Looking for a new ride

So the deal is that I want a new ride. I am 62 and have never owned anything but Honda. In fact there are five in the barn now. My wife has the VFR800 and I ride the ST1100. We do a lot of sport touring 20k miles a year. Honda seems to have decided to back away from the sport tour market in the USA. No more ST1300 which would be my first choice.

I have looked at the VFR 1200 for sometime and just can't say it is the right bike. Other than being rock solid and a Honda there are draw backs for me. Poor fuel economy is number one on the list. 200 miles or less on a tank is unacceptable. Adding an auxiliary tank I don't think will cut it either and then luggage is an add on, not part of the base bike. Another added cost. I can live with changing the ergonomics to fit my needs. That happens on most bikes.

The second option is the FJR1300. It has most everything I want but don't need to have. The two biggies are electronic windscreen and heated grips. Neither of which I have now. But the price for a new one is really appealing. And other than a top case no luggage to buy.

So for those of you that have the VFR1200 convince me as to why I should get one of these and how will I be happy with it.

Also everyone seems to be hung on getting better HP by putting on after market ECUs. Does any company make one the detunes the motor and significantly increase fuel economy? I know it sounds crazy but I don't need a 160HP. I get in enough trouble on my ST1100 with only a 100HP. But I get nearly 50 MPG.

 

To me it's the best bike I've ever owned, it does it all. But I have redone the suspension, removed the cat, flashed the ecu, and tuned it. Also added helibars.

Tuning would solve your MPG concerns. You put it on the dyno, and tell the operator to tune the bike for fuel economy.

The FJR is an inline 4, so I wouldn't even consider it. The VFR12 with some mods handles about as good as a literbike, while being comfortable.

Sounds like distance work is more important to you than anything else so perhaps you should skip the VFR!2. It was made to slot in between say a CBR1000RR and the ST. Sounds like you want more of a ST. If the FJR doesn't tick all your boxes, maybe loook at the Connie.

 

I think based on your post, you should buy the Yamaha. I have had 2 FJR's (2nd gen) and currently have the VFR1200. I prefer the VFR1200 as I like to ride aggressively, even while sport touring. It just seems to fit me better for hard fast bends. Otherwise, the FJR is a better bike. Better for longer rides with gas, wind protection and easier riding position. I have had 38 bikes, and while I think the quality (not fit and finish, I mean, no failures) is excellent on Honda's, Yamaha is the best brand out there. However, the FJR position is much more aggressive than the ST. I have trouble thinking of the ST as a sport touring. If that was your cup of tea, you might find all day rides on the FJR tiring. Maybe a BMW R1200RT is a better substitute for the ST?

If you plan on putting 50k miles on the bike over 4 or 5 years, I think you are crazy to worrry about purchase price. Do the math of saving a few thousand bucks over many months, many miles. Better to spend the money to get the right bike.

 

Guys thanks for the input.

BMW is out of the question their initial cost plus the maintenance costs make them unaffordable to me. I do ride the ST very aggressively and have a tendency to turn up pegs and wear the sides before the center of the tires. I know a lot of folks with ST's and FJRs and they are my age and older and typically remove the aggressive riding position from those bikes and go to the upright position.

I personally find that sitting to upright is very hard on my back. That said with stock bars I have a hard time on my wife's VFR800 that is just a little to much forward.

Well the input is good. It is not a decision until spring and I must get a couple of test rides in as well. Have a great new years and be safe

 

Just buy a Gold Wing ya' old fart (LOL - kidding)

Are you keeping the ST1100 or replacing it?

 

I have 5 bikes. A 1991 ST1100 with just shy of 70k miles. A great bike. A 2000 ST1100 with 49k miles. Formerly my wife's. Two CB750's a 1974 and 1976F. And the Wife's 2008 VFR800. All are for sale except the VFR. If you are interested in something let me know and I can send details via PM or e-mail.

Two maybe three need to go before a replacement to the ST can be bought.

 

I wish I'd bought an FJR as well (I'm a Yamaha guy at heart), the VFR12 is nice to look at, and is probably going to be reliable as well, but it's neither as comfortable as I was expecting nor as sporty as I was hoping. I did get a ridiculously good deal on it, so I guess that's what pushed my hand and made me buy it.

Let us know what you get

 

The Kawasaki could be another option.

 

Grabcon try cycetrader.com, seems to be some ST left overs out there. Link: cycletrader.com

 

Well I am still up in the air. This decision will need to wait until spring. But after much research and deciphering opinions I think that a VFR1200 may need a fair shot and I need to do a test ride when the weather is decent here in Colorado. I was looking to buy a brand new bike, but if the test ride works out I would highly consider the VFR1200 with many mods to make it right. But if that is the case it will need to be a used one at a great price.

I would suspect several thousand $$'s to make it right. I think in this order, ergonomics & luggage, tuning, then suspension. I need to feel comfortable at a minimum of 500 miles a day continuously. I have 5 trips already planned for 2015 most are 5 days and under and a couple of thousand miles. One trip is 15 days and 6000 miles.

I have a lot of work to do this early riding season to get this squared away.

Thanks for the help and happy new year.

 

Cycletrader also has a lot of new VFR1200's

 

If I were getting a VFR1200, I would stick with the 2012-13 (there was no 2011 or 2014 for US) as they made a few tweeks to it for 2012. But you can only get blue-2012 or black-2013. I've seen a brand new 2013 online at a dealer in OR for $9999.00. There are plenty of new ones out there for way less than msrp, so it's worth looking.

 

Dave thanks for that info.

 

I bought my 2012 VFR back in October brand new as a left over from Sun Enterprise in Thornton for $9605 OTD not including tax and reg which I paid after I rode it back to Tucson the next day. Honda was offering $2500 in bonus bucks in addition to what the dealer was taking off MSRP. My parents and brother's family live in Castle Rock so I spent the night there. I've tracked 17 tanks of gas so far and my avg mpg is at 48.7. With warmer weather that will go up a little but my mpg numbers for a given motorcycle are always on the very high end compared to others so I feel confident in saying you wouldn't do any better than what I am getting. My avg. miles tank is 207 with my high being 220. The more miles I've put on the VFR the more I like but, given what you said in your post I think the FJR would be the way to go. It's a great motorcycle from everything I have read.

 

I find your mpg number very interesting based on others on the forum and reviews. I like your number. That makes long distance travel better. That is much better than those that I know with the FJR. They typically are in the high 30's. So what is you secret to the high MPG number?

I know that when my wife and I were both riding ST1100s she always got 5 MPG better than me. And it did not matter if she led or I led. I will attribute that to two things more body weight, I am plus 60 pounds on her. An my throttle hand, I believe she maintains a more constant throttle where I use my throttle a lot.

We use a little app for the phone called Fuel Log. we use this religiously for tracking mileage.

 

Not disagreeing with anyone, just adding my experience. I get about 37 on shorter trips, and 39 mpg if I am driving in the country with no stop lights. Also, as for available mileage,

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/79495-do-you-want-to-know-how-much-gas-a-gen-7-holds/

 

I hate to say this but the FJR is just a kick ass package.

 

I'm your neighbor in Utah and I'm selling mine

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=32264875&cat=144&lpid=&search=VFR 1200&ad_cid=2

 

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Have you considered the CTX1300 or the F6B?

 

Those are not my style of bike. I cannot stand their seating position.