Although my 6th Gen VFR is barely broken in at 60,000 miles, I was thinking about my next bike. There seems to be plenty of new left overs out there and also plenty of low mile used ones.
Would you buy another 6th Gen? All the current additional farkles would be a bonus for another 6th.
The 7th Gen sure seems enticing, I have ridden both the manual and dct. Nice power and the shaftie is a bonus for me.
Do not think I will need to make a decision in the near future, but just curious what others would do.
It all depends on what is available at the time and what I want my motorcycle to do. I will say this much...my VFR has the most time in my stable compared to the other bikes I have ridden and I am not looking to replace her any time soon.
With just over 60,000 miles on my 2004 I would certainly buy another one but I don't have to because she's still running great. No problems. I just visited the 7th Gen site and they really love their 1200s so If I did have a chance I'd either add the 1200 and rest my old bike or not. I don't know, why you asking an 800 lover?
To me, a VFR is like a comfort blanket. It does everything I need it to do and does it well. So, why change it? I do like the change though and if I had a chance I'd try somethind else for a while. I wouldn't sell the VFR though, since it isn't worth enough to sell.
Yep - I'd buy another in a heartbeat. Too much already "sorted" on this version - no need to relearn everything again. Timmy rode my bike and he managed to handle the VTEC kick without bursting into flames - so it must be a decent machine.......
I agree with "KK", too much sorted on mine to start over. Besides, I'm only at 37k miles. Although I think I would change colors, while red is tradtional in this state, I think I would look for a RWB 07.
I'd love to ride a later model 800 and see how it feels. I still have my 97 VFR but also picked up a BMW K1300S which is a terrific ride. But there is still something I love about my VFR over the bigger BMW. It's a bit shorter and seems to have a lower CG which is very important to my height challenged body :-)
I hope in a few months to be looking for an upgrade to my 97 and a nice RWB VFR800 may be a welcome addition to my garage.
Very good question, but it would only be applicable if you had owned one & sold it off or had a mishap which terminated the life of your 6th gen, mileage isn't really a reason as with regular maintenance they tend to go forever.
I actually went through the process of selling my 6th gen, buying a CBR1000RR & two years later buying my original 6th gen back. I'm all for trying something new which is why I sold the 6th gen in the first place because I wanted one more full sportsbike before age/reflexes/etc meant owning one was more a show piece than something to ride. It wasn't till my left knee started to play up which made the higher sportsbike leg angle painful on long rides that I started to look for my next sports tourer. Now I didn't jump straight back into the 6th gen again I test road allot of bikes Kawasaki, BMW, etc & really none of them made me feel like my 6th gen made me feel except all had larger price tags. At the time I was waiting for the VFR1200 & that turned out to be a major disappointment for what I wanted in a sports tourer.
I was in no hurry to buy a sports tourer as could still ride the CBR just 10-12hr days I would need a few extra wild turkeys at night to forget about my knee lol, then out of the blue the deal came my way to buy back my 6th gen & was really a deal I couldn't refuse. Well I promptly reconfigured the bike back to frankenviffer status (most original parts I sold off before sale) & have been riding it ever since so much so the CBR hasn't left the garage since the rebuild. I really thought I would miss the power of the CBR which I did for the first 1-2hrs riding the 6th gen until I re-adapted back to changing gears to suit the power curve of the VFR, yes the effortless 6th gear roll on when wanting to overtake on the CBR is a dream but once automatic VFR riding kicked in kicking down two gears & go the lack of power didn't even enter my mind anymore.
I have to be honest with myself when it comes to the real world & what is dreaming, we all like power, if you don't you ride a pushbike so having a bike with over 150hp is great in theory but in reality you don't get to use that power for even 10% of the time your riding on the road. I'm sure everywhere is the same but in AUS we have speed camera's, radar, point to point camera's & the powers that be mentality that speed is the cause of every road going problem & all speeders are hardened criminals GET THEM. This makes it extremely difficult to reach speeds in excess of 200kph which bikes with 150+hp can do in a very short space of time (my CBR 170hp does 260kph red line 4th gear GPS registered speed), the VFR will go over 200kph but it needs distance to get there BUT the times your at those speeds are what never to 1% of the time your road riding. So the 110 odd hp the 6th gen has with a capable suspension package is more than enough bike to get any rider in way more trouble than they want to be in.
