Here's How I See It

I am fortunate enough to own and ride both a 2007 VFR and a 2004 Ducati ST4S. I really enjoy both bikes. Both have different characteristics and quirks. That's why I like them. One is not better than the other. You cannot beat the Ducati for sound. Nothing in this world sounds better. You cant beat the VFR, which I put Staintunes on, for smoothness and overall rideability. No need to bike bash. No one bike is better than all the rest. All bikes have their plusses and their minuses.

Flash

 

Me too! And I hate . . . no, love . . . no, no, I hate my 1st Gen. Yeah, hate it!

BTW, I don't need a new bike like the 1200, but based on reports from people who have ACTUALLY RIDDEN IT (!) I wouldn't mind riding one.

 

First off, let me state that I have not ridden or sat on the new VFR. I am one of the few who think, minus the muffler, that the new VFR is a pretty good looking bike. I have a gen2 vfr, have never ridden any other VFR's, and I absolutely love my bike. Yes, it's not perfect, but it has personality. If I were to ride the new VFR, it would have a totally different personality, but I can see how each generation of bike progressed and evolved each remake.

I think Honda did a great job with the redesign, even up to the dual-clutch transmission option. Take the S2000 for example. A TON of reviewers criticized the car for having little low end torque and using a small 2.0L I4 as the engine when first released. My dad bought one and I have driven it a ton, and it is an absolute blast. Honda didn't make a bike for the masses, or a car for the masses with the S2000, but a small group of buyers will absolutely fall in love with it. Yes, it's heavier and "different" looking than the previous generations, but more weight = more stable while cruising, and different looking results in cleaner fit & finish and better airflow around the bike. The tank is small, but it's what fit within the lines of the bike, and who doesn't take a break after riding 100 miles at a time, might as well get gas at the same time!

I would love if Honda came out with a new VFR model, maybe another 700 or 800, something considerably smaller & lighter than the 1200, as a "light sport-touring model" as the early VFR700's and 750's were. Again, Honda has always been successful with their products, and like to test their designs in new territories.

Just don't knock it or write it off before you ride it. Countless hours of testing and refinement have been put into this bike, do you really think Honda did everything wrong with it? (Besides the ugly muffler).

Just my 2 cents.

Take it easy fellas.

 

Looking at pictures of one is great
Seeing one is even greater.
Touching one is even greater than great unless one's mitt's are greasy.
Ricing one is almost the greatest
The real benchmark for analysis and determination as to whether Honda has screwed up is sitting on one..

This according to the good book as interpreted by the Luddites.

 

Even the muffler is starting to look better- first time I saw it I thought scooter but now it looks like it works as part of the overall design .... I'm trying to do a deal on a red one with 700 miles on it- guy bought it and found it too much for his arthritic wrists, just goes to show you must try before you buy.

 

I'm not objecting to the new "VFR." What I do object to is discontinuing the VFR 800.

In Sept 2009, I took a 5,500 mile trip on my 2006 VFR 800. It is capable of going > 200 miles on a tank. The new "VFR" has a smaller tank and probably gets fewer miles per gallon, so it is not suitable for touring. Also, it is heaver and I certainly do not want more weight. From the looks of it, if it were dropped the repair bill would probably be considerably higher, at least partly because of the turn signal lights built into the mirrors. That, plus the higher price, would increase insurance costs.

If something happened to my VFR 800, I don't know what I'd buy as a replacement, but it most certainly would not be the new "VFR."

 

Badbilly:

Have you taken v4bear and I's recommendation and read Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian; or the Evening Redness in the West" yet?

For all the religious and historical refrences you make we think it would blow you away brother.

BZ

 

I picked up my VFR 1200 on April 1. Great bike so far! As far as being a touring bike, it does only have a 5 gallon tank. I've been consistently averaging 41-42 mpg, however. As far as the weight is concerned, the 1200 actually handles better in the twisties than my former VFR 800. The seat is awesome. Geometry is on par with the 800. Where the 1200 really shines is passing. Coming up behind a car that you want to get around with little space to do it in............... All you do is roll on the throttle! The 1200 can pass cars in 6th way faster than downshifting a 800! Seriously, the 1200 is like an 800 on steroids!

 

I've just ordered a new one- trade in on the 800 was very good, two weeks max I have a couple of regrets about the 800 - great bike and wouldn't diss it but I've every reason to believe the 1200 will be better for what I want. As for insurance, I had a blackbird with indicators in the mirrors, it's not a problem.

 

On trips, I consistently get a bit over 44 mpg with my 2006 VFR.

The weight of the 2010 "VFR" probably isn't a problem one the highway. However, it is sometimes necessary to push a bike backwards, sometimes on gravel or other rough surfaces. That can be hard enough with the VFR 800 and I certainly would not want additional weight to contend with.

Also, for touring, the center stand is very helpful. It makes it much easier to examine the tires which, considering that motorcycle have no spare tires, is very important. I a hotel or motel parking lot, it can be very difficult to move the bike to rotate the wheels to expedite examining the tires.

Of course, bikes should never be dropped, but we know that it sometimes happens. With the turn signals built into the mirrors, breaking a mirror by dropping a bike would be much more serious. The additional weight would also make it harder to pick the bike up.

 

You won't have any regrets! Enjoy!

 

It's not that I'm against the 2010 "VFR;" it's just that I think it should be an ADDITIONAL model rather than a replacement for the VFR.

I can understand why some people like the 2010 "VFR," just as I can understand why some people like Gold Wings and Harleys. However, there are many of us who feel that the VFR has sufficient power, who prefer a lighter bike, and who want more range than the "VFR" with its smaller gasoline (petrol) tank has.

 

Got swarf?

Honda UK recalls 392 VFR1200Fs over engine seizure concerns - Motorcycle news : General news - Visordown

 

That sounds serious.

An engine seizure is more serious on a motorcycle than with a car; it could easily result in loss of control and a crash.

 

afaik, the recall is only UK and Spain right now but I believe all the 1200's are made in the same Japanese factory so I'd suspect we'd start to see recall notices for all the other countries soon enough.

 

For UK they are apparently recalling some not all bikes- these are being returned to Swindon (a main engineering facility in UK) . The engineers have been flown in from Japan to determine the cause- if there is a problem then a new engine is swapped in. They will be trying to work out the cause. The UK biles may have been built as a separate batch as we need different headlights -as we drive on the correct side of the road

Honda will sort it

 

Well, that didn't take long...

 

This sounds like a manufacturing defect - i.e., a machining/assembly problem - rather than a design defect.