Thinking Of Buying A Vtec!

[spud786]

was the 2002 New, if not Id say you have some fueling issues from sitting, and if it was new, Id say your vtec valve lash tightened and the harshness disappeared. Both of those two items effect the smoothness of vtec.

I had some occasional harshness in the first couple thousand miles on my 06, two occasions , the hit was so hard it hurt my hands, the second time I thought the motor fell out of the bike. But after about four thousand miles these weird 1 or 2 time occasional examples disappeared. Now I would imagine there are bikes that behave like that routinely and that would suck.

[mk3dub]

Very timely thread, thanks for posting. I'm going to look at a 2003 tomorrow, so curious to know about the general feel and reliability compared to my old fifth gen. Been doing some reading today and found a lot discussed on the electrical system. Can these things be trusted? I don't mind a bit of maintenance, but not looking for a project. Any tips on what to look for?

[spud786]

Can these things be trusted ?

Compared to what, What bike would I trust more than my present vfr? that would be a joke in my world

And now you know the reason, I'm not getting rid of my vfr, although Ive been studying for years on an alternative. I thought of a 1000cc rr, but its too close to the vfr , don't really need two of similar to worse ergo.

While you see electrical complaints, Mines been super reliable well over 100,000 miles. I did have a stator fail at 56,000 miles, other than that, the bike has never let me down in obtaining forward progress. Really the bike is pretty much irreplaceable without coming up with 14 grand.

However, if I were buying a used vfr, id go for 06+ , all retrofits straight from the factory, and general reliability improvements. as far as as 2003 being better than an 07, that's more of a fluke, I wouldn't bank that as the norm.

[Otaylor38]

I think mine must have been since because it was parked for abit then?

Its a lot smoother now about 3k miles later.

it could also be because i got used to it i suppose.

I do kinda wish i got an 07 bike though. The electrics should be less messed with i suppose.

Also. Mines got a datatool alarm, which I'll never have on another bike, ever again. It does my head in lol.

[VFRMAN]

I'm also going to see an 03 2moro so we can compare notes 2moro night,the 06>abs would probably be a better buy I suppose,if the vtec kick and fueling is smoothed out on them.

[Cogswell]

I'm also going to see an 03 2moro so we can compare notes 2moro night,the 06>abs would probably be a better buy I suppose,if the vtec kick and fueling is smoothed out on them.

I have not ridden a < 2006 VTEC so I have no basis to compare, however the '06 and newer are not without their issues. Even with a PCIII and O2 eliminators, my '08 didn't get over its stumbling and hesitation issues until I removed the injectors and had them professionally cleaned. All good ever since.

[VFRMAN]

I don't know,I suppose it's the classic problem,why did Honda have to change to vtec anyway, I just found an 01 fi with 20,000 miles from a classic bike seller,looks totally original and very clean,full history,the price isn't ridiculous either,only mod I can see is a sargent type seat,I suppose when I ring 2moro it will have been sold already.

I don't intend doing big miles on the vfr anyway,it's just for local say around 100 mile trips,I have the ST1100 for touring.

I would hate to buy a vtec and regret it a few days later,or on the ride home,they are not easy to sell,I see a lot of them are for sale a long time.The fi's don't seem to sit very long.

[Cogswell]

Once sorted the VTEC seems as smooth as my 5th gen. It just took some doing to get it there. I don't feel that VTEC brings much to the VFR motor - I would have been happier had they stayed with the 5th gen motor if for no other reason than it being easier to adjust the valves. I did however want ABS and factory luggage and in the end it's worked out fine.

[dgordon]

Cogswell, have to agree with you. The 5th gen engine to me is the one. VTEC is reliable, and the benefits of the 6th gen are worthwhile. However I just don't feel VTEC moved things on enough, other than giving Honda a showcase for the tech. Having said that, I love mine. :-) But to me a grand slam would be to bring the cam gears back, in a future model.

Love them all.

Dave.

[rigger4343]

Every bike I have ever had, has had something about it that just didn't do it for me. Most of my bikes were not kept much longer than a year at a time. (But I also enjoy hunting for a bike, playing with it and then selling it just to get to do it again.) I have even considered flipping my VFR but when I look at what else is out there on the market right now, I really don't find anything that I feel like can do a better job than the VFR. At least for how I use the bike and for the dollar amount invested in it.

The VTEC transition does not bother me at all and is the least of my concerns. I have been more interested in making mine more comfortable. The LSL bars have been great and the last thing that I am saving up for now is a Sargent seat. I think once I have that on it, the bike is going to be about perfect for me and my passenger.

[spud786]

If you don't like the vtec, that's okay, its like a 2 stroke with a hit. What baffles me more is writing off the better lighting, better frame, better suspension,, better styling, better handling ect on the 6th. That's my only issue with the 5th, other wise if they put a 5th gen motor in a 6thgen , that would be fine with me. Atleast till I heard the constant whine, that would be my only issue with that result.

