Aspiring VFR750 owner

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by Coasty, Mar 3, 2019.

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  1. Coasty

    Coasty New Member

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    Hello there every one from Waiwera NZ,
    I have finally made up my mind after way to much procrastination & navel gazing to add a VFR750 to my fleet,
    A motorcycle which I have always wanted but for way too many reasons have never bought & you lot are so very impressively passionate about,
    I have one really important question which is, how do they go on a gravel road ?
    Every time I ride, I have 8k's (5 miles) of gravel to contend with, which actually has never worried me, (it's like a really long driveway), and is the price you pay for living out in the country,
    I have the most washed & also the Dirtiest Harley in the country, the dirt bikes are supposed to be dirty so no issue there & I don't think I have ever washed my quad so mission accomplished !
    Way back in the day my old Honda 750/4 was a pig of a thing in the gravel, my other road bike's not so much
    but I have never had one with bodywork ! in saying that I have also never fallen off any of the road bikes (different story with the dirt bikes, more of a case of trying to stay on really)
    The Harley ( and yes I can hear the collective GROAN all way across the pond) is a rock in the gravel, something to do with being big,fat,long & low I suspect)
    So while I really want to own and ride the best all rounder ever made & experience that awesome v4 engine
    I am cautious as to how it will fit into my riding situation.
    Thanks in advance for any advice and or opinions
    cheers
    Coasty
     
  2. RllwJoe

    RllwJoe Insider

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    Welcome to VFRW !! I used to live on a gravel road, with a half mile drive to the pavement. As long as the garavel is packed and firm you should not have a problem. i always went slow and steady to limit the dirt and stones from damaging the fairing. Think of it as a warm up, or cool down before or after your ride. Loose sand, on the other hand, can be a bit un-nerving. I don't know that it would be any different than your Harley.
     
  3. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    I took my VFR800 through the Tapu-Coroglen Rd recently and aside from looking like I had just finished the Paris-Dakar rally, didn't suffer too badly. For reference that is 28km of twisting gravel over the spine of the Coromandel ranges. I don't think it matters too much what you ride, just take your time. IMG_5133.jpg
     
  4. Coasty

    Coasty New Member

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    Thanks so much for the warm welcome & replying to my post, that is exactly the kind of feed back I need ! the road is normally packed & firm with not much loose metal on the top as the council maintenance is woeful, also slow & steady is the go as the sharp metal chip just eats my back tire, sand is nobody's friend so we stay well away from that stuff, my brother in law tipped my mint VX800 over on one particularly nasty corner & he has been riding for years although never been a dirt bike rider, what difference that made I have no idea, I thought a " fender extender" (for both the VFR & the Harley) and some of that clear stick on protective film to protect the bodywork, now I just need to go and find one !
    thanks again, cheers Coasty
     
  5. Coasty

    Coasty New Member

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    Hey Terry, I have driven over that road road years ago and it was pretty rugged back then, sounds like it will all be good on the gravel & taking it easy is definitely the way to go, I bet it took a while to clean the bike after that trip !
     
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