Jump to content

Tale of 2 Bikes


Recommended Posts

Good afternoon!

I wanted to introduce myself to the group as, after 10 years of wanting a VFR, I can finally say I am apart of the V4 ownership club! (x2)
My name is Matt and I live in Savannah, GA. Growing up around my dad and uncle riding sport tourers (previously an St4 and FZ1, now a GS1200 and an FJR) I have always wanted a bike that I could tear up the North Georgia Mountains on as well as have luggage to be able to pack all of my camping gear. When turning 16 I got my motorcycle license and bought a brand new Honda 599 as I was not allowed to purchase a true sport bike as my first. (my parents were no dummies and I can definitely appreciate that 11 years later) To this day I still have that motorcycle and love it but the VFR desire, due to its middle weight size and newer model factory hard bags, has always held my attention. Long story short, these past ten years I have not pulled the trigger on a VFR because quite honestly I could not make up my mind as to which generation I wanted. I loved the factory bags on 6th gens but not necessarily the design nor the sophistication of the VTEC. I always thought I would buy a 5th gen for the FI but even here I was not thrilled with the looks of the bike and finding one with aftermarket bags always seemed to have more miles than I wanted or were never up for sale when I had the money. This brought me to the third and fourth gens to which I feel had the best looks to them, were affordable and remained quite simple. Again I never pulled the trigger on one because A, they didn't have bags and B, it didn't feel right moving backwards in both mileage and age from my 599.

My forever 599:

20160728_082212_1.jpg

Fast forward to now. Seemingly overnight I put not only a third gen in my garage but also a 4th gen. I had been watching a fully outfitted touring third gen sit on craigslist for a few months that was about 3 hours from me. The price was more than I wanted to pay and it was just far enough away that I couldn't bring myself to go look at it. After time went by and the price came down I engaged in communication with the seller, offered him an amount that even I was ashamed of doing, he accepted and at that point there was no way I could say no. (the offer was only low because you can purchase 5th and even 6 gens very cheaply now) Anyway, upon picking it up most of the accessories needed attention, the bike had clearly been sitting and did not run very well at all and the bodywork did not look near as nice as the pics would have allowed (mismatch colors aside). Either way, the accessories alone were worth what I paid for the bike. After a carb rebuild with a Lite Tek kit, a decent amount of work with some plastifix, all new fluids and various bobs and ends, the bike runs like a top and completely lit a hunger in me for more V4 and a desire to find a similar bike in excellent condition. (to this point I always believed third gens looked the best. After buying one though the 4th gens for whatever reason became my hearts desire)

IMG_0319.jpg

IMG_0321_1.jpg

IMG_0320_1.jpg



How she currently sits:

FullSizeRender_1.jpg

FullSizeRender%201_1.jpg


Being addicted to craigslist, I more recently found exactly what I was looking for: a single owner 4th gen, similar miles to the third gen I had just bought, with both stock and aftermarket accessories as well as with all the original paperwork, records, etc. I found myself unable to put down my phone as every day I just kept going through the photos and rereading the ad. Though I financially could not afford it after the purchased third gen, something in me just could not let it go. This began a process of decision making with the realization that I could take a small loan, sell the third gen and the parts I did not need, and possibly pay the loan back within a time frame that would prevent any interest from accruing. It did not help that the owner was willing to meet me halfway to sell the bike either, turning a 5 hour drive one way into a 2.5 hour drive. Long story longer, I could not sleep at night thinking that the purchase was possible. I had to make it happen. I had to find a way. Even my wife was on board :)

