Saying Goodbye to the VFR

6th gen VFR is a fine bike. VTEC feature adds character to the bike, nothing to fear from it.

 

So I have been reading through this thread and I just bought an 08 that I will be picking up wed. or Thurs. I am curious about 1 thing regarding the Vtec engagement. I just came off a 2006 ZX10 and Im actually looking forward to less power and more comfort for awhile(untill next year when I get another rocket to go beside the VFR). I rode a 2000 VFR a few years ago and really liked how easy it was to ride, no effort and good sitting position to relax. I will still be tearing up the turns on the VFR. Just wondering if people dont like the Vtec becuase they ride below and above it going through the turns? Its about 6k, right? which should be smooth cruising rpm? Im used to holding 8-10k as I navigate turns aggressivly and Im wondering if any of you guys ride the VFR Vtec like that, possibly 7-10K range and does that keep you above the engagement point where its not noticeable? Is it too small of a MPH range in 2nd and 3rd gear? Hopefully I wont be disapointed, but then I dont have an ealier gen to compare it too in the garage! :wink:

 

i have V-Tech 2004. I get flutter@4.2 to 4.7. 5.9 is cruise,Vtec7k-12k gets to twisty rock zone.I'f doing twisties I love 2 new valves kicking in @7k .I wanna' be running the r's in that V4 engine,creating the gyro motion and@7k,it just begins

 

Starting in '06 VTEC engages around 6400 RPM and disengages around 6100 RPM. I generally stay above VTEC in tight turns so there's power on tap when I'm exiting, but I have had it engage in turns before. It is a non-issue completely. You can hear the engine note change but stability is unaffected. I ride my VFR to the edge of the tread and sometimes accidentally shave a few thousandths off the peg feelers.

People that have had stability problems with this iteration of VTEC must be chopping the throttle or otherwise reacting unexpectedly when VTEC engages. If you're smooth but are aware of what your machine is going to do (as you should be when pushing the limits), it's totally fine.

 

I like the VTEC, though I think I would enjoy the bike just fine without it. I am, as Mello Dude points out, a sport TOURER rider. The bike is simply great for that. Fun all the time, great for long rides (especially with some mods), and plenty of power for passing on the highway. I'm not particulary concerned about being creamed from behind (I suspect that if you spend so much time looking in your mirrors worrying about that, then you will be putting yourself at much greater risk from some real dangers), so its off the mark speed seems plenty fine. But I did get to spend some time the other day chatting with a Triumph Sprint owner who was dead on the side of road. Nice bike :smile:

 

:bootyshake2:

 

Im guessing his bike was dead since you must have been chatting with the rider? Unless you can speak with dead people.....:tongue:

 

carbs - 4th gen reference
vtec - 5th gen reference
:wink:

 

carbs - 4th gen owner reference
vtec - 5th gen owner reference
:wink:

Rambamatic can i ask a favor from you? Please, if you're going to quote me, use my quote....that's what the quotation marks mean. Thanks. As for the elitist reference....please go back and revisit your original post, if you have time of course.....peace.

 

Yep :redface:

 

I had a similar experience as Ramba. About 3 years ago I was looking to buy a bike. One of the local dealers had a nice looking VFR with about 10K on it. It had an aftermarket pipe and K&N filter, looked great so I took it for a test ride. Like I said it was similar to the original post. The bike felt sluggish until I had it up past 6 grand and then got a funny power surge. The suspension also felt suspect, wallowed in turns and dived on the brakes. Funny thing though, it was a 2000 model with (according to some of you) the Holy Grail of motorcycle engines in it, a V4 with gear driven cams. I don’t know, maybe I should have posted up what a POS those 5th gen bikes are and how anyone who has one must be an idiot.

I found out later, from the guy who bought it, the bike had a power commander on it that the PO had put a “custom map” in. I have since had the opportunity to ride a couple of 5th generation bikes back to back with mine. Here at altitude I didn’t see much difference. The 5th gen motor is smoother but the VTEC motor felt stronger on top. The 5th gen felt like it snapped into a turn better but the 6th gen felt more stable and linear in the turn. For every opinion you read that says that VTEC bikes are killers that will through you off in a heartbeat, you’ll fine someone like myself that like them.

As for magazine comparisons, they are about the same. Example, a couple of the mags did a test between one of the new BMW 800’s and the VFR. One mag said the BMW was the winner hands down. The other said the VFR was clearly the better bike. For every Rupert Paul who says the VFR is dead you have Peter Egan (sp?) who loves them. I guess opinions are like a55holes, everyone has one and some are bigger than others.

Action

 

Oh you just said that to get me to bite aren't you MD and have been successfully up until this point in keeping out of this Gen6 Vs thread for a change. Having had both think the Gen 5 & Gen 6 both make very competent Sports Tourers which is why no other bike out there interests me unless regularly two up & loaded why would you need more power than a VFR for the road ?

The Gen 6 with factory panniers may look more tourish but can tell you only the rider makes the difference between them through the twisties or on the track.

 

Again, the performance/function of the VTECH does wail! You just have to undo a few things the "poor sucker" engineer was forced to comply with regarding emissions. I would challenge any 5th gen. regardless of tuning, to match the performance perameters of a properly tuned VTECH. I've got dyno numbers to prove it. Any 5th generes care to compare???

 

I like my '04',v-tec is (on'04')7000rpm,any sporty turns run above that!higher rpms =stability,V4's got the gyro spin.There is always something better,get what you like and be happy.Don't bash,it's too easy, Rambo.VIFFERS rock!Tech weenies bore me,let's ride!

 

As A Final Question...does It Exist A Cemetery For Good Old Vfr ?
It Is So Sad To Think A Place Where Vfr Bikes Are Dismounted And Reducted In Small Pieces. No, A Vfr Never Dies, A Vfr Falls Sleeping And Dreams Highways To Cope With....
Lamps To All Vfr Owners !

 

Quick reply?I could'nt find Q,sorry.Just rock the planet.Eh 4 the canadians.Our southern bro's don't ride viff.

 

So help me understand this VTEC issue,

Why would I give up my smooth as silk 98 VFR which costs me almost nothing to run, and spend alot of money for a bike which should be my logical next move for a new purchase ( a newer and updated version of what I already know works) just to have to "ride around" an issue which, by the way was engineered into the bike to work that way? I have owned 5 VF's and VFR's and every time I got a newer one it was a brilliant replacement. This time I am not so sure that I want to move to the next generation. Unless I want to throw money at it before I even get it out of the dealership on something like a PCIII and the programming to compensate for this high tech VTEC.