New Member

[athowden]

Hi there !
After months of research I am close to buying a Crossrunner as an upgrade to my 800 GS.
I had a question if that's ok - I'll be going for a 2018 or 2019 bike - do you have any comments or thoughts about how your bikes have proven to be in terms of reliability and maintenance costs? Mine will be used twice per week (all year round) for a commute to London and a proper 2.5 hour motorway blast every 6 weeks or so (plus any fun B road rides that I can sneak in in between).
Also do any of you have experience of the Honda Averto Alarm?
As I live in North London (notorious for bike theft) - I'm also wondering if it's worth having something like that fitted. I always get a tracker fitted.
This forum has already been very helpful in many ways so thank you
Alex

Previous bikes:
CBF 1000, R 1200 GS, F 800 R, GPZ 600 and a lovely Superdream.......

[Corringdon]

  Welcome Alex.  CR's are renowned (as are most Hondas) for their reliability. My CR is under a year old so problems are non existent. I'll have it serviced by the dealer until the warranty expires after which I will probably service it myself, except for the valve checks. Dealer servicing can be a tad pricey considering what they do. Ancient (in terms of membership) forum contributor Skids has the equivalent of a few trips around the planet under his belt and swears by the CR's reliability.

[Skids]

 

Welcome to the site Alex.

Can't help you with the alarm as we live in the quiet Bedfordshire countryside but you definitely want to keep her safe when you get her.

I've found VFRs increasingly reliable over the years, though each model seems to have it's own small issues, but the X and F models are pretty good. There are plenty of things you could consider to make the bike suit you better, loads of accessories as you've probably seen on here already but if you like to ride with some spirit, you may wish to invest in upgraded suspension as it can be a little soft.

I find it a perfect bike for my commute, over 100 miles per day and getting decent mpg too which gives me well over 200 miles per tank. Town riding may prove different.

Anyway, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, you'll usually get an opinion on here! 

[voodoo]

  from Hollandshire.

[felo]

Hello athowden, Welcome
 

[athowden]

Thanks for your warm welcome!
I went to look at a VFR X on the weekend and now have an insurance quote which makes sense - the bike is lovely, so much more balanced and comfortable than i expected for the weight, and I can't wait to find the right deal. i am totally sold on it now:-)
So just on the look out and will let you know when I manage to get my hands on one. Cheers so far
Alex

[CBM]

You won't regret it, they're a great all rounder and superb value for money, especially the low mileage "nearly new" ones 

[athowden]

Oh lord! I am hooked. I managed to take a CR 800 out for a test ride yesterday and wow - what a bike. I am more than 100% convinced now that this is an incredibly underrated bike. What an engine! And the handling after the 800GS is so agile. So now I am fully on the hunt for one - the one I tried looked good on paper but actually had a lot of scratches etc. So I’ll widen the search. Are there any “extras” that you find particularly useful? Eg radiator guards etc? Sorry for the waffle. Just a little over excited. 😀😀😀

[Skids]

Originally Posted by athowden

Oh lord! I am hooked. I managed to take a CR 800 out for a test ride yesterday and wow - what a bike. I am more than 100% convinced now that this is an incredibly underrated bike. What an engine! And the handling after the 800GS is so agile. So now I am fully on the hunt for one - the one I tried looked good on paper but actually had a lot of scratches etc. So I’ll widen the search. Are there any “extras” that you find particularly useful? Eg radiator guards etc? Sorry for the waffle. Just a little over excited. 😀😀😀

Ha ha, no worries. It really is a great bike so hopefully we can welcome you to the fold soon.

Don't rush into buying too quickly, I took my time for all my bikes and found exactly what I wanted.

There's a whole host of bits you might want but it can depend on the year of bike you are looking for and therefore what your budget is. If you want the Mk2 Crossie, 2015+, then the 15/16 models had Akrapovic exhaust (which definitely smooths things out), centre stand, top box and heated grips. The 17 model dropped those extras but had an adjustable screen and fairing mounted power socket. OEM tyres can be a bit rubbish so tajke a careful look at what's fitted.

I've fitted Givi crash bars and Givi LED spots safety reasons, a quickshifter for fun, a DAM exhaust, Barkbuster hand guards to keep the weather off and an extra loud horn.

There's loads of other bits you can get and I'm sure you'll be able to get lots of opinions on here.

Please let us know how you get on with choosing your bike and pics when you do! 

[athowden]

That’s really helpful thanks
So 2015-2016 might be better value if I can find low mileage and
2017 latest edition- better colour options (in my
Opinion) and less wear and tear. There are some good deals around at the mom for 2019-2020 plates. Will let you know how I get on and appreciate the advice. Cheers.