Considering gasp maybe selling pretty red 97 vfr 750

The thing is, I hardly ever ride her anymore and that's just wrong. Hell, it saddens me to even be typing these words, but it makes no sense to have such a beauitful machine just sitting in a garage. I fire her up every month or so and have kept her as beauitful as the day I brought her home, brand new, March 1998.

I've been searching the net trying to get a ballpark figure for what she's worth and while I can find all manner and iterations of "Honda VFR for Sale," I have not seen a single 1997 4th gen for sale anywhere is the US.

Yes, I'm sure there are some, I just have not found them. I've searched: Craigslist, Cycleworld, Cycletrader, eBay, Oodle and more.

She is stock except for the addition of a Texas Tail Locker (I don't think they make these anymore) that makes for a very sweet, clean look and gives you a little storage space. The addition of a TBR high-rise slip-on exhaust (original cannister sits in the attic) and an R1 RR to replace the stock one that (let's all say it together now...) failed. I also added a volt meter to keep an eye on the charging system.

Note, Pretty Red is slightly lighter than stock as I left some of the shifter, brake pedal and pegs in turns 2-11 at Laguna Seca Raceway :biggrin:

So, aside that it only has 11k on the clock, has brand new front and rear shoes, brand new front brakes and is a one-owner pure-f'ing-joy-to-ride and look at bike, I don't know how to price her.

Is there some deal with the seemingly rare 1997 model of which I should be aware?

Thanks

Found one in Jackson, MI. on Craigslist. Can't post the link to it per forum guidelines, but the title is:

Honda VFR 750 Excellent condition. - $3400 (Jackson)

Looks pristine, but honestly I think the price is high. 2500 - 3000 is what it will probably go for. The only way you will get 3400 is if you have someone passionate about the 4th gen or a person who prefers carbs. Not judging, just saying.

In the end, to most people out there, it's just another old Japanese bike...... So for as special as we might think our VFRs are, it's just riding a downward pricing spiral like every other Japanese bike out there. Only bikes that will stop depreciating or appreciate in price will be limited production street legal racers like RC30's and 45's and uber precious bikes like NR750s.

One thing really good about the 4th gen though, it has had a big resurgence in popularity and more people are looking for it compared to years past, so maybe the depreciation had slowed down quite a bit, but as it was, the prices for 4th gens had been quite low already in the past few years.....

Now maybe if you wait for another 20 years and lots of the 4th gens had gone to bike heaven, Maybe you might be able to sell it for a lot more money...........but for now, $3K is pretty typical for a very good example.........and that's why it maybe worth just keeping it for good as a "forever" second bike. :rolleyes:

3. Nobody ever wishes they didn't own a VFR

I believe you are correct with this, as I am sitting here talking to a guy about selling my 05 VFR, I just don't care much for the vetec.  I have always like the gen of the VFR's, close tie between it and my old pearl white 1993, that I regret to this day selling.  Think it over, even if you don't ride her much there might come a time when you want to and won't have her.  Good luck.

We do have a bunch of niche bikes so they are hard to sell. It took me about 6 weeks to sell my '97 last year to move up to my '07. My '97 was spotless, never even a driveway tip not that I didn't try a time or two! I sold it with a tank bag, saddle bags, an after market windscreen, a power outlet, K&N air filter, aluminum D&D pipe, owner's manual, full tool kit, and.......

every receipt from original purchase through every oil change, tire change, every mod, nut and bolt ever spent on it

I had a 3 ring binder with a plastic sleeve for each chronologically filed receipt.

Yes that's a bit anal, but even with all of that, I let her go for $3200.

Type the following search criteria into Google:   site:craigslist.org 1997 honda vfr

Rollin

1997 Honda vfr 750f Omaha craigslist 2600. I went to check it out it had 44000 was dropped once and had a nasty crack on the mid fairing. Stock bike, old man had a closed service station full of cycles and bikes when he passed away in his 70s, daughters each claimed a cruiser and the widow has the vfr. I offered the daughter 2000 as I had no idea about the history and it was late November she turned it down. In December I got my stolen bike back  I've slowly been hunting down plastic as my bike was apparently down several times 10 of 11 pieces damaged or missing so I've been on line looking a lot and saw she has relisted. They are out there. I think in the Midwest they stay hidden off the market until spring unless the seller is desperate.

Personally I think I would have a real tough time selling any of my bikes. Even though I don't ride all of them equally, I appreciate each one for it's particular traits. I hadn't ridden my Ducati for a while and a friend kept on cattle prodding me to sell it to him, or at the very least let him take "care of it" i.e. He'll ride it daily! but I did not relent and eventually started riding it more frequently, then I bought the 6 Gen (commuter), and then the 5 Gen (secondary V4 play bike), but I still try and make time to ride them all. Once in a while I'll invite my buddy over to ride one of my bikes with me, I'd take the Duc, he'd take one of the VFRs, or vice/verse and sometimes we'll trade for the ride back home.

Although I can say that I really love my car too, I don't think I'd have as difficult of a time if I had to sell it or trade it in. Maybe because I look at my car as a "utility" vehicle more than a "recreation" vehicle. Still, it wouldn't be an easy thing, just not as difficult.

