My First VFR= Motogasm, haha!

Hey people. I am new here and new to VFR's. Here's a quick backstory:

I started riding in '02 on a Suzuki 650. Hooked on bikes ever since. In '04 I upgraded to a brand new Suzuki GSX-R750. Up to that point I had researched what bikes I liked and had narrowed down to either a new GSX-R750 or a new VFR800. At the dealer I kept going back and forth between the two bikes, and couldn't decide...then finally my 'impractical/need for speed' side won out, and I bought the GSX-R...IDIOT!!!
Oh well, not so bad...I rode the snot out of the GSX-R, road and track from '04 until about 1 year ago...over the last year I just stopped riding as much...down to maybe once a month if lucky...I was so depressed...just sick and tired of numb wrists, numb legs, and a serious lack of track days...finally last weekend I had ENOUGH! I sold the GSX-R on Craigslist...and immediately turned around and used the money to buy a PRISTINE '03 VFR800 VTEC in Force Silver w/ Helibars, dubbub screen, and cruise control!
OMG!!! OMG!!! HAAAA-LE-LU-JAH! HAA-LE-LU-JAH! THE BEST DECISION in regard to motorcycling I HAVE EVER MADE! Throw your GSX-Rs in the garbage people! I felt like a total idiot for not having done this sooner. I have been with my new baby for 3 days now...she is everything I have ever fantasized about in a motorcycle. I AM CONVERTED FOR LIFE. I wanna go hug her right now. :thumbsup::smile::biggrin::thumbsup:

 

Congrats on the purchase! :thumbsup: You'll ride so much more now since your wrists (and back) can hold up better! Good luck with the VFR and enjoy the boards!
Mike

 

I've been riding my VFR since 2001 and I still get a rush every time I throw a leg over her! It is a great all-around bike. Welcome to the forum!

 

Welcome! I agree, you can ride day in and day out on the VFR. Post some pics when you get a chance.

 

Welcome to the forum, Great choice. I am glad you found your soul.

 

now, you're one of US, viffer addicts! welcome and enjoy your new love!

 

I had a VF, then I joined the dark side and bought an FZ1. V4 Lover at heart though.

 

Congrats on finding a bike that renewed your love of riding. I love my 01 VFR, but sometimes I get the itch to try a CBR600/1000. Your comments about the super sports really resonated with me. The VFR is so comfy and if you want to ride aggressively, you can. With a super sport you don't really have the comfort.

 

Welcome aboard, Viking. Sorry, but we cannot help you with your new addiction. We will, however, encourage it at every turn.


Get it? "every turn" :rofl: little motorcycle joke there.

 

Welcome new guy. Just make sure it's only a hug!

 

Welcome viking! I hear you on those torture racks, that's why I went with my VFR instead of a CBR1k. Sometimes when I ride with my buddies on supersport bikes I get a little tired of the hourly breaks, come on, we've only gotten started!

One thing you might want to upgrade is the seat, Sargent makes really good ones.

 

Nice move, I moved across from a SV650S ( a great little bike ) in Jan '04 and admit to looking closely at the GSXR750 before deciding on a VFR, is it true the Gixxer K4 is made of cheese ?

 

