Why A Vfr?

[Bikes]

The VFR, the bike we all know, ride and speak so fondly of ... it's been a round for a while now. Others have mentioned this and I also had pals riding Sabers while I was on other bikes at the time. Those other bikes were all ok, but none have withstood the test of time like the Honda V4. History is something you can only earn and Honda has managed to stick with this design for many years in spite of pressure to build something new. New does sell afterall, but somethings also endure due in part to the clamor of enthusiastic VFR owners, and steady, if not slow continued sales.

Some things I think are note worthy about the VFR:

- the 90 degree V4 is one of the smoothest running engines of any design ever built.

- the sound from this engine layout is unequaled, few engines can match the music of a howling V4.

- the history, only H-D and BMW can point to machines that they have built in such similarly long cycles.

- loyal owners have encouraged Honda to refine the design, rather than develope a whole new model.

And there are some things that I would like to see Honda change:

- the fueling is still not quite right, it's not real bad but could use some further refinement.

- I would sacrifice some top end power to gain some bottom end torque, the motor is a bit too over-square.

- to fit me really well, another couple of inches of wheelbase resulting in a slightly larger bike would suit me.

- upgrade the electrical system, too many gripes about it to really satisfy my feel-good quotient.

Overall, and I do hope Honda does realize that the VFR is perhaps they're most venerable machine.

No other machine they build or have built has the cult like status that the VFR enjoys.

They would be fools if they really messed with this marvelous machine.

[Guest]

I was looking to upgrade from my CB250 in 2001, my local dealer recommended that I look for a CBR600F or a VFR. I went to another dealer about 20km away to look at a CBR600F, but they thought that I wouldn't be able to make the repayments.

The local dealer then got a '94 VFR, which I ended up buying. What a great bike! :biggrin:

Three years on I misread a corner & my VFR ended up against a tree, the forks were bent & the bike was written off.

I was quite happy to get another VFR, the dealer said I should look for the newest 5th generation bike I could find & ignore the VTECs.

A week or so later someone traded in a 5th gen there, they kept the bike aside while I was waiting for the insurance payout to come through for my '94. And that's the bike I bought (& still have!)

[Guest]

I "inherited" a 2nd gen '86 RWB 750 from a good friend of mine who had crashed it. Initially, I trashed the Viffer, while I still had my '85 Yam FZ 750 (the original Genesis engine), and referred to it as "the bike slowly acquiring soul." Then I rode it for several years, and, you know what (?), I'm thinking, "This is actually a pretty sweet ride." DUH! I lusted after an upgrade for several years until 2008 when I sold the 2nd gen and acquired a 6th gen. Now, ahem, after a fast forward of 16 years I'm in motorcycling nirvana! Um, maybe there's more but I can't think of it right now.

[Guest]

I chose the VFR because....

VFRD talked me into it.

:491: :comp13: :fing02:

....I could see that happening to me. I had better be careful! :happy:

[Guest]

to be honest i bought mine because i could afford it. i knew nothing about VFRs. they guy tried to turn it into a street fighter so i had no idea what one even looked like other then pics on the net. and i sure am happy i got it though. i traded that one for a dirtbike, and just bought me another one. a 5th gen this time. nothing really compares to a VFR its the ultimate do it all bike if you will. you can tour around the country on it, you can race it, you can go fast on it at will. nothing really compares in my book.

[vfrcapn]

I went in to a Honda dealer and test road a CBR600 which is what I went in for. When I got back I told the (older) sales guy "nice but I want something smoother, no vibrations, sporty but I want to do some long distance touring, maybe a little less crunched riding style." He said "Oh, you're looking for the VFR." Sale done and happy ever since.

[Guest]

I have wanted a VFR for so long it is not funny... Finally in 2010 it looks like I'll be getting a 2000-2001.

First, my enthusiasm towards VFR is based upon my devotion to Honda, between the cars and the bikes the VFR will become my 7th Honda product, they have been so good to me, I see no need to change.

Second, since my first exposure to the sound of the V4 with a little bit better exhaust I have been hooked, the noise is just so sweat, and rather specific to someone with a good ear, and engine sounds are something I appreciate as a die-hard F1 fan.

Third, my riding style is a combo of sport and touring, and for sure the VFR not only fits that mold, but it seems it may have created the mold.

Fourth, I appreciate good design, I have been in the graphic arts industry all my life, when I 1st saw the single side swingarm I was just totally blown away, that is just so sexy of a design.

Fifth, it comes in red and yellow

[Guest]

My first bike was a new 1985 RWB VF500f. This was influenced by my nieghbors VFR750

I was riding a 93 CBR1000f when the 07 25th Anniversary edition came out. I had seen a nice red VFR ridden by an older (like me) gentleman and I thought now that's a grown-up sport-tourer. So it was equal parts nostalgia (RWB) coupled with the layout and style of the machine. I was looking to buy a new bike and nothing else moved me.

And VFRD talked me into it..... :rolleyes: :beer:

[Guest]

Fifth, it comes in red and yellow

It also came in Blue up here in the Great White North! Dead sexy in blue. Awesome bike.

