Jump to content

2014 VFR 800 review...owned one month, 4000 miles.


billyzoom2

Recommended Posts

 

I'll start by stating that generally speaking, I'm a Kawasaki guy.  I recently downsized my bike collection, which included a modded Kawasaki ZRX 1100, a 2006 VFR800, and a 2015 KTM Superduke 1290r.  To free up cash and work on my tendency to want to accumulate shit, I decided to sell them and have a single bike.  Because I loved the 06 VFR and I saw a great deal on a leftover, red 2014 (not the deluxe), I bought the 2014 VFR with a high level of confidence that I'd love it.  One of the best do-it-all bikes ever.  

 

After breaking it in, I got the first oil change done, and rode it to Sturgis for the first time, from the Oregon coast.  I have 4000 miles on the bike after a month, and on the last day of my trip I rode 800 miles home.  A new record.  So I feel I have a good basis to share some hopefully useful info.

 

I've ridden for 35 years, and have owned streetbikes by all the major Japanese brands, including multiple Kawasakis and Hondas.  I've also owned bikes by Ducati, BMW and KTM.   My scores are completely subjective, and are given in the scope of the intended purpose of the bike, e.g., if I give the handling a 9, it's clearly not going to handle nearly as well as a pure sportbike.  I consider it a sporty bike that you can tour.  I purchased the Honda saddlebags, which I'll also touch on.

 

Comfort/Riding position - 8

Considering the bike's intended purpose, I feel the riding position is versatile and fairly comfortable.  Even being 6'2", I feel the footpeg height was fairly comfortable, even with my 800 mile ride.  Having said that, I'd consider lowering them when I've done adequate research and if the price is right.  But I don't feel it's essential.

 

The bars did feel a bit too low for me, and I felt a bit too stretched forward.  I purchased the Honda risers, and I couldn't be happier.  Perfect riding position now, and they look seamless.  I had a set of Helibars on my 06, and I prefer this position to that one.  The risers get a 10 out of 10, though they're a bit costly.  I got them online on the Eeebay for about $100.

 

The suspension strikes a fairly good balance between handling and comfort, though the rear suspension could use a bit less compression damping. The ride feels a bit harsh on occasion, mainly for this reason.  I'm 170 pounds without gear, FYI.  I may get the suspension redone if it continues to feel bothersome and finances permit.

 

The clutch pull feels a tad harder than I recall with the 06, but it's only noticeable during stop and go riding.  While I noticed a slight bit of heat from with engine on occasion when going slow or stopped, it was never a concern, even when riding in 100+ temps.

 

The seat felt just as horrible as the one on my 06, until I read about setting the front of the seat to the higher position, and the rear at the lower position.  This made the seat feel much flatter, and improved comfort 100%.  I was using an Airhawk on the seat, and after making this change I was able to remove it.  I made it 400 miles before I started to have to move around a bit for comfort, but even then it was mostly a non-issue.  I don't feel the Airhawk is needed anymore, which is saying something.

 

The straps that are hidden under the rear pillion are a really nice touch, as they're strong and convenient when used, but can be tucked under the seat when not desired, which gives a nice, clean look.  A nice touch.

 

Style, fit and finish - 8.5

Fit and finish is typically where I've always expected Honda to shine over their Japanese competitors, though I feel the gap has certainly closed.  Switchgear and such have the typical Honda precise feel and function.  Cosmetics and tolerances were excellent.  Instrumentation looked modern, and the tachometer being the focal point is appreciated.

 

The finish of the paint and parts gives the impression of a very expensive, high-quality bike.  The subtle and classy looking Honda tank badges look great...far better than spelling out Honda.  On my trip I had several people mention that they thought it was a Ducati or a BMW.  Very classy, and modern-looking without too many angular lines (unlike my Superduke).  The lack of graphics makes the bike look sexy and classy.  The rear wheel, of course, is boner material.  Too bad it couldn't be revealed a bit more.

 

I dinged the score a bit because the paint, while beautifully applied, scratches easily.  I've been extremely careful with the paint, including having given it a wax job, and there are already quite a few small scratches after just a month of ownership.  Bummer.

