In the market

I am brand new to this site and very impressed. I have always been a Honda man and am in the market for a new (probably used) bike. I was in a pretty good wreck in 1999 and have not owned a bike since but that is about to change.

I have ridden a few sport bikes and mainly in-line 4 cylinders. What are the advantages of the interceptor? I am also wanting to know if there are certain years of the interceptor that are very good or very bad. Are the older bikes good or are the new bikes the only way to go? Any general information would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you for the reply. The more that I read about the VFR the more it sounds like the bike for me. I plan on taking the bike of a few trips in the 300-400 mile range and the racing style sport bikes seem a little to uncomfortable to do this and still be able to function when I get there.

What is with the V-TEC? I haven't heard one person talk good about it but Honda seems to stay with it. Is the transition from 2 valves to 4 not very smooth? Do people not like it because of the weight? I understand what it is and it doesn't sound like a bad deal on paper but it seems that the reviews are all bad.

There seems to be a lot of talk about the linked brake system also. Do you guys look at this as a postitive or a negative? This technology seems to be a little harder to find an explination of exactly how it works.

Sorry for the babbling questions but just wanting to get as much information as possible before spending all of my money and then some.:biggrin:

 

From what I've gathered, vtec bikes have worse gas mileage and don't provide better power delivery, in fact worse. The prevailing view from magazines and most riders is that the vtec provides no advantages with several disadvantages, one of which is huge pita valve adjustments. The 2002+ does have some nice features - it's the best looking vfr (imo), has a decent hardbag option, and has a little bit better suspension. I'll stick with the 5th gen.
I like the linked brakes - I don't ever hit the rear pedal unless I'm railing the twisties, makes things simpler.

 

I agree with everything Reg said. these bikes are probably the best all around bike there is. i have owned a 2nd gen and a 6th gen. they were both my favorite bikes. I don't understand what everyone means when they say these bikes have poor power delivery. mine doesn't. it is true that gas mileage above the VTEC is less than staying below it but gas mileage in any vehicle decreases the faster you go. and I still get 180 miles to a tank which is roughly 30 MPG given a 5.8 Gal tank. if I keep her below the vtec then i will get 225 miles to a tank (~36MPG). My buddy Todd (2005 CBR1000RR) is always amazed that except for the straightaways i am always right there. He always had to wait for me on the 86 VFR700, not so anymore. The bike can carve curves and she feels solid as a rock. I do miss the gear whine of the older bikes. But I love this new one. the handling, the acceleration. Besides she is beautiful. pearl white mmmm.
go check her out in my gallery. look and listen i think I would stick with a 4th, 5th, or 6th gen IMHO. I still have parts of my 86. and i take her keys on every ride i go on. but it couldn't hold a candle to the performance of the 06. oh yeah you can ride this bike 700+ miles in a day and be ready to go out dancing that night. let Todd say that HA

 

I have a 1st gen ('83) for just playing with, but it would not be my first choice if it were my only bike. The 1st V-4s from Honda have a few engine issues. I hear the 5th gen. has a few electrical issues (much easier repair than the 1st gens problems). I LOVE the V-Tec. It is like an old muscle car when the 4 bbl carb opens up when the V-Tec kicks in.

 

vtec isn't a bad thing just another thing to draw opinions on because its different. I think you could enjoy any VFR. The sound of the gear driven ones is awesome, the sound a 6th gen makes in vtec is enough to make you want to ride up there all day.... The looks, well thats up to you. Go in the gallery and check them out, not an ugly one in there but something will stand out and once you get past that go find a bike to ride and see if it lives up to your expectations. They really are great bikes, all of them.

 

Umm, you might want to stick a "IMNSHO" in front of statements such as this.

This is, of course, IMO. :biggrin:

 

When did they go away from the gear driven cams? Was it when the V-TEC came to be in 2002?

 

The vfr is a awesome all around machine. It all began in 1986 with the VFR750 and it was the first year of the gear driven cams.. Honda made a sweet addiction for me that is better than any drug ever made its called a V4.

fast forward to 1998 , Honda totally reworked the VFR , fuel injection, new bodywork , 782cc engine, linked brakes, and 2 trip gauges/ambient temp gauge ,led gas gauge , sexy red paint all wrapped around that wonderful V4 motor.

The 5th gen lasted from 1998-2001 and then came the dreaded V-TEC(
hangs head low in shame) ahh yes Vtec also known as the Vturd in certain groups..
When Honda made the Vtec 2002-2008 they took away the music of the gear driven cams in exchange for cam chains and elcheapo honda tensioners .

The suspension on the vtec is better than the 5th gen because its set up more for touring .

The 5th gen has 1 major problem the regulator rectifier R/R likes to burn out . the 6th gen Vtec has this problem also and thier is a fix for it listed .

I have ridden a 6th gen model and its just not for me as the vtec does not have the soul of the earlier vfr models ..

Yes i might be slightly biased since i own a 99 VFR ,but the R/R was replaced at 10,000 miles and I now have 27,000 on it and she runs beautiful always bringing a smile to my face when i ride...

 

FYI,
I am selling my 86 vfr 700 F2 with the gear driven cams. The f2 was a semi limited production run.

Just had a ton of work done to the engine. Carbs rebuilt, new jets, plugs. Cosmetically it needs a small left side fairing and a seat cover.


I am selling on Craigslist for $2300.. I am in it for about $1900... Its yours for $1900 if you want. Hit me with a PM.... I can send pics etc.

 

I own or have owned a 2nd, 5th and 6th Gen. The bad reviews and comments about the VTEC are usually from people who don't have one. They are all great bikes, but the 6th Gen is more refined than any of the others. The power delivery and fuel mileage are no worse than the 5th Gen. Do a little more research and you will see that most negative comments are opinions not based on fact. When I started looking to buy a 6th Gen a little more than a year ago, I almost fell victim to the same thing thinking that the bike was flawed, but I quickly cut through the BS.

 

I rode a 4th, 5th and 6th gen, however the 4th and 5th gen were more in my price range, for my first bike. Looking back, the 6th gen was a hoot to ride...but arnt all bikes...really when it comes down to it? IMO, the 6th was just a little herky jerky for me. Too "on" or "off". But thats just me, and I am not an experienced rider yet, by any means.

I liked both the 4th and 5th gens, and was going to make an offer on either one I found first, that was to the standard I wanted it. It so happened to be a 4th gen, and its an awesome bike. Smooth all the way through the power, and I can ride it all day long, without getting sore.

 

You guys have been great about offering your experience and opinions and I appreciate it. In an unfortunate turn of events we were forced to spend all of the money that I had set aside (and a little more) to cover the cost of my wife having our second child. It turned into a high risk pregnancy and the cost was far higher than we anticipated.

I will continue to research and save for the "perfect bike". Thanks again.

 

Hope everything turned out ok for you.

Check back in when you are in the hunt again.

 

I will continue to participate on this web site and learn what i can. I guess a guy can never know to much before buying. It is just one of those things in life that happens.

Mother and baby are doing great.