VFRs: Got Personality?

These bikes seem to do a lot very well, but...

Do these bikes have personality?

 

hells yea they do, mine has been draining my wallet just like my wife!!

 

Good question...

Prior to buying my VFR last year, I was a Harley rider since 1985. I'd ridden sport bikes prior to that, but one of the things I was always fast to say to anyone who talked up sportbikes and talked down Hogs was that "at least my bike has personality"....

Not sure how I would define "personality", but some might say when it comes to a Harley (pre-Evo anyway), it meant you treated it like a good woman, and it sometimes shit on you anyway. Even though I love riding my VFR, I'm not sure if it gives me the same type of feeling....

Anyway, the long and short is I guess it's a hard thing to define or quantify. Now my 65 Cobra, that has personality coming out it's sidepipes!! :thumbsup:

 

THE later the model year, the more they seem like well-mannered kitchen appliances.

They get the job done, mind, but they make it so easy to go down the road that they almost disappear under the rider.

FOR example my '86 700 is a real growling, beast of a machine, while my '97 is so smooth and seamless, doing everything better and with less fuss, that it's ALMOST too refined !!

Probably the FI bikes without the gear-driven cams are even further along the way to invisibility......but i never rode one.

 

Kristin's reponse as we sit on the couch: " that's just RUDE!"
She had the delusion that it is a "she", not a mechanical device, although a well enginered one that requires technical work to go "vroom" when she hits the little red button.....

 

If you don't think a VFR has personality, then there is 2 possible explanations.

1) You don't know squat about bikes.

2) You're spoiled by something even more unique/special/exotic.

The VFR (at least since 1991) has more personality than just about any fully faired bike out there. Read the latest Motorycyclist magazine. They said the CBR600RR is so good it's boring. Which bike was their pick of the new & improved 09 models? That's right, the slowest & heaviest bike, the Yamaha YZF-R1. Why? It had boat loads of personality.

KC-10 FE out...
lane: :usa2:

 

:thumbsup: They all have there own personality and if you haven't found yours yet you ain't riding enough.

 

Not sure what you want to call personalty, mine has quite a bit soul, does that count?

 

I could care less if it has personality or not.

I want it to work each and every time I want to use it.

No muss.

No fuss.

Even my 85 VF still runs like a champ.

Hmm, maybe that is it's "personality". You can keep fussy, ill tempered, vibrating, PITA machines. I'll slip the good ol' VF/VFR series into a brown paper bag and sneak out the back door......

To rip off a MAC slogan;

It just works....

 

Not sure how I would define "personality", but some might say when it comes to a Harley (pre-Evo anyway), it meant you treated it like a good woman, and it sometimes shit on you anyway. Even though I love riding my VFR, I'm not sure if it gives me the same type of feeling....


I'm with you. I too am a former HD rider. I guess at this point I consider myself between HDs. I also agree with squirrelman's take on the subject.

Personality in a motorcycle comes in many forms, but for me it's little things, sometime quirky things that I love. This bike rides well, but is so refined that it does feel more like an appliance than a machine that gets the juices flowing. I used to love cruising on the highway, but with the VFR, it seems the only way I can keep things interesting is to go a little faster...and faster...

I passed up Buells knowing they might be problematic, but in some ways, that just brings about a bike's character. I've started to look at Buells that have a little HD soul; a little rumble and a chance that something might rattle off. Something to tinker with...it's not about adding a piece of chrome or something, but being able to tinker a bit with something maybe.

This is subject I've been thinking about as I sit in the garage looking over the motorcycle having a brew...thanks for playing along!

 

What he said. My VFR does exactly what I want it to, every time I ask it to, and never complains. That is what I call personality.

 

Mines got soul but it's not a soldier.

 

I think Every bike has its own personality, before my 87 vfr I had an 82 Yamaha Vision, that thing had personality spitting out of its ill tempered carbs like none other, then I got the vfr and at full twist it is the most lively crazy fun personality driven machine Ive ridden. Even My 84 Yamaha XT600 has personality, granted it vibrates it through my teeth, but its there, you just have to find it.

 

The last Harley I owned had the personality of a manic-depressive.

 

Dude I can't believe you even asked this.....anyway I think you should buy a used Super Hawk you can fix all the flaws and have a fast nice sounding bike.

 

Don't confuse moodiness or temper with personality........for those of you who aren't sure, ride more, you'll find it. Sometimes having nothing to complain about is something to complain about.

If you had a perfect wife, would you be asking a similar question about her?
Didn't think so. There's a reason that we ask questions like this, because they are damn near perfect, enjoy!

 

One time my 85 stopped running on me on the side of the road, I was getting ready to walk home. I looked at her and said, you know if I leave you here with all these harleys riding by, someone is going to kick you over the side of this over pass. What do you say baby, just get us home? I rubbed the tank, keyed it and vrooom vroom started right up and limped us home. If that isnt personality I dont know what is.

Also if that isnt an overheating fuel pump, I dont know what is

My newest bike the 1990 hasnt let me down yet, but seems to have plenty of personality of her own as well. For instance she hates carrying passengers, where as my 1985 LOVED it. Course maybe its a reflection on the riders personality.... I am one of those that names my vehicles....:crazy:

 

i've had many many bikes, all had their own unique personality.
i have not been spoilt by more exotic... except maybe the Aprilia Futura...
i truly hate that they stopped making that truly amazing machine...
my 69 shovel head rigid frame HD had the most... it truly was a woman in every way...
if you didn't speak to her correctly, touch her in all the right spots, allow her to determine the day and time for play, she would try to hurt me or cripple me every time i'd jump on for a ride. just like a scrappy street bred woman...
(no offense to scrappy street bred woman)
my current ride (04 non abs, Racing Red) is sort of the precision machine that, once she found her voice, (stage 2 gut) and i stripped the rear pegs and tidied her up a bit, she definitely has soul and personality. She's not picky about where we go, she loves to run hard and fast, she has never tried to hurt me, (i tried to hurt me, it wasn't her fault) she is truly forgiving when i push to much, too far, too fast, and she is always ready and waiting to play........
she's perfect.

imho...