Hello VFRWorld. What would you pay for this?

I have just sold my first bike after owning it for 2.5 years. It was a 1992 Seca II. I liked the riding position of the Seca II but the bike wasn't all that enjoyable to ride.

I've been looking at upgrading to a VFR800 because I've heard great things about the bike.

I'm in the Detroit area and came across this bike. It looks pretty good to me but the seller won't drop below $4900. Is it worth it? Essentially, I've got $4600 max to spend at least until the end of June.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcy/691952657.html

The seller is not likely a participant on this website, being a cruiser rider who acquired the bike from a friend at work and has only ridden it 250 miles.

So....what do you think?

Thank you very much for your input.

Jim

 

Well I paid $4,000 for my '99 in need of new tires (and with a mouse nest in the airbox, but that's a different story). It had 21k miles but was in practically showroom condition.

The price doesn't seem unreasonable provided the bike is as clean as promised. If he won't budge and it's out of your range, poke around a bit and you can probably find one a bit older or with higher miles and have a few hundred left to spend on mods...

 

I think that its a good price too. Especially if you compare it to ones available on the Denver CL. Its has pretty low miles for an 01 and it looks like it has a Micron can and Zero Gravity windshield.

 

I just paid $5,800 for a 2002, it has some upgrades tho. Remus pipes, carbon fiber chain guard, and a few other things. Bike at 14,000 miles on it. I think I'd go for it. These bikes are something else. I just love mine!

 

Used VFR

My local dealer recently sold a used 2006 VFR800A in mint condition with 1860 mi for CAN $9300. I'd say a low mileage '01 in good shape is worth $4900.

 

Dear Defector; If the bike is still available and is genuine,that is that it meets all the advertising criteria, I would buy it. I am a fan of the fifth generation bikes 1998-2001 so
I may be a bit bias. The last model year and the low milage of this machine would make it a keeper for me. Good luck and keep us appraised of your progress. eddie

 

I Have A 98 And Got It When It Had 8000 Miles On It. It Was A Two Owner But Neither Rode It Much. I Now Have 24 Thousand And I Feel It's Just Broke In. What A Bike. You Will Have A Great Time With This Bike. I Would Say Buy It. Scrounge Up The Rest Of The Money. You Won't Be Disappointed.

 

I too would say find a way to buy it. I have a '99 and wouldn't trade it for anything.
I paid $4500 and mine with 13k on it and it had some extras, but some scratches too.
If I wrecked mine I would buy another even if I had to spend a lot more.

 

01's in Canada had silver wheels. Not sure about the US. You may want to find out why they are black now.

 

For what it is worth, try this.
Take the 4600 in "CASH" to the buyer and re offer also make sure you let him know again that this is all you can muster. Give him your phone No, so that if he changes his mind later he can let you know. You will have to be prepared to walk away though.
I really believe he will take the offer as the old saying goes " A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush"
One more thing.If you can't bear to let the bike go you can still leave it a day or two then phone him and say you have raised the extra cash.
The ball is always in the buyer court.
Good Luck either way.

 

Is the 01 worth it?

I purchased my first VFR two years ago from a person in NC. Mine is a 2001 with a zero gravity shield, soft saddle bags, and a one up seat cowling. I paid $4200 for the bike and had to drive from Northern VA to Raleigh just to get it. I can say that I own three bikes, a 2000 Harley Davidson softail deuce, 2006 Suzuki Boulevard 800, and the 01 VFR. I enjoy riding and have more fun on the VFR than any of my other bikes. If you want a bike that will handle the curves and still be comfortable to ride when you have to slab it you should go for this bike.

 

Thanks for all the great feedback. Am considering my options. Will report back on how I handle the next step. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd change his mind if I flashed $4600 in front of him. Based upon his answer back to me about $4600...I'd say he's stubborn like me. Maybe in a week I'll meet him halfway if I can get a friendly/temporarily loan, but I'd guess, he won't budge and I'll just end up stewing.

Thanks again.

Jim

 

For what its worth, there is a new listing in the Denver CL for a 2000 with 14k miles in YELLOW. No pic but it sounds clean. Asking price is $4,500

Yellow Gen-5

 

After looking at a mean looking 2002 Ducati Monster and a 2003 Suzuki SV1000s (which I really liked a lot but lost out on due to some poor preparation on my part), I'm going to look at the VFR tomorrow. The SV1000s is a nice bike, but the riding position screamed needing clip-on risers adding another $300 to the price of the transaction and the rear tire was in need of some help...but still I like the SV1000s.

