Need advice!!! Buy a pristine Gen 4 or....?

I'm a former Blackbird owner ('99). Loved it, sold it, have seller's remorse. (but I was constantly driving it too fast)

Went a complete different direction, bought a 2011 VStrom, a great bike in it's own way.

But I miss the sportier ride, and had decided to find a 5th Gen VFR as a second bike. (like the FI, among other things) I've always had a desire for a VFR.

Anyway, I find a Gen 4. The thing is immaculate. Low miles. Well taken care of. Can probably buy it right.

So I'm conflicted. The rub? Keep to my plan and find a Gen 5, or get the showroom condition 1996 Gen 4...?

Please weigh in. Let's hear it. (My only real objection to the Gen 4 is the carb arrangement.)

 

If it SPEAKS to you and you can get it for a good price then I would say sure. I have had 2 4th gen's now (including my wife's 96) and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. I also have a fifth gen and love it as well. If you look at it from a financial point of view, the older the bike, the harder it may be to find parts for over time, and the 4th gen bike are nearly 20 years old. The 4th gen fairing parts are becoming harder to find should they ever be required and even some of the 5th gen plastics are getting harder to find.

Having owned the 4th gen and 5th gen, I might offer up that (personally) I have found the 4th gen a little more flickable, and it does not seem to be as top heavy as the 5th gen. Reliability is about the same for either generation with a common issue being the charging system (particularly the R/R) and the rear suspension being on the soft side. If you spend a lot of time in traffic, the 5th gen's having side mounted rads seem to run a bit hotter than the 4th gen. Might be something to consider.

If if there is one thing that I love most about the wife's 96 VFR is that even though they have the exact same Delkevic slip-on, the exhaust note on the 96 is just soooo much nicer IMHO by comparison.

Good luck with the search and don't forget to post up some pics of the new bike when you get it. Have fun, ride safe, and keep her shiny side up.

 

If you're really not a fan of carbs and the maintanence, go 5th. All of my bikes have carbs except my gen 6. I personally LOVE the feel of a well tuned carb over even the best FI set up. the only thing that's kept me from selling my 6th gen is the PCV that's made things more liveable (and love the way the bike looks).

As for 4th vs 5th. Can't say I own a 5th but if you compare it to my 6th, and I had to chose, I'd pick the 4th all day long. That's coming from someone who avoided the 4th gens like the plague. I always hated the way they looked, for decades. But that's only in pictures. I bought a 3rd gen and loved it. But then I finally, after almost 20 yrs, saw a 4th gen in person. yes rediculous it took that long but I never felt the need to seek one out. anyway, I bought it. love it, even after honeymoon period ended. And like Zoom-zoom says, feels nice and light and definitely sounds better than my 6th gen.

I do like the get on and ride with minimal upkeep of the FI bikes though. so if you don't care much for tinkering, go gen 5. If you don't mind the occassional greasy hands, I'd go 4th especially if you can get a killer deal.

 

I've only ever owned a 6th Gen so I can't help in the debate over 5th vs. 4th but I can say that I like the styling of both. Given zoom-zoom's description, I'd probably go with the 4th Gen. I've owned a couple carbed bikes and never had issues with them - a Bonnie and an early model Ninja. Never rode them at altitude though which is where I've read you can have some issues. I think you're in an enviable dilemma.

 

If you're unsure about one or the other just think about how you'll feel if you get the 4th and see a good 5th riding past! I should have done that when I bought a beemer instead of the viffer! That has happily been sorted now but if I had of waited the ride to phillip island would have been more enjoyable.