vfr_steve Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 If you live in the UK and are about to buy MCN I wouldn't bother... In this month's issue MCN have a feature for the best all rounder, included is KTM's SMT, 1200GS, GSX-R750 and of course the VFR.. Some quotes about the test: ''The VFR is not fast enough, it doesn't have enough torque'' ''The Brakes are rubbish too'' ''It's so bland you never remember where you've just been'' .. I could go on but to be honest I'm pretty furious with the unfair comments - RIDE magazine has just voted this bike the ultimate owners bike quoting ''The VFR is faster on real roads than most all rounders'' Neddless to say I've voiced my concern here http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/new...cussThisSection A few errors I know but it just reflects my anger at such a bashing against a bike that doesn't need to prove itself. I'm going out for a ride now on my gutless, pig handling underpowered souless machine... I'll be back later with a huge smile on my face Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tyrroneous Posted April 15, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2009 I wouldn't get worked up about what a magazine says about our lovely VFR's. We KNOW how good they are and that is what matters. Seriously though, compared to a GSXR 750 (which I have ridden), our bikes are slow, heavy and lack in the braking department. I still love my VFR though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer alwaysaware Posted April 15, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2009 Don't worry about what others think about VFRs. I think just about every type of bike out there has a certain following due to what ever reason. I personally don't like HDs. However most of my cooworkers have them and are always talking trash. I just throw it back at them that their bikes are heavy slow and run extremely hot. But I still respect that they prefer that type of bike over mine. I think VFR owners are a bit more mature than some of the guys that have to talk trash to make themselves feel better. Enjoy your ride. :wheel: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vanion2 Posted April 15, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2009 Let's not forget that there hasn't been an update to the VFR for 7 years now either. I don't know about the KTM but I know that both the BMW and Suzuki bikes there have been updated. The way I look at it our VFR is the baseline for all other comparisons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum CEO HispanicSlammer Posted April 15, 2009 Forum CEO Share Posted April 15, 2009 Maybe its just because the whole world knows MCN UK is a piece of garbage that publishes fake CGI photoshop photos of bikes that dont exist and never will. The vfr community has known it for years and has not been shy about saying it, so little payback is to be expected - its like reading the enquirer only with motorcycles in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum CEO HispanicSlammer Posted April 15, 2009 Forum CEO Share Posted April 15, 2009 Let's not forget that there hasn't been an update to the VFR for 7 years now either. I don't know about the KTM but I know that both the BMW and Suzuki bikes there have been updated. The way I look at it our VFR is the baseline for all other comparisons. Updates - look how long it took to get an update for the Connie, and the KLR. Thats Kawisaki though so however the Versys is somthing - at least they are not abandoning thier so called "flagship" bike to make DN-01's instead. I really doubt Honda will be comming out with a significant new VFR this year either. I guess they are going to wait and see if Aprilla updates the Futura to a v-4, then see if it flops. Nobody can predict whats going to sell, sport touring bikes dont seem to sell like the supersports and liter sportbikes do. In this economy they cant justify the retooling cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer trav72 Posted April 15, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2009 I don't give a rats a*s what they think or say about he VFR. It doesn't change my thoughts about our bikes one bit. I know out of that list I'll take the VFR in reliability all day long over the others. KTM's have always had reliability issues. Let's not forget about FD failures on the GS that seem to have plagued that bike for years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer backonabike Posted April 15, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2009 The VFR has won more awards over its' lifetime than ANY of those other bikes. As noted it has not been updated in 7 years and we all know that bike years are like DOG years. That being said we all KNOW that the VFR is a great bike just the way it is. It never fails to put a smile on my face on a sunny afternoon. Also as stated the VFR rider is a more mature rider who understands what makes a great motorcycle. The VFR does it all! Yeah it is heavier and slower than a Gixxer, but which one would you want to cover a 300 mile day, two up, loaded with luggage? If and I stress "if" Honda ever pulls its' thumb out of its' ass and gives us a revised VFR with a bit more power and a little less weight it will again be a world beating machine in the do it all class. Oh and BTW I love MCN UK! I wish they would publish it on softer paper though..... as my ass has become chapped using it for TP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Honley Posted April 15, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2009 Forget about some rag that just like to complain. "WE" all know what a VFR is and can do. How can you improve on perfection? You can't!!! That may be the reason our VFR's have not changed in 7 + years. The VFR is the only sport bike I've ever had so I can't compare it to anything else. For me it is the perfect bike. It is just ...fast enough,smooth enough,loud enough,sporty enough to fill all my wants in a motorcycle. So, screw what some body says about our VFRs. Oh and if you get a chance shoot the SOB that made that remark!