VFR's death greatly exaggerated...

well when I sit on one of the new 1200's it will be the sexiest bike around....of course any bike that I sit on becomes sexy once my rear end makes contact with it.

here's my take..it seems to me that this bike is taking on a dual role, taking over the VFR and the ST molded into one...I say they should scrap the dual shift bullpucky.. sounds like an awful lot of electronic stuff to fry when water accidently gets into the system....

 

actualy wherent the model designations vf1200t if thats the case isnt that just the new saber? Saber was another fugly bike we had to live with but atleast it had some nuts to it. The new 1200 will have power but the inner child in me always wants honda to reclaim its glory of badass bikes with v4's. Not that i wouldnt buy a i4 its just that once you have a nice v4 everything else is just well not right if you know what i mean. Hell maybe they will make a nice 140 or so whp vf600r weighing in around 360 lbs for a decent price that wold rock. But it seems the CBR is here to stay such a pity.

 

Even Harley Davidson ruined the XR1200 which was supposed to be a XR750 look alike. All they had to do was make it just like the XR750 with lights, and they would sell a lot of them, instead - and meanwhile, all the real ones are going for $20,000 dollars. Ruined the wheels too.
That was a 360 lb. bike that could win. Had one of the best frames ever made.

See what I mean?

 

I like the bike and I think a lot of people will be seduced by the additinal horsepower. Honda has always been good about disguising weight so wait for the road tests. Still, we lose a unique middleweight sport-tourer, and it seems to me that the bike that might fill the gap is something I'm not particularly interested in:

Honda Motorcycles Models

 

That was a bike that could win...30 years ago. If Harley Davidson would have had access to those materials, and that technolgy, 30 years ago, the bottom photo is probably what the xr would have looked like. The bottom machine is bristling with items that would have been drooled over 30 years ago. I understand the historical significance, but the overall functionality of the xr in photo one is laughable by today's standards.

 

Well, get ready because that's the new AMA racing class coming with the XR1200 I believe. Can't wait!!

AMA Pro Racing President Roger Edmondson visited with the four Japanese motorcycle manufacturers last week and a least a portion of the talks centered around Edmondson's desire to have two spec classes added to the existing American Superbike, Daytona SportBike, Supersport and Moto-GT program.

The two classes? At this point, the frontrunners are a Kawasaki Ninja 250 class - aimed at riders aged 12-15 - and a Harley-Davidson XR1200 class that will be open to everyone.

"I am actively pursuing the Harley XR1200 program," Edmondson said on Friday.

Cycle News | A Spec Harley XR1200 Class For AMA Racing?

:crazy:

 

Back to the future, where do you think Eric Bostrom got his start? Supertwins ring a bell? He won 9 of 10 races in that spec sportster series in 1997 on an 883. Ben Bostrom and Aaron Yates also got their starts in this class, before it was was disolved at the end of the 1997 season.

 

Just go to any dirt track race now and you will see all the modern Motocross racing bikes modified to lower the center of gravity to a reasonable level.
Also they have changed the wheels to .....you guessed it - 19 inch wheels.
There is a reason. Most modern sport bikes AND Motocross bikes have become so extreme they cannot do very much except one thing. Older designs could do it ALL! I am NOT against new technology but even HONDA could not beat the H-D twins on the mile. And they did try!

 

The Euro guys got the XR looking sweet and it seems we will be running the same set up in the DMG next season.





:thumbsup:

 

Yes, they did it all with those designs, why you ask?, because they HAD to. Sure they "did it all", but they sure weren't very good at it when judged by today's standards. They had horrible suspensions, the engines were underpowered, and they were unreliable by today's standards. You wanna know why I say that? Because I was there and experienced it first hand. Compared to today's machines those machines were terrible. Classic and vintage are just polite ways of saying old junk. I look at it like this, would you rather ride a cb500four or a cbr600rr?

I don't ever recall saying that you didn't like technology, but your inference in post #41, that 60's and 70's technology was somehow better than what we have today is unrealistic. As for the statement that you can't work on them, well, usually you don't have to........

 

Now were talking!!!!

 

Did Honda make a good decision? We'll have to wait for the sales numbers to come in to find out.

