Honda VFR 800 verisons - opinions sort

[neuroportal]

Considering going back to a VFR800. I had a '98 one about 6 years ago that really did just do everything fine. No fuss. No issues in my ownership. PITA to bleed brakes but whatever.

The question is - do I go back to the FI, which trying to find a good one is harder given that the youngest would be 25years old now. Or to consider any of the Vtec models. What is other's experiences? The ride, weight, running costs - the build quality, the gotchas and the traps.


Ta.

 

[busy builder]

Back in early 2000's
The chief engineer at Honda said the early v4 800's were the best engines they'd ever designed.

 

[L2RKE]

I'm biased, but the 800fi was the best in my mind. Only bleed the brakes once when I upgraded the brake lines. Yes it was a bit of a ball ache. As was the valve adjustment. But very reliable and a good arounder. Some say the 750 are better, being carburettor rather than injection. Horses for courses.

 

[snelly]

Considering going back to a VFR800. I had a '98 one about 6 years ago that really did just do everything fine. No fuss. No issues in my ownership. PITA to bleed brakes but whatever.

The question is - do I go back to the FI, which trying to find a good one is harder given that the youngest would be 25years old now. Or to consider any of the Vtec models. What is other's experiences? The ride, weight, running costs - the build quality, the gotchas and the traps.


Ta.

Honda dropped the gear driven cams from the 750 on the mk 6 800 2002; i've done quite a few miles on the first vfr s with the 16" front wheel and they were a fantastic bike; my mate's done getting on for 200, 000 on the 800s and about 160,000 on the 750 ; apart from exhaust rotting and the usual regulator rectifier failures they've been great; he has 2 800s at the moment and is looking to them seeing him out.

 

[Steve398]

Loved the VFR’s. I had 3 x 750’s and a ‘98 800 which had a lot more go.
However the ‘real’ VFR’s were loved for their gear driven cams which only go up to 2001, so don’t include the VTEC’s models as they have chain driven cams.
The early VTEC were also criticised for suddenly ‘stepping in’ leading to a bit of unnecessary excitement halfway through a corner!
If, in your search you find my old bike, #1 of the Russel Savory Ltd Edition model. reg no S1VFR. please let me know I’ve been searching for it for years!

This may help in your search - https://motofomo.com/honda-vfr-generations/

 

[neuroportal]

@Steve398 that is lovely looking!

Thanks for the feedback so far.

I'm aware of the differences between the models - Vtec vs gear driven. I know that the pinnacle is seen as the 5th Gen, I was wondering if others had anything nice to say about the others also.

My main concern is these are getting on now and, despite the irritating service cost, and the early v-tecs being Jekyll and Hyde - whether there was anything worth still looking at or is it a case of gear driven or go home?

I even considered a vfr1200 but... that weight.

 

[Steve398]

I did a Reader Test thing for RIDE magazine many years ago, and fell in love with this monster…

 

[neuroportal]

and your thoughts? (other than love... )

 

[Steve398]

and your thoughts?

That particular one was £3500 as a used model, the subject heading being ‘What you can buy for £3500’ and included Suzuki GSXR 1000, a Kwak RX1000, the beastie of a VF1000R, and something else.
I didn’t fit the GSXR, didn’t like the RX as much as my own ZX10, but the VF100R was lovely. Loads of torque, suitably quick, handled well - the pic is taken at 70 plus on the Deer Park bends on the way to Horncastle in Lincs. I loved it, but they were getting rare in 1990 when that shot was taken, hens teeth nowadays I suspect.

 

[Gee-]

Did you never fancy a Honda Cbr1000f?, I had 3 in total over the years, a FH, FJ, and the best, the FK, best bike ever IMHO. The VFR never really appealed to me then or now, but finding a nice low mileage Cbr is getting much harder.

 

[neuroportal]

Did you never fancy a Honda Cbr1000f?, I had 3 in total over the years, a FH, FJ, and the best, the FK best bike ever IMHO. The VFR never really appealed to me then or now, but finding a nice low mileage Cbr is getting much harder.

I don't tend to go for inline 4s, (although I would make an exception for a cb1100) if I was going for late 90s era, it would certainly be the VFR800Fi.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I don't tend to go for inline 4s, (although I would make an exception for a cb1100) if I was going for late 90s era, it would certainly be the VFR800Fi.

 

[wessie]

I had a couple of VFR750 in the 1990s. A rather skanky FJ that was traded in for a year old FR with the louvred panels. For me, this last of the 750s was peak VFR. I rode the first VFR800 but did not like it. I never looked at the VFR range again.
I fell in love with big twins and for me, the R1200RS is far superior to any VFR. I owned one for 9 years, only trading it in due to no longer finding the sporty ergonomics comfortable. I still have a big twin, a V85 with upright riding position.

 

[theoneandonly]

i rode one of the first VFR's to come into the country , currently holds 2nd spot , for the fastest speed i have done on a bike ,
@ 156 on the clock , just behind an FZR1000EXUP (160 )
still today ( for me ) a benchmark bike.
like a lot of Honda's , does nothing fantastic , just does everything well .

 

[KMD]

I bought a red VFR800Fi almost new from an RAF Sgt based at Leeming, who was getting divorced and needed some cash. 700 miles on it I recall. At the time MCN et al were raving about how it could do everything. I was very surprised to find it not at all confidence inspiring. Then I noticed it had the OEM Dunlop D204’s on, where the Press were recommending Bridgestone BT020’s. A change of tyres saw it performing as I had hoped and I just loved the bike more and more as time passed.

The rear shock only lasted about 16k miles before I started to notice the back end getting a bit springy. So an Ohlins shock went on the back and Ohlins springs and oil went into the forks. What a bike. The V4 was so relaxed, none of the wail of and inline 4, you hit the rev limiter simply because it never felt or sounded like it was working hard. The only breakdown was the common reg/rec fault. I replaced that after it failed at the IOM TT, and fitted a 12v fan to it as a precaution. Not one other issue in many thousands of miles riding around Europe, it just got better with age and miles. Eventually part exed it for a VTR1000SP1, purely because I wanted one before I was too old to ride it.

I still think the VFR and the R1150Gs were the best two bikes I’ve ever owned. Quite a while later I bought a Honda VFR800 Crossrunner, Mk1 version which was based on the VFR VTec. Although a good bike in its own right, it lacked something. Couldn’t put my finger on what exactly. I would happily have done without the VTec and had the linear delivery of the Fi. It seemed to me to bog a bit low down and then get a little frantic higher up. My old Fi had a Power Commander which smoothed out the part throttle town riding, which the Crossrunner didn’t so it may have been a case of too many uninvited interventions in the power delivery. Even now I still get a bit dewy eyed when I see a nice Fi advertised.