First Ride on a VFR

I bought my 2006 in December. Well yesterday and today I finally got to ride my new VFR. Put 120 miles on it. Gotta take it easy till it's broken in. I'm used to hard core sport bikes so that's my only real frame of comparison. Good riding position. Tank is pretty wide. Kinda disappointed in the power delivery. Gotta rev the piss out of it to get decent power but compared to a sport bike I suppose it's normal. I noticed gear selection is alot more important. At slow speeds she lugs a bit if in too high a gear. We'll see how I feel about it after I've been riding it for a bit. Definitely doesn't have the fun factor as my other bike but I bought it for commuting.

I hooked up my heated liner and must save I was nice and warm when it was 44 out yesterday. Didn't need to today. My feet got cold though.

Anyway, what were your first impressions of the VFR?

 

Well you seem to have alot of experience with full fledged sportbikes, I got my first 87 VFR at age 17/18, 17 yrs ago, I was super impressed, rode a CBR600 before I bought the VFR and never looked back. I was hangin w Ninja's and CBR 1k's, this was 1991 tho. Of course you have a 06 so my comparison is pretty much invalid, but you asked.

 

From what I've read on here the older VFRs were sportier than the latest version. I wanted a sport tourer so that's why I chose this. I think I just need to get used to the V4 vs inline 4. The engine braking surprised me but getting used to it.

 

I have an 06 that would change your opinion.........

 

I'm not saying the bike is bad. Just different. Different bikes have different purposes, power,suspension, comfort, etc. I could ride this bike all day. My gixxer on the other hand is not a touring bike and I can't carry squat on it.

What about tires? What do people normally run? Tire pressures? I set the pressures at 36 rear and 33 front today. Metzeler Z4s on the bike now. I've always been a Dunlop fan.

 

my first impression huh....? well i have to say i haven't rode alot of different bikes to really compare. but i had a 92 fzr 600 for a while and compared to the vfr it seemed faster but not as comfortable and i really didn't get much out of the 600 untill at least 7k . i personally find the vfr to be a great all around bike, which i thought it was kind of made for. its very comfortable for long rides and even though its a little low on the power side( from what people say) im more than satisified. there is plenty of power in it to get you in trouble pretty quick. i know its not going to take on a gixxer but its not built for that. like you said its a great commuting bike, but you can still have a good amount of fun with it. i know i going to get slack for this comment but i feel the vfr is more for the matured sportbike rider. you cant go doin' wheelies everywhere with but thats why the gixxers and busa and stuff are still out there. so to sum up this long and boring story my 1st impression is that i really liked it and have no plans of getting another bike to replace it.
and as far as tires there are some old threads in the forum section to take a look at.

 

Funny you would post this today. I really haven't had the opportunity to ride any other sportbike other than my 2005 VFR and my son's older 1990/1 Ninja. And that Ninja is a little old and worn out. Well this week my son bought 2004 CBR600RR and I rode it a bit today, probably around 40 miles, and my comparison is similar to yours. The VFR really needs to be in the right gear to move down the road like the CBR. This is probably as much due to the weight difference, as the gearing. I also noticed when I shifted the CBR, the gears seems much closer together than the VFR. I also seemed to run out of gears faster on the CBR.

Another big difference I saw was how easy it was to turn the CBR with shifting my weight around the bike. The bike just goes left or right with the slightest movement of weight in that direction. You really need to hang off the VFR to turn it fast, but I found the CBR very easy to throw around. Again mostly due to the weight difference. I also found it much easier to slide back and forth on the CBR than on the VFR. This was probably more due to the overall softness of the VFRs seat. Overall, though, the VFR is way more comfortable to ride and the ride today confirmed for me it was the right bike for this 48 year old to buy. It is fast and sporty enough, while still being comfortable for this old man to ride all over the place!

Plus, I still have a CBR600RR in the garage to ride when I want to act like a younger guy and more easily carve corners for about 40 miles before I start wearing out from the riding position!

 

'07 is 42 rear, 36 front. Seems high, but it works well. My first impression (once the tires were properly inflated; long story...) was that it handled better than it should, given the weight, and that it was softer than I expected in the lower RPM range.

Now that I have a few highway trips and everything is broken in, I like it more and more. The power-to-weight ratio, stock, is, well, what it is. The V-4 really is a great engine for longer distance, and the soft midrange is kind of sneaky-fast. Check your speedo occasionally, and you'll be surprised by what happens accidentally.

