Hey All

So I'm faced with a slight dilemma that has been bugging me. I got my f4i about 4 months ago, and while it has been a great bike so far, I have been yearning for something a little newer/nicer/faster. At first I was contemplating selling it and getting a 750 or 1000 and being happy with that for a few years, but then I thought about just rebuilding the f4i and dealing with the 600 for another year or two until I get my first home with a garage to park a nicer bike in. The new bike wouldnt be "new" but be something just a bit "newer." My f4i is an 04 with 19k miles, 4k of which i put on it in those 4 months. A bike with under 10k miles and 06 and up would be cool.

My plans for the rebuild are as follows:

new MOVISTAR fairings
sequential integrated turn signal brake light
4500k HID kit
brake pads
SS brake lines
change brake fluid
change coolant
seafoam
new handlebar ends
new battery
turn signal flash relay
new frame sliders
yellow rim tape
rear seat cover
undertail eliminator
all black brake levers
anything else you guys recommend?


I believe all of the above would surely make for a nice, fresh bike. The bike will still undoubtedly be a 600 but I figure for the price of all that plus labor for the mechanical things I dont want to do myself ie brakes and coolant...I could sell the bike and use the money for the planned rebuild together and get a decent 750 or 1000 and be done with it.

What would you guys suggest

 

Honestly.. change bike.. the mod wont raise the price much..

 

I say sell the bike now and save the money until you can get what you want.

All those mods will put a dent in your pocket and won't yield a high enough return per your investment.

An 04 F4i will be 8 years old next year. Although bikes don't depreciate as fast as cars, you can probably get more now rather than later.

Fix up any problems and sell.

 

The mods won't affect value so if you already plan on a new bike just do it now.

 

Well I wasnt really trying to increase value - this was more of a hobby type thing, but you all have some valid points

 

Does your riding experience only consist of the four months you've had with your F4i? If so, you don't need a bigger bike (yet).

Regardless, the best advice I have is to do a track day. Learn how to get your bike dialed in to have the best performance (proper suspension will feel like a brand new bike). You will get the rush of pushing you and your bike to new limits in a controlled environment without cars or potholes. A lot of the mods you want are maintenance and aesthetic, which will make it look nicer but won't fulfill that "new" bike feeling enough (based on my own experience).

 

Well I'm not really interested in doing any track days or anything, I just want a nicer overall bike and a little faster would be nice too. I use it mainly to commute when I dont want to drive, and to just cruise around town, maybe a bike road trip here and there. I do head up to Wolf Pen Gap once in a while down here in GA which is a little similar the The Dragon. Right now, I'm considering an 07 Gsxr600 and an 06 R1 50th Anniversary Edition that this dealership has good deals on both.

 

Well then in my opinion you want a different bike for the wrong reasons. So I'll just say good luck finding what you want and leave it at that.

 

haha you make a good point...I will, however, take into consideration your suggestion of doing a track day. I understand why you suggested it and it will probably be a good learning experience for me. Thank you Aken

 

In that case, I think I will just keep the f4i and fix it up a little. I think it would be good for me to keep it, get more experience on it, and learn more about it by working on it myself.