VFR 1200

RedST1100

Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
8
Location
Harrisburg Pa.
Bike
ST 1300
Has anyone ridden,see,or heard anything about the new machines? Any good news bad news? I passed one going the opposite direction last fall that was it.Seems to be pretty quiet with them,since they did arrive with big fanfare.
 
RedST1100 said:
Has anyone ridden,see,or heard anything about the new machines? Any good news bad news? I passed one going the opposite direction last fall that was it.Seems to be pretty quiet with them,since they did arrive with big fanfare.
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I have already decided to buy one next year.
Full/Manual Auto appeals to me.
I will probably have to give up both the Honda St 1300 and the Triumph Sprint ST
 
RedST1100 said:
Has anyone ridden,see,or heard anything about the new machines? Any good news bad news?
Click to expand...
Just did on Saturday. The local Honda dealer invited me in for a demo ride (heck if I would buy their DN-01 why not take the hook on the VFR). This was the 1200F, the dealer did not have the Dual clutch DCT. Too bad, I would like to have compared the DCT to HFT on the Dino. Had to produce a license and insurance card and away I go. Right away noticed the LCD blinking on the gas gauge, so first stop at Chevron and added $3 premium. Was not expecting a gas stop on the demo ride, but oh well. I had no trouble doing low speed u-turn into the gas station, coming to a stop, and getting back on the road. The dealer insisted I ride 30 miles, but I only did about 16. Was a little nervous about the insurance thing...if anything happened I would be buying the bike. It was 11am in the morning, but already the sun was baking the Phoenix asphalt.

The riding position is somewhat awkward for an ST owner with pull back riser. The Vffr tank looms large between your legs and the grips require forward leaning, but not uncomfortably so. The instrumentation for me was a little dyslexic, a big analog tach in the middle and digitals on either side. The goodness is 6 speeds and a gear indicator; I am in heaven all over again. What I didn't realize until I googled afterwards is that I was blipping a fly-by-wire throttle, throttle by wire that is. Getting up to the freeway, could not do much other than try to keep my spacing in and around the SUVs, and pick up trucks. Any cager that thought they would just burp ahead of me in a lane was summarily delegated to my rear view mirror. The power is almost completely instantaneous in basically whatever gear.

On the freeway, had a chance to blip up to a speed I cant say but well short of the 157mph (reported) top speed. OMG the joy of precision technology. Like E=mc2, the VFR algorithm is a little beyond comprehension. Instant-on power and torque. Effortless. At about 6000 rpm a new valve opens exuding a growl that was more than pleasant. Shifting was seamless ...not sure the slipper clutch came into play with what little challenge I posed; the CBS ABS braking superb going from hyper drive to stop in no time flat. The bike will take side cases and there is a lot to be said for that. Another expensive technological marvel of a bike that Honda may not sell that many of.

http://powersports.honda.com/vfr/#/home

Heck yeah I would buy one, now if you can just loan me the money!:04biker::badabing:
 
Thanks Dan.What caused the curiousty was I was looking thru my issues of Rider magazine and they did a brief test on one last year.The bike was also on the cover.I remember when I initially read the article last year I thought the bike was ugly.When I seen it again,and reread the article, my impression of the looks of the bike changed.Actually like the looks.Anyway,I have 07 st1300 that I`m not really happy with.The high speed wobble and instability when passing 18 wheelers really takes away from a great bike.Maybe I`ll give the st 1 more year than go from their.Anyway thanks for the response.
 
I rode one late summer '10. Danyn_canyon pretty much summed it all. Lots of power all through the rev range, and alot up high. I actually giggled when I first opened the throttle hard. The brakes are the best I've ever experienced. 6 piston calipers do a very nice job of slowing you down. If I came into a load of money, I'd buy one today. It would be the non-DCT version though.

If I had to nitpick, the VFR 1200 doesn't seem to like following slow moving traffic (<5 mph). The fuel injection system is a little finicky at just above idle.

Overall, a well designed motorcycle.
 