It only took me 30 feet on my sixth gen to realize that my 5th would be replaced by my 05 Italian Red. Yes, I would buy another one if I had to replace this one. My buddy Zoomy just crashed his 04 last week. Already he's got one leg over another one he has found on the net.
I absolutely refuse to buy another 6th gen! I have this one set up exactly the way I want it and it only has 26,000 on it. Instead, I'll buy tires, gas, oil and brake pads for a long, long time. This is, without a doubt, my favorite street bike and I've owned quite a few.
I might find a reason to buy a cruiser or something but I have no justifiable reason on Earth to get rid of this bike. That and I told my wife I would keep this bike forever when I bought it. But I meant it so all is well!
[image: View Post]theoxmole, on 27 March 2012 - 09:54 PM, said:
I absolutely refuse to buy another 6th gen! I have this one set up exactly the way I want it and it only has 26,000 on it. Instead, I'll buy tires, gas, oil and brake pads for a long, long time. This is, without a doubt, my favorite street bike and I've owned quite a few.
I might find a reason to buy a cruiser or something but I have no justifiable reason on Earth to get rid of this bike. That and I told my wife I would keep this bike forever when I bought it. But I meant it so all is well!
thanks for all the replies! i am also very satified with my current ride! if it was gone today, i would not hesitate to replace it with another one tomorrow!
If I had to replace mine for some reason, with only 10k on it, I would totally get another identical 07 RWB w/ABS. Down the road, when it's time to retire my 07, I'll prob look at a 7th gen as the 6's will be getting pretty old by then.
I don't have one, but was hooked after I test drove one last fall for the first time. I want one badly. I also like the horsepower and shaft drive of the 7th gen but haven't rode one.
The UK still has the VFR800 in three colors but not USA. I don't understand that.
I am there right now! I sold my 87k mile '02 VFR and my 23K mile '85 Nighthawk S this week. I am now looking for a replacement. I would like to get a bike in between the two in character, lower mileage and age for dependability.
My VFR was a better bike in every way but there was something about that Nighthawk that I just loved. It was a thrilling bike to ride. Where I could ride the VFR at 100 mph all day relaxed, it was too good, so refined. Going 100 mph on the Nighthawk I had to hold on tight. Yet it was a very smooth and capable handling. The stock exhaust sound was intoxicating. I ride aggressively and had no problem keeping up with modern sport bikes on the Nighthawk with 10-20 mph sense of more thrill.
I did love the '02 VFR and am considering replacing it with a low mileage 6th gen. I do wonder if a 3rd or 4th gen would have a bit more thrill for me. More of a sense of speed and sound. Having a like new shinny 15-20 year old bike is classic and I like the attention the Nighthawk drew.
[image: View Post]digitallyhip, on 27 March 2012 - 06:41 PM, said:
I would definitely buy a 6th gen again. And an Adventure 990.
That would be 2 of us. The 6 Gen does everything I need, it carries me, all my gear and great fuel mileage. If I did go the adventure bike route, the KTM 990 has been a favorite of mine for a while and having inspected the Yamaha Tenere 1200 I would not mind that bike as well.
Yes I love this one so much I am looking for new old stock. I can't find any locally, any ideas on how to do a nation wide search? I currently own a 2003 VFR and a Suzuki Intruder and would sell both to get a new old stock one. Not that I don't like mine but after 13 motorcycles, this is the best one I've ever owned and I can see myself riding this forever. Not to happy with the big bump up to the 1200. But I may change my mind in the future...
My 07 RWB is most excellent. It's simply irreplaceable = the 800 size is perfect. If for some reason it was not available for whatever reason, I would look for another. There's just nothing out there that can do what this bike can, and hit all of the emotional "why we ride" hits like this one. ymmv. :smile:
One nationwide search option is www.cycletrader.com . You can enter the year(s) you are interested in, manufacturer,model, etc. You can also select private, dealer, or both sales. Ride Safe, Dave
[image: View Post]panamawing, on 27 March 2012 - 01:50 PM, said:
Although my 6th Gen VFR is barely broken in at 60,000 miles, I was thinking about my next bike. There seems to be plenty of new left overs out there and also plenty of low mile used ones.
