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Looking for my first VFR


mikeodial

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I am looking for my first VFR. Price range in the $3-6K range depending on the model. I am partial to a later model as there appears to be a number of deals out there, however, am not tied to VTEC one way or another.

Any advise, I like to tour in the New England area, and am in the process of getting certified as an MSF instructor this season, so will likely have to use it for some range work (read slow trickly riding) on a regular basis.

Thanks in advance.

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mikeodial, there are plenty of deals out there, all depends on what you want. You can get a "new" leftover 07 nowadays for about 7K from dealers. There are also numerous deals on CL for VFR's in the New England area. Just do a search for "VFR", or "Interceptor" and at least a dozen will pop up. When you find one you like but aren't sure about the price, post up here and people can give their opinions on the deal. Good luck on the search.

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Welcome

You can usually find a really good 5th gen for about $4000 around here, that might be my recommendation because it still has the gear driven cams. I started out with a 2nd gen and then got a 4th, and then another 4th for a build project, so I'm a little partial to the earlier years (and would love to have a 3rd sometime). If you're looking to get some hard cases for it, you can get factory cases for the 6th gen which look much better than the Givi setups.

Post some pics when you find one

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My advise would be to get an 06+ VTEC. A number of fueling issues have been addressed in 06 and it is a much better bike for that.

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Since you'll be using it for slow, tight maneuvers, I'd recommend a 4th or 5th gen, which will be lighter than a 6th gen. Not that you can't make a tight turn with a 6th gen, but I imagine it's a little tougher than with the earlier models.

The 6th gen has some great qualities, including available ABS and matching hard bags. I love my '04 and have put tons of miles on it so far. No worries about mileage on VFRs tho, as they're pretty much bulletproof.

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If you have no opinion one way or the other regarding V tech then now is the time to drive a hard deal on a 06-08 USED bike with hard bags. Don't be afraid to show the ads where NEW vfr's are going for around $7k.

If you can stretch the $3-$6k to get a new left over bike then that is a good path as well. If you are just looking for a good used bike you can get a helluva lot of bike for $4k right now and spend the balance on upgrades to suit your style and needs.

As mentioned earlier, if you get either a 5th gen or an early 6th gen (prior to 2006) I would recommend a PC III to correct the low speed fueling issues associated with the move from carbs to fuel injection for your range work.

Bottom line, it is a buyers market so now is a great time to be looking for a VFR.

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My advice would be to get an 06+ VTEC. A number of fueling issues have been addressed in 06 and it is a much better bike for that.

:fing02: Plus you can get ABS and the hard bags will come in handy for touring.

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I just purchased an '04 VFR for $4K, no ABS, no hard luggage, exactly a month ago. My '04 was probably at the low end of the price range because it had a lot of touring miles on it. Before my purchase, though, I did A LOT of research on VFRs because I knew that was the bike I wanted, and on the high end of the $ spectrum you could probably find a brand-new '07 still under warranty for mid-$6K depending on the dealer, because I know Honda is offering dealers some incredible rebates to get rid of those unsold '07 bikes. (Bargain hard—these dealers aren't losing money with those rebates.) I've also seen brand-new '07s on eBay for $6500-$7000. That's a brand-new bike for $6,000+ and I think that's a pretty good deal for a bike which retails at or above $10K. Which means a slightly used '06 would go for around $5K, and you could probably get ABS or hard luggage, or both. I am extremely happy with my 6th-generation, and I like the VTEC too. You should probably be able to get a '02 or '03 in the mid-$3K range or slight higher, depending on mileage and options (ABS, luggage), with not too many miles on the odometer. Just my opinion, but if you're planning on doing any touring, try to find a bike with the hard luggage. I think you'll pay less (overall) otherwise buying the Givi luggage is a fairly expensive deal on top of the price of the bike. And if you enjoy modifying your bike (farkling? is that a word?) buy a cheaper bike and save some of that budget for mods. I hope this helps.

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I am looking for my first VFR. Price range in the $3-6K range depending on the model. I am partial to a later model as there appears to be a number of deals out there, however, am not tied to VTEC one way or another.

Any advise, I like to tour in the New England area, and am in the process of getting certified as an MSF instructor this season, so will likely have to use it for some range work (read slow trickly riding) on a regular basis.

Thanks in advance.

Here's one in your range, low miles. The dealer is sponsoring us for our upcoming PNW meet in Troutdale Ore. I see you're in New England so you can fly out, pick up your new bike, attend the meet on August 17-19 and ride home. Just a suggestion.

http://hondaofstjohns.com/new_vehicle_detail.asp?veh=23725&pov=1752502

Anway's good luck and you will love any generation. My 2004 has over 53,000 miles. I do maintain it well, but no issues, just pure fun.

Here's a link to the meet, remember to explore the routes and links. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/forum/106-pac-west-meet/

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Like others have said, used 6th gens are a bargain right now, what with dealers selling new 07s for less than $7k. I bought my 04 in 07 for $5000 with only 634 miles on it.

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The '07's are the best deals - either the RWB (and powdercoat the wheels white) or a dark red one, although it might be hard to find a good price on the ABS model. Only buy an older '02-'05 VTEC if you can really get a killer deal, since the NOS ones are so cheap.

If you can't get an '07 with ABS, look for an '00-'01 fifth gen or a '98-'99 fifth gen. For some reason, these are the cheapest of the VFR lineage you will find for the year/mileage.