 

Handling - 8.5

This is one of the bike's strengths.  It tracks like it's on rails, and feels a bit lighter to ride in the twisties than expected.  It's easy to toss from side to side, and ground clearance is impressive.  Easy to change lines mid-corner, and it feels sporty and very willing to be ridden aggressively.  Very stable in the corners, yet responsive.  On the highway, it is very stable and tracks extremely well with no twitchiness.  Braking was strong and predictable, though my front brake feels a bit spongy.  I'm going to bleed it and see if that helps.  

 

Engine - 7.5

This was easily the biggest disappointment to me, as it doesn't feel quite as strong as my 2006 anywhere in the powerband.  Overall power feels a bit soft, and the engine seems to lack character.  The power feels linear to a fault, as on the 06 I could feel a bump in power from the V-tec, and up to redline.  The feel of the engine makes it feel more like an electric motor than an engine.  The character of the exhaust tone is also uninspiring.  Passing generally requires a downshift or two, which is a bit of a letdown.

 

I enjoyed the V-tec on the 06, as the sound when it engaged was fun, and I felt a bit more power kick in.  It made the bike feel more fun and it felt more spirited.  On the 2014, the sound is there but I don't feel the power kick I got from the 06.  I heard Honda tried to smooth the transition to the V-tec on this generation to make it more predictable, but to me they've lost what made the V-tec feel special and cool.  In addition, the V-tec on this bike feels less predictable than on the '06.  In top gear, if I'm cruising and happen to hit the V-tec threshold, the change in engine character and response felt a bit alarming at first, almost as if I'd downshifted.  So I'd have to say that the 2014 has made me a non-fan of V-tec.

   

It's hard to imagine why Honda didn't do anything noteworthy to boost the power of the bike when reintroducing it.  Whether it was a bump in cc or another approach, just another 10-15 horsepower or so would be perfect for me.  The fact that they did nothing to give the engine a bit of a boost is very disappointing to me.  Even the alleged changes to boost midrange feel unnoticeable to me.  It feels like they're resting on their laurels a bit, especially with newer bikes from competitors having much livelier engines.  Honda missed the ball here, IMO.  It's similar to how Suzuki brought back the SV650.  A great bike that deserved reintroduction, but they put almost no effort into improving the power or character of the engine.  

 

Vibration is present virtually all the time, but it's slight and mostly isn't obtrusive.  Even after my 800 mile day, I didn't have any issues with numb hands or such. The exception to this is between 4200-4900 rpm, where the vibes become more noticeable and would certainly affect my enjoyment of the bike a bit if my freeway cruising speed kept me within that range.  My typical cruising speed keeps me around 5200 and higher, so it's largely a non-issue for me.  I also feel a very mild stumble at times around 2500 rpm, so when accelerating from a stop I occasionally feel it hesitate. 

 

I ordered a Two-bros slip-on exhaust in hopes that the slight power increase will be detectable, and that the exhaust tone will make the bike feel more muscular and aggressive.  If I feel it will be beneficial after trying the slip-on alone, I may also get a PC and have a custom map done to cure that stumble an see if more power can be found.

 

Gas mileage is excellent.  I'm averaging 52 mpg overall, and averaged just over 40 on my trip home, even given my 90-95 mph cruising speed through all of Montana.  With the relatively large tank, a 200 mile range on a tank was easily achievable with any modicum of self-control.  My buddy on his V-Rod had to stop for fuel far more frequently, having a safe range of only 120 miles or so.  

 

Having said all that, on my trip, with a tank bag, both saddlebags, and a small rear bag, I hit 131 mph, though acceleration had slowed rather quickly after 125.  I may have been able to hit 135, but it was close to maxing out.  Pretty damn good, especially with the bags adding air resistance.  I assure you, this was only done on a closed course. ;) 

 

Miscellaneous

I wish the gearing was just a tad wider, particularly that first gear wasn't so tall.  If I wasn't an experienced rider, it would be far too easy to stall the bike coming off a stop.  When the chain/sprockets get enough wear, I'm going to go up one on the rear sprocket, even though it will raise the highway revs a tad.

    

The placement of the horn button is not only illogical and unintuitive, it is dangerous.  It's virtually impossible to press unless you shift your hand, and if you're trying to avoid something, you don't want to be distracted by having to move your clutch hand while you're likely trying to downshift while avoiding someone.  I nearly got taken out on the trip back home, and I avoided it only because I predicted what the driver might do, and I was ready to evade.  But when I went to press the horn, I missed it even though I'd practiced with it.  And by moving the horn button they also made it harder to activate the turnsignals.  Your thumb is too high for the turnsignal, but too low for the horn.  Nothing falls under one's thumb directly, so it's an absurd design.  Inexcusable.

