The definitive Gen 5 Vs Gen 6 weight Thread

[John451]

Sorry about yet another Thread spin off but thought a discussion between the Gen 5 and 6 Wet weights is worthwhile and " mello dude " and myself have been sparring on this subject across various threads for a year now, where MD believes the Gen 6's weight puts it in the FJR " sports Tourer " class of motorcycle and I believe it still in the same " Sports tourer " class as the Gen 5.

By utilising the Sports Rider figures, Honda Dry quoted weights and Honda workshop manual have concluded the actual weight of a Gen 5 is actually 509lbs and a non ABS Gen 6 is 521lbs.

Ideally it would be great if a VFRWorlder that has access to a car scale and both Gens could settle this one way or another with pictures....please...

As quote from the " Linked Brakes " thread.

Originally Posted by mello dude

For me the 6th gen = a ST1300 = a FJR1300 vs several others in the class

Originally Posted by trogggy

My 2002's dry weight is 5kg more than a 2001 pre-vtec.

Originally Posted by John451;

I'm in agreeance, after spending 10's of thousands Km's on both found my non ABS non panniered Gen 6 feels similar in weight

Originally Posted by mello dude

Well - do I have too? LOL Cmon we know about the Sport Rider data...

Originally Posted by trogggy

Is that the one where they weigh a 5th gen and say it's a lot lighter than a 6th gen with luggage fitted?
Link?

Originally Posted by mello dude

Ok - I'll bite.. http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_w...nts/index.html

It has a '98 5th gen, an '02 sans bags, and '05 with bags. You figure it out. They roll it onto a scale and read the number - not made up outta the blue.

as Thread starter have used the privilege to pick up the Gauntlet and run with the figures.


Have studied the Sport Rider Data from the link quoted and have come to the conclusion they made a mistake in underquoting the Gen 5's published Wet weight in the first instance and quoted the '02 Gen 6 with ABS but without hard bags.

Basically I started with Hondas quoted dry weights and added fluids as quoted from each of the work shop manuals multiplied by their approximately calculated specific weights.

Concluded the '98 Gen 5 should have quoted as Wet 509lbs and the '02 Gen 6 Without ABS should have been 520.8lbs



Sport Rider weights as quoted
VFR800FI ('98) 6/98, Wet 499lbs
VFR800 ('02) 4/02 Wet 534lbs ( ABS ver shown tested in the '02 Review )



Gen 5 Liquids as per manual
21 litres Gas = 15.54kg
3.2 L Cooling = 3.2Kg
3.8 L Oil = 3.5 Kg
0.7 Hyd Fluid = 0.675kg

Hondas Dry = 208kg
Fluids = 22.915kg



Gen 5 Wet Total = 230.915kg = 509.2 lbs



Gen 6 Liquids as per manual
22 litres Gas = 16.28kg
3.8 L Cooling = 3.8 Kg
3.8 L Oil = 3.5 Kg
0.7 Hyd Fluid = 0.675kg

Hondas Dry = 212kg
Fluids = 24.255kg


Gen 6 Wet Total Without ABS= 236.255kg = 520.8 lbs

+ ABS = add 6kg or 13.2lbs


Gen 6 Wet Total With ABS = 242.25kg = 533.2 lbs

( which incidently is the Wet weight as quoted by Sports Rider '02 review which shows the ABS Ver )


Alternate review quoting '99 Fi Wet weight as 235kg = 518lbs
http://www.mcnews.com.au/Testing/HondaVFR800.htm

[mello dude]

Nice job. Sport Rider rolls the bikes onto a scale reads the number. Tank full and tank empty. Jeez dunno what else to say.

On the 6th vs FJR vs ST1300 in no way was I saying they are equivalent weights - the 6th is the lightweight version of "tourer" of the group. I'm thinking a fully equiped 6th with hard bags would do the same duty for me as the other two and I would need to look at them also if I was in that market - a bike with hard bags. VFR wise its still the character of the 5th vs the character of 6th.

MD

[NeverlosT]

sPoRtS ToUreR and I am sticking to it. haha

Wow. I didnt know it was that heavy. thats like 170 lbs more than a ZX6R. Dear lord.

[Joey_Dude]

One thing to take into account though is the gen 5 rider's ego. Since they are riding the best of the best bike in the world the ego tends to add weight compared to the ordinary people who saw a 6th gen and went "oooh pretty colors" and bought it.

Oh and this post should not be taken seriously. :)

[RVFR]

^ good one, ya gota love this place

Thou FWIW take your bike to the garbage dump weigh scales, here it's free, then go home and weigh yourself and ha ha subtract the diff. Yes don't forget the pictures, especially the ones weighing yourself. just a thought here, take Vman for example, He looks to be 5'8" 145lbs on a 6th, compare to say someone 6'3" 245 on a 5th I'm not so over the top on weight as the rider throws a whole different curve to the mix. Good thread keep up the good work. I'll keep the 4th gens out of this one

[vfr2k2]

Well Mello Dude I followed your link to the Sport Rider specs you posted in the linked brake thread. Thanks for the link. It's great to see lots of data regarding our bikes. May i say if you don't know what to say in reference to the weights and still insist on the numbers being read after being run onto a real live scale what about the Horse Power and Torque figures for the VFR 800 Intercepter (05) as being HP 54.4@ 8,750 and Torque 99.3 @ 10,750. Is this a huge power drop as a result of the Gen 6 VTEC technology or misinformation. Perhaps a misprint. Maybe a mistake. Where do they get these numbers? There also must be something wrong with my Gen 6 since I get better mileage than all of the numbers shown in this report. We all have opinions and I respect yours and you are absolutley entitled to them but there are facts which just aren't laughable and some that are. IMO. I hope all taken with a bit of the built in VFR site humour.

[trogggy]

There's 41 lbs difference between dry and wet weights for a 5th gen, and only 26 lbs for a 6th gen, according to their figures.
Do the 6th gens have a special lightweight brake fluid fitted?
It can't be the (slightly) bigger tank, 'cos that's about 4lbs.
That doesn't fill me with confidence.

[mello dude]

Originally Posted by vfr2k2

Well Mello Dude I followed your link to the Sport Rider specs you posted in the linked brake thread. Thanks for the link. It's great to see lots of data regarding our bikes. May i say if you don't know what to say in reference to the weights and still insist on the numbers being read after being run onto a real live scale what about the Horse Power and Torque figures for the VFR 800 Intercepter (05) as being HP 54.4@ 8,750 and Torque 99.3 @ 10,750. Is this a huge power drop as a result of the Gen 6 VTEC technology or misinformation. Perhaps a misprint. Maybe a mistake. Where do they get these numbers? There also must be something wrong with my Gen 6 since I get better mileage than all of the numbers shown in this report. We all have opinions and I respect yours and you are absolutley entitled to them but there are facts which just aren't laughable and some that are. IMO. I hope all taken with a bit of the built in VFR site humour.

Originally Posted by trogggy

There's 41 lbs difference between dry and wet weights for a 5th gen, and only 26 lbs for a 6th gen, according to their figures.
Do the 6th gens have a special lightweight brake fluid fitted?
It can't be the (slightly) bigger tank, 'cos that's about 4lbs.
That doesn't fill me with confidence.

vfr2k2 Yup - the power stuff looks like a typo - a bassackwards switch...... Troggy you got me on that one. Never caught that. My guess is 'dry" on the '02 isnt totally dry. Im still a 5th vs 6th guy. I formed my 2 cents over a 3000 mile long vacation trip riding both back to back. The 6th felt heavier to me. Looking at it - throw in a second exhuast can, a heavier stiffer frame, larger suspension components and a longer swingarm,and a cat convertor, that sounds like an ez 30 pounds to me.

Thats my story and I'm stickin to it. I'm at the who cares point, I like mine, you like yours. Ok cmon - lets have it - ALL VFR'S ROCK. I'll buy you a brew - lets party

MD

Summer assignment? Go weigh your bike - full tank, empty tank with low fuel lite flashing. Pics on scale. I've been wanting to do mine anyhoo.

[John451]

Originally Posted by mello dude

Nice job. Sport Rider rolls the bikes onto a scale reads the number. Tank full and tank empty. Jeez dunno what else to say.

Will start by correcting the Sparring comment, it should have been nearly 2 years now.


Should have thanked you for the link MD, there is lots of good data on that page that is consistant just pointing out they made a mistake on the Gen 5 Data, should have been obvious when they quoted the Gen 5 Wet at 499 and the '00 RC51 only 10lbs less.

Also see below link on what US site mcnews quote as the Gen 5's wet weight at 517lbs which is only 1lbs off what the Oz site weighed wet.
http://www.mcnews.com/mcnews/article...ndex1-2001.pdf



Regarding the Gen 6 handling feeling less Sporty but assume you know and may not have considered it on the Gen 6 test ride, it may just come down to how the suspension was set and how far the forks were dropped through the triple clamps on year Gen 5 Vs Gen 6 test unit.

Was playing around on my Gen 5 early last year and found it turned in amazingly fast through tight twisties at 14mm but with quick turning Pilot Power's was a little nervous at High speeds on open back road sweepers, backed it off to 6mm and found it turned in a little slower but high speed stability was much better.

With my new R2's have found they naturally turn in slower than the Powers through the twisties so will drop the triple clamps to 11mm and see how the R2's go in open sweepers.

[Alaskan]

I weigh 160 pounds with my gear on. If you guys weigh 200+ pounds, does that make me sportier?

[junktionfet]

I don't care about weight now because my '06 had no trouble staying with the 600-750 crowd during a recent local outing. Of the 30-40 bikes I was with at one time on the road, I had the only VFR and the only bike with a V-type engine to boot, everyone else had inline 4s. So there...