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Coming back to VFRs??


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Hi all, been a long time since I've visited here. Like the new site

 

After being robbed of my 04 VFR8 by an Evil Murderous Kangaroo about 2 years ago, I've been riding about on my Daytona (yes, ok, life's tough, lol) trying to decide what to do. I am right at the point that even though I love the Daytona, it isn't the bike that suits me and how I want to ride.

 

So I'm looking at selling up and switching back to VFR. Love to keep both again, but the Boss has other ideas, and to be honest I can't store both under cover. I am perfectly happy to go out and find a 6th gen again, but I wondered what the general opinion are about 8th gen, now that they have been out for several years. I have ridden one but found little to mark it out as different from the 6th gen, some gadgets and styling choices not withstanding. 

 

Are there any consistent problems with the 8th gen? I'm well aware of most of the 6th gen (which to be honest I never really suffered with in 161,000km) quibbles, but a quick read through the forums here doesn't seem to highlight any with the newer bike. I'm thinking of things like the VTEC stutter, or the pair gains thing. 

 

I have a very short list of bikes at the moment, the 6th and 8th gen VFR8 and the Ninja 1000 has just slipped into the running as well. Any thoughts.

 

What am I looking for? Something a little less highly strung than the Daytona, though to be honest she's very easy to live with - but my riding is mostly commuting on highways and larger roads (not city centre). Something that is a better mile eater, something that I can fit more luggage to. I've tried trackdays and hated it, I prefer exploring new roads and directions, not 500 times up and down the same road just pushing the limits.  ADV and Nakeds are not being considered.

 

Thanks all.

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Love my 8 gen, a lot more relaxed than my street triple. I tested the ninja and it's a good bike except I found the screen noisy in any position, rear brake weak, and very buzzy over 7000 revs, loved the rest of it. Gen 8 ticked alll the boxes for me and came with the fabulous luggage.

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I currently have both an 08 Vtec and 15 VFR800X Crossrunner which is the same engine as the new F-model. I'm surprised you see little difference between the 2 as I think they are quite distinct engines; the new engine is smoother, better low down, more torque and an almost unnoticeable Vtec kick, even when compared to my super smooth 08. Linked brakes have gone and it has TC also. The new engine feels to me like the best compromise between the older Fi engine (pre-Vtec) and the Vtec>

 

If I had enough money for either, I know which I would choose (and did).

 

The 08 is for sale. Best of luck with your decision and search. :beer:

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I really like my 8th gen (see link to my 8th gen VFR motovlog in my sig below) but I've never ridden a previous generation so I have no basis to compare it to prior generations.  FWIW, motorcycle.com said in their review of the 8th gen that it was "better than ever", link:  http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/honda/2014-honda-interceptor-review-first-ride.html

 

I'm noticing a lot of cross-pollination on this forum recently between the Daytona and the 8th gen VFR.  Tredmkv just traded his Daytona for a VFR and ragtop bought a Daytona after his VFR got stolen - see their threads linked below:

 

 

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Definitely go for the 8th gen.  It is a better bike all around, and you can probably find a brand new one for the same price as a used 6th gen! (in the US, some are selling for just over half the original MSRP price).

 

I went from a 6th gen to the 8th gen with no regrets.

I now have over 18k miles on the 8th gen with zero problems.

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I really like my 8th gen. Plus they look a little smaller in size compared to the 6th gen. Also you can get leftovers super cheap. Another thing to consider is insurance . The Ninja 1000 is quite a bit more than the vfr. Also lacks the v4 character which is what I wanted. 

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I've had two 675s and loved them to pieces.  I swapped my 09 Vtec for 14 800FE and it's up there as a favourite bike with the 675s.  The handling is all round better on the FE and the acceleration is smoother.

 

So which would I have out of the 3 models.  FE without a doubt.  Great bike and miles better than the Vtec.  All it takes is a test ride to make your own mind up.

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Ok, first test ride, a 2016 VFR800F. This bike only had 40km on it so it was tight. The seating position seemed really upright, but having not ridden a VFR in two years and having just stepped off the Daytona, that's kinda expected. Everything seems kinda the same as my recollection of my 04 pretty much. I like the LED headlights, but apart from that, it is (my opinion) the same bike, only a little uglier... 

 

So no real surprises. 

 

It's not a sure thing at this stage. I'm quite taken by the Ninja so plan to test it in the next couple of weeks. I also thought to try a MT09 Tracer and a Tiger Sport, though they are somewhat a little more longer in the suspension than I was originally thinking.

 

In the end, the option is still to see if I can pick up a 6th gen with topbox/panniers and go from there.

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12 hours ago, projectalpha said:

What about the vfr1200 over the 800?
 

 

Oh boy...here we go.  ?

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No "consistent problems" with the 8th gen.   I consider it the best gen. yet having owned both the 5th and sixth gen.  The 8th gen. does need a slip-on though.  The factory muffler is a heavy, restrictive monster.  VTEC transition is much improved but that never bothered me anyway.  Get one and use non-ethanol gas in it for significant power increase.  All VFR's tend to respond much better to real gasoline.  

