Hello all. I currently have a plated DRZ 400. I've got a set of SM wheels along with dirt wheels. Having two bikes in one is awesome. The bike is a blast for around town, but it's still a dirtbike. Highway speeds are not fun. Especially for a long time. An hour ride at highway speeds is about all I can handle.

So...I have always loved the older CBR600's. I've been doing a lot of reading and found that the 98 F3 is what I want. I really don't have a lot of money to spend on a bike, but something at around $2500 should be OK.

From what I've seen, I can find a decent 98 F3 with about 20,000 miles for somewhere in the low to mid 2's. 01-02 F4i's go for somewhere between $3500 and $4000.

My questions are:

Is EFI really worth the extra cash? How does the drivability compare between the two?

What are some things I need to watch for when looking one over?

Hopefully soon I'll be a CBR owner!
Thanks,
Steve

 

well, you'll get a couple different opinions here... so take what you want. but as for me, and many guys on here, there is no comparison to efi. cleaning carbs every season is a drag. plus with efi you wont have to worry about mods like intake and exhaust etc cause the computer accounts for it. i will gurantee you that my next bike will be fuel injected...

unless you're an old school guy who doesnt mind wrenching on carbs and getting them sync'ed and cleaning needles jets and bowls and who loves a good headache... then i'd say get an f4i cause of reliability and maintence ease. but if you're limited to 2500 and you want to learn what makes bikes go by dissasembling it periodically to clean or replace something, then the f3 is a good candidate.

 

drive to illinois and ill trade you a sweet one. i want a supermoto bad

 

For running around town, there's nothing better. So much fun. And with the DRZ, they are as reliable as a brick, on or off road.

Get an E model and plate it, like mine. Then buy some SM wheels and you then have two bikes in one!

I do want something I can actually go somewhere on at highway speeds. Plus I love sport bikes. That's why I want a CBR.

 

Not that I'm partial to the Honda Red CBRs, but this is one of the nicer F3's I've seen on ebay in a while. Low mileage and currently at a reasonable price. It's in Illinois, but that's probably a days ride away. Either way do a search on ebay for this.Item number: 190368488287 It hasn't reached the reserve yet, but who knows how much it will go for. You can see it's at a HD dealer and the show room tag has $3400 or so on it. I'm sure its negotiable.

 

people poke fun at me when i tell them my bike has 50,000 miles on it. they say things like "wow your bike is gonna die soon"
and i laugh at them, cause i know my bike has twice as much life left in it.
it's cause these bikes are built like a rock, they run well, and last forever.

there's a few things that it's notorious for, aka cam chain tensioner giving out, but overall it's an easy fix for sure, and these babies are some of the most comfortable rides around.

 

if ur coming all the way to illinois to look at that one, u might as bring your drz and we can trade at my house in illinois

 

Thanks guys for all the help. I'm on my Droid right now, and I haven't figured out how to copy and paste, but there is an 02 F4i with only 7100 miles for sale an hour away from me. He's asking $3900. It got no damage, a pipe, and brand new tires.

Is that a fair price? Its a bit high for me, but if I could get him a little closer to 3k, then maybe.

Steve

 

http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/mcy/1566419275.html

 

i have a f3 and they are nice but im looking to upgrade now for something with EFI. So i say get the f4i if it checks out.