And I think everyone here will agree that the motor is intoxicating from about 8500 RPM up. Nice noises, strong linear pull, and really in it's element. Part of what makes them so neat is the split personality.

Stock suspension is pretty decent, but should be better or at least adjustable. First mods I'll make is there. And the handling really is quite good. Very stable, and changes lines easily. Doesn't want to tuck, and doesn't want to stand up. And that's with stock tires, which all of the fast guys here have nothing good to say about. Luckily for me, I'm not a very fast guy.

So it will never be an RR or a Gixxer, but if you want to ride 300 miles to a good road and enjoy yourself, it is more than capable.

If you read back through the older posts, Norcal has done some extensive mods to his bike. At a guess, his is probably representative of what the hot-rod guys at Honda REALLY wanted to build.

 

I traded in my CBR for the VFR. I had test driven a new CBR 1000 and the VFR the same day. I have owned GSXR's, CBR's, and many other breed sportbikes. I am 28 (not that old) been through 6 ribs, a lung, and half the skin on my right arm...so I got the experience....and with out a doubt I made my decision on the way home to get the title...I live 45 miles from the dealership and all it took was for me to ride a new CBR for 45 miles to realize that...YES I look soooo cool, and YES I am so fast....but I have take two advil's and a hot shower to get over riding it for 1 hour. I was disappointed in the power toooo....but once I learned some of the finer points of riding, I soon found myself carving a favorite corner of mine 12 mph faster. now that I dont have wheelie syndrome, or impress the blonde with a stoppie then wreckatitus...I am much happier with a little slower but more stable bike...VFR's have a following that rivals religion...they offer time, ideas, and help on every aspect...See if you find that on a GSXR site...(getting off soapbox) I love my VFR and only plan to trade it for a newer model..Of all the bikes I have ridden, and all the posts I have seen, this is one of the few bikes that owners continue to stay with when buying new again...Repeat buyers of same model and make..Unheard of in the sportbike world...VFR's are something of a acquired taste..but once you learn to enjoy its all smiles...

 

I have to disagree with the fun factor comment. I have several different types of bikes now and they all are fun, different types of fun but fun none the less. I get a different type of satisfaction and joy riding a cruiser like my Meanstreak than I do from my Yammi R6, which is different from the VFR as well. Here and at other forums people always want to compare bikes, unless it's the same catagory like a GSX-R600 vs a CBR-600RR, it seems pointless to me. A race replica "crotch rocket" is faster, lighter, and handles better than what is essentially a sport touring bike, like the VFR800. That being said, the VFR seems to do very nicely in the sport mode, a little more work to get there but it gets there.

 

My opinion's going to be non-reflective of modern VFRs, but I have to say I love my VF500F. It sounds overweight/underpowered at 66hp and 450+ pounds, but it puts a smile on my face, which is all I care about.

It's got a REAL nice riding position, I can sit straight up, or if I'm feeling daring/lot of wind I can lean over into the full race tuck, isn't touchy about the throttle (I won't do a back flip hitting a pot hole), great gas mileage, quarter fairing is unique, etc.

It's not a lean mean race bred sport bike, nor is it a calm mannered cruiser. I think the VFs/VFRs represent a level of hybridity (I'm making up words now) surpassed by no other in the market.

Plus, who doesn't love Captain America?

 

I had a 06 Gixxedr 600( 2nd bike ist was 02 r6) a month after getting it i slipped a disk in my back. well I still rode it 8000 miles that summer but hated takind strong pain killers after every ride. A year later i decided to trade her in for a Busa or zx-14 because they were a BIT more comfy and lots of go fast stuff. When looking for the 06 white LE busa there was another bike winking at me in the corner. it was a white 06 VFR with a 7999 tag on it. after sitting on it I went home and found this forum and did some studying. A few days later I called and made a deposit over the phone and on the next nice day( it was 38 no rain) I rode the 45 miles to the stealership and traded in the gixxer for my viffer. I still keep up with all my buddys on RR's and dont feel like crap when I get off. It took a wile to get used to her but I love her. Conti road attacks 42 rear and 36 front. just put these on and there great. had pilot powers before these and the road attacks work just the same for less money and more miles per set.( I hope to get more miles. Just what I read)

 

I've only really ridden 4 bikes in my lifetime.

1st was my "learner" bike, a rescued 1982 Yamaha XS400R Seca. It got the job done, and got me "infected" with a love of motorcycling. 38 horsepower. Drum rear brake. 110 rear tire. But it revved to 10k and was pretty fun to toss around, even with the worn out springs.

