What is a Gen 4 worth?

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by RedMenace, Jul 31, 2016.

  1. RedMenace

    RedMenace New Member

    Country:
    United Kingdom
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2008
    Messages:
    266
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    DRC, the Congo
    Map


    Posted my 1996 for sale on this site first. Thought the VFR crowd would appreciate it most. Go ahead and laugh at the price. I put it up in haste, upon my arrival in U.S., thought it would go in a week. Nobody contacted me to make an offer!

    Did more research on Ebay. Good and bad. Saw very few Gen 4's, but an untouched example was 2000 to 2500. I find that a little depressing.

    Had an Ebay auction for 7 days. SouthSizzle7 in Mobile Alabama auto bid it up to my reserve (1800) and then never contacted me. Some 13 year old kid just playing on the internets? Some dealer just investigating market values? Depressed again.

    Got an email from a dude after listing on Craigslist. "Still for sale?" on the same day it was uploaded. He hasn't returned my response in 3 days. Further depression.

    You can read my ad. I love this cycle. Wouldn't sell it, if I lived in U.S. Hate storing it for multiple years. Killing me to think I am destroying it.....

    But, here we are.

    It has 28k miles on it. Doesn't the VFR crowd know that is just broken in? It has cracks and scratches. Are cycle riders completely wrapped up in appearance?

    I've been riding it around for 2 weeks, now. Love, love, love it. Gonna take it on one more trip to Detroit and the Henry Ford Museum.

    This is a serious question for the VFR Faithful: What am I missing?

    When I saw this beauty in 2006, I grabbed it with both hands, sealed the deal on first view. If I saw this listed, today, for 2k, I would jump on it and hoot about sticking it to the man who sold it.

    Are Gen 4's "tweeners"?
     
  2. auggius

    auggius New Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Mar 20, 2010
    Messages:
    45
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Location:
    Kaslo, BC
    Map
    I didn't see your ad, but as nice as your bike may be, it's still just a 20 year old bike to the rest of the public. You/we love our bikes but take the emotion out of it and it's a hunk of metal and plastic. It's worth what someone will pay for it. So you have to ask yourself if it is worth more to you than that. I love my bike but it doesn't stop me from wanting a new bike. Fortunately/unfortunately I can't afford anything else, even used. So my bike is worth more to me than the $2000 I might be able to get for a 20 year old bike with 178K km on it.

    If you've got aftermarket stuff on it, you could take those off and sell them separately. Your bike will be worth the same without them.

    BTW, not sure what you mean by tweener. What are we between?
     
  3. RedMenace

    RedMenace New Member

    Country:
    United Kingdom
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2008
    Messages:
    266
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    DRC, the Congo
    Map
    I always thought the 1/2 Gens were bitchin' sport bikes. Great look, to an '80's guy.

    The EFI 800's are out there, (don't like). The '07 in RWB is a beauty.

    Now the V4 1200's are the sexy new girl.

    I have been very happy with power, reliability, and good looks. But it doesn't seem to be in the market. It is a 20 year old cycle! True, true.....
     
  4. RVFR

    RVFR Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2006
    Messages:
    8,006
    Likes Received:
    265
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Location:
    Olympia Wa.
    Map
    That's a fair question. and a tough one to answer. My take. First, one must, as hard as it is back up a bit and look back. a 4th gen to the motorcycling masses is just another 20+ year old bike, hence why there's that hic up. Now folks that know VFRs will take notice, but unfortunately most even in that don't want to mess with a 20 year old bike, vfr or other wise. that to me is the biggest to get over hurdle, so you'll have a tight nitch group of folks that could be interested. I get what you are referring too, just a tough nitch market. so if you're in a hurry for a sale. more than likely that won't happen, unless the price made it a no brainier It's just a motorcycle to most.
     
  5. Gnarlymutt

    Gnarlymutt New Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2016
    Messages:
    55
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Kansas City, MO
    Map
    To give you an example, I purchased my Gen4 1997 in June with Corbin seat set of 3 GIVI hard cases for $1700. It had 51,000 miles with every ounce of work ever done to it documented. INCLUDING FUELING STOPS.
    I could have had the bike for less than $1500 if I wanted to have him keep the GIVI cases.

