Honda VFR 800

[staningrimsby]

Hi guys,

Looking a little into the future I know but you can't beat a bit of forward planning, I had a look at a Honda VFR 800 today and really like it, its within my budget and I really like the look of it for a bit of touring and the obvious rising round with my fello bikers.

What I would really like to know is does anyone know if there is anything specific I should look for on these bikes, are they reliable or does anyone have any experience with them good or bad ???

Cheers in advance,
Stan.
____________________
When you have removed the impossible the improbable however unlikely has to be the truth.
1986 Yamaha DT 80 >> 2009 Honda Varadero XL 125 >> 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

[duhawkz]

Vtec or pre vtec

I had vtec and couldn't fault it. Aside from the usual things to look out for when buying a used bike, the only thing I can think of is to check if its had it's 16000 mile service, that's when valve clearances need checking and on the vtec its a specialist job and fairly expensive. 800+ isnt unheard of
____________________
"The guy is a worthless cunt and I honestly believe I would be a slightly happier person if he died." - Chris-Red

[staningrimsby]

Not sure yet the one im looking at is a 2005 model which is right on the change but £800+ sounds expensive.
____________________
When you have removed the impossible the improbable however unlikely has to be the truth.
1986 Yamaha DT 80 >> 2009 Honda Varadero XL 125 >> 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

[staningrimsby]

I have just heard that every 16000 miles the head needs to be removed to check the valves are ok at a cost of around £800, don't know if its true or not.
____________________
When you have removed the impossible the improbable however unlikely has to be the truth.
1986 Yamaha DT 80 >> 2009 Honda Varadero XL 125 >> 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

[Rogerborg]

How on earth can a valve clearance check require 15-20 hours of labour? You could replace a valve for less than that, so if that's genuinely what is being asked, I'd laugh it off and ride until something goes wrong. You could, quite literally, buy a bike for that money.

Compromise: rather than taking it apart, you could get a compression test done. If that's OK then the valves are closing.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[staningrimsby]

I did think it was a bit extreme but being a newbie to bike you just take the words of others who are considered more knowledgeable.
____________________
When you have removed the impossible the improbable however unlikely has to be the truth.
1986 Yamaha DT 80 >> 2009 Honda Varadero XL 125 >> 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

[Vincent]

[Rogerborg]

[Vincent]

[instigator]

[Shaft]

[Rogerborg]

Mmm. My analysis with the GS was that BMW Motorrad wanted £200 for a service with "valve check", but they wouldn't even discuss how much an "adjustment" would be, because "it depends".

On further investigation, that particular cower of shunts had never had a bike in that didn't "need" some amount of "adjustment", so in the event I fu​cked it off and decided to gamble that the chimps who made the engine did a better job than the monkeys who get to work on it.

Hang on, I'll be back in 5 minutes after I've done the clearances on the Enfield, and got another beer.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Shaft]

You need to try and find a tech with a conscience.

When I was seriously considering a GS boxer, I happened upon a guy called Chris Harris on Youtube; he's a BMW trained tech and tells it like it is, eg if you've been charged for a valve clearance adjustment on a 16V K bike with sensible mileage, you've probably been ripped off.

In the OP's case, a time served Honda tech who is now doing his own thing the right way, would be most useful.
____________________
Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Dibble]

[J biker]

Buy a FZ1. Faster more comfy bike. 24k major service (valves), 6k oil, and way easier to work on. Rear shock a bit bouncy if pushed hard is only problem. Electrics and motors sound.
People seem to have a sense of humour on second hand prices for the VFR.

[Dibble]

[Rogerborg]

[staningrimsby]

Just been looking online at the Triumph Sprint ST, seems a really nice bike and the reviews are good for it to just need to see if its a good size for me that's all.
____________________
When you have removed the impossible the improbable however unlikely has to be the truth.
1986 Yamaha DT 80 >> 2009 Honda Varadero XL 125 >> 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

[Busa1340R]

Not trying to put you off......I loved my 07 Sprint, however if you intend to ride at night, be warned that the (pre facelift) Sprints headlights are abysmal. The main beam switch effectively does nothing....it's like turning on a small torch with flat batteries.HID kits apparently improve greatly if you want to spend the money/can be bothered.

Something else you may want to consider is resale value. I had no interest when it came to selling mine on, even though it was immaculate with low miles and FSH and sensibly priced. Even dealers weren't really keen on PX. Buying one with pannier kit will help even if YOU don't intend to use it.
____________________
Current: 2010 Suzuki GSX1340R Hayabusa, 2013 Yamaha YP250R X-Max Sport - Previous: Triumph Sprint ST1050ABS, Honda XL600V Transalp, Honda NT650V Dullsville (don't ask!), Kawasaki ZX9R E1, Honda NX650 Dominator, Suzuki GSX1300RKZ Hayabusa, Honda CBR1000FM, Kawasaki GPZ500S, etc etc

[staningrimsby]

Thanks for the info I was looking for something around 2005 I believe they changed around then, I will also want panniers etc as I plan on a bit of touring with the missus as well.

Ideally I would love the Honda Pan European 1300 ST but its a little bit out of my price range .
____________________
When you have removed the impossible the improbable however unlikely has to be the truth.
1986 Yamaha DT 80 >> 2009 Honda Varadero XL 125 >> 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

[Busa1340R]

Not face lifted until 2010 I believe....
____________________
Current: 2010 Suzuki GSX1340R Hayabusa, 2013 Yamaha YP250R X-Max Sport - Previous: Triumph Sprint ST1050ABS, Honda XL600V Transalp, Honda NT650V Dullsville (don't ask!), Kawasaki ZX9R E1, Honda NX650 Dominator, Suzuki GSX1300RKZ Hayabusa, Honda CBR1000FM, Kawasaki GPZ500S, etc etc

[staningrimsby]

I stand corrected and will look into that, thank you for the info
.
____________________
When you have removed the impossible the improbable however unlikely has to be the truth.
1986 Yamaha DT 80 >> 2009 Honda Varadero XL 125 >> 2003 Suzuki V-Strom 1000

[map]