Did you buy the extended warranty?

Picking up a new 2002 VFR800 next week, and have already gotten the extended warranty pitch. Looks like I can take the bike all the way out to four years for about $500. That's a pretty cheap insurance policy for the bike for that long, or so it would seem. One of the reasons I'm buying Honda though is the incredible reliability of the products they produce. My first car out of college was a 1986 Honda Prelude that I put 300,000 miles on (no exaggeration) and sold running. All I did to that car was change the oil every 3,000 miles, brake pads, two tune ups, a water pump at around 145,000 miles, and a new clutch at around 160,000. So, is the $500 well spent on the extended warranty?

 

I passed on the 'EW' when I got my '99...would've never used it.

Honda's are pretty much bullet proof. I've got an '87 CRX Si w/ 140K and still going strong on the original engine ;D

RF

 

Fish, you'll appreciate this story.

I was eating lunch with a very successful GM auto dealer some years ago now as I was first starting out my business career who was talking shop with me. Here's a paraphrase of what he told me which I still recall like it was yesterday:

"There's not a better car built in the world dollar for dollar than a Honda. They are tanks. And they build even better motorcycles."

 

I did spring for the warranty. Yes, Hondas are reputed to be bulletproof. And I have no doubt that most people have had few, if any problems with their VFRs since the first generation VF back in 83. In most cases, I would have passed on the extended warranty.

But here was my concern -- the 2002 VFR is the first bike with the VTEC valvetrain, and the first in a long time to have a cam chain. Even though they haven't had many problems with the VTEC in their cars, it isn't exactly the same system as they are using in the bike, and we all know that cars don't run the same RPMs as bikes, etc. etc.

If anything does go wrong with that VTEC engine, you know it will cost a helluva lot more than $500 to fix it. I figured it was cheap insurance.

 

Good point B66 ,

I would've probably done the same thing...though I usually resist buying any 'first year' modelsfor the very reason you mentioned.

RF

 

I bought it. I'd try them on for $ 400. I figured it's cheap insurance.