vfr1200, my first impressions

My local dealer finally got a vfr1200 in stock. I played with it for 20 minutes and no one ever came over to assist me. 4 salesmen were outside smoking waiting on closing time. I walked by the managers office and told him I had 15k cash that I would be taking to another dealer. Maybe it's because I rode up on a vtec.

Anywho.

I still think it is fugly but not as bad in person. It is growing on me but will never be beautiful like a ferrari. The frt. headlight does look like an alien for sure.

I love the seat. It has hump in the rear for the rider and pillion. It is also molded to the foam for a very finished, detailed look. Fit and finish is absolutly ACURA style.

The wheels are lovely. the rear is worthy of hanging on a wall.

The exhaust came off the starship enterprise. There is definetly room for improvement. A carbon can would look awesome. Or the cbr1000 style.

The cockpit feels just like a vtec. I think the reach to the bars may be a bit farther and,or higher. Otherwise it feels identical. I think if blind folded it may be hard to tell which is which.

It does feel a tad bit wider but the weight is not noticeable at a stop.

The shaft drive unit is also art. It is very well finished and a nice piece. Screw chains.

The insturment cluster seemed small and a couple of the stalk buttons are diffirent.

I also noticed that the dual layer fairing may not be so great. I thought the air would come out of the scoops below the seat but the are FAUX!. the air comes out of vents in front of the riders knees. It appears that air goes thru the rad straight on the riders knees, calves.

Oil changes looked simple. The filter is on the right side of the case, just dont crash it.

The windscreen appears to be the same height as a 800. Just tall enough to blast us tall guys in the neck.

I think the price is a joke. I would buy 2 RWB ones before a 1200.

My first impresssions, just my 2 cents, no need to flame.

Anyone else have opinions?

I thought it felt just like my Vtec. When we were at the bike show I switched from the 1200 to the 800 and back again and they felt just alike. I loved that fact because it put me in the mind of hoping on my 800 and suddenly having all that power on tap w/o giving up anything. I think everyone's right though, wreck it once and you'll have trouble getting a body shop to mimic the paint job.
On a side note....I don't want to ride one for fear it'll spoil me forever. If I get addicted to the feel I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to go back.

I saw my first one in person today (27-APR) when I was getting my 2006 VFR inspected. As mentioned before, the 1200 seemed uber high quality, excellent fairing fitment with very few visible fasteners (how do you take it apart??!), seat is gorgeous, feels extremely similar to my 800 in the showroom at a stop (can't really tell the extra 50lbs rocking it front side to side gently), wheels, controls, and dash are very nice, overall very well put together feel. Oil filter easy-ish to get to. The front headers are sorta visible and a nice touch. The exhaust is super shiny and obnoxiously large.

It looks better in person, but not a beauty, but well put together like a german electric razor.

Also, side note, the one i saw did not have Dunlop Roadsmarts but Bridgestone BT-021s.

Anyways, those were my first impressions from the showroom. I am sure it is a blast to ride but I am set now with my Aprilia and my 06 VFR, built to my needs (track and pack-mule, respectively).

The openings in the fairing layers direct cool air at your legs from the vents in the front. The hot radiator exhaust is directed underneath the bike.

When I first seen it in the showroom a couple of weeks ago. I had the same feelings like soichiro.

I was at the dealer last Saturday. Asking about prices for the clip-ons on the 1200 for my project. Parts guy looked in the computer. NO PARTS LISTING for anything on the 1200 yet or prices! I asked if I bought one, and dropped it. How long would I wait for parts. He said maybe 2 months, maybe longer. LOL

[image: View Post]RustyA, on 27 April 2010 - 08:52 PM, said:

How long would I wait for parts. He said maybe 2 months, maybe longer. LOL


I love the factory tank pad on the 1200 and tried to order one for my 98........ no such luck.

Very interesting, thanks for the first impressions. I am not about to get one, since I have to "go through" my 6th gen and it only has 34k km, but i love hearing about the new model. This may be an alternstive when I shop for my next bike, and it may be between a BMW and this Honda.
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Thanks for the "from the hip" dealer showroom review, Soichiro.

It really sounds like a GREAT evolution of the VFR, based on what I use mine for.

But, at the price they are asking - no way. No no no way - it would have to appeal to me on some other visceral level, such as a Ducati can do, or even perhaps the K1200....er....K1300S can do.

I don't want to be "challenged" by the design (or the MRSP). Look at BMW's new design chief, who acknowledged that "polarization" is the first step towards design rejection - when speaking of some of the (horrid?) designs of the Bangle years.

Perhaps sound ideas, but "challenging" execution.

[image: View Post]phobe, on 27 April 2010 - 08:13 PM, said:

The openings in the fairing layers direct cool air at your legs from the vents in the front. The hot radiator exhaust is directed underneath the bike.


Ok, cool. I was all down on my knees trying to figure out the layered airflow. It looked like the air went thru the rad to the riders knees, thats GREAT that it doesnt.

So in the summer it has a automatic rear tire cooker and in the winter it has a knee freezer. I saw no way to shut off the vents like a goldwing.

An oil change would take 10 minutes. Remove the lower bikini fairing and take off the filter, that easy.

I dont know how the fairing comes apart. Being a honda tech, I would say it has 3 million plastic clips and probably little studs on the plastic that fit into a rubber grommet, just like old hondas. So if you manage not to drop your bike, you will break a tab off after a few years.

I think if the bike was dropped there would be tons of damage. fairings busted for sure. The silver fairing looks to be huge. It is the frt. and side fairing in one.

I love the bike, I hate that it is ugly, I wouldnt pay 16K for an ugly bike, no matter how good.

[image: View Post]soichiro, on 27 April 2010 - 05:12 PM, said:

The exhaust came off the starship enterprise. There is definetly room for improvement. A carbon can would look awesome. Or the cbr1000 style.


Anyone else have opinions?


Yup, that exhaust is God-awful, and will be the very first thing to go on mine, when I get it, which will be several years from now when the prices become more realistic on Fleabay