VFR1200X - first 500 mile review

Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
1,026
Age
71
Location
Hereford, AZ
Bike
2020 Moto guzzi V85T
It is going on two weeks now and between personal obligations and weather I have managed to clock 500 miles on my new ride. 2016 VFR1200x manual. Bike was bought used with 4900 miles on the speedo.

Is this bike heavy? It looks heavy. Interesting it is only 19 pound more than the VFR 1200F. That is equal to stuff in one side bag. Coming from an ST1300 it is light, by 112 pounds. I can move the VFR around my garage very easily when not running. The ST is a beast when you are not moving. Now compare it to a Gen6 VFR800, Yep it is big and heavy. I can attest. It sits right next to my wife's 2008 VFR800. About 90 pounds difference. But since I move both bikes around my garage it is not bad.

Is it tall? Yep it is, but I am 5' 10" with a 30" inseam and I can flat foot it. It is very well balanced. Standing alongside, the handle bars are up in the air a bit. Compared to my wife's which has the LSL Spiegler (super bike) bars, bar end to bar end the VFR1200X is about 7" higher from the ground. And if I remember correctly the LSL bars are about 6" higher than stock bars on her VFR. And yes this makes it look really big. Swinging a leg over the seat is a trick. For me there is no swing, the leg goes straight across the seat. Although standing on the foot peg works well too.

Now when you ride this bike it does not feel huge and it has enough pep to scoot down the road at a good clip. I hit triple digits without knowing it. I will say that the weather here has turned since I got the bike so I have only clocked about 500 miles, but I have no regrets about getting rid of the ST although it is a great bike. I don't do well on my wife's VFR, I can easily do 200 to 250 miles and then I am done for a while.

This bike will not be for everyone but I find it a great replacement for the ST although they are two completely different bike types/styles.

This was bought used and after a 150 plus miles I was not happy with the suspension. I went to the owner's manual and set the suspension, for lack of a better term to a neutral setting. What the manual states for the manual version. Put on another couple hundred miles and things improved dramatically. Whoever owned the bike had different settings on each fork tube and had things all jacked up on the rear shock settings.

Now let's get to other stuff. First these are basic bikes not a lot of frills on them. No heated grips (although available), no cruise, add-ons, etc. A basic bike that I am fine with. My ST was the same way, a basic no frills bike. Things that would be nice, Honda needs to move FCD, Total Trip and Torque Control (TC) buttons from the dash board to the left hand control. It is a long reach for me to the dash board. Now Honda may say that you should be stopped to adjust and that is why it is not on the left hand control. I agree to disagree.

On roads that I have ridden for years that are near my house (two lanes with big curves, twisties, two lane dirt and interstates) I find that I am riding faster than the ST1300. Not intentionally mind you, the bike just feels right and just goes effortlessly. The height of the bike does not seem to impede me and my riding style in any way. No chicken strips on these tires. The second day I did some 40 to 60 mph winds and I will say that the VFR did not move around nearly as much as the ST in high winds. Plus dirty air and that buffeting (the weave) is not there as well. Since we are on wind, the wind protection is not as good as the ST but I am very surprised at how well the little adjustable windscreen works. Dead simple to operate and very functional. Time will tell if there is an upgrade for that in the future.

The power that the motor delivers is exceptional, smooth, good torque in all gears and across the RPM's. Although it does not seem to have the torque grunt that the ST has, it still pulls very strong. The TC does work as I found when the front end lifted and the TC shut that down very smoothly. I am still trying to do the first gear to second gear shift without a clunk. Preloading the shifter does help. Other gears are fine; in fact I find clutchless shifting very nice on this bike both up and down in the gears. Common sense does play a factor with clutchless down shifting, but it is like the transmission was really made to do this. I have gone first to second a few times without the clutch and there was no clunk, but I have not gone from second to first without, that common sense thing plays in here. I have done clutchless shifting on all my bikes over the years, typically just up shifting. Even on my 41 year old CB750F that is in my garage.

Low speed maneuvering is very easy and effortless, but I am still trying to get used to the launch control. I think that will be very useful in low speed maneuvers when I have more time to work on it. Launch control is very subtle. When stopped in first gear, (I have not done second gear starts yet) when the clutch is slightly engaging the rpm's raise a few hundred rpm. If you are used to just giving it gas and going it will not be noticed. This may be very useful in slow traffic situations, more familiarity is needed here. I have not found this feature outlined in the owner's manual either.

Storage capabilities on the bike without the luggage are zero. Really no place for tools, paperwork, etc., my ST I did have a full tool kit under the seat and the side compartments for extra stuff, paperwork, extra key for the wife's bike, one of those kick stand things that prevents the bike from sinking in dirt, etc. And if like on the ST you have made those extra keys to unlock your side bags I don't think that will be an option on this bike due to the key design.

