Why does the 1200 weigh what it does?

Now Im not one of these for or against weight persons I know very little about mechanics or even how the bike works :comp13: forgive me :rolleyes: but i love riding them I'm a late starter. But I do like a bike that is not too heavy to manouver around. I have owned Busa and blackbird and their weight is okay . I loved the blackbird and it was hard swapping for the vfr but i love how the vfr sounds and how it handles its fun to ride, i have always said if you could put the power of ther blackbird in the vfr you would have the perfect bike for me.

I thought this vfr 1200 would be it, now I will still have to wait to ride it to see and 2011 when they upgrade to a larger tank ala VTR firestorm 17- 19ltr.

But I have read over at ash on bikes where he says its not even as fast as the blackbird and you cant go as far?

My question is finally :goofy: They say the engine is lighter than the current 800 so where does all the extra weight come from? is it the shaft drive? why does it weigh what it does? was it unavoidable for honda or was it deliberate to make it more stable etc.. this is where my lack of mechanical knowledge comes in.

Now the size does not bother me much as long as its FUN to ride and can handle okay I'm no rossi and dont want to be but tank size and price size does that is the sticking point for me.

but cant weight for people to start riding it and letting us know what it is like, cant be long now :wheel:

As an engineer (electronic) I appreciate that for virtually every design decision, there is both a cost and a benefit. Trade one feature for another as long as the net benefits are realized at an acceptable cost. Honda (or any other manufacturer) is no different. Engineering is the art of compromise, the best engineers know how to make the most beneficial tradeoffs such that the end result is acceptable to the marketplace. So when Honda developed the VFR, I know they made a gazillion design decisions to arrive at the present result. Could Honda have made a feather weight VFR? Absolutely. Their supersport 600RR and 1000RR are the lightest bikes in their class. All depends on the design goals. A supersport which is the platform for racing must be very light weight with minimal frills, all in the name of maximizing track performance. Longevity is traded for near term performance. The VFR on the other hand is of course not a race bike, therefore the design goals are very different. Longevity, durability, comfort are much higher on the list. But as I said, everything is a tradeoff. Durability almost by definition means components are not shaved to the bone to cut weight. Robustness carries a weight penalty, but as Honda demonstrates with the Goldwing, how you package the mass makes a huge difference in how it feels and responds on the road. I think they have done the same with the VFR1200.

Well put, Sol!! Of course Honda genetic code, going back to the early 1950's, is known to be very heavy. :)

Ash said the VFR didn't "feel" as fast as the Blackbird. It was a completely unobjective statement. A smooth torque curve will make a fast motor not "feel" as fast. A 2 stroke 250 dirt bike isn't as fast as a new 450 4-stroke, but "feels" faster because of the way the powerband hits. He rode the VFR for 200 miles in the rain... that's it.

I'll bet ten bucks that the VFR1200 will beat the ABS 'Bird from 0-100mph. The XX might pull ahead at higher speeds due to sleeker aeros but I'm just speculating. I'm sure someone will run them head to head.

As far as the weight is concerned: take that Blackbird, add an extra cylinder head, bigger forks, bigger brakes and shaft drive and voila... 591lbs full of all fluids ready to ride. I think the ABS 'Bird was about 560 wet.

phobe, on 08 January 2010 - 10:44 AM, said: Ash said the VFR didn't "feel" as fast as the Blackbird. It was a completely unobjective statement. A smooth torque curve will make a fast motor not "feel" as fast. A 2 stroke 250 dirt bike isn't as fast as a new 450 4-stroke, but "feels" faster because of the way the powerband hits. He rode the VFR for 200 miles in the rain... that's it. I'll bet ten bucks that the VFR1200 will beat the ABS 'Bird from 0-100mph. The XX might pull ahead at higher speeds due to sleeker aeros but I'm just speculating. I'm sure someone will run them head to head. As far as the weight is concerned: take that Blackbird, add an extra cylinder head, bigger forks, bigger brakes and shaft drive and voila... 591lbs full of all fluids ready to ride. I think the ABS 'Bird was about 560 wet. thanks phobe that makes a lot of sense, yes 200m in rain wont really tell you much will it. There is still time before production to increase the tank a bit isnt there or is that just wishful thinking but hey i like it alot and if it is fun to ride will probably by the standard one no doubt I have no will power i love hondas and vfr's this is a good vid apart from not speaking english. she seems to handle fine, looks good

The tanks probably small so you will have to stop often to let the R/R cool off before it goes south on you. Posted Image

I for one I guess am not afraid of the weight ONE BIT !

For what I think the intent of this vfr is sport touring ????? The weight is an asset !

Having toured on many " Heavy Bikes" then doing the same on my 6gen ..... I'd miss the weight ... some ...

Why one would ask ? Stability !!!! A bigger bike does not get pushed around by too much !
Before I tossed my K12rs into the cheap seats last year , man that bike would just eat up miles in total comfort .
Before the K I rode ALL the touring Harley's for many miles .

Dont get me wrong the VFR is a hoot to tour on ...... but a bigger heavier bike sometimes makes a huge difference ,,,, as far as eating up miles .


just my .02