Would you buy it?

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by mtommer, Apr 24, 2018.

  1. mtommer

    mtommer New Member

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    I have the opportunity to get an '05 VFR800 for $4,000. Ever since I saw the bike a few weeks ago, I've been reading up on this bike. I know these bikes are considered to be very durable. I was a able to do a records search and the bike has passed title 9 times and the most any one person has owned the bike was the last owner who turned it in to get a GoldWing. He's had the bike since 2012 and put a little over 6,000 miles on it. The bike is currently at 15,000. After inspecting the bike today, overall it looks good but I'd wager only routine maintenance has been done for the life of the bike so far. For example, the dust seals on the fork have small cracks in them, though I didn't notice any oil leaking and the suspension felt firm enough. However, I'm guessing a valve/cam-tensioner check, fork oil/seal change, spark plug change (since the valve check would be being done) and perhaps brake fluid/radiator fluid changes would be a really good idea. Also, the fairings aren't straight red or silver, so I beeeliiieeevveee they've been changed but I'm not sure as it's hard to find info on factory color offerings.

    So, while my research shows the $4,000 is a decent (fair but nothing amazing) asking price, would you buy the bike as is for that $4,000 or try and work a discounted deal in for the (speculatively) needed maintenance?
     
  2. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    They are.

    That's just about run-in.


    they rarely require more.. (I refuse to talk about RR's & Stators - lol)

    Why - just drive it - ck at 36,000 if you really need to.

    If they are not leaking why change the seals?? - you can always remove a leg, pop the caps & change the oil if required.

    Not too bad an idea - don't forget clutch too - although if the colour looks good you can put it off for a little while..

    All that maintainence is normal standard stuff you can do on your driveway..
    Always pitch lower - he can only say NO....
     
  3. mtommer

    mtommer New Member

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    I tried to get the dealer to do a straight $4000 OTD but they wouldn't budge.

    Beyond, say an oil change, maintenance is harder for me to do since I live in an apartment. It's more of an issue with the complex taking issue with working on vehicles on their property.
     
  4. sfdownhill

    sfdownhill New Member

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    +1 on what Pete said.

    Almost the only reason fairings get changed is because they've been crashed, which is a negotiating point. A high-mileage odometer could have been replaced during crash repairs. Check all footpegs, bars, and the bottoms of the forks for scrapes or bending. Look at the brackets that hold the side fairings - they connect the side fairngs to the frame and to the oil pan. These fairing brackets bend easily and are often left or bent back after a crash. How are the sprockets and chain? Gunky or rusty drive chain/sprockets are easy-to-spot signs of poor maintenance.

    $4000 would be fair for a pristine 05 with 15000 miles being sold by its first or second owner. I have found and purchased two 2002's in good condition, one with 14,000 miles for $3000 and the other with 22,000 miles for $2500. I wouldn't pay more than $3500 for the one you found.

    The forks will need to be serviced with at least new oil and seals - if you run them until they leak, you will have waited until the oil has left its proper place in the forks, possibly resulting in compromised lubrication and wear of hard parts.

    While waiting for the dealer to accept my $3500 OTD offer, I'd be watching craigslist, ebay, and the classified ads on this forum and the other VFR forum for a better priced example of the breed with a better history.
     
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  5. fink

    fink Member

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    Heck NO. For and extra 2K you can get a brand new 0 miles "nearly up to date" on as opposed to a 6th gen if you have a look at the 8th gen threads there are plenty going about.
     
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  6. Lint

    Lint Member

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    This.
     
  7. Lint

    Lint Member

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    Last edited: Apr 25, 2018
  8. fink

    fink Member

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    Could well be Lint. :)
     
  9. mtommer

    mtommer New Member

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    Yeah, I hear what you say about the fairings and that's my take as well. The left fairing was slightly scraped, it didn't look dropped moreso that just scraped by a wall/other "something" next to it. But, with the fairing change from stock, that would be two times the potential damage, if that makes sense. I didn't see any gouges or scrapes anywhere else but the dealer isn't exactly going to let me pull the fairing for a more in-depth look on their floor. Not that I would blame them. I'm glad you brought up the sprockets as I did notice a sheen of rust on the front sprocket. The teeth looked alright and there was no rust on them, just around the inner diameter. Mileage.....I do feel that's genuine just based on the number of times the bike has crossed hands and the last few owners but a few thousand on them. The pattern fits people who bought the bike, enjoyed it for a few years, and then decided to flip it.

    That was pretty much my train of thought. With respect to Pete's suggestion, I don't want to get the bike for a summer or a year or two. I'm looking to possibly move up from my CB500X (I would just like more acceleration but it's not imperative). This seems to be one of the few decent performance bikes with a tank range to come close to my 500, simply due to the size of the tank, that I've come across. So, I told the dealer that I'm going to pass for now and if the bike doesn't end up selling, to give me a call and we'll see if we can come to an agreement.
     
  10. mtommer

    mtommer New Member

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    Lint likes this.
  11. sfdownhill

    sfdownhill New Member

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    That's the cool thing about this forum - everybody's looking out for each other. A fresh 8th gen deluxe would be fun to try out...just a matter of $
     
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  12. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    " IMO"Buy a F model.
     
  13. sfdownhill

    sfdownhill New Member

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  14. Brian Boyer

    Brian Boyer New Member

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    Totally agreed

    Thats isn't really any screaming deal at all
     
  15. nagami

    nagami New Member

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    subscribed, this seems like a very interesting thread[​IMG]
     
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