IMG_0521.jpg

After a whole week of talking to the bank, talking to the owner, and making the trip to and from Columbia, South Carolina, I have become one of the happiest men alive and have been sleeping more peacefully than ever. The bike, with the exception of a minor scratch and one small crack, is absolutely mint looking like it just rolled off the showroom floor. My 12 year newer 599, hasn't looked that good since the year after I bought it! The 94 also had all of the modifications that I would have wanted to do myself already done. (EBC pads, rotors, stainless lines, racetech gold valve forks, upgraded rear shock, fresh tires, new clutch pack, new fluids, carbs cleaned and balanced, corbin seat, factory cowl, aftermarket shield, exhaust etc) At 30,000 miles, even that was less then the third gen. The only disappointment was that I would need to find some type of luggage system for her. Lo and behold, the owner had a full Cortech Tourmaster soft luggage setup (looked brand new) with custom removable hook plates that held the same amount of stuff my third gen could hold and could be just as easily put on and removed as the givi system. Though it was not hard luggage, the bike was everything I wanted in a VFR from my ideal generation, condition, price and yes even the luggage I was after. At that point, purchasing the bike was the only option I had left. I am extremely excited to introduce what went from a potential financial pitfall to an object I now realize I may never part with. I hope you guys like the bike as much as myself and if you have any interest in the 3rd gen parts or bike itself to help me pay back the 4th gen please let me know! Most of the parts are rare and have been listed separately but if someone has interest in the whole package I would work something out there as well.

IMG_0522.jpg

IMG_0523.jpg

IMG_0524.jpg

IMG_0527.jpg


If you took the time to read this adventure, thank you for you time! More importantly I truly feel honored to finally be apart of the V4 community. 

Also shown below is another beautiful bike that compelled me to test ride before I could pull the trigger on the 4th gen. It ticked more boxes than I could come up with on paper however it left something to be desired in my soul. With that ride out of the way my decision for the 4th gen was confirmed.

IMG_0565.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Nismo. I know there's an "X" in there somewhere, but suspect there might be a NISMO related 4 wheeler in your garage, too.

 

MAN!!! That would have been a near impossible decision for me - a 955 Sprint ST Fuelie or a 4th gen VFR. I have a Trophy 900 (also a triple) and a 3rd gen - different tools for different jobs. The Trophy is my around the world sport tourer and the VFR is my hooligan bike (I know, it's not a pure sport bike, but it IS for me!).

 

Cheers,

Glenn15030063a.thumb.jpg.649c611b9b7004e6aaf2a3bcbfef410d.jpg16030075a.jpg.ce0efe018d78369a8ead9d3cc6f2fad3.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, slovcan said:

Welcome Nismo. I know there's an "X" in there somewhere, but suspect there might be a NISMO related 4 wheeler in your garage, too.

 

MAN!!! That would have been a near impossible decision for me - a 955 Sprint ST Fuelie or a 4th gen VFR. I have a Trophy 900 (also a triple) and a 3rd gen - different tools for different jobs. The Trophy is my around the world sport tourer and the VFR is my hooligan bike (I know, it's not a pure sport bike, but it IS for me!).

 

Cheers,

Glenn15030063a.thumb.jpg.649c611b9b7004e6aaf2a3bcbfef410d.jpg16030075a.jpg.ce0efe018d78369a8ead9d3cc6f2fad3.jpg

 

 

Wow! Two beautiful machines! The 955i definitely made it a tough decision but where as that bike had changed hands multiple times I'm sure, something about a single owner fourth gen (that I had yet to see) kept tugging me back. I also loved the 1050 engines but I can't say the 955 truly excited me. Not sure why!

 

As for my screen name, I use to have a single owner MINT 95 240sx before my buddy totaled it back in high school. So NISMO with an x in the middle for SX created a name that I could use across all forums and know it would be available. I'll find a pic of the 240.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Carlitos you son of a gun! You know how long I've been after a VFR and your darn 599 posts almost pushed me over the edge to a 6th gen! Lol found an anniversary edition for $3500 which is more than I wanted to spend after the first bike purchase (no bags though).

 

how have you been?!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, slovcan said:

Cool, been on NICO for years.

 

ahhh here she is! She wasnt my first Nissan either....

 

240.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

I went the other way round, had the VFR before the 599.  I've actually considered replacing the 599 with a 3rd Gen, but I want to go back to a liter twin for my commuter whore.  The buell and 599 were both replacements for the Monster, and shitty ones at that.

 

And you got 2 8-spokes... lucky

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
17 hours ago, NISxMO said:

Carlitos you son of a gun! You know how long I've been after a VFR and your darn 599 posts almost pushed me over the edge to a 6th gen! Lol found an anniversary edition for $3500 which is more than I wanted to spend after the first bike purchase (no bags though).

 

how have you been?!