So would I keep it? Yep, no turning back. Is it prefect? No bike is prefect as we are all so different. What would I change or add? Although I have never had them on a bike, heated grips and electronic cruise control. This bike is “fly by wire†even though there are cables at the throttle. There is an electronic cruise control available from Europe that is very straightforward to install and not horribly priced but not cheap either. Tweak the suspension a bit more, get my SatNav connected and I think that is it for now.

One last note and then some final thoughts, my speedo is dead on with my SatNav. Now the Crosstourer Forum states that there is a 10% error in the speedo. So I am curious as to why mine is dead on. Which I think is great. But I am thinking that hidden under the covers somewhere a SpeedoHealer is sitting. But since I got the bike through a dealer I have no PO contact info.

I have not owned 30, 40 or more bikes in my lifetime, maybe 15, and I am just kind of a simple guy when it comes down to it. Does it work, or does it not work? Is it good enough for me? Everyone has an opinion, and it is because we are all so different. I don't get hung up and things like “I wouldn't buy it if it did not have ABSâ€, or “it doesn't have this or thatâ€. For me, this is a great bike. It fits my needs, although it could have a couple have wants. Fuel range could be better, but I am getting 46 mpg on my first couple of fills which is the same as my ST. So at 200 miles you better be looking for gas, there is only 1.4 gallons left at that point. The jury is out on the seat, so far it has been fine, but it has not been hot and I have not had high mileage days. Overall ergonomics are great, more upright that the OEM ST, leg position is comfortable and not crowded, the standard hand controls are what one would expect from Honda, simple and functional.

That's it for now, maybe more after a few thousand miles.
 

970mike

Mike Brown
Site Supporter
Joined
May 6, 2008
Messages
6,167
Age
66
Location
Lompoc, California
Bike
07 & 12 ST1300A
SPOT
LINK
STOC #
8057
Sounds like the bike is going to work out just fine for you, I sure like the look of them. Enjoy it!! :)
 

gmast1100

Gettin old sux
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
1,554
Age
76
Location
Blairsville, GA
Bike
2016 Kawasaki Versys
STOC #
297
Great review Brad. Glad that you don’t listen to other peoples *****ing about this or that and as long as the bike works for you, great.
 

okckeith

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
3,388
Age
60
Location
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Bike
2017 Triumph Trophy
Very nice review. No on bike works for everyone. But if it works for you, that’s all that matters.
I could happy with that bike with the electronic cruise that looks very easy to install. And a set of Oxford heated grips.
 

catcher

Site Supporter
Joined
Oct 13, 2005
Messages
1,301
Location
Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada.
Bike
'18Wing, '16VFR1200X
Nice review, good of you to write and post it.
I've ridden my '16 VFR1200Xdct over 10,000 km this season, and yes, it's a great bike. Honda personnel have told me that it's appropriate to think of the VFR as the replacement for the ST, and I agree. Mine came with heated grips; they're OK, but don't get as hot as the Oxfords on my Varadero. Cruise control would have been a nice way to rest the throttle hand on long trips, but I'll manage without. I did cough up the high price of the Honda side bags, and not sorry. Unlike an ST, the bike looks great with them removed. I love the bike's performance, in part due to the DCT. On the rare occasion when I accelerate in anger, the smirk is kinda cool!
Try one - you'll like it!
 
OP
OP
Grabcon
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
1,026
Age
71
Location
Hereford, AZ
Bike
2020 Moto guzzi V85T
I did cough up the high price of the Honda side bags, and not sorry
Mine did come with the OEM bags which is one major reason I bought this bike over a new one. The cost difference was significant.

I love the bike's performance, in part due to the DCT. On the rare occasion when I accelerate in anger, the smirk is kinda cool!
Try one - you'll like it!
I was looking at both the manual and DCT. I am not objecting to the DCT at all it is just like I said above it came down to price.
 

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26
Rest In Peace
Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Messages
4,652
Location
Celina, TX
Bike
'97/'01 ST1100 ABSII
STOC #
8735
Nice detailed write-up Brad, thanks for taking the time to write and post it.

Can I assume you also considered a Tenere? If so, what tipped the scales towards the Honda?
 