[TimC]

I love my 6th gen. The only time it's really let me down was a few years ago when the stator fried several hours from home, with 58k miles on the bike. I've put 20k on it since then with no issues.

If I'd bought a 5th gen. I'm sure I'd had loved it, too, and would still have it. I have nothing bad to say about any VFR, but I would say the 6th gen (up until the 8th gen.) has been my favorite design. And even with the intro of the 8th gen. I still love the looks of my 6th gen.

6th gen. is obviously not for everyone. Many people who previously owned 5th gen. VFRs and then bought a 6th gen. came away disappointed. As you can tell from this thread alone, there are few people who are completely unbiased when it comes to 5th vs. 6th gen. VFRs. Though I have nothing bad to say about 5th gen. - especially since I've never ridden one - I'm biased toward the looks of the 6th. It just looks better to me. That being said, I dig the sound and mechanics of gear-driven cams (GDC). I have a loose front cam chain tensioner (CCT) in my 6th gen., but it's been rattling off-throttle for thousands of miles now and the bike still runs perfectly. (I'll actually get around to fixing it one of these days.) So please don't let tales of bad CCTs vs. perfect GDCs scare you off from a 6th gen. Is it an issue with 6th gens? Yes, of course, but not a deal-breaker by any means.

As for VTEC...The '02-'05 had VTEC transition points at 7k rpm, and would transition down to 2 valves per cylinder again at the same point. The '06-'09 bikes transitioned (I think) at 6400 rpm, but transitioned down to 2 valves at a lower rpm, too - I think maybe 5800?

While the transitions were said to be smoother on most bikes, I think part of Honda's goal was also to get the bike into its 4-valve power band sooner during hard acceleration, which the lower engagement point did.

I think Honda may have also sorted out the lower gear unevenness from '06 on. My '04's VTEC transition was never really harsh, and I did notice a little bit of uneven fuel delivery or running at 5k-6k in 2nd and 3rd gears. After I installed a PCIII and O2 eliminators the transition became very smooth and the stumbling went away. It did not, however, fix the off-to-on throttle response. I still have to finesse going from closed-to-open throttle at times, as the bike tends to 'jump' when I crack open the throttle.

A Power Commander is not that expensive. If you fall in love with a 6th gen. and the VTEC transition is its only fault, it's easily fixed with a bit of money and pretty easy labor you can do yourself. I'm not much of a mechanic but installing these mods on my bike was a snap.

I've never minded the VTEC transition, and with a very smooth engagement with the PCIII in my bike, I feel confident enough to transition it at any point, even while cornering. But I will say that I've noticed harsher transitions in wet conditions for some reason, and that's usually when I've ridden for many miles in the rain between transitions, so perhaps either the moisture or the long absence of transitions makes the hit a little harder once I finally do go over 7k rpm again.

By the way, you can usually tell what model year a VFR is by the colors - specifically the color combination of the body and wheels. Might be different in Europe, but here in the US I think Honda only repeated itself once with 6th gens. That was '02-'03, when Italian Red came with black wheels. After that colors changed annually.

If I remember correctly, for the US bikes:

2002 - Italian Red with black wheels

2003 - Italian Red or Silver with black wheels

2004 - Italian Red with silver wheels, or Asphalt Black (flat black) - unsure about wheel color

2005 - Winning Red or Silver with silver wheels

2006 - Pearl Black (aka "Bass boat black") with silver wheels (I think)

2007 - RWB Anniversary with black wheels or Pearl White with silver wheels (I think)

2008 - dark metallic gray with silver wheels (I think)

2009 - black with black wheels

[VFRMAN]

Thanks fellas,great info and opinions,I have 2 options now,the 01 5th gen with 20,000 miles is available,looks very clean,service history as well,it's a 4 hour drive away.

also have an 06 6th gen,14,000 miles in mind,looks very clean also and priced to sell,2moro I'm going to see an 03 vtec locally and a friend has an 02 vtec which I'm taking for a spin first 2moro,he hasn't had any issues with the vtec.

I think I'm a bit like yourself rigger,I enjoy the hunt,and if you buy the right bike at the right price it's easy to sell on if I get tichy feet again.

Might hopefully have a vfr of some gen in the shed again by next Friday!!

[VFRMAN]

This is the clocks from the 5th gen I'm considering,does the speedo clock look wrong? the speedo on my previous 01 5th gen was different,just wondering if something has been changed on this bike?

this is the speedo clock on my previous 5th gen;

[marriedman]

My speedometer looked like the bottom one you have pictured. The top picture must have been replaced or aftermarket. The thing I find even more unusal is the triangular cutouts on the dash. Mine didn't have those:

[VFRMAN]

The smaller picture with the 20,700 miles is from the bike that's for sale,the bottom pic is from my previous 5th gen with 34,399 miles.

