New to forum, but not my VFR.

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by marriedman, Jan 29, 2013.

  1. marriedman

    marriedman New Member

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    Hello all! Not too new to riding nor my VFR, but I am looking for a community of like minded VFR owners. I started riding in 2010 on a 250 Honda Reflex that I had originally bought for my wife. I never had any interest in riding, but my wife never took her scooter out and I was not going to let something that expensive just sit. So I started riding it to work. Naturally I was smitten and in 2011 I bought a 750 Nighthawk. I had originally thought I would only be a commuter, but I enjoyed riding so much I started going to bike nights and then taking trips.

    When I bought the Nighthawk, I joined the Nighthawk Forum (where I am still quite acitive) and learned the importance of ATGATT. I also took the MSF to insure that I didn't learn any bad habits. After riding a year on the Nighthawk, I learned a lot about what type of rider I am and want to be and decided that the VFR fit the bill. There weren't many in my area so I ended overpaying for a 99 that I rescued from a young guy that dropped it and didn't know how to maintain a motorcycle. I cleaned the hell out of it and replaced a few wear items and also put on some basic farkles. I'm on a wife induced budget, so the bigger dollar items like the Helibars and new brake lines will have to wait.

    Well, thats about it. Hope to make some friends on this forum
     

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  2. Keager

    Keager Member

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    well welcome to our corner of the interweb.
     
  3. zoom-zoom

    zoom-zoom Member

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    Welcome to OUR world, and your life will never be the same again. Nice looking bike, didn't realize they came in red.........LOL

    Maybe the wife induced budget can be loosened somewhat if you were to off reasons as to why certain farkles make it SAFER for you to ride the bike, the budget for alterations may be increased. As an example, "Well, the louder and more throaty sounding aftermarket exhaust will make it easier for other drivers to hear me coming and thus make them more likely to look for me................"

    Or since you mention the heli-bars, how about "Well adding the higher bars will help reduce the stress on my lower back, and prevent my wrists from getting sore and numb and thus I'm less likely to crash the bike...................." Of course, any smart wife will likely come back at you with, "Well, if you didn't ride the motorcycle in the first place...................."

    OK, all kidding aside, welcome to the forum and keep her shiny side up.
     
  4. mello dude

    mello dude Administrator

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    Hey dude :cool:
     
  5. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

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    Welcome to the forum and hopefully you will be thoroughly ensconced with the Vee-Four way of life.

    Btw - I had two Nighthawks, 91 and 93 750...I bought the Viffer with the money I got from my wrecked 93 bike back in 95. I enjoyed them Nighthawks....but they cant compare to the fit and finish of the viffer..

    Cheers and happy riding :smile:
     
  6. MichaelD

    MichaelD New Member

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    Welcome. Nothing like riding a VFR. :wink:
     
  7. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    Wow. You've exceeded all expectations for a first post. Not only did you give a great intro, but you included a picture of your ride. It looks to be in great shape too. Welcome to the forum.
     
  8. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    A new Hoover might make things a bit easier on the bike budget front. get her a top of the line one. She will be speechless. I guarantee it!

    Welcome. You should be down right proud rescuing that poor bike from some cruel bastard. I am surprised your wife didn't see that. Shit, people spend more on rescued puss....er....cats, than we do on on our beloved VFR puppies.
     
  9. 91talon

    91talon New Member

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    Welcome aboard!
    I too feel the pain of a managed budget by the feminine persuasion. But it's all good, as long as I can justify the expense. LOL
     
  10. marriedman

    marriedman New Member

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    mello dude - Ah, so that is what your Valkyrie looks like. Impressive! (for a cruiser that is!)

    zoom-zoom - you nailed it on the head, first thing out of her mouth is the "Well then you shouldn't be riding if you are worried about safety." I will give credit where credit is due though, she has let me get more expensive tires (PR2's) instead of the cheapies and a Corbin seat. I will get the Helibars eventually, but it will have to be a total steal like my Corbin +backrest was. I got that one for $175 to my door! Oh, and she is letting me get my exhaust ceramic coated too.

