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Opinions 98 vfr800


jalex1995

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Hey, guys I am currently selling my bike and this guy has offered me a 98 vfr800 in trade for it, I have a ridden a 2003 vfr800 and it was a fine bike but I haven't ever had a bike this old before ad wanted to know how reliable they are if there is anything I should look out for and maybe some things I should consider if I do end up trading. The man trading it bought it about 6 months ago from his uncle who he says rotates through a lot of bikes at a time, the bike has 40k miles on it and has a new rear tire, chain and the sprockets and fluids were recently changed, bike seems to be all stock except for the micron exhaust. He is going to send me some more pics and info tomorrow but I just wanted some information and opinions on the bike and if it is worth the trade, my bike is a 03 Kawasaki Vulcan Mean Streak asking $3500.

vfr800 1.png

vfr800 2.png

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I don't own one, sure other members will comment, but seems the charging system, ie connector plug from stator to rectifier is the weakest link. I have a few VF750's that I'm working on, can't get away from the "V4".
Personally don't think you'll be disappointed, but check it over properly....

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

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Don't listen to it running if you don't want to buy it.  Because if a throaty, high-performance rumble gets you going, you're not going to be able to say no!  Apart from a few electrickery foibles, these bikes are very reliable and will go forever.  Forty-k is a lot for most bikes, but about normal for a VFR of that vintage.  It will probably benefit from suspension upgrades front and rear, so you might want to budget for that.  When the 5th gen first came out I thought they were ugly, but now I own two of them!

 

Ciao,

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Just over 102,000 miles on my '99 (which is mechanically identical to '98) and running strong! If you like the bike, it seems like a fair trade for a clean '98. If you're asking $3500 and willing to be talked down a little, probably the same situation with the VFR. Could ask $3500 and come down a bit. So sounds even to me.

You could spend a couple hundred on upgrading the charging system, and never spend another dollar on mechanical failures for as long as you like to keep it, IMHO. Other than maintenance, of course. Oil and filter, the occasional air filter and chain/sprockets. Flushing the linked brakes system can be tricky, but with a decent vacuum bleeder it's not bad. This forum has all the DIY help you'll need!

Oh yeah, ask about the solo cowl! Not in the pics, so I'm not sure if it's included? 

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Just FYI, those are Helibars on that bike. So you will be a little more upright than stock. Not a bad thing if you are transitioning from a cruiser to a sport tourer. Charging system has probably been upgraded if the bike has 40K miles on it. I jsut can't imagine the stock one lasting that long. The suspension and the charging system is the only bad thing I could ever say about the 5th gen bikes. While the brakes aren't ABS (which I like) the linked brake system works well for riders like me.

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Nice catch on the Heli Bars, I didn't notice that. 

Agreed it's pretty tough to get through 40k miles and 18 years on the original R/R and stator, but I just got a Y2K with 30k and it looks stock. Could be a new OEM R/R was installed at some point, but all the plugs look great. 

If you take the seat off, you might be able to get a look at the R/R and connectors. Generally those style OEM connectors don't last. The get a little loose and start to arc and melt. Or the insulation on the wires cracks and can arc from there. 

My personal preference is the 3rd pic. No pigtail wires, the connectors are water/dust resistant and attached to the body of the R/R. 

None of this is super urgent if it's running ok and the connectors aren't crispy. But it's easy to check first. If you can't get a good look with just the seat off, the two bolts on the left side tail come off with a 5mm Allen and should flex enough for a look at the R/R. 

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It's considered a "sports tourer", which is a mix of Sport and Touring. Meaning it can have fun in the corners but you won't be dying if you want to do 400 miles. There are aftermarket bag options available for when you want to stretch the touring side of things. Tank range is around 200 miles.

 

It has won a multitude of "motorcycle of the year" awards. It just does everything pretty well. If it is running fine you won't have to spend a lot to keep her happy.

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I bought my 99 VFR a couple of years back with similar mileage to this one. As has been stated above,  these engines are very well built and reliable. Some of the peripheral parts will be wearing and might need replacement, but if you are mechanically inclined these are cheap and easy to do, I'm referring to things like clutch plates, steering head bearings and the thermostat, all of which I have since I bought my VFR. Electrically my bike has been great although I have fitted a voltmeter just as a precaution, and recently cut out the connector in the pictures here and soldered the wires.

