Howdy, I am looking at a 99 F4 with 35,000 on the clock.
I'm currently riding a Suzuki 97 TL1000S since 2005. Ride mostly in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The TLS has great low to midrange grunt but is a heavy bike. I test rode a 99 F4 today just around the block. This thing is light handling and flips side to side alot easier than the TLS does. I can see having some serious fun in the twistees with this thing.

The F4 cosmetically is a little ruff around the edges. Mechanically appears to be OK. Noticed a little cam chain chatter, the owner said the CCT may need to be replaced??

Just wanted to ask the experts what to look for pro's / con's 99 F4.

Thanks for your help!!

 

Welcome to the forum!
The F4 is a great bike. You can do some searching around to see what problems others have run into. CCTs are common as well as regulator/rectifiers quitting. As long as you maintain it, it will last many more miles. Just keep it moving often so the carbs don't gum up from sitting.

 

Welcome to the "mayhem" sogggy
Enjoy what we have and make yourself at home.

I'm currently riding a Suzuki 97 TL1000S since 2005

Ha ! Another convert !

 

As an F4 owner, I can tell you that they are solid bikes, that when well maintained, will last for a very long time. The 2000 F4 was the last of the carb'd CBRs. If the bike is run often & routine maintenance done, it will rarely need carb cleaning. However, if you let it sit for a yr, you may need to clean the carbs. BUT, who would let a CBR sit for a yr??? ;-)

Yes, the CCT is a routine issue for CBRs. However, it can click for many thousands of mi w/o causing a prob...other than perhaps your ears being irritated from the click. Another concern is the R/R (regulator/rectifier). The old flat unit, that was prone to failure from overheating, was replaced & superseded by a redesigned finned unit - which is an excellent unit. I replaced mine some yrs ago & it runs beautifully. I can do a full day at Willow in 100+ temps w/o issue. ;-) Instead of dealing w/ the issue later w/ the old R/R, I recommend replacing it w/ the new Honda unit asap. All of these common issues are relatively minor & can be dealt w/ at home in your garage if you can turn a wrench. Don't let any of this deter you from the bike.

My F4 has been as solid of a bike as you'll ever find. And, if the banana seat isn't your favorite, you can do the split-seat conversion like I did (link to my conversion tutorial in my sig-line).

I use mine to commute, ride twisties & track. Is it a little dated?...sure. However, its more than enough bike for any of the previously listed. ;-)

Good luck. Let us know how it goes. Welcome to CBRF.