[duderadidea]

I started by getting an '86, and when that happened, I really just found a good bike for a good price and didn't really know what I was getting into. I think I had been looking at an old CBR Hurricane at about the same time.

Last summer, the 86 died, spent the past year sort of working on it and trying to diagnose it, never got anywhere, so last month I went shopping. I tried to talk myself into an SV1000s, but couldn't do it just because the riding position is more "sport" than "touring". Also hemmed & hawed over a ZRX1200, but those bikes are carbureted, and I figured if I'm getting into a modern-ish bike I want to get EFI. Saw a '98 VFR800 pop up on a dealer's website for $2900, didn't even have to think about it. Done deal, she's sitting in my garage right now, I love it.

[Guest]

Doing a Reg Pridmore school at Road Atlanta. He rode one and could smoke anyone on anything on the track. I think Spencer used them in his now defunct school also.

[Guest]

V4 engine...intake, exhaust and gear drive cam sound, RWB paint scheme is timeless and the lite weight of the 2nd Gen. A do all with decent ergonomics. The more I ride the VFR the more I realize what a POS some of the other bikes I had in the mid 80s were.

[PLCGuy]

I'd been riding V4s (magnas and sabres) since early 2000's. I bought an FJR and while was amazed by the comfort and power (150hp) I was disappointed through the Dragon. gear choices forced me to shift, too heavy, scraped too easy. Not to mention HEAT. So after 3 years with the FJR, I bought an 84 VF1000F on a whim (and in a box too) Once I got it running I was sold! comfort, speed and handling. I went to a dealership last spring to meet some guys and they had a leftover RWB 2007. I was hooked as soon as I saw it. It was like sitting on my 84 with modern gauges! I bought the 07 having never ridden a modern one and love it (with risers, I am 50), sold the FJR and will be selling the 84 to get back to just a couple bikes. I still miss the 150hp, though.......

[creggur]

It came down to a VFR or an FZ1 - the VFR always had a place in my heart since I rode a friends 4th gen many, many moons ago. I didn't really want a liter bike, but did want something sporty that I could put on the road and do some serious touring. SSSA, under tail exhaust, and the fact that it takes a low-yield nuclear device to knock that glorious, growling V4 :blink: out of service were the winning points. And I've always been partial to the look of a full fairing. In short the VFR had everything I was looking for, and a bit of Soul the Yamaha just couldn't compete with. 2200 miles in the first six weeks of ownership; me with a stupid grin super-glued on my grill for every last one of them... :blink:

Will probably do the Sargent seat and either Genmar risers or Helibars to really enjoy the touring side of this wonderful sport-tourer next year. Can Not Wait!!!

[Bthomas]

This is an old thread but has been very interesting reading. I rode mostly standards/cruisers growing up and was actually bikeless through my 30's. I bought an 03 Concours three years ago and had been riding that and an ST1300 ABS the last two years.

The ABS on the ST1300 really saved my butt a couple of times. I realized a few months ago after a really close call on the ST with a grandmother in a Cadillac on a wet road that had I been riding my Concours, I would have probably either 1) struck her or 2) locked up my rear and gone down or 3)both. I realized that after putting thousands of miles on the ST and lots of emergency braking practice with ABS brakes, I have changed the way I use my brakes in an emergency situation--thus I needed a bike at home with ABS brakes that would accommodate my newly acquired lack of traditional braking skills.

I looked a bit at BMW's but didn't like their styling, maintenance costs or the elitist sales guys I met. I love the ST1300, but it is way too big a bike for tooling around town on. While smooth, fast and comfy it flat out wears you out going stoplight to stoplight--and while it's a warm ride in the winter, it's really, really hot in the summer. The C14 and the FJR felt like faster, racier versions of the heavy ST1300 to me. Don't get me wrong--If I wanted a bike for mostly touring, I would pick one of those three... But for right now, I wanted a commuter/around town bike that rides well in rainy Oregon.

The VFR has linked ABS which I love riding in the wet as I do, the linear V4 power and chain drive (no drive-line lash) make it a great wet-weather bike, and the short windscreen makes me feel like I'm actually on a bike as opposed to riding in a bike (See ST1300, C14, FJR or Goldwing).

I have always loved the looks of the VFR, and finally sat on one at my mechanic's shop and realized I'm not too big for one (6'3, 255lbs). I fell in love with the RWB scheme at my local dealer and when Honda dropped the price a few thou, I called him and told him to hold it for me--haven't regretted it a bit.

I plan on keeping my VFR for a long time and buying a giant, bloated two-up touring bike in a few years when I retire as I'll have more touring time then...

Cheers!!!!

[stic3]

I had a HD Sportster 1200 Sport, not enough comfort or reliability, so I sold it, and was without a bike for almost a year. The wife said I was getting to grumpy, so she suggested I get another bike, I was thinking somthing like a HD FXD Touring, but I recalled a ride on a friend's 2000 VFR when we swapped bikes for a day a year earlier. That's why a VFR, 40,000 miles later, never a regret.

