Hope to be a new owner soon!

Howdy!
Thought I'd jump in. I am new to the Forum (but have read LOTS of old posts...learned SO much...THANK YOU ALL!) and hope to be a 2007 or 2008 owner soon. I have a Kawasaki KLR 650 currently and had a Kaw Z750S before. I get to ride my boss's KTM's (950 Adventure's, 640's, Super Duke, etc., he is a KTM fan you'd say!) at times. The VFR would be the dream come true. I am just waiting for the pennies to hit the magic mark and possibly for the 2008's to arrive. What do you all think? Go for a silver (2008) beauty or get a red 2007? I cannot say I like the Captain America version. I want ABS too so that lmits some choices locally. If I think I'll want bags I should probably get 'em at the time of purchase (to save $), right? What else? A tank bra or some other protective material? I have most of my gear of course but would love to get a leather jacket instead of my KTM Adventure (mesh) jacket. I must say, I am confused as to how to break in the bike...I went the "factory" method (so hard to wait for the fun higher RPM's) for the Z750S but have read the various other opinions. What do you think?

 

hey Nungboy, welcome! A KLR650 is one of the many bikes on my wishlist, in fact, I'm going to look at an '01 this guy is selling tomorrow.

I'd spend my $$ on perforated leathers to replace that mesh stuff.

Lots of opinions on how to break a new VFR in. Personally, I just took it easy for the first few hundred miles and made sure I varied the RPMs (ie, no long fwy rides at steady speed). Follow your owner's manual and you'll be fine.

 

Thanks, Kevin_70. My first post...my first reply...thanks for being gentle with me! Yes, the perf leather would be the thing for Tucson's heat...of course a nice warm one this time of the year would be great too! (It has been tingly cold lately...weird for Tucson in December.)
As far as the KLR 650. You bet, hard to go wrong...tried and true...good on or off road...not too heavy...although it is a true jack of all trades--not great at either. And cheap! It is hard to get in trouble on it since it is not exactly a warp-speed ride.

 

You might want to consider a used one. There are plenty of them out there with low mileage. If you still want new, I bought my new '06 in Sept. from a Honda dealer for $8500 before ttl. I've read about some people finding new '06's for $7500. I don't think there is a difference between an '06 and an '07 or '08.

Marco

 

Thanks, Marco. I have looked at a few used ones but only at a used dealership. I let one slip by...a sweet black one. The big Honda dealer here has a white 07 demo...1600 miles. But, I am nervous about a demo...visions of newbies twisting the throttle, running it hard and hanging it up wet. No ABS either. Hard to resist the new bike syndrome even if I can save some dollars. I guess I should call around here and in PHX before pulling the trigger.

 

Hey, Marco...where did you get the COOL tank protectors...they say HONDA so I assume they are made by Honda? Do you like them? Do they protect enough of the tank? Any colors besides black? I am concerned about protection for that area...my Z750S ended up with some scratches from my pants before I knew it.

 

Dealers=stealers

the best deals by far are always from first or second owners, used!!

 

They are actually the tank/knee pads for a Honda ST1300. I paid around $90.00 for all three. So far they've worked fine. I think they only come in
black.

Best places to look for a new bike, if you can, is colder states where they already have snow or street bikes make up a small volume of their sales.

 

Welcome to the site, good luck with your shopping adventure. I bought my 07 RWB in October, when I was home on leave, from Apache Honda (35th Ave/ Camelback). I was originally looking at another dealer but the sales manager at Apache got me the better deal and I felt more comfortable with him than at the other dealer (caught the dealer lieing multiple times). You may get a better deal with an 07 vs 08 due to end of year/ later model. The biggest problem with SoCal and Az is that since you can ride year round, it's hard to get the 'winter sale' discounts. You might also check out Mountain Motorsports (Ontario, Ca); its not a short ride (like Phoenix) but it'd be a nice trip back and it'll give you time to get accustomed to your new ride.

 

Thanks for the details Marco. And thanks for your feedback AZPNSHR! Nice to hear from a "local boy." Was The RWB color your first choice? I assume you love it. I am not sure. While there is an 07 RWB w/ABS at the big dealer here, I can't help but think I like the monochrome look better...the lines of the bike show better. What do you think?
I cannot imagine how hard it is to be away from the family and the bike when in Afghanistan. Stay safe, bro. And THANKS for doing your part for us. We do appreciate your efforts. Come home soon and twist that right hand!

 

I had wanted the RWB due to the 'retro coloring' and anniversary edition. The red didn't really stick out until I saw it at the dealer in person....it really is a great color close up. If you prefer the red....hold out for the better deal. It's your money (a bit of an investment) so you might as well get what you want. Keep us posted.