Newbie Needing Tips

Owners Lounge
1

Hi guys, my name is Sylvio and I’m in the US, I’m new here.
I need some tips from you to know if I can continue in these forums.
I have been looking at the forums and I see that the quality of the participants is top notch.
I have some questions that if they could answer would help me a lot in making a decision.
I have an offer for a 1986 Honda VF1000FF Euro Spec here in the US, I love this machine, and it looks in very good condition.

  1. Is it worth it today (2019) to buy it?
  2. Will it be easy to find repair parts?
  3. Is it possible to ‘upgrade’ its front (USD) / rear suspension easily?
  4. Is it possible to put 180 fat rear tire?
    For now these are the questions I have. With the answers I’ll decide if I buy it.
    Many thanks in advance!
2

  1. depends on the condition. It is between 1 to 5k. There is a wide spread.

  2. depends on the parts :wink: Normal parts for brakes, fork, bearing, sealing are no Problem

  3. You can get new springs (Wilbers) for front and complete rear (Wilbers / YSS). USD can be possible, but not easily.

  4. Possible yes, but lots of effort. 160 is possible without changing the line of the chain.

I’ve got the “R” so Maybe “F” owners can give you more details.

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I’ve got an F that is in the middle of a wheel swap. 1991 CBR1000F rear wheel (5.5"). A 170 is as tight as you can get and still have acceptable clearance without changing to an offset c/s sprocket. Having a brand that runs “true” to the nominal width is a plus. 180 requires more work.

I have a 5.5" with a 170 on a VF1000R too.

Most USD forks are too short for these bikes requiring some special triple clamps or maybe a Superbike Bar kit so they can be slid down as far as possible. But we’ve all seen them and they took some work.

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4

Is this the bike you’re looking at?

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Thanks for the quick replies. I keep thinking about my various options.

7

Yes, that’s exactly it. I have already realized that you are good at searching the net.
What do you think? Is it worth it to buy?

8

It had actually already popped up on my craigslist searches and I thought how many can be in the states?

Price seems a bit high to me. But compared to what I suppose. If that’s the bike you like and you got the funds, you’re not likely to find another one here in the U.S. But to do the mods you want you’re gonna have a fairly more expensive VF1000.

Here’s one of my favorite 1000Fs

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Yes, I have seen this in my extensive research. It is beautiful work with fat tires and updated suspensions.
I would say that today there are no more motorcycles with VF features, especially regarding the wheelbase (61in/1550mm), great for cruising/commuter with the wife in the comfortable seat behind me.

11

Gorgeus! Good job!
But as I like it is a very subjective and particular thing, in that specifically I would keep the original seat and the handlebars would be black. :grin: :wink:

12

It is never worth this price unless you don’t have to care about money.

What I saw from a first look:

Missing colour on front spoiler
Non OEM screws on spoiler and rear panel
Painted brake and clutch lever
Stickers where they don’ t belong - cover scratches?

Just an old bike. I would not spend more than 1,5k. Maybe here in Germany prices are more realistic.

13

That 1000F is interesting, but not $6k interesting,

The CL ad spends an awful lot of time talking about the R rather than the F that he’s trying to sell.

14

Good morning everyone! Thank you so much for the answers so far. Fantastic!
You have helped me at least save a lot of money …
I haven’t decided if I’m going to buy this machine …
Even the guys sent me more photos and even a short video …
IMG_6733 IMG_6734 IMG_6735 IMG_6736 IMG_6737 IMG_6738

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