New guy, looking at purchasing a VFR

Hello everyone, my name is Eric. I currently own a 2005 CBR 600RR and I'd like to convert it strictly to a track bike and pick up a 6th Gen. VFR for a street bike. The VFR stands out to me as a well rounded bike that is comfortable & practical enough for a daily commuter yet still sporty enough to have fun on the weekends.

My main concerns are reliability as well as rider and passenger comfort. Hopefully the VFR's are as trouble free as my CBR, but understandably my wife doesn't enjoy the back of the 600RR too much. I'd like a bike where we can cruise around for a couple hundred miles without her experiencing too much discomfort.

What would be considered a good deal for a 6th gen with less than 10k miles? I've seen a few on ebay for around $6500 B.I.N., is that about the average? Any known issues I should look out for? Anywhere online I can check out stuff like hard cases, heated grips, etc.? Trying to research up a bunch before I dive in!

Thanks for the help, if anyone wants to meet up for a ride in Jacksonville give me a shout!

 

Here's a picture of the RR before my last trackday @ Jennings GP.

 

Hey Eric...i have a 6th gen VFR 800 and to be honest with you it is the most comfortable most balanced bike ive ever sat on. It is totally different than the cbrs though...I like the feel of the vfr much better...i rode a 2008 cbr1000rr today and couldnt wait to get back on my VFR...and as for passenger comfort the cbr doesnt even compare...the VFR is much for passenger friendly and much more comfortable for a long ride...in my honest opinion its the perfect all around bike i wouldnt trade min for anything

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm definitely not looking to replace the CBR, I just want to convert it to a track only bike and pick up a more practical bike for street riding. I'm really interested in setting up the VFR with hard cases, heated grips, etc. to use it for year round commuting as well as the weekend getaways.

 

well the VFR is definetly what you are looking for then...its a GREAT bike for the daily commute...its an all around smooth bike...and to top it all off its got plenty of power...idle to 7000 rpm its a strong bike but at 7000 rpm the vtec kicks in and it turns into a whole different bike....u can seriously feel the difference BIGTIME...i love that feeling lol...im a tall guy and the bike fits me really well and i really like bieng able to sit ALOT more upright than on the cbrs but for what you are saying you really couldnt go wrong with the VFR and i have rode mine EVERYDAY EVERYWHERE i go ever since i bought it...i love it lol

 

As far as reliability, I would say the VFR is the most reliable sportbike ever made. I mean that. Can anyone think of any sportbike that has the bulletproof rep the VFR has?

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

Oh and by the way....ur cbr is a really nice lookin bike...and im sure it handles great too

 

Hi Eric, welcome to forum. I have 6th gen and I love it. I have a friend that has a 600RR almost identicle to yours that I have ridden several times. The VFR is close to 200LBS heavier than the CBR, but once it is rolling you really won't notice the difference. They can hang with the CBR's & R1's pretty much anytime of the day. They are more comfortable, however the passenger portion of the seat doesn't have as much padding as the drivers half. I have taken sveral people for rides on my VFR and only a couple have said that for longer rides they would want more padding. So to solve this problem I recently picked up on another used seat that I am going to add more padding to the entire seat, focusing more on the passenger section. This should make everyone happy on long rides. As far as the reliabilty, they are every bit as good as your CBR. Just try to keep up on the regular maintenance and you should be smooth sailing all the time. If you haven't noticed already mine has had most of the mods done to it that can be done easily(to a degree they were easy). So you can have fun with them too.:wink:

 

Welcome to the forum! Right up front, there are only three things I don't like about my '07:

1. Sidewinds are a chore, compared to a naked bike
2. Having to pay attention to the speedometer so often
3. There are many "single use fasteners" on things like the front brake calipers, which are supposed to be replaced and not reused. Want to change a front tire? Buy some new caliper bolts...

Other than some occasional electrical gremlins that seem to be corrected by a factory recall/fix, the 6th Gens seem to be pretty bulletproof, from my recollection of the posts I've read through. I don't remember any major issues, other than the linked brakes rarely causing a problem or two.

Oh, yeah, a few links;

TwistedThrottle.com : ...by What Fits My Bike - Honda - VFR800 Interceptor VTEC, '02- -

Motorcycle Parts, Motorcycle Accessories by BikeBandit.com

Motorcycle Accessories from California Sport Touring, Inc.

 

Thanks!

I do like the way this bike handles but I was having some problems getting a good rebound setting at the track as evidenced by the tire wear. Right now I'm watching the suspension setup video's Dave Moss of Catalyst Racing put out so hopefully I'll be able to clean up the wear pattern a little.

 

I'm sure the old lady will feel like she's riding on a Lazy-boy compared to the bike I have now. I was looking at one for sale on ebay and the guy already had a Corbin seat on it, maybe I can talk her into it!

I keep thinking that I'd keep this bike stock except for mods for comfort & practicality but I should probably be a little more honest with myself.

 

LGN001, I know what you are talking about with the "torque to yield" bolts, they are on the CBR calipers as well.

I've been reading up on the site and I can't really find any complaints about reliability so to have a clean slate on the internet is saying something. I figured Honda would have their stuff together. Thanks for the links, Twisted Throttle is a new one to me.

 

ive had NO trouble with mine and the previous owner didnt either...but ive only got 3400 miles on it

 

Yeah, my friend with the 600RR says its like the cadilac of bikes when he's ridin it.

 

I had a RC-51 before my VFR. It was a lot faster. Now that I'm older and wiser comfort is important. Sargent seat upgrade is nice on VFR. 150+ mile days no problem.

 

I went from riding cruisers to a 2k VFR and never looked back. I still like the 5th Gen VFR the best even though you do need to upgrade the wire harness and Rectifier. The VTEC 6Th Gen is a great bike also, but my personal opinion is to get a 2005 - 2009 6th Gen VFR and set it up with the Leo Vince or Two Bros. pipes and a Power Commander. The VFR is a low maint. and reliable bike that is a great daily ride, and is also good for trackdays, twisty runs and touring 2 up. For two up touring I would get a set of the Givi saddlebags and a Sargent seat. I would also get gel type grips and uprade the levers. I also recommend upgrading to a Zero Gravity Double Bubble windscreen and a good tankbag. Enjoy and be safe.

 

I wonder if this guy ever got his VFR? He hasn't been around since June 2011 and all six of his posts are on this thread.

 

@ Emon. A friend has put some off road bike grips on his last few bikes and they are a great addition. They are thicker so your grab on them is far less cramping for long hauls.