Would you buy another 6th Gen? All the current additional farkles would be a bonus for another 6th.
The 7th Gen sure seems enticing, I have ridden both the manual and dct. Nice power and the shaftie is a bonus for me.
Do not think I will need to make a decision in the near future, but just curious what others would do.
You do not need a second VFR as yours is barely broken in. You need a lighter, quicker, track type bike..
[image: View Post]Nicole, on 29 March 2012 - 08:34 PM, said:
[image: View Post]panamawing, on 27 March 2012 - 01:50 PM, said:
Although my 6th Gen VFR is barely broken in at 60,000 miles, I was thinking about my next bike. There seems to be plenty of new left overs out there and also plenty of low mile used ones.
Would you buy another 6th Gen? All the current additional farkles would be a bonus for another 6th.
The 7th Gen sure seems enticing, I have ridden both the manual and dct. Nice power and the shaftie is a bonus for me.
Do not think I will need to make a decision in the near future, but just curious what others would do.
You do not need a second VFR as yours is barely broken in. You need a lighter, quicker, track type bike..
This is probably my last bike anyway. I've had owned 20 bikes all up & kept my last one from new & had it for 13 years. I thought long & hard about buying the VFR & since I got it last June have found it the kind of bike that gets under skin & its definitely got the grin factor & if anything happened to it I would replace it.. To be honest, if I had a few extra $$$$'s, I wouldn't mind getting a Moto Guzzi Limited edition V75 Cafe to put next to it in garage.
I'm looking at another bike at the moment too. However I don't plan to get rid of the VFR, after 120,000km I'm confident it can keep going. So if the VFR dies for whatever reason, I would happily buy a replacement 6th gen VFR. There are still a few new around here too.
As for my second bike, I'm looking at a used GSXR-750 (probably around the 07/08 year) as something a little different from the VFR without a big outlay of cash.
Well I guess I am back. I was seriously thinking of jumping ship and replacing my 87k mile '02 with a 3rd or 4th gen. I have searched the western US and would have gotten one of the two I tried for but was not quick enough and too far away. I then found a very sweet 15k mile '02 so I can start over with a like new bike for minimal cost between what I sold and bought for. There is little out there that has the mix of qualities found in this VFR.
When you do over 10k a year touring on a track bike would not do it for me, and I find most of the rest of the sport tourers a bit bloated. Sporty, hard luggage, comfortable, wind protection, plenty of power, I love reving it up which you just don't get to with a bigger engine, then you can't beat Honda quality. I guess I am hooked on a second 6th gen.
There's an '06 VFR800A in our stable along with two Blackbirds and I've been shopping for another 6th gen AND Blackbird for the past couple of months. Recently sold the '04 CBR600rr and man do I miss it, but not nearly as much as I would miss the other two.
I'm happy with my 6th gen and it runs great. Had a blast at Mulholland earlier this week. I don't think I'd sell it. I still regret selling my 1st gen VFR. If anything, I'd pickup a different bike but still keep the VFR.
The appreciation so many of you seem to have for the 6th-generation has me wondering I should start looking for a clean, low-mileage example before they become scarce so I'll have one on-hand for when I start getting bored w/my low-mileage (<12k) 5th-generation...or in case something happens to it.
There are two problems I can see with this plan however:
1) I don't see myself getting bored with my "classic" VFR800FI for a LONG time, for there are still too many miles to ride and farkles to add,
and
2) where the heck would I store another motorcycle?
Hmm.
Wonder if I could convince the wife that we really need to build a garage? My 12 x 18' shed is already pretty crowded with 3 motorcycles parked inside.
Should I sell my '94 ST1100 to make room?
:sad:
Naah. After 17+ years and 90k+ smooth & reliable miles I'm still nearly as attached to my ST as I am to Daisy (my devoted & always happy-to-see-me golden retriever)!
