Thoughts on my new VFR, questions...

Hey all,

I picked up a 2000 5th gen about 3 weeks ago. I finally got a chance to ride it this weekend. What a blast :biggrin: . I definately am looking forward to putting some miles on this bike.

Some thoughts that maybe some of you guys could clear up...

- The vfr feels like a dog under 5k if you are in 5th or 6th gear (maybe even 4th, but definately 5th & 6th)... If I go from regular riding position to wide open throttle the engine bogs down (not stalling bad, but its definately not going anywhere fast and i can feel more vibration) until i reach about 6500 rpms where it smooths out and gives power...

- Am I right in saying that the powerband starts at about 6k or a little over? other than that the bike feels like a dog unless you are in 1st or 2nd where its responsive at any rpm.

- I'm pretty sure the bike is running on all cylinders, but i still have my doubts as the previous owner said something about it fouling plugs if you turned it on, let it idle and then turned it off before it warmed all the way up... it seems quick enough (125 mph to be exact, closed road of course) and runs great in any rpm... however i don't feel power until I hit 6k (3rd gear and above)... my concours had roll on power at 4k... i don't feel this here.

- I'm going to clean the air filter come next weekend, maybe this will help?

- What rpms do you guys cruise your vfrs at? This bike seems comfortable at 5,500 - 6,500 crusing along... Is that about right?

any other thoughts? My vfr is stock no mods...

~mikeym

 

My yellow '00 jumps right up through the lower gears. It will slide me back on the seat when I roll the throttle. I generally cruise between 5-6k, much higher and I'll shift up. It does not bog or miss or run rough at all.

 

I try to keep the motor above 5500 RPM...it gets really shuddery below that. But, my bike is a 6th generation VFR...I don't know if they're directly comparable.

 

This is what i'm experiancing... its not that it runs bad... its just that it doesn't have that power than my zg1000 had (inline 4, zx-10 engine) i guess i should expect that though... it gets a little more buzzy below 5500 in 4th 5th 6th for me...

drewl, if you cruise the bike at 3.5-4k do you notice a difference in feel than in 5.5-6k for example? I seem to notice engine vibrations more...

My bike jumps up great in 1st, 2nd (at least) and probably 3rd...

Where does the powerband start on the 5th gen?

~mikeym

 

Congratulations on your new bike. You have to keep in mind it is an 800, when you are in the taller gears at lower revs it is not going to respond like a 1400. I had an FJR 1300 you could nail it at practically any RPM and it would go. If you are trying to accelerate quickly keep the revs up & your VFR will be much happier. Have fun, be safe.

 

Thanks mainjet! I had a old zg1000 concours, not the new c14. I'm just not used to the 800 I think...

More questions:

What is everyones idle at?

Is there a pair valve on the 5th gen that can be blocked? Would this help throttle response on my bike?

How accurate is the digital gas gauge? I seemed to get 130 miles out of the tank riding hard...

 

I took mine out into some twisty roads today. I think this bike handles great. I was concentrating on turning at higher speeds...practicing form and what not.

Anyway, I noticed that this motor really is happiest at about 6000-8000 RPM especially if you're traveling at anything above a leisurely, legal pace. I'm starting to notice the VTEC transition more in the corners. It feels really weird to be in a drawn out lean and have that kick in. Kind of unsettling...

 

below 5k it runs very smooth. it rumbles above 6k (stock pipe, just feels like a rumble). speed limit in town is 30mph- I ride in second gear. It just seems like the engine braking is better than using the hand brake. when we are galloping, I wind it up to 7500 then shift.

 

thanks drewl... i'll have to get one of the local vfr guys to check it out sometime...

 

From your initial post everything sounds about right, the VFR in 3rd to 6th gear isn't going to be lifting the front wheel off the ground and the power starts around six grand in those gears. When leading or following my buddies on a spirited ride, I'm constantly between 6,000-11,000 RPM and the VFR does quite well no matter what kind of bike everybody else is riding, the only time the VFR lags is when you hit the 140 mark and then you'll really see the liter bike difference...

 

I have noticed the acceleration or lack thereof below 6k rpm on my 99 vfr. It doesn't really come to life until above 6k. As for cruising I keep it below 5k and above 4k. Any lower than 4k and the bike struggles.

Like others have said here it aint a liter bike so you can't expect whomping acceleration in any rpm. I've gotten into the habit of just dropping a gear or 2 if I want to pass someone or just feel like hauling ass.

Don't get me wrong this bike is still VERY fast. I outran a ferrari 360 modena at a toll booth and he had a headstart on me. (I was a lane that was going to merge left and the ferrari was to the left of me)

 

Thanks guys! Sounds like everything is normal! Thats what I get from going from a liter bike to a 800

That said, this bike is more comfortable, more sporty, accelerates quicker, and handles better than my last one! I can deal with the lack of power at low rpms, because she moves a higher rpms.

 

mikeym:

You might try running a 1/4 mile and comparing your time to past results.

compare your concours hp and torque numbers to the VFR's to see whats want.

Lastly, you can do a butt comparo on cornering, where the VFR shuld kick the Kawi's butt. Same for braking.

 

Oh it kicks the Concours all the way round except down low grunt... thats my only compaint.

I could roll on the throttle at 3.5-4k on the concours in any gear and go... the vfr takes a little bit to wind up... but after 6k she runs like a raped ape.

 

This is a 6th gen owner talking here so I know it may not be applicable but I find my VFR is smooth at any RPM. Granted, like any vehicle, if one tries to run it in too low of a gear for a given RPM it will lug but it has amazing flexibility in any gear. It accelerates very well in general. Second gear accelerations from very slow speeds are rocket-like. I passed some cars in 6th gear yesterday...I started rolling on at 70mph and was at 100 fairly quickly. Not as quickly as the previous pass when I clicked down to 5th but no problemo.
THIS MACHINE IS WONDERFULLY SPIRITED AND READY TO RUN!

 

I'm recently coming off a Nighthawk 750, and have had to adjust my riding style to suit the VFR. At low RPM's, the V-4 shakes more than my inline 4 did - which is predictable. So, I have found that it feels best to take corners a gear higher on the VFR than I did on the Nighthawk. Same with cruising down the road - the VFR feels the best with the revs up just a little bit.

On the other hand, coming from the Nighthawk, I find the VFR to have great power at any RPM. If I were stepping down a in power from a bike with a bigger engine, I can imagine feeling that the power is lacking from this 781 cc motor.

I think that the feel of any new bike is based in large part on what you are accustomed to.

 

Hey hey, thanks for the response! My concours redlined a 10.5k. She was quick, but if you were in triple digits, you knew you were in triple digits... :wacko:

Another thing MAY (not sure about this one) be a difference between chain and shaft too. I was acustomed to riding a shaft drive bike.

~mikeym