I have ridden nearly $100,000 worth of motorcycles...

And I still love my VFR.

Don't get me wrong, they were fast, handled incredibly, are stunningly beautiful and had brakes to stretch your eyeballs . They sound amazing and look like a night of sex with ten different supermodels.

For sure my VFR is heavier. It needs Honda fairings and not the cheap Chinese fairings that the P.O. put on her. Also, the tank needs repainted. The footpeg mounts need to be replaced as mine are sloppy. I need a new taillight.

But, you know what? I'll be damned if my lil girl with 67k+ miles doesn't make me happy. Hell just tonight I downshifted from sixth to third to pass a car on the freeway and the wheel came up. With the Bridgestone T30 Evo tires on, she tips into turns effortlessly and she stops quite quickly.

To date, I have ridden the BMW S1000RR and the Ducati Multistrada, XDiavel, and the Panigale 899, 959 and 1299. Loved ALL of them, but I was most smitten with the RR and the 1299, the rest have excellent qualities too. But, I can still hop on my R2 and be happy. The voice of God himself roaring out of the pipe, the comfortable seating position, the comfortable bar position, etc etc make me really enjoy this bike. She has more than enough power to land me in jail, she can go through turns really well and if she handles at least as well as my Sixth Gen did, she can do turns on the track with "sportbikes" beyond her pedigree. And, the best part? She is paid for. 100% mine. No payments and inexpensive insurance.

Will I end up with a Duc or a BMW? Very likely down the road as my business grows. Do I want to run the 959 or the 1299 or the BMW on the track? Yes, yes I do. Have I been tempted? Yeah. That German vixen really tried to seduce me. Will I get rid of R2? Nope! I'm in a committed relationship.

Crazy to think, over the past year, I've ridden nearly $100,000 worth of motorcycles and I'm still in love with this 1999 VFR that cost me $1900. She's a good ol girl indeed!

 

I am glad that your hard work refreshing that baby has paid off Lint, great work.

This bike is a beautiful balance. When we find great balance, it feels right, a symbiotic feedback loop between man and man's machine.

 

I would highly suggest trying the much cheaper new R1. It really is an amazing track bike and the sound with a pipe is not far from the VFR. Electronics are outstanding for track or street too.

 

Here's the way I look at it ... sure there are faster bikes, bikes with better handling, bikes with better brakes ... but the problem with them all is that they tend to excel at only a few things and come up short on others.

The VFR is one of those bikes that does everything well, but nothing exceptionally well ... except put a shit eating grin on your face.

It's much more fun to have a bike that you can ride to near it's limits vs. one that you can never really quite push hard enough to reach those limits (make it boring).

 

This is why we need many bikes.

 

Well Said Mr. Lint well said. I agree, I too have ridden a lot of bikes in the last 4 years after the Deer incident, it gave me time to really get down to the nitty griddy for me what makes a great bike. Is it the lust factor of it being out of reach? or is it that there's something hidden down deep with the latest and greatest.
Only a few choices at first that fit the bill. One was the 1098 series, wow, great bike built like a piece of working art. I had one for 14 months from a friend going through a tough time, it needed a safe place to chill. In return I got to really check it out. Ooo giddy giddy, thought for sure it was the one, sexy lines, feels right when sitting on it, then that sound , Wow factor times 10.
But Nope, after a few good rides something in me came full circle remembering how the 4 gen VFR did. Hard to ignore, but it really seemed the 4th gen at the time was the best of a lot of aspects to what a motorcycles do and is.
Yes, the Ducati is sex on wheels, no doubt about it, but for me being in a spot where only one bike is in the cards for now. this isn't the one, it would make for an incredible 2nd or 3 bike, but not an only.
Fast forward through bikes like the RSVR4 , KTM Super Duke, Ducati Multi. a certain CBR 1000, then took a new VFR for a spin, for some reason that bike just talked to me, all the others where a joy but lacked something. would I have any one of those mentioned in the garage? of hell yes, but again for now it's a one bike show.
But then a trip to Laguna Seca almost set me back. I had the opportunity to try the RSVR Tuono, Now there's a machine, whew everything I was looking for, I thought. I was all set to pull the trigger when I got back home, but wouldn't ya know it fate jumped in.
It Wasn't two weeks from that trip a friend forward an add for a 5th gen. Now mind you I've ridden a few, meh... but that was when I had my 4th gen, LOL there wasn't a 5th gen that could touch my 4th. That was then, this is now. So out of curiosity and through a couple weeks and a few emails finally had a inkling, we better go take a peek, if for nothing else to put it to bed, as the Tuono was still in my mind, and the wife even agreed due to it locations being out on the coast to go on a little road trip and check it out. Now the only thing that had really grabbed my attention with this one was it had the Staintune, that was a good start. But once I saw that it was in really good condition then a quick outing checking things out then that sound, whew! it all came back. This was it, that and the fact it was a one owner aircraft mechanics bike, all was looking good then asking the price.... Bingo... Even the wife said, how come it's not in the back of the truck. All is good for now, I'm at peace, sorta.

 

So does having 2 different generation VFRs still count? :wink:

 

lol, its a start.

 

I am not going to try a Tuono....... I know what that motor sounds like with a Akra on it. Oh my!!!!!! Danger Will Robinson! With a screen, bags and risers I could be in a world of debt. lol Massive HP and torque, unbelievable electronics, great adjustable suspension, comfort, haul ass, twisties, track day, tour.......did I mention the intoxicating sound of the Italian V4? All I need is a bunch of cash.

 

2015 Flat White APRC Tuono demo model with a pipe and race mapping at AF1 right now for $12,449.......

 

Ouch! Though I thought it would be indecent pics of you and a dear.

 

ouch! And you had leathers on?

 

Wow! That is a great price. Must have 100k miles on it? lol How many miles? White is the one I want too.

 

Ooo a white one too boot, Oh My.... Must not look into this.........

I had a leather jacket, unfortunately not the matching pants, no boots either, It was just one of those grocery getting errand rides. so I wasn't all dolled up. .

 

Was the jacket just a leather casual jacket or a riding one with armor?

 

Found it.
http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/showthread.php?178139-AF1-Racing-Showroom-Inventory-Austin

 

It had armor, good thing too, the shoulder impact was something else, it just plain wiped out that armor. the elbow armor was hanging out after the sleeves, yes both where torn open. My knees and right foot didn't fare so well, broke the bone that is after the big toe what ever that one is ,it was split like fire wood, then my knees where just shredded meat. even today I still feel it. The helmet is just something else. 5 major impact areas, and to think my nose was just fractions of an inch off the pavement, ha, if you can call what the county uses for re pavement, more like a 4 grit sand paper. here you can see what the difference is in road surface, this was taken at the impact site. I was in 4th at 6k which should be around 60-65 mph, deer did a one hop into the center of the road I had like 60 feet to react, all I can remember was aim for the deer, it will move. Nope, It stayed, I was thrown like a rag doll. Way off in the distance past the truck is where I stopped, I rolled off to the green patch of lawn you may see there, I couldn't stand. just rolled and rolled like I was on fire thinking surely a car was coming from the other direction. I had no idea where the bike was until photos my son took the day after. it was down the street another 50+ into a pole backwards.