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Hi everyone, this is my first post here. I'm in Bournemouth in the UK (originally from South Africa, though), and I just picked up a yellow '99 VFR800Fi. It's in excellent nick for a 20 year old machine, and has 54,000 miles on the clock. I'm not entirely new to VFRs, as I had a VFR400 NC30 many years ago (which was a fantastic bike, if a bit cramped), but am definitely new to the bigger VFRs. My new bike seems to have been very well taken care of. Last owner had it a year then bought a ST1100, but owner before him had it for a very long time. The mods that (I know) have been done to it are: Scottoiler on the chain Renthal handlebars conversion (very comfy, but he gave me the stock bars too in case I want to change it back) new-ish Yuasa battery upgraded RR unit MRA touring screen Oxford heated grips braided brake hoses Motad stainless steel downpipes and collector rack for a Givi monokey topbox (but no topbox, previous owner lost it) Oil was changed approx 1,000 miles ago. Everything else on the bike is stock, including exhaust can. To me it looks like the headlights may have been upgraded too but I haven't tried them in the dark yet. I'm planning on checking (and likely changing) the air filter, as previous owner didn't say it had been done. From the reading I've done so far here, it seems like the VFRness might be a good mod to make in terms of preventative measures (reliability is my #1 concern at this point)? Anything else I should be doing ASAP? Down the line would like to pick up a seat cowl, possibly upgrade suspensio , and perhaps an end can for a bit of a growl 🙂

Hello again VFRD-ers Well, I couldn't stay away. I sold my 7th gen last year after a work layoff and relocation to Utah, and it's been eating me up inside not having a bike. I was in Denver for work last weekend and wound up buying a brand-new-old 2015 deluxe in red. I pick it up tomorrow sometime and cart it back to Utah. I've already ordered a bunch of accessories, and am planning on really doing some work on it this summer in hopes of touring Arches, Moab, Zion, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier, and some other national parks. First impressions versus the 7th gen... 1) Vtec isn't as bad as advertised, and frankly I found it a bit smexy. 2) Riding impression is remarkably similar. Good power, though not as much of it obviously. Ergonomics and seating is just right for me. Suspension needs some work obviously, but mainly because I'm a tubby bucket-o-love. 3) Wind protection just isn't as good as the 7th gen. 4) Brakes are also nowhere near as good, but I'm not surprised by that either. The 7th gen brakes are legendary. 5) The weight is WAY more manageable. This thing is so much more maneuverable at lower speeds than the 7th gen was. I think for my riding style, this 8th gen will be an absolute peach. I'm really looking forward to throwing a bunch of miles on it. I've ordered the panniers and a quick-shifter (rode a Yamaha Tracer GT when shopping and loved that feature), as well as a full tankslapper set of films, a SW Motech tank bag, shop manual and some other sundries. Suspension will be done soon too, as I now know first-hand how big of a difference it can make. A DAM exhaust is going to happen soon, but the checking account has bulemia currently, so I'm giving it a bit of a break. Anything else you guys think is worth consideration?