    I think the 20 year old bike assessment is spot, but for what it's worth, having ridden this bike as much as I have in the last 2 months, I would gladly turn around and pay double what I gave for her.
     
  6. RedMenace

    RedMenace New Member

    Country:
    United Kingdom
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2008
    Messages:
    266
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    DRC, the Congo
    Map
    I get it, I get it......

    Holy Moses! A '97 with 3 hard cases in body color? You got the brass ring, Bro! I love it.

    My concept was to put this one back in circulation, and buy another when I come back to live in U.S. If there are deals like that out there, I've got one half of the equation solved.

    I've been away for 6+ years, and feel like I know nothing about the used moto market. That's fair. Overseas they are cheap, but they are disposable crap. If you want any displacement over 300cc and from a known manufacturer, the cycle (used) will start at 10k USD. New, it starts at 25k USD.

    When I bought it, I did a ton of research and really picked well. The VFRWorld forum convinced me it is The Greatest Cycle Of All Time! (propaganda!)

    Niche market? I gotta find another single, 50 yo guy, who knows what a V4 does, likes to tour, does research, digs Honda, uses the internet, watches MotoGP, does not let money get in the way of happiness, drinks a lot (wait, wha.....?) = somebody just like me??? 400 million in U.S., and it is me and 15 guys already on VFRWorld??????

    I told you. I am depressed by this whole process.
    There is nobody like me out there, and the world is full of cheap bastards :sorrow::confusion:


     
  7. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

    Country:
    Belgium
    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2009
    Messages:
    4,019
    Likes Received:
    137
    Trophy Points:
    78
    Location:
    South FL
    Map
    I have the same problem trying to sell my dads grand marquis. I ended up driving it, i would take $1500 now :loco: lota bang 4 the buck used bikes/cars.
     
  8. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2006
    Messages:
    9,838
    Likes Received:
    743
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Map
    Gen 4 was Motorcyclist magazine's top pick from '94-'97 and had fabulous reviews, but maybe nobody remembers.

    I agree that they're undervalued and see no reason why a really good, clean one with less than 20k miles wouldn't sell for $2500-$3000. Perhaps no one who hadn't spent a couple hundred miles in the seat would really understand how great a bike it is and be willing to pay top dollar for a top bike.
     
  9. atx

    atx New Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2015
    Messages:
    143
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    18
    They are a tough sell at this point i think, at any price really. They have little aftermarket support now. Everyone is scared off by carbs and tons of EFI bikes can be had for the same money as these. Not much more money can get you something newer with ABS. I love mine to death, but would not expect it to fetch what i've got in it at all if i do get rid of it some day. Their loss though, ain't nobody else gonna have huge awesome NACA ducts on the side hehe
     
  10. Jay with a vet in ba

    Jay with a vet in ba New Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2014
    Messages:
    14
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Not completely sure why you'd have to store it for multiple years, but that may be the very best option. If you can run it completely out of fuel and keep it out of the sun and extreme temperatures, it will be just fine.
    I found a 97 with just under 50k miles last spring for $1250 us and it's been a dandy. If you don't have to liquidate that thing, keep it. Slick ones will get scarce someday and you don't need a market, just 1 buyer.
     
  11. Big_Jim59

    Big_Jim59 Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2009
    Messages:
    1,957
    Likes Received:
    72
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Map
    I know that it is depressing to own such a great bike with such a low resale value but look at it from the other side. If you are new to motorcycling and short of cash you can get a fantastic bike and ride for years without breaking the bank. I somehow always had friends that had way more money than me. I rode everywhere they did and had just as much fun on bikes they looked down on. That was OK by me. I had just as much fun on yesterdays top motorcycles.
     
  12. RedMenace

    RedMenace New Member

    Country:
    United Kingdom
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2008
    Messages:
    266
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    DRC, the Congo
    Map
    Well, I did say that the second half of the equation is solved. When I am in the market again, I am going to pay low, low money for another Gen 4. Will look on VFRWorld first, for one that I am confident has been well taken care of.

