VFR400 Ownership questions: how hard to maintain?

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by Edwii, Sep 27, 2018.

  1. Edwii

    Edwii New Member

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    I have a 1990 VFR400 lined up, like one of my all time fave bikes. $3k CAD 2300USD
    Is the price fair?

    I know these are gray bikes.

    How hard is it to keep them alive? Find parts? Maintenance info?

    Are they as fun to ride as they look?
     
  2. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Let's check which model you are looking at first?
    Nc30 - great buy (left high exit exhaust)
    Nc24 - still good BUT far harder to get bits in the US- right high exit exhaust

    The nc30 is awesome as long as you are under 200 pounds lol
    These were built in the golden era of Honda are are truly overbuilt in almost every sense.

    Haynes do a manual for them.
     
  3. Edwii

    Edwii New Member

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    https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rds/mcy/d/honda-vfr400-nc30/6709264697.html

    Should i?
     
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  4. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    At that price, you gotta go 4 it ! Parts from UK are easy. i'm workin on one here.

    july 25-18 022.JPG
     
  5. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Offer $2750 cash...

    And then run as you stole it.
     
  6. Edwii

    Edwii New Member

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    Can you expand upon what you mean by overbuilt?

    She said the price is firm... not sure if it's rude to offer?

    As you may of read in the listing, the tank is off/needs a new petcock, seems like an easy fix, right?
    Would it be hard to hook up a test bottle (bottle of fuel with fuel line) to it for a test start?
     
  7. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Yep happily.. these bikes were built in an era where Honda engineers were not ruled by the accountants. They were built without compremise for the purposes they were designed for. They are a gear train engine so nothing to worry that will wear out - the engines are pretty much bomb proof, almost every part can be bought, plenty of spares fairly easily obtainable, no real downsides to the bike..

    It may be - she can only say no... Its a good price even at $3000

    Really easy fix but is the inside of the tank rusty? Its a pain to get an undamaged in the correct colour fuel tank
    Very easy to hook it up - but how long has the tank been off, when was the engine last run & for how long?

    If the carbs haven't been stored empty then you may be looking at a rebuild - there's the $250....

    Battery may be knackered / flat.

    The hard thing to get hold of - BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE is Fairings & tanks in good condition..

    I love these 400's - I have 6 of them - lol
     
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  8. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    So, Pete, how do you decide which one to ride ? :rolleyes:
     
  9. Edwii

    Edwii New Member

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    Update:
    The cunt sold it from under me, while I was on my way there.
    I made plans, said I'd be there, had to travel 3 towns away, sold it to someone else that showed up a couple hours before me.
     
  10. Riding a 2000

    Riding a 2000 Member

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    BIATCH!

    Had that happen to me a few years ago on a Toyota MR2.
    I got up at 3 AM to be in Cadillac, MI at 8. Even though we had a verbal deal, the weak-ass guy had sold it at Midnight to a dickhead who scammed him and "wouldn't leave without it". Scumbucket shined it up and relisted it at a $1K profit just a couple of days later. I had told the seller in no uncertain terms that I'd be there at 8. I asked why he had failed to let me know it was sold before I made the trip, and he said that he thought that midnight was too late, and he "didn't want to wake me" Karma bites, maybe?
     
  11. John carnahan

    John carnahan New Member

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    Yea, if anything like a FZR400. I got 2 FZR400 race bikes in a trade many years ago. Fixed one up to do track days. It was great except for that long straight @ Summit Point. I was close to 200# and felt like I was going backwards as the 1000's and even the 600's went by. Other than that it was an absolute Joy. If the Honda 400 is close to the FZR im very sorry you missed it.

    Jack
     
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