Looking at a 2000 VFR 800, what to look out for?

Hey, I appologize in advance if this has been discussed, was just hoping to have some specific responses to my specific situation.

I am a new rider (looking at my first bike) got my M2 on August 2nd. I've done the safety course (best money I ever spent) and after looking long and hard, I think a VFR 800 is the bike for me; the main reason being my height of 6'4". I feel way too cramped on bikes like a Kawi 650R Ninja.

I have found what I think to be a good deal, on a 2000 VFR 800, in the elusive green. The bike has 40,000km or so, and according to the seller it's spotless. Never been down, dropped, anything. The problem I have is I'm 1000km away. I do however have a friend that is into bikes, races em, etc, (has a 2003 Honda 954) that said he can go look at the bike on Saturday.

The owner of the bike bought it off his friend in 2002 (his friend then bought a 2002 VFR), and has owned and garaged it since. The tires are 3 years old with safety-able tread still on them. Which shows how little use the bike has had in the past 3 years.

I just need to know what to tell him to look for. The things I can think of is, look at the chain for wear, tires, fork seals, any type of leak, and if theres a honda genuine oil filter.
If he thinks its a good bike, I will then have the bike safetied at the local Honda shop (which has been vouched for by my friend) before I buy it.

The price, $4300; it was $5000, a week ago as the guy needs it gone as he just had twins, so now has 4 kids and needs a bigger car. Not to mention no time to ride.



Sorry my first post was so long, I'm just so pumped as this is the bike I think I've been waiting for. Here's the picture from the ad. (Looks pretty clean in this pic)

 

That is a beautiful bike. VFR's are solid and dependable and although they are pretty heavy for new riders you are probably big and strong enough to handle the bike. All VFR's prior to the 6th Gen VTEC's had problems with the charging system, specifically the R/R unit (regulator/rectifier) which converts the AC current from the stator to DC current that provides charge to the battery. Have your buddy take a multimeter with him and check the voltage at the battery while at idle (should be somewhere in the 12.5-13.5 range) and then rev the engine to about 5000rpm and measure again (should be somewhere slightly over 14v) If the voltage is reading too high you risk frying the battery and or causing the stator to fail. Anything lower than 12 volts indicates that the battery is not receiving a proper charge which can result in the battery becoming completely depleted with the bike dying at random times. This issue is well documented and you should be able to find plenty of additional info using Google or the search function here. If possible also have him remove the rear tail fairing to check the R/R itself and the plastic connector that plugs into it. Any signs of melting and/or burning would indicate a problem as well. With all pre VTEC models I would recommend upgrading the R/R to a better unit and adding a couple more ground points from the R/R. Good luck and welcome to the funny farm!!

Rollin

 

One more thing.....I think most people will agree that Honda oil filters are inferior to the other big name brands out there (this is based on actual testing and not just a personal opinion)

I personally use Puralator filters on both my bikes but many members on the board are quite happy using Mobil1, Bosch, or even Wal-Mart branded filters. The owners choice of oil filter should have no effect on your decision to buy IMO.

Rollin

 

Let me google that for you

 

You should be aware that the shift mechanism is also prone to malfunction, with missed shifts and false neutrals. This can be fixed by installation of the outrageously priced Evo Factory Pro shift kit. This is a big job. Additionally, the brakes totally suck, and you will want to change out the rubber lines for s set of Galfer stainless lines and some EBC pads. Since there are 13 lines, this is also an expensive big job. I own a 1999, and if I didn't have so much time and money invested I would go for something else! Make sure the valve clearences were checked on schedule, also not an easy job with 4 cylinders.
Some owners are too lazy to reuse all the bodywork bolts as there are many and some are finicky, requiring multiple tries and disassembly to get right.

 

1)Get him to check that there is a toolkit under the seat. It will have two C type spanners. One is to adjust the chain, other to adjust rear suspension. The tool kits are about $200- from Honda.
Check if the chain has been adjusted by the tool or a big screwdriver and hammer. The adjusting cam near the left of the back wheel will be all chewed out and hard to put a tool on if the screwdriver has been used.