VFRbeliever

Reply using private messenger.

Salem, NH

For sale is a 2002 Honda VFR800fi with ABS. I am the second owner.  It has only 4151 original miles on the odometer. 

Specs: 781cc V-4 (VTEC) motor; 100hp; Italian Red; ABS brakes; single-sided swing arm; under seat exhaust; adjustable rear suspension.

Condition: Near perfect. There are some minor scratches in the paint and clutch cover (close-ups in the pics) from a right side tip-over by the previous owner.  It starts and runs perfectly. It has newer Michelin Pilot Power tires (front and rear) with plenty of tread left. New battery that is always kept on a battery tender. Always garaged. 

Modifications: Staintune stainless steel exhaust;  Sargeant seat; removed flapper; removed PAIR valve; removed snorkel; tucked license plate up under exhaust for neater look; smoked windscreen; Plasti-dipped wheels Anthracite Gray; tank knee grips. Always passes inspection.

Accessories Included in Sale: Rear luggage rack; Rear top case; Tank bag; Battery Tender Junior; Honda cover.

Bike comes with one working ignition key, and two top case keys.  Never raced. Never crashed. Title in hand. Nothing needs to be done, it is ready to ride.

I've owned 2 Italian Red, but love the white.  Cars, trucks, snowmobiles, motorcycles, they all look great in white IMO.

I bought my first VFR in 2004.  It was a 2002 with about 2500 miles on it.  As others have stated more eloquently than I ever could, I realized right away what a special bike this was.  Over the next several years I put about 15,000 enjoyable and trouble free miles on it.  Due to a financial decision, I sold it in 2012.  In 2015 I was ready to get riding again.  Though my experience with the VFR was near perfect, I decided I'd try something different this time around.  I had narrowed my list of potentials down to 5 bikes and was actively searching.  On a whim I typed "2002 VRR800" into the search bar of my local Craigslist just to see if anyone was selling the year/make/model bike I had ridden.  Lo and behold, one popped up not far from where I live...a beautiful red 2002 with ABS, and only 900 miles!  I made a ridiculously low offer and he accepted.  Honestly, I couldn't be happier.  It's 16 years old now but still looks like it just came off the factory line.  I have ridden many other bikes in the interim including brand new BMW's and Ducati's.  The VFR just feels like coming home.  My list is the same as everyone else's.  Stunning looks, beautiful exhaust note, near perfect ergonomics, easy to modify (which I have), rock solid dependability, etc.  I'll probably be keeping this one until I'm too old to ride.

Just the usual on mine.  Removed snorkel.  PAIR valve delete.  Flapper delete.  Removed rear fender, raised license plate higher.  Blacked out the OEM windscreen.  Added tank knee pads and belt guard.  Sargent seat.  Rear luggage rack.  Plasti-dipped the wheels (anthracite).  Staintunes.  Cortech tank bag.  Might add a Power Commander, but it's running so well I might leave it as is.  Nothing over the top, just enough to make it my own.

Loose ground in rear brake light?  Kickstand killswitch loose?  Handbrake switch shorting out?  Killswitch malfunction? With the gauges disappearing, I would start running down the switches/grounds/connections.  I'm not an electronics wizard and can't help with specifics, but if that were my bike, that's where I would start.

When I teach my son how to do anything I follow this pattern.  1) Tell him how to do it.  2) Show him how to do it.  3) Let him do it with me.  4) Let him do it on his own.  

That's how I've approached motorcycling.  I am "self-taught" like most others, but I am in a constant state of reading, observing, experimenting, and therefore learning.  Just when I think I've learned enough, life and experience always throw something new at me that lets me know that I still need to learn.  That alone has saved my skin many times.  Statistically, they say that the most motorcycle crashes and fatalities occur in the 3rd year of motorcycling -- just enough time to think you've learned it all.

I wasn't sure which forum to post this in, but as it is a ride report of sorts I chose to post it here.  Mods, feel free to move it if necessary.  