[Guest]

When I decided to give racing a go in my early thirties the bike I happened to get was an '86 VFR400R, the very first quad cam gear driven model. It was indestructable and great fun to ride. As a result I ditched the BMW I had as a road bike and bought a '93 VFR750, my favourite model, still slim and sexy and still with the big carbs. The V8 exhaust note and thumping induction roar just add to the experience. With the amount of torque down low that the engine has, she is just so easy to ride fast.

[Guest]

:rolleyes: For me... Looks, sound, Nothing gives you better goose bumps than pulling in some where and people walk out of there way to stare and compliment you on the style and look of your ride.... Sleek, Beautiful, sporty, AND THE INSURANCE IS CHEAP... :goofy:

[Shooter]

My wife actually bought me my '04 VFR for my B-Day after I was talking about it for Quite a while. I have had inline 4's (CB750 & CB1000) and a V-Twin (RC-51). I really just wanted a V4, primarily because I never rode one before. I sold the CB1000 and the RC51 once I got it, it filled both roles and the other two just sat once I got it. The RC51 was awesome but I was just too stupid on that thing. The CB1000 was great also, but boy was it heavy. Now I just picked up a '77 CB550 (that I 'cafed' a little) that I have been spending alot of time with. It is everything the VFR isn't...slow, crap suspension, crap brakes, needs constant maintenance, BUT, boy is it COOOOOOLLLLLLLL! I love both of these bikes. I literally switch off each day riding to work and running errands. I really can't say which I like better, they are both so much fun and unique in their own ways.

[Guest]

I've got a '99. I bought as a commuter... 100 miles round trip to work 4 days a week. I can get over 200 miles per tanks so I'm confident it will make it to work and back twice before i refuel. So far, no issues as long as I do the regular scheduled maintenance. Just put on a new chain and its like new. Wish it cam with a shaftdrive or belt though.

[Jmmymc750]

I was asked by a buddy to baby sit his 86 VFR 750 in june of 87. Our ship was going to sea (USS Bainbridge) and I was staying behind (longggg story).He was gone a month and I didn't fire up my Suzuki even once after I rode the VFR. The balance. The balance of VFR models al the way back is awesome. I decided to buy one as soon as I got the chance. By 1990, I was out of the Navy and hunting for a motorcycle in Rochester New York. Picked up RC3606LM000048 april 19th, 1990. I have been in love ever since. Cried so hard when the first motor went the day it turned back to 00000. Poetic, no? But cried nonetheless. Til my buddy came with the trailer so we could take to Team Powersports in Raleigh. Cried on the way there, too. But she's OK. She's gonna be back on the road again in a couple months (after sitting for 6 years - even tho i cheated on her with a Yamaha all that time). I still love her. And her rusty left hand exit Kerker, with the dyno'd, kitted carbs, 5 rectifiers, 3 wiring harnesses...

Thanks to everybody who posted. Everybody's story seemed interesting.

Cheers!

[Granny22]

I'm one of the old guys who wanted a bike again before I couldn't swing a leg over one anymore and I wasn't ready for a cruiser or Gold Wing.

The CBR600RR was the one that originally caught my attention but I discovered that the 600 required a young body that folded more than I was capable of doing.

It was a Honda (reliable), it was sexy (especially in red), it was a performer (and much less expensive than a BMW).

Mine is an '03 that I bought new. I have added a topbox to give me a bit of carrying capacity. I don't find it quite as comfortable as everyone else but that's just me. I don't spend nearly enough time on my bike (only 15,000 km to date) but I still love it, it makes the prettiest sounds when you twist your wrist.

The new VFR is tempting but considering my useage it would be a really tough sell, especially at $18,000+

[bryan217]

I hadn't ridden in about 10 years when I decided I wanted to get back into it. It took a couple of years before I could scrounge the money. Like Granny, I re-started on a 600 supersport, but mine was a Yamaha R6. By the 2nd season with it, I realized it wasn't what I wanted. I always wanted a sport tourer when I was younger, but never managed to even go on a trip. But I promised myself that I will now that I have the VFR. I bought a set of OEM hardbags last month, now just waiting for some warmer weather.

[Reddog15]

Being almost of driving age in the late '80's I lusted after the first generations. I wanted a VF500 so bad in high school! Fast forward a couple of decades and my brother was fortunate to bike sit a third generation that he let me ride. The bike had a good pipe on it and it sounded like a miniature V8! I was so hooked on the sound. A couple of years after that experience I was looking at something to replace my Aprilia Futura and the RWB's had just recently undergone a deep price discount. I couldn't pass it up! I love the sound (with Leo Vince!) the handling, the power of the V4, and looks. There is a certain percentage of riders that don't need the latest squid conveyance that can appreciate the overall package of the VFR, and THAT SOUND! Those who know, know!

[Guest]

I just bought an 83 project bike because I have wanted one since they hit the floor in 83, I havd just bought a Yamaha SECA 750 and could not afford to trade up and take the loss.. I finaly decided to do a project and found a VF750F... I got a 98 BMW 1100 GS and this will make a fine stable mate for it.

Lee