2011 VFR Crossrunner (800)

^^ very well said.

In short: Where is the excitement? We keep getting bland monuments to technology (ala Lexus) as opposed to high performance refined (ala Porsche).

 

phobe, I ALREADY own that bike. It's a 6th Generation VFR with a different seating position and plastic and exhaust. I don't need to read a review to know what it is. Actually, your bike (VFR1200F) is the Honda I want to ride!

 

Are you dudes still falling for that old line about "this bike (or whatever) will only be available to a chosen few." If ya really want one (or whatever) what you do is whine and The Rolling Stones will see to it you get what you want.

Whining really needs some more definition aside from the noise. I have found some examples and even though they do not apply to bikes, they could be modified to fit in here really well IMO.

White Whine - A New White Person Complaint Daily

I am going ahead with production of my latest project. Biker Kleenex. At first it will only be available as a branded item from the major players. Harley, Honda, Ducati ect. We are considering perhaps some special orders for those who would like model specific tissue.

 

Had hopes the " VFR800 is back...albeit a bit taller.. " would stay the positive one of the 2...

Every VFR since the Gen 3 has had the previous Gen (2) owners complaining like the " new " Gen 3 was too soft and fat against the GSXR750 etc Competition and then the new Gen 4 was too pipe and slippers dull.

When I first looking at VFRs with the Gen 5 still new and the Gen 6 coming the Gen 4 owners were complaining the Gen 5 was too bloated looking and not a real VFR anymore, the Gen 5 owners replied with the Gen 5 was lighter and more powerfull with its RC45 V4 so would tell Gen 4 owners to get lost.

When I first bought a Gen 6 new in Jan '04, all the older Gens had banded together to Dis the Gen 6 as not being a real VFR and should be called a VF800F, Gen 6 VFR800 owners eventually banded together to tell the older Gen riders complaining to get lost anyone remember TAS ?

Why should the 2 decade old VFR game of bagging out the newest model change with the VFR1200 or 800 V4 Crossover ?

 

I am never ceased to be amazed by a few folks on here talking as if they think there is or could be a VFR repli-racer just around the corner, or at least they wish there was.

Since 1990 the VFR has been a "sporty Jack-of-all-trades" type of bike. The last Honda V4 repli-racer was the RVF (RC-45) from 1999 (hadn't been available in the USA since '94 I think). So, it has been over 10 years since Honda has made a true V4 racebike anywhere on the globe.

I understand jonesing for a new RVF'esque V4 racebike. I believe Aprilia is making it, it is called the RSV 4. It is an awesome machine, it is sexy, and has passion. It is expensive, but even if Honda made it, it would be expensive. And Honda SURE hasn't made a bike with that kinda sex-appeal/passion in a VERY long time.

I love Honda. It was my first dirt bike as a kid, and I rode them competitively (local amateur) for years. When I started street riding, I started on a Honda; but, by 1986/87, when I was ready to start roadracing, the GSXR was light-years ahead of Honda, and that's when I started looking elsewhere. When I came back to motorcycles, I got my 6th Gen, and I loved Cap. But having my new horse, there is no comparison, not even a little bit.

I have said it very often on this board, Soichiro is turning over in his grave. Take a look at the model progression since 1991 after Soichiro past; do you honestly believe it has gotten better? What was the last really passionate bike they made, the Rune? In my opinion, Honda has completely lost it's passion, and is quickly becoming the Toyota of motorcycles... I would be surprised if they could make any motorcycle now that doesn't have that antiseptic, "appeal to as many as possible", design. Frankly, that makes great business sense, passion is polarizing, but it is also not what Soichiro or I would or could love.

 

I'll reserve judgment until I ride one. I have ridden the BMW 800 and 1150GS. They're solid bikes for their purpose.

As for this original article from the OP, I found it funny the author of the article misspelled 'Crossrunner." I'm by no means the world's greatest speller, but I'm not writing articles for public consumption either.

Edit: Just read some articles to get better idea of the bike. It sounds like it's for people who like the look of an adventure bike but will never really take it offroad. It's like a lifted 2WD truck. That's cool - whatever. Maybe Honda's marketing discovered a group of people who like the way adventure bikes look but will never take them offroad. Part of the adventure bike look to me is the luggage, gps, etc... the whole setup, and not just making the front end look like a BMW. Just like the VFR 1200, the price-point Honda comes at the public with will play an important role in its acceptance.

I feel like Honda is better served pursuing this bike: http://www.popularmechanics.com/car...rcycles-EICMA-2010-honda-crossrunner#fbIndex3

 

I think someone said it earlier in this thread. Many of us love the vfr and were looking for continued updates. And instead of a good addition to the family they gave us a 1200 wale. The wale is proably a good bike but with the the vfr being sportbike of the year so many times in the past, the wale just dont cut it.

