Feeling bad about the Viffer

Hey Guys,
This is stupid. I was in the dealership the other day to order my saddlebags, and I heard the manager trying to sell an Aprilia RSV to a customer. He was saying how the crankshaft is much thicker than in the Jap bikes, and how much nicer the handling is, etc, etc. I felt kind of bad on my way out the door because all I was thinking about before that was how much I was looking forward to riding my Viffer, and how proud I am to have made a good sensible choice for a motorcycle.
I think I'm over it now - I don't suspect the thickness of the crankshaft really has any implications for how well that engine performs, , nor how long it will last.
Just wondering if anyone can help REMIND me that the dealer is just full of SHXT, and that he's just trying to sell his leftover Aprilia from '08.
I can't see it being half the bike the VFR is.

 

Im pretty sure Honda has a reputation of quality for a reason...

 

Yes, you're right. I'd like to see some stats on reliability across manufacturers for bikes. You always see them for cars, but not bikes.

 

hmm what is more commonly referred to as the best bike ever made, the aprilia or our VFR? Also a little while back i read a comparo between the rsv and the new buell 1125r... the harley stomped all over it lol. so dont sweat it he's just hurting for some commission.

 

VFR:
Not the fastest, Not the best handling, Not the largest motor ( and without the thickest crank ), Doesn't have the best suspension, Not the most expensive, Not the cheapest to maintain. Not the best bike for 2 up cross-country touring. Then there is the whole V-tec thing....OMG.

If it was not the best bike I've ever owned, I'd get rid of it!
I may give it to one of my childern, if Honda ever manages to build a better street bike.

Mac

 

If you want to hear something really hilarious, get a salesman to tell you why you need to have radial brakes... or a crossplane crank, or big piston forks, or...

Enjoy the VFR, it's one of the finest road bikes ever made.

... though I have to admit that the big piston forks are pretty interesting.

 

I work on both Honda and Rotax engines (the RSV uses the same 990cc engine core as the Can Am Spyder). If you ask me, reliability in terms of major engine components is more in question on the Rotax. Rotax has changed far more than Honda over the last ten years. In terms of technical prowess they are impressive but with that comes some 'teething' issues. IMO some of their stuff comes out a little 'half baked' and undertested. If you want examples I can give 'em.

Not to flame sales, but it's laughable to think of our staff talking with authority about crankshafts. What you heard was 'the pitch'...it changes depending on the product trying to be sold.

 

Comparing those two bike is like trying to compare apples to oranges. Get over it.

 

Let's hear the joke about big piston forks.
I see that Yamaha uses a crossplane crank, and I fail to see the benefit of having all of the firing in different sequences.
Thanks guys, sorry for hitting a weak spot.

 

flappy headed canadians

How do canadian salesmen talk oot the side of there mooths with flappy heads?:canada::canada::canada::canada::canada:

 

It's pretty tricky....wouldn't expect a Yankee to be able to do it.....

 

hey there JZ, i think the fact that the VFR is on its 7th year of production says all you need to know about your viffer.:thumbsup:

as a retail salesman of some 20 years (not of motorcycles) i can say that this salesman is looking to sell unique aspects of his product inorder to differentiate it from his opposition(jap bikes, VFR's).

if a salesman has to resort to crankshaft thickness as a key USP (unique selling point) then its getting a little desperate. most customers(unless highly technically minded) wont really give a toss about crank thickness.

as slothrop pointed out its ususally better to focus on things the customer can visualise like radial brakes as a selling point.

i think dizzies technical analysis is also interesting, and the fact that this technical speak should be left to those who are competent to speak on it.

so let me translate the salesman speak that you heard into plain english;

" OMG, i need to sell this bike to make some $$$$, please dont buy a jap bike, especially one of tose VFR's...im in the crap if you look at those, so heres some techo sounding BS to confuse you in a hope to close the sale"

hows that? :biggrin:

 

salesman

Salesman=gasbag
Sales manager-King of all gasbags

VFR=Best all around do it all motorcycle ever made

 

salesman

Salesman=gasbag
Sales manager-King of all gasbags

VFR=Best all around do it all motorcycle ever made

Let everybody know the next time you see an Aprilia with over 100K on the clocks

 

Thicker crank? more rotating mass as a selling feature? There are many VFRs running around with over 100 K., evidently the crank has adequate thickness. I must say though the RSV is a beautiful bike.

 

Just wait till you get her out and start tearing her up. You will have no boubts or second thoughts.

 

He's a salesman he's full of shit he's just trying to sell a bike that is hard to sell on it's own, it needs help so that is why salesmen will put down a superior product like a VFR.

 

You're right. He's a bozo. Dumb Canadian bozo. :tongue:

 

aprillia is problematic. vfr runs foooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr

 

First he was trying to sell a RSV to a customer, 2nd unlike the Ducati's natural vtwin balance of 90Deg the Aprilia Vtwin usess an unnatural balance angle of 60 degrees for compactness with balance shafts to smooth it out, can only think the bigger crankshaft is for reliability of a high reving high HP twin when throwing big pistons around. The VFRs 180Deg V4 is naturally balanced and doesn't even require balance shafts to be smooth. :thumbsup: