VFR800 vs ST1300

[2thdr]

i will refrain myself, being the start of holidays,...however, perhaps restraint is something you, 2thdr, should also exercise prior to your uniformly dismissing someone else's posting...best wishes to your holidays & safe & happy riding your vfr as i intend to do also in 2011!

Didn't mean to hurt feelings dude. It's just this is how things get started when folks offer opinions as fact when they perhaps have no first hand knowledge of the subject.

Why on earth would you assume that the "vfr will wear out "down the road" quicker than the st13"? If you are interested in the VFR's durability, check out VFRD.com and notice that many VFR owners put just as many miles on their bikes as ST owners do. To this day I have not read about one engine failure in thousands of posts.

P.S. Merry Christmas!

 

[silverbub]

Why on earth would you assume that the "vfr will wear out "down the road" quicker than the st13"? If you are interested in the VFR's durability, check out VFRD.com and notice that many VFR owners put just as many miles on their bikes as ST owners do. To this day I have not read about one engine failure in thousands of posts.

well, sir,...2thdr..., i am not a computer tech...but once i did camp out in a holiday inn parking lot...& a most rudimentary search lead me to the forum that you recommend...if you read the link i provide...you will have indeed read of one engine failure in the "thousands of posts"...& please be aware that i am not using this catastrophic engine failure reported by one vfr rider as any statement on the complete vfr generation...finally, if you think engine rpm has nothing to do with engine wear...i challenge you to run your vfr in first at redline, or second at redline only...rather than shifting to third-sixth on your 2011 rides as you go about your tours if higher rpms are independent on engine wear "as you go down the road"...that was the basis for my previous post about higher rpms relate to more wear...for a given velocity...here is hoping your vfr & mine will last a very long time!...take care...
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/56045-catastrophic-engine-failure/

 

[STDaveNW]

What I have read and I do appreciate everyones input is that both 98 to 01 motors and the vtec motor are a pretty bullet proof. and I should not be afraid of a well cared for bike with 25 thousand miles on it.
I like both the yellow and 07 anniversary colors best

 

[silverbub]

dave...do not discount the 1997 750cc model before fuel injection was on the 98& on...i really like, also, the "soft" throttle response of the carbed vfr...the 1997 was the final updating done from 1994-7 750 cc models...those are very nice too, but probably the 2000-2001 are the "best-buy"...i also, like you,...keep thinking a 2007 anniversary colors one would be nice if space/$ can accomodate!...when you get one, you will appreciate the insurance premium pricing on the st13 compared to the vfr!!

 

[Mick]

Hey Mick--
I hope you are on the mend and I hated to hear you had to sell the VFR. I remembered it from Bob Stafford house while we were doing the valve adjustments and that thing was beautiful. When you posted it for sale, and I had to restrain myself from giving you a call. Hopefully you can find what you are looking for whenever you get back in the saddle.

Thanks Sparky. Selling my VFR was a VERY tough decision. Not sure what I'll get next. Who knows, maybe another 5gen VFR!

 

[4jranch]

Thanks Sparky. Selling my VFR was a VERY tough decision. Not sure what I'll get next. Who knows, maybe another 5gen VFR!

Mick, that was a very pretty yellow VFR. Makes me wish I had know it was for sale and had the knowledge and experience I have now. Reading this thread y'all are making me think about a 2nd bike. With Lynne what ever I do would have to be in duplicate. Darn...

That brings me to a question. If you planned to keep the ST what other bike would you get? DS would be a thought but for interest sake let's limit the category to sport bikes for mature riders.....

Mick I hope your health issues are resolving and you get to decide on what is next soon.............Jeff

 

[MeanST]

dave...do not discount the 1997 750cc model before fuel injection was on the 98& on...i really like, also, the "soft" throttle response of the carbed vfr...the 1997 was the final updating done from 1994-7 750 cc models...those are very nice too, but probably the 2000-2001 are the "best-buy"...i also, like you,...keep thinking a 2007 anniversary colors one would be nice if space/$ can accomodate!...when you get one, you will appreciate the insurance premium pricing on the st13 compared to the vfr!!

