new to VFR's pretty sure i can't keep it.

i just brought home an 03 vfr800 last weekend. sharp bike, little roughed up from a low side but not too bad. nothing i couldn't fix in a weekend. ive oggled over VFR's most of my life, they are beatiful, and while the 94-97 is my dream bike, this 2003 was close to me and in my price range so i scooped it up. im a sport bike guy, but ive been stuck riding an ascot for the last couple of seasons due to budgetary limitations. the ascot is about as far from 'sport bike' as one could get so i sat on the VFR and smiled from ear to ear. sadly my excited dimmed shortly after.

first things first, luckily, this was the NON-ABS model. after everything else, i would not have brought it home if it had been ABS. second, the linked brakes SCARE THE CHIT out of me. i grew up on dirt bikes ATV's, and sport bikes. even the weight of this bike is not the end of the world, and i like the linear power and even the spike from VTECH is nothing. like i said, my very first street legal bike was a (non street legal race prepped) cbr600 f2. the ride through town had me smiling and grinning but then frowning and fearing any time i had to slow down, towards the end i was pre-braking and simply idling around corners, with the sad feeling of not being able to wait until i was OFF of the VFR.

ive been searching the forums and found the de-link kits for not a lot of money. and while that seems like a good start, i can already see some short comings in other areas, most notably forks. then there is all the flapper and PAIR junk that could go. i would bump the tail up and swap the entire heavy subframe... but im seeing a lot of work and i would be turning a competent sport touring bike into a wannabe sport bike. do i keep it and try to grow familiar with it? try just the de-linked brakes? do i go all out and make it a wannabe sport bike? do i part ways before i turn it into an unsalable monster and get something more akin to my riding style? even though it looks so nice.

 

honestly the linked brakes seem to be functioning correctly, i can feel them grab in proportion to rather the front or rear lever is pulled in. and its smooth and not squishy.

the forks are not great but i have been on bikes with worse. the rear shock is not terrible. ride a superhawk once and you will love your stock suspension.

flapper, PAIR, and coolant lines to throttle bodies, i gut this stuff to simplify whats on the bike. less stuff to fail. rather it does anything to the power or throttle i doubt.

i out-ride kids on litter bikes on my ascot...

im not afraid of a project but i also do not like making things decrees in value in case something happens and i need some cash.

im still so confused....

 

I was of the opinion that linked brakes were gonna suck oot loud but they have grown on me quickly and can't imagine not having them.

 

good to hear, honda does have reliability and always will

i drive manual tranny cars with no ABS no power steering, no ASM, no traction control, no whizz-bang junk that makes 'the average joe safer' and honestly im a proponent of having better DRIVERS not 'safer cars'. i also am known to ride in the rain, and this is a farm community so the occasional dirt road may come up, seriously, its not uncommon to see street bikes traversing dirt roads around here.

i can see this being a great sunny day sport tourer. that's about as practical here as a Porsche pulling a grain trailer would be.

 

i grew up trail braking, i can not NOT do it.

i am o.k. with both tires locking up on a motorcycle, but i want it to be from actions i CHOSE to employ.

 

anyone wanna trade a lightly rashed 2003 bone stock vfr800 non-abs model with 16,000 miles for....something else?

will get pics momentarily actually. gunna run home for lunch and snap a few.

i love the LOOK of VFR's i love the sound of the v4....

 

The only time I have had an issue with the rear locking up it was just before it lifted off the ground, not common during normal riding. You may be over estimating what the system is capable of.

 

Tink speaks the truth.
In your first post you mention the linked brakes and forks. Some ppl on here have done complete fork swaps, you can kill three birds with one stone (linked brakes, better brakes, better forks).
I'm surprised to hear of your dissapointment in how it handled. Most regard this bike as very easy to ride. Even with the stock suspension I felt pretty confident flicking it through the twistys. It is a bit of a pig at low speeds.
I understand your issue, it sounds like it's going cost some money to turn this bike into what you want it to be.

 

I tend to agree with Tink,
It sounds like you are looking for an RC51. Search your feelings and if running at 9/10 is what you intend to do, you have the wrong bike there. It can be ridden fast and it is forgiving but the looks are deceiving. It appears to be something it really isn't, a hard core sport bike. What it really is, is a refined, comfortable, smooth, good looking, awesome sounding (with pipe) sport touring all rounder. Hit the track for a day, haul the wife for a weekend, tour the continent, 800 mile days, best friend forever that never says no, even when the asphalt turns to dirt. It's a compromise but hey, what are you giving up?

That said, I would also offer that if you can feel the linked brakes doing their thing, they ain't doing their thing properly. I've run these things into Canada corner at Road America with the front tire howling on the verge of lock up and it worked flawlessly. I was sceptical in the begining but they won me over and now I'm a believer. I haven't tested the ABS to the limit yet so no comment on that evolution.

 

Same here.
When braking at or near the limit, the rear is so light that it locks with only a thought. Even when trail braking, the rear will only tollerate mild application. Any more and you get the most unpleasant results.

 

This is my vote for best post so far.

 

i'm still so torn. the things i like are so numerous, the things i don't like are not truly major. your right, fork swap and pretty much all the issues go away. the probelm is if i go swapping forks and de-linking and changing the suspension the resale value goes out the window unless i save all the stock stuff and swap back or part out. i don't mind some minor repairs, but i do not need another full on project vehicle, i have several already. and this bike is fairly low miles and bone stock, i dont feel like popping its cherry. it is not mint, but with a little TLC it could be a nice stock touring bike for the next 10+ years.

the bike is very dirty, it has been an outside bike most of its life, then it was a stock red bike that was painted black and then it was laid over. a good wash and wax and buff would get a lot of this out but really the right fairing needs respraid to be 100%.

 

about the RC51, honestly i would take an RC51 or a rotax aprilia in a heart beat.

 

Well, if I got a good deal on the bike and was stuck riding an Ascot I think what I would do is clean her up, repair and mechanical/electrical problems with the bike and winter her over at the homestead....


And, if by spring she hasnt stolen your heart I'd hang a shingle on her and see how much cash I could raise for "the next one."


But, if she steals your heart that gives you all winter to aquire parts and decide on the custom paint color.


I really like the linked brakes on my ST (I havent found my VFR yet, though I'm still looking) and they have saved my bacon on this barge I call a bike twice.

Honda got their linked brakes and ABS right...So much so that I wont buy non-ABS on a new bike ever again.....



Now if I could just find "my Gen III" while the cash is still in the checkbook!!!

 

It sounds like the wrong bike for you. Maybe a dual sport or adventure bike sounds more in line with the type of riding you will do. I know if I had the money I would have a Yamaha super tenre in my garage.