My daughter is a senior in college majoring in English.  We've had many, many good times together on the VFR and she chose to write a short essay about one of those rides as a class project.   It's a little longer than the average post but I felt compelled, with her permission, to share it.  Enjoy!

HOLD ON

I shrug on my mom’s old brown leather jacket, still slightly too big for me after all these years, and feel the silky lining rustling softly around my arms as I work the zipper up. Stepping out the door onto the front porch, I put on the helmet, red and black and decorated with scratches and the smears of mosquitoes who met with an untimely death. I skip down the porch stairs to the driveway, tugging on Dad’s worn leather gloves, black and red and patched with duct tape. The helmet’s cushiony interior crushes my hair into the nape of my neck. The snug fit makes my neck itch, but I don’t mind: in front of me, my dad is sitting on his motorcycle, its engine rumbling impatiently. I swing my leg over the back of the sleek red Honda, settle in the seat, and mirror my dad’s thumbs-up. With a quick rev of the engine, we’re riding off into the sunset.

            As we weave our way through my small town’s streets, the cool evening breeze rushes around me; the scent of a fresh summer night is intoxicating. Sometimes, if I tilt my head just right, the wind coming through my helmet sings. I can just barely make out the cricket’s chorus through the roar of the engine. We reach the outskirts of town; the winding roads cut through the open land that has replaced all the houses. Dad opens up the engine a little bit more, and we lean smooth and low through the curves of the roads, every turn bringing a new rush of adrenaline. Here on the back of Dad’s bike, surging up hills and gliding down them, powering through every twist of the road, I am almost on my own personal roller coaster; this one has no walls, though. I feel as free and as wild as the summer wind that surrounds me. The only things that slow our fun are stop signs and slow drivers, but they never hold us back for long.

            As the daylight continues to fail, we eventually make our way back home. Before we reach my neighborhood, though, Dad has one more thing planned for us. He takes us to the connector street that surrounds the mall in an oval; its shape resembles a race track. We’ve kept a good pace up until now, but that good pace is about to feel slow. He reaches back and tugs at my arm; he wants me to move my hands from the bars they’ve been holding onto on the back and reach around him instead. He’s done this before, usually with an accompanying, “Hold on!” Once he knows I’m tightly secured, he twists the throttle. The wind’s icy claws tear at my back as we pick up speed and tilt around the bend in the road, and every muscle in my body is clenched around the bike and my dad. I feel the tiniest twinge of fear along with the adrenaline pumping through me, but I don’t care. I close my eyes, and I’m flying.

            Soon, too soon, we catch up to the car that had been a good distance in front of us, and the moment is over. We meander back towards the house; we’ve been gone long enough that the sky has been painted a deep indigo by the time we reach home. My mom has left the light over the garage doors on for us, and it sweeps golden over the driveway pavement. We pull into the back of the garage; I hop off, Dad cuts the engine, and tonight’s four-cylinder symphony is complete. I take off the gloves, freeing my fingers to work at the helmet’s straps under my chin. Once the helmet is gone, I shake my hair loose and take off the heavy leather jacket. I smell like leather and engine exhaust, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Dad is taking his gear off, too. We make eye contact, and he gives me his traditional nod and grin; I smile in return,

            “Did you have fun?” he asks me unnecessarily; he knows I did.

            “Always,” I reply. He nods satisfactorily, and we walk back to the house together.

Those look nice!  The base color of the wheels you are dipping makes a huge difference in the final outcome.  Also how many coats you put on.  I've found plasti-dip to be very forgiving, especially when the surface is beat up like yours.  It goes on so thick that it masks a lot of the imperfections.  I've dipped my truck wheels, my bike wheels, and the hood, cowl, and skid plate of my snowmobile.  I've been very happy with the results of all three.  I really like the gold tint you achieved on your VFR wheels.  Unique.

The over spray will wear off over time.  I used a wire brush under running water to get some of the over spray off of the truck tires.  I spent more time masking the VFR wheels so nothing got on the rubber this time.  

