Trading the '03 for the '14 interceptor.

Congrats! I traded my '98 on this:



Had always wanted a white one since seeing a '93.

Very happy with the changes they made. The bike is narrower, steering is lighter and CG feels lower.



I have been told it is not as fast as the red ones, but that clearly isn't the case! :crazy:

Enjoy the new bike!

 

The white is gorgeous. My dealer has a 2014 in white and I spent 30 minutes just going over the entire bike. The gold accents are fantastic and can't be appreciated unless you see the bike in person. Congratulations on the new ride.

 

Congrats on your '14, I always liked the white better, but the red one was a deal I couldn't pass up. Going to get to know her better today.

 

I'm sure the red can hold it's own. I am dying to see one in person because pictures don't do anything justice. Unfortunately my dealer is only getting the white, so I guess it will be a while.

 

I see you are only an hour north of me. Who is your dealer? Mine came from CNY Powersports in Cortland. Not sure what they plan to have in stock in the spring.

Rob

 

Sportmann Honda in North Syracuse has got a white one. I've looked at it twice now. It was very tempting to buy, but I instead picked up my 2nd '07 RWB with just 3K miles on it instead because I had to have the RWB and it was like new. If they offer the 8th Gen in RWB then I'll be writing the check tomorrow. If not, then I will be leaning toward the white in a few years.

 

Six-month update, FWIW. Although I'm usually not big on mods (why not buy the machine you want in the first place), I added a Two Brothers slip-on so the V4 music is just more audible. I didn't fool with jetting, ECU, or PowerCommander and it seems to run just fine. The slip on is for me just at the edge of too loud, but the low RPM off-throttle burbling is just the bass track to go with the rest of the V4 song. Some folks are in love with the Porsche flat six, a big American V8, the silky smoothness of BMW's best I6's, even the Subie flat 4, or crackling in-line 4 literbikes; I happen to enjoy the V4. So, with the upgraded audio system, what else do I notice about the 8th-gen VFR?

Handling - While I suspect the loss of 20 lbs is a great help, it feels like Honda has tightened the suspension settings on the '14 bike, making it feel more assured in the twisties. For some, it may be a little on the stiff side, particularly if you live with the third-world-like crumbling pavement of Northern California, but I don't mind the trade-off at all. It rolls smoothly into turns and changes direction with far less drama than its over-500-lb wet weight says that it should. I think Honda has again hit the center of the "all-arounder" target, and it is a joy to ride.

Braking - I have no data to say that the brakes are better than the LBS-equipped '03, but they inspire confidence and on balance do not cause me to wish for the return of linked braking. The time I notice the lack of linked front and rear brakes is when traveling down one particularly steep residential street near my home. This street is steep enough that it is poured concrete with lateral grooving to aid traction. With the '03, a couple of fingers on the front brake gave a strong sense of stability; on the new bike, I like to add some rear brake to the mix. This seems a small sacrifice to make for the more controllable braking of a non-linked system. I doubt I've pushed the ABS to the limit, but it seems smoother at threshold braking. Perhaps this is just the faster processing of on-board CPU's.

Engine - As much as it seems the engine is identical, the power output is as large a jump as it was to go from a 5th (first FI/last gear-driven cam) to the smoother 6th gen. I personally don't think that they've yet gotten the digital fuel injection systems to match the low-rpm smoothness of carburetors, but they're closing in. Power delivery is smooth and linear, although there is a pronounced and quite audible bark from the exhaust as the VTEC transition is made. I'd kill to ride a nice 4th gen carbureted bike back-to-back with this one, as it's possible my memory of my '95 has made it rosier than it really was. It seems odd to me, however, that none of my fuel-injected VFR's has ever matched the 45 mpg I could get from the 4th gen machine - it was if you believe the numbers within 5-7 hp of the current bike. I'd quibble that the complexity of VTEC doesn't make sense for a 100 hp motorcycle as I'm just not sure the difference is worth the weight or additional machinery. I will say that fuel mileage is 2-3 mpg better than my 2003 machine.

