Well, I've wanted one of these machines for 30 years.
Finally bit the bullet. Found a beautiful '03 in Norcal. Snatched it up and can't wait for good weather! Been lurking for a week or so and wanted to say hello.
Bought it from the second owner who babied this machine. 34K miles.
Man am I excited!!!
[image: IMG_4243.thumb.JPG.f69c24d923d5e795c6040959b3c36951.JPG]
That's a very clean looking bike, nice one! Welcome to the site from across the pond. :beer:
Welcome FireStorm.
What a great find, looks fantastic and red my favourite! 34k miles is not a lot. If you're mechanically minded go through and the basics, oil and filter and if brake and clutch fluid haven't been done recently change it same with coolant. A well cared for early 6gen is a great bike, does have some electrical gremlins that once sorted you will be kicking goals.
Enjoy
Cheers. :fing02:
Greetings & Salutations.
Bike's barely broken in. You're gonna enjoy it for another 200K yet!
Welcome and congrats on the new Viffer!
Thanks for the warm welcome!
The previous owner was a mechanic -- changed the brake fluid every six months, etc. Had a detailed printout of all of the maintenance he's done and when it was done. Top shelf. And yes, I'm mechanically minded also and will thoroughly enjoy taking great care of the bike.
Rode the bike home and was comfortable in just a few minutes. What an awesome sounding, smooth riding machine. A little worried about the rectifier / regulator / stator issues that some have mentioned -- can't tell if that's only 2002 and back or if I should proactively change mine out. Any suggestions on a) Whether I should and b) What to put in?
Cheers!
It's mainly 02-06 models.
There's plenty of threads and lots of advice and expertise on here so just keep an eye.
The R/R and stator are easy jobs (I managed them) so no worries if you are mechanically minded.
Welcome.
I've had my 2005 6th Gen for little over a year now after a 10 year break from riding. Mine looks just like yours and has similar miles. I've thoroughly enjoyed owning and riding it and also the friendly and knowledgeable support from this forum.
Check the previous owner's records for any record of a new regulator and/or stator. If you find that the original R/R has been changed for a MOSFET one then that's a good sign. Charging system failures are one of the few weak points of this bike - but sorting them is a well trodden path and not difficult or expensive. I inherited my previous owner's charging problems - sorting it out is a rite of passage for VFR ownership and all the info and support you might need is here. Consider installing a voltmeter for peace of mind.
Make sure the chain tension adjuster in the rear hub moves smoothly - they're susceptible to seizing if they haven't been touched for months or years. It's a DIY job to refurb if it has seized, but you're better off knowing now if it has.
FireStorm9, 1/27/2021 at 11:05 AM.... A little worried about the rectifier / regulator / stator issues that some have mentioned -- can't tell if that's only 2002 and back or if I should proactively change mine out. Any suggestions on a) Whether I should and b) What to put in?
Cheers!
Main thing is to replace open Yazaki connector with Furukawa sealed connectors and solder all wire connections. Cheap rectifier gets then replaced with mosfet rectifier. I recently did the conversion on my SV1000 that suffers from the same problem, write up with parts sources are here:
http://www.zrxocboard.com/board/showthread.php?52615-V-Twin-Goodness/page20
Welcome to the asylum FireStorm9 from The Land Of Interesting Weather. You've come to the right place for information and help regarding Honda V4's. Good looking machine and it's the fastest color.
Ride safe and have fun.
A hello from across the pond! Sounds and looks like you have a great one there. Enjoy 😉
FireStorm9, 1/27/2021 at 12:54 AMWell, I've wanted one of these machines for 30 years.
Finally bit the bullet. Found a beautiful '03 in Norcal. Snatched it up and can't wait for good weather! Been lurking for a week or so and wanted to say hello.
Bought it from the second owner who babied this machine. 34K miles.
Man am I excited!!!
[image: IMG_4243.thumb.JPG.f69c24d923d5e795c6040959b3c36951.JPG]
Welcome to the Board. Never to late to pick up a VFR.
Nice looking example that sounds like it was professionaly maintained.
Great group of people here, someone always seems ready to help, so don't hesitate to ask questions or for advice.
Congrats on your 6th gen and welcome to the forum! 🙂