Yes.  I just dipped my wheels about a month ago.  I did my truck wheels last summer and they have held up beautifully through a New England winter, though we didn't have much of a winter here this year.  I chose Anthracite Gray and love the way they came out.  I had the wheels off the bike to put new tires on anyway, so I just removed the rotors, masked the tires and other parts I didn't want sprayed and went at it.  I did 3-4 coats plus 1-2 coats of glossifier.  The guys at dipyourcar.com are great to work with if you have any questions and there are many tutorials on their website.  The colors are almost limitless.  It's a lot less expensive than powder coating.  And if you don't like it...just peel it off.

I'm in southern NH.  Could easily meet you on Day 3 and do the run across the Kancamagus up to Washington.  I've never actually ridden to the top of Washington because of cost/danger/weather.  Do your homework about Mount Washington.  Some of the nastiest weather on the planet, including the highest wind speed ever recorded was at the summit.  It can be in the 80s at the base and feel like the middle of a winter blizzard at the top.  There is a gravel section.  If there is auto/truck traffic, riding a motorcycle can be tricky up the steep grades.  That said, if the weather is good and the traffic is light, it would likely be one of the best scenic viewpoints in New England.  During Motorcycle Week (Lacoinia) there is a motorcycle only Ride to the Sky event June 13 - 16, 2016.  Here's the link:http://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/events/ride-to-the-sky

That whole area -- Route 112, 16, 2, 302 is fantastic for riding.  The scenery is breathtaking.   What dates are you thinking?

~Chris

I'll keep my eyes and ears open to see who might be around.  I'd be more than willing to put a ride together later this year.  The fall rides in NE are spectacular.

~Chris

Hey all,

Just wondering who is still actively using vfrdiscussion in the northeast region.  I recently picked up another 2002 VFR and will be riding all summer and into the fall.  Anyone interested in getting a fall ride together...MA, NH, VT?  Who's here?  Where are you from?  I live in southern NH.

~Chris

Hi all,

Last summer I picked up a pristine 2002 VFR (abs model) with only 908 miles on her!  It was late in the season and didn't get to ride too much, but have been busy doing a few modifications.  The bike already had a set of Staintune cans, but other than that was pretty much stock.  To date I have:

Modified rear fender

Removed the snorkel

Disabled PAIR valve

Disabled flapper valve

Last week a got around to doing a few more.  I needed to buy new tires, so while the wheels were off I sprayed them with Plasti-dip.  I did my truck wheels last year and they have held up very nicely.  I used anthracite gray and love how they came out.

I added some tank grabbers.

I also attempted to darken the wind screen.  I used VHT nightshades and sprayed the inside of the screen.  It is not perfect, but I generally like how it came out.  It is semi-transparent like I wanted.  The product didn't adhere to the windscreen the way I anticipated.  It didn't cover thoroughly, you can see the tiny spray droplet pattern.  However, it actually looks pretty cool.  I'm going to keep it.

I have a new Sargent seat being delivered today.  With that, I think I'm going to stop the mods for a while and ride!

I learned to ride on a good friend's V45 Sabre!! Absolutely loved that bike. Ah...memories.

After a few years out of the game I just picked up another 2002. It only has 900 miles on it and looks and feels brand new. Cleaned it up, had the shop go through it, registered it, inspected it, and am enjoying being back on two wheels.

Being away from riding for so long, I am being reminded of why I like this particular motorcycle so much.

LOVE the sound. Especially at idle and taking off from a stop. Intoxicating.

Smooth like butter.

Very neutral riding position.

Fun to get on the throttle, but easy to put down a lot of miles.

Classic, ageless style. Still looks good after 13 years.

A head turner. I parked at a Subway today and the young guy in the car next to me was staring. You could tell he was trying to figure out what it was. He finally got up the courage and asked, "What is that?" After a brief explanation and a couple questions answered he replied, "Looks awesome."

Easy to transform from one-up to two-up, or from sport to touring with a quick change of a few parts.

It just does everything so well. Hard to explain. Turns in easy, corners hard, accelerates hard, brakes hard, yet has a very compliant, comfortable ride.