Agree on the carb bike - Just talked to a buddy last night with a 4th gen bike. He has 114K on his and still uses it to tour. The 4th gen is a little softer than the 5th gen but is pretty close and the carbs do smooth transitions as you say...especially off the bottom or during on/off throttle work.

Basically the 4th-6th Gen VFRs have bullet proof engines/transmissions although R/Rs, as has been stated, have been an issue but that is easily resolved.

While VFRs do run higher RPMs for equivalent speed they also have a higher redlines which means that in terms of % engine stress they are about the same. Another thing about the VFRs is that you can change gearing easily with a sprocket change ...up or down. I have stuck with the stock gearing though as the blend of performance and mileage works for me.

I think it is fair to say that if you have both bikes the ST will get the long haul duties and most likely will rack up more miles. That is the case with me although my Wing fills in for the big miles tasking. I have no empirical proof that a ST or Wing will last longer than a VFR but my gut would say most likely but that is not a concern of mine anyway as I use the VFR for its assigned duties. For weekend blasts and twisty touring it rules.

 

[STPaulK]

if i remember correctly...4k rpm on the st1300 is about 80mph in fifth gear...60mph on vfr800 is about 4k...in sixth gear, of course,...so, seems reasonable to me that the vfr will wear out "down the road" quicker than the st13(or st11, for that matter)...

Honda overdesigned both engines for durability. I'd argue the ST runs hotter than the VFR and heat is not a friendly thing to any engine. In the end, it's a moot point as I have no doubt that both engines are capable of 200k. Everything else will start wearing before the engines do.

 

[Mick]

With Lynne what ever I do would have to be in duplicate. Darn...

That brings me to a question. If you planned to keep the ST what other bike would you get? DS would be a thought but for interest sake let's limit the category to sport bikes for mature riders.....

That kinda depends on how you'd be riding it... for sport-touring around the state, or strictly local peg scraping. I'm biased toward the sport-touring end so my advice would be the VFR or Triumph Sprint. Though it's actually a standard, I'll also throw in the Suzuki Bandit. All three of these bikes can be purchased with ABS brakes.

The Bandit is a sporty, torque monster with a good reputation for reliability. It has been around for quite a while and has a sizeable following. Because it's been around for so long, there are plenty of aftermarket accessories available for it. Some of these include engine crash guards, hard bags/tail trunk, etc.

The new generation Bandit ('07 - '09) has two seat height settings so it can be lowered (30.9" & 31.7") . Very nice for those of use with short inseams! I seem to be getting shorter with age so the ability to lower the seat is appealing.

The Sprint is really a Brit version of the VFR with a bigger engine (1050 cc Sprint vs. 800cc pre-2010 VFR) and some would say more character. The power plant is a triple cylinder engine with a really sweet exhaust note. Probably the biggest downside to Triumph ownership is a sparse dealer network. I read somewhere that there were actually a few more Triumph dealers in the US than BMW but that's not saying much. Despite that downside, I'm seriously in lust with the new Sprint GT.

You've probably read enough about the VFR already so I won't bore you further with how much I LOVE my viffers! All I've got to say as it that you and your wife would sure look good pulling up on matching VFRs!

[EDIT]: You can check out the specs on these bikes and others in this spreadsheet I made. I put it together to help me compare various bikes that I might be interested in:

http://users.hal-pc.org/~mmcham/new_bike_comparisons.xls

Mick I hope your health issues are resolving and you get to decide on what is next soon.............Jeff

Thanks Jeff. The last time I rode was on my VFR for 3 weekends in June. Prior to that I hadn't ridden since the preceding October. I suspect it will be next fall before I'm back in the saddle. Gonna be a LONG year. I hope by then I'm back to 100% because I'm sure in the mood for a nice long distance ride of a couple of weeks duration. Nothing like it to clear the cobwebs from the brain.

