Shamu at the track

Discussion in '7th Generation 2010-Present' started by betarace, Jul 13, 2010.

  1. betarace

    betarace New Member

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  2. Bubba Zanetti

    Bubba Zanetti Member

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    Good find brother beta.

    Actually, when I first saw the post I was thinking "Oh, good! This review may finally show that the new VFR is a capable sports-touring machine". Cuz all the 'hatin' was getting boring.

    Man thats a bad review. Shame on Honda for not putting a better suspension on the damn thing.

    Glad to see hell for leather rode with NESBA LOL!

    I'ts 7:47 am and I am dumbfounded as to why Honda would spend all that money on R&D for a new bike and not give it a better suspension!

    I am rambling and need more coffee.

    BZ
     
  3. betarace

    betarace New Member

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    lets all pray for an RVFRC60RR
     
  4. Bubba Zanetti

    Bubba Zanetti Member

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    Pray for something anyway.

    BZ
     
  5. betarace

    betarace New Member

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    I pray that 2wheel'tone does not cry at VIR on friday, but I know in my heart that he will:stripper:
     
  6. TOE CUTTER

    TOE CUTTER Mullet Man

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    Wow, that could have been worse I guess........not sure how but it could have.
     
  7. tmyoungjr

    tmyoungjr New Member

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    Very good article. It's always nice to see a differing opinion from the mainstream media (ie print mags).
     
  8. vfourbear

    vfourbear New Member

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    Ouch, that was painful just to read.
     
  9. reg71

    reg71 Poser Staff Member

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    I think he basically came to a similar conclusion as me, but he was able to push the bike enough to see if it could perform. I have a feeling it performs a little better than that article sounded. It sounded like he was holding it up against full on sport bikes at least until later in the article when he started mentioning the busa and bmw. One session is about 10 minutes and that's not enough to get comfortable on nearly any bike at the track. I felt similarly about my GSXR 750 after my first track session and not much more confident after a full day. I still think the bike is a good bike and will have a following. I think maybe it's the VFR for the current VFR rider as he ages. Who knows... As I read the article, I thought about my 5th gen...when I first got it, the throttle was incredibly snatchy to me, I scraped pegs in many many corners, etc. I changed the suspension, I chnged the map on my power commander... It sounds like the new bike follows the tradition...
     
  10. Captain Happy

    Captain Happy New Member

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    Wow, I am shocked. A motorcycle without fully adjustable suspension, doesn't perform well on a racetrack...flabbergasted even.

    When I had my GSXR750, I used to smoke VFR's at trackdays. VFR's in street form are not track bikes. Oh yes, they can be track bikes, damn good ones, but not right out of the box. Just like any other motorcycle, you have to tune the thing to fit your riding style and for the way you want to use it. It takes time to get it done and it takes practice. A tech can get it close, but from my experience you still gotta tweak, tweak, tweak on the settings.

    It's not going to turn in quick, it's long. How many older VFR owners have swapped out their stock suspension parts for upgraded goodies?

    I have a VFR1200 and it keeps up easily with repli-racers on the street, which is what kind of motorcycle it is...a street bike.

    Do I think it's perfect? No...I sure don't, I find the front suspension to be a bit soft and a compression adjustment would be damn nice. But, it is quite capable and more then agile enough for fast street riding. It does and is doing exactly what I expected it to do, which is to be a very capable steet motorcycle. I never expected it to be a race bike or a quick little agile canyon carver. (which it does quite well so far in my opinion). It is heavy, but it isn't cumbersome or awkward. The rear could use a stiffer shock with a better spring rebound rate. But, it's stable and smooth for me and doesn't do anything sketchy enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

    To me, this is like saying a Harley fat boy sucks on a 1/2 mile dirt oval compared to a Harley XLCR dirt tracker. They both might be Harleys, they both have the same v-twin, but they weren't made to do the same thing.

    I suppose change is difficult for some folks. Nothing wrong with that. but the VFR1200 works, just as long as you understand what it is.
     
  11. drewl

    drewl Insider

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    We all know Honda makes suspension for the average weighted Japanese male.
    Should any of us be surprised by this?
    It is set up as a stock tourer that looks sporty. Of course it is gonna need work to thrive on the track.
     
  12. betarace

    betarace New Member

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    I gotta tell ya, the VFR (at least Gen3-5) are very very competent track bikes that are fun to ride, dont embarrass and ridden well more than hold their own against modern tackle. The engine of my 92 still pulls harder exiting turns than any new R6, ZX6 or CBR600 that I have ridden in the last 3 years. Yes the suspension is soggy, but ridden well, a real VFR is a pleasure on the track.

    Shamu (based on this article anyway) is not so much. FWIW the article is based on a NESBA I group track day at Beaver, which is definitely doa-able on a Gen3-5 and probably on a G6-7 (I havent ridden one so I cant comment). NESBA I group times are typically in the 85-90% of track record speeds for a modern 600
     
  13. Wes_Siler

    Wes_Siler New Member

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    The comparison wasn't necessarily to full-on track bikes, if you'll notice in the 2nd paragraph I talk about the R1200GS and R1200RT. You'd expect something with sporting intentions like the VFR1200 to be more capable on track than a BMW adventure tourer, right?

    I'm a fairly confident track rider and get the chance to ride a lot of different bikes. Should I have put a few more laps in on Shamu? Probably, but it was scaring me and I'd already reached the absolute limit of its performance. The bike told me what it needed to tell me, no need to put my bank balance at risk. This wasn't a case of being a few clicks here or there off an ideal setting, it was a case of riding a bike that was an utter mess on a racetrack.
     
  14. Bubba Zanetti

    Bubba Zanetti Member

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    To add, I think some people forget riding on the track is that place to see what a bike is capable of in its stock form.

    The new VFR1200 should have easily carried a decent NESBA I group pace without scaring the rider based upon its past history in 750 and 800 cc forms.

    As some of you know, my good friend Jeff made it to NESBA's I group on his 07 Busa on stock suspension! We adjusted the suspension to its limit, which really only came to a high street setting but it was enough to inspire confidence. I never heard Jeff complain about the Busa in the manner presented.

    This is a very "concerning" review.

    For 15k, it should be able to hang with the BMW's tested in the past.

    BZ
     
  15. 2wheel`tone

    2wheel`tone New Member

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    WTF! CP is coming your way.
     
  16. betarace

    betarace New Member

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    CP= Captain Picard?
     
  17. tinkerinWstuff

    tinkerinWstuff Administrator Staff Member

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    I loved this line:

    :pound:

    Guess Jamie D better get busy figuring out suspension upgrades for the 7th gen.
     
  18. dublflush

    dublflush New Member

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    I'm now figuring out why all the negative comments on the new 1200f.
    I rode a 2006 vfr last night back to back with my 1200. The 06 rides well, but does not feel much more nimble. As far as wieght goes, it feels heavy to me, and feel its because of the lack of power.
    Yes, I own a 1200. I have never owned a Honda before, I bought it because it has almost everything I want in a bike for the street and travel.
    This bike is in a different league than the 06 I just rode. Suspension, brakes, frame, and especially the engine are miles ahead of the 06. Maybe this bike is so much better that some of the die hards are offended by it. Yes , it does'nt have much in common with old vfrs, and so it should be.
     
  19. vfourbear

    vfourbear New Member

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    "while we were out enjoying more appropriate bikes, grey hairs were drawn to the VFR like geriatrics to bingo."

    Looks like the VFR will never escape the moniker "sportbike for old farts" Ive been hearing it since I bought mine two yrs ago.. Heehehehehee

    Kinda like the GSXR moniker ...."choice of squids the world over"

    There's more, one for every bike.....hahahahaaaa
     
  20. Meatloaf

    Meatloaf New Member

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    Wes, glad to see you're here talking with us about your article and I enjoyed reading it. I'm sure that with all the bikes you've had a chance to try out on the track that you've had a chance to ride a 6th gen on the track in stock form. How about just comparing the bike to its most recent predecessor?

    Of course it is going to get smoked by a stock R6. The R6 is designed, built, and geared for the track even off the showroom floor. The 7th gen VFR is not. Comparing apples to oranges is never really fair and is like saying that an Aprilia RSV4 smokes a HD Street Glide on the track. Aaesthetics aside, is the stock 7th gen an improvement over the stock 6th gen? Is the suspension an improvement over a stock 6th gen? Is throttle response an improvement over a stock 6th gen? Are there certain areas the 6th gen is better than the 7th gen?

    We all know that there is room for improvement with any bike regardless of the use it is intended for. Most of us have seen the terrible dyno graph of the 7th gen in stock form and almost all of us had to expect the suspension to be garbage direct from the factory. Would you be willing to take the bike back out once some modifications were make to the bike such as a Penske rear shock (sprung for you), RaceTech'd forks (sprung for you), and tuned properly via a Power Commander?
     
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