 

I love the saddlebag mounts being incorporated to the bodywork and being so unobtrusive.  It is a wonderful improvement from the ugly brackets that were necessary to mount bags on my 06. 

 

Speaking of saddlebags, let's start with the pluses.  They look nice and clean on the bike, they're easy to mount and remove, and the bike still looks very sporty with them. 

 

Having said that, Honda apparently hired drunken chimpanzees to design and manufacture the bags.  The bags don't align well when closed (the gap in the clamshell is inconsistent), and one bag leaked quickly in the rain.  They scuff in a stiff wind.  They're a bit small.  

 

I was annoyed that I was expected to put the reflectors on myself (including DRILLING), until I realized this gave me the option of a completely clean look by not installing them.  I'll take my chances by riding without reflectors to have that clean, tasteful look. 

    

Aside from that, it is simply absurd and insulting that Honda forces you to buy separate locks for the bags, then require you to try to key them to your lock, then install them.  Ridiculous. It took me a few hours, mainly because I was afraid of trying to put the locks into the bags after keying them.  The instructions and pictures weren't clear to me on this part.  What Honda should have done was sell them with locks installed and keys.  Simple.  If you wanted to key them the same as your bike, THEN Honda could sell me the locks and tell me how to key them and swap them out.  To sell bags with no locks installed whatsoever is ridiculous, especially without some cap or cover in the space for the locks.  

 

So, imagine my surprise when I picked up my bags the night before leaving to Sturgis and saw ugly holes where the locks were supposed to be.  Honda apparently expects me to pay $850 for a set of bags, then expects me to have to go through the hassle of drilling holes in the bags to install the reflectors, learn how to key locks, install the locks, etc.  Not to mention that my keys don't turn completely smoothly on one bag, and I don't have any idea how to fix it.  Is it user error?  Probably.  Should I have had to try to do it?  No way.  I bought a BMW 1200 two years ago, and the bags had locks installed, and were keyed to my bike in 20 minutes by the dealer.  Honda can't do that?

 

I just bought the seat cowl (it's not being included was part of the great price, I guess).  While it looks great and is easily installed, I'm surprised there is no seat pad where your butt may rub against the cowl.  You're essentially sitting against the plastic if you slide backward.  I just installed it and haven't even used it yet, but that also seems like a careless design, as it will scratch as scuff as easily as the bags.

 

Overall

 

I'm still very happy with the bike overall, and there are some tweaks I'll be making, like the slip-on exhaust and perhaps a Power Commander and lower pegs. I'm disappointed with Honda in general, however, as it seems they've shown a lack of regard for their customers in terms of their design on this bike.  If I'd paid full price, I'd have felt somewhat dissatisfied the overall engine performance.  For the price I paid, $7,999 out the door (with no sales tax in Oregon, suckas!) I'm only a tad disappointed in the engine, rather than bummed. 

 

Aside from the engine being a bit of a letdown, I love it and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat at that price.  At full price, I would have gone with Kawasaki's Ninja 1000 for the additional features, more modern design, and power, though the Honda's beautiful lines appeal to me more.

 

Having said that, I'm gonna ride the hell out of this thing and hope to pile on a lot of miles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Welcome and thanks for the thorough review!  I agree with you on the awful horn placement.  The 2 bros should significantly add to your enjoyment of the bike - almost all the slip-ons shave at least 5 pounds and add at least 2hp - not to mention the vastly improved sound.  When I added a slip on to mine it really transformed the riding experience for the better.

 

One thing that caught my eye in your review is when you said you just bought the rear seat cowl.  It's supposed to come as standard equipment.  You may want to go back to the dealer and see if it's sitting in a box gathering dust up on a shelf in their parts department.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No time to read that right now, but I'll say that I subscribed to Cycle World for 99¢ on Prime Day (and I'd be upset if I'd paid more) and they could really use someone as thorough as you.

 

I did glance over it, and though I've never ridden a 6th, I'm more and more underwhelmed with the motor. The sound satisfies me as it's still decent while not sounding like another I4, but the VTEC transition is not smooth to me. It feels like I let off the throttle, even slowly passing through it in 6th gear.

