhere in the $7500 range, and they change all the maintenance items I mentioned above. But that's only my opinion. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

Not a good deal deal IMO. Are you dead set on a new bike or are you open to low mileage used bikes?

Rollin

 

If you're looking for a new bike I can't really agree more with the above, especially the tires bit, them stockers are fuckin garbage when they're new!! If you can deal with a used bike, there's a buttload of 6th gen's for sale seems like all the time, just have to wait for the right one to come along.

 

open to any and all suggestions!

 

So what made you choose a VFR and how aggressive of a rider are you? Will you be doing any two-up riding or long distance touring? Are you aware of how a VTEC engine is different from a non-VTEC?

Rollin

 

There have been a few that have said they got a 2010 vfr12 for $9999. Just sayin thats alot of bike for $1100 more.

 

Real question is what are they rolling it out the door price.... dealers like to slap fees back on it trying to get more money out.... So ask that question Always work on that number and let them worry about what the real selling price.

Thats my two cents. I bought a 2008 about a year ago for 6999 before dealer fees. New non-abs

 

Like all have said, it seems high. I got my 2007 non ABS for 4500 bucks with an aftermarket seat, levers, power commander, etc and it had relatively low miles (pretty much like new). So, for that price, I could almost buy two of them. I do love the black but I would only pay that price if, like the others said, they do the necessary maintenance, put new tires and a battery on it and give me a 12 month all inclusive warranty. Oh yeah, it would need the factory saddle bags at that price, too... It's a great bike, but not worth that kind of money.

You can have that same bike with less "do now" issues for thousands less and enjoy it right away...

 

After reading this I feel like I over paid for my 2007 rwb used 4500mi. Aftermarket exhaust, pc, seat, front internals, and adjustable sets. I paid 5800.

I went to a couple Honda dealers asking if they could get me one of these crated beauties but got no luck. Did I overpay?

 

Overpay at $5800? I don't think so at all. 4500 miles is almost like new. Its not even fully broken in yet. And while things like exhaust and seats are personal preference and don't necessarily add a dollar to dollar amount to the sale price, its nice to have.

You would/could spend $300 on a seat, $400 - $1000 for an exhaust, and $300 +/- for a PC. I don't know how much the other items go for.

My opinion, you did just fine with that price.

The 2007 leftovers are becoming harder to find. I think the last 2 or 3 that I remember being sold were from a dealer in Cherry Hill, NJ (but I could be wrong). But there are definitely people who have purchased a brand new, leftover 2007 RWB within the last 6 to 12 months.

 

Sweet thanks for the input! I was going to have the bike serviced since I recently purchased it an the owner said it has been sitting for 6-7 months. Why should I look to have done besides the basics?

 

With 4500 miles, there isn't anything major. If its been sitting for 6 or 7 months, there's always things you could do just "to be sure". Did the seller provide you with any service records?

Change the oil, brake and clutch fluid. Maybe a coolant flush as well.

Are the tires good? No dry rot? If they're original tires, you might want to consider replacing based on age along.

 

Well, guys, thank you one and all for your replies. Why a VFR? Seems like a nice compromise for mostly one-up sport Touring, occasionally two up, something I could ride fairly comfortably over a couple of thousand miles and yet commute with (23 miles one way, 85% highway) when desired, and a "middle weight" machine. As you can see from my info, I have had numerous machines but none at present. I am 58, 5'6'', 155 lbs , 30" inseam (no, not looking for a date, just trying to give you an idea of my size versus an appropriate machine). I used to ride somewhat aggressively but have no desire for a severe forward leaning crotch rocket and really am not a knee dragger in the canyons.
The machine I saw last Saturday (25 Feb) caught my interest simply because it was there. I had a '95 ST 1100 which was a great machine for touring about but always like the overall size of the Interceptor better. Two different machines obviously. One of the posters mentioned the real out the door price as being the true indicator of this particular machine's value. So before trying to approach any salesperson, I figured I would be better served getting a feel of your input and so far the info has been very illuminating! BTW, I'm open to any and all suggestions: new, used, whatever brand and any thing else you guys can suggest... if one of you were to suggest a Vee Strom 650, I would certainly entertain the idea. I have no illusions of traveling off road with anything I ultimately purchase

 

TinkernWstuff... Tell me a bit about your gen 3 VFR: gone through front to back as in? What did you think of that '06 at Intestate? BTW, is Interstate Honda up your way in Ft. Collins? I'm just south of the Tech Center (Orchard and I 25). While I'm not ready to "pull the trigger" today, you know how it is when the itch returns. Does your gen 3 have standard height bars or did you raise them a tetch? The reason I ask is that one of my many past rides was a BMW R1100S which I added the factory bar risers and it was still just a bit uncomfortable to ride for more than a couple of hours due to the forward lean. Am I barking up the wrong tree? I'd like to be comfy for at least an eight hour ride which was easily doable on the ST 1100 Honda and two BMW R GS's (ridiculously tall for my inseam). Your comments are appreciated and, old bikes are fine as long as they can reliably get me from point A to Z. Not much interested in only going A to D!

 

If you are looking for ST bolt upright seating and a "comfortable" eight hours of riding, the VFR may be the wrong tree to bark up alltogether. I love my VFR to death, but even with Heli bars on I still sit forward a bit, certainly more than when I sit on any ST.

 

Funny comment about leaning on the tank: on a ride back from KC on my ST 1100 I passed many a mile with my right hand on the throttle and left fist on a tank bag with the chin portion of my full face resting on my left fist. Lord I went for hours that way just idiling away pounding the slab!