Welcome to the Brotherhood

Hey Viking

I totally agree with you 18 months ago I bought a pristine 5 th Gen Viffer from riding a VTR Superhawk for 3 years and now the Hawk flys very infrequently.
VFRs rock!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks for the welcomes. Yeah. I'd say the new VFR is my new moto-wife. Once I had been riding my GSX-R for about 3 years and taken it to the track a few times I realized that full-on race-reps really don't belong on the street...I mean sure, they're cool to ride around and I wouldn't wanna stop anyone from doing so...but it's like driving a two-wheeled F1 or LeMans car around on public roads. Yeah, having absolutely phenomenal brakes and acceleration has its uses, but bikes like the VFR have plenty anyway. For those of you that had questions about race-reps like my 750: I've ridden a few different models to compare, and YES the GSX-R750 is everything the hype claims...a seriously WELL balanced sportbike...handles like a dream and absolutely has enough power...it's an atomic 600...liter sportbikes are insane to have on the street. The 750 is plenty and is really rewarding to ride. I loved it. Had I been able to schedule..and afford...more track days, I probably would have kept her forever and modded her out, but alas, at heart, from day one, I've been a DAILY rider. As for GSX-R K4 quality? My K4 when I sold it was in superb condition, but I garaged it and took care of it...put it next to a Honda of the same vintage however, and you can see that Honda quality is way ahead...but Suzuki has since caught up pretty well. Anyway, the only other bike currently that I like almost as much as my new VFR is my little brother's '04 BMW R1150RT. That thing is just amazing. I took it for a ride in some twisties a few weeks back and he rode my GSX-R. It's a lot porkier than a VFR, but MAN can it handle. It is DECEPTIVELY fast in corners. The front end feels quite vague compared to a true sportbike however, you kinda just have to trust it. But it truly rocks. I'm truly a Honda V-4/ BMW flat twin guy now. I will NEVER, I mean NEVER, unless it's something like the new big-bang engine R1, ever ride another inline-4 again.

 

Don't hate on I4s until you ride an FZ1. It's more of a SuperSport/Standard hybrid than Sport Tourer, though is perfeclty capable of touring with plenty of hard luggage options. The Ergos/chassis are very standard, but the motor and suspension are supersport. It's an interesting hybrid. Did I mention I haven't had a car in a year and that I've ridden my Fz1 to and from work every day for the last ~7 months? Not one complaint other than that the ergos are TOO comfy for heavy sporting so hanging off the bike feels like supermoto than sport bike, but I've got rearsets on the way and am going to order an aftermarket bar the pushes the handles forward 2 inches and I'll drop it another one.

Inverted forks, R1 (130RWHP) motor, 190 rear, it's beast of a machine that's tame or fierce depending on what end of the RPM range you're riding.

If I could have both I'd get a VFR too, I love V4s, but things like a 26k mile valve interval and such keep me on my FZ. If only money wasn't an issue.

 

LOL one of these days...you'll come back...


Welcome, yea it's funny how folks pass over the VFR, but when they do finally see the light, they have your reaction, Nice huh?

 

Definitely, I'll pick up a VFR at some point. It won't be in replacement of my FZ1, it'll be in addition to. I just need to win the lotto first.

 

Yeah, I do realize that liter+ I4's at least have a nice spread of torque to work with. Smaller cc I4 bikes not so. Funny, my GSX-R750 had near the same amount of torque that my new VFR has on paper, but the delivery and peak are so much different. Whereas the GSX-R didn't build any real torque until 9-10+ rpm, the VFR pretty much pulls nicely right off the line. Because I'm not used to the flatter torque curve of the VFR it feels like it has the thrust of a bigger/more powerful bike. Anyway, I'm sure your FZ has some real nice get up and go. I always thought the earlier FZ's, the gen before your bike, were neat looking bikes that offered a lot for the money.

 

V4s are notoriously Linear powerbands, they feel almost electric. They really are a hybrid of all the good qualities of Twins and Inline 4s, the disadvantage being engine complexity, weight and volume in comparison.

My FZ make a good load of fun in the low end for an I4, but still rather lacking off the line "WEeeeeeeeeeeee" factor; it's VERY deceptive rolling on through first gear, the speed steadily/predictably/statically builds up to 7k RPM then the bike hits the beginning of its power band and it becomes a completely different beast.

I was initially deciding betwen a 6 Gen VFR and my FZ1, but weighing all the options per the cost, I opted for fancy features like inverted forks, fatter rear, HP, bigger brakes, ~100 pounds less, etc. etc.

 

welcome to the madness viking. it's clear that you are now hopelessly addicted to viffer. as brother drewl stated earlier, we can't help you with that, but will encourage it at every opportunity. congratulations on your very wise motorcycling choice, and welcome to the brotherhood.