I see what you mean about the cut outs,I've no idea what purpose they have.

The clock on that 20,000 mile bike doesn't look right to me.

[Otaylor38]

The smaller picture with the 20,700 miles is from the bike that's for sale,the bottom pic is from my previous 5th gen with 34,399 miles.

I see what you mean about the cut outs,I've no idea what purpose they have.

The clock on that 20,000 mile bike doesn't look right to me.

Doesnt look right to me either. Ive seen them like thst before though, although i cant think why :(

Ill have a look on ebay and see

Edit: just a thought, could it be an import and had the speedo changed from KM to MPH?

[VFRMAN]

The bike was imported from the UK a few years ago,or so the seller says,it's got the old mot's to prove the mileage,so I can't think why the speedo clock would have been changed,never seen one like that before,looks like it's from a different bike,which makes me suspicious,even though the mileage record is digital.

edit, ebay item number 171212372647 looks like it's a replacement speedo underlay,why though?

[Otaylor38]

The bike was imported from the UK a few years ago,or so the seller says,it's got the old mot's to prove the mileage,so I can't think why the speedo clock would have been changed,never seen one like that before,looks like it's from a different bike,which makes me suspicious,even though the mileage record is digital.

edit, ebay item number 171212372647 looks like it's a replacement speedo underlay,why though?

Reading through that description it seems those overlays are used on imported bikes.

Is there a possibility it could of been imported from japan to england, and then england to ireland?

I dont know how theyd get around the digital odometer though :/.

Hmm. Tricky one that mate! If it cant be explained by others, itd be enough to put me off it to be honest

[VFRMAN]

Yeah me too,I'm kind of leaning towards the vtec anyway,my suspicious nature would lead me to avoid that bike.

Just spoke to a guy this evening who has an 04 for sale,says the valve clearances were done at 32,000 miles in a motorcycle shop, but he doesn't have the receipt!!

I think if I spent say 500 quid getting the valve clearances done I'd keep the receipt,so I'll swerve that one too.

The hunt continues...

[Otaylor38]

Yeah me too,I'm kind of leaning towards the vtec anyway,my suspicious nature would lead me to avoid that bike.

Just spoke to a guy this evening who has an 04 for sale,says the valve clearances were done at 32,000 miles in a motorcycle shop, but he doesn't have the receipt!!

I think if I spent say 500 quid getting the valve clearances done I'd keep the receipt,so I'll swerve that one too.

The hunt continues...

I think it should be done every 16k on the 6th gen.

Mines got 18k on it now. I looked into doing the clearances but every mechanic (one was a honda race mechanic) told me not to bother, id hear it if the valves needed doing and i could cause more harm than good opening up the engine anyway. They rarely need doing apparently.

[VFRMAN]

It's enjoyable looking for a good one anyway,I'll know a lot more 2moro night,hopefully I'll get a spin on a few vtecs 2moro,my mates 02 and an 03 that's for sale not too far away.meant to see the 03 today but the owner wasn't available.

The weather has gone to the dogs lately so there isn't much chance for biking,next few days seem ok though.

I've heard that said alright about the valves but I think it should be checked at some stage.

[Otaylor38]

It's enjoyable looking for a good one anyway,I'll know a lot more 2moro night,hopefully I'll get a spin on a few vtecs 2moro,my mates 02 and an 03 that's for sale not too far away.meant to see the 03 today but the owner wasn't available.

The weather has gone to the dogs lately so there isn't much chance for biking,next few days seem ok though.

I've heard that said alright about the valves but I think it should be checked at some stage.

Yeah. See what you think. A test ride is a must :).

A nice vtec is a lot easier to find than a nice pre vtec. I just hope this doesnt make it harder to sell when the time comes and i want a newer one (see how things go next year)

I might get mine done at 32k, we'll see.

I know what you mean though, id rather buy a bike thats had it done, as appose to a bike that hasnt.

Good luck test riding! Let us know what you think!

Make sure you try out that vtec change over of course :)

[VFRMAN]

Well just home from test riding the 03 vtec,I didn't like the bike at all,I found the throttle very snatchy low down,hard to hold at a steady speed in slow traffic,the vtec transition also seemed a bit harsh,maybe it's just that particular bike but compared to the 5th gen I had previously it was horrible.Lovely looking bike though but I'm not buying a bike to look at.

I'm going to try an 06> model at some stage,but after todays experience I'm inclined to keep looking for a good 5th gen.

[TimC]

It's great you got a chance to ride a 6th gen., even if the experience wasn't good. Maybe an '06 or newer will be better, but you already know from experience that you can't go wrong with a nice 5th gen.