Need some quick advice

Need your guys opinion on buying a used VFR this weekend.

its a 2002 with original owner with only 4,000 miles.

Owner dropped it twice in the garage once on each side. There are minor scratches on fairing, and small scuff on handle bar end.

The price is 3,600 dollars. Its a NON-ABS. And comes with no accessories.


Also he has never taken it in for recalls except for an alternator recall back in 2002.

Will I be charged to do the wire harness recall if I need to do it?

Questions:

1) Is this a good deal?
2) Will Harness Recall Cost me?
3) What should I look for when buying this VFR?

[image: View Post]shadmaster, on 26 May 2010 - 11:09 PM, said:

Need your guys opinion on buying a used VFR this weekend.

its a 2002 with original owner with only 4,000 miles.

Owner dropped it twice in the garage once on each side. There are minor scratches on fairing, and small scuff on handle bar end.

The price is 3,600 dollars. Its a NON-ABS. And comes with no accessories.


Also he has never taken it in for recalls except for an alternator recall back in 2002.

Will I be charged to do the wire harness recall if I need to do it?

Questions:

1) Is this a good deal?
2) Will Harness Recall Cost me?
3) What should I look for when buying this VFR?
1)Not too bad. MCN Used Bike Value Guide Spring 2010 Edition lists the base '02 @ $3875 which is a guideline only. 4k is exceptionally low mileage, but the fairings sound like they're a bit dinged up and there is a glut of used bikes available in the current market. The bar ends are a cheap swap, not so the fairings. Offer him $3000 and negotiate up...slightly.

2) FREE. Just have the dealer look up the VIN and schedule an appointment.

3)Chain maintenance (clean, lubricated and adjusted), often an indicator of whether other stuff has been looked after. Any service records? Is it usually garaged? 1st, 2nd, 3rd or more owner? Can you ride it? Are the tires original? If so, scrap 'em which lowers the price. Though, you may not want to ride it if the tires are original due to dry rot cracking. Examine the fairing closely for other cracks or dings that may not be easily seen. Sounds like this bike may have been sitting a lot. Check the gas tank interior for rust, also.

There's prolly something I'm overlooking, but if it checks out you may have found yourself a nice new steed, shadmaster. Good luck.

Think last post says it all. Sounds like a good deal. Work on a lower price to cover unforseens like next valve check it you bother to do those.

[image: View Post]dendron, on 26 May 2010 - 09:08 PM, said:

[image: View Post]shadmaster, on 26 May 2010 - 11:09 PM, said:

Need your guys opinion on buying a used VFR this weekend.

its a 2002 with original owner with only 4,000 miles.

Owner dropped it twice in the garage once on each side. There are minor scratches on fairing, and small scuff on handle bar end.

The price is 3,600 dollars. Its a NON-ABS. And comes with no accessories.


Also he has never taken it in for recalls except for an alternator recall back in 2002.

Will I be charged to do the wire harness recall if I need to do it?

Questions:

1) Is this a good deal?
2) Will Harness Recall Cost me?
3) What should I look for when buying this VFR?
1)Not too bad. MCN Used Bike Value Guide Spring 2010 Edition lists the base '02 @ $3875 which is a guideline only. 4k is exceptionally low mileage, but the fairings sound like they're a bit dinged up and there is a glut of used bikes available in the current market. The bar ends are a cheap swap, not so the fairings. Offer him $3000 and negotiate up...slightly.

2) FREE. Just have the dealer look up the VIN and schedule an appointment.

3)Chain maintenance (clean, lubricated and adjusted), often an indicator of whether other stuff has been looked after. Any service records? Is it usually garaged? 1st, 2nd, 3rd or more owner? Can you ride it? Are the tires original? If so, scrap 'em which lowers the price. Though, you may not want to ride it if the tires are original due to dry rot cracking. Examine the fairing closely for other cracks or dings that may not be easily seen. Sounds like this bike may have been sitting a lot. Check the gas tank interior for rust, also.

There's prolly something I'm overlooking, but if it checks out you may have found yourself a nice new steed, shadmaster. Good luck.


I think that this last post may cover it . Yes, tires are good for about three years, so this may need to be addressed--and negotiated. Anyways, this is really not my business, but may I ask why a non-abs model? Have you considered getting an abs model for just a tad more?It may save your life! This being said, free country, and the linked brakes system works great.
Good luck and congrats!
C

I have been looking around for a VFR in our area and not much is to be had.

They are all higher millage and asking over $4,000 for both abs and non-abs models.

3,500 is the cheapest I found with that low of millage.

I'm sure the tires are original being the bike only has 4K Miles.

As for price negotiation he is Firm on 3,500.


ABS I'm sure is great but do you think it's enough to overlook this deal?


Things to look for:

1) Tires
2) Cracks in Fairing
3) Rust in Tank
4) Chain Maintenance (even-though I'm sure I wouldn't be able to tell, I'm not that into motorcycles)
5) .....

Please Look at the PICS he sent me:

[image: Attached Image]

[image: Attached Image]

[image: Attached Image]

Hey Shadmaster,

I'm only going to comment on the ABS since I'm not sure I can add anything else to the rest of the discussion...................... O, maybe with one or two more comments. :biggrin:

Regarding the abs, it's for you to decide if you want it or not. There are some threads on this site about the usefulness, some are in favor, some against it. Me, I will not buy a good bike without it anymore, as it may save your life and that only is worth an extra $300-600 (used, was $1000 new but his bike is not new anymore, is it!). Besides, it may help you keep the bike upright in a "oh-shit!" situation and save you much money in plastics if you don't drop it. In any case, like I said, up to you.

I'd take a quick look at the joints on the subframe since some models in the US had a recall on them. Maybe a search on this site will turn out more? Or someone who knows what they are talking about will chime in.

Oh, you'll need a new battery, right? another discount...

Firm on the price? I'd go see somewhere else.

VFRs are not that popular, and I'd try and not do what I did, which is to rush into the deal thinking no better deal will come up. Be a bit patient, if you can, and see what others have to offer. As a reference point, some brand new left-over 2007 were recently being sold (and can still be purchased?) for around $7000 in the US.

Here's another idea, maybe another member of this board who lives in your area could go with you to check it out? It maybe worth a shot. Post a new thread maybe?

Something else that came to mind. Dropping a bike at a stand still is not a big deal if cosmetics is not that important to you. However, the tabs inside the fairings may be bent or broken, and the only way to check that is to remove the fairing (those plastics are expensive, too). Just food for thought...


Best of luck!
C

PS There was also a recall on abs, also free. Mine's an '03.

I will try and talk him down a little more on the tire issue.

I have searched on the forums, ebay, and craigslist and ABS or not I haven't seen any prices that touch this one. It seems KBB value is not used or is everybody who owns a VFR to proud?

dendron covered it very well.

Politely point out your costs re: tires and a battery. The best you/he should expect here is to split the cost.

Book values for bikes right now are inflated. It is definitely a buyers market. You can politely point this out as well.

$3500 less that amount is your price. You can be firm here too, but remember, he doesn't have to sell it to you, and you may be mad at yourself for not buying it at $3500.

Also, if his price is the best you've seen in your area, you may be getting as good a deal as you're gonna get. (Ultimately, only you can really answer this. Do you feel you're getting a good deal? If you say yes, than you did. Doesn't matter what we think.)


My 2 cents on ABS - I have it on mine and like PolarBear, I seriously doubt I'll buy another road bike without it. Is it worth the extra $1K? It was to me. Search the forum when you have some time. There are several very good threads debating ABS vs non-ABS.

Good luck! Look forward to pics of your bike, whichever one you get!

