Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hi all,

I am in a position where I have an opportunity to buy an '86 Honda VFR700F2 cheap. A friend has a roommate who is way behind in rent, and selling the bike could just about get him caught back up with my friend (assuming that the money doesn't go for crack, but that's another story). The owner laid it down, so the fairings and running lights are messed up on the right side. Also needs a crankcase cover (supposedly $135 from a Honda dealer) before it can be run. According to my friend, it was running strong before his roommate laid it down.

Looks kind of crappy (homemade flat black paint, hole in the back of the seat) but it appears to be complete. I was wondering if this might be a good starter bike.

I'm a motorcycle newb, so any answers and advice would be appreciated.

Quite honestly it won't be the best starter bike out there. While it is a Honda, honestly unless you really wanna start wrenching on your own bikes, I wouldn't go for it, especially if the current owner is a crackhead, who knows what he's done trying to "fix" it or whether he'll try to repossess it from you.
If it were me I'd leave it be and start off on something a bit smaller.

Good point on crackhead bike maintenance.

My friend told me that they guy dropped it because he thought the police saw him doing a deal. Nothing special about this bike to me; I just saw it as a way for my friend to recover some of the money that his roommate owes him. I have no problem passing this one up.

I see Rebel 250's on the local Craigslist from time to time... just biding my time and looking for a deal on a bike that is currently registered (to minimize the amount I would have to put into it to get it on the road). Really, I'm just window shopping at this time.

That works man, take your time and pick carefully!
What kind of bike are you looking for? Cruiser? Sportbike? Something in the middle?

I'd say most likely something small and maneuverable. I have plenty of nice winding country roads near where I live. I'm really thinking along the lines of something akin to my Porsche... lightweight, decent power, excellent handling. I think that I would likely prefer the riding position of a cruiser to a hunkered-down sport bike, though.