Buying soon. Questions on touring, handlebars, riding position

Hello VFR riders!

Let me introduce myself. I am a relatively new rider living in Tampa Bay Florida. I have been riding for a few months now using a 09 Ninja 250r for daily commuting to work and have been wanting a bigger bike since my second week of riding the 250(going 75mph on the causeway is killing with having the bike at 10k+ rpms).

I am 23 years old, but I am a very practical person. The following is what I am primarily looking for in a bike

• Comfortable riding position for daily commuting as well as 200-400 mile trips
• Fuel effecient - hoping to get at least 50mpg
• Engine with great torque for getting out of trouble while riding under 60mph
• Bike that can ride 2up comfortably
• Bike that is going to last forever if I take care of it
• Bike that will cost me under $3000 to purchase

I have been primarily looking at an SV650 as my next bike and a little at a versys and the vstrom, but the versys and vstrom are out of my price range. I only stumbled upon the VFR 750's today. I am doing my research and it looks like they are great bikes even if I get an old early 90s bike and I can pay under $3000 for it. My primary concern right now is will the bike be comfortable.

I have read a lot of posts on the internet saying they are very comfortable bikes, but to me it looks like it is closer to a sportbike riding position though not quite that bad. What I really want to know is if I buy a VFR 90-97 model is it possible to convert the clipons to handlebars for more of a standard riding position? Or do you think it is not really necessary for it to be comfortable?

 

I don't have anything bad to say about the SV650, particularly the 'S' model, although with lower bars, isn't really a sports bike crouch. The motor should last forever & you should be able to get a good one for $3000. Same thing for the strom, if you could pick up either models with the 1000cc (TL) motor you would be a lot happier. The 650cc is willing but the bigger donk is the pick & you can scare the crap out of Ducati riders, the pillion perch on the SV's is ok for shortish runs. Never liked the Versys. The VFR does not really have clip on's (not the ones that I've seen), but it seems to me that your looking for a bike with an upright posture. So the naked SV's & the strom would suit you better, but you get used to forward riding position on the VFR very quickly.

 

Hello,
I picked up a 96 vfr750 principally for doing road trips in to Europe and round the UK. I am a scrawney 6 foot type and I find it remarkably comfortable even as standard.
Riser clipons are quite a popular option and I was considering them but to be honest I'm not sure I need them myself.
Wind protection is good (although mine has a double-bubble) so I dont have to crouch down even at a fast cruise.

Certainly the fasted armchair I've ever sat on ;-)
Its a cliche but it really seems to live up to its rep as a good all-rounder. Handles well at low speed (heavy but stable), handles well at high speed (as long as the tyres and suspension are in good order) and will go like shit off a shovel when needed (I nudged 130 on my private proving ground last night ;-)

I reckon 50 mpg might be optimistic tho.

Bike cost me 1000 sterling. I reckon Ill spend 500 or so on top of that on new tyres/disks and one or two other bits.
Main issues with these are the reg/rec and rusty zorst-pipes

Cheers
Rich

 

Hi Jamie - first of all, welcome aboard, even if you don't have a VFR yet. The VFR, from what I have observed and gathered here, is pretty comfy if you are around 5'8" give or take a couple of inches. I'm 6'2", and found the riding position to be a bit cramped on my 2000 with stock set up. (btw, I picked up my 2000 5th gen for under 3k) I added heli bars to raise the handlebars up just over an inch and back a little bit, also Larry's lowering blocks (search for busylittleshop in the search box). The lowering blocks lowered the footpegs about 1 1/2 inches, and the riding position is much more comfortable.
The VFR is a great handling bike, looks great, and is rock solid dependable as long as you are aware of some of the electrical issues with these models (rectifier/regulator issues on some models). All are fixable with a little time and wrenching skills, and the result will be a bike that will serve you well for years. The strom and the versys are both much more upright seating positions, and depending on your build/height/age you might lean towards one of those.
Good luck whatever you decide to buy!

 

Hate to put it like this but.... you have come to the VFR website and asked if the bike is comfortable. Of course we we're gonna say it is the best bike in the whole world!!!! (cue applause)
:vtr2:

Of course its comfortable, but you may have to do some tweeking to fit it to yourself. Having ridden the Strom I really like the VFR for long hauls. (Rode from La-Ga-Nc-Tn and back in a week) Replaceing OEM parts with heli bars (which I have) and Sargent seat (which I would like to have) and a throttle lock help. The trip I took I had little to no issues with comfort. As far as 50 mpg might be a stretch. The bike can go for about 200 miles per tank. I think that is just far enough to put some distance behind you and stop so you can hydrate and refuel yourself and the bike.