 

And this is no fault at the bike, but passing idiots who want to merge onto the interstate at 50 and then punch it isn't as easily done as I would think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed with pretty much everything you said, especially around design of bags, horn placement, and other small niggles. However, having owned 6th gen, I did not notice a big power difference you describe,maybe just a tad less top end. After the exhaust mod on my 8 gen, I don't know if there is noticeable difference. However,the sound my 6gen cans made was a little more deeper rumble.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Sounds like all about what I feel.. minus the notes on the engine. It's back to the trusty linear powerband like my 5th gen has, with some additional spunk up top (even though peak power is a few hp lower.) Sold my 6th due to the inconsistent VTEC 'kick,' and this model is much improved in that department. According to the dyno charts, it gets even smoother with a slip on.

 

Ticks all my boxes, that's for sure. Maybe @ 16k mi I'll upgrade the suspension components with DMr. The bike is mostly ridden to/from/in the canyons and has performed very well so far. Quite a confidence inspiring bike, like my 5th gen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, 4corsa said:

I'm averaging 52 mpg overall, and averaged just over 40 on my trip home, even given my 90-95 mph cruising speed through all of Montana.  Pretty damn good.  

I doubt that you get 40 mpg at 90-95 mph average speed. you should get 32-34 mpg at that speed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
57 minutes ago, sdouble said:

the trick with the 8th gen is that the engine "sets free" at about 6-8000 miles.

It changes drastically. I suggest you to update your review whenever you reach that mileage.

 

My bike now is nothing like it was at that mileage, it revs so much more freely and hitting the VTEC is like hitting the pipes on a 2 stroke, reminds me of my TZ350 so much I still ride with one finger covering the clutch

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
2 hours ago, sdouble said:

I doubt that you get 40 mpg at 90-95 mph average speed. you should get 32-34 mpg at that speed

Mais non! I routinely commute on my 800X (same engine) at ~6k rpm in 6th, returning between 47mpg & 52mpg. But that's Imperial gallons. billyzoom2 is probably quoting US gallons. Either way, 32-34mpg would need me to be in 3rd or 4th at 90mph for extensive periods!

 

I've previously had a 5th and a 6th Gen VFR and this engine feels the best compromise between the 2 imo. More progressive torque curve then the 6th Gen, freer revving than the 5th Gen with the added bonus of a super-smooth Vtec. Mine's done 14k now and does not feel any slower than either previous model despite the increased drag from the upright seating position.

CR 1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, sdouble said:

the trick with the 8th gen is that the engine "sets free" at about 6-8000 miles.

It changes drastically. I suggest you to update your review whenever you reach that mileage.

 

I'd love for that to be my experience.  We'll see.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

nice review.  I bought my 2000 in Portland and rode it from PDX back to Virginia by way of Idaho, Beartooth pass, the Bighorns, Devil's Tower with a stop in Sturgis.  I did 1026 miles from B;ozeman Montana to Sioux Falls SD...took me 20 hours because I had a 3 hour chain issue in the Bighorns...beautiful country.  I did 3097 miles in 4-1/2 days...Sounds like you had a great trip.

 

Here's the trip I did  https://goo.gl/maps/JWwJE1ffigE2

 

Matt

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Put gasoline in it instead of govt. subsidized welfare fuel and it will run much stronger.  And, yes, each of my three VFR's did run better around 16K miles.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, zupatun said:

nice review.  I bought my 2000 in Portland and rode it from PDX back to Virginia by way of Idaho, Beartooth pass, the Bighorns, Devil's Tower with a stop in Sturgis.  I did 1026 miles from B;ozeman Montana to Sioux Falls SD...took me 20 hours because I had a 3 hour chain issue in the Bighorns...beautiful country.  I did 3097 miles in 4-1/2 days...Sounds like you had a great trip.

 

Here's the trip I did  https://goo.gl/maps/JWwJE1ffigE2

 

Matt

 

 

 

Dude...you rode highway 12?!  That's the route we took to go out there, and I've never seen such beautiful riding.  Like 80 miles on a 2 lane with sweeping curves, and a river next to you the whole time.  That actually made the trip for me.  Awesome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Yes. However I had fires creating lots of smoke half the trip through Lolo pass.  Got stopped by a police officer being followed by several trucks full of fire fighters...asked me to not stop and keep going.  Coughed in my helmet the next 20 miles, but all was ok.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Bear tooth pass to Cody Wyoming was like a painting...too beautiful for words.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.