The VFR is absolutely sublime

On my first real ride(more than 150 miles) on my 04 I have to say this bike is taut.

The front end feedback is excellent, and the lowend has good punch. It doesn't have the mind numbing acceleration of my previous FZ1, but ridden properly I am quite sure I will be faster in short order.

I can see why you guys love these bikes so much. No pain with Sargent seat, great positioning. My best friend and I are going to do another tour in a year or two (our first was cross country 11k miles/7weeks camping) and I think this will be the bike to do the trek.

Open smiling in my helmet as staintunes bark ripping out of pretty fast sweepers in 3rd, can't wait to get rid of chicken strips from previous owner of 600 miles, It will really be mine at 1250miles:blah: :smash: k:

 

OK, I'll show my inexperience. Chicken strips...?

 

Chicken strips are the strips of unworn rubber on the tire at the edges. If you look, a new tire is uniform in the look of the wear, meaning none and the tire is all smooth. After you get some wear on it and some corners taken, you will see wear on the tire from side to side. The parts of the tire on each side that do not show wear are called chicken strips. It really is in reference as to how much of the tire you are using when cornering, how far you are leaning on the tire.

On this photo here, you can see that closer to the edge of the tire is different than towards the middle. Take notice of the line that runs down the tire as it is a lighter shade. The outside, lighter shade is the chicken strip, the inside toward the middle of the tire is how much of the tire I was useing. I use more of the tire now that I run Dunlop's and not the Pirelli that was on it in this pic.

http://vfrworld.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/903/ppuser/2118

 

Thanks Vinny. When I get home I'll check the outside of the tires and maybe take some 40 grit to 'em.

 

Very nice!! I'm just kinda talking smack. If you have no unworn edge on these bikes on the street you are pretty nuts, and need a trackday something major.:biggrin: :blah: :smash:

 

Congrats on enjoying the new VFR, your observations are very true, what the VFR looses to the FZ1 in HP it more than makes up for in build quality, Sportier handling and most important its uniquely melodious note. V

If you enjoy the twisties try a set of Pilot Powers they stick like poo to a blanket and with a brilliant tightly winding National Park run nearby my chicken strips usually are minimal/gone within 250km's or so.

 

I've heard about the Pilot Sport and Pilot Road but getting the D204's off might need to happen. The PO bought it new in April but it is an 04 so they had been sitting as well either in crate on on floor.

 

A few of my friends have done Keith Code or what have you, and they swear by the teaching of the masters. I've only done like 5 track days on a few different rides and I could see putting this bike on the track I just wouldn't want the tape on my nice fairing!!!:biggrin: :lever: maybe take centerstand off too.

Rich

 

The Pilot Powers basically replaced the Pilot Sports in 2004 as a Sporty Road tyre with better wet & dry grip, similar milage and capable of the odd track day.

The 204's are rubbish and turn into a slippery butter compound when they go off, at least mine did the first time I pushed them hard on our Alpine roads. :biggrin:

 

I agree the tire technology has certainly moved beyond the D204. I ran D208's on my FZ1 but that was because the sale I found was too low to pass. Pilot Power it is, thanks from Virginia to our Aussie friends!!! Now if I can just find that 400 bucks...:lever: :yo:

Rich