Looking at 5th Gen VFR800 as first "big" bike

I've been reading and searching alot on here, and the internet in general.

Here is my story...

I've been riding for only 9 months, and have a Kawak GPX250. Here is Australia we have to ride a "LAMS" bike which is all about power to weight, for a period of 12 months. So I still have a few months on the GPX before I can get a big bike. And here is my problem. I want a 600cc to 800cc bike, fully faired, reasonably priced (new or second hand), something that is not too big for me as I like to flat foot and am 174cm tall, and I'm looking at a sports tourer / more upright riding position.

There are not many options with that criteria, but some include Ninja 650, XJ6S Diversion, FZ6R (but this bike has the throttle restricted here in Oz), and I've recently stumbled across the VFR800.

I've yet to sit on one and will be hopefully doing that today to see exactly how big it is, and far forward I have to lean.

From what I have read, the engines are bulletproof and main issues are ther reg/rec electrical issues which can be easily fixed if it already isn't. Other potential mandatory mods may include a better seat, ie Sargent seat and bar risers or helibars to lift the bars 1 to 2 inches.

So is there anything else I should be looking out for?

And without having the pleasure of riding one yet, why should the VFR go to the top of my list?

 

:welcome: to the madness
It is a bit heavy compare to sport bike, but it is v4 and comfy to ride.
Single swing arm........the list go on. Good luck keep us posted.

Cheers
Jackie Chan

 

Not that I am totally biased (ok, I'm going on my 4th VFR now, so yeah I guess I am biased) but the VFR in general is a great machine to own and the 5th gen so far is definitely my favorite. As for why should the VFR go to the top of your list, well, that would be for you to decide. Why does the VFR top MY list of bikes, well, let's see.

1. Excellent bike for commuting or touring (a better seat might be a good idea)
2. Ease of maintenance when it comes to adjusting chain, and replacing tires (due to the single side swing arm)
3. Timeless looks (IMHO) I still have people ask me if my bike is new.
4. The V4 growl is so sweet sounding, and the engine has excellent power throughout the rev range with great torque (again IMHO)
5. VFR has a good sized fuel tank giving it a great range. I have managed 350-400 km's on a single tank while still not hitting empty.
6. VFR is just as happy on the open highway as it is in the twisties. (Ok it's not a true sport bike but at least when you finish a days ride you don't need a doctor.)

I personally have a problem with chronic low back pain and find that riding the bike is actually more comfortable than sitting in the car. The VFR is certainly no light weight cruiser (at almost 500 lbs fully loaded with fuel) and in the corners may not flick as fast as say a CBR600RR, but I think it would be fair to say that you would enjoy the VFR a lot more than a true sport bike. Having ridden the Ninja 650 and the FZ6, I personally find the VFR to have better power and it is just as comfortable as the Ninja. The FZ6 is certainly a nice machine and I would say that I personally found the riding position a bit more upright and for me that put a bit more pressure on my back which for me was a deal breaker but did offer less pressure on my wrists. For me the FZ6 was a bit buzzy and I spent a lot of time shifting up and down to keep the engine in the right rev range to get the best mix of power delivery and fuel economy whereas the VFR has such good power anywhere in the rev range that I rarely feel the need to shift up and down. The V4 gives great torque from about 3000 up in my opinion and that makes riding in the twisties easy as you just need to throttle up and down and use the brakes when required.

What is the best bike for you?? Well only you can really decide that but all the bikes you have mentioned certainly have their place and are good machines in their own right. The best thing to do is to try out the bikes you like if the ability arises and make a list of what you like and don't like about each machine and decide from there.

Good luck with your search and regardless of which bike you choose Welcome to the World and keep her shiny side up.

 

If you are comfortable riding the 250, then you should be able to ride the VFR without much a problem. It will be little heavy and little aggressive ride position compare to what you have now, but this is not as hard as a super sport. Get the bike, you will like it.

 

Thanks guys.

I'll be going to sit on one at a dealer today, but won't be able to test ride it. My first task is to check out the ergos of the bike. But I must say, the more pictures I see of these, the more I am falling in love with it.

 

Be forewarned, once you have ridden a VFR, heard the exhaust, felt the surge of power that can only be delivered in such a linear fashion as a V4, you may never want to own any other kind of bike. Happened to me.............. Do I sound too much like a Honda salesman or what.

 

@zoom-zoom, thanks for the heads up.

Is there any issue with the 1998 models opposed to the 2001 models? There are several bikes here for sale ranging from 1998 to 2001 and with km's ranging from 36,000 km's to 58,000 km's. I would think condition and service history trumps all. Right?

 

I don't think there is much difference and as far as issues go the R/R like you mentioned is the big thing to look for. Good thing about the VFR is that most of the VFR owners out there are diehard nuts about their bikes and if there is something wrong (like the R/R) it has usually been fixed. One thing you may want to look at is the rear shock. If you plan to do a lot of touring with the bike and plan to ride with a passenger, the VFR was known to have a spongy rear end. I replaced the rear shock on my 2000 VFR with a rebuilt CBR929 rear shock that was supplied and modified by Jamie at Daugherty Motorsports. This modification alone made a huge difference in the bikes handling, especially when riding with a passenger. I'm not sure if getting Jamie to rebuild and send you a shock would be cost prohibitive due to shipping but a stronger shock might be worthwhile looking at. If you can find a 5th gen that already has an upgraded shock then it might be more worth considering than one without. As for mileage, my bike has 65,000 km's now and I had the valves inspected this winter and all valves were still well within specifications for adjustment and there is a guy on the site named Randy that has over 160,000 kms on his bike and it (and Randy) are still going strong. A lower mileage bike might always be better but the higher mileage ones wouldn't really bother me as long as the owner has kept up with the regular maintenance.

One difference that I can think of between the 98-99 and 2000-2001 (5th gen is 1998-2001) is that the pre 99 models had an enricher adjuster (similar to a choke I think) for cold starts on the left handlebar whereas the 2000 and 2001 model did not have this feature. 98 models and up were all fuel injected so I'm not sure what the purpose of the enricher was or why they dropped it but my 2000 has never had a problem with cold starts.

I would think condition and service history of the bike would trump most things but with a VFR it is hard to go wrong. I'm sure you will love the VFR should that be your choice.

 

Well, I went and sat on this one a local dealer had. It was a 11/97 built, so complied in 98. But was in pretty rough condition. Quite a few scratches on the fairings, the metal parts were pitted and the chain was partly white??

But I did manage to sit on it. The handle bars definetly need to be raised for my liking, so no big deal there as helibars or risers should be ok. And I couldn't flat foot it, I could only get both the balls of my feet down. So another mod that I will need to allow for is to lower the bike. I beleive that I have a few options;
- take it out of the seat
- adjust the stock triangle piece

Is this correct? anyone performed this? Or should I go for a new custom triangle piece and dog bone?

All in all I now know to factor in a few suspension mods to lower the bike so the I can comfortably flat foot it. And from the quick reserach that I have done, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

Shave the seat down and flip the triangle if you are on a budget.

 

And if I wasn't on a budget?

 

Check out this company called Lust Racing. I know they make lowering triangle kits for the 5th gen VFR800 (1998-2001). They are located in the UK.

Honda VFR800 Vtec lowering kit 2002-2012 | Honda VFR800 interceptor lowering kit | Lust Racing lowering links & brackets

 

Cheers.

So now the hunt begins for a bike in decent condition. Oh and it has to be red !

Hopefully I find one and have a few months to mod it whilst I can't ride it.

 

hard to go wrong with a vfr, best real world bike ever made. Not that I'm biased or anything.

 

lol/wink,...I concur w/ALL the above! The VFR is my daily Rider...and has performed flawlessly!
When I feel the Need-for-Speed....the RC51 kicks in! Good Luck!

 

Well, have found the bike. 1998 VFR. It's 1,000 is away from me, so I have lots and lots of pics from the dealer, and the pics look god so far. It has 52,000 km's, and I have spoken to the service place that would have performed any likely services, and all I can gather is that it had an oil and filter change at 45,000kms and the new rear tyre at 48,000kms.

So will be calling the dealer tomorrow to see if we can strike a deal.

 

Good luck and don't forget to post up some pics when you brong her home.

 

Done, agreed a price and put a deposit on her.

Now to research my list of mods!!!

Very excited, should take possession in 3-4 weeks.