 

I want to trade the VFR in for a newer model and was hoping Honda would actually improve the bike. The new VFR 1200 is not an improvement to me. The bike is heavier, has a smaller gas tank and now has shaft drive. I might as well get an ST1300. The VFR was the best all purpose bike still in production as an 800cc V4 with LBS. If Honda wanted to improve the VFR they should have setup the bike with a heavier harness for powering more electirical add-ons (heating clothing, GPS, Phone charging, ect.). Another area they could have made an improvement on is the lighting and also cooling (the VFR runs hotttt). The most important improvement to the VFR would be to setup up self adjusting valves (major expense on the VFR). Another area Honda could improve on with the VFR is the accessories for the bike since most VFR riders keep their bikes and maintaim them properly. Honda also should have offered the bike with heated seat and grips since it is a great tourer and a great bike to ride in the winter months. On a more personal note and purely cosmetic they should have some graphics for the VFR or sumthin. The 800cc VFR model was great as a daily rider, occasional trackday ride and a tourer. The new 1200cc VFR bike is a pig and a flying truck on the road - why a slightly smaller gas tank??? Why shaft drive???? Why 1200cc and not 900cc or 1000cc. The new 1200 VFR is not a real VFR only a ST 1300 clone to me.

Other thoughts:

Maybe Honda should redesign the VTR as a repalcement for the VFR. Honda may also want to take more lessons from BMW (Honda seems to copy a lot from BMW and Ducati) and check the old BMW K75S (750cc, fuel injection with a V4 engine and single sided swingarm - bike was made from 1985 - 1995), which is an older bike I may consider looking for as a replacment for my VFR. Honda may want to look at the ole BMW K75S and copy/redesign the bike as the new VFR. I am a VFR lover and do not want to see the bike die, maybe Honda should use their cash cow the CBR as a way to come up with two special edition bikes. Make a Special Edition 1000cc Blackbird CBR and a VFR V-4 1000cc CBR with a single sided swingarm - NO VTEC please. Not to go off topic but Honda is finally gonna release the European naked CB1000 in the U.S. now that the economy is flat - go figure. Wonderful bike and I like it a lot.

 

it is a rumor and I would not put much behind it cause Honda is pulling out of racing in the states but V-4 in CBR 1000 and poss the 600 as well for 2011/2012
Aprilia might have something to do w/ it.

 

Since they wont be racing here (thanks DMG), we'll prob have to wait longer for those if they do happen...

 

Soup :: Until It Goes Click :: 10-13-2009

 

Can't be a replacement for the 1300. The new VFR isn't that big, and not touring focued enough. But what I saw on a you tube video at the release here in the US was that it was a replacement for the CBR1100 Blackbird. This bike should be able to kick a Hyabusa and ZX-14s butt on the track and twisty mountain roads.

This bike is what people were asking for for years on the VF/VFR list. I don't like the nose though. It looks like a Cylon. But again, as I have said in the past to deaf ears, they do not market this bike for the US. This is a European bike. We don't buy enough to be considered. It is styled by an Italian, so there you go.

Why all the boos on the tech side of things? Since 1983 the VFR/Interceptor has been Honda's leading tech bike. All the new stuff almost ALWAYS comes out on a VFR first. EVERY time a new VFR has come out it has always had new tech that no one else has. If you want low tech go buy something else, or get and restore/mod and older VFR. I find it really humorous the VTEC guys are the loudest about this.

Honestly, it has a lot of features I like. The dual clutch system should mean I won't get knocked in the back of the head everytime I shift hard with a passenger. It's not much bigger (barely bigger really) than any of the 800s, or 750s. Suspension is adjustable for a change! Enough power to make the squids wonder what the heck, and enough torque to make a Buell blush. More comfy passenger as well. While I hate to admit it, it would really do the job I want it too very well. Yes, a 100lbs light would be really nice, and a little more sport focused would be nice as well. After market suspension (or even rebuilt stock), clip-ons, and upgraded brakes and rotors would take care of that of the sporty side. Not sure how to drop the weight though. It may not be the fastest on the track, but from what I've learned over the years, the VFRs have always been a bit quicker on the streets because the suspension is setup for the street, and handles pot holes, sand, leaves, ect., better. But that's the same as with any sport tourer ie, Duc ST.

But I'm waiting for ride reviews.

Rich

 

Yamaha might have as much to do with it as Aprillia. Yamaha's motor is just an inline setup to fire like a V-Four, and it's fast (not caught up on WSBK yet).

 

YES I agree. The younger generation always wants the latest tech gizmo.
So much so that they go into $60,000 worth of debt in some cases. I heard that on a news story. I guess they have to let their friends know that they are up to date.....You mean you do not have a Blackberry? Dinasour!!
I feel sorry for them. I really do. It is not their fault. It is all the advertising hype pounded into them.

 

The weight. It is not the evaporative emissions canister. That is plastic filled with charcoal just like an aquarium filter. Weighs almost nothing.
Now a clutch is very heavy.Two of them? There is the extra weight. Stupid idea.
They just want a small diameter thats all.
HONDA should make all of the engineers working on motorcycles study all the designs of the past. They keep making the same mistakes all over again. They must have car people working in that department.