Is all the hype true?

What I love about my VFR is it's like having two bikes in one. Ride it between 5 and 7K is it rewards you with a torque feel and tractable power. Spin it from 7K to red line and it becomes something else entirely. It starts to wail and pull and run like crazy. I don't ride it like that much because I don't have to. It's nice to know it's there.

 

I'm on the fence with my 5G. After 11 years and 90K miles, I'm still not sure if I like it. I'll give it another 75K miles/7 years or so and if I can't say I love it, it's gone.

 

HAHA that is funny right there. I really enjoy my 5G also but almost sold it to get an FJR or Councours so I could go on 500+ mile trips. But when it came down to it, how often will I really go on trips like that? Maybe 1 time a year and it's not worth changing from a bike I really enjoy commuting on and day riding on to pay that much more. My next investment will be bar risers though. I have raised the triple clamps as high as they will go and it's just not enough for this 6'1 guy.

 

5G ?? is that a bra size?

 

5th Generation VFR (1998-2001)

 

:boobies4:

 

Bar risers? Shit, I'm 6'3'' and after riding that 1000 around for the past 5 years the vfr feels like a lazyboy. lol

 

Mind if I ask what you paid for it? Just looking for a bargaining chip here. No worries if you don't want to divulge.

 

enjoy your new to you ride.................. I love my 2000........... I really, really, really do !!

 

Not at all, I paid $2250. I got a hell of a deal. The bike is super clean and has 30,000 miles. In addition to the powder coating on the wheels and the Staintune exhaust. The previous owner gave me the service manual, a cover, front and rear stand, honda 2pc lined Joe Rocket jacket, stock exhaust, extra windscreen and seat cowl, rear grab handles, and the bike even had the owners manual and tool kit. Shit, the guy even gave me a set of soft tie straps to use for the trailer ride home!

 

You need to put that guy on your Christmas list!

 

Holy F'n S***!!! If you ever want to get your money back out of that bike, you just let me know.

 

I know! Even if I wasn't interested in the VFR with all of the extras he gave me it was a deal I don't think anyone would pass up.

 

Hey, Mk,
hmmmm, is all the hype true? I can tell you that I have owned or own 3 VFRs over the years. I have owned a 1st Gen (1st model year, 1983), a 3rd Gen (1992), and now a 5th Gen (2000). I have enjoyed all three bikes and have ridden the 1st two extensively (I just bought the 5th gen at the top of the year). I echo the statement that the VFR is a great bike for EVERYTHING. But, is it is the ultimate corner carver? No. Is it the fastest thing off the line? No, most modern 600s can pull a VFR (not sure about the 1200) off the line. But, I can carve corners to the extent I desire, I can pull most traffic in day to day riding, and I can throw my leg over a VFR and knock off a 14 hr day in the saddle and NOT need a surgeon at the end of the day. I put over 190,000 miles on 3rd gen over 15 years. She NEVER left me stranded on the side of the road. So far, I expect similar things from my 5th gen.
Can you improve performance while maintaining that VFR reliability? Yes, you can. I have not started on any tweaks to the 5th gen yet, I want to get a good baseline. I did a few minor things to my 3rd gen that where good mods and simple. These were:
1) Braided Stainless Steel brake lines
2) raised the forks in the triple clamp by about 2-3mm. Made the front end feel much more "hooked" up.
3) RKA Soft side luggage - tank bag, saddle bags, and seat pack. I LOVE RKA, great products and amazing support and I still have the tank bag and seat pack, I sold the saddle bags with the 3rd gen.

So, is all the hype true? IMHO, it is within limits. A VFR is not going to stuff a Ducati 999 or 748 in the corners (given equal riders). But, that Ducati rider is going to need serious medical attention after a spirited, 14 hour run from Dallas, TX to Colorado Springs, CO in a single day (I made that ride about 20 times over the 15 yrs I owned the 3rd gen).

I'll finish with welcome to the world of these lovely V4s. Not sure I would ride anything else.

Dale

 

Not too concerned about carving corners anymore. Plus the roads here in the metro Detroit area are fu*ked. I just wanted something comfortable with a little power to avoid the sinkholes, sorry I mean potholes while I'm crusing around town.

 

I realized how much I was in love with the VFR when my fourth-gen was totaled after I'd owned it a month, and I was looking for another one within an hour of scraping it up off the pavement. I sometimes consider replacing it with a sportbike or tourer like an FJR, but I can never justify losing the day-to-day comfort when moving to a sportbike or the cornering ability and overall feel when moving to a tourer. The VFR walks the line better than any bike I've ever ridden; after multiple 500-mile days of travel, beating the crap out of it on Tennessee's back roads, and riding it through tropical storm-force weather on one occasion, I'm way too attached to this bike to ever give it up willingly. For me, the hype is 100% true.

 

It is a great all rounder, I've tried many makes and models of bikes, and I keep coming back to the Viffer. I did read that the KTM supermoto T beat it out as the best all rounder in a brit bike mag. But what do they know...:biggrin:

 

It's all true as is everything that is on the net is true.

Do not try this at home but good as they are the VFRs make shitty hillclimbers, motocrossers, flattrackers, Moto Gp racers and suck at places like the Isle of Man and in Ireland where they still have real road races.

Are they great bikes? Yes!! My mach 1 91 that gets 70mpg, has 450,000 miles on it, has never needed an oil or plug change or tires is still better than a Harley.

 

RC45 1-2 finish at '95-'96 IOM doesn't count?

 

:wedgie:

Owning to all those little things that are different when comparing an RC45 to a VFR, point well taken. Then immediately dismissed as revisionist history.