Just curious. With all of the new fan-dangled bikes coming on the market over the past few years, and with many of them now available second-hand, has the desire for 5th gens gone cold? Reason I ask is that I listed my '98 for sale starting about six weeks ago, eventually hitting all of the sites I hang around on. One or two inquiries, and nothing else.
As a teen in the mid and upper 80's, I lusted after everything VFR. Of course, I couldn't afford one at the time, and cruised around on an XL175, then a VT500 Ascot, before giving up on bikes for school, family, and career. About seven years ago, the itch came back. I've gone through eight or ten bikes since then (still have four of them in my garage). A few years ago, I was lucky enough to happen upon my current VFR on craigslist, and drove close to 200 miles to look at and subsequently buy it. It satisfied every urge and brought back every memory of my teenaged dreams. Now ready to let it go, I just can't believe that there isn't another 40-something guy like me who has just been waiting for one of these to pop up for sale. Maybe my enthusiasm exceeded most when I was given the opportunity to buy one.
There's been a bunch go up for sale lately.
. . . and lots with low miles. There must be over 1/2 dozen on C/L in my gen'l area with under 5,000 miles. I saw a pristine '98 advertised in Seattle with just over 3,000 miles. The asking price was $3,800. It sold quickly though . . . nice find. Maybe the lousy economy?
I agree that it's related to the economy. Vehicles used can be had right now for a steal in the US and Canada. Unfortunately many people are out a work and desperate. A vfr is an investment in personal class in my view.
[image: View Post]Cantex, on 25 June 2011 - 01:14 PM, said:
Just curious. With all of the new fan-dangled bikes coming on the market over the past few years, and with many of them now available second-hand, has the desire for 5th gens gone cold? Reason I ask is that I listed my '98 for sale starting about six weeks ago, eventually hitting all of the sites I hang around on. One or two inquiries, and nothing else.
As a teen in the mid and upper 80's, I lusted after everything VFR. Of course, I couldn't afford one at the time, and cruised around on an XL175, then a VT500 Ascot, before giving up on bikes for school, family, and career. About seven years ago, the itch came back. I've gone through eight or ten bikes since then (still have four of them in my garage). A few years ago, I was lucky enough to happen upon my current VFR on craigslist, and drove close to 200 miles to look at and susequently buy it. It satisfied every urge and brought back every memory of my teenaged dreams. Now ready to let it go, I just can't believe that there isn't another 40-something guy like me who has just been waiting for one of these to pop up for sale. Maybe my enthusiasm exceeded most when I was given the opportunity to buy one.
It's a 98 and in my opinion a VFR buyer is a specific type of person. Can not remember how long ago but motorcyclist or like it rated the fifth generation a best buy for a sport bike, would not hurt to mention that. Two cents for the day.
A lot of riders don't know what a vfr is and it's not a 1000cc so we're in a small crowd.
Another thing is our bikes are aging. I for one don't think out bikes are old but I've been told they are: clunkers, old, that's a lot of miles (no it isn't), what's a vfr, I don't ride anything but 1000cc, and the list goes on. Of course I'd rather sell to someone that is going to appreciate my things for what they are and not treat them for something they're not.
I agree with everyone so far. I've listed it a couple of times over the years and usually pull the ad because I'd have second thoughts. This is the first time that I've committed to actually letting it go. All of my riding buddies tell me I'm nuts, that I'll seriously regret getting rid of it. Of course, we're all old and nostalgic. lol
If you're in the Houston area I'm gonna guess that there is a ton more crotch rocket riders that want speed more than anything else.
I would say they're very much in demand, particulary here in the UK - You hardly ever see VFR's (especially the coveted 5th gens) in the showrooms and if you do - they are usually snapped up pretty quick. The VFR is the intelligent-thinking mans sportsbike, and most riders hold onto them.
[image: View Post]vfr_steve, on 25 June 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:
....and most riders hold onto them.
Yep, I'm absolutely in love with my 5th gen and when I wear it out I'll buy another.
[image: View Post]vfr_steve, on 25 June 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:
I would say they're very much in demand, particulary here in the UK - You hardly ever see VFR's (especially the coveted 5th gens) in the showrooms and if you do - they are usually snapped up pretty quick. The VFR is the intelligent-thinking mans sportsbike, and most riders hold onto them.
Ergot I'm an intelligent and thinking man from Tennessee.
[image: View Post]Hatter, on 25 June 2011 - 07:25 PM, said:
[image: View Post]vfr_steve, on 25 June 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:
....and most riders hold onto them.
Yep, I'm absolutely in love with my 5th gen and when I wear it out I'll buy another.
Agreed! In fact, a certain someone I know has 2 and a spare engine! I'm starting to think he's on to something... lol
Been looking at cheap 5th gens as spares myself lately. Well that, and track whore possibilities. Wouldn't turn down a rashed 4th gen or Super Chicken for that role either...
