VFR Fever, Again

[The Spaceman_imp]

Not completely on-topic, but I noticed the US Honda website only lists VFR1200s in the 2013 model year. Were they so unpopular they didn't bring in any '14s, let alone 15s?

The VFR 800 based Crosstour isn't listed; guess that's an EU only model.

[the Ferret]

Q-1. Yes

Q-2. Yes

Hopefully the Crosstour will eventually make it here.

can't make the VFR 1200 more popular. They will have to blow them out at a bargain basement price. Someone will get a heck of a deal.

[DAC]

I know of an untitled 2010 VFR1200 demo here in Ohio that sold at $10k - with a full warranty IIRC. It's a great bike at that price.

$16k? Not so much.

In general, Honda V4s are really good bikes. Kind of like Ducati's though: expensive to buy, expensive to service, several areas of "character," and every rider should own at least one in their lives.

[dave]

The VFR1200 is such an unpopular bike that there is a brand-new, 2010 model on the floor at Chaparral Motorsports in San Bernardino (at least there was 3 weeks ago). I was so anticipating the arrival of the VFR1200 back when Honda was releasing teasers almost weekly (kinda like what Kawasaki just did for the H2) that I couldn't wait to put my deposit down. The first time I saw pictures of the real bike, posted on the internet by Honda, my heart sank. But then I thought that maybe the performance would make up for its ugliness; but I was wrong. I purchased every single magazine that I could get my hands on with any information about the new VFR1200, even the really expensive ones from Brittan. It seemed like Cycle World was the only magazine that really liked this bike at all. Most of the American test reports played it pretty politically-correct, and didn't really say anything negative about the bike. But, some of the British magazines came right out and criticized it out-right. The nail in the coffin was a comparison test published by Cycle World, where the VFR1200 came in last place, and they didn't even include the Yamaha FJ1300. I am almost shocked to see that Honda hasn't discontinued it yet. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I have seen a VFR1200 on the road in the past five years.

[nhawk7504_imp]

The reach to the bars which felt ok when sitting on the bike made my wrists tired real fast once I was on the road. I know they were thinking about the BMW K1300 but they are both just too darn big and heavy for sport tourers. Big heavy motor filled with water and oil. Add gas on top of that. You get tons of torque. It was an interesting ride as was the new VFR800, which, when I got on the highway was wind noisy as all get out since the screen put the wind mid helmet. All said and done, CB1100. Lighter. Less $$. More comfy. Classic.

[12cb96vfr_imp]

i'm a huge 4th gen fan...bulletproof motor, handles well, sounds amazing....I'm half kicking around the idea of putting an RC30 paint scheme on it, but I just love that red too much

[nhawk7504_imp]

Glad you are keeping the VFR. That's a keeper. But then, so is your CB1100. I can see $$ issues with 2 bikes. Garage space. And frankly nothing compares to the gear driven VFRs. Reuben acted like it was one of the greatest rides he'd ever taken in his life when he rode your VFR. But then, he liked the CB11 too. I rode the '07 and '14 VTEC and didn't like the step from two to four valves even on the new one. The carb fueling on the 4th gen is perfect as well as are clutch, brakes, handling... That being said, sometimes after a rode for a while I wanted leg room and sit sit up more. I don't like how Helibars alter then handling though. Counter steering with stock bars is perfect as is tucking in behind the screen. Helibars lost front end feel for me on a buddy's '99 VFR.

[the Ferret]

Glad you are keeping the VFR. That's a keeper. But then, so is your CB1100. I can see $$ issues with 2 bikes. Garage space. And frankly nothing compares to the gear driven VFRs. Reuben acted like it was one of the greatest rides he'd ever taken in his life when he rode your VFR. But then, he liked the CB11 too. I rode the '07 and '14 VTEC and didn't like the step from two to four valves even on the new one. The carb fueling on the 4th gen is perfect as well as are clutch, brakes, handling... That being said, sometimes after a rode for a while I wanted leg room and sit sit up more. I don't like how Helibars alter then handling though. Counter steering with stock bars is perfect as is tucking in behind the screen. Helibars lost front end feel for me on a buddy's '99 VFR.

I have found this to be true on several motorcycles I have tried bar risers on, as well as lowering links for the rear. Put them on, found out that changed the feel, handling, character of the bike too much and quickly took the parts off and returned the bikes to stock. I've finally concluded motorcycle engineers are pretty smart guys that know what they are doing most of the time.

[Cormanus]

Glad you are keeping the VFR. That's a keeper. But then, so is your CB1100. I can see $$ issues with 2 bikes. Garage space. And frankly nothing compares to the gear driven VFRs. Reuben acted like it was one of the greatest rides he'd ever taken in his life when he rode your VFR. But then, he liked the CB11 too. I rode the '07 and '14 VTEC and didn't like the step from two to four valves even on the new one. The carb fueling on the 4th gen is perfect as well as are clutch, brakes, handling... That being said, sometimes after a rode for a while I wanted leg room and sit sit up more. I don't like how Helibars alter then handling though. Counter steering with stock bars is perfect as is tucking in behind the screen. Helibars lost front end feel for me on a buddy's '99 VFR.

I have found this to be true on several motorcycles I have tried bar risers on, as well as lowering links for the rear. Put them on, found out that changed the feel, handling, character of the bike too much and quickly took the parts off and returned the bikes to stock. I've finally concluded motorcycle engineers are pretty smart guys that know what they are doing most of the time.

You might be a lonely man holding to this view on motorcycle forums.

[rboe]

I hold that opinion too. With the caveat that many times they do something because a project just has to get done, on time, under budget, and they can't afford to muck with it anymore. Or it has to fit the most people in their target demographics.

Some companies are better it than others, but in this day and age, a company can't afford to let the public do the road testing.

In the case of the CB1100, they did an exceptional job at hitting their target. You may disagree with the target; but that is a different problem.

Now I think Honda did an exceptional job on this bike because I can't imagine many of the old guard still being around from the halcyon days of the 1970's that the young whipper snapper engineers could tap into that brain trust. NASA's engineers are trying to do that with the old Apollo engineers, most retired or dead. They are reviewing old F1 engines to noodle out how they were built; they simply could not and would be built the same way today. To replicate the feel of the old machines was a darn good feat.