Might be buying, tips, thoughts?

Discussion in '3rd & 4th Generation 1990-1997' started by Jonota, Sep 10, 2018.

  1. Jonota

    Jonota New Member

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    Hello, Ducati/Honda Shadow/Honda Magna V45 owner here. My son is looking to get his first "sportstyle" bike (aka crotch rocket). He has almost a year of experience under his belt riding around an 89 Suzuki Intruder 750. It's not the most powerful bike, but it's not a complete slouch.

    One of the bikes that has potential for him to purchase is a 97 VFR750. 17k miles, it "runs and drives" but the owner says it needs new needle valves (he has a video of it running/driving down the road, doesn't sound that bad). It was also laid down, so it comes with all new plastics that need painted, and he doesn't have the bolting to put them on.

    He is asking $800, which sounds pretty fair, but there are exactly ZERO comps in my area to go off of. Now some of you may notice the "V45" up there, and the answer is YES, I have had to take those carbs off, and NO, it isn't something I like doing. So, is a carb job on one of these things as painful as it is for a Magna V45?

    Also, what else should I watch out for. It supposedly has a new clutch. I think I read in another thread that the body panel hardware is expensive (can't it be substituted??). I saw regulator/rectifier issues, so I can just check the output with a multimeter and see what I've got, and they're easy to replace anyway (cheap? - $75ish?)

    Any/all thoughts appreciated.

    Jon
     
  2. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    4th gen carbs are the eAsiest to r/r of all carbed VFR's.

    @$800, you'd be a fool not to grab it asap.
     
  3. zopparoo

    zopparoo New Member

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    Agree, great price for a great bike. If you don't want to do the carb work yourself, I can recommend Old School Carbs. Jack could do Honda cv carbs blindfolded and drunk. Not sure what the rates are these days but excellent reliable work if they're available to help you. Regulator/rectifier was the very first thing I did on my 3rd gen ('90) and I got a Shingenden from Jack's Roadster Cycles. worth every penny, and it's been bulletproof. My good friend has a couple of Magna's and a couple of VFRs and we ride together with the bikes - tons of fun.
     
  4. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    I also specialize in fixing Honda carbs for members of this forum. my work is excellent, quick repairs, priced less than all u can find. i'm experienced on all VF/VFR carbs and especially so on '86/'87's plus gen4, as i own and ride them.

    before i ship anything, it's adjusted, bench- synched, leak-tested for 24 hours, and the actual float levels are checked scientifically, something others usually don't do.

    12-1-17 176.JPG


    Please PM me for rates or questions.
     
  5. zopparoo

    zopparoo New Member

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    Sorry for the unintended overlook, Squirrelman! Indeed, I think there are folks on the forum with more history than me that can attest to your quality work - I've certainly seen it evidenced in posts, and I think supporting supporters of the forum is a good thing. The other guy happened to be local to me and thru a mutual friend.
     
  6. Jonota

    Jonota New Member

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    Thanks for the replies guys!

    I've been reading up on these and kind of excited. I do most, if not all, of my own work, even if it's not something I'm familiar with, but thanks for the info. After dissecting the Magna carbs, I feel confident that I CAN do most anything.

    Owner said something about needles being worn, which seems like something a bit out there for a bike with under 20k miles.

    This type of bike seems like exactly what I'd like my boy to get into, and could last him a long, long time.

    I did see him post up the bike elsewhere, and he disclosed there that it had a salvage title (not that it is a surprise, most of the body work is new, and he admits it has been down. That change anyone's outlook on the value?

    Jon
     
  7. zopparoo

    zopparoo New Member

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    I think there are plenty of good 4th gen examples that aren't salvaged, and unless money is tight a little time will yield a happy result. I paid about 2100 for my 3rd gen but it was in very good cosmetic shape (with kickstand fairing!), well looked after, and pretty low mileage. I spent time doing maintenance and replacing some parts over the past year, and it seems to be getting harder to find 3rd gen/4th gen parts, so if there are less unknowns it would be worth it to me. I would definitely ride/check it out before deciding. I'd also say it's 100% worth keeping an eye out because I love every minute on my VFR and owning/riding one is definitely satisfying. The more seasoned guys here might have more informed opinions than me...
     
  8. Jonota

    Jonota New Member

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    Money is definitely not tight for me, but my 18 yr old doesn't have a ton of it, and for a "2nd" bike, he probably shouldn't sink too much. He had initially set his target at 1500, so an 800 buy that needs a bit of work looks like a good deal from his standpoint. Getting into the 2k range he starts looking at GSXR/CBR/R6 more race-style bikes (that I don't think he will like long term).
     
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