    ridervfr - I loved my Nighthawk and I would have kept her if the wife would have allowed it because my was so pristine. After selling my Nighthawk, I only had a $600 gap to pay for my VFR. That was how I justified the VFR purchase. The Nighthawk was the perfect 2nd bike. 250 to learn on and the 750 to find out what kind of rider I was. The VFR just fits me perfect. And you are right, the build quality on the Nighthawk was good, but the finish on the VFR is top notch.

    stewartj239 - lol, yeah I know how to make a first post! Over at the Nighthawk-Forums, I have seen enough first posts that don't give much info. So I have a pretty good idea of what people are going to ask about. The bike is in pretty good shape now. Most of it was just cleaning and general maintenance that needed to be caught up. The rest were thankfully simple things for me to fix or inexpensive enough for me to have done. I forgot to mention that I am no mechanic. I have moved far outside my comfort zone with this bike in regards to wrenching. So far though it has all turned out well and boosted my confidence.

    Randy - Now that's funny, only because I am the one who does the vacuuming and dusting. If I waited on her to do it, it just wouldn't get done. We have a pretty good give and take. If she puts up too severe of a fight on something I think is important, I just point to her Tastefully Simple spices and Pampered Chef crap. Shuts her up pretty quick!

    Everyone - Thanks for the warm welcome, I appreciate it. I look forward to becoming active in this forum. I was reticent to join this one because I had seen several squids and, quite frankly, assholes posting here. I have been over at VFRD since I brought the VFR home. I like that forum, but sometimes it is just a bit dull or they are talking about topics that are way over my head.

    I already mentioned that I am hoping to ceramic coat my exhaust soon, but I also wanting to change the color of the bike. The picture doesn't show the rash on the other side. It's not horrible, but she deserves better. I am looking to plastidip her this spring as well. As much as I love this bike, I don't think I would hesitate to swap her for a 2007 RWB VFR! Stewart & MichaelD, you feeling munificent? :biggrin:
     
  11. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    Yup. There are some things where Randy does what he wants. Like breath. Otherwise the Chief Executive Officer does have substantial input. But she didn't on the bike. That was definitely a "Randy moment". Consider myself pretty lucky that way.
     
  12. jethro911

    jethro911 Member

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    Someone once told me that nothin says lovin like a brand new oven!
     
  13. friedleyjr

    friedleyjr New Member

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    I wish i could get off that easy....... my wife made me have a baby to get my 06. last bike i bought. So far we are at the 50k range and only gonna grown from there. Should have kept the prelude adn no kids would have been so much cheaper on me.

    Welcome to the site.
    She is beautiful.
    You sure got a pic of her good side.
     
  14. zoom-zoom

    zoom-zoom Member

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    Hey Marriedman

    Not sure if they are still there, but there was a set of Heli bars for a 5th gen available in the classified section of this site. I think they were listed for $195. Glad to hear you were able to get a Corbin as that will surely increase the comfort level.

    When my wife was pregnant with our first child, I decided that it was time to become a responsible parent and let go of my beloved 4th gen and my wife was the first person to raise a fuss. She said she did not want to see the bike go, but I had a friend who desparatly wanted to purchase it from and neither my wife or I wanted to see the bike sit idle in the garage, so off it went to a new home. When my son was just about 3, I found a great deal on a 5th gen and when I told my wife about there was not even a discussion, she just said get the bike or you will regret letting it slip away.

    My son and I now enjoy some fantastic father/son time on the bike and the only person not fond of my son owning a helmet is his grandmother.

    Incidentally, I purchased an 18" Delkevic slip on for my bike just after I got the bike as I just could not stand the look of the stock exhaust and I lusted after the low burbling growl of my 4th gen's exhaust. The Delkevic, though not maybe as good sounding as a Staintune system, sounds great and was very inexpensive, not to mention it weighs less than a third of the stock exhaust and since it is smaller it shows off the single side swing-arm better. I chose to go with the low mount in order to facilitate the future purchase of side cases and I didn't want to risk my son possibly burning his leg on the high mount exhaust. With kids around, it is also nice that the after-market exhaust being titanium cools down much faster to the touch than the stock can.