 

[2thdr]

well, sir,...2thdr..., i am not a computer tech...but once i did camp out in a holiday inn parking lot...& a most rudimentary search lead me to the forum that you recommend...if you read the link i provide...you will have indeed read of one engine failure in the "thousands of posts"...& please be aware that i am not using this catastrophic engine failure reported by one vfr rider as any statement on the complete vfr generation...finally, if you think engine rpm has nothing to do with engine wear...i challenge you to run your vfr in first at redline, or second at redline only...rather than shifting to third-sixth on your 2011 rides as you go about your tours if higher rpms are independent on engine wear "as you go down the road"...that was the basis for my previous post about higher rpms relate to more wear...for a given velocity...here is hoping your vfr & mine will last a very long time!...take care...
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/56045-catastrophic-engine-failure/

"You're a strange one, Mr. Grinch..." Easy to push your buttons apparently and again I apologize for you taking my comment personally. But I stand my my opinion that your comparison of the VFR engine durability/longevity to that of the ST based solely on what rpm is turning at a given speed in a given gear is comparing apples to oranges.

 

[Sily_Rabit]

I am coming from a VFR to the ST. Just picked up the ST in October, so I can't say a whole lot. The VFR is smaller, lighter, more agile, quicker and sportier. I used it for everyday and a few longer weekend trips days. It definitely sounds incredible. I have the Staintune exhaust. It just make you want to twist the throttle. I was able to go 10 hrs on the VFR and was worn out for sure, but not dead. I did about 1500 miles on the VFR last spring on a 4 day trip and couldn't complain. I have a Sargent seat and have been very happy with it. It was on the bike when I got it, so I don't know about the stock seat, but the VFR Sargent has been one of the best of any bike I've had. I also have heli-bars, and find the seating position very comfy. I have taken my wife out on maybe 2-3 short trips, and she managed, but I don't think 2 up on the VFR is ideal. She preferred it to 2 up on my magna though. I also used soft saddle bags for weekend trips and was always able to carry all I needed. The VFR is more sport than tour and the ST is more tour than sport. Doing 3-400 miles on the VFR is pretty effortless though and being an aggressive rider, I find it more exciting. Also, the VFR will get you 180-200 miles on a tank which isn't too bad and makes good timing for a break when you are riding the slab. The ST has the VFR beat hands down when it comes to highway miles though. The wind blasts you about shoulder level and can be annoying after awhile. A givi touring screen helps, but nothing like the protection you get from the ST. The wind will wear you out faster than the seat. The only issue I had in 6 years was a stuck thermostat.

Deciding to pick up the ST this Fall, I plan to let the VFR go this Spring. I've been in the process of taking off all the goodies and bringing it back to stock to maximize my resell value. Maybe I'll post my stuff up in the forsale forum. Looks like several VFR riders here. I still have the exhaust, seat, backrest and luggage.

I will miss the VFR. I've had my eye on the ST for a couple years and hope it makes a good replacement for the ST. My wife likes it tons better. I hoping to get in more weekend get aways now that we have the ST. Still have the magna for putting around and a Gladius for some excitement, but need to let something go. 4 in the garage is packing it tight.

 

[2thdr]

If that's a recent photo of you VFR, you certainly have maintained it beatifully. You may find a good market for your add ons over at VFRD.com if you're not already a member. I agree with your assessments. Sargent seat is great! I don't have helibars so I do get a little tired in the saddle over a couple hundred miles. I'm short, so the wind blast doesn't bother me too much. I still think you will miss your VFR...

 

[bmcdonau]

There's no way a VFR is going to "wear out" quicker than an ST because it turns more rpms at a given speed. Modern engines just don't wear out that way, well at least not until they've done a couple hundred thousand miles.

