2015 model Test Ride

Discussion in 'New Riders' started by fatbastard, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. fatbastard

    fatbastard New Member

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    I've been trying to get a test ride on a VFR800 for a month or so. Neither of the dealers near me had a demo, although I notice that they both had a demo of the VFR800X. Perhaps with the current adventure bike fashion, they expect it to sell better with our locally shitty roads. They gave me a call to say they'd got one in, so I took a spin down to the local dealership on the weekend. Weather here has been pretty grey, wet and gusty, but the radar looked like it was clearing. I had to hang around the showroom for an hour or so while the weather cleared up and then I got to christen a brand shiny new red one with zero km on the clock.

    My GS500F was my first fully faired bike. I noticed a huge difference when I got that, after riding unfaired bikes. I thought it was a pretty effective fairing, but at freeway speeds I do get a bit of buffeting and and gets blown around a bit when it's gusty. I got on the VFR, did a short run down the freeway and what a difference, it's not just the motor that is smooth, aerodynamically the fairing seems a hell of a lot better. It worked really well for me. (5'10"). Being a brand new bike with brand new tyres on a damp road, I wasn't trying to set any speed records, but I just rode it at a normal/mostly legal sort of pace and I think it will suit me very well. The position is a little more sporty than the GS but comfortable enough. I have some arthritis in the wrists and shoulders and neck so I was most interested in the riding position, I don't tend to put much weight on the bars anyway, but grip with my knees and use my core to support my body. I had a decent run of a bit over 50 km on a mix of freeway, good open back roads and some twisties. Then I ducked into a car park for a little low speed maneuvering.

    There are some really nice touches in the design. The black panels that wrap the lower sides of the tank are nice and grippy for your knees. Just a small detail, but it makes a big difference.
    I didn't change the stock suspension settings, and I think I could perhaps wind the back preload down a bit as it was a little harsh on the bumpier stretches, but it worked very well.
    You can certainly feel that it's a bigger heavier bike than the GS500F, but it's still a pretty nimble beast.

    The other bike on my short list is the Suzuki GSX1250FA. It's also a bike I could be very happy with, but I'm not entirely sure why they wasted money on a gearbox. Third gear and a clutch would probably do the job at road legal speeds in Oz. It's another very nice bike and like the VFR it's a hoot to ride. I did find it a bit more effort in the twisties though, you feel the weight more, it's not as nimble. Around the same peak power as the VFR but the torque is just sublime. I was concerned it would be a little too much for me, but it's actually reasonably controllable. It's on tap if you want it but you don't have to use it. Unfortunately I lack the necessary gene for self control. It does sorely tempt me, but I think I'll keep my license longer on the VFR. The lack of traction control is probably a bigger omission than it would be on the VFR too.

    In terms of quality, I think it's no contest. The VFR has alloy frame, single sided swing arm, the attention to detail and build quality are clearly a cut above the Suzuki. Some people have commented on the switch for the traction control, looking like an add on. Didn't worry me at all. It's out of the way and I won't hit by accident. The horn swap with the indicators has copped some flack from some reviewers too, but I found it worked very well. Both controls fell easily to the thumb and I didn't hit the horn instead of the indicators once. The brakes on the VFR seemed to have a bit more initial bite and better feel than the Suzuki but to be fair both were literally straight out of the box so hadn't been bedded in. The LED lights seem good, traction control maybe not entirely necessary, but nice to have when things get really greasy. Standard heated grips are a nice touch too. The self cancelling indicators caused me no issues either merging on the freeway or turning in traffic. You may have to signal again if changing lane and then turning or if you like to leave them on a long time, but they caused me no issues in normal use. In fact they worked very well.

    So in short, very nice bike and let the haggling commence.
     
  2. derstuka

    derstuka Lord of the Wankers Staff Member

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    Looks like you have made yourself at home boss. A very be-lated hello and welcome! How are you enjoying your new girl?
     

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