The '94-'97 VFR750 was the smallest and lightest of the later generation VFR's, but a little harder to find accessories for due to it's age.

The '90-'93 VFR750 looked great (especially in white or black) but is a little heavy and underpowered.

Quality of the VFR's OEM suspension increased as the bike got newer, and of course the selection of aftermarket parts will be better for the newer '02-'09 bikes which had the longest production run of the VFR line.

I modified my '99 somewhat, but if I had to pick another VFR it would either be a '94-'97 (lightest/smallest) or the '07+ (w/ABS).

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I started with a 4th gen, moved to a 5th and now have a 6th. The only reason I went with the 6th are what were mentioned above - ABS and factory hard bags, neither of which are available on the 5th. Wide variety of opinions on ABS - lots of disagreements - but if it saves your butt just once, it's paid for itself multiple times over. IMHO my '99 handles waaay better than my '95 did. The '95 seemed to me to wallow through corners while the '99 and '08 seem to me to be much more planted and sharper in the turns.

I prefer FI so I can tune without tinkering with carb jets or synching them, which would be '98 and later. I've had zero issues and have seen few problems mentioned with Honda's FI. I also prefer gear driven cams for their bullet proof reliability and sound (!) which means pre-'02. Who knows WTF Honda was thinking when they went to a chain to drive 'em in 2002. :cheerleader: There are some threads through here about CCT issues on '02 + models - check 'em out - but it's probably more of an irritant than anything. If I could have a 5th gen with ABS and factory hard bags, I wouldn't even have looked at a 2002+ model - I'd be in VFR heaven. :fing02:

If you check out Craigslist here: http://eugene.craigslist.org/mcy/1840488728.html there's a 2001 with 7k on the clock for $5,500. That's steep on price, but I've also seen some super low mileage ones for a bit less $. I wouldn't mind finding a super low mile 5g myself to stash away as a spare - LOL. The one mentioned above at St Johns Honda also looks like a good deal on a 6th.

Styling and color choices are personal - but lots more options with 6th's than 5th's. Whatever you do, be sure to check out Tightwad's VFRness for any of them to upgrade the charging system harness (read up on that, too) and if you get an early 6th gen, be sure that the wiring harness recall either has been done or be sure to get it done once you own it. Good luck and good riding. You'll love any of 'em.

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I just purchased an 08 with ABS and Two Brothers Carbon Fiber exhaust with 2050 miles for $7800 last week. I saw a few other good deals out there last week. PM me if your interested.

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Looking at an 04, 14K miles, with Givi luggage plus some farkles for around $5K. Sounds reasonable?

Thats not bad I picked up my 03 ABS with 6K miles for $4500 last Feb. You might try to run a lower price and see it they'll bite.

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MIKEODIAL, I think that sounds pretty reasonable. I just picked up an '04 with 35,000 miles for $4,000. No Givi luggage and lots of mileage. I think $5K is a pretty good price if the bike is in good shape. I am extremely happy with mine.

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MIKEODIAL, I think that sounds pretty reasonable. I just picked up an '04 with 35,000 miles for $4,000. No Givi luggage and lots of mileage. I think $5K is a pretty good price if the bike is in good shape. I am extremely happy with mine.

+1, with the luggage and low miles I'd say that's a good deal. 14k is nothing on a VFR, and depending on which luggage they have it can be pretty expensive if you're buying it yourself

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Looking at an 04, 14K miles, with Givi luggage plus some farkles for around $5K. Sounds reasonable?

Sounds reasonable. And as others said 14k mi. on a VFR is nothing really. 48k on my '04 now.

If the bike is in good shape and depending on the farkles, it could be a very good deal. Farkles add up quickly when you buy them but unfortunately don't add a lot to the sale price later. But if they're farkles you want anyway, it's nice to have them upfront. :491:

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Bought my first VFR today! An 05 ABS with 4800 miles for $4,750. Decided to go with the ABS model, as you can't get it afterwards and I like the extra insurance it brings to the ride.

The bike is totally stock, so I will now be looking for some luggage to begin with.... thanks for all the input. Will put up a picture when I have got it cleaned. Rode 130 miles home CT to MA in the sun and the rain. This bike is so much better on the highway than my BMW K1200RS, which I thought was planted.

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Everyone hazed me when I was a newbie, so I'm passing it along: your imaginary bike is just an imaginary bike until a photo is posted!!! I think you got a pretty good deal on your bike. No doubt you will enjoy your VFR for years and years. Congratulations!!!

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SCOOORE!! Congrats, mikeodial, you did pretty well on that scoop. Motorcycle Consumer News Used Bike Value Guide, Summer 2010 (whew, that's a mouthful) ball parks the '05 ABS model at $6205. You should be able to farkle up with the savings. Try these guys for new OEM hard bags at a decent price:

http://www.accessories4bikes.com/advanced_search_result.php?search_in_description=1&keywords=%2705+interceptor+hard+bags&x=0&y=0

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Everyone hazed me when I was a newbie, so I'm passing it along: your imaginary bike is just an imaginary bike until a photo is posted!!! I think you got a pretty good deal on your bike. No doubt you will enjoy your VFR for years and years. Congratulations!!!

ha

:laughing6-hehe:

Congrats on the new bike (and great deal)

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