Few Questions For 5th Gen Owners

Hey everybody. Right now I own a 1991 Vfr that I am selling. It will hopefully be gone by the end of this week. To replace it I am looking at getting a 1998 - 2000 VFR. Just wondering if there is anything I should watch out for like problems with Fuel Injection, and electrical problems. I had R/R problems with my 91 and ended up replacing everything in the charging system. I would just like to know what to avoid and what kind of problems may arise if I go with this bike. Thanks for your help. I look forward to hopefully being a 5th gen owner soon.

Blake

I've got one and have had zero problems except keeping tires on it. Its only been 4 months and 5500 miles.

RR problems that others have had seem to be weak grounds that are easily fixed. Theres a thread somewhere here on it.

The FI on the 5th gen is buttery smooth IMHO and has great response.

Good luck I think you will really like the 5th gen.

Well, the 5th gens have the lovely RR problem to. I replaced mine about 20k miles ago, and it is still going strong (quickly runs and finds wood to knock on). I say just make sure the services have been done to it and it should be good to go. I think it is just going to come down to how many miles on the bike to see if/what it needs to have done to it!

There's nothing in particular to look out for, just the usual stuff, wear'n'tear, signs of being dropped, that sort of thing. The R/R was upgraded in 200 or 2001 (can't remember which), but if you're worried about that, and the bike doesn't have the upgraded model, it's not a huge expense to buy one.

I don't see how you can really go wrong; my '01 has been crashed, has mismatched front disks, had a bent footpeg bracket and brake pedal and sundry other signs of abuse, but it's still a good bike.

The RR that comes stock with the 5th gen fails. It's not a question of "if", it's a question of "when".

I suggest installing a C-Volt voltmeter, ~$50. And also keep in mind that you will replace the RR eventually, $150-200. Get the upgraded Honda part.

If you feel like bartering, you might ask the seller to knock off ~$200 from his asking price based on the well known RR issue. You can get lots of evidence from this site and bring with you if you like.

Other things to worry about: thermostat getting stuck open or shut, fan switch not working. They each cost about 50 bucks. One is a pain to replace the other is not.

But really, I am sure you already know this, the 5th gen VFR is considered by many as one of the best street bikes ever made.

Ditto on the r.r. issue. I had to replace mine at around 40K miles. Upgraded Honda unit is still working fine after 10K miles. I'd suggest installing a voltmeter just for piece of mind. I believe there is an excellent write-up for doing that on this site.

I have over 60k on mine. Due to some dicey rewiring that was done before I bought the bike in 01" I've had to replace a stator recently(along with a new harness) and have been running the upgraded RR with no issues. As of last week all the fluids have been changed and just before that for fun I had the bike dynoed and with a bad air sensor on the air box it still pulled 102 rwhp. Most recent upgrades are a PCIII and soon to be installed set of Galfer wavy rotors.

Only other major issue besides the R/R (the p.o. had alreay installed an R1 R/R when I bought mine fing02.gif ) is the thermostat, which can stick open or closed (they're also a problem on the Gen6 bkes). Other than that, you'll get pretty bored if you like to do alot of maintenance.

Save yourself some $ and go with the R1 R/R swap. I've been seeing them on ebay for under $100. The install looks pretty straight forward and the results are proven. link I thought that the FI was a little jerky down low, but the PC3 cured that, along with the TBR headers and WOLF setup fing02.gif Oh yeah, when you get it, make sure you throw in some EBC HH Brake Pads, they make a BIG difference.

I noticed that most who commented on R/R problems have pre2000 models. Of the four years of production for the 5th gens there were some subtle changes between 98-99 and 00-01 models. The 98-99 bikes have chokes whereas the 00-01 do not. The 00-01s also have catalytic converters and smaller diameter header pipes and also some differences in the wiring of the R/R circuitry. I have seen very few 2000-2001 models with the classic R/R problem. I have two of the faster and infinitely cooler yellow ones with over 10k on one and over 20k on the other and no R/R issues with either. At idle they both apply 14.5 volts to the battery. I don't know for sure what the color choices were for the same years in Canada but think the 99s were yellow and the 00 were blue. Hope this helps. You can't go wrong with any of them!

Ernie

vfrurknee, May 15 2007, 01:54 AMI have two of the faster and infinitely cooler yellow ones
Ernie

+1

Seems that the (very few) mechanical problems have been documented here.

My biggest problem is wanting to flake on work to go riding...

2000 VFR with 20k. Zero problems. Errr...wait. I had to replace a headlight bulb after running for 15 days straight, 10 hours a day last year. Unacceptable! The FI is smooth. You have to get used to it, you will think it is twitchy/jerky at first. It isn't. Just requires small/smooth inputs.

Get the 2000 model which has less R/R problems and is WAy faster and cooler than the red ones!!!

Seriously, I think Honda more or less fixed the R/R thing for the 2000 model, but you can't go wrong with any of em.

Thanks for all of the input guys. It looks like I really wont have alot of choice in the bike that I get because they seem to be few and far between here in Manitoba. Then when one comes up it is usually gone like that. I guess I just have to keep scanning the Internet every day. Also one more question. What kind of slip on do you guys recommend? And do you have to change anything with the FI or does the computer automatically make up for the differences? Im just not to sure with the whole FI side of things.

Steve.ski, May 15 2007, 09:27 AMMy biggest problem is wanting to flake on work to go riding...

+1.gif

The Blue ones are the fastest color. They're just rarer so it's harder to document this fact.
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red91vfr, May 15 2007, 10:15 AMThanks for all of the input guys. It looks like I really wont have alot of choice in the bike that I get because they seem to be few and far between here in Manitoba. Then when one comes up it is usually gone like that. I guess I just have to keep scanning the Internet every day. Also one more question. What kind of slip on do you guys recommend? And do you have to change anything with the FI or does the computer automatically make up for the differences? Im just not to sure with the whole FI side of things.

Fuel injection is great. Push starter button, the bike fires up. Hot, cold... Doesn't matter. Even after sitting over three weeks, it fires up right away. You may want to sync the starter valve if it is not buttery smooth.
As for aftermarket pipes, It is hard to go wrong with Staintune. They are made to work good without modifications. They look and sound very nice, and they use steel wool rather than fiberglass packing, so you don't have to repack it. Also, if you want to ride stealth, the spud that comes with it can be put in to reduce the sound considerably.

Ditto for pretty much everything anyone else has said. BLS's peg lowering blocks fit, valve checks/maintenance easier than the 6th gens, gear drive seems to last forever, Stebel compact will fit hidden in faring (have it in use, giving it some test time before i post pics and stuff), seat options, decent prices...

Check to see if the headers are good. They have a tendancy to corrode.

red91vfr, May 16 2007, 04:15 AMAnd do you have to change anything with the FI or does the computer automatically make up for the differences?

No, you don't have to do anything. Basically, the EFI runs rich anyway - except when in SuperDuperLean'N'MeanClosedLoopEconomyMode™ - so it's no problem. However, disabling the O2 sensors stops the aforementioned NonsenseMode and makes the bike more rideable. And as mentioned, fitting a PowerCommander helps even more.