simontan

Thanks again for all the input. Seller of the garage queen let me take a test ride yesterday. Good news is it seems to run great. I forgot how cool that gear whine sounds, and it really brought back memories. It’s also definitely more comfortable than my Triumph which is a big part of what I’m looking for in a second bike aside from the nostalgia factor. Can’t believe how much it dwarfs my Triumph which is a 1200 (you can barely see it in the back behind the VFR). Bad news is I got a better look in the gas tank with a pocket flashlight and there’s a bit more rust. Couldn’t take any pics, but the rust isn’t on the tank walls, and there doesn’t seem to be any particles or sediment sloshing around. The rust seems to be isolated to what looks like some sort of sensor - is there a probe of some sort for measuring the fuel level? At any rate it looks like a removable part. Oil and brake and clutch fluid all look clear from the sight windows. Im leaning in favor of the garage queen just because it saves me from having to make a two hour trip back and forth to look at the higher mileage one. Seller’s probably going to feel like I’m lowballing him, but he’s changed his tune a bit from telling me there are three other people coming to look at it later in the day to admitting most of the inquiries have been from flakes. Seems to currently be a buyers market for motorcycles. The local dealer actually has new, old stock 8g VFRs for $6,999 with zero miles and full warranty. What do you guys think is a fair offer all things considered? I’m planning on offering $3,500 but willing to go up a bit. I just think $5,000 seems a little too out of whack with the market especially with the higher mileage one also out there for $2,500 obo.

So I just came back from looking at the Garage Queen and it looks like a time capsule. The plastics and even the LCD screen on the instrument panel still look new without a trace of fading or wear or scratching. Started instantly from cold and idled and revd smoothly. The front tire is original (!) and the rear is about 8 years old. No signs of dry rot or cracking at all but I guess they have to go at that age. The concerning thing though is the gas tank looks like this under the cap. Tried to shine my smartphone flashlight inside and didn’t see any rust inside the tank just around the rim right under the cap as seen in the pic. How serious is this?

Thanks again for the replies so far! Here are pics from the sale posts for the two bikes I'm looking at. First is the garage queen and second is the one with 35k miles. Garage queen has some nice add-ons like, Corbin seat, M4 pipe and windscreen, but the other one has fresh tires, chain, and sprocket along with an updated R/R unit with voltmeter. Anyone know what kind of pipe is on the second one? Also, do these bikes need a Power Commander when fitted with aftermarket pipes? The newer Triumph I have now auto adapts.

So while this VFR that’s piqued my interest does indeed look pretty cherry, the seller has a pie-in-the-sky asking price of $5,000. I’m sure he’ll go down, but that’s exactly double the price of another one in my area that’s got 5x the miles. The higher mileage one is no doubt rougher cosmetically but seems well maintained with an updated R/R and some other items that suggest it’s well-used but also well-loved. VFRs don’t seem to have become collectible, so I don’t necessarily need an absolutely mint example. I’m just trying to decide if the bike with 35k miles at half the price might also need less work to bring to good riding condition. For context, I’m in a sort of weird spot now having just gotten back into riding after 18 years off for marriage and family. Got back in after winning(!) a Harley Forty-Eight in a sweepstakes. Turned out that getting a bike for nothing was the loophole that let me have one again. Hated the Harley though, so traded it for a Triumph Thruxton R which is a fantastic bike but not the most comfortable at my age. So I’ve been toying with getting a second bike just for kicks, and I figure the only way to again avoid too much flak from the wife is to get something that either won’t lose much more value or which might actually appreciate. So I’m looking at a Ducati MH900e as a collectible (but probably not too rideable) investment or at this VFR, which originally came out right when i gave up riding around 2001. The Duc is obviously a much bigger investment and is a bucket list item of sorts, but I suspect I really wouldn’t ride it much, whereas the VFR hits my nostalgia button, and based on my memories of my ‘94, could eclipse my Triumph as my go to bike. The $5k asking price for this 2001 model seems a bit unreasonable though given that the local Honda dealer has a new old stock 2015 VFR for $6999 with full warranty and everything else that’s happened over the last 3 generations. What would you guys do? Thanks again 🙂

Hi All, Just joined the forum because I'm looking at a 2001 VFR800 that popped up for sale locally. Will be going to look at it later this week and would like some pointers on what to look for. From a brief conversation I had with the seller, the bike only has 6,900 miles, of which only 2,000 were put on by the current owner over the last 8 years due to health issues. It doesn't sound like he has much in the way of service records but did an oil change recently before putting the bike up for sale. Other than that, he claims to have just kept the bike on a battery tender and ridden it briefly "every now and then." Didn't really get into just how frequently or recently "every now and then" was, though. The bike does look mint from the pictures he sent, but I'd like to get some input on what all to do if there's not much more information to be had. I'm a returning rider after nearly 18 years off, and this is mainly a nostalgia buy, as my favorite bike from my youth was a 4G VFR. I no longer have the tools, time, or wherewithal to do my own wrenching, so I would be sending it to a shop for any major work. If anyone here is from the Dallas/Ft Worth area, I'd also appreciate a referral to a good tech with VFR experience. Thanks in advance for any tips, and I look forward to being back on a VFR!