Used VFR 800 question | GTAMotorcycle.com

Used VFR 800 question

Norcorider

Norcorider

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Hi all,

I am looking at a used 2008 VFR800. I saw the bike in person , except for overly oily chain, it looked clean.

Seller didn't let me ride it but it started fine and made all the right noises. However one thing has been bothering me, the bike has stripes all over the body work , he said the previous owner had installed stickers. To me it looks like an aftermarket fairing.

What do you think?
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I had a 2009, same bike.

Hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like they all line up pretty well. Only way to really know if aftermarket is loosen the fairings and look for the Honda stamps on the inside of them. If it was just fairings replaced and mechanically it's in good shape I wouldn't worry too much, those are fantastic bikes and they can go quite far without major issues.

The only things that raise a red flag for me are the aftermarket bar ends and that chicken mesh on the rad vents. There should be plastic grills there, if those are on top for looks then fine but if not there then chances are something did happen and they weren't replaced. Same with the bar ends, those usually get replaced when damaged from a fall. The big 3D VFR badge is also missing from the fairing, may have just been removed along with the decal application but could also indicate replaced/repainted fairings. But, bikes get dropped all the time especially a heavy bike like the vfr, again if just cosmetic I wouldn't be too worried. Use it to negotiate a better price.

If the decals bother you a few hours with a hair drier, adhesive remover and some wax will take care of that.

If I may ask how many km on it and what is the asking price?
 
Tastefully done, IMO. Look for signs damage to mounts. most used VFR's are higher mileage due to their intended purpose, and therefore not generally without some signs of wear. If no signs of damage, look that it was properly maintained. Good luck!
 
Michael0124 said:
I had a 2009, same bike.

Hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like they all line up pretty well. Only way to really know if aftermarket is loosen the fairings and look for the Honda stamps on the inside of them. If it was just fairings replaced and mechanically it's in good shape I wouldn't worry too much, those are fantastic bikes and they can go quite far without major issues.

The only things that raise a red flag for me are the aftermarket bar ends and that chicken mesh on the rad vents. There should be plastic grills there, if those are on top for looks then fine but if not there then chances are something did happen and they weren't replaced. Same with the bar ends, those usually get replaced when damaged from a fall. The big 3D VFR badge is also missing from the fairing, may have just been removed along with the decal application but could also indicate replaced/repainted fairings. But, bikes get dropped all the time especially a heavy bike like the vfr, again if just cosmetic I wouldn't be too worried. Use it to negotiate a better price.

If the decals bother you a few hours with a hair drier, adhesive remover and some wax will take care of that.

If I may ask how many km on it and what is the asking price?
Click to expand...
Thanks Michael. It has 16 k km. I am trading my 2005 Yamaha FJR with the seller. I think it will end up costing me between 4500-4800$.
 
I had those same bar ends on my 2003 VFR. They are to add weight and remove vibrations. I forget the brand name...they weren’t cheap but worked well. I think they came in 2 different weights.

I can’t quite tell from the photo, but is that some sort of heat guard or sticker on the exhaust? Looks odd.

Rob
 
Stocks ones are weighted as well, are they heavier? Pretty smooth engine but at certain rpm there was a slight buzz through the bars. I'm guessing the heavier the better for smoothing that out?
 
robertv19 said:
I had those same bar ends on my 2003 VFR. They are to add weight and remove vibrations. I forget the brand name...they weren’t cheap but worked well. I think they came in 2 different weights.

I can’t quite tell from the photo, but is that some sort of heat guard or sticker on the exhaust? Looks odd.

Rob
Click to expand...
Yeah, a rubber pad on exhaust heat guard. Looks weird, not my taste. I am going to take it off the moment I being her home.
 
Michael0124 said:
Stocks ones are weighted as well, are they heavier? Pretty smooth engine but at certain rpm there was a slight buzz through the bars. I'm guessing the heavier the better for smoothing that out?
Click to expand...

They were heavier. Actually, now that I think about it - they were actually Throttlemeisters. Something like:

Throttlemeister, Throttlemeister Bar Ends, Throttlemeister Cruise control, Throttlemeister Throttle lock

Throttlemeister, Throttlemeister Bar Ends, Throttlemeister Cruise control, Throttlemeister Throttle lock
www.hardracing.com

Sorry...it was a long time ago.

Rob
 
usually not a big fan of cosmetic changes
but that actually looks alright, I like it

not sure of the economics though? OP?
4-5 cash out of pocket to trade your FJR for this bike, steep?
but you don't say how many kms on the FJR
 
Thought the same thing, assuming it’s out of pocket. IMO while the VFR looks like a good bike I’d say $5k without any trade is more along the right lines


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SVeezy said:
Thought the same thing, assuming it’s out of pocket. IMO while the VFR looks like a good bike I’d say $5k without any trade is more along the right lines


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Click to expand...

I didn't pay 4-5 k + fjr. I paid a couple of hundred bucks with the trade. FJR had around 49k km on the Odo.
I liked it and put 3500 km in last 3 months, but the engine heat was the biggest let down for me. On the cool days like today , it was ok but on hot summer days , it was pretty much cooking my lower body.

The seller of vfr was looking for an fjr and I was looking to try a super sport. Though vfr is not super sport, it's close. End of the day, we are both happy with the deal and bikes we got. I think it will work out well ( I hope)
 
Brought her home today. Took away all the black stripes right away. Somebody did go through a lot of effort to install it, but not my style, I like clean stock look ( sorry not sorry :) )
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Norcorider said:
I didn't pay 4-5 k + fjr. I paid a couple of hundred bucks with the trade. FJR had around 49k km on the Odo.
I liked it and put 3500 km in last 3 months, but the engine heat was the biggest let down for me. On the cool days like today , it was ok but on hot summer days , it was pretty much cooking my lower body.

The seller of vfr was looking for an fjr and I was looking to try a super sport. Though vfr is not super sport, it's close. End of the day, we are both happy with the deal and bikes we got. I think it will work out well ( I hope)
Click to expand...

Congrats! Sounds like you got a good deal then. I’ve always liked the VFR. Enjoy the ride.


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Hey guys, one maintenance related question - I was cleaning and adjusting the chain and noticed the chain is tight at some places and loose/normal on others. So if I turn the wheel and check slack at a reference point , it's differs. Does that mean a wornout chain or is it normal?
 
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