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3 hours ago, Bent said:

No "consistent problems" with the 8th gen.   I consider it the best gen. yet having owned both the 5th and sixth gen.  The 8th gen. does need a slip-on though.  The factory muffler is a heavy, restrictive monster.  VTEC transition is much improved but that never bothered me anyway.  Get one and use non-ethanol gas in it for significant power increase.  All VFR's tend to respond much better to real gasoline.  

 

Need is relative.  Lots of folks are OK with the stock can.

 

The Akrapovič is a nice swap, has the right stickers so no worries about noise nazis (an issue in the some places in the 'States, not sure about Down Under), is actually peddled by Honda themselves in some countries as an OEM upgrade, looks very nice, sounds good too without being asshole-loud, saves a bunch of weight, gives you a bit more power and smooths out the VTEC dip a bit more.  Well worth the extra coin IMHO.

 

The ethanol remark reminds me, this summer I'm gonna do a real mileage test for E10 versus straight-up gasoline.  Probably around mid/late June.  Stay tuned...

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1 hour ago, Rectaltronics said:

 

Need is relative.  Lots of folks are OK with the stock can.

 

The Akrapovič is a nice swap, has the right stickers so no worries about noise nazis (an issue in the some places in the 'States, not sure about Down Under), is actually peddled by Honda themselves in some countries as an OEM upgrade, looks very nice, sounds good too without being asshole-loud, saves a bunch of weight, gives you a bit more power and smooths out the VTEC dip a bit more.  Well worth the extra coin IMHO.

 

The ethanol remark reminds me, this summer I'm gonna do a real mileage test for E10 versus straight-up gasoline.  Probably around mid/late June.  Stay tuned...

 

What's wrong with "asshole-loud"? ?  Actually, see my new thread on this subject here:  

 

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20 hours ago, Rectaltronics said:

 

Need is relative.  Lots of folks are OK with the stock can.

 

The Akrapovič is a nice swap, has the right stickers so no worries about noise nazis (an issue in the some places in the 'States, not sure about Down Under), is actually peddled by Honda themselves in some countries as an OEM upgrade, looks very nice, sounds good too without being asshole-loud, saves a bunch of weight, gives you a bit more power and smooths out the VTEC dip a bit more.  Well worth the extra coin IMHO.

 

The ethanol remark reminds me, this summer I'm gonna do a real mileage test for E10 versus straight-up gasoline.  Probably around mid/late June.  Stay tuned...

 

Why do you have have a pattern and obvious need to consistently come back with niggling little contradictory remarks on other people's posts?  Enough is enough.  Are you right all the time?  Me thinks not.  Other people are entitled to their opinions and they are just as worthy as your opinions.  Not everyone likes Akrapovic or they would not have competition.  How does that make you feel?  Get it.      

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Why do you have have a pattern and obvious need to consistently come back with niggling little contradictory remarks on other people's posts?  Enough is enough.  Are you right all the time?  Me thinks not.  Other people are entitled to their opinions and they are just as worthy as your opinions.  Not everyone likes Akrapovic or they would not have competition.  How does that make you feel?  Get it.      

Yea what he said, while Akrapovic make very high quality exhausts they're very expensive compared to others

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk

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15 minutes ago, Sayo said:


Yea what he said, while Akrapovic make very high quality exhausts they're very expensive compared to others

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk
 

 

LOL!!

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If y'all want to hear "asshole-loud," come to south Louisiana and wait until a pickup truck passes, anything from a ratty Ford Ranger to a brand-new, $70k Denali.

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5 hours ago, Bent said:

Why do you have have a pattern and obvious need to consistently come back with niggling little contradictory remarks on other people's posts?  Enough is enough.  Are you right all the time?  Me thinks not.  Other people are entitled to their opinions and they are just as worthy as your opinions.  Not everyone likes Akrapovic or they would not have competition.  How does that make you feel?  Get it.      

 

You wrote "The 8th gen. does need a slip-on though."

 

I wrote that need is relative.  Actually I meant to write subjective.  Need implies that something is required, obligatory, crucial, essential.  For the purposes of the motorcycle's operation and usability, a slip-on is hardly a dire necessity and for most people it amounts to nothing more than a desire.

 

I suggested the Akro because it is a nice can, light, well-engineered (read, doesn't sacrifice power in one place to gain it in another, not to mention doing a better job of smoothing the VTEC dip) and has the added benefit of still being street legal in most places, so you get the benefits of a slip-on without becoming public enemy number one.  I know a few people with Akro's hardware and they've been quite happy with it.  I always recommend it, have recommended it for prior models, and will probably continue to recommend it as long as their quality holds up.  At the same time I am not denying others their personal preferences.

 

Aside of typing an unintended but still sufficiently descriptive adjective, there's nothing wrong with what I wrote.  It was not an attack.  It certainly was not anything that should get your panties all wadded up.  I'm as entitled to my opinion as you are to yours.  If you don't like my opinion, just skip past my posts.  If you can't deal with people challenging your notions, well then maybe online forums aren't the place for you.

 

 

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and you.

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