Honda 2002-2003 vrf vfr reviews??? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Honda 2002-2003 vrf vfr reviews???

P

preludeking

Member
Hellow everyone!

I currently rirde an 05 600RR but looking to get somthing more comfortable on long trips as i plan to head out to the east coast again in Septemeber and as much fun as it was on my CBR last year....could have been a bit more "comfortable".

I have wanted a VFR for a while but could never pry myself off my own CBR as its so much fun to ride. With end of season drawing near there seem to see a few dealson VFR's popping up that have my head turning. Does anyone have any general feedback about these bikes? Is the on- off power they talk about really that bad (to the point of dangerous)? How has maintenance been? What kind of fuel range can you get on a full tank? How does it ride with the hardcases on?

Any feed back is greatly appreciated as I have never ridden one!

Thanks!
 
preludeking said:
Does anyone have any general feedback about these bikes? Is the on- off power they talk about really that bad (to the point of dangerous)? How has maintenance been? What kind of fuel range can you get on a full tank? How does it ride with the hardcases on?
Click to expand...

1. General: Love my '02

2. On/off power: Not dangerous ... but noticeable, very noticeable.

3. Chain lube and oil changes ... have 50,000kms on it, but only 10,000 are mine. If i keep it 'till 70,000 I'll have the valves checked ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)

4. about 340-360kms

5. Sorry can't help there.

d
 
go over to vfrdiscussion.com for a ton of info and if you have a means to haul a bike back can get some great deals south. I have 70 k on my 2000 and find it to be a do everything bike ............
 
I've put 30K on my '06 which I bought new in '08.
Bottom line - I wouldn't trade it for anything as it is the perfect bike for me (well aside from maybe an upgrade to the VFR 1200!) You'll get a lot more km out of a tank than any SS - as per above, although I've gotten close to 400km on a tank of riding at a 90-100kph pace the whole time. It is super stable at speed and on the highway. I've seen 240+ on the speedo before HTA172 ruined everything! As for maintenance, nothing but oil changes and tires for me so far.

The only negative is that in the city during the summer this bike gets HOT when not moving. It can feel like you are sitting on a fireplace, seriously it feels that hot sometimes. A small trade off though for an otherwise perfect bike.

Oh yeah, about the power transition when the Vtec kicks in - way overblown of an issue. It's not that big of a deal on my '06 - however this is after they modified the rpms where it kicks in and disengages compared to earlier models.

You will miss a little bit of the acceleration your CBR has, but really you'll still be faster than 98% of the vehicles on the road, so does it matter? ;o)
 
I have a 2003 that I bought new in 2006. 60k in 6 years. One $1000 service bill at 30k (valves, all fluids, plugs, brake pads, chain, sprockets).
Transition is felt but is not an issue.
I have factory bags that are great for longer trips.
I did put on a Ohlin shock and gutted the fork and had Race Tech put in valves, springs, fluids. Nothing wrong with the stock setup until I put an extra 40 pounds of luggage on it. Was undersprung at that point.
I will probably put another 20 - 30 k on it.
 
I picked up an 06 in the fall of 09 down in Virginia, I was upgrading from a 600 katana.

She's smooth on the highway and eats up the miles with ease, Riding back from deals gap with summer I was cruising at 90mph and still managed to get almost 350kms out of a tank of gas. I completely regret not getting one that already had the hardbags on it. You can use softbags (I have motopak gt-90's) but the extra security and waterproof hard bags would be a bonus. IN the twisties once you get use to the vtec she's a blast and the handling is great.

I never noticed the weight but parking next to my buddies 2003 cbr600rr you can see she's a much bigger bike. I've got 30K on mine now and intend to keep her for quite a few more years, although I'd like to get hardbags and do the suspension on her.

As mentioned above, if your seriously looking for one look south of the border, check out cycletrader, ebay, VFRworld & vfrdiscussion. It's been my experience that you see 02-03's up here with more miles priced higher than newer ones with more add-ons and lower miles in the US.
 
Really comfy for long hauls! Bikes are reasonably priced in comparison for their ever-so-slightly larger brothers (ST1300,FJR,...).

Being completely biased though, why not look a little older. Arguably a better engine, similar frame, less money - 5th gen. You'd have to do givi bags as not too many out there so equipped. I just bungie a backpack though. Love mine! The only exchange i'd make is for the tri-colour vtec - sweet.

Anyway you look at it though, a crisp handling bike with enough smooth power delivery for a rush whenever you need it. I rode a 600 previously. Although the 6 really "came-on", i find the 800 has much more usable power so am having way more fun with it, with less threat of losing my license - less i say :)

Cheers !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom