How many of you would buy a VFR 1000

[VFR02rider]

I would not now. I bought a Blackbird instead so I have no need for a VFR1000.

[Saint_Craig]

Originally Posted by lepto

i would. i currently have FOUR VF1000Rs so it's a no brainer for me..

Post EM!

Having a nostalgic moment here!

[Captamerica]

For the love of God I hope they don't bring out a VFR1000....if they do then I'll have to buy it and add it to my stable. I just hope I can pay on my new VFR before they bring out a new rendition.

[Sye]

Nope, not me. Not while I have this.

[vifferdownunder]

Just got sick of waiting in vain for Honda to sell a big-bore VFR. It's an awesome bike, but two-up, it is just underpowered. It needs more midrange grunt, and for midrange, the answer is not some technological gimmick, it is simply engine capacity.
I have been riding VFRs since 1992 (had 3 of them over the years), until this week. Thanks in part to the VFR excellent trade-in value, further to a comprehensive test ride I just bought a Ninja ZX-14. It actually does everything the VFR does - commute, fang, duo, travel, you name it - just as well if not better, got bucketload of torque and power, and is about as easy to ride as a VFR (as long as you stay below 7000rpm that is - then it just become totally insane). The only thing wrong with it, it's not a VFR ! So I will keep on watching and waiting for Honda (do they read this?) to replace both the VFR and the Blackbird with a large capacity VFR. And then I might come back...

[Chris71Mach1]

so im thinking here, id kinda like to see a poll started to see where everybody stands on this issue. im curious as to what the vfr community would like to see more....

(a) continue the vfr as-is. a nice, mid-sized engined, sport touring machine

(b) punch out the V4 to 1000cc and put it on a frame comparable to the fireblade and give the world a competitive V4 literbike

(c) go balls out and build a 1300+cc V4, put it on a bigger, hypersport frame, and let honda come out with a V4 that will butt heads with the ZX-14 and hayabusa

(d) not worry about it, and wonder why the hell all these people are arguing about V4's anyways (yea, like that'll happen on THIS board)

personally, my choice would be C. ive been wanting a blackbird or some bike from the hypersport market for some time now, and id about go head over heels to get a V4 with that kind of power & displacement.

im gonna try to set up a poll, but what do yall think about these choices?

[douglasthecook]

I'll take B for $15,000.00 please, Alex. I'd like to see a more sport oriented V4, although I'm also sure that I'm among the minority on this one....

[jasoncool]

well with all the rules and restrictions on this planet its getting harder all the time .just lucky i ride a great bike to keep me sane . luv passing fast cars and changing into 6th as i go past .vfr to me means freedom. [very fast and reliable ..] still wondering about a good radar detecter. honda to me means top quality . cars or bikes .as the man said ride as if its your last day on the planet .BUT STAY SAFE .. jason .

[vifferdownunder]

Excellent question Chris !
And why not build both ?
After all back in the "good old days" we had the VFR750F and the RC30...
I would buy the c) version - but I believe the VFR target should be the Triumph Sprint, not the Busa or ZX14, about 140hp would be about enough, as long as it's got plenty of GRUNT.
But in parallel Honda could market a b) VFR RR - or RCV - inspired from the MotoGP. It wouldn't compete with the CBR, think about the Ducati lineup, with both a 1098 Superbike and a Desmocedici GP replica (just dont make it that exclusive or expensive!).
Both bikes could have the same engine, just tuned different, maybe different bore-stroke but they could still reduce production costs by building more of them and cater to both crowds.
Ah well if they can still sell enough of them, also keep the VFR800 as well without changing it for another 10 years..

[RVFR]

Originally Posted by Sye

Nope, not me. Not while I have this.

Very interesting, is this a very early release 4th generation? as it has slight difference in some badging. Reason I ask is this is also what I saw in the cycle magazines back in the day when the 4th made it's big splash, thought maybe they had a one of early release model as I've never seen another VFR with those markings.

Thanks for letting me interrupt, Now back to the thread

[vifferdownunder]

According to the spanish mag Motociclismo and as we have been speculating for a while Honda will announce a new 2009 VFR model in September.
It will replace both the VFR800 and Blackbird, and will sport a V5 1000cc, with gear-driven distribution and 150 to 160hp.
If this is true a week after just having bought a ZX14... F@#k me !

If your spanish is better than mine, here is the link :
Honda VFR 1000 - novedad - Motociclismo.es

[R.W.]

Originally Posted by vifferdownunder

According to the spanish mag Motociclismo and as we have been speculating for a while Honda will announce a new 2009 VFR model in September.
It will replace both the VFR800 and Blackbird, and will sport a V5 1000cc, with gear-driven distribution and 150 to 160hp.
If this is true a week after just having bought a ZX14... F@#k me !

If your spanish is better than mine, here is the link :
Honda VFR 1000 - novedad - Motociclismo.es

Translation of rumored VFR

Faster and Faster: 2009 Honda VFR1000 to be officially revealed later this year

We first wrote about the 2009 Honda VFR1000 in August last year. Now, according to a report on Motociclismo, Honda are finally ready with their brand-new VFR1000, which will replace the ageing VFR800 and the CBR1000XX Super Blackbird. And according to the report, the VFR1000 will be ready by September this year!

The 2009 VFR1000 will be fitted with 1,000cc V5, which would be an evolution of the five-cylinder, 990cc RC211V engine. No, the VFR1000 will not be anything like the Desmosedici RR. The Honda will still be a sports-tourer, but an extremely fast and high-tech one.

The VFR1000’s V5 engine will share its basic architecture – three cylinders facing the front, two facing the rear – with the RC211V MotoGP machine. Honda have been working on the new VFR for the last five years, and everything they’ve learnt with the RC211V is likely to be put to good use on their first V5-powered streetbike.

The V5 Honda VFR1000 project is, according to Motociclismo, being led by Yoshiteru Kinoshita, who’s working with engineers from HRC as well as the team that worked on creating the 2008 CBR1000RR. The aim, it seems, is to build a bike that features absolutely unparalleled electronics, braking, engine and chassis technologies. And knowing Honda, they’ll probably pull it off too. Now all we have to do is somehow wait till September…

and here's the translated spanish article.

Translated version of http://www.motociclismo.es/Pruebas/honda-vfr-1000-novedad-2009-rc211v-kw-novedad.jsp%3Fid%3D5024

[gronk99]

How has the reliability of Motociclismo's crystal ball been?
These rumors have been out before.

[vifferdownunder]

Yes I will believe it when I will see it in a showroom too. This being said how long can Honda keep a supposedly state-of-art cutting-edge model in their lineup without changing anything other than the color scheme? They will have to update (or remove) it at some point. With now 7 years between drinks it is long overdue.

[luckyscrewz]

Nope, not me... Why? Because like most things in this world more does not always = better. A VFR is by its very nature a 3/4 ltr (+/- a few CC's) bike bumped up in displacement over the years to cope with emissions and the heft of all the new technology tossed at it. Yes, I am aware that in the beginning Honda graced us with the VFR100R, which like many on this board sent me running to my local dealer just to say I had seen one. Honda has also graced us with a few smaller variants -- which i will come back to.

My issue with the concept of a 1000cc vfr is this -- Honda has a pure sport bike in this displacement already, which as most things Honda is actually quite comfortable for one-up touring. Honda has also turned the portly ST into a relatively flickable touring machine (Flickable in terms of a full touring machine) with more than enough comfort and storage for a cross country beer run. So where does that leave a possible vfr1000? Honda is not likely to build it to compete directly with the CBR1000 on show room floors which makes me believe they would push this bike more towards the touring side of things - read more heft!

Forgive me if I am off base here but do we really need a larger VFR, or would we be better served with a performance variant of the current VFR platform - think VFR818RR...

If Honda is in the mood to stoke the engineering fires under the VFR design team then lets have a look at the VFR500f of old - imagine a 1/2 liter bike with torque, light weight, sex appeal and fuel economy to boot! A bike that would fit both the commuter roll and the weekend fun machine. Honda has a real opportunity to bring a machine like this to market and once again establish the VFR as THE Gucci trend-setting platform that it deserves to be - not the also ran albiet slow and portly platform that it looks to become.

[medyv]

Originally Posted by luckyscrewz

My issue with the concept of a 1000cc vfr is this -- Honda has a pure sport bike in this displacement already, which as most things Honda is actually quite comfortable for one-up touring. Honda has also turned the portly ST into a relatively flickable touring machine (Flickable in terms of a full touring machine) with more than enough comfort and storage for a cross country beer run. So where does that leave a possible vfr1000? Honda is not likely to build it to compete directly with the CBR1000 on show room floors which makes me believe they would push this bike more towards the touring side of things - read more heft!

A VFR1000 would be a sport tourer in the same mold as the VFR now (right in the middle between a track-oriented 1000 inline four and a quite large, touring-oriented ST1100), but would have the power needed to compete with the other models in that market: the Sprint ST, K1200S, ST3, FJR, Connie 14... maybe even a few Busas. I think somewhere between the Blackbird and the VFR800 would be ideal for a VFR1000.

[luckyscrewz]

Originally Posted by medyv

A VFR1000 would be a sport tourer in the same mold as the VFR now (right in the middle between a track-oriented 1000 inline four and a quite large, touring-oriented ST1100), but would have the power needed to compete with the other models in that market: the Sprint ST, K1200S, ST3, FJR, Connie 14... maybe even a few Busas. I think somewhere between the Blackbird and the VFR800 would be ideal for a VFR1000.

I'm with you here and understand the desire - trust me I do. Imagine a new power plant with enough power to over come the weight of the famous V, agile enough handling to make even GS owners envious and just the right amount of immaculately sculpted high tech bits to cause even staunch Ducati purists to take a second look at the "riceier" side of motorcycle engineering....

In reality hasn't that ship already set sail? Ducati has a capable offering and BMW offers multiple machines in this category but most importantly Triumph has stolen our lunch with the Sprint ST - a strong power plant, great handling and a stunning amount of design cues lifted right off the VFR's design room floor -- right down to the sculpted bodywork, single sided swingarm, even the frame and rear exit exhaust has a certain VFR flair to it. As for the FJ and the Bussa -- not even in the same league as the others. The Bussa looks like something "Rodger Ram Jet" would have owned and the FJ, while a great machine falls way short in the all important perceived quality and design departments.

for now I will stick by my statement that Honda needs to give us more power from our current mill without adding more weight (come on my '02, makes about the same power as my '93) and bring to market a potent middle weight contender ie, vfr525rr - A one-up machine, with a factory luggage option, give it the sound of an angry V4 and sculpt the body like you mean it....