 

[chesthing]

I owned a 2000 VFR for a couple years. The biggest problem with these bikes is they have no power under 6k rpm. You constantly have to be shifting and spinning the engine up to make the bike go.
I decided to look around for something lighter since last summer as well. I went and test rode a few different bikes and said nah, then I decided to ride a 2009 Triumph Sprint. Wow, this bike was light, made great power, had little wind noise and the ergos were great. While looking for a CL find on one, I found a 1998 Ducati ST2 with only 10k miles, new tires, 12k service just done for only $3k, about half what I was planning to spend on a Sprint - gotta love this buyers market. I decided to go check it out, and I bought it after the test ride. This bike has fantastic low end punch, probably better than the Sprint up to 5k rpm - which is mainly what I use. It's 460 lbs dry, color matched hardbags unlike the gear driven VFRs, fuel injected, handles better than my old VFR, has compression, rebound and preload adj front and rear, has a great sound even with stock exhaust. The ergos are also better than the VFR for some reason - like the Sprint the bars are closer not higher.
All i'm suggesting is open up your options a bit, this bike does everything I want a bike to do and is a lot of fun to ride, and I didn't spend any money - I got $3k for my ST.

 

[STDaveNW]

I owned a 2000 VFR for a couple years. The biggest problem with these bikes is they have no power under 6k rpm. You constantly have to be shifting and spinning the engine up to make the bike go.
I decided to look around for something lighter since last summer as well. I went and test rode a few different bikes and said nah, then I decided to ride a 2009 Triumph Sprint. Wow, this bike was light, made great power, had little wind noise and the ergos were great. While looking for a CL find on one, I found a 1998 Ducati ST2 with only 10k miles, new tires, 12k service just done for only $3k, about half what I was planning to spend on a Sprint - gotta love this buyers market. I decided to go check it out, and I bought it after the test ride. This bike has fantastic low end punch, probably better than the Sprint up to 5k rpm - which is mainly what I use. It's 460 lbs dry, color matched hardbags unlike the gear driven VFRs, fuel injected, handles better than my old VFR, has compression, rebound and preload adj front and rear, has a great sound even with stock exhaust. The ergos are also better than the VFR for some reason - like the Sprint the bars are closer not higher.
All i'm suggesting is open up your options a bit, this bike does everything I want a bike to do and is a lot of fun to ride, and I didn't spend any money - I got $3k for my ST.

Thanks, I will put both of them on the list.

 

[4jranch]

Y'all really got me to thinking, check this out..........

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?95974-New-Toy&p=1184597#post1184597

 

[2thdr]

I owned a 2000 VFR for a couple years. The biggest problem with these bikes is they have no power under 6k rpm. You constantly have to be shifting and spinning the engine up to make the bike go.

Gee, looks like the power curve is pretty constant from 2500 rpm. Maybe your bike had a problem...

 

[drrod]

You constantly have to be shifting and spinning the engine up to make the bike go.

All part of the fun/charm of a sportier bike (compared to the ST) although I found my VFR had enough torque that you could be lazy on the shifting if you wanted. Same with my Blackbird. You can leave the shifter alone and it will manage just fine but start playing with it and you need to start paying attention.

Rod

 

[2thdr]

All part of the fun/charm of a sportier bike (compared to the ST) although I found my VFR had enough torque that you could be lazy on the shifting if you wanted. Same with my Blackbird. You can leave the shifter alone and it will manage just fine but start playing with it and you need to start paying attention.

Rod

My opinion as well...it's what sets the V4 Interceptor apart from all the other I4 sportbikes (or most of them). A lot of good grunt with relatively low RPM.

 

[chesthing]

Gee, looks like the power curve is pretty constant from 2500 rpm. Maybe your bike had a problem...

What bike was dyno'd here? a stock VFR800 has about 95 peak hp and about 50 ft lbs of torque. Anyway, dyno's don't tell the whole story - I stand by my opinions expressed based on 2 year's ownership - how many years have you owned one?