VFR vs Bandit vs FZ1

Looking to buy a used bike for daily commute and weekend twisty play.
41 yrs old. 285lbs 6'2". lots of years on street and dirt.
I hear VFR's are more complex, hence, more $ to fix.
Lacking in power..(consider my size)
Where is most of the torque on these?
How is comfort?
Thanks guys/gals
looking to spend 2-4k
anyone with experience with all these rides?

 

Ooo man this is a good one, One can't beat the VFR for a it's refinement, has a decent motor in it, far from being a dog, but?? as you mentioned, your frame will make her work a bit more than the other two, not so much in the engine dept. but over all in the chassis. you'll fit fine, it's more of how a bike works in unison with in it's self and the human body it hauls plays into it big time. Both Bandit and FZ are good runner ups but them too have a limit on what works well, it's all a matter balance, take a look at a ZX14 and a Busa too. Best thing to do here is to go try em on for size. really it's the only way you will know for sure. The other thing sticking to a budget of $2-4 may limit you. as that's more a price you find on a worn out 5th and in the middle of a decent 4th gen. and I'd say not being mean here there's better bikes for a gentleman your size, be hard to be comfy on a 4th. Also not saying a bargain can't be found just may take a bit more research on your end. oh yes, look at a Vmax too. ; or wait for the 1200 vfr. or now that I think about it, check out a ST1100

 

I should let you know that the 2-4k bike is for now, within a year, I can buy pretty much what I want. And I WILL be buying a nice bike then...(within 7-10k). So I'm doing the research now. Basically, If I could have the low end of the Bandit, combined with the sreaming top of the FZ1, and the egos of the latest VFR....I'd be all over it.

 

I am thinking a Valkyrie might be a good choice.

 

Not sporty enough..I want to be able to take it to the track now and then.....
I have friends who have all three. Each one thinks thiers is the best for me. I've only ridden tha Bandit, but after I rode the GSXR...thats what made me think of the VFR...kinda best of both???
also hows the after market goodies for adding alittle, "you know what"

 

Running a First Gen 2004 FZ1 now. Great all around bike. I like it better than the wife's Gen 3 Viffer in all aspects other than the corners. It is a FAST bike. Faster than I am & she does love to eat up rear rubber. My biggest gripe was the stock bar's dramatic pull back, swapped it out for a pro taper dirt bike bar with the same center and ride with less pull and love it. I put on the bar mount mirrors and stock mirror block off, but that was just for looks.

 

I'm not sure why everyone's pushing you to cruisers...

I don't see any reason your size should be a limiting factor for any of those bikes. You'll need to respring the shock/forks to get good suspension performance out of any of them (heck, my 5th gen isn't great for me and I'm 225). I don't know offhand if the Bandit or FZ1 have stiffer springs than the VFR, but if you're not looking to drop significant money on suspension, that would be a factor.

I just took a trip with my sister through VA and WV on my VFR with stock suspension - combined weight of about 375 not including gear, and it did okay.

For around 4k you should be able to pick up a nice, clean 5th gen (1998-2001), which is a fantastic bike.

 

lol thats greatound:

 

Ride all three and figure it out yourself...it is the only way.

 

VFR does lack power.Sure it has enough for commute and few track days but it won't get your adrenaline rushing...
For that FZ1 is the clear winner.The only think I don't like about inline4 are boring exhaust note no matter what pipe and generally lack of character.It just sounds just like any other I4.
I like when I let go off throttle my VFR growls.Its a subjective thing some specially young riders love the sound of screaming i4 but I am in your age and done that already.
You may consider used Triumph speed Triples!Great sound and engine with lots of character.
Take care

 

Thanks for your input guys, much appreciated.

 

Kawi Z1k, kind of like an FZ. Power, comfortable riding position, durable, nothing else looks like it

 

How are the vibes on those bikes? I have a bad hand.

 

Interesting question, went for a ride on the weekend with a guy approx your size who just went from his long time Gen 3 to a excellent nick 2003 FZ1 ( old style ) he reckoned besides missing they V4 growl of a VFR the FZ1 suits his build better therefore has already proven the more comfortable on long rides, he also reckond the new FZ1 was no good for him which is why he looked around for the older model in the best condition.

 

The Z1k is known for a buzzing left-side of handle bar. It is cured by filling bar with buck shot BBs. The vibration comes from the engine mount high up on the frame.

