have a 6th gen is a 5th gen really that different? considering buying one.

I bought an 07 RWB a few years ago as a second bike. Had a '86 growing up and always liked V4s and RWB convinced me to get the 07. My BMW is my primary bike but still ride the 07 a few thousand miles a year. I know lots of people don't like the 6th gen bc of vtec and no gear driven cams but I don't have any issues with the bike perhaps bc the only other VFR I rode was in the 80's. Im Not a big fan of red VFRs (sorry) but like the yellow. So I am wondering will I notice the difference btwn the 5th and 6th gens enough or are they similar enough that I should consider getting a different bike (like an RC51 or superhawk). Just looking for a little friendly advice. Thanks.

 

I bought a 5 Gen after owning my 6 Gen for a little over a year. Mostly because I wanted a VFR for just "playing around" and did not want to risk anything happening with my 6 Gen as it's my commuter/tourer, so I opted for the 5 Gen. For the most part they are similar but there are differences too. Now I will preface that I did setup the 6 Gen for commuting/touring so the ergos are a little different and at first I had sport touring tires front/rear (Michelin PR2s) and that made a slight difference in how it turned but I now have a sport tire up front (Pilot Power 3) so it does turn a little sharper now. Where the 5 Gen has Pilot Power 3s f/r, it felt more sportier at first, but less now with the tire change. Both bikes have modified suspension (f/r) and were both done by Jamie Daugherty. The 6 Gen has a modified stock Honda suspension but the 5 Gen has a hybrid Honda fork (VFR+VTR internals) and a Penske shock, so it does ride a little different due to that as well. As they are now, I think they both fit their roles as I intended and can say that on either one, I can ride all day and not feel like I've been put on "the rack". I say go for it, the 5 Gen is just as fun if not more due to the gear driven cam sound, but it is hard to really say that one is really better than the other, IMO.

 

primary difference is no V-Tec, yo

 

I had a 5th gen for almost 6 years and just recently got an 08 vfr. The 6th is much more refined and handles more precise. I feel like honda made the 5th with to much flex in the frame causing it to feel vague in the corners compared to the 6th. When i lean into a corner on the 6th and choose my line it feels much more secure. Where i found myself having to correct my line on the 5th there is none of that on the 6th. Dont get me wrong i loved my 5th but had i test drove a 6th i would have gotten one a long time ago.
As far as the gear driven cams i dont even miss them. I could hear them at times but not like i could on the 86 i had.
If i were you i would lean towards the rc 51 or superhawk for a more dramatic difference in riding feel. Because there are some very noticeable upgrades on the 6th gen the overall feel of a vfr is still there. If you want that then yeah get the 5th gen but if your looking for a different feel i would go with something else.

 

If I do get a 5th gen That's a good idea - setting up one in a more sport fashion and the other as a toured. Thanks

 

Taylor65 thanks for your input. I too.think a superhawk or rc51 might be more fun bc it would be drastically different. It seems like the 5th gen would be similar enough to my 6th that it might not be worth the investment.

 

Throwing my vote in for the RC51 or Superhawk. There are differences in the 5th & 6th gen, but not enough to make them wildly different machines.

I may buck the trend, but given the choice of an RC51 or a Superhawk, me personally I would get the Superhawk. You can go full blown track bike with it or canyon carver. I have heard some people touring with them, but the tank is small and miles to a tank are not touring friendly IMO. I mean you can probably ride an hour or two on the Superhawk to get to the canyon, but I doubt you would want to do it all the time.

The RC51 is a race bike. There is just nothing else to say about it. It belongs on the track and it excels at it. At slow speed it is not enjoyable. The position is too uncomfortable for around the town puttering and forget an hour or more on the slab. But it on the track though, it becomes magical.

The Superhawk is more versatile but sport centric. The RC51 is legendary but only for track.

 

I have been on both bikes but I think it comes down to looks . I think the 6th gen is a much better looking bike . The 6th gen doesn't cover the single sided arm with the exhaust .