Guest Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 an update from a 2012 owner.... I consistently get around 40mpg, and 43-45 is not hard to do at all. My "first bar" on the LCD display goes off at 60-65 miles usually, but there have been quite a few times on a road trip where I've seen 70-75 miles (high of 80) before dropping the first bar. I'm at the middle bar usually around 120 miles. I've calculated that a 225 mile range is doable on a road trip, and in normal riding where I get 40-ish mpg, I've hit the flashing bar at around 180 miles with the countdown indicator saying "30 miles to go" - so even average range is good. Range was something I wanted to get a handle on - coming from bikes with bigger tanks....does not appear it will be an issue unless I'm crossing Nevada on US50 in the wee hours. I read the soft paint thing early, and picked up a clear tank pad - but my silver paint (and blue bodywork) seems to be as tough as any paint I've had on any bike. I do plan on getting some 3M clear to protect the sides of the tank - my riding suit doesn't rub the paint, but my leathers do. I accumulated 3,000 miles in the first two weeks - with a 900 mile return ride from Texas on my fly 'n ride bringing up only one issue. I could see the footpegs were high enough to make long days in the seat noticeable on the 57 yr old knees. The reach to the bars was no worse than my ZX-14, the peg deal was about the same. I put on a set of Knight Designs pegs, lowered the brake pedal with the adjusting nut - and feel it's a pretty workable solution. On my ZX-14 I put on a Corbin seat with a seat pocket slightly higher than stock - that did the trick. That bike did 27,000 miles in about a year and a half. The VFR feels very similar in many ways - mostly in the smooth, fast, and refined categories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer luvtoleanit Posted June 3, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted June 3, 2013 AT 10-11k is a real performer. Without a discounted price I wouldn't go near it. She is a good bitch though. Refined Blackbird with a V4 is what I'm calling it. It does do everything rather well, not the best at anything, far from it, but it's extremely versatile. Commute, tour, sport tour, twisties, and can even do the track provided you compensate for the ABS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 4,000 miles in three weeks of ownership - did an oil & filter change just before heading out on this weekend's 1,000 mile ride covering the scenic parts of SW Colorado and SE Utah. I love the drivetrain more every time I take it for a long spin... great motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted June 10, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted June 10, 2013 I guess the real question is Honda gonna kill it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volfy Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 I guess the real question is Honda gonna kill it ? Globally, I doubt it. The same drivetrain is shared with the CrossRunner so it would make sense to keep the VFR1200 production open. Afterall, the R&D is already spent. Even if the sales numbers are not stellar, it is still adding volume to the V4 engine production. For the USA though, it is very possible Honda USA will stop importing it... may be for a year, like they did for 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted June 10, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted June 10, 2013 I'm still on the fence about it, I was hoping for a lighter and more cc's 6.5 gen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 awesome write up thank you-- i had a 6th gen and i will say like you did - why honda brought it out with so many problems-- maybe its the epa thing- who knows but its a damn shame to buy an expensive bike for japanese and then have to dump thousands more into it---- now i don't know if the 1200 has vtech but that killed it for me-- now they make a new one -looks great may fit better and yep vtech -- wth?? by the time you fix up the new vfr you are looking at bmw moneyr1200rt - triumph maybe? ducati strada diavel- now the options are being made-- for other bikes that come outta the create no problems-- oh well thanks again very cool report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akumu Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 awesome write up thank you-- i had a 6th gen and i will say like you did - why honda brought it out with so many problems-- maybe its the epa thing- who knows but its a damn shame to buy an expensive bike for japanese and then have to dump thousands more into it---- now i don't know if the 1200 has vtech but that killed it for me-- now they make a new one -looks great may fit better and yep vtech -- wth?? by the time you fix up the new vfr you are looking at bmw moneyr1200rt - triumph maybe? ducati strada diavel- now the options are being made-- for other bikes that come outta the create no problems-- oh well thanks again very cool report Honda is playing it safe. No doubt they'll blame the economy for that. ST1300 engine goes in a new bike (CTX1300)...not even tweaked. Goldwing engine goes in 2 new bikes (F6B, new Valk)...not even tweaked. 'Old' VFR engine stays in new VFR800. Not even remotely surprising. They're milking these engines for all they're worth. Then again, throwing a PC III or V on a V-tech and downloading a map from this site is hardly thousands of dollars. I actually like the V-tech on my bike, but I completely understand why others don't. It is, indeed, needlessly complicated. (The double whammy being this 'crappy' engine AND them dropping the gear driven cams means no beuno for thousands of people. Vocal people. VERY vocal people.