 

Your what I'd call a "Big Ol' Boy"
If I were you, I would be looking at something like the Speed Triple. The main reason is power/torque on the bottom end.
The VFR really comes alive above 7500 rpm. Over the last year I have molded myself to the bike. I'm now 5'11' and 180 lbs. I was 230 lbs. The VFR suits me so much better now, than when I was heavier. I still have to twist on it to get the big grin on, but I fit the suspension better.
You will hear a lot of folks complain about the fueling issues with the vtec motors. The just of it is that these machines are not intended to be lugged around at 4k rpm. There are complaints about the vtec transition unsettling the bike in a curve. I have yet to experience this. On my '06, it just a change of sound, unless you really wack the throttle open in 1st or 2nd, then you feel a little jump, but at lean angle, when you just roll in the throttle, it's just noise, the power is smooth as silk.
I't the best bike I've ever owned. Just because it's right for me, doesn't mean it would be for you-
Ride as many different bikes as you can, then pick.
Good luck.

Mac

 

I might go for the Bandit, especially as a short-term commuter bike. They have a lot of midrange torque, decent handling and brakes, and the early models are available for not a whole lot of money. They newer Bandit 1250's are better bikes, but they don't come up for sale as often. You can get an idea of what to look for by reading some of the posts here;

General Bandit Chat - RiderForums.com Community

 

I saw this thread and had to post... but take it for what it's worth...

My first bike was a 2001 Bandit 1200s. The Bandit is not a very pretty bike, in my opinion, with the fairing on. After about 5 years I took all that off and looked much better! Not the best for commutes after I took the fairing off so if you're looking for a commuter bike, leave it on. The power in that bike was incredible!... i was at 169-185 lbs when I owned it, but even the bigger guys didn't have a problem with power. More then enough to go around. Did I say power? Yeah, it had lots of power. Unlike the VFR (03'), the power was made whenever you wanted it no matter what RPM you were going. From idle to redline, for the most part, you had power more then enough power. You have to wind the VFR up to get the power. That was something I had to get used to when I made the switch over.... winding it up and such.

With the stock exhaust on it the sound was pretty quite... you heard the engine more then the exhaust... but I guess that's the case with most bikes. I put a D&D exhaust on it with broadened the sound spectrum greatly. Not too loud unless you really got on it. Of course it's an Inline-4 so that's what it sounds like but the 1200 was much deaper then other inline-4's in my opinion. I'm not enamoured with the sound of the V-4 like most other people. It does sound cool but... anyways, to each his own.

It was an inline-4 so it was pretty buzzy, almost all the time (numb hands) compared to the VFR. Other guys found ways around that, ie. buck shot in the handle bars and they said it worked the vibration out, but I never messed with that. The foot pegs also transfered vibration as well (numb feet).

Seating position. The Bandit is more up-right where the VFR is a little more forward. The general consinsious on the forums was that an up-right riding postion was more comfortable for the older then 25 folks. I didn't really agree with that. Riding more up-right put too much pressure on my back down to my be-hind so my lower back would get sore. I fixed that by taking the hanlde-bars off and installing clip-ons. It put more weight on my wrists and took it off my back, which was better for me... but everyone is different. With that said, the VFR is much more comfortable. Wind protection is good for both bikes (w/ fairing) but I'm more comfortable on the VFR.

Handling... I don't have much skill with dragging my knee and I never really push it in the twisties so I'm not much help there... I probably didn't have the Bandit dialed in like I should and I don't have the VFR dialed in like I should, but with that said, the VFR handles better then the bandit when I took ownership of the VFR. But take that for what it's worth... not much... and I go straight 85% of the time... commuter as well.

I never had any problems with the Bandit when i owned it... 7 years. I've also never had any problems with the VFR since I owned it... 1.5 years and it's an 03'.

Tough choice. You can find a bandit cheaper then a VFR I would assume... Bandit makes a whole lot more power... VFR is more comfortable and handles better?... and the reason I bought the VFR... It looks freakin awsome!

Also, when I had the bandit i swore that I would never buy another carberated bike. After the VFR's fuel injection, I'm reconsidering that statement.

I loved the Bandit and wish I could get it again b/c of the power... but don't really want to give up the VFR... I'm not a daredevil and don't need to go that fast that quickly most of the time... the VFR is pretty quick... but not as quick as the Bandit... in a straight line.

Take it for what it's worth.

No exp with the FZ1 but I've heard nothing but good things.

 

Nobody mentioned ZX11 yet- seems like they fit the same price range as a 5th gen.

 

I've mentioned that one in a similar post not too long ago.
Also, ZZR1200 is a good option