HONDA VFR750 1986-1998, £1000-£5000
Power (1986 model): 100bhp Weight: 205kg (dry) Seat height: 800mm
There are many compelling reasons to become deeply engaged with a not-tooshabby Honda VFR750F, even it is getting a bit long in the tooth. The VFR was beautifully made and a brilliantly balanced package that was comfortable, even for passengers, real-world fast and easy to ride. They looked good too, in a classy, restrained sort of way when compared to the shell-suited garb of other Japanese 750s of the period.
Lasting for a 12-year model run, from 1986 to 1998, they were replaced by the less charismatic and uglier VFR800 (which also sprouted a linked braking system).
BUYING ONE
Most big Japanese bikes are capable of big, trouble-free mileages if they’ve been looked after properly. A dealer service history is ideal, but no-one gets a £1500 bike serviced at a main dealer, so you want the seller to be a competent home mechanic. Try to see the bike at the seller’s house and get a look in their garage; a tidy, well equipped workshop suggests a knowledgeable, caring owner. Top tell-tale condition indicators are wiring, corrosion and standard paintwork. Make sure critical fasteners aren’t corroded into place – a snapped exhaust stud effectively writes off a cheap VFR.
‘Why I love my VFR750’
“I love buying cheap secondhand bikes and doing deals with a wad of crisp twenties and taking a punt on a less than pristine machine that might turn out to be a bargain, or a bomb. But I’ve been doing this sort of silly thing for over 40 years, I’m a semi-competent DIY mechanic with a stack of proper tools and even now I make catastrophic blunders. A nailed on certainty can turn out to be just a nail. But I truly love my trusty (ish)
old VFR750!”
MCN reader, and Editor of Bike Magazine, Hugo Wilson
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