The trip that I took from Louisiana to Georgia and back..... on the return trip I did that in one day (12 hours). I had a little soreness from the ride but who wouldnt after that long of a trip. I still got back on the bike the next day and went for a ride with some friends.

Whichever way you decide have fun and good luck. If you decide to get the Viffer please allow me to send you a preemtive "welcome to the Nut House" aka. VFRWorld

 

$3000.00 this will be tough :decision:
a 5th gen would be an ideas, this bike go over 100k miles
Two up is no issue but will not get 50 MPG
Heli bar and Sargent seat will help with long commute
Wait............you will be over the budget.

 

Im 29, 5'9, around 150lb and got a 98 vfr800 and i have no issues with the comfort. Then again im not hard to please and I will make due with anything I have with no complaints. This is also the newest and best condition bike ive ever had so I appreciate it a lot more. I got it for $2700 and get about 40mpg. I dont ever ride incredibly far - 30-40 miles one way sometimes when I cruise down the coast. But i never get uncomfortable or anything. Only thing that makes it a little stressful is when its windy - my area of the island gets gusty and this bike catches some crosswind!

 

The three items I added for more comfort for myself and the wife were Heli-bars, Sargent seat, and GIVI top case with back rest pad. The first two items are more for me and the last one is more for the wife. We did at least 4+ hours a day when we attended the R3 event back on memorial day weekend and for the most part had little to no discomfort. It wasn't until the last day when we were getting close to home that a little saddle soreness started to show up. Nothing a good hot bath didn't cure.

Although the Sargent seat is fine for me, the wife feels that it could be a little more comfortable for her. If I was to do it again I would probably look for a stock seat on ebay and have it custom tailored for the both of us. The cost wouldn't be all that different but at least it would be more tailored to us.

As far as milage, ~40MPG but that was with a stock setup. I added the PCV and lost a few MPG but I prefer the smoother throttle I get with it. I bought my VFR as a daily commuter mostly because in CA we can lane spilt, which shaves a lot of time off my commute, not for the MPG. My longest commute to a job site was from Anaheim to Bakersfield and the average are 80mi RT. So far I have not felt that I made a wrong purchase.

Regarding power at or below 60MPH...depending what gear and RPM you like riding in I'd say there's pretty much always power on tap. Either slip the clutch or down shift and she's gone. With the VTEC models, get the revs close to 7k and then all four valves kick in and even more power on tap. However I doubt you'll find 6G VTEC for $3K.

As was said before, the opinions here are going to be biased toward the VFR, but there is other proof out there that says this is probably the best all around motorcycle, plenty of magazines have stated it too. I have to say that I love my Ducati and won't even think about selling it, but if I were to have to make a choice, I'd ditch the wife and keep both bikes

Cheers!

 

Take a look at the '98-'01 fuel injected 5th gens, you can pick one up for under $3K. Add bar risers and lower foot pegs if you need to. A Corbin or Sargent seat is probably a must for any gen VFR. The motor from any of these will last a long time if taken care of, I've got 80K on my '99 but have a friend who's gone past 165K on his '00.

I walked in to a Honda dealer to buy a F4i 12 years ago and explained what I wanted from a bike, basically the same stuff you listed, and they sold me on the VFR. 12 years and 80K miles and I've never regretted it.

BTW, I've averaged 40mpg over the last 5 or so years.

 

I went from the GS500 after a few months to the VFR, 80K and a decade later I'm still safely enjoying myself. It's all about the rider and with the list of wants the OP stated, the VFR would fit the bill. Still, the SV is a great bike and fills most of his wants too.

 

I started with a little Nighthawk 450 and thought it was just right to begin with. You talk to Keith Code, he says it is NOT the size of the bike that matters. He thinks the rider and their attitude is a bigger issue. He teaches everything (including the beginner courses) on BMW S1000RR's. By most of our thinking, that is a death trap for a beginner, but Code has WAY more experience and knowledge (IMHO) than anyone I have seen post on here. Not trying to hijack, just adding food for thought since this topic came up.

Jose

 

When reading the following post keep in mind I am 6'1 and 185 lbs

I have taken the rider course, and I will be taking the advanced rider course soon. If you could categorize riders I would fall into the extremely rare category of tremendously defensive and boring driver. I grew up in the country, was homeschooled until the end of highschool when I attended college classes. When I ride my bike, I don't weave through traffic, and if I need to pass someone I will sit in his mirror view until I see him make eye contact with me and then I will pass him. I am very athletic and have played sports all my life, played flag football, basketball, and baseball leagues. Was part of a hip-hop and breakdance dance team for 5 years, and I don't think riding a bike that weighs 160lbs more is going to be that hard for me to handle. I've driven the ninja with a 160lb girl on the back which makes it the same total weight but with a higher center of gravity and it was not a big difference, the main difference was the slower speed of the bike 250 trying to pull us.

