Hi - I've just bought my first VFR, a 5th gen model in yellow. The documentation says it was first registered in March 2000 and I believe the Pearl Shining Yellow paintjob was only for MY 2000. However it has the fast idle lever on the left handlebar, which I thought was only on '98 and '99 bikes and was replaced with the automated wax unit for the '00 and '01 bikes.
So what's going on here? Was it a leftover '99 bike that didn't get finished off until early 2000? I'm just interested to know what I have here, a '99 or a '00.
Interesting for sure.... I'd suggest decoding your VIN to see what you actually have and go from there. Most of the discussion has been (I think) around North American VFR's which do have the fast idle lever '98-'99........ was there a different homologation for the UK, good question. I know there is for FJR's for other features, but in that case all the fuel systems were the same regardless.
https://www.edmunds.com/how-to/how-to-quickly-decode-your-vin.html
https://uk.vin-info.com/
https://haynes.com/en-gb/tips-tutorials/how-decode-your-car-s-vin
Thanks I should have thought of the VIN - this confirms that it's a 1999. The number is JH2RC46A4XM******, RC46A being the 1998-99 model and X being the year of manufacture 1999.
As for the colour I think this is explained by it being a European thing. This Youtube video shows a yellow '99 in Ireland: