Hey guys,
Been away from VFRD for a long time but am contemplating getting the '14 VFR 800 and coming back into the fold so to speak :-)
So, I'd be grateful for info from those of you that have the '14 800 and have had the previous gen VFR 800. I had an '03 for about 6 years that I loved. I'm basically interested in a comparison from you guys, i.e. engine, suspension, ergos...all the basic stuff ;-)
Much thanks in advance,
Craig
The 14 is better in every department.
HTH
Craig, sorry I took a couple of days to answer you PM... missed the email that it had arrived. Would it be OK to post my response to you here for others to read?
Certainly House, thanks :wink: Thinking about it after answering your PM, I wonder if the Evap canister has(does yours have one) might be somewhat responsible for the issue you described?
Thanks Skid
Hi Craig
I owned a 2008 VFR and have traded up to the 2014. Both are fantastic machines, but the '14 just seems to me to be a better all-around bike in every respect. Specifics are as follows:
In the end, you won't be disappointed with either bike. I am glad I made the jump and am super-satisfied so far!
Sixbeans
Appreciate it Sixbeans!
I had a PC3 on my '03 which basically took care of the vtec fueling glitch and as I mentioned to House, was exicited to read in the reviews that those issues had been resolved with the '14. Good to hear you have no issues. How many miles have you got on yours? House and others have mentioned fueling issues which is a bit disheartening.
Thanks,
Craig
Sixbeans......FYI..... Elf France developed the single sided swingarm design in collaboration with Honda back in the early 80's.... NOT Ducati......
And IIRC, the underseat exhaust might have come from Honda's NR750 program before it appeared on the 916....
Yes, back then Honda was a lot more of a innovation pioneer/leader way above others in the industry than they are now.
IMO, Honda lost that drive and place in the industry mostly when Soichiro Honda died....
I have a 2004 that I've put 72,000 miles, 270 today, and I rode the 2014 during our recent Oregon Trails PNW meet just last week. It was a deluxe version in the pearl white color, with bags, etc and I'd say in short, it is a more refined version than mine. The rider triangle is either the same of just as comfortable, it's a little slimmer, a little lighter and definitely the throttle response is smoother all across the twist of the wrist; and certainly the Vtec engagement is hardly noticeable, except for the rush of intake and exhaust sound. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I love the looks of the 2014, the dash, headlights, tail, from any angle, the bike is pleasing to the eye. My nitpicks are that the fugly muffler obscures a great looking single-sided wheel and it didn't FEEL as if it had more low end grunt than the Gen 6 it replaced, at least not mine. Both I and Bart Madsen of Motorcyle USA who brought the Honda-owned bike to the meet felt that my bike had more grunt and definitely better sound with double under tail Remus slip ons. Having ridden both the 2014 and a newish 7th Gen today, when I rode with Jim, (Bizbat), I have to conclude that both bikes are superb, the 800 with the 90 degree engine just sounds better than the 1200, or at least until I hear otherwise. The 1200 has deep pools of low-end grunt and Jim blows by me every time I goad him into doing so. Nevertheless, my 800, I realized, has plenty of everyday useable power. Having recently been fortunate enough to have compared the three with each other, I got back on mine today and it felt like home, like a well worn pair of gloves, I trust it.
I want to thank Bart Madsen and Honda for letting me evaluate the 2014 VFR, and I want to thank Jim for riding from Yelm to Duvall and then riding into un-forecasted storm after storm so that we could get another day of riding in . . . just because.
Thanks for the info Choco and taking the time :wink:
I am looking at the new VFR as well. I had a 750 and the 800 VTEC. I currently have a FZ1 but the VFR is calling again.
A duo buy Rick!!
Maybe we can get a better deal and Mich PP thrown in as well.
Here was my original reply to Das Bone....
I am going to hang on to both bikes for awhile as each has it's own merits. The 6th gen is smooth as silk with Leo's and a PCV installed. I also love the Sargent seat when riding alone and I use a Corbin with backrest when the wife goes with me. Pazzo's make me love the road even more and I finished the controls with Progrips and DualStar heated grips with a heat troller. Factory Pro kit makes sure I never miss a shift (worth every penny!) AT 43k on that bike, I really have come to love it... it's comfortable and fun.
For the 8th gen, I did all the same mods except the can is (going to be) 2 Bros (when it arrives.) There's no PowerCommander yet either. Considering sending the seat to Sargent, but they want it for 3 weeks and I just don't want to be without the new bike for that long. I may send it off later this year as I have to spend some time in Hungary and won't be riding anyway. No Givi mount yet, but I ordered a SW-Mototech mount and should see it in 5 weeks or so. I built my own in the interim. This bike already had heated grips, so I just added grip puppies from Grab-on to make the grips thicker as they are really thin on this bike for some reason (or I am just spoiled by the Progrips.) I have mixed feelings on the grip puppies but need more time to make a decision on whether or not to keep them. I have an Ohlins HO 203 on the way and am headed to Traxxion when I get time to deal with the front end (and here's where the negative comes into play.) I HATE how this bike bucks at lower speeds when cruising around town. Again, I believe I have been spoiled by the 6th gen, but even my Ducati 848 is smoother than this bike. Some have also complained, while others say it rides fine, so I don't know what to tell you about that. The bike is fine otherwise and I think I can throw parts at the problem and fix it. The only other complaint I have with the new bike is the throttle is a little choppy... but much of that is the suspension jarring me (and the fact that I get lazy around town and put too much of my weight on my arms.) So if I drop a few pounds (in the works) and Traxxion the forks while smoothing the rear out with a new shock, I think it will be perfect! The LED headlights are fantastic and I wish they had a kit for the 6th gen! The bike turns in faster than the older model and is easier to flick (no surprise since it is lighter.) I also feel like the center of gravity feels lower, but that could be in my head ;). I am really happy with the bike and anxious to finish the suspension. I may also jump in on the header buy from whoever we end up group-buying them from. I know they will work out bugs next year, but I have been waiting years to try a new VFR and just didn't take to the 1200, so I jumped on this year's model. All-in-all I am happy with the bike and would be bored (or working on another home project) if I didn't have a bike to mod :)
I truly believe that the mods make the bike perfect (on any bike); or at least tailored to the rider.
Has anyone else noticed that slightly letting off on the clutch automatically revs the engine up a hair on the 2014? Guess that's to keep you from stalling the bike?
houseHas anyone else noticed that slightly letting off on the clutch automatically revs the engine up a hair on the 2014? Guess that's to keep you from stalling the bike?
Yes I noticed that as soon as I picked the bike up.
Good idea IMO especially if you are monouvering in tight places.
It would be interesting to know how they actually achieve that.
As someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.
I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I currently own a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....
Edited August 9, 2014 by mdr vfrA great bike, absolutely. Is it worth $14K.....I'm afraid not compared to what's out there.
mdr vfrAs someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.
I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.
House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.
dfhmdr vfrAs someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.
I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.
House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.
My thoughts exactly :) Part of the thrill of getting a new bike is the fact that it's a clean slate just waiting for me to figure out what to modify to make it mine. I actually like the suspension the way it is when riding at speed or in the mountains (not that I have the skill to exploit the abilities of the stock bike suspension.) Still, I have the itch to tweak here and there (and also to figure out what fits and what doesn't.) Many like the suspension the way it is and I am confident that the tech that set mine up out of the crate just ball-parked all of the suspension settings without riding (the bike ODO was at zero when the sales guy took it out for a two mile check before turning it over to me.) I would be curious to get Cornercarver on the bike as is and see what he thinks. His suspension knowledge and skills are well beyond mine. Kevin would be another great choice (any of them :wink: .) It's just me and my daughter this weekend, so no riding for me unless I take my 6th gen since I sacrificed my pillion seat for a luggage rack. Let me call Kevin and Keith and see if they have time this weekend or Monday to take it for a spin so we can get a better opinion for you... may not be feasible with the rain, but I will try.
dfhmdr vfrAs someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.
I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.
House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.
Actually I sold a 2011 Fireblade to buy this bike, before that I had a fairly heavily modified 6Th gen RWB.
I just love the way this bike handles, I would say its very very close to the Fireblade in the handling and braking department.
It seems that you can chuck it at a corner at any speed and it just turns in and goes around, and inspires great confidence and encourages sporty riding, and high lean angles,and that is with ST tyres on.
I had zero chicken strips on the bike on the day I got it just riding it home from the shop, admittedly that was a 100Km ride through the hills.