Good luck with whatever you decide, just know that same buddy had sold his Ducati 900CR and has regretted it ever since, which is probably why he nagged me so hard for so long and probably why I let him ride it from time to time.

Honestly? I think you will regret selling her.  Original owner, last year of the 4th gen, low mileage...IDK, I'd have a hard time justifing that one. 

Wow, just wow. THANK YOU, each and every one. Here is what I've learned:

1. Pretty Red is probably worth ~$3,500

2. We all love our VFRs and truly want to help each other

3. Nobody ever wishes they didn't own a VFR

4. A clean '97 4th gen can be found, but they're not common (does not make them worth more, just that they're not everywhere)

5. I don't have to sell her, so why put myself in the regret hole when I can easily walk around it

Again, thank you all.

p.s. Purchased Pretty Red in July '98. My daughter, born in March '98, pointed to her in the garage (circa 2000)...and that's how she got her name.

I am not sure most buyers care about the year as much as condition.
 
My story is that I bought one new in 1996. I totaled it in 2000.
That was the only bike I ever owned which I missed years after it was gone.
My wife upgraded her SV650s to an SV1000s and she hated the 1000s.
She mentioned that she loved riding my 96 VFR, so what could I do but go shopping.
I found a 1996 with 14K miles and I was able to get it for 2,300.00.
I got it home and went through the bike. Once all the fluids were new and new tires, I took it out in the mountains.
Amazing is the best word.
When I got home the first thing I did was started looking for another.
I found a 1995 with 24K miles. It looked great and had a ton of extras. I was able to get it for 27,00.00.
 
I thought how cool would it be to see two matching VFRs. So the mods began.

After twenty years of riding my wife decided that she is going to be the passenger.
I ended up selling the 1995 VFR for 3,100.00. I wanted 3,500.00 but that was just unrealistic.
The buyer did drive 700 miles to buy it.

I agree with others, you will regret selling a forth gen. I love my fifth gen but I could part with it.
God forbid if I owned a sixth gen, I wouldn't be able to sell it fast enough.

So rethink your separation. If you can keep it and you have the means...
The nice ones are getting very hard to find.
I say hang on to it. Eventually, it will be worth more than today.



[image: vfrgapfrontpage.jpg]

Very well put..........

think about the guy who was saying how he never rode his Vicent much....................................................

I agree again.  I had a 5th gen and vs a 4th, ugh, I'll take a 4th any day.  The 4th gen vfr is by far and away my favorite bike of all time.  I've owned over 60 bikes now (ok, mostly flips, but I rode them all) and this is the only bike I want.  I have a 94 in my garage that was suppose to be a flip (Charlotte), but I can't do it.  Not for what I could get for her.  Sure, I could make a few bucks, but not enough to justify what I put into her.  There is just something about keeping a 4th gen...they are magical machines.  I think you will regret selling it.  Similar to the gent who sold his RC30 in NV I think it was on the other vfr forum.  Regretted it before it was even out of the driveway.

Pretty Red is NOT FOR SALE.

As I have said to my kids...You know how when you do something bad, wrong or stupid you ask yourself, what was I thinking? The answer is, you were thinking, I probably shouldn't do this.

Well, I've learned to listen to my little voice over the years and I hear it.

I lusted for a VFR since the first time I sat on one in a show room. It took a few years, but I finally got one. Since I don't have to sell it, I would need a really good reason to sell it. Not riding it as much as I'd like to is a stupid, horrible reason.

It's not like, when I do take it out, that it's not an awesome, fun, gorgeous, great handling, stop-on-a-dime, REEEEEEDDDDDDDDDD, sweet sounding, cam-gear-driven, unique-sounding, two-wheeled piece of motorcycle heaven, because it is.

God, what was I thinking? Oh yeah...

think about the guy who was saying how he never rode his Vicent much....................................................

I've been away from the forum for awhile, can you point me to this discussion? Sounds interesting. Your statment can stand alone as a metaphore as well.

The fourth gen is the most beautiful of them all, except for the 93 Pearl White which is it's equal. Imho. :-)  If I had one and didn't ride it I'd move it into my living room, as a work of art to savour.  (And could swing it) 

The fourth gen is the most beautiful of them all, except for the 93 Pearl White which is it's equal. Imho. :-)  If I had one and didn't ride it I'd move it into my living room, as a work of art to savour.  (And could swing it) 

...I lusted for a VFR since the first time I sat on one in a show room...

This is the bike upon which my lust began

I bought a 97 VFR750 back in 98. It only had about 700 miles on it when I got it. The first time I took it for a ride was only about 15 minutes and I came back hooked! I bought that bike. I was only able to keep for about a year, due to me be young and poor, I had to sell her.

Over the years I have had a good number of bikes. When someone asked which one I liked the most, my answer was always the 97 VFR750 !! That is one I certainly regret selling. But I just recently picked up my new to me 06 VFR and so far, I really enjoy it. Not sure what it is about the VFR but it is a bike that I really enjoy.