So I have been on the hunt for a VFR for a few weeks now and its not easy to find "the bike". I thought I founf it the day before I went out of town last week but while I was away the seller allowed someone else to buy it, last night ... frickin 24 hours before I got home ! Anyways I am back on the hunt and have found a great deal but the story is a little odd ... which seems to be my luck.
The bike was down, damage was mostly cosmetic and it was not written off. The bike was repaired and looks awesome however there is a strange lingering issue. Apparently the ABS doesnt work, the "ABS computer" was damaged in the accident and does not work. That means that the ABS is not functional but apparently doesnt hurt the performance of the bike, it runs fine ... just no ABS. So I need some advice here, is this possible ? Is it possible that the bike was rebuilt by the owner because there was no prpper damage insurance and there was more damage than they are letting on ? Is there actually an ABS control module that could have been damaged ? Is this an available part that I can swap in to get the ABS running ?
As I am a bike noob I look forward to any advice or suggestions you have for me here ?
There are plenty of Viffers out there you just got to be patient and be willing to look outside your area. Are you willing to take a bus or a plane to another state and ride your new bike home? If so there are a few websites that allow you to search multiple Craigslist cities at once. You should be able to find a bike pretty easily. Also check Cycle Trader and the classified ads both here and on the other major VFR website (VFRWorld)
I personally wouldn't buy a bike that is having problems with any electrical or computer component unless it was an absolute steal.
[image: View Post]VFRCanuck, on May 15 2009, 08:52 PM, said:
So I have been on the hunt for a VFR for a few weeks now and its not easy to find "the bike". I thought I founf it the day before I went out of town last week but while I was away the seller allowed someone else to buy it, last night ... frickin 24 hours before I got home ! Anyways I am back on the hunt and have found a great deal but the story is a little odd ... which seems to be my luck.
The bike was down, damage was mostly cosmetic and it was not written off. The bike was repaired and looks awesome however there is a strange lingering issue. Apparently the ABS doesnt work, the "ABS computer" was damaged in the accident and does not work. That means that the ABS is not functional but apparently doesnt hurt the performance of the bike, it runs fine ... just no ABS. So I need some advice here, is this possible ? Is it possible that the bike was rebuilt by the owner because there was no prpper damage insurance and there was more damage than they are letting on ? Is there actually an ABS control module that could have been damaged ? Is this an available part that I can swap in to get the ABS running ?
As I am a bike noob I look forward to any advice or suggestions you have for me here ?
Thanks and on with the hunt :biggrin:
If the bike was crashed and repaired, then why wasn't the ABS system also repaired? Sounds like the guy did his own repairs, so to be honest you really don't know what was damaged or even if all the damage was repaired correctly. I would walk away and wouldn't even think twice about this bike regardless of the price, as there are a lot better VFR's out there.
I'd second looking for another bike, but I'll also encourage you to get a carb'ed bike and forget the computer with a 2-4th gen :)
Maybe I'll change my mind if I ever get a fuel injected one. Hope you find what you're looking for, and don't forget the pics
[image: View Post]VFRCanuck, on May 15 2009, 11:52 PM, said:
As I am a bike noob I look forward to any advice or suggestions you have for me here ?
The engine ECU is the same regardless of ABS or non ABS, so an ABS issue would not affect how the bike runs. At least the seller seems to be honest, a lot of people would try to hide the fact that it was wrecked and repaired, and a lot of people buy them without knowing any better. If the price is right and you're willing to live with some gremlins then go for it. I've had crashed bikes in the past, and I've never really regretted it after the initial sorting out.
If you're new to bikes you will likely not stay with the bike very long anyway. How many people are still riding the first bike they bought? I don't think I've owned any bike for more than two or three years, always looking for something better or different. Maybe the VFR will change that for me. There's also a higher probability that you will drop it yourself if it's your first bike (no offense, I don't know your abilities), and you'd hate even more to drop one that's pristine. I've been down twice. The first time was on my first bike, the second time was on the first bike I got after I hadn't been riding for about 10 years. Be careful and good luck with the search!
The engine ECU is the same regardless of ABS or non ABS, so an ABS issue would not affect how the bike runs.
:+1: On the inspection.... What side took the most damage? I ask because while it's true that the engine ECU is the same, there is an additional unit on the left side just for the ABS. The brake system does have redundancy (normal brake operation) if the uniit fails, however I would be very wary of a bike that had corners cut on the restoration, especially if you're not mechanically inclined and/or the deal is much better than the price of parts required to complete.
Go to Ron Ayers.com and call the parts fiche up for the particular year/model and you'll see there's a lot of potential inner components around there as well.
Greg :fing02:
[image: View Post]RollinAgain, on May 15 2009, 10:55 PM, said:
There are plenty of Viffers out there you just got to be patient and be willing to look outside your area. Are you willing to take a bus or a plane to another state and ride your new bike home? If so there are a few websites that allow you to search multiple Craigslist cities at once. You should be able to find a bike pretty easily. Also check Cycle Trader and the classified ads both here and on the other major VFR website (VFRWorld)
I personally wouldn't buy a bike that is having problems with any electrical or computer component unless it was an absolute steal.
Good luck!!
Regards,
Rollin
:+1: on everything he said. There are a lot of VFRs out there for sale to settle for one you know is having issues. Try Craigslist in Seattle and Edmonton. You're sure to find one.
Thanks for the advice everyone ... trust me Emerald I am looking all over north America for a bike, however the $600 in shipping makes most of the bikes off the West Coast too pricey most of the time and then I have to buy unseen which worries me even more. I'd rather have a bike with damage I knew about than a bike with damage I didnt know about until I had it shipped clear accross the country.
I will keep looking but I will check out this damaged/repaired bike. The price is worth checking it out, the color is one of a kind and I have a "bike geek" buddy that can help me with any repair work it requires over time. As a repaired bike without a rebuild title and possibly without any insurance damage notice at all if I replace the ABS ECU and tweak a few other things I can buy a bike for 20% below market and be in a profit position on it in no time, which I like.
mechanics are great for a mechnical issue. but if something goes into a little black box one way, and comes out a different way with no moving parts, its just the mechanics best guess and he starts swapping parts. beware of electrical gremlins, they always pop up at 80 on the freeway. rebuilt titles are something the general public stray away from. if you know what your doing mechanically with a bike then your fine, but its worse with a bike because if one system isnt running right your running the risk of death. there is nothing that's really "excess" on a motorcycle that can kind of work.
[image: View Post]seattlesucks, on May 21 2009, 12:41 AM, said:
http://pnwriders.com...5-2004-vfr.html Just saying. ;)
LOL, thanks ! Sadly (for "the owner of that bike") I am now looking at a bike in Everett that has the same miles, two years newer and with a bunch of mods all for less money.
I have decided to try and avoid "fix-er-uppers" as best as possible in my search though, I want something I can just ride !
End of thread · 14 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 12 Apr 2010