Had a test ride.............

....and liked it a lot. Key points in no particular order:

The good..
1) Build quality. I suppose with the problems I've had with my ZZR this was something on my mind. Looks very impressive, far better that the kwaka. Only time will tell though.
2) Comfort. I liked the position a lot. Importantly so did my wife/pillion. She normally prefers more sports orientated bikes to tourers as she likes to be able to see ahead rather than the back of my helmet, something that I think is often overlooked/mis-understood by rider/testers. More upright than a ZZR with bar risers but somehow feeling very sporty.
3) handling. it felt very nimble yet solid. More flickable than the ZZR. Very confident inspiring.
4) the sound. With the standard pipes it sounded a lttle erratic on tickover and quiet below 5,000ish. Get to 6/7,000 and above and the noise is just BRILLIANT. Not overly loud but just... i don't know, different/exciting.
5) wind buffeting and fairing noise - or the lack of it. much better than the ZZR for me and again importantly the pillion. for both of us it was very quiet at over 90
6) Brakes - they work, don't judder (warped discs on the Kwaka). great
7) neating fitting of panniers
8) takes a SW-Motech rack so i can fit the 52 litre top case like on the ZZR.
9) shaft drive - went un-noticed and of course no adjustment/oiling/replacement
10) It's quick - deceptively quick. Not sure if its the upright riding position or the quieter fairing (or a bit of both) but i found myself going faster
11) Physical size - I've short legs and get both feet solidly on the ground.
12) better than the GTR1400 - we had one of these before the ZZR and both me and the wife much preferred the VFR. (We much prefer the ZZR over the GTR)
13) test ride experince - overall really good. The sales guy at the dealers (P&H Crawley) seemed to to know his stuff (smaller pannier size apart). Shame the very slack throttle wasn't spotted before the test. I'm constamtly amazed at demo bikes going out with issues.

Not so good...
1) snatchy on pick up. Only really noticeable below 3,000. The throttle had a lot of slack which probably didn't help
2) size of side cases - 29 litres, slightly smaller on exhaust size (dealer couldnt tell me how much smaaller)
3) although fast and with a lot a of torque being produced at low revs, it just doesn't have the oomph of the ZZR ( but then again does any bike)
4) price -12,500 plus £1200 for luggage (£750 for side cases only)


Overall we liked it a lot. Seriously thinking of going for one. You should try one for an extended test ride (not just 10 minuntes down the road) before passing judgement.

 

The bike has throttle by wire, it cannot be slack. Say more about what symptoms you noticed about the throttle. I test rode one at my dealer and found the throttle response to be jerky and difficult to modulate. Jerky = just hitting a bump on the road twisted my wrist enough to make the bike jerk with acceleration.

Where are you? Edit your location, it shows US but you quote prices in pounds (I don't know how to find the symbol on my keyboard)

 

The throttle adjustment can be made just like a standard bike. I adjusted mine to take out almost all the slack.
Craig

 

I've updated my location details.

Re your throttle by wire comments, this is an assumption which a mistake made by many. Throttle by wire indicates that the throttle bodies are opened by electrical signals/motors rather than a mechanical linkage from the actual throttle (throttle cables). In reality the device that sends the appropiate electrical signials is often controlled by physical cables from the throttle (as per the VFR) which still need to be correctly adjusted. The big advanatge with this approach is that the electronics engineers can help programme the rate of throttle openning more easily....supposedly!!! Throttle by wire doesn't always mean an electrical connection from throttle to throttle bodies. One example where is does though is on the new harley tourer range.

 

I just took a ride on one here in Calgary - Honda's "Come Ride With Us" event that is touring Canada.

What an amazing machine. Makes my 1999 seem so....so....old?
I'm 5'11" 185 lbs and the bike was very easy to maneuver and fast!!!!

One word - Effortless.

The bike almost rides itself - turns, acceleration, stopping - just wow.

Did I mention that it was effortless?

If you get a chance, take one out - you'll be glad you did.

Only thing that I thought was funny was, at around 4500 rpms there was a slight engine vibration.
What's funny is, I get that on my 99 at the same rpms!

Anyways, those who have one - you're so lucky.

Those who don't like how it looks - you're so envious?
Come on - what's not to like?
Everything about this bike is beautiful - every stop, every car I passed, everyone was looking at this bike.

Now...if only they came in yellow....hmnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

 

I guess Team Honda is touring the Atlantic Provinces with their stable of demo bikes, as they were in Gander, Newfoundland today. They had an assortment of a dozen different models including a Wing, Varadero, CBR1000, Saber, and of course...the Viffer.

Having already ordered the DCT blind (due in early next week), I wanted to demo the manual for comparison. My current ride is the Suzuki B-King. She has an ultrasmooth power delivery on the first half of the tach, and just goes wild in the upper half. I was a little disappointed with the new VFR, as she seemed to labour a bit below 4k. When the exhaust flapper opens up at 6k though, you can't help but grin at the aggressive change in the exhaust note. I guess she just wants to be driven with...authority. I found shifting up & down between 1st and 2nd to bit a bit too "clunky" for my liking, but 2nd-6th and back again had a nice tight "snick" and the clutch action was very nice throughout. If DCT reviews are accurate, this will be a non-issue for me.

Although I liked the Viffer's pics and videos, I LOVE this machine in the flesh...even its stubby exhaust. The red paint is much darker/deeper and has an ingrained "sparkle" that has to be seen to be appreciated. I think the design, fit, and finish truly make it a work of art in our sport. :rockon:

My g/f was on the back and wasn't overly impressed with pillion ergos, but my DCT will have the top box to secure her in place when she's not on her own bike (2005 Shadow). During the ride, I lost focus for a moment and had to come to an abrupt stop to avoid the CBR ahead during some slower in-town driving. The brakes are VERY effective; my g/f and I knocking helmets as we came up solid a couple of feet from the 1000. Minor pucker factor. :shocked:

Wind protection with the standard shield was moderate, so I'm glad I ordered the extender. I didn't have the opportunity to lean her over very far or do much "flicking", but my initial impressions are that her ability FAR exceeds my own. Regarding ride position, the Viffer gave me more knee room (34" inseam) than my King, but in return asked a little more knee bend to peg my feet than the Suzuki. The 1200 required slightly more forward lean than the B-King, but I'd still class it closer to an upright riding position. Pilot seat was comfy for our 30 minute run…here's hoping for the same at the 2-hour mark.

Overall, I'm very impressed and looking forward to my new DCT. I think the B-King wins overall against the manual Viffer with overall engine and tranny perfection, but without a design-integrated windshield (all aftermarkets ruin the look of the bike) and no storage on the Suzi, I am confident the Honda will provide and the thrills PLUS protectoin and storage.

Happy Trails,
Saint