Talk me into a VFR with your honest opinion?

Hi all, I have been searching for a 98-01 vfr800. I have a 5 year background with super sport replica bikes like 06 zx6r, 05 r6, r1 etc. At that time, I rode the twisties a lot but after each 80 mile ride, my wrist was in pain.

I am finally looking for a sport touring bike; a bike I can ride comfortably for a long time and maybe even commute. Im also looking at other ST bikes as well.

All the bikes Ive owned was under 400 lbs. The vfr is almost 100 lbs heavier... To vfr owners that have owned sports bike, how was the change??

I am also 5'6" and only 145lbs. I am concerned on backing the bike and parking it. I hate getting off bike to push/pull it into place.

Well, please convince me

UPDATE 10/11/2013 : Bought a 2000 VFR800. Thank you all.

Thanks!

 

Firstly, welcome to the site. Afraid I can't say too much as I stepped up to the VFR in terms of power, you will be stepping down from the the R1 so the weight and lower power may be an issue. Also can't speak for your weight and height, but sure others will. That said, it didn't get it's good reputation as an all rounder for nothing. Reliable (save for dodgy R/R's), tourquey, capable in the right hands and fairly forgiving in the wrong ones. Think the 98-01's still had the gear driven cams if you care about such things.

 

Welcome to the madness. I was in the same spot that you are in now about three years ago. This is just my 2 cents. If what you are looking for it a daily rider and something to take long trips on with you being 5-6 i would suggest stepping up to a 02 or new Vfr. Let me give you some reasons be for i get bashed by all the 5th gen owners. I have had a 5th gen for the past 3 years (a 2000 yellow one). I am 6ft-2 and i had an issue after i put on a Sargent seat (you will want if you plan to put any time in the saddle) i could no longer flat foot on the right and left at the same time. I loved the bike never had one issue with it. Some parts where getting hard to find here but not a big deal. The motor gives off a very unique sound. You could always lower the bike down a bit to help out. Now for the 02 and up. I bought a 07 RWB VFR back in sep and love the bike more then my 00. I have done a lot to this bike in the last month, starting with two brother exhaust, Sargent seat, power commander with auto tune, Hid headlight. bike came with factory side bag, i just added the top case mount. The seat is a tad bit lower and that really helps with the stress on my wrist. i also have the heli bars. Long story short as far as comfort to me the 6th gen is a much more comfy ride for me.

 

Welcome to The World! At 5'8", I am only slightly taller than you and can say that I am right at the cusp of the limit before having to tippy toe at stop lights. There are quite a few things that you can do to lower the seat height, in fact there are probably as many threads on height changing as there are on which tires or oil to use, well maybe not that many, but there are quite a few which you can do a search for. I think the 5 Gen should be fine for you as the seat heights on the 5/6 Gens are really about the same. If you are more "sport" oriented, I would stick with the 5 Gen, not that the 6 Gen isn't sporty, IMHO the 5 Gen just feels like it is more sporty. Not only in the handling but in the sound and feel of the motor.

Having both a 5 Gen and 6 Gen, I can tell you that I live both to death, but I purposely bought the 5 Gen for sport riding and for track days and prefer it over the 6 Gen for this type of riding. It's not that the 6 Gen isn't capable of being sporty, I just set mine up for touring and commuting and it's meant for that purpose (for me). That being said, someone had just posted recently here on the forum a "blurb" in the Oct 2013 Sport Rider magazine about the 5 Gen (1998) being one of the best used bikes in the US (Top 25), so that may add credibility to the 5 Gen as well.

Cheers

 

Thank you all for the replies. I am set on a 5th gen as my budget is under $4000 and I am in San Francisco where things are much pricier.

Im not concerned about its handling capabilities as I wont be riding as crazy as I was years ago on the twisties. I imagine the vfr is not as flickable like the lighter bikes but again thats okay with me.

Im most concerned about my height and the weight of the bike. Hopefully someone similar to my stature can chime in.

Im looking for one to test ride. I guess thatll be my best bet but hearing positives make me want it more!!

 

How is a 2000 vfr800 with 14k miles all stock for $3,500 sound? Just want some input on price around the country.

 

:welcome: to the nuts house :wave:
Look like it did not take much to convience you to get a VFR
I am your height (just a bit shoerter) and weight and have no issue. I just roll the bike out from the parking and hop on and go.
I like to be able to pull her out while sat on her but Oh well vertical challenge and I will deal with it. Look on the bright side you are not pulling out the parking all day.....You suppose to ride her. Now go get a 6th gen and hook up with the North Cal boys and ride

 

5'6 here. first day had the stock seat trimmed down, then added Lust Lowering Links....(make sure you shorten kickstand) and always back bike up off it with kickstand down (movin into parking if cant ride in and around garage) never in a rush to drop it. JMTC

 

For reference I bought my 2001 for $3,000.00 back in April and it was in good condition, it had some scars on the plastics from a tip over and 16K on the ODO and is 100% stock other than a painted windscreen.

 

3500 to 4K you can get a 6th Gen
Just take your time look for the one that :love: your heart tell you.

 

Hi xhife & welcome. I'm 5'7" & 120lbs and have a 2000 since april & love it to death! I chose the 5th gen over the 6th because of the gear cam train; 6th gen has chain driven cams & VTECH (more mechanically complex). I still have the stock seat & for sure only tip-toe with both feet. If I shift my butt cheek left or right respectively I can flat foot at stops. So far that hasnt caused me any problem. I maneuver the bike with the sidestand down & use my body for guiding it rather than just my arms 'cause I'm not that strong
Hope that helps

 

At only 5'4" i can't hope to flat foot on my '97 or '86 but don't feel i need to, i'm just fine and in control, no problems so far.

Seems like riders who insist upon lowering their bikes maybe just bought bikes too big for them, dunno ?? Common mistake is to immediately decide the new bike's too tall before putting at least 500 miles on it, allowing a steady increase in confidence and familiarity.

 

Is there an official fix for the rectifier problem? Does it affect the 00-01 as badly as the older models?

 

I wouldn't call any of the fixes "official", however there are two things that should keep you motoring on and that have helped many riders out there.

1. 1998 Honda VFR800 Street Bike*Hot Shot Rectifier-Regulator Aftermarket Parts

2. Wire My Bike

Like you, I am looking for a 5th gen, and I already have those two items packed and ready to take a trip with me, to wherever I find my bike. Each is a 15 minute quick job, and having a spare R/R on you at all times, especially on long trips is good peace of mind.

I went through 2 R/R's on my 96 in about 10,000 miles. Once I put both of these on, and changed the battery at the same time, I never had a single issue in the next 30,000 miles of riding.

To answer your original question, I have only ever ridden a 96VFR. I put over 40,000 miles on that bike in 5 years, and it was taken away from me in an accident. Now that I am getting back on the saddle, I will not consider anything else other than another 4th or 5th generation. My girlfriend continues to notice the time I spend looking for one of these, and I think she is getting tired of me spending all my free time on my search for a beautiful version. She asked me the other day "why are you only looking for that specific bike for?"....."why don't you test ride something else?".

I told her it's not even an option, will not consider it. Paired with a good slip on (Staintune), the sounds these bikes make will have you hooked in seconds, also coupled with good power, the refinement you usually only find in German cars, with Japanese reliability, it can't be beat.

I have test rode the rivals to the VFR, including more recent versions from Ducati (S2R, S4R) Triumph (Sprint) and BMW (F800ST). Those newer bikes had better suspension, and did feel a little more planted, however they were missing the wow factor. Line the best most recent, more expensive versions of those bikes, next to a 4th or 5th gen, and I will take the VFR hands down, every single time. Not even a question.

Find yourself a 4th or 5th gen, however when you do, make sure it's a clean version.

 

:hss: are you kidding me :scared:
Now I don't feel to bad....glad to know a white man smaller than me :biggrin:
Sorry for the hi jack

 

But Scuba, you're riding a dinosaur in your avatar dude. Always thought you were larger than life.

To xhife

My apologies as well for the thread jack. My wife finally decided on a bike that she wanted to own, a 1996 VFR750. Granted the 96 is is a 4th gen and from the feel of it I would say the 5th gen is a bit bigger when I test my 5th gen against the 4th gen my wife just bought. There was a lot of deliberation on her part and she is also 5'-4" and 125 lbs and feels more than comfortable moving the bike around. She finds the seat height is a bit too tall for her to move comfortably but says a set of lowering triangles would solve the seat height issue.

The only thing she doesn't enjoy is putting the bike on the center stand, but that is just a pet peeve for her. The last bike she owned was a CBR600 and she likes the VFR better in just about every way except one. She has heard too many stories about R/R troubles. Good thing for her is that being her husband and the owner of a number of VFR's I am no stranger to replacing the R/R. All you need is a newer style MOSFET r/r like the ones from Wire My Bike and you should be good to go.

Good luck with your purchase and we (my wife and I, and indeed the rest of us here) have no doubt that you will love the VFR.

 

I've always thought that on the street- it is more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. The VFR has just enough power to romp through the gears around town having fun. Additionally, you can maintain that fun for much longer than a dedicated SuperSport bike.

-Drew

 

Thats exactly what I need.

2000 27k miles for $2,800 a okay deal?

 

Since I never looked into vfrs until now, its hard to get a good price knowledge. I really want to spend 3000 and rest for mods to make it mine

 

I have a perfect 5th gen for sale for you....make an offer....it is in the classifieds