Harley owner looking at VFR

Hey guys I am not real familiar with these bikes but I am very interested in buyiing this bike? Does it look like a good deal , please give me suggestions, as i have been riding Harleys and dont really know what to look for on these bikes. Its on craigslist, 04 Honda VFR 800 ABS Interceptor 04 Honda VFR 800 ABS Interceptor - $6950 (Traverse City, MI
2004 VFR800 ABS Interceptor
9900 miles
Red
Staintune Exhaust
Sargeant seat + stock
Fender Eliminator kit
Rear sport rack
O2 eliminators
All books + keys
Factory Honda side cases + mounts
Excellent Condition, never down
1 owner with clear title in-hand

This has been and continues to be a great bike. Selling due to expenses from other hobbies.


thanks

denny
tawas mi

 

From a private party the price is likely negotiable. Aftermarket stuff is valued at half.

As far as comparisions go, you will find that this forum is never biased toward Honda VFR's and we love Harleys.

:wink:

 

My thoughts are you can do better on the price even though it's pretty well equipped. Lowball him and see what happens.

You shall be rewarded with your change in bike style. A recent Harley defect at my gym said, and I quote: "I can't believe I waited 30 years to buy a sportbike, it's so much more fun". Regardless of what bike you purchase, you'll be a kid again.

 

Price seems a little high to me. Like someone else said, lowball him and see what happens.

I've ridden cruisers, naked bikes, and now my VFR which I purchased two months ago. Coming from a cruiser, you need to be prepared for the way, way different seating position, the much better brakes, and the greater rate of acceleration. I've put 2K miles on my VFR in two months and it feels good now. You may not like the way the seating position feels at first, but the more you ride it, the more you will like it.

Good Luck.

Regards,
H.C.D.

 

Like H.C.D., I've gone through several different types of bikes - '83 Yamaha 750 Seca; '84 Honda V65 Sabre; '94 Honda 1100 Shadow; '05 Honda VTX 1800 F; '05 Honda VTX 1800 C; and, '07 Honda CBR 1000 RR. I've been full over on the CBR and straight up on the VTXs weighing in at 780 lbs. I've had my '08 VFR Interceptor since October 2008 and have NO intention of moving to anything else (other than the mythical 1000 VFR coming any day now). It is the most balanced bike in the price range you're looking at. Many higher priced bikes don't compare.

I ended up with the VFR when I started taking long rided with a small group her in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. The CBR was a kick in the a$$ on twisty roads and acceleration, but after two hours, I was toast. I got the VTXs and realized (duh!) that they are useless on the twisty roads. My neighbor had a 2001 VFR he put 110k on befoe selling it to a friend (who is still riding it). He had no trouble at all with it. After getting past the fact that the VFR does not have the power of the CBR and the torque of the VTX, I ordered the VFR. No regrets what-so-ever. Its a great bike.

 

While I still have a harley, I think you wil find the riding position much more natural and comfortable...at least I do!

NADA value is $4825-6250 without the extras...and I think 50% for upgrades is being generous

 

I'm about an hour east of Traverse City. The roads up here are much more fun on a VFR...

 

Hey Harley guy you have come to the right place and selected what I think is the right bike - lol. Just wanted to say ditto on lowballin for a better price and that the bike looks weel equipted. Curious about your choice and wonder if you looked at or thought about the ST1300 or FJR. I am a VFR rider so I like your choice - just curious since you ride a cursier like myself before I bought a VFR.

 

Hey,
test ride one and see if you like.
I didn't but took a chance, and love it.
I came off of harleys, went through 3 different types, all I can say is,
I'VE SEEN THE LIGHT:tongue:
I now think hardleys suck, but thats just my opinion, and we all know what opinions are like.

ace57

 

just fly on the wings of honda :thumbsup:

 

Wellcome Denny, Nice choice!

I dont know about the prices in the U.S., i'm Portuguese...but nowadays it´s very easy to negotiate!


May the Force V4 stay with you forever!

 

Hi rainbowtawas,

Welcome to VFRWorld, I'm new to these forums as well, I just ordered a new 08 VFR. My question to the rest of the readers out there is what rainbowtawas should be looking out for in regards to wear/defects on that 04 VFR?

 

Welcome aboard! I bought my '04 VFR a year and a half ago from a 'Harley' guy that was going through a divorce! I paid $6000.00 as he needed a quick sale. It only had 400 miles on the clock and was non-ABS. He told me that it was the best bike he'd ever ridden (........... I know, I put 4000 miles on it last summer! ) Ask if the recall on the wire harness was performed! Negotiate a better price and go for it! :thumbsup:

 

Quit teasing me Slothrop!!!!


Back to topic. I checked out the craigslist listing. Looks pretty good. He has invested some serious cash into the bike, but I wouldn't pay a dime over $5500 if I could get away with it. As far as his upgrades go...retail prices Seat-$200-300, Staintune Exhaust$~900, Luggage Case/Mounts $800-1000, Fender Eliminator $90(depends on what he used).

Offer 5 and see where he goes from there. Depending how many records he has for maintenance might allow you to be a little more flexible on the price. It's a great bike for commuting and for twisties. He pretty much has all the standard upgrades done already....might only want a Power Commander, different windscreen, and either helibars or handlebar risers possibly. He's got the big ticket items out of the way though...(seat, exhaust, luggage). You ought to love the sound of the V4 engine through those Staintunes...will sound like a mini V8...well depends on how much of a straight pipe harley guy you might be...


I say check it out and try to lowball if you can. Would be nice to have another Michigan VFR rider!

 

Rainbow! Take the plunge and get a VFR! Or like someone else said, FJR or ST. But seriously, if you get the VFR you won't regret it. Go from a 'La-z-boy with Wheels' to a REAL motorcycle! (Sorry cruiser lovers) No really, your riding skills and fun factor will improve exponentially with the right tool (VFR) for the job! Enjoy!

 

Warning: be prepared for smooth powerful engine, strong modulated ABS brakes, great handling, comfortable but sporty riding position, Honda reliability, low maintenance, low insurance rates; besides all that the VFR is a decent bike. It looks like a well set-up bike, I would only add a PC3. The price is probably not too far off, It's hard to find good ABS VFRs with factory cases (they are very expensive to add later), It possibly could be had for a little less. Good luck.

 

An excellent description of the VFR and the accessories all useful, with Staintunes a PC3 should not be required. :thumbsup:

 

There is a bonus too,if you sell all the tools needed for harley you can buy two VFRs:thumbsup:

 

My experience has been not to low ball someone when trying to purchase something used. Lowballing does work some of the times but believe it or not I've more often had people take offense to my lowball offers and they simply turned around and walked back into their house refusing to talk to me any more even if I decided to offer full price afterwords. At $6500 that bike would be a good deal IMHO since it is ABS, has fairly low mileage, luggage, and has most of the goodies that you would want. Asking for a reduction in price is not unreasonable but asking for $2000 off the list price could be insulting and you may blow your chance to get a nicely equipped bike for a fair price. Don't forget also that the riding season is just starting and there will be many more people looking to buy. If you find something you like make a fair and reasonable offer that will make both you and the seller happy!! Good luck.

Regards,
Rollin

 

I'll just echo everybody else's statements about the thrill of the transition.

I have ridden a variety of bikes and my last was an 1100 Honda Shadow Spirit that I was pretty happy with until I took a ride on a VFR. My comments to my riding buddy (who moved on from a Nomad to a Strom) was: "now I get it!" I bought a "new" '06 last year and put 17,000 klicks on it - love it.

The VFR is just a very sweet ride. You won't regret the move over.:thumbsup: