[jamesnismo]

a buddy of mine is looking to buy a vfr 800, 02' or newer...... anything he should know? abs, non abs? any aftermarket available? probably just do minor things like pipe and pc. any info would be great. fyi.... he just got rid of a gsxr 750 last year('96). looking for more comfort and still be fairly quick. not ready for a cruiser yet....lol. thanks james

[CBRVFR]

Hi, James

I'll take a stab at this. If your buddy likes the looks of the '02+ VFR, he's over the hard part !

Other than the visual presentation, which is an acquired taste, the main difference between that model and the previous generations is the VTEC variable valve timing, which some say provides a 'rush' at 7000 rpms. The bike runs on 3 valves per cylinder for increased torque at low rpms until the system kicks in, at which time you get the full 4 vpc.
It's a complicated system, and somewhat more expensive to maintain than the gear-driven cams that were ( with the sss) the hallmark of the VFR for the previous 12+ years. Haven't heard anything that would suggest they are less reliable. The standard linked brakes are very strong, and I personally don't know why anyone would go for the increased weight and complexity of abs, unless they lived in the pacific northwest or just rode in the slick conditions all the time.

All VFR's suffer from a weak R/R, the new ones less so than the previous generations.

The new bikes have factory hard luggage available, if that means anything.

I own a '92, which is beautiful, comfortable, versatile, non brake linked, and porky. If I were to buy another, I'd get a '98-01, which was the lightest and strongest version. All kinds of aftermarket performance and sport-touring mods are available, check out dynamohumm, and the many vfr oriented lists mentioned previously in this forum.

If you could only have one do-all bike, this would be a good candidate.

[ULEWZ]

One word, VFRDiscussion

[HondaGal]

I've got a 99 VFR and absolutely love it. It has lots of pep and I put Givi hard bags on it...they hold alot of stuff. They're much bigger than the ones Honda has finally provided for the newer bikes. I've had no problems with mine. Just gas it up and go.

I'm not a fan of the VTEC but everyone has their preferences.

I've got my baby for sale because I've been spending my quality time on the 954. I used to ride her to work but the way the traffic has been lately I don't even get seen in my truck. So, it's time to find her a good home.

If you'd like more details, lemme know.

Definitely check out the VFR list for info. Those guys know their bikes, inside and out and are a wealth of information.

[brian48130]

He might be dissapointed in the VFR power compared to a GSX-R750. My piped 94 VFR750 is more than "fairly quick", but it's not the rocketship that a superbike is. Much more comfortable, though.

As far as looks go, CBRVFR has the prettiest one I've seen. I'm sure you could get that model year for fairly cheap.