 

I am great! Just gave the 2007 a 10-year birthday party and upgraded pretty much everything. Looking forward to going to MotoGP this weekend and riding around sone great roads with friends.

 

i love my 6th gen but definitely envy gear-driven cams and catless headers. Cheers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/18/2017 at 9:48 AM, MadScientist said:

I went the other way round, had the VFR before the 599.  I've actually considered replacing the 599 with a 3rd Gen, but I want to go back to a liter twin for my commuter whore.  The buell and 599 were both replacements for the Monster, and shitty ones at that.

 

And you got 2 8-spokes... lucky

 

 

Wish you were in the area man! I modified the snot out of my 599 and am now thinking I want to find a clean stock version of the bike. We could have worked something out for the third gen.

 

 

and Carlitos Im envious of your ability to go to COTA. I swore i would make it this year, especially after they pulled from Indy, but alas its not going to happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well sold the third gen this past weekend as well as a few of the parts off the bike! Definitely a good start in paying for the fourth gen. Also ended up putting the fourth gen through her maiden voyage this weekend with an almost 800 mile round trip including putting her through the paces in the N. Ga mountains. 

She seemed quite comfortable for most of the journey with the Corbin seat and performed admirably throughout the journey as well. I did at some point attempt to downshift through the gears and found a false gear (that I believed to be much higher than neutral). When this happened I could feel the shifter bouncing around in the transmission and feared imminent damage. After I slowed to a stop and threw it in first I did not experience it again the rest of the weekend. Not sure what that was all about. Took a few photos when I thought about it but missed plenty of opportunities for some far more scenic photography.

Question: The bike feels very flat and quite low to the ground. Linkages appear factory and I have read threads of possibly raising the rear through THURN Motorsports. Checked out their website but read recently they typically operate via ebay and are no longer around. Anyone have experience raising their tail or purchasing through thurn? Thanks for any advice! (also if you're reading this and have a set of hard bags for a fourth gen you would like to sell count me in!)

 

FullSizeRender (2).jpg

FullSizeRender (3).jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/17/2017 at 8:14 PM, NISxMO said:

 

 

Wow! Two beautiful machines! The 955i definitely made it a tough decision but where as that bike had changed hands multiple times I'm sure, something about a single owner fourth gen (that I had yet to see) kept tugging me back. I also loved the 1050 engines but I can't say the 955 truly excited me. Not sure why!

 

As for my screen name, I use to have a single owner MINT 95 240sx before my buddy totaled it back in high school. So NISMO with an x in the middle for SX created a name that I could use across all forums and know it would be available. I'll find a pic of the 240.

AWESOME Shepherd in the Back!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whaddup, cuz? Niner is looking good. Probably just nostalgia, but I'd really love to have another. Congrats on the new bikes, I really like the 4th and 5th gens and their gear-driven cam noise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, NISxMO said:

Well sold the third gen this past weekend as well as a few of the parts off the bike! Definitely a good start in paying for the fourth gen. Also ended up putting the fourth gen through her maiden voyage this weekend with an almost 800 mile round trip including putting her through the paces in the N. Ga mountains. 

She seemed quite comfortable for most of the journey with the Corbin seat and performed admirably throughout the journey as well. I did at some point attempt to downshift through the gears and found a false gear (that I believed to be much higher than neutral). When this happened I could feel the shifter bouncing around in the transmission and feared imminent damage. After I slowed to a stop and threw it in first I did not experience it again the rest of the weekend. Not sure what that was all about. Took a few photos when I thought about it but missed plenty of opportunities for some far more scenic photography.

Question: The bike feels very flat and quite low to the ground. Linkages appear factory and I have read threads of possibly raising the rear through THURN Motorsports. Checked out their website but read recently they typically operate via ebay and are no longer around. Anyone have experience raising their tail or purchasing through thurn? Thanks for any advice! (also if you're reading this and have a set of hard bags for a fourth gen you would like to sell count me in!)