I am not understanding why a VFR is going to be so much more dangerous for me than an SV650. I do a lot of research and I understand the SV650 is going to be lighter, probably better handling than even the 250 I have been on, has a linear throttle with no ramp up, and has 33% less horsepower, but almost the same torque and because of less weight they have nearly the same low-mid range acceleration.

Here is how I feel. The sv650 would probably be a much better bike for me most every day I ride which is everyday since I commute daily(I have gone around 2k miles in the last 2 months, many people don't do 2k miles in a year). Better for the commute, more fun, better MPG(around 50-55), better riding position, and better MPG, but there are two big places it falls short and one small one. When I do the long 936 mile multiday trip I am planning for late July/early August to do some missionary work I foresee the SV650 failing me. I plan on riding 7-9 hours a day and I don't want to spend the time I am suppose to be doing missionary work recovering instead. I also want a bike that is extremely reliable and that will last forever. If I get the sv650 it will certainly not be a bike I will keep for more than a couple years. If I get the 1999 VFR 800 my goal will be to put over 200k miles on it and keep it for the rest of my life even if I get other bikes I would always keep the VFR. Finally the third smaller point is if I go 2 up I think it will be far more comfortable on the VFR for the both of us than on the sv650.

If you are certain that the SV650 can do the 939 mile trip as comfortably as an SV650N with windshield and a gel seat then I will change my mind.

Right now these are the three bikes I am considering. I live in Tampa and I am visiting Daytona in a couple weeks for a camping trip. It just so happens 2 of the 3 bikes I am looking at are in daytona and I could pick it up when I am there. Also I really want a fuel injected bike and the VFR800 is the only one that is.

1999 SV650 $1600 - 99 SV 650

1999 VFR 800 $2500 - 1999 Honda VFR 800FI Interceptor

1991 VFR 750 $2750 - 1991 Honda VFR 750


So what are your thoughts after reading my post? Remember I ride every day, at least 35 miles a day for work, want to do big trips, ride 2up often, and need a bike that is reliable since it is my primary form of transportation year round.

 

Yeah I knew nothing about the heat issues. Do you really think that would be a problem? The average temperature in August here is like 91 degrees + humidity. Most of my driving is not "city" since I live in a more rural area of Tampa Bay, but I do work in the city so probably 15 minutes of each commute is city stop'n go.

 

FWIW I went from a 125 to a vfr750 (via the UK training and test on a 650) and don't find it too heavy at all.

And the main reason I bought it (after plenty of reading) is they are famous for being very well engineered and reliable (EXCEPT the R/R). They run a bit hot when doing stop start but don't have a reputation for overheating I'm aware of (although the UK aint Florida, especially this year)

Thing is if you go to a BMW forum it will be people posting endless problems with BMWs etc etc

In the UK there are loads around with well over 40K ... mine has 57...all good.

I haven't tried an SV BUT they do get good write-ups as do FZ1s. Was also looking at Yam TDMs. Dont know if you get them over there but tall bike for taller riders and have a good rep.

Personally I reckon any of them will do you ... just find a tidy local example with good service history... and beat them down if it needs tires/brakes/exhaust etc
The state of the individual machine is more important than the make/model.

cheers
RIch

 

I'd go for the '99 for sale you posted in a heartbeat if it checks out in person.

I commute year round here in the Sacramento CA valley and late-June to early-September it's 95-100 degrees every day. My 25 mile commute is no freeway, all backroads, 52 stoplights home to work. Yes the bike heats up but I've never seen 220+. The fan kicks on and it cools down immediately.

Look, based on your previous post you're a mature rider that would easily handle the VFR.

I walked in to a Honda dealer looking for a F4i and after a test ride complained about vibration and a few other things. The old codger salesman listened to me list the same things you listed and said what I was looking for was the VFR. I went out and bought an almost new one and have never regretted it. You won't either, take it easy for the first few months as you learn the power curve and then enjoy the next 200K.

 

Ok. I also understand your situation better. Get the 1999 (5th gen.) VFR, put on helibars (with longer hoses) and upgrade the reg. harness. You are light enough that the stock suspension will be fine for daily commuting. You will LOVE the bike.


Jose

 

Ok I have one other question. As I am buying the bike off of craigslist how do I verify that it is not stolen, legit title, ect.?

 

You could just verify that the sellers I.D. Matches the title.