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfr_steve Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Oh and BTW I love MCN UK! I wish they would publish it on softer paper though..... as my ass has become chapped using it for TP. Now that I'm foolish enough to have bought the newspaper this morning, you can bet which room in the house it will be going :laugh: ''Oh and if you get a chance shoot the SOB that made that remark!!!!!'' ... If only... funny thing is, do you remember I posted something similar when BIKE magazine and Rupert Paul compared the SAME 750 Suzuki to the VFR and again, slated the Viffer in favour of the crotch rocket... So this is the 2nd time the SOB has pulled this 'stunt' and it only bothers me that the people reading this bull**** will actually believe it... I went out today on my bike, did it put a smile on my face YES... and during my ride I mixed up some fiercly bumpy winding B-roads with other sportbikes - I know what some of you can do with the VFR and believe me it would show up most of the bikers around where I live. If the VFR attracts the mature crowd it must be in mental years as I owned one by the time I were 23 and only cheated on her once with a short lived affair with a 'tatty' Triumph Ok, breathe.. I'm ok now, .. honest :schla15: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 ''The VFR is not fast enough, it doesn't have enough torque'' - well, another 20 to 30hp / 20 to 30 nm wouldn't go astray''The Brakes are rubbish too'' - could be he disikes the linked brakes ''It's so bland you never remember where you've just been'' - i'm sure he means "it's so smooth" lol there will be people who have different opinions of our bikes and others. don't let them get to you. i love my VTEC and will keep it for years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer spotthedogg Posted April 15, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2009 mnyuhh, that's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Like many others I have wandered from the fold and ended up with a little bit of a perspective on the "best bike" issue. I have meaningful experience on: 98VFR, CBR600F4, DL650 Vstrom, Gen 1 FZ1 c/w jet kit etc., Bandit 1250, and in betewen lots of racetrack 600s at track school. I enjoyed the go-anywhere, flickability of the WeeStrom, but keeping up with the gang meant WOT all the time (fun but tiring); The FZ1 taught me what serious power is all about and puts the VFR to shame in that dept., and it is a true litre bike with comfy ergos; the Bandit has a ton of grunt but frankly lacks the zest and excitement of the VFR (let alone the FZ1!). End of the day I'm headed back to the VFR fold. Really, nothing else has the looks, power enuff but not too much, available accessories to make it whatever you want, and you can stomp all over the GS1200 bikes coming out of the uphill turns. The Ducs and litre bikes will squirt ahead at times, but you can't really get all worked up about that because they are squirting ahead of everything out there. That's what they do! :schla15: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfr_steve Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Like many others I have wandered from the fold and ended up with a little bit of a perspective on the "best bike" issue. I have meaningful experience on: 98VFR, CBR600F4, DL650 Vstrom, Gen 1 FZ1 c/w jet kit etc., Bandit 1250, and in betewen lots of racetrack 600s at track school. I enjoyed the go-anywhere, flickability of the WeeStrom, but keeping up with the gang meant WOT all the time (fun but tiring); The FZ1 taught me what serious power is all about and puts the VFR to shame in that dept., and it is a true litre bike with comfy ergos; the Bandit has a ton of grunt but frankly lacks the zest and excitement of the VFR (let alone the FZ1!).End of the day I'm headed back to the VFR fold. Really, nothing else has the looks, power enuff but not too much, available accessories to make it whatever you want, and you can stomp all over the GS1200 bikes coming out of the uphill turns. The Ducs and litre bikes will squirt ahead at times, but you can't really get all worked up about that because they are squirting ahead of everything out there. That's what they do! :schla15: :laugh: Well put.. The thing about the VFR is it adds up to more than the sum of it's parts, looking at a dyno graph it doesn't appear to be anything that exciting, but to ride one, it's about the refinement.. the package - Why on earth some find reliability, smoothness, bullet proof engine and top draw build quality such a ''souless'' combination when in fact in the REAL world it works.. the test is completely unjustified and yes.. I think I'm about calmed down now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfr_steve Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Rupert Paul Kindly replied to my email and I thought I'd share it with you all here (permission granted btw) Hello I just read your letter about MCN's all-rounder test. I understand how absolutely infuriatingly annoying we have been. I have done so many V-Tec tests and ridden so many thousands of miles on them that I know I am a hate figure in the VFR world. I therefore made a mental note not to say or do anything to influence the other three guys on the test in any way. All I did was report honestly in print what my experience was, compared with riding maybe 1000 different bikes in my life, including the 94 VFR750 I owned and loved for four years. I also managed to get the point about starter valve balance into the test, a previously missed detail which has angered owners in previous tests. I think it was unfair of MCN to say the bike has weak brakes. They are pretty strong, and the comment should have been deleted because the bike was not brand new. And the bike is beautifully packaged. But it is incontestable that even a new VFR uses more fuel than similar machines in all conditions, and its engine is harder to use round town, on B-roads and on A-roads than any modern competitor. It's also beyond question that more recently developed bikes hold their weight better, have more real-world torque, and give more feedback. That's just progress. I also think you have a fair point when you say MCN should have looked at the Sprint, Blackbird, Bandit and CBR600F. But in all honesty if we added these bikes to the ones in the test and gave them to 100 road riders I am sure that the VFR would only come top with a relatively small minority. OK, that's an opinion, but it's at least a resonable one. I want Honda to make a great V4 as much as anyone. And I'm sure they will. Again, sorry we punched the lady you love. Best regards Rupert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer arrow Posted April 21, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 21, 2009 http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/new...llrounder-test/ Here is the link to the test video in MCN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfr_steve Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 Thanks Arrow, I'll have a look at it when I get back home, although I'm not sure I want to. It's the most biased road test I've ever seen 'All Rounder' ... BS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trinith Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I'm pretty active on another forum full of newbie riders, many of whom are in the UK, and these kids swear by MCN. I checked it out a few years ago when I knew next to nothing about bikes and ever since I'd had an uneasy feeling about it. Then I saw a comparison they did between the Ninja 250r and the Hyosung GT250r. They said the Ninja out performed the Hyo, and was better made, handled better, etc. The testers also went on to discuss how the brand new Hyo was already rusting...and then they said they would recommend them both the same to anyone. