Before I purchase, i have a maint. question

VFR Newbie here....looking at buying a 2005 w/ 32K miles. Owner sez it could use a valve job. Anyone know how much it would cost (Im in Cali if that matters). Also, any other service related questions or things I should be looking for w/ a bike w/ 32K miles? Again, I'm a newbie to the VFR world so I apologize for such an elementary question.
I just wanna get the right bike so I'm asking around what I should be concerned about. Any help is appreicated!

 

Hopefully the owner means valve adjustment and not valve job. If he does mean valve job, keep looking.

 

Any valve work can be expensive. A valvejob is waaay different than a valve adjustment.

Check around for an honest shop at one of the "bike nights or other and get a professional to take a look.

Like zeebandit says..

 

Valve clearance service intervals are every 16k miles, so your potential ride would be due at 32k. I just bought an '06 last week that just had it done by the PO. I had rung my local Honda shop and they quoted $900 just for the valve service, if they also did the other minor service items due at 32k it would have cost around $1,200 all up.

This is why you see many 6th gen viffers for sale with around the above miles on them.

The dealer told me the cost is so high because they are a bugger to get at - so there is a high labour component. I believe that this is the only major service requirement for the VFR; just as well it's so infrequent!

Those prices are Aussie; ring your local dealer, get a price and use it to haggle the seller.

 

One might conclude that going by this particular dealer's sales pitch most things on a VFR are hard to get to. Also, $1200 OZ is only $19.95 in USD..

Blindly accepting the BS tossed about by most dealerhips is folly.

Do the homework and ask the tough questions or they will lead you down the path patting you on the ass all the way to the bank.

 

Yer I know what you mean - most of us would have a few bad stories to tell about shonky dealerships. I have a couple myself, and I've been riding less than 2 years!

When researching the VFR though I read on a couple of sites that doing VTEC valve clearances is a PITA. I bet there's someone on here who's done it themselves. Wonder how many hours they took?

Hell, I had to change a headlight bulb the day after I got my 6 gen - took me over an hour! I am such a mechanical retard :biggrin:. Though if I'd had teeny Japanese hands it would have been easier heheh.

 

I am liking "shonky".

One/yr is not bad.. You will accumulate more. They have a certain odor that is detectable..

The job is a bitch and one of those no mistakes deals. Much the same on the non-Vtech engines. Neither is a job for fair mechanics. Break something or do it wrong and what is an adjuctment can end up as a real valvejob. A burned exhaust valve, a bent or broken valve stem ect, can mean big bucks..

Harleydoods are known to sell their children into slavery when burning a valve.

The next time you change out the bulb in about 5 years, you will be faster. On some of the early models the bulbs were by Honda and had larger bases. The first fix was shearing off a tab but that did not do well in the vibration area. The next deal was a shim. A better fix but fragile. The Honda bulbs were really pricy as opposed to the standard base bulbs for about ten dollars each at any auto supply.

 

:welcome: to the zoo mate
I think Toe and I answer your question last night on Chat
Like mention above
Valves adjustment is from $800 to $1000 in Ca
Many of us skip them I know couple bike over 100K miles and never have the top open up and the two bike still run to this day.
No woory there.....Good luck with the pourchase

 

Welcome vfrnewbie1! Where in California are you located? Long and I are in the OC, and there are a few reputable places out here but like most of what's been said, valve adjustments can be on the high $ side and probably not needed. I can say that both of my VFRs have 16k+ at the moment, neither have had their valves adjusted and I'll more likely refrain from having them looked at until much later in life. That is unless the engine exhibits out of the norm performance and/or behavior and based on the reputation of these bikes, I'll hedge my bets it'll be fine. (knock on wood)

Cheers!

 

For sure. Unfortunately it was the main beam that went and that's tougher to get to - most of it was done by feel. Now I know the cable plug has release tabs on the side, and it's better not to pull the rubber boot all the way off cause it's a pain to get back on and how the fiddly release spring for the bulb works and despite what the shop says it does take an H4 not an H7 and...

...yep I reckon 15 min tops next time :biggrin:

 

Interesting - that confirms the bikes sold in OZ are different. The main beam and dip beam bulbs on 06-09 models here in Europe only have single filament H7 bulbs. I wonder why they would chose to fit a dual filament H4 bulb on your bikes - guess it must be to meet some local requirement.

:focus: Moving swiftly back to the original topic - I would not be greatly exercised over the scheduled valve check, provided you are confident the bike has not been regularly thrashed. Just use it as a negotiating point - tell the seller - get a dealer to do the valve check/adjustment and their price seems fair, otherwise push for at least 600 bucks off to cover the cost of you getting it done. Whether you do then spend the money on getting the check done is really a matter of how much you value peace of mind.

Just think of it this way - If I was Mr Honda it costs me nothing to stipulate a rigorous valve inspection regime designed to spot and rectify any problems in bikes which are being pushed really hard every day - the typical track day mule - where each new rider is going to ring its neck and won't care about wear and tear. These bikes are going to have the vtec valves open full bore for most of their life. Engines subject to that level of use/abuse will probably need checking and adjustment at the specified intervals. However as Mr Honda is not paying the bill (and indeed his dealers are likely as not going to benefit from a fair few hours of labour charges if they also stipulate these checks on bikes with far less arduous lives) well why the heck not stipulate a checking regime which is weighted heavily towards caution?

If you search on here you will see the issue of vtec valve checks has come up in numerous threads and so far I have yet to find a single person who did the initial 16K check who reported their bike needed actual adjustment. So they paid several hundred bucks to have a box ticked on the service record. Certainly talking to my local dealer who has done dozens over the years so far they have all been within spec.

My 2007 has now done over 80,000km mostly touring miles, albeit with the odd mad 5 minute redline moment on a German autobahn. I opted to do every other valve check but made sure it has had all the specified oil/filter brake servicing and the bike continues to run perfectly. Suffice to say at the most recent valve check it was found to be within spec. So absolutely no adjustments have been necessary since it left the factory.

Finally a few other observations which you should be aware of. If the UK market is any guide - expect pre 2006 models to be significantly cheaper than the later ones. The later models had the revised vtec thresholds and improved electrics. (There were wiring recalls on some early vtecs which you should check whether they apply to this bike and if so ensure that they were done).

So make sure you do your homework on prices of similar spec bikes. A full set of factory matched luggage will typically add several hundred to the price.

Good luck and post up pictures if you take the plunge...




SkiMad

 

in mission viejo area...thx for ur help!