 

FullSizeRender (2).jpg

FullSizeRender (3).jpg

 

Thurn is still around. Look on Facebook or the website for the email address and send an email about the parts you are interested in. I went through him for my clear/led lights. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tip Coup! jHenley whats up man?! I am strongly considering finding another mint stocker as well just to keep in the garage and possibly one day teach a nephew (or potentially my own one day) how to ride. If nothing else I think the 599 10-20 yrs from now will be even more rare and quite possibly the "cafe bike" of tomorrow. Who knows

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tip Coup! jHenley whats up man?! I am strongly considering finding another mint stocker as well just to keep in the garage and possibly one day teach a nephew (or potentially my own one day) how to ride. If nothing else I think the 599 10-20 yrs from now will be even more rare and quite possibly the "cafe bike" of tomorrow. Who knows

 

 

When my old pictures pop up on Facebook, from before I started crashing it, I'm reminded that it really was a beautiful bike. I dunno, though. That bike might be a bad luck charm for me. Even with flat tires, it still felt like a featherweight compared to the VFR moving it around. However, moving it around on Tuesday has left me laid up and missing work with an injured back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

It does really feel light compared to the vfr in the garage, and even on the road.  When I switch back and forth the VFR is much more comfortable and sure footed where the 599 feels more lively and willing, it kinda feels like a toy in comparison.  Until there are bumps, then the 599's like "Just kidding!"; then it really feels like a toy, and not in a good way.

 

Mine stranded me 2 days ago, something electrical.  Wouldn't stay running after jump start, had it towed back home (Thanks AMA).  Guess I get to do "The Drill" on the 599 next week, but I'm pretty sure the battery is done at 7 years. 

 

If anyone wants to re-live the glory days, mine is always for sale.  It's not quite stock, but not half as wild as nismo's. 

Just out of curiousity, how did you go about the painting of the engine?  It's been something I've wanted to do since there are so many different shades of silver on the motor and suspension.  I painted the side covers and valve cover since they are easily removeable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you made it seven years on one battery, you're doing damn good. I think I changed mine at four and that was wayyy longer than pretty much everyone else on the forum got out of theirs. I seem to remember the regulator/rectifier being a somewhat common failure.

 

Riding in the hills with Carlitos and watching the races last weekend renewed my desire for something that I can crash without feeling bad and eventually race, so I have to get an SV and a trailer. Otherwise, I'd be very interested in your bike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

The SV is a much better choice for racing due to the linkage type rear suspension, tuning will be much easier in comparison with the 599's direct swingarm attachment.

 

I'll be checking the R/R and stator outputs also.  Might slap an FH020AA on as preventative maintenance, but I honestly have other things I'd rather spend $120 on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never had an R/R failure here but I have replaced the stator at some point on the 599. I have also been through probably 4 or 5 batteries in the 50k miles Ive had her but that may be more due to sitting and one possibly catching a rock than the battery actually failing.

 

There is a nice one in Atlanta for sale right now for around $3k with only 8k miles and full Ohlins suspension. If I hadnt just bought this VFR I would probably pick her up. Oh well, its all about priorities right? Maybe one day....

 

As far as the engine is concerned, I took the covers off and sent them to the powder coaters. The inner portions went through some vigorous scrubbing, degreasing, and acetone I believe. Those parts just got sprayed with satin engine paint. I think the black motor made probably the best and biggest difference appearance wise for the bike (also at the least expense). I have a bag of ss/bolts that I bought in bulk if you wanted to swap out your engine bolts. I believe the vfr uses the same threads as well and may swap them their too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sold the third last weekend actually! I strongly considered it but the tires are basically new and the third wheel definitely needed a powdercoat where the fourth gen's wheel was flawless. Didnt really want to go through the hassle at the moment. Also the fourth gen is so clean Im kicking around the idea of leaving it pretty much factory (crazy I know because my history with bikes/cars would say otherwise). Could be an age thing who knows lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dutchy had a set of sixth gen hard bags on the Red Slut. They looked pretty good. He would share how he did it I'm sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw those 6th gen bags in the classifieds and thought of picking them up. Im sure I could make a cage well enough to attach them. I have to admit though, i do like the top open ability of my soft bags, corbin beetles, and e21s etc. As much as I like the look of the factory option I hate they continue using the side open hinges......obviously if it can double as a top rack bag it makes sense.

 

who knows. Id love to see Dutchys design though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.