What a lot of people may not like is that the ride is on the firm side, and quite heavily damped. For as long as I can remember, people have complained about the crappy suspension on VFRs, with the 4th and 5th gens 41mm flexy forks and weak springs and poor damping, the 6th gen was better but this bike is better again,
Everybody asked for a more sporty VFR, well this is a sport tourer heavily biased to sport, it may not have 150 RWHP but the engine spins up very willingly and is plenty in these days of draconian policing.
It is a fun bike to ride, the fuelling is faultless,unlike the 6th gens where a powercommander was a necessity of life, and just needs to make some noise to be perfect IMO
What surprises me is the number of people on a VFR enthusiast's forum who are prepared to condemn the bike without even riding it because it doesn't fulfill ther expectations of "the perfect VFR". Well guys, dont hold your breath waiting for the 1000cc gear driven cam non vtec with USD fork bike to come out of Honda any time soon, just go and buy a RSV4 and be done with it.
dogmandfhmdr vfrAs someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.
I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.
House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.
Actually I sold a 2011 Fireblade to buy this bike, before that I had a fairly heavily modified 6Th gen RWB.
I just love the way this bike handles, I would say its very very close to the Fireblade in the handling and braking department.
It seems that you can chuck it at a corner at any speed and it just turns in and goes around, and inspires great confidence and encourages sporty riding, and high lean angles,and that is with ST tyres on.
I had zero chicken strips on the bike on the day I got it just riding it home from the shop, admittedly that was a 100Km ride through the hills.
What a lot of people may not like is that the ride is on the firm side, and quite heavily damped. For as long as I can remember, people have complained about the crappy suspension on VFRs, with the 4th and 5th gens 41mm flexy forks and weak springs and poor damping, the 6th gen was better but this bike is better again,
Everybody asked for a more sporty VFR, well this is a sport tourer heavily biased to sport, it may not have 150 RWHP but the engine spins up very willingly and is plenty in these days of draconian policing.
It is a fun bike to ride, the fuelling is faultless,unlike the 6th gens where a powercommander was a necessity of life, and just needs to make some noise to be perfect IMO
What surprises me is the number of people on a VFR enthusiast's forum who are prepared to condemn the bike without even riding it because it doesn't fulfill ther expectations of "the perfect VFR". Well guys, dont hold your breath waiting for the 1000cc gear driven cam non vtec with USD fork bike to come out of Honda any time soon, just go and buy a RSV4 and be done with it.
Thank you!!! I don't need the perfect VFR just a fun one. I owned a 750 and an 800. Neither were perfect but both were fun and I enjoyed them. I look back at the 10 bikes I have owned over the last 30 years and the VFRs were the most fun and the ones I would buy again.
Dogman. Do you own the standard or the deluxe version ?
Thanks.
I agree dogman, I traded a cbr600 on the 2014 VFR800FD. I had less chicken strips in the first day with my VFR than I did in over 14 years with my CBR600 and over 35,000 miles (the cbr just did not inspire that much confidence, maybe because I had a nasty crash on a cbr 4 years older not long before I got that one). The suspension and handling are great, the brakes are amazing, and the engine has enough power. I can see where more HP would be fun, but it would be a rare occasion that I would make use of it. I think if it had 120 HP Id be getting myself into way too much trouble, this bike already promotes some bad behavior, haha, she likes to go, and she loves to go through twists and turns.
mdr vfrdogmandfhmdr vfrAs someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.
I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.
House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.
Actually I sold a 2011 Fireblade to buy this bike, before that I had a fairly heavily modified 6Th gen RWB.
I just love the way this bike handles, I would say its very very close to the Fireblade in the handling and braking department.
It seems that you can chuck it at a corner at any speed and it just turns in and goes around, and inspires great confidence and encourages sporty riding, and high lean angles,and that is with ST tyres on.
I had zero chicken strips on the bike on the day I got it just riding it home from the shop, admittedly that was a 100Km ride through the hills.
What a lot of people may not like is that the ride is on the firm side, and quite heavily damped. For as long as I can remember, people have complained about the crappy suspension on VFRs, with the 4th and 5th gens 41mm flexy forks and weak springs and poor damping, the 6th gen was better but this bike is better again,
Everybody asked for a more sporty VFR, well this is a sport tourer heavily biased to sport, it may not have 150 RWHP but the engine spins up very willingly and is plenty in these days of draconian policing.
It is a fun bike to ride, the fuelling is faultless,unlike the 6th gens where a powercommander was a necessity of life, and just needs to make some noise to be perfect IMO
What surprises me is the number of people on a VFR enthusiast's forum who are prepared to condemn the bike without even riding it because it doesn't fulfill ther expectations of "the perfect VFR". Well guys, dont hold your breath waiting for the 1000cc gear driven cam non vtec with USD fork bike to come out of Honda any time soon, just go and buy a RSV4 and be done with it.
Thank you!!! I don't need the perfect VFR just a fun one. I owned a 750 and an 800. Neither were perfect but both were fun and I enjoyed them. I look back at the 10 bikes I have owned over the last 30 years and the VFRs were the most fun and the ones I would buy again.
Dogman. Do you own the standard or the deluxe version ?
Thanks.
We only get the "deluxe" in OZ mate :)
I'm still wondering why some are complaining of apparent fueling issues while others seem to be just fine? :unsure2:
mdr vfrDogman. Do you own the standard or the deluxe version ?
Thanks.
What is the Deluxe in the USA is the "standard" & only model in the rest of the world. Looking at how little you save dollars-wise but how much really useful stuff you loose doing so, the Deluxe is really the only choice. Having said that looking at the parts list that someone posted earlier the dampers & springs are the same between the two models suspension wise so the performance of both on stock settings will be the same, just the ability to fine tune is missing on the stripper model.
dogmandfhmdr vfrAs someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.
I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.
House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.
Actually I sold a 2011 Fireblade to buy this bike, before that I had a fairly heavily modified 6Th gen RWB.
I just love the way this bike handles, I would say its very very close to the Fireblade in the handling and braking department.
It seems that you can chuck it at a corner at any speed and it just turns in and goes around, and inspires great confidence and encourages sporty riding, and high lean angles,and that is with ST tyres on.
I had zero chicken strips on the bike on the day I got it just riding it home from the shop, admittedly that was a 100Km ride through the hills.
What a lot of people may not like is that the ride is on the firm side, and quite heavily damped. For as long as I can remember, people have complained about the crappy suspension on VFRs, with the 4th and 5th gens 41mm flexy forks and weak springs and poor damping, the 6th gen was better but this bike is better again,
Everybody asked for a more sporty VFR, well this is a sport tourer heavily biased to sport, it may not have 150 RWHP but the engine spins up very willingly and is plenty in these days of draconian policing.
It is a fun bike to ride, the fuelling is faultless,unlike the 6th gens where a powercommander was a necessity of life, and just needs to make some noise to be perfect IMO
What surprises me is the number of people on a VFR enthusiast's forum who are prepared to condemn the bike without even riding it because it doesn't fulfill ther expectations of "the perfect VFR". Well guys, dont hold your breath waiting for the 1000cc gear driven cam non vtec with USD fork bike to come out of Honda any time soon, just go and buy a RSV4 and be done with it.
I think all some people are saying is they wish they could get gear driven cam or at least not vtec and some cool looking USD forks. Is that so unreasonable? Its really just asking for the old motor in the new bike..and maybe some bling? I think this is really rooted in the vtec engine that no one asked for that is still around. I mean this is the type of thing some manufacturers pay for---customer feedback/market research on what they would like. I don't think anyone would complain if they got their old gear driven cam back.
dfh. The standard is only available in the USA, it has no adjustments to the forks, no ABS, no traction control, no heated grips, no center stand, and no remote preload adjustment to the rear shock. For the extra $1000 its worth it to get the deluxe model.
There are a few who bought the standard and complained about the forks riding very harsh with no way to change that. The normal settings from Honda on the deluxe forks feel and handle great, also you can set them the way you want them.
windyrunI think all some people are saying is they wish they could get gear driven cam or at least not vtec and some cool looking USD forks. Is that so unreasonable? Its really just asking for the old motor in the new bike..and maybe some bling? I think this is really rooted in the vtec engine that no one asked for that is still around. I mean this is the type of thing some manufacturers pay for---customer feedback/market research on what they would like. I don't think anyone would complain if they got their old gear driven cam back.
Just to set the tone quickly, I just got an 8th Gen. It's in the corner of the showroom floor with the DON'T SIT sign on it. As soon as the side cases and hugger reach the shop I'm picking it up. Haven't even ridden it yet. The purchase of the 8th Gen was sort of forced, since a dickhead in a U-Haul truck ran over my 4th Gen while parked. Anyway...
If you look at the other threads about what a VFR is, etc. or see the whing, er, discussions on the old VFR listserv (the one that moved from wisc.edu to Google Groups), it's all over the map. It's also interesting to see the motorcycle magazine articles the last couple months. They have gone back over the history of the VFR and how it affected the market overall. Great stuff.
Personally, I miss the gear-driven cams. The sounds of the machine are a big part of the visceral appeal of motorcycles to many people. That said, I am watching the electric moto market with great curiosity to see how the sound issues unfold there.
I'm gonna really miss the 4th Gen styling, with the silly vents and ducts. The 8th Gen is relatively slab-sided.
Anyone can do USD forks. Nothing special. Maybe important if you're racing. How many of us are using VFRs to compete for trophies and sponsorship? Seriously. OK, I get the curb appeal. I'd sooner see the money spent on better valving. It's important to note how suspension knowledge has evolved over the last few decades. Stiffness is great for a penis (if it lasts more than four hours see a doctor!) but for a motorcycle frame, it's not the wonder-drug we thought it was when superbikes were wobbling all over the tracks thirty years ago.
VTEC, though hated by so many, is one of those things that make the VFR what many think it to be, which is a tech showcase. That's nice but it doesn't impress me. My Accord has VTEC and it's almost fifteen years old now.
In the end I just bought a bike that weighs more and makes the same peak HP and torque as a bike from seventeen years ago, which seems a little retarded when I consider that this years Accord with a 2.4l four-banger makes almost as much power as my current 3.0l V-6.
The 7th Gen was a showroom bomb. Honda was stupid enough to listen to the people who wanted to see the VFR become an option versus an FJR, gave it all the whiz-bang stuff, priced it through the roof and nobody bought it. Yeah, I never saw that coming. :wink:
Frankly I'm tired of mission creep. It happens with everything. Everyone clamors for bigger and better and suddenly the machine ends up completely outside the original concept. Look at a Civic now and twenty years ago. Hell, look at the CBR-250. That's right - it's no longer a 250! That was quick, eh? It's good to be fliexible and adaptable and move with the market but losing sight of the mission is a disaster. So the market spoke and Honda listened, and turned back the clock a bit. And judging by the showroom activity here, it looks like that was a wise move.
I think that the gear driven cam thing is over romanticised a bit, I owned a 5th gen and currently have a 4th gen as well, and from what I remember from 2001-2002, the 5th gen gear driven cam engine could not pass the Euro standards for mechanical noise and that was the excuse for going to a chain drive in 2002, although manufacturing costs were probably another strong factor.
I remember my 5th gen engine used to howl at about 4000RPM, it was significantly noisier than the 4th gen is
Dont forget also a gear cam drive is not as simple as it looks since provision mut be made to take the gear backlash out of the system.
hands up anyone that has actually worn out a modern cam chain drive, (CCT failures aside).
Dont get me wrong, I think the gear driven cam engine is a work of art, but chains work OK as well.
While i havent tried 6th or 8 th gen to understand why people hate VTEC, i kinda understand why people miss 5th gne's gear driven chain which was something kinda unique to VFRs, but as honda's tech showcase, they had to come up with something new that no one else is making, this time its VTEC.
While i do like the sound and unique design of gear driven cams in my 5th gen, all the other bikes i've ever owned we chain driven cams which i never had a problem with amd would have still probably bought the VFR if it had a chain driven cams as well.
Chain driven VTEC is so good they put on the 1200
Oh wait...
The reason I prefer gear driven is I owned a Gen 1 back in 83. Gears don't stretch, don't need adjusting or tensioning, and sound great.
VTEC is technology for the sake of technology and brings no useful benefit other than an interesting transition. It was added to solve a problem that never existed. It adds complication. I prefer simplicity. Not the least for servicing costs.
Having said that, I would buy a 2014 model in a heartbeat if I could get it past my financial controller.
Morph3usVTEC is technology for the sake of technology and brings no useful benefit other than an interesting transition. It was added to solve a problem that never existed. It adds complication. I prefer simplicity. Not the least for servicing costs.
Having said that, I would buy a 2014 model in a heartbeat if I could get it past my financial controller.
My controller didn't give me any crap. She knows how raggy I get when I'm bike-less.