Goodies - Can't report on the TCS as I work diligently not to need it. The wheel-cleaning I mentioned is far less daunting than I'd imagined (thanks BadBilly for the excellent tips!). The bodywork is a joy to maintain and I've gotten more compliments on this bike than the last. Almost no one ever described my "jowly" '99 as beautiful. After wavering on the fence over grip heaters, I'm firmly in the camp. I've got good winter gloves, but the heated grips extend the time of my single-layer gloves and allow me to actually feel my fingers after riding in sub-40 temperatures.

Overall - I'm enormously satisfied with the 2014 update. There are so many superb machines out there today that it is difficult to pick one that fits your riding style. A friend rides a BMW 1000RR and let me ride it recently - it is deadly fast, more nervous and will I'm sure trounce virtually any production machine on the track. For me it is, like most pure sport bikes, far too compromised for everyday riding. For those of you with the cash to move up to the 8th gen bike, I suspect you'll really enjoy the differences; for those who would have to stretch to make it to a new machine, but are riding any generation VFR, you're getting at least 95% of a new one for far less money.

A brief word about Berkeley Honda, where I bought this one and where I will have it serviced. It is a delight to find a decent motorcycle shop. Buying one of the first '14's, I didn't expect any amazing deal, but Scott offered a fair price and took my '03 on commission, saving me the Craigslist/multiple machine drama. If you live in the Bay Area, I'd give these guys a chance at your business. Scott is the owner, and is a really decent guy.

Good riding and Happy New Year to all!

 

Nice update! I would agree with almost everything you said....except the linked brakes. I seem to be one of the few that actually liked the linked brakes on the 6th gen. I really noticed their not being there on the new bike. I get much more nose dive coming into a corner a little hot than I did with the 6th gen. I have to remind myself to use both brakes if I'm carrying too much speed into a corner. Basically, I never used the rear brake that much on the 6th gen since the bike was using it for me, so now I use it like proper motorcycling technique would dictate.

But like you, I'm very happy with my new 2014 (4 months in and over 4k miles of just canyon carving). The only thing I miss about my 6th gen is the paint. Mine was the Candy Glory Red 2007, and I got compliments on the paint every time I rode it...literally! But I do get a lot of people checking out the new one every time I stop.

 

Thanks for taking the time for great update. I agree with everything you have said, but I have one question about the brakes; my rear brake doesn't seem to have much bite. My 03 was much better, probably due to the linking. Have you noticed the same thing? I only used rear brake around town, just to take some of the wear off the front, now I don't bother.

I prefer the linked brakes, I know the purists go to great lengths to un-link them, but I got used to them for everyday riding.

 

Frankly, I go back and forth on the linked brakes. I do like the ability to drag the rear brake without activating the front and vice versa. The linked brakes did for braking kind of what the DCT does for shifting and in the end I like the small challenge of using both independently.

As to the paint, my '03 was silver and I always enjoyed the color and form of the 6th gen in that color. I hate to admit it, but one of the real sales points of the new bike was the stunning white pearl/flake paint and even more subtle graphics. As much as I liked my '93 CBR600, I never liked the gaudy red/black/silver treatment; after I'd owned it for a year or so, a black 3rd-gen VFR parked next to me and I was totally smitten. Once I rode the '95, I was hooked.

I do like the overall hairiness of the Tuono V4 (complete with 145 horsepower), but by comparison it looks way geeky and the fuel mileage sucks. The 100 hp VFR is already much faster than I am...

 

Nice write up! You mention this was an early bike. What are the last few numbers of your VIN? I got 000069

Anybody have a source for VFR production numbers? Wondering how many Gen 8 bikes have been produced.

Rob

 

Since I bought mine used, it was made in 4/14 and last 3# 340.