I think we are definitely in a niche of our own, even with brand new VFRs. The cruiser guys all ask how you can ride all bent over like that. The sport bike guys ask why you would buy such a pig of a sport bike. Add in the fact that there seem to be a boat load of brand new '07/'08s sitting in showrooms all over the country and they aren't moving much even with deep discounts off of MSRP. Unless you happen to run across the random guy looking for older and cheaper, you may be stuck for a while. As always, no matter what a seller is selling, they always seem to think their item is worth more than it actually is. I know my '97 is worth WAY more to me than it would be to any potential buyer....or the insurance man.
Seem like the used bike market is still kind of chilly.
Good time to buy if you have cash.
Not so hot if you want or need to sell. :comp13:
Maybe I should trade my '98 with 70k miles for a lower mileage 5th or 6th gen model. :idea3:
Well, I would be looking to buy your bike, or one just like it, but I still have a few more years of payments on my sixth gen. My wife only lets me get away with paying for one toy at a time! Everything I have read tells me fifth gens are great bikes, like mine but without the damage done by emissions regs. I just hope prices are still depressed when I have the spare change to pick one up. If you really don't like the prices just sit tight for a while - the economy will recover eventually, and people will start buying bike toys again.
-VFRGeek
I have came close 3 or 4 times selling my VFR. Haven't done it and don't think I will. Wife keeps telling me I don't need 3 motorcycles but she has come to realize that I just won't let go of it. To me, my VFR is more than just some Sportbike. I fell in love with it more for the Community it revolves around as compared to the actual bike. The 600CC / 1000CC crowd can be... well it can be. I don't even wanna talk about the Busa / ZX crowds that I have run in to. Better to just distant myself from that. :fing02:
Makes me want to add to the one ride stable... :beer:
I'd consider buying a second '98 if it was low mileage and completely stock. I'd continue to use my existing one that's set up for two-up touring for when the wife wants to tag along (which is often), and use the stock one for when my better half isn't in the mood. Best of both worlds!
Of course, then I would have two VFRs with f*cked up charging systems, but it's a small price to pay for having one (two) of the best bikes ever made!
[image: View Post]rangerscott69, on 25 June 2011 - 04:48 PM, said:
A lot of riders don't know what a vfr is and it's not a 1000cc so we're in a small crowd.
Another thing is our bikes are aging. I for one don't think out bikes are old but I've been told they are: clunkers, old, that's a lot of miles (no it isn't), what's a vfr, I don't ride anything but 1000cc, and the list goes on. Of course I'd rather sell to someone that is going to appreciate my things for what they are and not treat them for something they're not.
It's funny I bought my 5th gen because of the longevity of the motor designed with ceramic composite cylinders etc. But I see people who just want the next great thing and sell them with just 5k on the odo! The fact that the electronics go south so quickly has soured my impression of the 5th gen. That's Honda's fault. If they would have owned up and taken care of their customers I'd have no qualm. As it stands their "Brand" means very little to me anymore.
Two things are killing motorcycle sales. Slumping housing prices and a market flooded with great deals on non essential pleasure items like motorcycles, boats, RVs, etc. Job market still sucks too. This is the best time to buy but the worst time to sell. Unfortunately most people are scared and paying down their debt. and saving instead of consuming.
So how motivated are you to sell it because you will really have to sell it cheap to unload it in this competitive market. I just bought a totally tricked out CBR954 with pit bull stands and every important upgrade for $2500 . I never really intended to sell the VFR as long as the electronic repairs don't burn up again. :pissed:
Knock on wood, I havent had any crazy electrical problems. I wonder if is because I live in a more dry area.
As read the comments it occurs to me that the VFR may be a nich market and we may be a dying breed. I'm 55 and wanted a bike produced by a well known company that will last. I wanted something with adequate power and good looks. The bulk of this group is from the baby boomer generation and I think that has a lot to do with the wax and wane of interest in VFRs.
[image: View Post]Cantex, on 25 June 2011 - 01:14 PM, said:
Just curious. With all of the new fan-dangled bikes coming on the market over the past few years, and with many of them now available second-hand, has the desire for 5th gens gone cold? Reason I ask is that I listed my '98 for sale starting about six weeks ago, eventually hitting all of the sites I hang around on. One or two inquiries, and nothing else.
As a teen in the mid and upper 80's, I lusted after everything VFR. Of course, I couldn't afford one at the time, and cruised around on an XL175, then a VT500 Ascot, before giving up on bikes for school, family, and career. About seven years ago, the itch came back. I've gone through eight or ten bikes since then (still have four of them in my garage). A few years ago, I was lucky enough to happen upon my current VFR on craigslist, and drove close to 200 miles to look at and subsequently buy it. It satisfied every urge and brought back every memory of my teenaged dreams. Now ready to let it go, I just can't believe that there isn't another 40-something guy like me who has just been waiting for one of these to pop up for sale. Maybe my enthusiasm exceeded most when I was given the opportunity to buy one.