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Like others here I have 5th & 6th gens.  It's not unusual to see 225 on the gauge, but it's not a big deal.  VFR's that truly over heat usually suffer from maintenance issues - stuck thermostat, bad rad cap or similar.  One foible afflicting some owners DIY'ing a coolant change is to leave the bike on the C-stand while bleeding the coolant.  That's solved by running the engine on the side stand, making the rad cap the highest point in the system.  That lets all the air rise up and out and gets the system completely full.   If the coolant is low, the thermo switch on the rad is not covered with coolant and the fan will not run.  Once properly filled and bled, all is good.  Personally I think the side-rad VFR's get a bad rap for running hot, when properly serviced don't run much if any hotter than most other bikes.  

 

That said though, I did install a fan-over ride switch on my 6th gen, allowing me to control it at will.  That allows me to run the fan in slow traffic before it would normally turn on (at 220 deg) keeping things cooler over all. 

 

The 98 you're looking at will not have a cat, and has what I personally prefer which is a manual control for the starter valves allowing for control over fast idle speed.  It also eliminates a potential service item of the wax unit that was later used to control fast idle starting with 2000 models. 

 

With that Micron exhaust on it - once you hear it running you probably won't be able to walk away - it's magic.  I should add that if you have never heard one running previously, do not be put off by the whine coming from the engine - those are the drive gears for the cams - completely normal (and beloved here by many). 

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Alright, I asked because I remember sitting on my brothers 03 vfr in stop and go traffic watching the temp gauge just going up past 200 and I always just prayed the bike wasn't going to overheat. Just wanted to make sure that it wouldn't kill me for occasional commuting. Side note on the 03 we put in all new hoses, thermostat and fluids.

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12 minutes ago, jalex1995 said:

Alright, I asked because I remember sitting on my brothers 03 vfr in stop and go traffic watching the temp gauge just going up past 200 and I always just prayed the bike wasn't going to overheat. Just wanted to make sure that it wouldn't kill me for occasional commuting. Side note on the 03 we put in all new hoses, thermostat and fluids.

 

FYI the fan doesn't kick on until 220; you can see 230ish safely on really hot days. 

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Alright, well is there anything else I need to be aware of for these bikes other than the plugs and stator ? And I am going to assume that the stator shouldn't be a problem since my uncle's Suzuki boulevard c90 pretty much gets a new stator every 3 years..damned thing doesn't even have 25k on it.

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Ive had my '98 since '05 and love it, over 50K miles. I bought it used and already decked out with some performance parts so it was track ready but I wish I had the time/money to de-link the brakes. You can't beat the engine sound, the gear driven cams melody is great. I did replace the stator and R/R wires with the VFRness and no charging issues since. It sat for about 2 years and I had some fuel systems issues but with plenty of parts available I got it sorted out relatively cheap, ive spent a few grand in maintenance over the last 10 years and its always ready to go, track or street. Gotta love a honda! The closet thing I found to it is a triumph sprin which has more hp but its a triumph, cant compare reliability. Get it and enjoy it!

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1 minute ago, jalex1995 said:

Alright, well is there anything else I need to be aware of for these bikes other than the plugs and stator ?

 

Yes, definitely.   They are highly addictive  . . . :cool:

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Well, I ended up trading for the bike. Saw it in the parking lot took it for a ride and fell in love with it. I am not sure about the r/rs and exc but I will put up some pics when I post the bike tomorrow and hopefully someone will show me what I need to look for. :)

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I'll just add to not use K&N oil filters.  They seem to not seat right on these bikes (or maybe others too).  Lots of people have had problems with them leaking or blowing out going down the road.  I mean LOTS!  Other filters you will be fine with.  

 

And congrats on the bike!  I think you will like it.  I love the whine of those cam gears too.  Love my 02 but it does not have them.  Plenty of help and info here to do most things to the bike as well as maintenance.  

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