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that, and ever since then I've grown to realize that I could give a damn what they say or think, it's just another BS tabloid in my eyes. They don't like the VFR? Well, that's their problem...not ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted April 22, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2009 Grrr. MCN. Another week, another error regarding VFRs. A couple of weeks ago they used a fifth-gen pic to illustrate a 4th-gen, and then got the years slightly wrong, and this week they did it again, getting the illustration right, but said the 4th-gen was sold from '95-'98. What is it with these people? Do they make similar errors regarding everything, and it's just that I don't notice it because I sadly lack encyclopaedic knowledge of other bikes? (Probably!) Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jstanwood Posted April 22, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2009 Is this the editor? "Rupaul" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfr_steve Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 Best bit of the whole video is watching the very short clip of the VFR on the road/track... my god that bike is beautiful, I guess you don't tend to appreciate it when you're riding her all the time :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honda1964 Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 The thing is these people make a living out of rating bikes and selling them to the consumer as the next must have toy, if not then they would be out of a job. There is no doubt that bikes have improved over the last decade and considering the VFR has had very little changes made to it, then makes it no surprise that it is feeling a bit dated against new bikes. However the thing I do not get is, a good bike is a good bike, a 5 star bike as good as the VFR(V-Tec) was in Bikes eyes in 2002 suddenly becomes an ok 3 star bike a couple off years later. How? The test that someone else refers too, comparing the VFR to the Suzuki 750 was just nuts. I don't need much convincing to realise that the GSXR is a good bike with a good capacity and chassis suited to a lot more riders than the 1LTR big brothers. However the tests were stupid, almost to the level of 'lets write a pointless article and humiliate the VFR crowd some more', but to end with a Zero for a pillion for the Suzuki and to remark that they did not bother testing it was unbelievable. For me that killed it as an all rounder and a proper comparison. I think reading most of Rupert's words he does not dislike the V-Tec VTR but maybe just thinks it has not moved on enough, I almost feel he does not like having to put it down because for most 'daily riders' looking for an all rounder, it still produces the goods. Rupert will know what I mean about a great bike always being a great bike, as I also have a ZZR 1100 in my garage that I am restoring. I have the original video of Rupert and Trevor Franklin testing the FZR1000\ZZR1100. How bikes have moved on from then by an amazing amount but the old ZZR to the new ZZR is still excessive and expensive for all round usability. That's the worrying factor for me is that the new possible VFR is spouting 200BHP, do all VFR owners really want to loose the reasonable running costs of their bikes. It won't take many tyres to make up for the 16,000 service everyone reminds you of on the current VFR. I bet the new bike will have a even more frightening service schedule. Biking always involves compromises, some less than others. There is not one bike that does everything, it is impossible to balance running costs and performance and two up comfort without winning the Bland trophy award from every journal in the land. That's ok though, lets you own more than one bike :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 You guys worry too much about what someone else thinks. If your VFR is your "soul machine", that's all that matters. Not what others say or think about it. Mine makes me happy - that's all that matters to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Knife Posted August 11, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted August 11, 2009 Is this the editor? "Rupaul" Whatever happened to her/him anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihilker Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 The video is interesting and is also the givaway. Of course the VFR is going to be two seconds down when your touring around the track with it... they were riding the GSXR, KTM and BMW like their lives depended on it... but when the VFR comes around the corner they tip it in do a mid corner check and take it super timid carefull like, as if she would tip over and fall? Lets face it... nobody is going to claim a seven year old bike as "best all arounder"... so it has become politically correct to bash the old bike... the replacement is just around the corner... VFR's aren't breaking any sales figures, nobody in the industry is going to throw a fit. This is how commercialism and capitalism work... unfortunately John Q Public doesn't get the true or real story. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW WELL A BIKE WORKS... RIDE IT FOR YOURSELF. What an oddball bunch of bikes to do a test about? If I were doing this test, the VFR would have been the only bike to carry over into my examination. I would have tested a Sprint ST, BMW F800ST, VFR800, FZ6/1, FJR1300, Connie 14, SV1000 or something like that... Let us pray that Aprilia introduces a replacement for the Futura with the new V4... -Isaac Hell, it doesn't matter... if I do anything it will be a torocharger and suspension before I would buy a new bike... the VFR was built for me. Hell... that doesn't even matter as I wax and tax literbikes+ now on the street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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