New guy in Indianapolis currently shopping for a 4th or 5th Gen

Hey Guys,

My name is Mitch. I'm a Master's of Public Health student and soon to be owner of my 2nd V4 Honda. I have had this 1994 Magna for almost 2 years and have loved it dearly so I thought why not add another V4 to the stable. I've had V-Twins and Inline 4's and I just adore the smoothness and the sound of the Honda V4's.

I have not yet decided between a 4th or 5th gen. I have done a ton of research and am leaning towards a 5th but have yet to see a 4th in person or ride one so I hate to make up my mind before experiencing both but I may not have a choice. There doesn't seem to be any 4th gens anywhere near me and there are a lot of 5th gens for decent prices.

 

Hi Mitch, I think I have been following you in the other forum.

Does carburetor vs. fuel injection invoke any personal feelings for you? Do you enjoy working on carbs? Also the carb provides that organic feel of engine operation while the EPA is able to strictly regulate how the fuel injection operates. Some of that can be overcome with aftermarket solutions, but a purist may have harder feelings on the topic.

I am a fifth gen owner but love the look of the NACA ducts on the 4th gen!

This is a unique bike an you certainly don't find the selection such as when looking for an inline-4.

I bought mine as my first bike, completely blind. It was a completely emotional decision, partially driven by the horde of people who immediately suggest, "get the fifth gen it is the best." I would be happy to be buried with this bike!

 

I personally prefer carburetors to injection in most scenarios as I actually feel that carbs provide better throttle response when tuned correctly. They're also much cheaper and easier to tune. I've had many issues with EFI in the past with modified cars and while I don't anticipate that being an issue with a bike (because I don't plan on heavily modifying the engine) I still prefer the simplicity of the carbs. This originally led me to lean towards a 4th gen.

However, in reading several dozen reviews of the 5th gen, I found that it was widely praised for it's more upright seating position(which I prefer), better instrumentation, and slightly more rev happy and charismatic engine. Add to that the louder cam whine from the relocation in '98, better brakes(I don't mind the linked brakes), the better availability of parts, and the fact that I can actually find one in my area to buy and it seems that a 5th gen will likely be the winner.

I really wish I could see and ride a 4th gen before making the decision but that doesn't look like it's going to happen. There simply aren't any withing a few hundred miles of me.

 

Mitch,

I have a 4th gen (97) that I love. I chose it over the 5th gen when I purchased it. My hubby has the 5th gen (00) and he loves his. Two different machines. Better brakes on the 5th gen, quicker throttle also. Seating position isn't as comfortable on the 5th gen for me. Different stance also. I feel like the 5th gen is more stout when I ride it. (Just my impression). After riding both, I would still choose the 4th gen.

 

Can you explain the different in comfort between the two? What makes the 4th more comfortable for you and what are your measurements (height, inseam, etc)? Also, does the 5th gen have a louder cam whine with it being relocated? Lastly, regarding your throttle response statement, has your 4th gen been rejetted at all? I find the throttle response lacking on carbed bikes because they're often too lean but once they're jetted properly it's perfect. Thanks.

 

Mitch,

I am 5' 8", inseam is about 33" heading toward 32". My 4th gen 97 is stock mechanically, with a corbin seat, and just recently installed Helibars. The throttle response is slower than the 5th gen because it is carbs and not FI. When we first acquired the 5th gen, the throttle response was way too touchy for me, because I was used to carbed bikes. Since then, I have acquired several FI machines and have developed the sensitivity necessary to ride them comfortably. The 5th gen has a slightly higher gear whine, but not much. I like the more throaty one of my 4th gen. My 4th gen has many more miles (33k) then the 5th gen (6k), so the engine sounds might have mellowed a little with age.

The seating on my 97 is approx 1" lower than the 00 (according to "cycle-ergo.com") with a stock seat. My 97 has a corbin seat (which allows me to move front to back easily) and stretch a little. The stock seat on the 00 was not as roomy and was changed to a sargeant, which is more confining for me. I just feel more compacted on the 00 overall.

I have arms that at longer than normal by 1.5", so I sit almost upright on both bikes, with very little lean on my hands. I did just install Heli-bars on my 97 and it is much more comfortable on distance rides than before. (Old wrists are a pain)

Check out the http://www.cycle-ergo.com website to compare the ergonomics for each bike with your stats. I use it all the time to get an idea how I will feel when riding a particular bike.

 

That site it very useful. I looked into that when I was changing bars on my V star a few months back.

Here is how it broke down the difference between the two bikes for my size (5' 8", used 30" inseam although I'm not sure of that).

4th gen with stock seat and heli bars
Seat height: 31.1"
Forward lean 27 degrees
Knee Angle: 77 degrees
Hip angle: 68 degrees

5th gen with stock seat and heli bars
Seat height: 32.2"
Forward lean: 24 degrees
Knee Angle: 79 degrees
Hip Angle: 75 degrees

Honda 599 with Stock seat and Ultra-low bars (my old ride)
Seat height: 31"
Forward lean: 28 degrees
Knee angle: 76 degrees
Hip angle: 71 degrees

I didn't hate the riding position on the 599 although I would have preferred to sit a tad more upright, and the seat sucked. It's forward lean with the low bars was an inch more aggressive than the 4th gen and four inches more aggressive than the 5th gen. I'm not sure what my take away is from this, just putting it out there.