The deceleration pop...pop...pop

I came close to buying something else this time around. Glad I didn't.

~Chris

After some good seat time I think I am going to hold off on the Power Commander. I did the typical airbox mods -- disabled PAIR valve, removed snorkel, disconnected vacuum hose from flapper valve (and cleaned out remnants of a nice big mouse nest). No flat spots, throttle response is smooth, and I'm basically pretty happy the way it is.

Did the mod last night. I like the way it came out. It was a little bit of a bear getting to the bolts that secure the fender. Had to remove the rear cowl to get at it. Once it was off, I removed the steel bracket and remounted the plate/light assembly to the bracket. I re-routed the wire so that it is up and out of the way. Thanks for the help!

I also did a few more things while at it. I disabled the PAIR valve, removed the snorkel from the air box, and disabled the flapper valve. Good thing I got in there too. Nice big mouse nest in front of the air box with lots of seeds in the air filter. All cleaned out and ready to go now.

Hi all,

Thinking about putting a Power Commander onto the '02 I just picked up. I had the old Power Commander III USB and O2 sensor delete on my previous bike and it really smoothed out the power delivery, especially in the lower rpm's. I was running Coyze's map.

The new products from Dynojet are the PC-5EX or the PC-3USBEX. What's the difference between the two? Any advantages/disadvantages? I still have the .djm map from Coyze on my laptop and would like to use it if possible. Do I need to find an older Power Commander or would the newer ones take that map?

Also have been reading a little about the fuel pressure regulator mod as an alternative (Turbo City??). Any thoughts as to what direction is best?

After riding the new-to-me 2002, the throttle response is a bit snatchy. Knowing how much the new map changed the character of the power delivery last time, I'd like to move in that direction.

~Chris

What is everyone using today to keep their bikes clean. I've been out of the game for a few years. I owned an '02 back about 10 years ago and was using the Honda Polish before they changed the formula. I picked up some of the new Honda Polish, and even though it said "original formula" it was not. I loved that stuff, but apparently it is no longer produced and available.

So what else is comparable?

Thanks.

~Chris

Hi all,

Just picked up a pristine '02 that has Staintune pipes. Everything else is stock on the bike and the first thing I'd like to do is remove the back fender and move the license plate up higher. Does anyone have any pics of this mod done with Staintunes?

I'm not interested in an aftermarket product.

After a quick inspection, it does not appear that I can get the license plate all the way up between the pipes without cutting the plate. The NH plate is just too wide. So where do most of you try to get the plate located in relationship to the pipes? Just below? And how did you deal with the license plate light and wiring?

I searched for "rear fender mod" and a few other related terms but didn't get exactly what I was looking for so I thought I would post.

Thanks!

~Chris

Got her registered yesterday so did a short "maiden voyage" last night. Everything seems to be functioning normally. The brakes grab nice and strong. It rides nice and true. Suspension seems normal. No wiggles or shimmies. The motor fires right up and pull strong. So far so good.

Going to get it insured and inspected either today or tomorrow. Calling the local dealership today to find out about recalls and have them go through it, change oil/filter, change out fluids, etc.

Then...let the mods begin.

~chris

Welcome back Chris! Time to break it in on some NH trails.

Kel! Good to hear from you. I may try to get a group ride together this fall. Be on the lookout! No off-roading this time. Wasn't it your fork seal that blew on some crazy dirt road in the mountains last time?

~Chris

Well...here's the scoop.

The bike was exactly as advertised. It's a 2002 VFR800 w/ABS. It has exactly 908 miles. It is nearly pristine. I had a friend with me and we went through the bike fairly thoroughly before shelling out the cash. The only modification we could see is a Staintune exhaust (which is my preferred exhaust anyway!) Everything else is stock. It came with the original seat cowl and plastic covers for the grab handles. Also a nice Honda cover. I was able to pick it up for $3500.

There were only two negatives we could find. First, It looks like it was tipped onto it's right side. There are some minor scuffs on the fairing, the right bar end, and the gearbox. Nothing major, hardly noticeable. Looks like a garage tip over. Second, the battery cover is missing. No biggie there.

The tires are the original Dunlops. The bike was most definitely stored in a garage. There is no dry rot or cracking on the rubber, and no rust anywhere that we could find. I'll probably ride a little on the original tires to see how they are, but will eventually put a set of Michelin Pilots on.

The bike was being sold on consignment at a vintage motorcycle shop. Very cool place and very cool guys. I met the original owner because we needed a signature. He told me he bought the bike new in 2002, rode it one summer, and then it basically sat. His wife wanted it out of the garage.

Going to get it registered, insured, etc. by the end of this week and hopefully get some good seat time this weekend to really check it out.

It has not had any of the recalls done, so I'll get to those over the next few weeks -- subframe weld, and wiring harness if I recall correctly. I'll get the oil/filter changed and probably change out all of the brake/clutch/antifreeze fluids to be on the safe side. I'll also try to find a battery cover and install it.

My old 2002 had a Power Commander with Coyze's map. I'll likely do that again as it really smoothed out the power delivery. Anyone know if the new Power Commander III EX runs the same ,djm files? My old 2002 also had Helibars (up about 1 1/4") and a Corbin seat. I may get to those at some point too. Oh, and a battery tender. Other than that, my goodness, what a clean bike.

Also, maybe you guys can help here. I noticed on the right side of the bike under the seat a knob that appears to be there to change a suspension setting, maybe spring preload? My old bike did not have this feature. Was it an option on the 2002? Maybe an option that comes with the ABS?

I'll post more pics once I have a chance to wash and shine her up.

Can't wait to ride and get back into the VFRD fold! Thanks!

~Chris

Well, it's been a loooong time since I've posted anything on VFRD and I must say I'm very excited to be back. A little history. Back in 2004 I picked up my first VFR, a 2002 with about 3000 miles. I had lurked here for about a year before I bought the bike and then became somewhat of a regular for few years. I met a bunch of very cool people, organized some awesome New England rides, and spent way too many hours hunched over my computer screen reading nearly every new post on this site.

Back in 2009, for financial reasons, after putting about 20k miles on her, I had to sell the bike. I haven't ridden anything since, but as you all know, once the bike is in the blood, it never really goes away. Recently, to scratch the "need to ride" itch, I picked up a snowmobile and have been riding in the New England winters for the past couple of seasons. It is a great sport, but the snow season is just so short. When spring finally came around this year and the motorcycles started coming out of hibernation I started to think that it might be time to get back on two wheels.

What to get...what to get.

I thought this time around that I might want to ride something different. Maybe something more track oriented like a Yamaha R1? Maybe a bigger tourer like a BMW. Maybe another all-rounder like Ninja 1000. Maybe go in a totally different direction and have some fun on a Ducati Monster or some other street fighter type. A few bikes peaked my interest, but when it came down to it, I liked my old VFR so much that I thought, why not. Just get another one. Nothing really does it all any better.

So for the fun of it, I searched for "2002 vfr" on my local Craigslist, and there it was. A pristine 2002 with only 908 miles on it. Showroom clean. Pretty much stock except for a Staintune exhaust. I put in a rather low offer and it was accepted. In two hours, I'll be on my way to go check it out. If all is as it seems, it'll be in my garage tonight!! I feel like a little kid at Christmas.

Pics and details to follow!

Here's a pic from the ad.

~Chris

People can be idiots. And some are.

I have done a lot of jogging on the roads around my house over the past few years and I can't tell you the number of times people have done stupid things just to see if they can make the unsuspecting runner scared. I always run on the left side of the road facing traffic. Many times some idiot driving behind me will cross the center line and brush by me from behind and lay on the horn at the last second. It is always unnerving. People have thrown things at me, sworn at me, swerved at me, honked at me, and even let their dogs go as I run by. It's unreal. And what can you do? Running on the road has its risks just like motorcycling does. I just chalk it up to jealousy. They can't or won't run, or they can't or won't ride a motorcycle, so they try to make life miserable for those who do.

I feel your pain.