I would wait for another bike for sale. If the bike was dropped a couple of times, barely ridden and not taken in for the bike's most popular recall issue it would concern me about how the bike was maintained over the last 8 years. It will definitely need tires and battery. I'd rather buy a bike that was used and well maintained - there will be fewer surprises later on. I know it's hard to resist (I just got my first VFR in March), but another bike will definitely come along. Stay on top of it and you'll begin to get a better feel for a good deal. Try to search farther out of your area.

The ABS argument is a personal one. You can read all of the threads you like about the issue, but ultimately it will come down to a personal preference.

Good luck,

Yeah your right, its really hard to let this one go. You would think if it had such low miles its the way to go.

What do you think would be a good deal for this bike then?

$3,200 ???

or should i just stay away and wait for another bike overall?

[image: View Post]shadmaster, on 27 May 2010 - 11:09 AM, said:

Yeah your right, its really hard to let this one go. You would think if it had such low miles its the way to go.

What do you think would be a good deal for this bike then?

$3,200 ???

or should i just stay away and wait for another bike overall?

I'd stay away and keep an eye on the market until I see one that you really can't pass on.

A couple of hundred of dollars, to me, is not a deal breaker, if you are going to keep the bike for several years. I look more at the way it's been maintained, farkles (shock, seat, etc.), tires/batt, etc., heck, even the pleasantness of the guy. Gotta trust him when he tells you what he's done with the bike. I agree that a bike that has not been used too much may show not-so-pleasant signs of negligence later on, when a well-used bike will be lubed regularly. Those engines are very good, it's the other stuff tat counts.

Just my opinion.
Good luck!
C

[image: View Post]doubled, on 27 May 2010 - 01:58 PM, said:

I would wait for another bike for sale. If the bike was dropped a couple of times, barely ridden and not taken in for the bike's most popular recall issue it would concern me about how the bike was maintained over the last 8 years. It will definitely need tires and battery. I'd rather buy a bike that was used and well maintained - there will be fewer surprises later on. I know it's hard to resist (I just got my first VFR in March), but another bike will definitely come along. Stay on top of it and you'll begin to get a better feel for a good deal. Try to search farther out of your area.

The ABS argument is a personal one. You can read all of the threads you like about the issue, but ultimately it will come down to a personal preference.

Good luck,

:+1: I would let this one go... Also, I'd save up another thousand and look for an ABS that has been taken care of better... You'll easily spend $400-$700 on a new battery/tires the day you bring this home. There's a clean looking '03 ABS on Craigslist right now with some pretty nice mods for $4500... My buddy bought an '02 ABS in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago for $4100 that had low miles, updated exhaust, Power Commander, all recalls, bar risers, etc. that is in real nice shape.

Also he has never taken it in for recalls except for an alternator recall back in 2002.

Check with your dealer on the availability and turn around time of the recall items. Some parts of the country took way longer than others. Some dealers wouldn't even look up the items without the bike IN their shops. Honda is reimbursing X-qty labor hrs for the recall work so some shops were leery.
If you grab/pinch the drive chain at the back of the sprocket where the chain is in contact, there should be no play when to try move the chain back and forth as if driving
the wheel.

Yeah I saw that one for 4,5000 in but it has 30,000 Miles on it...

what do you think i should offer him?


http://corvallis.cra...1717168801.html

[image: View Post]shadmaster, on 28 May 2010 - 06:00 AM, said:

Yeah I saw that one for 4,5000 in but it has 30,000 Miles on it...

what do you think i should offer him?


http://corvallis.cra...1717168801.html

If the bike is clean and he has done proper maintenance, I wouldn't worry about the 30K miles...These bikes are definitely high mileage bikes. I'd offer 42 and maybe settle on 43 if it's as nice as it looks. It has nice mods that you'd probably want. If it looks worn out I would wait for the next one...

[image: View Post]shadmaster, on 27 May 2010 - 03:42 AM, said:

I will try and talk him down a little more on the tire issue.

I have searched on the forums, ebay, and craigslist and ABS or not I haven't seen any prices that touch this one. It seems KBB value is not used or is everybody who owns a VFR to proud?

I'd get a low milege 06 with no valve check , there are no recalls on that model