Here's How I See It

Discussion in '7th Generation 2010-Present' started by KC-10 FE, Jan 27, 2010.

  1. KC-10 FE

    KC-10 FE New Member

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    Greetings all. I'm back from the middle east & I didn't have much luck getting online over there. That being said, I need to pass my verdict on the new VFR1200. Feel free to quote me or reproduce this material as you see fit. Here goes...

    "Thanks Honda. Thanks for giving/designing the VFR faithful a bike NO ONE, that's right, NO ONE asked for. Thanks Honda. Thanks for proving that you DO NOT listen to your faithful customers. Thanks for proving that you DO NOT have the slightest clue what this bike should have been. Thanks for proving you are relying soley on the Honda reputation to sell bikes."

    Now that I got that out of the way, here are my reasons in no particular order.

    the bike is FUGLY (Everyone can kid themselves all day long, but this bike is seriously ugly.)
    automatic transmission option (REALLY? Are they freaking serious? Motorcycles should not have an auto trans. If you don't have the coordination operate the clutch & trans, maybe you should take up softball or golf.)
    gained weight (Thanks Honda, just what we all asked for, more weight.)
    smaller fuel tank (4.9 gallons, are they serious?)
    STILL no freaking standard bags (It's over $1200 to get all 3 factory bags & all 3 look like an after thought.)
    shaft drive (Really? I don't recall a single sport bike on the market with a shaft drive.)
    the exhaust (UGLY...)
    no heated grips (Wait a minute here, I thought they were going for a ST1300 replacement.)
    funny sized rear tire (I hope future owners like paying nearly $250 for a single tire.)
    170HP (When you couple that with the smaller gas tank & you have a VFR that can BARELY get 170 miles to a tank. What a joke.)

    The things I like about the new bike:
    I like the instrument panel
    still has the SSSA
    the bike displays traditional Honda fit & finish
    still has a V4

    The two Honda dealers left in my area are still debating whether or not they will actually stock these stupid things. All Honda had to do was call this bike the ST1200 & NO ONE would have noticed a thing. I don't care what anyone here thinks of me for saying this, Honda has FAILED & FAILED MISERABLY. I can say this with all sincerity, I simply can't see any product in the current Honda portfolio that I would actually consider spending my cash on. I am truly sad to say this, but it is what it is. Honda is going down the tubes. This may explain why the Honda dealers in my immediate area are going belly up at an alarming rate.

    So, in the end, why on earth would I buy this bike over the competition? I'm sorry to say there are very few reasons to buy it & plenty of reasons not to. Both the Kawasaki Concours & BMW K1300 are far superior choices for similar money. The BMW has too many options to list. The Kawasaki is a raging bargain & offers ridiculous performance for that bargain price.

    Well, unless I can score a 1969-1973 CB750F or CBX, I guess my Honda buying days are over. My next bike will be a Ducati.

    KC-10 FE out...
    :plane: :usa2:
     
  2. drewl

    drewl Insider

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    Hey KC, thanks for chiming in.
    Thanks also for your service. Be careful over there.
     
  3. betarace

    betarace New Member

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    thanks for the service and the clarity of thought around whats really wrong with this abomination. If it were sold as the ST1300 replacement, great. But marketing as a VFR, no thanx. Should be a VFS and a VFR as a sister bike that is a softened RVF1200R
     
  4. Knife

    Knife Member

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    Glad you're home safe and sound. The Duc Multistrada 1200 is looking awfully tempting.
     
  5. betarace

    betarace New Member

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    be careful on any version 1.0 ducati. the 1098 took a year to sort out. I have a buddy with an 08 multi should anyone want a reference.
     
  6. KC-10 FE

    KC-10 FE New Member

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    After reading the Kevin Ash & Hell/Leather articles, I see I'm not the only one who thinks as I do. I am VERY dissapointed in Honda.

    That being said, anyone want to buy a MINT 2001 Italian Red VFR800fi with only 3500 miles on it? I need to get the cash together to buy the Ducati I want. It will be in the classified shortly.

    KC-10 FE out...
    :plane: :usa2:
     
  7. crustyrider

    crustyrider New Member

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    etll us how you really feel about it.....my next bike will be a VFR...but it will never be a 2010 "VFR" they have soiled the VFR name IMO
     
  8. chomper

    chomper New Member

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    let the 7th gen bashing begin!!
    how long will it take before we see posts like 6th gen was the last vfr....blah blah blah

    im waiting before judgment to actually ride one. i guess i cant tell honda i own a 6th gen:unsure:

    kc last time i checked k1300s had a shaft
    thats interesting about the odd ball sized tire. what size are they using?

    have to admit that new multistada is looking mighty fine
     
  9. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I like Cyburg's measured analysis that if anyone buys one they are a fag. The boy is a genius.

    IMO, we should not be calling our non-fag VFR's sportbikes in public. Ya never know who is reading these threads. I'd hate to think that after all these years my insurance company would change thier minds again and start charging me sportbike rates instead of sport touring rates. It was hard enough trying to convince them that my 79 R100RS with a shaft drive wasn't really a sportbike even though The RS means Rennsport. I guess too that that new BMW hot rod is a cruiser..and also that Moto-Guzzis are verboten in New Jersey..LOL..

    Whoops, durn near forgot has anyone really done much more than carp and sit on one of these new VFRs at a bike show? I am waiting for a real chest thumping, certified heterosexual, man up, me drink Bud, have lots of guns and a giant penis and shit review from other than cyberspace.

    Where is Go for a ride when we need him?
     
  10. mello dude

    mello dude Administrator

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    Im with you KC - Honda should have named the bike STV1200 - the bike follows honda tendency to provide solutions to problems that were never asked.

    MD
     
  11. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I agree, that little dude from Japan that put motors into bicycle frames before the cities stopped smoking wasn't really thinking. I still kind wonder about that 250cc Roadracer they built in the late 50's I don't know a soul who asked for that junk. Come to think of it I can't recall anyone that asked them to build the 750 4's or those other one's with the Vfours. I'm sure there are one or two others that I have forgotten.

    I'd buy a new Duc too but I'm so hooked on bucket and shim valvetrains that paying some guy 80 bucks an hour for 4+ hours a pop to wrench on those desmos just makes my wallet scream ouch.
     
  12. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    providing solutions to problems that were never asked? :help:
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2010
  13. Cyborg

    Cyborg New Member

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    Here's the measured analysis I believe bitchboy's referring to:

    As for the "VFR" 1200, I have several valid reasons to say the thing sucks but then, when have you ever been worried about the truth? You are a liar and I would love to say it to your face but for now, I'll just settle for forwarding your latest missive to your new best friend...
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2010
  14. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    We need those valid reasons, rather than more homophobic ranting that pervade your missives. I would accept a sound clip of your version of a Tarzan yell in lieu of possible plagiarism when you correspond with our MIA friend.

    :croc:
     
  15. Knife

    Knife Member

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    Thought you were talking about me until I got to the giant penis part.
     
  16. RVFR

    RVFR Member

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    Hey Dude, good to see you're home safe and sound.. for the time being. LOL yea the VFR in person is just as bad as the photos too. Go figure.. NOT!! My choice for a newer machine is also Ducati.. all though those 4th gens sure have a lot going for em for the money, but new is nice too. Good to see your writing skills haven't changed. ;)
     
  17. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I will make an exception this one time if you can clear the rest with Cyboard's gay test. Us Uber Gurus have to hang together. ;)
     
  18. KC-10 FE

    KC-10 FE New Member

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    I stopped by the local dealer today for a new set of grips & ran into a friend. He was there looking at the Phantom, another "new" model from Honda. It's basically a Shadow, which is basically unchanged since the 90's, with a HD style blacked out paint scheme.

    Anyway, he asked me why I could or would pass judgement on something I have never seen or touched in person. Quite simply, I wouldn't buy the bike based on looks alone. I made the comment on the shaft drive since I hate shaft drives. It's no more in depth than that. I don't consider the K1300 to be a true "sport" bike either. It's more of a grand touring type vehicle. Kind of like comparing a Mercedes SL500 with a Chevy Corvette. The point remains, for the exact same base price, you get a vehicle that has more options than some makes offer total models. The single only thing the VFR1200 offers as an advantage is the V4 engine. I am obviously biased to V4's but it's hard to win a Hold 'Em hand with a pair of 4's.

    The bike uses a 195/55 tire. I haven't really looked, but I don't remember seeing a single tire listed on any web site in that size. Mind you, I saw the complete specs of the bike on an Emirati web site so there is a distinct possibility that size is incorrect. Most likely it is a 190/55. If there is a link for the bike specs on Honda's website, I don't see it.

    I actually must change what I said. Current ST1300 owners would never acept this bike. The gas tank is way to small. In order for this to be a true ST1300 replacement, it must have large, integral bags & at least a 6.5 gal tank.

    At any rate, this bike is a total failure. The only people that will buy it will be the guys/girls that just HAVE TO HAVE the new thing out there. After that, there are simply too many choices that are either better or cheaper.

    Sorry Honda, I'm just calling it like I see it. Give us, the VFR faithful, exactly what we asked for & we will buy that bike. Most (if not all) of us wanted a noticable bump in power, reduced weight & a top shelf suspension while keeping the bike the jack-of-all-trades that it's been since 1990. Most (if not all) of us did not want a bike that showcases excess technology just for the sake of showcasing excess technology.

    The new Duc MultiStrada is ugly as sin as well. The Ducati I'm buying as soon as I get the cash together is the GT1000 in red. Like I said, anyone want a MINT 2001 VFR?
    http://www.powersportsnetwork.com/enthusiasts/new_vehicle_detail.asp?VehicleCode=178783

    KC-10 FE out...
    :plane: :usa2:
     
  19. Cyborg

    Cyborg New Member

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    While I could deal with shaft drive, I totally agree concerning the "VFR" 12's shortcomings you've listed. By all that's Holy, who at Honda thought any of this a good idea?
     
  20. Lgn001

    Lgn001 Member

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    This place hasn't been the same without you, KC. Glad all is well with you.
     
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