So that's just not gonna happen unless the ST suffers a catastrophic failure - or until I can no longer pick up the heavy beast off the side stand!
[image: View Post]smoothsailin, on 01 April 2012 - 06:09 AM, said:
when I start getting bored w/my low-mileage (<12k) 5th-generation...or in case something happens to it.
Hell, you've got one if not the best example of a VFR in the 98 and w/only 12k miles on it it's barely broken in. Just spend some mony on good suspension and you should never need to look elsewhere.
BR
Most definitely yes. It's the kind of bike that can go from lanesplitting in heavy traffic to hitting the interstate to running in the mountains seamlessly. I made mine more comfortable by adding the peg lowering blocks from BLS and will never sell this thing.
I have ridden and owned many bikes, my 02 has 69K on it, I will run it to 150K in the next 5 years, then give it to my brother and find another one... not a question.
Although I plan on adding more to the stable as well.
I came from a 2008 Yamaha FZ6 that I had setup with a puig sport screeen (2 inches taller) and a Givi trunk. I put 11k miles on the FZ6 in 2.5 years of mostly city commuting. I saw a terrific deal on a VFR (bought mine 1.5 years ago for $4700 full loaded with bags, GPS, and Givi screen) and decided to go for it. I love my VFR. Put about 5.5k miles on it since I got it and have taken it also on 1000 mile trips. I do miss the nimbleness of the FZ6 in the city and I feel that now that I am a better rider I could have explored more of the limits of the FZ6. I also must add the FZ6 had better riding position - more upright with just a slight lean and much better leg room. I loved the way the FZ6 looked and still do. I loved the 15 minute oil change and how everything (but the battery) was accessible. I am always looking at other bikes and I have ridden a bunch in the last Americade. I decided I love my VFR enough that I would just add to the stable! Also have a Monster for my wife and latest edition over the winter was a DR350S for trying out the dirt. I really wanted to like the new Ninja 1000 and after a 25 mile test ride I was happy to return to the VFR.
I would definitely say "yes!". I never thought I'd give up my FZ1 (Gen 1) and did...for the VFR. Last week at a Kawasaki Demo Day I rode the Concours 14 and would have to say I would certainly jump for that bike. However, I don't have $16K laying around and considering I paid 1/4 of that for my VFR I can certainly "make due". That Conny sure is a sweet ride though!
Compared to my 93, my 07 RWB is a different bike. I definitely wouldn't go 7th gen. It seems over the years, the VFR became more tourer than sport. The 7th gen definitely seems to drive that point home, but of course, I haven't been able to ride it so I may be completely wrong. The Aprillia RSV4 seems to be the evil (and opposite) twin of the VFR on paper. If the question was would I buy a gen 3 again, I wouldn't hesitate to say yes.
Having said all of that, my answer would still be yes. I bought my 07 RWB as a left over in 2010 for a cheap cheap price. Now, I only have 1,700 miles on it, but each mile that goes by, I get more and more attached to the bike. For a mass produced product from a large corporation, the VFR still has some character and soul that you just can't deny.
[image: View Post]Gerrys02800, on 29 March 2012 - 06:14 AM, said:
[image: View Post]digitallyhip, on 27 March 2012 - 06:41 PM, said:
I would definitely buy a 6th gen again. And an Adventure 990.
That would be 2 of us. The 6 Gen does everything I need, it carries me, all my gear and great fuel mileage. If I did go the adventure bike route, the KTM 990 has been a favorite of mine for a while and having inspected the Yamaha Tenere 1200 I would not mind that bike as well.
I assumed that the 1200 was/is too big. Not so much?
I was originally planning to replace my 05 in August. I'm coming up on 100K. The bike's still fine just barely starting to show it's age.
I've test ridden a CB100R, an FZ1, a Speed Triple, a KZ1000R and a BMW R series. The only thing out there that has me tempted is a Moto Guzzi Grizo SE and that's only because it looks so cool. I'm old enough to resist that urge.
Even though the whole RR/Stator thing really pissed me off in the beginning the VFR is really in a class of one. I'd really like to try something simiar functionally but different, i just can't find it. I'll probably ride mine until the wheels fall off and I wouldn't be opposed to another.