"Last weekend (this was posted a month or two ago) I rode a VFR1200 for 49 miles of my choosing. It is an awesome motorcycle but I took it back with no intention of buying it. I thought it was interesting and well finished. It's a Honda, the paint and welds are good, the exhaust note at 10,000 rpm is a V4 symphony and the details are refined. It puts 150 hp to the ground with a velvet glove, it does about 120 mph in the same distance/time my ST does 100 which is more than enough. However, for me at this time it does not have a place in my garage not already filled. Maybe in 2 years I'll be in a market to replace my ST but the VFR does not fit the mission profile for me, please bring an ST replacement."

The riding position on the VFR was a little more forward leaning and the pegs were higher and further back but this was not altogether uncomfortable. This isn't a sport bike or a race replica. It was nimble despite the long wheelbase and handled well during the ride. U-turns and circles were easy to do and for me indicate basic balance, clutch & throttle controls, and steering lock will be easy to live with. The fly-by-wire engine management was clean and there was no throttle snatch off idle to get used to like the ST1300. Twist and go, any speed, any gear, there was plenty of poke but if kept over 5000 rpm there was a whole lot more! If short shifted it did not have the immediate torque that the ST1300 has at 2 or 3,000 rpm but hold on when it revs past 5 or 6,000. I thought it might want to wheelie more that it did when caned but I understand the engine management software softens power summoned by a wide open throttle in the lower gears. Despite 150+ hp to the rear wheel I felt it would be easy to ride in rain or slippery surfaces. Awesome brakes.
 
I toured on one for 1,800+ miles in the UK last year. Nice ride, great engine, great tranny, great brakes, lousy wind protection. However, there is a Honda windshield extenstion that at least is available in the UK. The standard luggage holds about 2/3's what a ST1100 or ST1300 will hold in the trunk/saddlebags. The stock seat is surprisingly more comfortable that it looks and more so than the ST1100 or ST1300 stocker. Riding position is more aggressive that the STs, (I've got close to 8,000 miles on the ST1300 BTW), but it could be easily fixed from what I observed. Definitely not a 2-up bike in it's current configuration. If Honda stretched it about 6-8 inches, filled out the saddlebag form (the bottoms and fronts are concave for rider/shaft/muffler reasons), put a real windshield on it, it would make a great ST! Also, at about 5 grand and above rpms, it takes off like a rocket - or so I've been told ... :D

http://www.unclephil.us/Ireland2010Home.htm
 
dduelin said:
I thought it might want to wheelie more that it did when caned but I understand the engine management software softens power summoned by a wide open throttle in the lower gears.
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That's why it felt just as strong in the higher gears than the lower ones. I couldn't figure it out.
 
2thdr said:
I don't think anyone at Honda expects it to be an ST replacement...totally differnet machine.
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Agreed, but to a guy like me who thinks his (his wifes :( VFR is just a hair small and His ST1300 is just a hair big the VFR1200 fits the bill.
Most of my rides are under 300 miles with those over 300 miles (read interstate) being counted on one hand every year. The possibility of an automatic transmission that really works in the twisties is an awsome concept.
 
It is difficult to judge a bike until you've lived with it on the road for awhile. I rode the VFR1200 on all sort of roads and in all sorts of weather and found it be a really fun bike for ONE rider. My longest day in the saddle was 450+ mile and it was fine other than the lack of wind protection. I'm a bit old and crotchety and was a bit amused at one tester's observation that the rider would be 'screaming for a guillotine' after a few miles on the VFR (or something to that effect). :D One thing I thought was really good from an owner perspective is that when you remove the seat, the battery, the rear master cylinder, the fuse block and the relays are all easily accessible without removing any bodywork. On the other hand, tipover protection is dismal (see my report) other than the mirrors do swing out of the way - but they are pretty useless if you are a big guy like me.
 
STDaveNW said:
Agreed, but to a guy like me who thinks his (his wifes :( VFR is just a hair small and His ST1300 is just a hair big the VFR1200 fits the bill.
Most of my rides are under 300 miles with those over 300 miles (read interstate) being counted on one hand every year. The possibility of an automatic transmission that really works in the twisties is an awsome concept.
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Oh, believe me, I think it is a wonderful machine. Good to read Uncle Phil's fairly extensive experience with it. There is now a bike between the VFR800 and the ST1300...the addition of the DCT gives even greater choice. Many of the die-hard VFR owners (especially 5th Gen and older) don't like the new "Veefalo". Being a 6th gen owner, I just wish it would have been a little more affordable out of the gate.
 
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