To be fair, saying VTEC is technology just for the sake of technology is a bit like saying fuel injection is technology for the sake of technology. It all depends on how you look at what a "problem" is, to say whether a problem ever existed. I've felt the benefits of things like RPVS on Yamaha's two-strokes, then EXUP on their four-strokes.
Unfortunately the former was a maintenance issue due to direct contact with very dirty exhaust gases right at the chamber. The latter as well, but to a lesser degree. Many complained about the additional weight of the latter and thought they gained power by disabling it. All they did was put more of a ramp on the torque curve, which makes your ass believe there's more power. But ask any IFR pilot how reliable a gauge your ass is.
VTEC is supposed to flatten the torque curve (which it does, but at the cost of that dip just before the other valves kick in). While your ass might not be impressed, a flatter torque curve makes a bike's power more usable. It is also meant to improve fuel efficiency at lower RPMs. That might not matter to a lot of you boy racers who think you need USD forks but it might just work out well for someone like me who spends most of his time under 7000 RPM. And something y'all probably aren't even considering for a microsecond is that it likely helps with exhaust emissions compliance as well. Not important to you as an individual perhaps, but important nonetheless.
Morph3usVTEC is technology for the sake of technology and brings no useful benefit other than an interesting transition. It was added to solve a problem that never existed. It adds complication. I prefer simplicity. Not the least for servicing costs.
but the word "VTEC" sounds cool :goofy:
Another member that liked the 8th gen suspension. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78745-checked-out-the-8th-gen-today-and/?p=962089 Starting to wonder if those of us that don't dig it 100% got sub-standard techs putting the bike together.
Mine is at Traxxion now. The AK20's should be done tomorrow or Thursday. Tomorrow I find out if the Ohlins for the 6th gen fits (and if they changed out the spring or not.)
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I've owned a 5th, 6th, 7th and now 8th gen VFR and of the four, the new one is hands-down the best handling of the bunch. I really liked all of the previous rides, although the looks of the 6th gen never grew on me. The 8th gen is just subtly better all around. The brakes are better, the throttle response is improved, the off-pillion seat storage is appreciated, I'm sure I'll enjoy the heated grips in the winter, the brakes are better. No big SHAZAM, but just feels like a more competent bike all around. The exhaust note is a little limp (particularly compared to the nice burble of the Remus on my '03), and the handling comes at a slight expense of the ride. Oh, and the wheels are more fussy to clean than my earlier bikes, but look good enough I won't complain. I've got about 600 miles on it and look forward to owning it for a long time. The stock muffler looks a little large, but I'll decide on a change after it runs a couple thousand miles or so, or until I hear an aftermarket pipe that hits the right note. After four V4 Hondas I'm certainly biased, but I think they hit this one right on the head. It's just a beautifully balanced motorcycle.
houseAnother member that liked the 8th gen suspension. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78745-checked-out-the-8th-gen-today-and/?p=962089 Starting to wonder if those of us that don't dig it 100% got sub-standard techs putting the bike together.
I can't see how a substandard assembly tech would make a difference in characteristics that are largely dependent on spring rates and valving.
I find the ride to be an odd mix of both more and less comfortable and all the settings and pressures right out of the dealer are all in perfect accord with the manual.
Maybe it's a plot to give more business to Traxxion and RaceTech. :unsure:
It's bizarre how a bike can feel better on cobblestone yet be less comfy over the usual roadway fissures.
RectaltronicshouseAnother member that liked the 8th gen suspension. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78745-checked-out-the-8th-gen-today-and/?p=962089 Starting to wonder if those of us that don't dig it 100% got sub-standard techs putting the bike together.
It's bizarre how a bike can feel better on cobblestone yet be less comfy over the usual roadway fissures.
Thats "stiction"… will get better as the forks bed in.
If you see how these bikes are assembled, the notion that any "assembly tech" can cause a unit to unit variation seems quite unlikely. Honda engineers the human element out of the process to an extraordinary degree. Spec the parts, put them together at the spec values, and you will have an envelope of performance with minimal variation. These aren't individually hand built machines like in a motogp paddock- the assembly start to finish takes about an hour, total. Sure, there could be minor differences from unit to unit, but "flyers" are nearly impossible.
dfhRectaltronicsIt's bizarre how a bike can feel better on cobblestone yet be less comfy over the usual roadway fissures.
Thats "stiction"… will get better as the forks bed in.
In the front, sure. In the back, not so much. :wink: