Are you a V-4 whore?

Yes. I admit to whoredom. the inlines don't make that sound.

there is no cure, once you experience the feel and sound of it.

 

I would have to say that I became hooked on the V4 when I built a Tamiya model of a 1:12 1987 RC30 VFR750R (RWB, of course)... To see in my hands the mastery of the engine... That single-sided swingarm... That beautifully sculpted set of headers... I could almost hear it run...

Then I saw and heard a REAL VFR. Whooaaa baby - I was hooked. Spent 1 1/2 years looking for just the right 4G (the best one, right???). Found it in Massachusetts, and haven't looked back since that uninsured, unregistered, uninspected 220 mile ride home.:biggrin:

Now here's the kicker - my previous bike was a 399 cc DOHC Yamaha twin - surprising how much the VFR engine (not the exhaust note) sounds like a pair of these riding down the road. And at 4500-5000 rpm on the highway, close your eyes and think "V-8"... Trust me.

 

A Quote

Someone else said it .So I am just repeating it " The V4 Is just right .A Vtwin has too much and an inline 4 dose not have enough." I guess they are refering to torque.

 

twins

who wouldn't wanna get w/ a nice set of twins??? oh, sorry in the gutter there. i own a a wicked 03 tuono and i'm gonna hop on the soap box for character and sound when i say the T is a definite favorite w/ the ppl i've ridden w/. wait until u've heard one up close and ur hooked. sounds like a v-rod on speed!!! i love it. and duc's sound really nice too. dare i say it, buells have that character too, but the T has both buell and duc beat when the reliabilty issue hops up!

 

aprilia

I worh for an Aprilia dealer. I Just put a set of Arrow cans in a torono last week. They sound awsome

 

Yes, absolutely. Hello, my name is Anthony, And I am a V-4 whore. I couldn't say it with any more conviction. I have yet to own a motorcycle I didn't like for some reason or another, but V-4's are the best. The first time I ever new how good they were was when I botched a downshift at the bottom of a steep hill with someone on the back of my VF500c Magna. I was going all of 5 miles an hour in second gear starting to go up this steep hill you couldn't pay me a 1k bucks to go down on a skateboard, and my 500cc Magna just motored on up the hill. no clutch, no heavy throttle, just slow roll on the gas and up we went. Power everywhere, and takes mistakes lightly. My 954 couldn't bring it out of the basement like that, even with it's extra 454cc's. maybe that's why I still own my 22 y/o Magna, with a total of 5 V-4's in my arsenal.

 

My 2 ¢:

I've owned them all - I4's (many), V4's (2), V2's (2), I2 (1), Singles (many), everything except a Triple, and I've been very interested in both a Triumph Daytona 675 and Sprint ST.

Singles: Lumpy & coarse. Torquey, but to me a low-cost / lo-complexity means to an end. Loved my GB500, but really dreamed of balancing and lightening the crankshaft & counterweights for smoothness and quicker revving.

I2's: See above, only slightly less lumpy.

V2's: Had Harley & Ducati. Both sounded cool in completely different ways. Torque and character-rich, but lacking something...
Love the sound from friends' Aprilia Tuono's and Mille's tho.
SV 650's and 1000's bore me to tears.
V-twins cool, but just not my cup of tea in the long run.

Triples: Love the sound, and from all I've read would probably really like the power characteristics, but as mentioned, no personal experience.
Only thing I haven't tried yet, so the curiosity is killing me.
I suspect will be my favoritest of all.

V4's: Had a 500 Interceptor (Loved it!), and now the VFR.
Great torque. Very forgiving and easy to ride. Makes up for mistakes like poor gear selection. Lets you ride lazy.
Power is flat and reminds me of a diesel.
I do love the sound (especially with intake snorkel removed & 2Bros CF slip-on) and good torque hit when accelerating hard tho'.
Much more smooth power than a V2, and more like what I'm used to.

Which leaves...

I4's: My personal preference.
Love the sound and fury.
Just can't get enough.
As for "not enough torque", my '01 R1 made 84.5 lb/ft, and 142 rwhp.
It was tuned for torque over max hp. Believe me it was plenty.
Had a very fast & experienced friend swap rides from his Ducati 916 (after I had been waxing on about "torque everywhere"), and he came away impressed.
Smooth easy blackies on a whim and a twitch of the throttle; Delightful unexpected power wheelies exiting slow corners.
FJ1200 was a torque monster; I likened it to a steam locomotive running on nitro methane.
Can't stand buzzy little 600's tho, pesky mosquitos.

My VFR is just right for this stage of my riding.
I simply want to ride now, with little regard for the bike under me, other than having enough smooth power to pass when I feel like it.
The VFR strikes me as an odd combination of character and appliance.
A washing machine with soul?

 

Got a question

I picked up my 02 VFR on Saturday. Did have a deposit on a 82 Sabre but it never came in. So I moved on to a GPZ 550 by the time I learned how to ride it I sold it.

My next bike was a Pacific Coast. V2 and certainly not a handler or a power monster like the VFR. The only sound that came out of it was a whirling. Still a nice bike.

I was riding home tonight and was noticed the bike sounded like a GTO (yes I'm showing my age, owned 2 68 400/4sp convertible and 67 400/4sp coupe).

The bike has a 2 brothers exhaust and it sounded like a muscle car deep rumble to me. Is this the sound you guys are talking about? Does this come from the v4 or the exhaust? Help me understand.


Joe

 

Both. Ain't it great?

 

Derstuka, I have owned many V4 machines and think they are great.
However, there is one configuration I would trade one family jewel for...and that is the 1977 1000cc Laverda "V6" factory race bike.
This was an incredible machine that had a short glorious life. Two were made.

One is in the Laverda museum and the other is owned by Piero Laverda.
Many years ago he sent me early photos of this "Ferrari of motorcycles".
It had a V6 that was longitudinal and used a shaft drive to the rear wheel.

If you guys want to hear a fabulous bike then first turn up your volume to max.
Then go to this website and click on the video...

http://sameerkumar.blogspot.com/2007/07/legendary-laverda-v6-seen-in-action-in.html

So to finalize your question...yes I would trade my V4 for this type of V6.

 

V6 Laverda video.
Turn up your volume and listen to this fabulous bike...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoOrTTWrEyw&mode=related&search=

1000cc symphony just idling.

 

funny on my ride home last night a new canary Yellow GTO with flowmasters or something that breathed when he kicked it, growled a couple cars ahead. I held my hand up to the ear on the helmet as he and his girl friend looked to admire the RWB. OHG... it sounded sweet as he dropped it.

For the first time since I was in my twenties I wished I didn't have the stock cans on my bike.

It would take a couple VFR's to match that growl, but it is nice... occationally :biggrin: