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I felate the 98-01 VFR800!

nightrider said:
I see a VFR in my future. I love the '07s with the anniversary paint job. That generation had the coolest styling of the series in my opinion.

Sport Rider does a "Best Buys" feature now and then. They've featured the F3 and F4i, SV series, the RC51(?) and some others. I feel that the F3s and F4s are good all-around bikes, and good beginner bikes.

How about these candidates?
"sporty"
Hon VTR / Superhawk
Suz TL-S (a buddy had 60+k on his)

"naked"
Kaw 1200ZRX
Yam FZ-6 and FZ-1
Suz Bandit
BMW R800 / 1200 R
HD Sportster (883, a borderline inclusion)

"urban"
Suz DRZ400sm
Suz DR650
Kaw KLR650

"starter"
Kaw Ninja 250 / 500
Suz GS500
Yam TW200

And the bike near and dear to my heart, the GSXR 750
Click to expand...

flying_hun said:
Nice story, Gabe. I love the sound of gear driven cams! :love

Other best buys? You mentioned one in story, VTR1000F Firestorm/SuperChicken. Used ones seem pretty cheap. :dunno How about late 90's - early 2000's ZX6 / ZZR600 Kawasakis. Used 1200 Bandits seem pretty cheap for what you get.
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Great suggestions, guys! Thanks.
 
I love my 98 and even though I'm planning to buy a new bike this summer, I can't imagine NOT having a 5th gen VFR. There's a 80% chance I just buy a lower mileage VFR this summer.
 
I think that anybody who says a VFR is "boring" most likely hasn't lived with one for a bit.

My '94 is still a thrilling motorcycle with a ton of character. The engine is so sublime. When it is tuned well and you have a nice exhaust system on it, it is just perfect. It's so exotic feeling and sounding. It's so involving and fun. It always reminds me of a mini Ferrari V-8. It feels and sounds like that. They hit the ball so far out of the park with this bike. 17 years old and it really does still hold it's own. And, when I am on a sweet road just railing along, I never have even for an instant wished I was on something else, which says a lot. I can ride it to the store down the street or 400 miles of mountain passes, and it just begs for more. I'd ride it to New York tomorrow and it has been neglected for the last couple years.


I know, there are many faster and lighter bikes. But there isn't a better value in a bike. And, having spent 2300.00 on it over 4 years and over 30,000 miles ago, it's been an unbelievable bargain for me. Never got so much value from a dollar before. Iron out the well documented "problems" (my bike never had any of these) and it's bulletproof.:thumbup
 
On my fourth VFR...two 5th gens, two 6th gens. Best balanced bike I've found - plenty of fun, plenty of practicality. Not GREAT at any one thing...but damn good at pretty much everything. :D
 
SV650 as a cheap buy. Huge aftermarket, cheap parts, loads of bikes out there, dead reliable...I also enjoyed the article, thanks for sharing.
 
WORD
DSCF00131.JPG

No elec problems. The gear driven cams and V4 power band give it plenty of personality.
 
Good article & video, gabe. I see John Joss and his crew almost every weekend at STP, and have always admired his bright-red & clean VFR. And it has 90K plus miles. Wow. :thumbup
 
Gabe..

Do a article on the EX500 and how it's such a great beginner bike; get some sedate pictures of them purring along.. Almost get us snoozing..

and then..

print some pictures of some modified EX500's jumping city streets and dicing it up on the track.. :teeth

I'm surprised I didn't discover this little motorcycle earlier.. Damned FUN!

Oh.. no electrical problems either.. haha..
 
God you have really gone head over heels for that little POS. :twofinger
 
Z3n said:
God you have really gone head over heels for that little POS. :twofinger
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You kidding? I am having the time of my life.

It's close in size and dimension of my very first motorcycle, the Sears mini bike. It's everything I wanted in my first bike. 6 speeds.. brakes, a clutch.. lights.. hah..

Ahh never-mind.. You'll never understand.. brat.. :twofinger
 
We need to get you back to a real motorcycle pronto. Get your ass on a KTM690SMC or even a DRZ400SM or something. All that unburned fuel's making your brain run funny. :laughing
 
I felate the 98-01 VFR800!
:wtf
I hope you at least had the common courtesy to give the owner a reach-around too. :twofinger
Yep, those bikes are hard to beat for all-round road-bikes. I looked hard at several under $3K this past summer. :wow
Get 30lbs off and add a supercharger kit... :ride

98-03 ZX-9Rs are next best thing, almost as cheap, just as comfy yet lighter and more powerful. With standard mods like bars, seat and suspension... :thumbup
 

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Brown81 said:
I think that anybody who says a VFR is "boring" most likely hasn't lived with one for a bit.

My '94 is still a thrilling motorcycle with a ton of character. The engine is so sublime. When it is tuned well and you have a nice exhaust system on it, it is just perfect. It's so exotic feeling and sounding. It's so involving and fun. It always reminds me of a mini Ferrari V-8. It feels and sounds like that. They hit the ball so far out of the park with this bike. 17 years old and it really does still hold it's own. And, when I am on a sweet road just railing along, I never have even for an instant wished I was on something else, which says a lot. I can ride it to the store down the street or 400 miles of mountain passes, and it just begs for more. I'd ride it to New York tomorrow and it has been neglected for the last couple years.


I know, there are many faster and lighter bikes. But there isn't a better value in a bike. And, having spent 2300.00 on it over 4 years and over 30,000 miles ago, it's been an unbelievable bargain for me. Never got so much value from a dollar before. Iron out the well documented "problems" (my bike never had any of these) and it's bulletproof.:thumbup
Click to expand...

oh fuck yeah i love the fourth gen also so fucking cool!:thumbup
 
well written article Gabe, I have never ridden a fifth gen but heres my choice.... a little bias

One of my favorite bikes is the 3rd gen vfr, I had a 93 white one about ten-twelve years ago. The v4 motor and the sound of the gear driven cams just ingrained in my mind forever. still have my regrets on selling it.
fast forward to Nov,2010. I saw a 07 25th anniversary edition still in crate and bought it with out a second thought. The rc51 in delegated to track only because its starting to become a torture rack to commute in. The vtec model throttle is very sensitive in stock form but the pc3 smoothed it out. I am loving every minute of my commute time and this is becoming my all time favorite all rounder bike. still miss the gear driven cam whine of the 93.
 

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I've had two. Had a '91, loved it. Have a yellow '00 with a Yosh pipe and Heli-bars, and love it. Not a boring bike at all, and as others have said, that pipe sounds amazing.

That said, I'm almost completely opposite the "type" you called out - "a little older, neatly attired, not quite at BMW-owner levels of prissiness, but clean- cut and serious." Oh well.
 
I'm on my 3d Interceptor :D

86' My first "sprot bike"
94' That I really miss and it was my first track bike :teeth
90' Just turned 100k and still starts almost every morning :teeth

I'm biased but great story. :thumbup

+1 on the Superhawk Best Buy
 
In 1986 I had a poster on my wall of Freddie Spencer riding the VFR750. Still hard for me to compute how the race-replica VFR, which won the AMA Superbike title, ended up as a sport-touring bike. :laughing
 
Thoughts and questions.

When the 98-01 gen VFRs 1st came out what was the journo's and general public reaction to them?

For some reason I get as sense that they were given a lukewarm reception much like the new VFR1200.

With the benefit of hindsight, it seems a lot of folks seem to appreciate the 98-01 gen VFR as a bike that Honda designed with forethought and to some degree of "future proofing". The bike is still very much relevant.

Do you think this approach and design intent is similar to the vfr1200?

Am I on crazy pills?
 
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