The 6th gen is the last of the more sport less tour bike. I think more of use would have liked a 900cc v four that kept closer to the 5th6th gen roots than a 1200cc not bike.

Then you see what they did to the beloved vfr....chop it up and make a not adventure tourer out of it.

If they did something like. Touno vs mile like aprillia then it may get more acceptance.


I honestly dont think it is too too ugly. It will sell to all the want to be adventure touring commuters out there.


As far as honda not paying attention .. They are. They are paying attention to the market. Hence all the cruisers and race only. 2.5 class of rider. Sport only, cruiser and the goldwing. They are dissing as is everyone else the bike that is sporty enough to have a ball on and the comfort to get to the roads where you can do that.

 

hang on a sec...

hang on a sec... a little research and facts here:
looking at the north american market for honda since 1991 has shown a meteoric rise attributed (in my opinion) to bikes that people want to buy with very little overlap in models, the CBR600F1..RR, VFR (gens 3-5), wings, ST, CBR9xx-1K series) and an increasing failure to address the market resulting in a net loss and market share loss

here is a graph of Honda's North American sales since 91. Should one care to look up the base data, it's here Honda Worldwide | Investor Relations


Think about it, the DN01, Rune, VFR12, these VFR800xx variants - what market is looking for this? During the same period, Ducati went from bankruptcy to more than profitable on the backs of 3 bikes, the monster (60% of profits) the 1098/1198 (60% of sales) and the Desmosedici (almost all profit). Aprilia returned from bankruptcy in 3 years with the RSV/Tuono and now the RSV4. Yamaha gained market share since 98 with the R1... and we get these rewarmed, bland piles...

 

p.s., I picked north america as it strips out "motorcycles" that are really scooters and little 125/250 learner bikes that aren't indicative of the motorcycle market, but are more indicative of the "personal two wheeled transportation market". In general these little bikes are not sold here.

 

Thanks for sharing data beta. I was assuming since every time i have someone compliment me on my bike they end by saying they will probably get a CBR600. Disapointing.....
Rwal data is always nice to see. Ypu arw right the rune and vfr12 etc are not great. We all know honda could put put a decent bike if they wanted to. You cant build a baha winner for the past few years and not beable to put together a good adventure tourer.

 

Thanks for the data, Beta. My point exactly.

 

I would say the Sprint ST is one...

Thank you.

I'm thinking you are absolutely right...

I'm sorry boys. I did a piss-poor job of communicating, because I was lamenting the passing of Honda... (At least the Honda I knew and loved, the one that innovated... Look at their cars even, when was their last "fun" one? The NSX and the S2000?)

You are actually all making my point; that Honda is trying to make bikes that sell in the shifting global economy. That their bikes are becoming more and more the result of bean-counters and economist/marketeers, instead of passionate, innovative, engineers and designers.

I think the 1200 was actually an attempt to get back to that, given that it was designed by their European team. I think they were trying to reclaim some of that artistic side; unfortunately for us, it's not the bike we want here in the USA (which as stated above, is NOT the market leader for bikes, by far). I wonder how the 1200 is doing in Europe, do we have any idea?

I showed this bike coming down the line over a year ago, shouldn't be a surprise. In that same tid-bit I posted, some Honda fellow said they would be using the V4 design in many new bikes, much like the Fireblade...

Anyway, I wasn't disagreeing, just saying the evolution of the V4 bikes that Honda is currently on, appears logical (or at least appropriate), given their direction; unfortunately for me, that direction is not one I like.

 

Not sure about Europe but 2 fellow OzVFR riders I know personally have recently purchased VFR1200s and are happy with them so far.

One who in the last 11 years went from a new VFR Gen 5 to Super Blackbird to '09 R1 all bought new with high milage come trade in to the new VFR1200 the other traded in his much loved '97 Blackbird in but still has an VFR750 Gen2 and an immaculate VF1000R that he has owned since new. It seems the VFR1200 is probably seen by some as a very capable Superblackbird replacement than directly a Gen 6 replacement but then the VFR Gens were seen by many as a stepping stone to the CBR1100xx Blackbird anyway.

 

Anybody using astrological charts to prove Honda is going down..

I want to tell them before they close up shop to please make a lawnmower with a turbocharger.

 

there is no doubt that 2009 and 2010 were bad years, but the rot at Honda had been since 2003 - 7 years - and the rot (just like on a fish) starts from the top.


in my area (northern virginia) the VFR12s sit on the dealer floors with current asks of $13,580 and free test rides and automatics at $15K

additionally
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Motorcy...&_catref=1&_ipg=&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282&_rdc=1