2nd was my brother's 2000 Ducati M750 Monster. That bike had some serious soul. Intoxicating v-twin thrum, 80 horsepower, and a few Corse bits to make it seem like a racer. Taught me a new working definition of "turning circle", but a really lusty bike. And it was yellow. :biggrin:

About this time I discovered the VFR. One red 4G happened to be traded in on a car at the local dealership I worked for. V-4, nice ergos, SSSA, etc... I was sold. Started looking in earnest for "just the right one".

3rd bike was also my brother's, but this time it was a 2005 Suzuki GSX-R 750. Fast, Fast, Fast. I never opened the throttle 100% on that bike. If you breathed on the right grip, you'd be going 10 mph faster. On the highway, just tucking in would result in a speed increase of 10-15 mph. 127 horsepower, 14k redline. My back and wrists would be aching after 45 minutes, but damn, it was fast. Had never been 130 mph in/on anything before, but the sad fact is that I didn't realize I was going that fast!!! Honest, ocifer! Rode it for three months until he returned to the east coast.

4th and current bike is my beautiful 4G. I love everything about it, it brings everything good about the above bikes together. I love that I can sit upright and not kill my back on a 3-hour ride. I love that V-4 bark. I love the "Testarossa" looks. I love how some people ask me if it's a Ducati, and the looks on their faces when I tell them it's a Honda. I even love the white faced tachometer. It's perfect for 2-up riding, and has that bulletproof reliability everyone talks about. I am keeping this one, no need to look at anything else!!!:smile:

 

Even if just trundling around in the higher gears find the VFR likes to be above 4.5K, the Gen 6 has a Pollution measurement dip at about 5.5k and a Vtec engagment dip at 6.8k, both can be mostly dialed out with a PC3.

Add Stainetunes to give character with the V4s uniqueness. :biggrin:

 

My impression with the VFR

I rode sport bikes all my adult life but when I ride the VFR I got hook. The main reason is the comfortable ride, As for the power the VFR will do the trick when your RPM reach about 6.5 I use my VFR for long commute, When I needed speed that when my Ducati take place:biggrin:

 

I have a 2004 VFR I bought used w/3700 miles on it. Like you I was looking for a sporty Sport-Tourer that I could ride 500 miles on and not have to check into a hospital. There just aren't that many options out there - the VFR, the Triumph Sprint, the Ducati ST2/3/4/4s/3 (all discontinued) and the Ducati Multistrada.

I agree that the engine doesn't appreciate being lugged and the torque is . . . merely adequate. But the gearbox works great and it's no prob finding the proper gear for the situation.

The abrupt engine braking smoothed out after I installed a PCIII.

I am very satisifed with my VFR. It is perfect for 90 percent of the riding I do. BUT I wish I had a 600 supersport or a supermotard for the other 10 percent! :smokin: Right now I ride my brother's Ducatis when the urge hits me, but I need a playbike of my own.

 

I also have an 06 that i have just been able to turn the 100 mile mark on as old man winter appears to be releasing his death grip on (at least for ther time being). I have rode numerous bikes. The vast majority of the last 10 years spent on Harleys and a Buell. My first thoughts-

- pretty comfortable, will be better with Heli Bars - I have neck problems
- havent taken it above 5500 RPM yet, but it will be quick enough for me
- rides nicely on interstate (had a 6 mile stretch on highway today)
- love the hardbags and having ability to carry crap on a sporty bike
- heavy but very stable in corners - not twitchy like my Buell was
- love the looks of the bike
- love the ?s from my Harley friends (what the hell is that is most common)

 

Got a laugh a little bit, any bike you ride less another hyper 1000 will feel slow after that one, there's so many other attributes to riding well that the VFR brings out, like some have said give it time, and I know you know this, it's 90% rider. I have a couple friends here that have gsxr1000 less the track scene, I have no trouble matching them on the back roads as long as they are curvy, even then they'll look over their shoulder looking for me and I'm right there. Like a friend told me from a ride the other day when we where talking about my 1098 and is it necessary for a good time. I can use 90% of my bike on the street and still walk away with a huge smile, where a 1000cc sportbike, yes fun, no getting around that one, but if your sane you can use maybe 60-70%, not to mention can you walk after you get off from a 200 mile ride? So the street pretty much levels the playing field.

Oh, and for what its worth, don't listen to Norcal he thinks he's Elton John too.

 

I will say I miss my VF700F however my initial oppinion of my 6th Gen VFR was "Yikes" until I did the PAIR valve mod then my smile was fully plastered on...