New VFR Owner from Utah

Hi all! I picked up a Red 99 5th gen earlier this year and have been lurking for quite some time so I thought I'd introduce myself. I live and work in Salt Lake area of Utah and have been riding for 20 years. I've previously owned a 75 GL1000, 90 CBR1000, 92 ZX11 and most recently a 99 ZX9R. I loved the 9R but sold it a couple of years ago to help pay for the back yard of the new house. The time finally came to get another bike and I wanted something a little more touring oriented so since I love big bikes I was looking at ZZR's, FJR's, K1200's and such. I really liked the ZZR 1200 but finding one proved difficult and the FJR's and K1200's were more than I wanted to spend. I had always liked the VFR's but they were always out of my price range when I was previously in the market for a bike and I hadn't originally looked at them since they were only an 800 and I wanted a really big bike. Then I found a this super clean VFR on Craigslist for a decent price I decided to go for it. The bike was in almost showroom condition, 22k miles and not scratch on her. She's basically stock with a blacked out windshield, Corbin seat, 2 bros slipon and some tasteful vinyl wrap. So far I've been happy with it but I do wish it had a little more power so I didn't have to keep it at such high RPM's at freeway cruising speeds. Since I got the bike I've added a Givi rack and 52L tail trunk which has been an awesome addition for a commuting bike.

Here are some pics.

 

Oh my heck!!!!! Enjoy

 

Very nice ride! And it's the fastest color too. Welcome.

 

Hello my friend,
I live in Salt Lake and I'm ready to go out for a ride when you are

You have a great bike. Congratulations and enjoy

 

ZZR 1200 is an awesome bike. My friend owns one and it's really fast!

 

Congrats. If you're looking for a little more grunt down low, why not swap out the chain and sprockets? Go down 1 or 2 up front, and up 2 in the back. You'll lose a little on the top end, but unless your thing is to cruise around at 125mph, who cares.

 

Looks like it has been lowered quite a bit. If you find that you would like to improve handling, you may want to raise it again.

 

I would love too but with two young kids and house projects I don't have a lot of time. I occasionally get out and do a quick ride up the canyons during lunch if you're up for that.

 

The previous owner did go one up in the rear. I think my biggest complaint with the power is that I have to keep the rpms up a lot higher than on my 9r. The bike is still plenty fast I just have to shift a little more than I would like.

 

I forgot to mention that, yes the previous owner lowered it by an inch. I actually like the bike lowered, it still handles well and it's easier for my feet to touch the ground. The only thing I don't like is that every now and then the center stand will hit a little bit on large speed bumps and the kick stand is a little long. The kick stand is a fairly easy fix, I just have to get around to doing it.

 

Gotcha. The reality is these V4s just need to be in higher RPM range. Anything below 3500, in my opinion, is way too low. Around town I'd always hold my at 4000 or higher.

 

:welcome: to the madness :wave:
Make yourself like at home, ride safe and ATGATT :thumb:

 

I guess I've been spoiled by bikes with lots of low end torque. I noticed the same thing going from my zx11 to my zx9r, it just wasn't quite as pronoced as going from the 9r the the VFR. The zx11's low end grunt was mostly offset by the 9r's lower weight but VFR is heavier and down on the low end torque so I've really noticed. After 5 months with the bike I'm getting used to it but it was a bit of a downer on an otherwise excellent bike. I love the balance of the VFR, it is easier to ride fast than the 9r.