Member Contributer doubled Posted December 23, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 23, 2014 Hi All, Interested in some feedback on whether a '97 VFR with 26k km's would make a good (recreational, not racing) track bike. I have a 6th gen and I've been looking to spend around $2,500 for a used CBR or R6 to use 2 or 3 times a year for track days. I came across an ad for a very clean 4th gen VFR and thought that maybe I'd benefit more from using a bike on the track that is closer to what I ride on the street. I'm 50, and the purpose of my track days will be to improve my riding skills while having an opportunity in a safer environment to push the limits. I've take a few racer-development courses already. CBR's and R6's are pretty close to track ready and parts are plentiful. Not sure about the durability of a 4th gen VFR in this regard. Thoughts? Thanks, ---David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dustin Posted December 23, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 23, 2014 I don't think you can go wrong with a 600; it's going to be far superior on track as well. Besides, a clean 4th Gen is harder and harder to find these days and I think it would be better served as someone's faithful sport tourer ;) You can't spit without hitting a 600 these days, they're the better track toy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted December 23, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 23, 2014 Go with a CBR or something. Plenty of great finds on the WERA classifieds. For that price, by the time you do some bodywork and suspension on the VFR, you would have had something ready to go for much less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 A lot more aftermarket parts for the 600s, next to nothing for the VFR. A late model 600 will have more HP, better brakes, and a more capable chassis. The only thing I can think that the VFR has going for it is the v-four and the exhaust note. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer doubled Posted December 23, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted December 23, 2014 Thanks guys. Got the message loud and clear All he best for the holidays and new year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRBert Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Do not under estimate a VFR as track bike. A friend used his rc24 a few years back on the track for his racing license, on the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands. Most other participants used bikes like fireblade's. He had the fourth time all over that day. Maybe aftermarket parts are easier to find in Europe, but for the intended use a not so good looking but complete rc36 could work very good. A scratched fairing is no problem, if engine suspension and brakes are good. Steel belted brake lines and good brakepads are enough. Even my old rc24 with 276 mm fixed disks has enough stopping power, to lift the back of the bike while driving with a passenger. So the 296 mm floating disks should work even better. Or buy a vfr with damaged fairing for a few bucks and put a cheap racing fairing on it. And its fun to have a track bike different from all the other bike's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted December 23, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 23, 2014 The thing about the CBR's, well most of them, is the weight of the motor is closer to the front wheel and that's a biggie BUT i love my V4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GadiantonRob Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I traded a 4th gen for a cbr900, no comparison. The cbr is featherweight by comparison. Also handles better and power is much better. The old 919 engine is bulletproof and torquey to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted December 23, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 23, 2014 Hmmm no one would ever know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer slo1 Posted December 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 24, 2014 A bit heavy, but 600's are just tools. VFR's have soul :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer doubled Posted December 24, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted December 24, 2014 Cool! ---David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mohawk Posted December 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 24, 2014 Go for it, but not with a good bike, buy a bike with a good engine, the rest can be sorted and a cheap race fairing will do. Strip off all the street stuff, like lights etc & fit a light weight battery. As 4th gen is carded, you could go total loss & ditch the genny, which will improve engine response ! The bike will feel closer to your 6th gen & thus instill more confidence in the abilities of the 6th gen. A well setup VFR will toast most 600 on a track or road. Just make sure you ft the best tyres you can. If you make some basic mods to get the breathing sorted, they will make over 100bhp at the rear wheel. Which when used to its full with the additional torque, will feel so much better when you surprise 600 riders :) Plus you will ahve the coolest sounding bike on the track :) Newer 600 make better numbers, but they are not very fexible & if you end up in the wrong gear anywhere, they lose drive very badly. The VFR being a very flexible unit with a flat torque curve, just pulls in all gears. It would be interesting to see a back to back or side by side gear by gear run between a VFR & a 600. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted December 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 24, 2014 douglasthcook has been on Assen, Spa and the Nurburgring with his (granted) modified 4th gen. Come on! stand out from the crowd with their stinky i-4's!!!! As for riding in the rain, you donot need specialised rain tires. You know how to ride with the bow wave slushing over yer boots!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted December 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 24, 2014 And hope the dam dont break . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted December 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 24, 2014 If you are still set on a 4th gen as a track bike, send me a PM. I may have something for you, but with a caveat. Cleveland is only 3 hrs from toronto (all canadians speed on the QEW, right?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum CEO HispanicSlammer Posted December 24, 2014 Forum CEO Share Posted December 24, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer doubled Posted December 24, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted December 24, 2014 douglasthcook has been on Assen, Spa and the Nurburgring with his (granted) modified 4th gen. Come on! stand out from the crowd with their stinky i-4's!!!! As for riding in the rain, you donot need specialised rain tires. You know how to ride with the bow wave slushing over yer boots!!! Dutchy - 2 years later and my gloves are still wet! If you are still set on a 4th gen as a track bike, send me a PM. I may have something for you, but with a caveat. Cleveland is only 3 hrs from toronto (all canadians speed on the QEW, right?) This decision seems to be one about the head (600) vs the heart (vfr). Ultimately it may be much more costly (reliability issues, spare parts, etc) to go the Vfr route. I think the video just closed the deal. That was awesome. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
criticalmass181 Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 I've just finished....(insert almost)...pulling my VFR down to nothing. What's left of it is quite light, and there's a heap of mods you could do to get yours sorted for track use. I reckon a VFR would be awesome as a track bike. Might want to do some work on the suspension, though. In saying that, though. A 600 would set you back a bag of beans, and it wouldn't matter if you killed it. If I were trying to push my limits, i'd much prefer to do it on something disposable. It all depends on the milk you spill, as to how much you can cry over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer trjerm Posted December 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 24, 2014 If the 4th gen is inexpensive, I like your logic of riding something similar to what you ride on the street, I'd go w/ the 4th gen. Make sure you take the feelers off the pegs, remove pass. pegs, headlight, turn signals, good plastic fairing pieces( replace w/ scratched up ebay or classified pieces), if you have a rear stand, than you can ditch the center stand , put some hh pads on it,ss brake lines, better shock and gold valves and good tires. Have fun w/ whichever one you decide on., but a 4th gen can be ridden quite fast on the track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer doubled Posted December 25, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted December 25, 2014 Here's a pic. Asking $3500. 26,000 kms. My budget going into this was $2500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted December 25, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 25, 2014 That's a really nice looking 4th gen - looks great in silver! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted December 25, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 25, 2014 That looks too good to be tracked IMHO. *says the guy with a 4th gen track bike project* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer trjerm Posted December 25, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 25, 2014 I think that's to much money for a nice 4th gen unless it's got an Ohlins and suspension sorted out. Nice looking bike anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer doubled Posted December 25, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted December 25, 2014 Bike is stock. Was off the road for 3 years prior to this past summer. Current owner rides a Harley. Bought the bike from a friend, got it back on the road but says it's too fast for him. ---David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted December 25, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted December 25, 2014 Bike is stock. Was off the road for 3 years prior to this past summer. Current owner rides a Harley. Bought the bike from a friend, got it back on the road but says it's too fast for him. ---David Lol at least he knows his limitations.My project bike was purchased from a member here. He hasn't posted recently. Probably having too much fun with his VFR400 track bike. It's a 97 with a CBR900 front. It had the matching 900 swinger on it, but I went back to the stock swinger for ease of exhaust. Low mileage engine in a rolling chassis with a few boxes of necessary parts. Bought another high mileage 94 to ride while my 98 was down for repairs, and to use as an additional donor bike. Had a lot of other stuff on the plate this year, but after riding the legal 4th gen around this past summer I'm looking forward to getting a 4th gen on the track next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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