New (to me) VFR800 2001.

Howdy, Y'All. I bought a shiny red VFR800 a few days ago. It's a 2001 model, had less than 4,000 miles on it, and I've already added about 800 miles. I've had an eye out for a VFR for a long time, but have been sport-touring on Suzuki GSXRs. However i saw a nice example on Fleabay which I won the auction on, to my surprise.
It had the usual problem with the alternator / RR connector, which I removed and soldered the wires together. It has an under-tail carbon fiber dual muffler setup which I haven't seen before. The exhaust system entailed removing the entire rear plastic inner fender assembly and replacing it with metal fender, battery box, and seat brackets. As a result, all the electrics back of the gas tank are reorganized and remounted, which has made the usual new bike checkout more interesting.
The original owner graciously left me lots of rubber in the center of the tires, but unfortunately not enough on the sides to pass inspection, so new tires are installed. I reshaped the seat foam and added a memory foam insert. Better, but not as good as a Corbin saddle.
So far, garage time has been general checkup and tweaks to fit my riding position and style. I love the bike. The sound, the stability in corners, the maneuverability, and comfort are outstanding. It's plenty fast - not as brutal as the big GSXR, but way faster than the VF750C Magna, which is no slouch.
I'll be seeking advice from the old hands as I work my way around the bike. I see I haven't taken any good pictures yet, so this will have to do.

 

Cool bike man!
Nice find and welcome to the party!

 

Welcome to The World H3nry! Kudos on posting a pic, you saved yourself some grief there. Nice find BTW.

 

Great find :thumb:
:welcome: to the zoo lad :wave:
take your time and get her to your liking, she will put a big smile on your face for many years to come.
Ride safe and ATGATT

 

And it's the fastest color -behind asphalt black- nice find!

 

Welcome! Love what they did with the exhaust~

 

Awesome find & welcome. Is the plenty of room with the exhaust so the tire doesnt hit? Look great

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

 

welcome!!
you will find your time in the saddle is WAY more comfortable then the GSXr's
I LOVE the Gixxeer's But I am almost 50 now so the VFR is a PERFECT compromise between sport and touring

 

I kept the old Gixxer 'cuz it's more comfy than the newer ones. I've ridden it from San Francisco to NYC and back a couple of times, so it will tour as well as do track days. I'm sure the VFR will, too. It's a more civilized bike, and now that I'm past 70, I'm willing to slow down a tiny bit.

I don't see any mention of common problems with VFRs except the charging system, and I've fixed the bum connector. I'm thinking of making a heat spreader / heat sink plate to mount the RR on for both Honda V4s. Those regulators run mighty warm. I'm changing out coolant and brake fluids, etc. Anything else I should look at before heading off on a trip?