Considering An 01 Vfr, 10K Miles, Original Owner, $4500

Bike looks to be in excellent condition. New Conti tires, Sargent seat, .75" bar spacers, and all the services have been completed. The price strikes me as a bit high, but this was his asking price. 

I currently ride an 07 VFR, and this would be to either add to my stable, or to replace my 6th gen. For those who have owned both a 5th and 6th gen, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts between these two bikes. 

As for the 01 VFR in question, what sort of things should I look at, other than normal items such as leaking fork seals, etc. And what would be a fair value price for this bike? I'm thinking $3900 would be fair given the condition and the low mileage. 

- Anthony

I was just over at a friend's house helping him service an '01 he just bought a few weeks ago - 14,000 miles, throttle lock, Corbin seat, Heli's, Zero Grav screen, BLS peg lowering blocks, Micron slip on, Ventura rack system - he  paid $3,500 for it.  It has normal wear and tear - a few stone chips and scuffs here and there - what every bike has with a few miles, but a very nice bike.  His asking price is on the high side.  For that money it should be a pristine example. 

As for a 5th or 6th gen - if it weren't for the factory luggage and ABS, my primary bike would still be my 5th gen (I still have it).  I don't notice much difference between the two - power delivery seems about the same to me - and the chassis might be just a touch better on the 6th gen, but not something that would make or break it.  Accessories are still relatively easy to find for the 6th gen - they're getting scarcer now for 5th's.  If you don't care about the luggage or ABS, get the one that speaks to you.  Styling is personal preference, but the gear driven cams eliminate the tensioner problems that seem to crop up over time and they sound sooo sweet. 

I think his asking price is on the high side as well, I picked up my '01 in April for $3k and it was in good shape with 16k miles on the clock. That being said, having both a 5th and 6th Gen I can say there is a slight difference between the two bikes, but I think it has more to do with the way I set them up. I setup the 6th Gen for commuting/touring so I have the typical accessories (Heli-Bars, Sargent seat, Touring windscreen) and sport-touring tires (Pilot Road 2s). For the most part the 5th Gen is stock, but that will change over time (engine/suspension mods mostly), but I do have "sport" tires on it (Pilot Power 3s) so the turning seems a bit more "sharper" than the 6th Gen. Although It still might be attributed to the tires, the 5th Gen does feel lighter to me for some reason making it feel more nimble as well. Personally I would keep your 6th Gen and get the 5th Gen for having fun!, leaving the 6th Gen for commuter duty and the occasional long distance rides.

So I went and saw the bike this morning. It is in pristine condition. Tires have almost full tread, but they were manufactured in 2007, so they are near the end of their life. 

Engine sound is amazing, love the gear driven cams. I also like that it doesn't have VTEC, makes for a much smoother powerband. I did notice that once past 6k, whether on or off the throttle, I got a constant rattle. It wasn't very fast, nor was it very loud, but it was there. No noise below 6k RPM. Is this just a normal sound from the engine? I haven't ridden another 5th gen VFR, so I can't compare. 

I really don't think I can spend more than $4k on this bike, as it will need new tires next season. Also, the brakes felt a little soft. He had the brake fluid and coolant flushed a few years ago, and I think it's time to do the brakes again. With the linked brakes I wonder how many people actually bleed them properly. 

Other than that, the two bikes are quite similar. I think my 6th gen turns a little better, but that could be from the new tires. I felt the seating position on the 5th gen was a bit more cramped in my legs, but still comfortable. The Sargent seat on the 5th gen is much softer than the one I have on the 6th gen. 

Thoughts?

I'm in Haymarket, that sounds close to Dealer price around here. Is have to listen to the "rattle", but I could lend an ear. Mine has 75k miles and I paid 2800... Somewhere between 3500 and 4000 seems right. Offer 3800 and you have room to come up to 4k but no more I m o.

I keep my bikes shiny and value that so I would pay a premium for a pristine like new bike if I have to.  I usually find them without too much of a premium if I am patient.  I would offer $4k and complain about the old tires.  Although a set of tires would not last me a year.  The rattle could be something loose, that would concern me.  I would settle for $4500 if truly exceptional and I really really wanted it.

After riding a 5th gen. I did not notice much difference between the 6 gen.  I would be happy with either but not both.   My other bikes provide more varied riding experiences.  If I had a second VFR it would be a pristine 3rd or 4th gen.

I bought my stock 00 with just over 3000 miles 2 years ago for $3600.  The one you are looking at has a few mods, but seem a bit high.