    My wife used to ride as well and I think she still misses it a bit, though not as much as I did though. She used to have a couple of bikes (a CBR600 F4i and a 84 Nighthawk 750) and loved riding but had a problem with her right wrist always going numb on her and then a problem with some pain between the shoulder blades as well. At that point she decided she would rather ride pillion and she just loved the 97 VFR750 I had when we met, especially after we had the rear seat custom fit to our needs. Hopefully a new Sargent will be in the future for my 5th gen, but for now, I will settle for the top case and Givi rack so my son can ride to school with me.

    Enjoy the bike
     
  15. white_335i

    white_335i New Member

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    Welcome to our world. What color are you thinking?
     
  16. marriedman

    marriedman New Member

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    zoom-zoom - yeah I saw the Helibars, but my free money is already going towards the exhaust. Speaking of which, I know of a few guys that have a Delkevic and like them pretty well. I have looked at the triangular shaped cans more than once. You're right, the stock can is HUGE, it hides way to much, and it really doesn't match the lines of the bike IMO. I agree with the high mount assessment too, I wouldn't want my daughters to get burned either. My daughters both love to ride around the neighborhood, but I am reticent to take them on the main roads around here because of the awful condition of the roads and the above average idiots we seem to have.

    My Corbin has a backrest and tell you the truth, that is the only reason I got it. I really wanted a Sargent. I have read many, many reviews and the more popular opinion appears to be the Sarent for the VFR. And tell you the truth, the Corbin on my Nighthawk was awesome - on the VFR... not so much. I would probably trade even for a Sargent. Then just get a top case with backrest.

    white_335i - I am thinking gunmetal grey with either the glossifier or the white with the pearlizer. My wife likes the idea of the white better, but I am still up in the air. I have never painted a thing in my life and I heard that plastidip is very forgiving. Not to mention cheap!

    friedleyjr - I already have two kids, if the wife would have put that condition on me I would be a cager!
     
  17. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    If you get it painted professionally, be prepared. This is just the pearl white paint for mine:

    IMG_0007.jpg

    And I removed all the part to be painted and delivered them to the shop so the only masking done was the opening in the gas tank. Repair work was very minimal and amounted to fixing a couple deeper scratches (not gouges). The pearl paint is a two part application and quite costly compared to the non pearl from what I understand.
     
  18. DaHose

    DaHose New Member

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    Paint is CRAZY expensive, eh Randy? Marriedman said he is going to DIY it out with Plasti-Dip. I am very interested in seeing how it turns out with the glossifier finish.

    I am late to the party, but welcome. The 5th gen. is the best gen!

    Jose
     
  19. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    I gotta say, I know nothing at present about this Plastidip process. I will have to Google that to see what it is. I think the reasons that the painting of our bikes is so expensive is in part, that the pieces are small and have many corners and crevices in them that have to be hand sanded. As well, being plastic, they would have to pay more attention to this if they are using power or air equipment.

    Now what was explained to me, if you are getting a Pearl paint job, this is a two part paint clear-coat process. Most automotive paints now are latex which is a one step paint and clear-coat. Seems the government is trying to legislate the solvent based paints out of assistance as they are harmful to the environment reportedly. But the pearl is still a solvent based paint so is quite expensive. The additive they add to the base paint is the expensive part. I don't remember how much the shop said it was but I just about shit when I was told.

    I think Badbilly knows his paints quite well and can step in to either correct me or add some to what I have said in a more clear manner. There are others here asa well who know their paints.
     
  20. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    I just Googled that stuff. That got my mo jo going and certain appendages worked up. Maybe I will spray that stuff on my Tourmaster Transition Jacket..........
     
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