vfr advice

serious3

i'm thinking about maybe possibly trading in my triumph trophy for a VFR, i've discounted the 750's on age grounds so that leaves the 800's which of those is percieved as the best type? vtec, FI, Carbs??? theres a 2001 in the bike shop in my price range....

Wonda-Boy

I think they are a lovely machine, I was seriously thinking of getting the Vtec model 06 onwards as there are problems with the older models and the vTec "glitching". The main thing that put me off them was how often you need get the valve clearances done on the VTEC models....and that aint cheap, unless you are handy with tools and can do it yourself.

One of the lads off the sunday spins got the pre Vtec model and loves it. He came from a CBR600F if I am not mistaken.

Pierced Off

I bought a 2000 VFR last Christmas. Best move I ever made. The only change I've made is the addition of bar risers to take the strain off the wrists (old injury, parted company with a Trident).
It's comfortable solo or two up. Reliable, quick, and the V4 engine sounds great. However its not a lover of town traffic (keep an eye on the temperature gauge) It doesn't stand out in a crowd and it holds its value ( a good and bad point, you won't lose money but if you find a cheap one its probably a dog).
Try to get a test ride on one, you'll love it.

Hotblack Desiato

I'd stick with the Trophy if I was you the 800 will be well down on torque and much more revvy.

Pierced Off

I actually sold a Trophy to buy the VFR. It's lighter, easier to handle, Revvy (not always a bad thing) and the loss of torque only becomes obvious two up with luggage. Use the gearbox well and you can overcome that . The VFR's most definitely a sports tourer not a full blown tourer like the Trophy. So the decision is Do you want to tour (buy a Pan) or are you looking for a "Weekend bike"? Buy a VFR or find a Sprint going cheap.

Hotblack Desiato

Yeah the VFR800 was the bike the Sprint ST was originally developed to take on. I've a 955 and it's a great bike. I had an early single-headlight Trophy 900 a few years back, it was probably less touring-orientated than the later ones.

serious3

hmmmm plenty to think about then! love the trophy to bits and it does more than i can manage touring wise but i hanker after summat a bit more sporty for chucking about. think i'll have to try a vfr and see what i think of it:cool:

eoinkildare

Pierced Off wrote: »

I bought a 2000 VFR last Christmas. Best move I ever made. The only change I've made is the addition of bar risers to take the strain off the wrists (old injury, parted company with a Trident).
It's comfortable solo or two up. Reliable, quick, and the V4 engine sounds great. However its not a lover of town traffic (keep an eye on the temperature gauge) It doesn't stand out in a crowd and it holds its value ( a good and bad point, you won't lose money but if you find a cheap one its probably a dog).
Try to get a test ride on one, you'll love it.

How much did it cost you to bring up the bars? One thing I've not liked about my VFR is that my wrists get a bit sore after a while.

Cheers,
Eoin

galwaytt

serious3 wrote: »

hmmmm plenty to think about then! love the trophy to bits and it does more than i can manage touring wise but i hanker after summat a bit more sporty for chucking about. think i'll have to try a vfr and see what i think of it:cool:

...not a big enough difference for 'sporty' I'd have thought......neither bike is/are, light.

A friend of mine got sick of big heavy BMW's and bought an 08 CBF1000. Had a go on it myself - I was very impressed. With a FireBlade engine (detuned iirc), it is narrow and light. I would put it as being better and simpler to maintain than a VFR at this stage.

Pierced Off

eoinkildare wrote: »

How much did it cost you to bring up the bars? One thing I've not liked about my VFR is that my wrists get a bit sore after a while.

Cheers,
Eoin

Around €100. I bought a pair of spacers from the US. Check the brands carefully as there are some Chinese c*&* out there. Loosen the bars, one at a time, slid them off the forks, insert spacer (there about 16mm but it makes a difference, believe me) Bars back on, new cap in place (you get a cap to take up the difference in height) torque up the bars and job done. 15 mins tops.

Pierced Off

The CBF1000 is a lovely machine and yes is probably the ideal choice if you want "Chuckable" without the seating position of the 'Blade. However, in these lean economic times, the price difference between a clean CBF and a nice tidy VFR can be a bit of a deciding factor.