2005 Honda Interceptor

JH2EC46435M700053

Its the same old story - Our baby boy has arrived, and this is more bike than I need! (I work in the city now, and I'm keeping my XR for around town… and then there's the requisite drive-around-the-baby-car - yech). I just don't ride this bike much any more, and I'll be riding even less since I'm changing diapers all weekend these days. Read on and review my pictures to get an incredible deal on an excellent do-it-all motorcycle. Me: I have owned this VFR since new, it runs great and is an incredible all around bike. I'm an adult and I've been riding for over 20 years so I know how to care for a bike and somehow I've managed to outgrow any adolescent tendencies to blip my throttle at stop lights, pull wheelies, or otherwise abuse my ride. The VFR800ABS: There's a reason these bikes are so popular in Europe for daily riders. This was my primary transportation from 2005-2008 (we have HOV/motorcycle lanes here in the DC area that save hours of sitting in horrible traffic). If you haven't ridden one - The Interceptor is equally at home carving around a track or picking your way through rush hour. The saddle is very comfortable, with raised but sporty clip-on bars and even a remote rear shock pre-load adjuster - great to adjust for passengers (this was a major purchase factor for me considering my then-girfriend, now-wife). As you can see in the pictures, there is a nice cowl that covers the generous, flat and comfortable passenger portion of the seat. Looks nice without a passenger, feels nice for a passenger. Honda's excellent ABS rounds out the package. This system and ones like it will eventually be on just about everything - and I can tell you, it is a life saver on a road bike. The ABS is seamless so don't believe anyone who says ABS will limit your braking ability - unless you're Valentino Rossi (or at least a professional racer) - this system will out-brake you. To sum it up: You want a commuter bike? You want a bike to cross the country? You want a bike to carve up the backroads or enjoy a track day? Answer yes to any or all of the above and this is bike is a great choice! When something bad happens - hit the brakes and you stop. Its that simple. Excellent lights, simple creature comforts like a full-service lcd fuel guage, outside temp monitor (sometimes you don't want to know), clock and trip meter. Its not a gold wing - but its everything you need. VTEC system provides a nice balance of low-end grunt and economy, and healthy top-end power. Unless you spend all day looking for the transition point, you won't really notice it. The many discussions about this on forums are greatly exaggerated. You'll simply never spend any time in the rpm range where the VTEC kicks in, and even if you did - its not bothersome. Condition: 12,769 miles - much of that was commuting on the highway. Now every beauty has got a pimple or two hiding somewhere - so here they are. Mechanically, the bike is tip top. Fresh oil and filter - runs perfectly. I used Honda fluids for break in and Mobil 1 (motorcycle) ever since. Shock oil should probably be replaced in the next year since the last time I did it was a couple years ago (everybody forgets about this - but it does need to be changed for top performance) - shocks work perfectly though - just maintenance I would do personally if I were keeping it. Regular maintenance has been done - including a fresh battery last fall, fluids and lube, brake pads (that weren't really that low - but I wanted to freshen up anyway). It really doesn't need more than that. Its a Honda! Hit the magic button and it fires up immediately. I keep it on a battery tender if I'm not riding for more than a week. This bike has lived its life without a garage, and in the city - So its had some scrapes and bumps and its been knocked over and repaired a two times (parking). If you've ever owned a bike in the city, you know this happens. This is the reason for some aftermarket "Color-Rite" paint on the right side fairing and nose fairing. You've probably seen the ads for this stuff in the back of Cycle World. If you're looking for a professional finish, don't buy this stuff. The paint is not OEM quality so its discolored a bit and looks a bit darker than the unscathed panels. There are also little rock pits on the front (just the aftermarket paint chipped off - nothing major). If you want this bike looking factory - you'll need to get a body shop to spray those two panels with matched automotive paint. From those tip overs, there is a very slight misalignment around the interior cockpit side covers - again, nothing terrible - and if it bothers you, it would be easy to get it all straightened up over a weekend (just a steel metal tube frame with some attachment tabs under there). It wasn't enough for me to bother with (personal preference - see picture where the edge of the cockpit side