    Is this why many moto guys end up with 3-4 cycles in the garage? Letting an old one go doesn't really change the finance/math? It looks like mine is going back into storage. So far, it has been resurrected each time with no discernible damage. Am I too panicky about storage? This last period, it stayed under cover for 2 riding seasons, probably 3 calendar years. It took a battery, and nothing else. I drain the entire fuel system, but eventually the rubber in the system will give up the ghost. While I am working overseas, the thought of it sitting and deteriorating just gnaws at me. I love it like a child. Would you do that to a child? Ha, ha!

    Here's one more question that I think is related: Are parts getting expensive for Gen 4 VFR's? I have never done more than tires, oil/filters, chain/sproket, lightbulbs, etc. I bought an R/R just as a spare (so many warnings!) and that was 280 USD. How much are transmission gears? How much are clutch parts? What about wheel bearings?
    Let's say I come back in another 3 years and it is seized. Instead of parting it out for 1000 USD, I decide to make it a project bike and do an engine rebuild. Are pistons 350 USD a piece? Does it take 2 months to get rings from a Chinese company, because Honda no longer makes them? I have worked on 70's machines, and it can be a royal pain in the ass to get decent parts. And moo-ay expensivo! Should I post this question over in the Gen 4 forum?

    I see that some Gurus have responded- one more question: How do I take down my for sale ad on VFRWorld? I clicked on the " contact us" button, but isn't that for the web hosting service? I can't find any buttons for edit or take down, or nothing.

    Thanks for all the thoughts, gentlemen. I think I will just hang onto my gold nugget, and figure out another way to buy food.
     
  13. RVFR

    RVFR Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2006
    Messages:
    8,006
    Likes Received:
    265
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Location:
    Olympia Wa.
    Map
    Smart move.. Keep it, they will only go up in value in great shape mostly original with nice farkles " if" I know I looked for quite awhile, and the price was all over the place from POS to one owners knowing what they had. its why I for the most part gave up looking. most where priced ok, just not what I was looking for, to find an unmolested 4th these days is not as easy task, especially when you take in account the location. Just so happened as I was looking at a whole other machine, a very clean 5th showed up at.........the incredible right price, so yes, they are out there. Had I not had the accident I had with the 4th, I'd still have it, it was way to nice of a bike to discard just for the sake of.
     
  14. Big_Jim59

    Big_Jim59 Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2009
    Messages:
    1,957
    Likes Received:
    72
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Map
    Bearings are pretty universal and can be sourced from a bearing supply house. Sprockets and clutch plates tend to be available. It's when you get down to specific components like head gaskets, valve springs, valves and the like you start running into trouble. I had a cosmetically tatty but good running VF500F and I got rid of it because of a lack of parts. It was just a matter of time and I sold it on to a student who was going to put fewer miles on it and enjoy it more.

    on-the-salt.jpg
     
  15. JIMLARCH

    JIMLARCH New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    May 22, 2006
    Messages:
    287
    Likes Received:
    48
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Map
    When people say there's no aftermarket support for a 20 year old it makes me wonder. Sure there's support. You can find pretty much find anything you need on eBay. There are plenty of tatty bikes you can pick up for a song. I got an engine off eBay with fairly low miles for $200. The simple reason why most people are scared off by old bikes is the simple fact they have no mechanical knowledge, not because they think they're old and unreliable. I've said it before. I'd rather pick up a 20 year old bike with seasonably low miles than a 5 year old bike with high miles on it. A high mileage bike is more worn out than a low mileage bike, no matter the age. Mind you I am thankful to all the riders out there who have no mechanical knowledge. I love you guys, as I've always ended up buying a bike from you that would have cost big bucks for a dealer to make roadworthy, but just cost me time.
     
  16. JIMLARCH

    JIMLARCH New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    May 22, 2006
    Messages:
    287
    Likes Received:
    48
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Map
    If you store your bike property the engine is not going to seize up. I had a cb900f which I basically stored for 10 years and all I did was take out the battery, drain the carbs and change the oil and filter. Not exactly an ideal way to store a bike. I did move it every month so the tires wouldn't square off. With s new battery and fresh gas it started right up. A heated garage is all you need.
     
  17. Big_Jim59

    Big_Jim59 Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2009
    Messages:
    1,957
    Likes Received:
    72
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Map
    There is a quote from Blanche DuBois in the play A Streetcar Named Desire "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." Personally, I have always depended on the lack of mechanical skill of most individuals to get great motorcycle on the cheap. Let's face it, as some point a bike becomes too much of a headache for a guy that only takes it to a dealer. These bike are a source of frustration for their owners. They usually sit for years or they get sold on, at bargain prices. I can never see myself buying a new bike for the fact that there are too many, low mileage bikes out there with plenty of life left in them. I am with you. "I'd rather pick up a 20 year old bike with seasonably low miles than a 5 year old bike with high miles on it." Starting around the late 1980s most of the quality issue with bike manufactures had been worked out very little trash was manufactured and with the exception of crashes and sever neglect, bikes just don't fall apart like cars. The only down side are the people (often your riding buddies) that look at your ride and say "your ride that old thing?" Why do you get a good bike? I just smile and laugh. I know what they paid for their bikes and I am having just as good a time on just as good a bike for a whole lot less.
     
  18. RedMenace

    RedMenace New Member

    Country:
    United Kingdom
    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2008
    Messages:
    266
    Likes Received:
    14
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    DRC, the Congo
    Map
    I think it is going back into storage. I love the cycle and would rather mess around with it, than take on someone else's problem. I don't have a house in the U.S., but my brother has been ok about storing it in a corner of his garage. Quite a few of my tools have walked off over the years!

    2000 USD is not going to fill a VFR-sized hole in my heart.

    Nobody wants to deal with carbs anymore? Tell that to my Asian friends. My last year was in Cambodia. You could pick a roadside guy at random and he would know how to rebuild a carb, have some spare parts in his hut (an assortment of needles, bowl floats, gaskets), and have you on your way in 30 minutes. Worst case scenario, he yanks out your misbehaving carb, and frankensteins in something that fits, and boom you are down the road.

    In the U.S. it is basically a luxury/toy item. Not very many buy a cycle anticipating they will work on it, or that it won't start when they want to jump on it.
    If I take the tailpipe on selling my sweet ride, I will feel better if I pick up a nice one on the other end. Would like to return to the U.S. and enjoy this buyer's market for
    cycles. Pick up 2 or 3 and enjoy the bounty!
     
  19. Big_Jim59

    Big_Jim59 Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2009
    Messages:
    1,957
    Likes Received:
    72
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Map
    There is another thing that is depressing used motorcycle value. Boomers are retiring and they make up a huge bell curve pushing its way through society. It was one of the forces what drove the massive sales of big HDs and Gold Wings back in early 2000s. It's what's sparking a building boom in assisted living centers across the country. The country is awash in motorcycles that 1) are well cared for and low miles. 2) That need to be liquidated as people down size. 3) And that will compete for buyers in the younger generation that are cash poor compared to the more well healed elders.

    I just sold my Norton because I could see what's coming. A lot of people love Nortons but actually wanting to own one is another story. In order for something to have a value you have to have someone willing to pay money for it. Your buddies may say "Oh that bike was worth a lot more than you sold it for" but the reality is you have to get the cash in hand. I got $5600 for the Norton and was tickled to get it. Now I have the cash in hand to take advantage of good bike deals that come my way.
     
  20. JIMLARCH

    JIMLARCH New Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    May 22, 2006
    Messages:
    287
    Likes Received:
    48
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Map
    I agree with you when it comes to buying a new bike. There are so many excellent used bikes out there for very reasonable money. I would love to buy the new vfr800. But I rode one, and nice as it is, it's nowhere near worth the extra thousands of dollars I would have to pay if I got rid of my 1995 vfr750. The 1995 is a quality product, and it's abilities are still able to keep up with the majority of new bikes. Especially if the rider is skilled.
     
Related Topics

Share This Page