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Honda's "miked" their engine designs for all they are worth many times in the past too..... like the V twins that were installed in their Bros, Hawk GTs, Trans Alps, Africa Twins, PC 800s, Reveres, NCT700's and I think, even the DN-01.... The 52 degree V twin was a good choice by Honda to continually develop for their motorcycles for many years as slthough never an HP power house, it had proven to be truly a versatile "bullet -proof", reliable design to start with, but their history with the V four engines had proven to be less clear and logical. As for the VFRs, they had seemingly lost their way a bit after the 5th generation of the bike. But I can understand why it might be hard for them to ratchet back to older designs as it may prove that they not be totally "right" as could be about their design decisions at ANY time..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoopRider Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Reflecting after 25,000 kilometres, all recreational ... At the launch of the VFR1200 the designers claimed they had a certain market in mind, they were creating the sort of bike a company executive would jump on and ride 300 kms into the mountains, have lunch and then turn around and ride back again. A sort of Gran Turismo coupe equivalent of the bike world rather than a highly strung sports car. My modern car knowledge is pretty poor so I have to cast back to the seventies for an analogy, I guess they were saying the VFR1200 was designed more as an Jaguar XJS rather than a Ferrari Boxer. I do use it like that, other than my big road trips, I happily go as far as the tank will take me (more 250 kms) and then turn around. It still puts a smile on my face. Just a calmer smile than the 675. If you own one of these things it is worth having an opinion on it. Everyone else does! Currently the motor world is dominated by SUVs (ie Adventure bikes). People still buy large luxury 4 door sedans of course (eg full kit tourers) and 2 door sports cars ( eg CBRs, GSXRs). Plus there are high performance sports sedans ( eg naked bikes like street triples) and muscle cars (Hayabusas, VMax, BKing etc). The VFR is none of these. When I ride the VFR most people are not sure what it is. There are just not that many around. Yet when I read about this bike, I sense it is very difficult to place it in a category. Some writers are polarised yet others can take it or leave it. Bike Magazine rates the VFR five stars and Motorcycle USA picked it as a better complete package than the K1300. Yet others said it was overhyped, over weight, over designed, under ranged and with a please nobody riding position. And of course, at first, it did not help its image that it was over priced and then a worse fate later, a cut price! But many think it is good at what it was designed for. Being a modern motorcycle version of an XJS in my view. So I guess I will just add to that. I bought one in 2011 when it suddenly had it's price cut. It was a close thing, after having nearly bought a Triumph Sprint GT to replace my nearly 10 year old BMW R1150R. I have owned the VFR for 2 and half years now and only use it for recreation. I drive over 4,000 kms a month in a car for my job as well as fly places so doing an extra 10,000 km a year on the bike just for fun means I probably like the bike. I have seen other bikes I like but only one sufficiently enough to buy it, and I still kept the VFR. I have done a mountain excursion with it as the advertisers talked about. I woke up one morning mid winter but a clear day. I was in contact with another 2 bikers living either 280 kms east of me or 280 kms west of me. They said meet up in the middle for brunch at the the base of a mountain in Waiouru. I got there by 10 am, hot grips on, using all back roads, just sublime and had brunch. We rode around that snow covered mountain together, even more sublime and then home again. 680 kms in a day. Left with a full tank and still had to go to the pumps twice. Though so did the Multi Strada and the GS. Basically identical fuel consumption when travelling together. Even managed to activate the ABS swerving to miss a Ducati's top box as it flew off. Who said hanging at the back was safe! So far the longest trip in a day was in the South Island. Invercargill to Picton and doing some back roads on the way, over 1100 kms. I did not seem any worse for wear compared to the GS riders I was with, or the Multistrada. Cost us all the same in petrol too. Too much coffee meant my personal fuel tank had to be emptied more often than I had to fill up the VFRs tank. So the range was not a problem. The thing about a GT car is it has more room and luggage space than a sports car, but never as much as a sedan. And that sums up the OEM luggage. More than a CBR but less than an ST. It sort of sums of the bike as a whole too, not as small or as fast as a sport bike but more practical, not as practical as a full kit tourer, but sportier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted February 21, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted February 21, 2014 One of the early adds for the Veefalo.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoopRider Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 ... And forgot to say, Zenmoto thanks, a great review! I like what you wrote and the discussion it has created. I have an aftermarket pipe and GPS, the OEM bags, plugs and grips but now I am thinking about suspension ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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