Okay, just as a data point, not my bike: This is off the local Craigslist:

Selling my Red 2002 VFR 800 with around 25000 miles. I am the second owner and have taken good care of it for the past 3 years - it has always been garaged, and I've kept up with oil changes, fluid flushes, etc. It's in great mechanical shape, but does have some minor scrapes and scratches, mainly on the side bags. It has just about every accessory you could want on a bike like this - a full staintunes aftermarket exhaust which sounds great, full set of Honda factory hard luggage, power outlet, and a few other accessories like a factory service manual, 2 windscreens, and a removable tank protector. I put on a new chain and sprocket at 20,000 miles, and new Metzeler Roatdec z8 sport touring tires at the same time.

He wants $3900.

So, to me, $4500 for an '01 seems kind of high.

Manassas Honda had a pristine bike they had as a trade-in from a customer who owned several bikes and had it serviced religiously in their shop with sergeant heayted grips and new tires sprokets. Last summer when I was looking to replace my crashed 98. Last year the dealer wanted $4500. This is dealer high end IMO.

Another point of reference: Kelly blue book for 20171 zip code is $3220.

Caveat Emptor

Best of luck.

For what it's worth, I ended up paying $4k to purchase my 5th-gen two years ago from the original owner with 6.2k miles, in near-showroom condition with a TBR high-mount exhaust, cover & a Yuasa maintenance-free battery charger. However, I did have to pony up a few hundred more afterward to purchase replacements for the viffer's14-year-old original Dunlops.  

Do I feel that I may have paid too much? Yes. That said, do I regret the purchase? Nope! 

Some have claimed that the 5th gen may be the best (and looks like it could be the last) VFR equipped with the bullet-proof gear driven camshafts. Considering how long it's been since production was discontinued (12+ years), frankly I've been surprised by how many low-mileage 5th-gens I've observed for sale since I purchased mine. However, I find it hard to believe that there may be very many more of them out there. So if you really want to end up with one, opportunities like this one may be few and far between. 

I've noted that the seller wasn't completely honest in his listing:

"New tires": Even w/zero miles, tires manufactured in '07 clearly aren't new

"All the services have been completed": Not true (at least in my book) if it's been two+ years since brake & clutch fluids, or any other fluids were last flushed & replaced. 

I replaced the brake & clutch fluids & bled the systems immediately after purchasing my viffer in Feb. of '12. I did not find doing so to be all that hard, but afterward I still felt the front brake felt a tad soft-although the braking performance has (for me at least) always been more than adequate. So the softness you felt could just be normal for the LBS on a 5th gen. Also, considering the age of the motorcycle, replacing the brake lines (especially w/a upgrade to braided stainless steel lines) could provide a significant improvement. 

Note: I have not replaced these lines on my vfr, but have considered doing so.  

Have you asked if the owner had made any upgrades to the charging system? If not, you should consider the possibility that installing a VFRness, RR, etc. could be in the bike's not-so-distant future. Note: mine now has ~ 18k miles and based on readings observed from the voltage meter I installed ~ 10k miles ago, my vfr's charging system voltage has been gradually dropping as the mileage increases and I'm preparing to order some upgraded components from wiremybike.com soon.  

Just a few things to consider if you decide to make the seller an offer.

Good luck!

Carey

I would say about 3500 tops. As the bike has no mileage on it, it means it has been standing still a lot.

The fifth gen is the best VFR800 there is, but it needs work.

And 10K is a bit low to be good, it means the bike did less then 770M a year, either nobody rode it or it has been stationary for some time.

In my book a bike with that age should have at least 30~40Kmiles on it.

It's 13 years old mate, 10K in such a long time? I do that in less then 8 months :cheerleader:

And there are sings to check if it has done that little, check the rubbers on the foot-bars and also the difference on the break-disks, it should not have wearing on it with such low mileage.

Mine lost about 0.7 to 1 mm on the disks, but that is after 40Kmile on it.

Sent you a PM.  I may be selling mine.  But if you wanted to check it out just to compare I'd be up for that.  I'm not too far from Herndon.

I bought my 2001 with 4,007 miles in October 2012 for $3,800. It had original tires and I bought a bew battery before riding it home. Anything higher than $4,000 is too much. Bike prices seem higher up here.

After thinking about it, I wrote to the owner and told him I wouldn't be able to meet his price. He is likely going to hold onto it rather than sell it for market value. I can understand the bond with the bike, and most owners think their vehicles are worth more than they actually are. Nice guy and I hope he does find someone who is willing to pay a premium for his bike.

I paid $3600 for a pristine 2000
11,000 miles
Carbon two brothers muffler
Corbin seat
Helibars
Had new pilot power tires
12v outlet on steer tube

I added
Givi 36 L cases with sw motec racks
Vfrness
Datel guage
Heated grips
Peg lowering blocks

Seems high, if it came with luggage I'd be more apt to pop as it can get spendy to add later.