pannel doesn't lay flush). Theres a nickel sized hole cut out of one of the under seat panels where I used to have a power plug, and there's a scrape/ding on one of the underside exhaust pipes (right under the engine). I whacked it pulling into a 7-11 parking lot that had this weird lip on entrance ramp… being banked over to the right as I turned in, I whacked the pipe. Luckily, I didn't go down - but it startled the heck out of me. (Did I mention that this is a really sweet handling and well balanced bike)?! The Honda mechanics checked it out and confirmed that there is no functional issue with the dent. Gas flow is fine - its just cosmetic (see picture). There's a very shallow dent on the left side of the tank (see pic). I don't even know how that happened, but I noticed it when I was going over the bike. Other than that - it can use some general clean up and detailing. Some blemishes and scrapes here and there - but as you can see in the photo - it still looks very sweet from just a few paces back. Get on this bike and ride it to work everyday, or take a trip across the country. Kelly Blue Book value on this model in excellent condition is $5,740. I'm starting bidding low with NO RESERVE! Here's your chance to get a great deal. Review the pictures - and send me messages with any other questions or requests for detail - I will get back to you within a day and I'll respond quicker as we get close to the end of the bidding. I don't have time to show the bike locally so please bid what you are comfortable with based on the detailed information I provide. Shipping and payment: The bike will be shipped anywhere in the continental US (not Hawaii or Alaska or PR or Canada or anything like that). I have a full time job, and now- a kid, so I don't have time to show the bike locally. The bike is clean, crated and ready to ship to your door. To make things easy - I have set everything up with a national motorcycle shipper, and I will be splitting the total cost of shipping with the buyer (keep reading for details). Flat rate shipping: $400 shipped to your door. Please take this into account when you are bidding. I'm absorbing between $300 and $500 depending on where you live - which is completely worth it to me to avoid the hassle and make things simple for you! Important: The $400 deposit via PayPal will cover shipping to your door (Continental USA ONLY). Send cashier's check or money order for fastest delivery. Personal check will need to fully clear or be cashed at my local branch before release of paperwork.Cashiers check, Money Order or check should be for the full amount of the final auction. The $400 shipping fee is NOT included. Once you have won the auction - and your payment clears, I will overnight you the title, manual and any other paperwork (receipts etc) so you can get started with your DMV and insurance. The shipping company will take 3-4 weeks to get the bike to you depending on where you are. (Could be sooner, but I want to set the expectation conservatively here). The shipping company will arrange timing directly with you and deliver directly and securely to your door. Due to the expensive shipping and logistics - this is a non-returnable item. The sale is final. I've described it as best as I can but bid what you're comfortable living with! As you can see from my ratings - I've got a good track record on eBay so bid with confidence and ask me any questions you have. Good luck!!On Oct-08-11 at 14:12:04 PDT, seller added the following information:Ok - so there have been a few questions about local pickup - (and some of you I've already explained this to in-person) here are the details if you want to PICK UP THE BIKE (instead of having it shipped to you). I will allow local pick up. Please bid what you are comfortable with based on the description and ask me any questions - I will NOT entertain any haggling when you come to pick up the bike! The deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE for this reason. (Sorry I'm being tough about this because a good friend of mine had a miserable time selling his jeep on eBay because he didn't spell this out)! Ask me any questions - if you want extra photos of specific things let me know and I can get them for you. A few people have checked the bike out in person - it is as described. SPECIFICS FOR LOCAL PICKUP: 1. There is still a $400 non-refundable deposit due via PayPal to hold the bike. This $400 will apply towards the final selling price. 2. You MUST bring CASH or a money order than we can cash before I release the bike and paperwork. I'm in DC so plan on a Saturday or evening to avoid rush hour traffic! Please be prepared to work with me on scheduling - between work and a new kid my schedule has been pretty hectic (which is why I offered the shipping option ;-) THANKS!! GOOD LUCK! You'll love this bike. I'm still torn on letting it go, but I'm committed now!