OP
OP
Grabcon
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
1,026
Age
71
Location
Hereford, AZ
Bike
2020 Moto guzzi V85T
paulcb, see this link for my first write up. Look at all of the bikes I considered.
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?161294-Well-it-finally-happened-Something-new

As you can see I was all over the board. Honestly I don't think I can put my finger on it other than "What felt right and pricing." I wanted new but I am not in a position to do that, unless I went to a more mid size, maybe. All of the bikes I looked at have attributes that were appealing that is why they were on the list. Some got set aside very quickly like the FJ-09. There were numerous reports from reviews and owners where a hole got punch in the oil pan due to low clearance issues. I found a smokin deal on a 2014 VFR800 DLX with factory bags. But for me I would have to do some significant mods to make it a more ridable bike for me.

For the Tenere, sitting on it just didn't feel right. I can't put my finger on it but that is really what it came down to, if that make sense. Plus the used ones in my region were fairly high priced with miles in the 15k to 20k as compared to new. I wanted something with mile like in the 5k and under, as this may be my last bike I buy.
 

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26
Rest In Peace
Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Messages
4,652
Location
Celina, TX
Bike
'97/'01 ST1100 ABSII
STOC #
8735
paulcb, see this link for my first write up. Look at all of the bikes I considered.
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?161294-Well-it-finally-happened-Something-new

As you can see I was all over the board. Honestly I don't think I can put my finger on it other than "What felt right and pricing." I wanted new but I am not in a position to do that, unless I went to a more mid size, maybe. All of the bikes I looked at have attributes that were appealing that is why they were on the list. Some got set aside very quickly like the FJ-09. There were numerous reports from reviews and owners where a hole got punch in the oil pan due to low clearance issues. I found a smokin deal on a 2014 VFR800 DLX with factory bags. But for me I would have to do some significant mods to make it a more ridable bike for me.

For the Tenere, sitting on it just didn't feel right. I can't put my finger on it but that is really what it came down to, if that make sense. Plus the used ones in my region were fairly high priced with miles in the 15k to 20k as compared to new. I wanted something with mile like in the 5k and under, as this may be my last bike I buy.
Thanks for that Brad... understood on all accounts. I see I asked the same question in both threads! :rolleyes: :oops:
 

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26
Rest In Peace
Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Messages
4,652
Location
Celina, TX
Bike
'97/'01 ST1100 ABSII
STOC #
8735
It's that whole short-term memory thing.. :rofl1:
I don't know what your talkin about Joe... I never have that problem.

So, back on topic... Brad, how did you choose between the Tenere and 1200X?

;)
 

ST Gui

240Robert
Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
9,262
Location
SF-Oakland CA
Bike
ST1300, 2010
Grabcon said:
I can't put my finger on it but that is really what it came down to, if that make sense.
It certainly does to me. Weighing pluses and minuses can be very easy or very daunting. But sometimes it just comes down to an intangible 'it just feels/doesn't feel right'.

I've been a Honda guy all my life as every Honda I've ever owned just felt right. That and having enough of the features I wanted were what tipped scales for me.

Before I got the ST I looked at the FJR and Connie. I was really attracted to the Connie because of the keyless ignition— something I really wanted/want. I'd trade a lot of other electronics including cruise control for it. But neither of those bikes felt right. The ST did.

To this day nothing about the latest versions of them makes me want to leave the ST. There are features that I wish the ST had but getting them on a bike that just doesn't feel right wouldn't make me happy.
 

STumped

Because I usually am . . . .
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
659
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Bike
2012 BMW K1600GT
Before I got the ST I looked at the FJR and Connie. I was really attracted to the Connie because of the keyless ignition— something I really wanted/want. I'd trade a lot of other electronics including cruise control for it. But neither of those bikes felt right. The ST did.

To this day nothing about the latest versions of them makes me want to leave the ST. There are features that I wish the ST had but getting them on a bike that just doesn't feel right wouldn't make me happy.
I know exactly what you mean. I've had my ST for the last six years and have been happy with it but, like everyone else, I longed for updated electronics (throttle by wire, ride modes, traction control, factory cruise, etc.). Then, in January, I saw a great deal on a used 2013 FJR (first year of gen III with all the electronics) so I jumped on it. Now, 10,000 miles later I am convinced that the ST fits MY needs better and I will be selling the FJR in the spring to go back to my ST that I never got around to selling. The FJR is a great bike but the ST just feels right to me. :)
 

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26
Rest In Peace
Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Messages
4,652
Location
Celina, TX
Bike
'97/'01 ST1100 ABSII
STOC #
8735
I was really attracted to the Connie because of the keyless ignition— something I really wanted/want. I'd trade a lot of other electronics including cruise control for it.
Warning, rabbit trail ahead...

You'd rather have keyless ignition than cruise control? Other than convenience, what's the attraction to keyless? I can see a few advantages of keyless in a car, but a bike, not so much, for me anyways.
 
Top Bottom