The market for motorcycles is slow due to the economy. I have seen a number of VFRs sell on craigslist but it is a buyers market. If the '98 is a clean, low mileage vehicle it should sell for around $3K. Good luck. I have a motorcycle languishing on craigslist. If it doesn't move by the end of June then I'll take it off craigslist and keep it. In the northeast the market for motorcycles is seasonal and we are nearing the end of the window to sell at a decent price.
Jack
I bought my second fifth gen just for the plastic for the first fifth gen. I will likely by a third before its all done, maybe even a forth.
I love my bike. I know you have heard me say it jokingly but its true.
Yesterday I walked away from 10 new to newer liter bikes because I can ride and those fancy new bikes are only as good as guy on the can of them. AND I got to hear one of them say "I was wondering, what happened to the guy with the VFR". This was an hour after I heard "whats a VFR"?
I think that the reason there is less demand is because its and old bike or Sport-Touring bike.
BMW makes a wagon that cracks out like 500 ponies but no one really cares.
So even if I schooled these people no one is going to say "I want one".
It is funny that this thread is on here right now, I was just starting to look at 6th Gen VFR's on CL. I love my 5th Gen but was just looking to get something a little newer with a few less miles (mine has 25k). I'm just not sure if I want to go though the issues of the R/R again now that I have gone through them once. Just did 162 miles today to see how I would feel as I am looking to do some distance riding soon. There are a few things I want to change before
I go......
I had similar problems when I went to sell my Superhawk a few years back. And honestly I think it's because - like these guys have already said - the people that know VFR's already have one and rarely sell and the "kiddies" looking for bikes only know what their friends know and that's typically...
1 - go to Craigslist
2 - type "CBR" - hit Search
3 - type "GSXR" - hit Search...
rinse, repeat. These aren't mainstream bikes and therefore won't get mainstream customers.
Timing is everything...well almost everything, price has a lot to do with it to :fing02:
Well I know prices have dropped...3 years ago I sold an 01 w/11k miles for $4,500...last month I picked up a 99 w/9500 miles for over $1300 less....let's just say, I'm keeping this one...lol.
[image: View Post]dpcincy, on 27 June 2011 - 06:51 AM, said:
I had similar problems when I went to sell my Superhawk a few years back. And honestly I think it's because - like these guys have already said - the people that know VFR's already have one and rarely sell and the "kiddies" looking for bikes only know what their friends know and that's typically...
1 - go to Craigslist
2 - type "CBR" - hit Search
3 - type "GSXR" - hit Search...
rinse, repeat. These aren't mainstream bikes and therefore won't get mainstream customers.
Timing is everything...well almost everything, price has a lot to do with it to :fing02:
I know mine's a 6th but after my run of Colorado my wife got jealous with all the compliments I was getting on my bike. I ran into a couple of guys who were able to correctly identify my bike even though I have no Honda decals on my ride. Long story short, it's just the economy and as others have pointed out they don't appeal to the squid crowd most of the time. If my wife could handle the weight of the bike I would gladly pick up a 2nd VFR for her but alas it is not to be.
Just keep running the ad and be patient. The right buyer will come along eventually. :fing02:
[image: View Post]The mailman, on 25 June 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:
I think we are definitely in a niche of our own, even with brand new VFRs. The cruiser guys all ask how you can ride all bent over like that. The sport bike guys ask why you would buy such a pig of a sport bike. Add in the fact that there seem to be a boat load of brand new '07/'08s sitting in showrooms all over the country and they aren't moving much even with deep discounts off of MSRP. Unless you happen to run across the random guy looking for older and cheaper, you may be stuck for a while. As always, no matter what a seller is selling, they always seem to think their item is worth more than it actually is. I know my '97 is worth WAY more to me than it would be to any potential buyer....or the insurance man.
So true. I love the dirt cheap insurance for a stock 100 hp bike. Its the same as it was on my old 750 Vulcan. Granted most people don't know what a VFR is (including me before I bought mine) I still get compliments on it, and people can't believe its a '99.
Hey Cantex, I had actually considered your bike when I was searching for a 5th gen. I had about $3500 in my budget and had cash and a trailer. I looked at one 2000 that looked pretty rough for the miles and passed. I ended up with a yellow 2000 from San Antonio for $3600, came with heli's, a Corbin seat, givi shield, and Vance and Hines carbon slip on. Bike had 11,000 miles and was damn near perfect. Nary a scratch, probably 98%. I paid a little more for the color and the low miles but to me it was worth it. Bike was advertised for $4300, might have been able to talk him down a few hundred or so but I had a hard on for the color, farkles and low miles. Hope this helps good luck with your sale.
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