I'm not sure if I'd get another one, but I won't rule it out. I'm planning to sell my VFR this year and there are so many great bikes out there. I'm really enjoying the Street Triple R at 400lbs and is pretty comfortable (except the leg position is a little tight vs. the VFR)
I rode my VFR this weekend after a long time. It's so smooth and planted that I run higher top speeds than on a naked bike.
[image: View Post]tbzep, on 15 April 2012 - 03:08 PM, said:
I'm trying to right now! Yes, I'm replying to my own post, but it's for a good reason.
My last VFR was a 2004 model, may she rest in pieces. I brought home a 2008 Monday night. :fing02:
[image: View Post]tbzep, on 25 April 2012 - 08:00 AM, said:
[image: View Post]tbzep, on 15 April 2012 - 03:08 PM, said:
I'm trying to right now! Yes, I'm replying to my own post, but it's for a good reason.
My last VFR was a 2004 model, may she rest in pieces. I brought home a 2008 Monday night. :fing02:
I liked my 07RWB and it was a good motorcycle, but did I not love it (I did and still do love how it looks). I do not think I would get one again. I want another VFR, but a 5th or 7th gen.
A great post this! As many here may know I have had my fair share of Viffers 5th and 6th gens and whenever I tried anything different I almost came running back to the VFR every time. Now that I own my Blackbird I can confirm what others have said in regards to the power, I LOVE the torque especially two-up but this thing is crazy fast and I don't tend to rev her much past 7k unless it's a dry straight road with no junctions but it's one hell of a rush..
The VFR is a bike I think I will always probably keep coming back to every now and then but out of all the others, the Blackbird to me is the closest - big capacity sports tourer that feels like my previous 7 Viffers. She handles like a dream too, but maybe that's because I prefer smooth flowing bends to the tight and technical twisty stuff.
One thing is for sure, you cannot beat Honda build quality and refinement, I enjoy riding my bikes not fixing them!
I tried to find something different to replace my previous VFR. I looked at just about everything, and came back with the VFR as by far the best bike for me.
I'm still adjusting to my souped up VFR, and I can't say that i totally love it yet - (i know i am in the minority here). I'm learning to appreciate it more and more, and need to put on the miles... like it a LOT! I'm more of a cruiser position rider, but there's something distinctly delicious about the VFR!
I know this maybe hard to believe & yes there are variables.
I have a good friend who's 4th gen suffered a fire so is in need of more parts than is economically viable unless he finds a suitable wreck which due to having 4 small kids really isn't a short term possibility. He hasn't had a ride in over 12 months so because at present I have 2 bikes my frankenviffer o4 & CBR1000RR 08 I told him to come ride with me for a day. Now I let him choose which bike he wanted to ride which of course was the frankenviffer (it may sound strange but I was hoping he wanted the CBR as I have really been enjoying riding the VFR again after 2 years without one).
Now my friend can ride which is why I had no problem lending 1 of my pride & joys to him & what amazed me was corner exit & the 50-100 of so meters after, the CBR just didn't make any real ground on the VFR (I won't ride following close as I'm getting older reaction time is slower & I'm smart enough to understand that). Now to put that in perspective the CBR has as many mods as my VFR with dyno 170hp & a much better power to weight ratio, this was mainly 2nd gear exits. Now rightly so the CBR could have used 1st because it will do something like 160kph to red line in first but we are talking about road riding so such aggressive power down scenario is asking for trouble.
Yes I would start to close the gap in that distance as the CBR started to wind up the inline4 but honestly it was a bee's dick worth in that first 50-100 meters which in the twisties is the most important part. Granted I was following at the time so corner entry etc was his set pace & yes if I was out infront things are slightly different with the CBR better corner entry speed due to less weight but honestly even after owning a VFR for over 5 years that surprised me & is really a testament to how bloody good the VFR puts it's useable power down to the ground.
I've kept the CBR mainly because I can & thinking I still need the extra adrenaline buzz it does give, not anymore the CBR will be finding a new home soon, long live the mighty VFR.
End of thread · 56 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 8 Jun 2012