I've asked if he'll bend to $4725 but he still said he needs $4900 minimum. So I'll go there tomorrow and take a close look, if it is really in the shape promised, maybe I'll make a final offer scrounging all the rest of my dimes and quarters.

Thanks for everyones help and advice.

Jim

 

I found my bike on craigs list last week. It's an stock '04 with 2100miles and showroom floor clean. Paid $6000.00 blue book was $6800. However his wife was pregnant and said it had to go. If you look long enough you'll find a good deal.

 

1) Recently also found another VFR http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcy/719127126.html as well as the original bike (still for sale and reposted) that this posting was about http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcy/706206690.html

Which would you go for? High miles and newer bike with options or low miles and older bike. It seems like some reviews say that the 1998-2001 model is better than the 2002+ model

2) I also found this bike and rode it. It was definitely a more aggressive stance but it was not bad. Also the idea of having something different and new is very enticing. Although I doubt I'll get a lot of support to buy a Triumph from this listing...I would appreciate your opinions. 2004 Triumph Daytona 600

Your thoughts and real feedback is greatly appreciated!

Jim

 

My last bike was an '06 Triumph Speed Four. The family relation works like this:
First there was the TT600 ('99?). The TT600 begat the Speed Four in '01(?), identical except with the fairings stripped off. The TT600 later begat the Dayto 600 ('04), and finally the Dayto 650 ('05), before Triumph killed the inline-4 family. The Dayto 600 is the same engine as the Speed Four but retuned, with a completely new FI system (which was the great failing of the TT600 when it was released). The bodywork is all new, rear subframe is changed, but the suspension, brakes, frame and hard points (Clipon/rearset mounts are the same.

I loved my Speed Four - great suspension, great brakes, a really fun bike. The ergo's (which I believe are the same as the Dayto) are very friendly for a 600 supersport, but the pegs are higher, clipons slightly lower and fairly narrow compared to my VFR.

You need to rev the snot out of the engine to get much from it, but it's a bit better in the midrange and lower on top than the Jap bikes from that year.

Parts/Aftermarket availabilty is about the same between the Dayto and the VFR (IMHO). A lot of parts for the original TT600 will bolt right up.

All in all the Daytona is a great bike, with better suspension, better brakes but a much more peaky engine than the VFR. It's also significantly lighter. It's closer to a CBR600-F4i than a VFR.

Check out www.triumphrat.net for lots of info on Triumphs - it's a really good forum.

 

Thanks for the help. So...as you have had a unique experience and can compare the Triumph and VFR, which would you get for the same money.

1) 2004 Daytona 600. 60 miles. All stock.

2) 2001 VFR. 8000 miles. All stock.

3) 2002 VFR. 20000 miles. Shift kit, throttlemeister, adjustable bars, etc.

Thanks again so much.

 

Well, I love my '99 VFR, and I loved my Speed Four. The Speedy was a much more aggressive bike - it loved being ridden hard. The downside to this was that highway riding was a chore, with the engine spinning ~7000rpm at 75mph. I occasionally miss the Speedy, but not enough that I would want a supersport as a second bike, or replace the VFR with another supersport.

The VFR is a better bike for the riding I do - a lot of commuting, fun backroads after work occasionally and long days on the weekends. The Triumph is a better bike for trackdays & really aggressive street riding, or if comfort is lower on your list of priorities than handling and light weight.

I like the 5th gen VFR's better than the 6th gen ones, but that's a personal decision. I think the generation you like best matters more than the mileage in this case, as VFR's run pretty much forever. The aftermarket parts on the '02 are nice - they're all things that I may do to my VFR eventually...

They're all great bikes. They should all be stone reliable (plenty of people put 50k+ miles on the Triumph inline fours). There is something special about owning a new bike (which the Daytona basically is) - it's nice knowing the whole story about a bike for maintenance and such.

I got the VFR after I crashed my Speedy and it was totalled. I could have gotten another Speed Four or gone with a Daytona (looked at an '04 actually), but ended up with the VFR and I'm happy with that decision...