Hello everyone. I'm getting a bike in the next few weeks, and I need some advice. I haven't ridden in more than 25 years. Call it a midlife crisis, call it a divorce celebration. Call it whatever you want; I'm excited to be getting a bike. I am looking at buying a 2006 VFR800 that has 50,000kms (30,000 miles) on it. It appears to be in good shape, but I have little experience with bikes. What should I be looking for on the bike as possible reasons to avoid it? The price is excellent, so I am naturally sceptical. If he's hiding something, or the bike is wearing out, where should I be looking? Thanks in advance.
Hi John and Welcome to the MadHouse If the bike has only done 50,000 km then you just have another 150,000 km to catch up with mine. So provided the motorbike has been looked after, it should give you many years of happy riding. A 14 year old bike is unlikely to be in perfect condition, and could have tipped over a few times by now, so don't get stressed by minor battle scars on fairings or mirrors - what matters is the mechanicals. But always start by asking the seller what documentation they have and what they can tell you about its history. If it has loads of extras and seems in great shape then it has probably been well maintained as someone's pride and joy. On motorbikes things are fairly exposed, hence it is usually simple to check for signs of neglect. Just take a decent torch and look at the chain. Is it clean and protected with chain lube? You don't want to see seized links, rust and encrusted crud and if the sprockets look like a ninja throwing star walk away. Look at the colour of the brake fluid reservoir- this may be clear or golden but you dont want to see any contaminants in there. Check the brake disks for bad scores, pitting or heavy rust. Discs can be expensive to replace. It is hard to check the brake pads - so just ask twhen it was last serviced and ideally see any invoices. Decent tread on the tyres(tires) is vital for safety. Ideally they should be matched(same make) and have no splits, bulges or gouges. There is a manufacture date code stamped on the side - google will tell you how to decipher. Before taking the bike for a test ride to ensure all gears are Ok, check the lights etc and steering for any notchiness when turning from lock to lock. Ideally do this check by putting the bike on the main stand - ask the seller for help as 6th Gens are very heavy and can easily pass the point of no return and end up on their side with no warning - don't ask! If all is good, take your time to check the dash warning lights - the oil light should go out quickly as you fire the bike up and it should not produce any black smoke. If it has ABS, the warning light should go out at around 6 mph. If the bike feels right - then go enjoy the sound of that V4 engine and the liberating freedom from Edmonton traffic jams... divorce... Let us know how you get on - and if you join the 6th Gen owners add some photos! Take care ATGATT SkiMad
Then, if everything is in order, I guess you would advise the buyer to offer a dirt cheap price since it's an "old bike". Good luck to anyone that finds a 14 year old bike that meets this criteria. A lot of people want a VFR in good condition or a new one but nobody thinks they're worth paying for. I won't sell to people like this. I'd rather wait it out and deal with someone intelligent.
My concern is that most VFR800's are about 50% higher priced than this one, so I want to make sure I'm not buying a damaged or work out bike that someone is trying to dump. I'm not looking to take advantage of anyone; but at the same time I want to make sure my inexperience isn't being taken advantage of. I went to see it, and spoke to the seller. Nice guy, seems legit. We did a deal. He's delivering the bike to me in 2 weeks once the snow gravel has been cleared by the city. I'm pumped!
