Last year, Mitch Boehm, long-time editor at Motorcyclist magazine wrote a Smart Money piece on Buying The Perfect Used Sportbike. He came up with four that define the term "Gentleman's Express." Included in the lineup are the BMW K1300S, the Ducati 900SS from the 90's (and the later ST series), and the Suzuki SV1000S. All great candidates to be sure. But the leader of this pack is a VFR. In Mitch's words....
"Honda's VFR is perhaps the quintessential machine in this category, and the fourth-generation VFR800F (1998–2001) is one of our favorites. Powered by a liquid-cooled V-4 with gear-driven cams, 16 valves, and nearly 100 rear-wheel horsepower, the VFR offers loads of throbby midrange and a reasonably agile chassis, with plush suspension, great ergonomics, superb linked brakes, and neutral steering.
Problems are few, with regulator/rectifier issues leading the way. Used prices are all over the board for this generation, ranging from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on mileage and condition. (Previous-generation VFRs—1990–’93 & 1994–’97 VFR750s, in particular—are also great buys, as is the VTR1000 twin.) Even toward that price ceiling, a lower-mileage, first-gen VFR800 is a steal. See if you don’t agree."
Problems are few, with regulator/rectifier issues leading the way. Used prices are all over the board for this generation, ranging from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on mileage and condition. (Previous-generation VFRs—1990–’93 & 1994–’97 VFR750s, in particular—are also great buys, as is the VTR1000 twin.) Even toward that price ceiling, a lower-mileage, first-gen VFR800 is a steal. See if you don’t agree."
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