Making the move from an old SV

Hi, I'm Blake from Norfolk, VA. I've owned an 02 SV for about 2 years now and I'd like something a little more comfortable and sporty. It came down to a Beemer or Viffer. I wanted a mid-size 4-cylinder bike with plenty of torque in the cruising range and the VFR was a better fit. I'm buying a 91 VFR on Friday.

I took it for a spin on Saturday night. After riding a Ninja 500R and an SV650 for two years, I was blown away by the VFR. It blows the SV out of the water in terms of acceleration; the torque is amazing.

Despite having a more aggressive stance than the SV, the VFR is much more comfortable to ride. The only downside I noticed was the weight, but it's manageable.

The bike needs a few things before I can ride it safely: namely, a new chain and sprockets, but I'll be replacing the gauges, rear brake lever, and rear rotor... nothing I can't do myself. I can't wait to get it back in shape and on the road!

 

Welcome to the forum, enjoy your new toy
Just ask if you have questions, you can find tons of info here and most of the people are very helpfull

 

welcome to the madness and post some pics when you get her.

 

These photos are courtesy of the current owner. He decided to paint it matte black when he repaired the fairings.

I've never painted a bike before, but I'm kinda partial to blue.

Note the severely bent brake pedal. I ordered a replacement today.

 

Here are a few more. The lighting and the camera are kinda crap, though. There are a couple places where the Plastifix is obvious, but overall it's a good-looking bike and it runs well.

 

Congrats! The 3rd Gen VFR is one of my all time favorite bikes! What is the mileage on her? I'm guessing you paid someowhere in the $1500 range?

Rollin

 

$1200. The owner was originally asking $2200 and his best offer was $1000 (don't know why he told me that). After I told him the bike was only worth $1300-1900 on KBB, he asked for $1600, but it needs to much (chain and sprockets, brake pedal, rotor, instrument cluster). I offered $1100 and he said he'd let it go for $1200.

It has 21K miles on the odometer, not that I trust that.

 

You, my friend, got one helluva a deal and a beautiful VFR. Enjoy.

 

After two rides, I can already tell this is going to be an awesome bike. It's just what I wanted: something comfortable and sporty with good torque at all RPMs.

Is it that great of a deal? The KBB trade in value was $1300 and the dealer sell price was $1900. I paid more than I wanted to, thought it has a Yosh exhaust and a Corbin seat. So far I've sunk almost $500 (none of these were surprises):

• $40 new brakes
• $183 new RK chain & steel sprockets (stock sizes)
• $77 deluxe chain tool
• $99 used rotor and brake pedal
• $87 used gauges

 

I say it's still a good deal. The brakes, chain/sprockets and tool you'd need on a newer, costlier bike. And the 3rd gen is a beautiful, and increasingly more rare, machine.

 

Welcome aboard!!! Your gonna love it here. Are you military? I'm US Navy currently deployed. I live down in Elizabeth City (about 45-60 minutes from you). If you want some help or need some tools give me a shout. I should be on leave for a month at home next weekend so I'll be available.

Just an FYI. I've been through 9 bikes in the last 7 years. I've had everything from a Triumph Speed Triple, Buell XB12S to a 6th gen VFR to a GSF400 to name a few looking for the perfect street bike. I loved the VFR the most. Climbed Mount. Washington with the wife on it, went to Canada and back from Boston, MA in 11 hours on it etc.. So, now I'm beginning my collection from old to new VFR's beginning with my 85 I recently got (and haven't even rode yet). I'm not saying your experience will be the same. I'm just saying the V4's Honda produced offer A LOT OF BANG for very little coin and can become addictive. I'm debating what to get next, a 3rd gen or a 5th gen. Maybe another 2nd gen? I don't know. Anyway, welcome again and sorry for carrying on. Good lookin '91.

Oh, another BTW. I know a great 9 mile long road on the other side of Dismal Swamp that is freshly paved, has no houses on it and only one road branches off of it with mostly curves with some fun little elevation changes. I go the speed limit every where but if I was to test the lean angle on a bike over and over and over that is where I would do it. If your interested I can show the way.

 

If the mileage is true then you got a great deal since the rear wheel alone is worth close to $300 and the Corbin seat and aftermarket exhaust easily adds another $300-$400. I would recommend also recommend some updated 5th Gen mirrors which can be bought from EMGO for $36 each (see my thread here >>> http://vfrworld.com/forums/3rd-4th-generation-1990-1997/33050-bye-bye-condom-mirrors-emgo-replacement-mirrors-my-3rd-gen.html )

Bodywork is very difficult to find for the 3rd Gen and aftermarket stuff like Airtech is abismal at best so make sure to take extra care when removing the bodywork since it is likely to be brittle with age.

Rollin

 

Oh good god, I hope the chain adjustment isn't always this horrible. Is there a trick to adjusting the chain tension? I just bought a two sided spanner and the pinch bolt is loose. I put the spanner on and turned, but I couldn't put on enough tension. I started pounding with a hammer, trying to get it to turn clockwise; it barely budged. What am I missing?

 

Are you sure it isn't already at the furthest point? If the old chain was extremely worn and stretched it was probably at the max adjustment already. What happens when you turn the other way?

Rollin

 

I bought a spanner wrench. It fits in such a way that it'll turn clockwise (to tighten) but not counterclockwise. Subsequently, I ordered the correct spanner wrench from ronayers.com; it should be here sometime next week. I can't get that thing to turn no matter what I do, and the spanner wrench I have won't fit on it in the "loosen" position.

I got aggravated and eventually just put a cover over it. Without the right tool, I think there's no hope. Perhaps it's bound up, because I did get it to turn clockwise, but it was very hard to do. I had to hit the spanner wrench hard with a hammer to get it to turn at all.

 

Those eccentrics can and do get corroded up and difficult to turn. Was this on the sidestand when you tried it? You're fighting the weight of the bike in that case and I don't see a centerstand on it. If you have the time take the axle/eccentric out, clean it up, lube a little and it should be much easier. Or it may be the chain is at it's max already.

Welcome to the site, great bike. :thumb:

 

It was at the maximum tightness, but that's coincidental. I was trying to turn it in the correct direction (counterclockwise, to loosen it).

After a very frustrating hour or so trying to get the bearing holder to turn and even using a hammer and screwdriver, I noticed that the screwdriver was sliding bearing holder, meaning oil/moisture could get in there. I grabbed one of my handy dandy "mustard bottles" from WalMart and poured some 30W oil over the bearing holder.

This morning, when I went out to turn it, I had no problem. It was simply bound up, probably from disuse. The previous owner never tightened the chain 9_9.

Last time I bought a chain, it came with spacers for pressing the chain. This time, no such luck. I'll have to find my old ones or buy a pair of them. I don't want to overrivet the chain.