I began researching online about which model to look for. The styling of the newest model was my favorite, however I didn't like the changes that Honda made to the motor. VFR's were known to have bulletproof gear driven camshafts. The new model went to a chain driven camshaft, along with a variation of the VTEC valvetrain. I won't delve into the technical details here, but after reading everything that I could find on the subject, I ruled out the newer VTEC model.
The VFR750 is considered an awesome machine by many people. It is carbureted and I was hoping to move away from carbs and embrace modern fuel injection. That narrowed it down to the 5th generation VFR - which was made from 1998 to 2001.
During my research phase, I mentioned to my friend Pat that I was looking for a new bike, and that I'd be selling mine. Pat knew very little about motorcycles, but he told me that maybe he would buy my Nighthawk and get into riding. He came by to really look it over and sit on it, and a plan was hatched that he would buy it as soon as I found a new bike. It would save me the trouble of selling it, and I was happy to have it go to a friend.
I began monitoring Craigslist, Cycle Trader, and Ebay Motors. Every day, I would check for the perfect bike. After 5 months of watching and waiting I noticed a classified ad on www.vfrdiscussion.com for a 2001 model with only 5800 miles. After all the reading that I had done, I knew that this was a chance to own a practically new example of arguably the most desirable model year of the VFR800.
The pictures in the ad showed that it was very clean and in new condition.
He had the OEM seat cowl and a Givi touring windshield.
The tires were like new.
The dash looked great.
The ad stated the location as Jefferson City, Missouri. After a discussion with the Misses, I emailed the seller with a few questions. He replied quickly and we ended up talking on the phone the next day. Kurt assured me that the bike was in great condition and had a clean title. He answered any questions that I had and was very flexible about me picking it up if I decided to buy it.
The Misses and I talked it over some more and decided that I should go ahead and buy it. I had been working side jobs and putting money away and the time had come to treat myself. I emailed Kurt and asked if he would hold it until I was able to get down there. I mailed him a $500 deposit and started making arrangements to go and get it.
My friend Ed offered up his nice enclosed trailer, and my friend Pat offered to pull it with his van. We looked at the calendar and the only free weekend that we had to pull this off was coming up in just a few days. It felt like things were happening much too quickly and I almost put it off for another month, but we decided to just make it happen. I ran around to do some shopping for car snacks, drinks, and tie down straps. Pat and I made plans to meet at 6am on a Saturday morning.
When I got to Pat's house, the temperature was hovering at around 25 degrees. It was cold - the sort of cold where your fingers were in agony just trying to put the steel receiver and hitch together on the back of an old van.
We got moving and drove down to Morris for Ed's trailer. It was even colder there - Pat and I both tried to get the trailer hitched up and the lights connected and working, but our fingers were throbbing with pain due to the biting cold. Ed's dad came out and kindly offered us some coffee. After 30 minutes of fumbling around we were all set and jumped into the warmth of Pat's luxurious van.
We set off south down I-55, with about 400 miles of highway ahead of us.
We stopped only for gas and bathroom breaks. We traded war stories about ex's and ate as we drove.
We arrived at Kurt's house at around 1 p.m. He was a very friendly guy and gave me a thorough tour of the bike. It was just as described, although I noticed a small scratch on the front cowl that he hadn't noticed. I told him that I'd take it, and we went inside to sign over the title. I gave him a cashier's check and I went outside for a short ride.
After being so used to the Nighthawk, the VFR felt like I was on a spaceship. It had fuel injection, a digital display, and a very high-tech feeling engine. I only rode for about 15 minutes, but I got a real thrill out of it. I headed back to the house to load it up in the trailer.
With the bike tied down and secure, we jumped back in the van and started for home. The drive was uneventful; we stopped to check the tie down straps but otherwise we stopped only for gas, bathrooms, and food. We pulled into my driveway at about 11 p.m. ready for a beer and some sleep. We unloaded the bike first and squeezed it into the garage.
In the morning we planned to trailer the Nighthawk down to Pat's house before we returned the trailer to Ed. We pulled both bikes out for a photo op before loading it up.
We made it to Pat's without incident, unloaded the Nighthawk and I went over the bike with him. He started it and let it warm up, and he took a few passes up and down his street. He put it away in the garage and we stepped into the house. He wrote me a check and I signed over the title. Pat had just become a motorcycle owner.
We made the 30 minute drive to Morris to return Ed's trailer and then we headed back to Pat's. I jumped back into my car and drove home, anxious to really check out the bike that I'd been dreaming about owning.
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