‘The VFR Fi is so good that few owners wanted the VTEC’
of used examples for very reasonable money. In fact, armed with a budget of £3000 you can pick up a superb machine. Need any more proof? Here are our top three used sports-tourers that can all be had for less than three grand, leaving you spare cash to spend on the important things in life – like ferry tickets, fuel and hotels.
Honda VFR800Fi 1998-2001
Honda’s class-defining V4 sportstourer arrived on the scene in 750 format in 1987 but it wasn’t until the VFR800Fi landed in 1998 that it really matured into an incredibly polished product. In fact, so good was the Fi that its replacement, the 2002 VFR800 VTEC, struggled to persuade owners there was any need to swap to the far more complex new variant.
Featuring fuel-injection for the first time, as well as a biggercapacity, longer-stroke V4 motor (which has gear-driven cams) and heavily-upgraded chassis, this generation of VFR strikes the perfect balance between sports and touring. Plush and refined enough to make all-day riding or commuting a breeze, and with a surprisingly effective fairing, the VFR will happily tick the touring box with its V4 engine delivering impressive mid-range flexibility and a great exhaust note. But it is when the corners come calling that the VFR really shines.
Despite being heavier than previous generations of VFR, the Fi is far plusher on its suspension and more assured through bends, allowing you to enjoy the ride with confidence. Arm it with a set of modern sports-touring tyres and a suspension overhaul (if required) and you’ll certainly keep up with far more recent machinery on a twisty pass, and do so in complete comfort. What’s not to like? Well, there are a few things to look out for.
Although owners will wax lyrical about the VFR, it isn’t faultless and that means you need to be a bit careful when buying a used one. Now over 20 years old, parts are starting to wear out and they can be costly to fix and sometimes tricky to locate. The linked brakes come in for a pile of criticism, too. Not all of it is justified and they can be de-linked if desired. Servicing costs can also be high as the V4 is quite complex to work on (especially if it needs a valve clearance check, which is every 16,000 miles).
But despite these few downsides, the 800 is a truly great bike that feels like a top drawer product throughout, has impressive build quality and an excellent reliability record. In fact, that’s what many will tell you VFR stands for – Very Flipping Reliable.
Suzuki GSX1250FA 2010-2016 A wonderful meat-and-two-veg style of motorcycle, the GSX1250FA
arrived two years after its smallercapacity GSX650F sibling and brought with it practicality, versatility and a dash of flair – not to mention a stomping big-capacity inline four motor and attractively low price.
It’s effectively a Bandit 1250 with a full fairing attached, but Suzuki did just enough when they created the GSX to differentiate it from the Bandit and actually make it a far more tempting prospect as a result. Not only does the generous bodywork make it considerably more practical than the half-faired Bandit S (not to mention keep its motor protected from grime), it also lends the Suzuki a stylish look and a serving of sporty attitude.
Add to this ABS, a relaxed riding position (for rider and a pillion) and a barn-stormer of a motor and it all adds up to an accomplished solo or two-up tourer. But is it sporty with it? That’s debatable.
Tipping the scales at 257kg, the GSX feels a weighty bike and despite hiding its bulk well and having a reassuringly low seat height (which is adjustable), it certainly errs more towards touring and stability than sporty agility. Not the fastest turning bike, the GSX rolls through bends with assurance but is hampered by rather budget suspension and its overall bulk when it comes to putting the hammer down. That said, the inline
four is so smooth and gutsy, that what you miss out on with mid-corner prowess you more than make up for on exit as it powers forward with effortless drive. If you like your motors to be low-revving and gutsy, the GSX’s is a proper grunt-monster.
But life, as ever, isn’t always rosy with the Suzuki. In 2010 the GSX cost just £6999, which was nearly £4000 less than the rival Yamaha Fazer FZ1 and made the Suzuki seem wildly affordable in the sports-touring segment.
Of course, to hit this price point savings had to be made and that’s what really harms the GSX in the used market because Suzuki cut corners on its build quality. As a result there are far, far, more tatty GSXs out there than minters and it is seriously challenging to keep one looking good, even with copious amounts of anti-corrosion spray applied. If you aren’t fussed about aesthetics, the GSX is mechanically pretty bulletproof and replacement parts are both cheap and plentiful – but if the look of corrosion bothers you, they are best avoided.
Triumph Sprint ST 1050 2005-2010
A machine that is fondly remembered by many riders, the Sprint ST 1050 arrived in 2005 and replaced the bulbous older ST model which had been powered by the 955i engine. The bike is far better looking – Triumph really pulled out the stops when designing the all-new ST and it boasted a distinctive triple-exit underseat pipe, the bodywork was far more contemporary, the triple engine upgraded to 1050cc and the
chassis enhanced to increase the bike’s sporting ability. And what a machine it turned out to be.
So many manufacturers struggle to hit the right balance with their sports-tourers, either leaning too much towards the touring side and making the bike sluggish to steer or chasing agility at the expense of comfort – with this generation of Sprint ST, Triumph got the blend absolutely spot on.
Sitting on the ST today, there is something pleasingly old-school and reassuring about its feel. The handlebars are pulled comfortably back, the seat is just the right side of squishy and the pegs decently low, meaning you are positioned very comfortably, but there is still an air of sporty performance with the large rev counter taking precedence in the stylish triple-screen cockpit and the screen not dominating the view ahead. And then you fire up that thee-cylinder engine.
An absolutely fantastic unit for road riding, the 1050 triple may be a bit agricultural in its gearbox department but that doesn’t detract from the overall appeal. Stacked full of easy-going mid-range torque that gives way to a pleasingly sporty top-end should you allow it to rev, it’s perfectly suited to life in a sports-tourer and has bags of charm with a great exhaust note from the triple exits. Align this to a chassis that, just like its motor, is happy to either take it easy or up the ante when requested to reveal a remarkably sporty side, and it results in a bike that is immensely enjoyable to ride and a real star of the used world.
It’s reliable too. Ignore the doubters, treat it right and an ST will run and run with very few major issues to worry about.
For this week’s £3000 budget you can pick up a decent example of a Sprint ST that will probably even have panniers fitted, meaning it is all set for a trip away once summer rolls around again. Take care of the basics through regular preventative maintenance, and ideally treat the suspension to a refresh if you can afford the outlay, and the Triumph Sprint ST 1050 will prove all the bike you could ever need.