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New Vfr800 Vtec Will Be Introduced At Eicma.


V4 Rosso

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It's not clear from this article if in fitting a newly designed swingarm, they saved any unsprung weight. Although the VFR's SSSA has a cetain kewlness factor, it's not light, and enither are the hub, rear brake, etc. Anyone who's ridden a VFR back-to-back with a bike sporting a conventional swingarm will notice this straight off. (And from what I can gather, it's heavier and uglier than SSSAs from other marques).

It's something I forgot when I had my Elka overhauled and "Ohlins-ised" (it has all Ohlins internals, apart from the shock shaft). I was disappointed when I test-rode it, because I was expecting a much more compliant ride, and I didn't realise until just this week (yes, a couple of years later :blush: ) why my expectations were a bit wack.

If nothing else, even if it is lighter and stiffer, the new swingarm is at least no longer ugly. It's a shame though that Honda didn't take the opportunity to change the hub at the same time they changed the swingarm and rear wheel. :huh:

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I love it for the ease of changing tires. Easy off, easy on. Adjusting the chain tension also (I've never adjusted a chain on a normal swingarm).

I also love the look and the exclusivity.

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someone should tell honda they have the generations wrong !

Likely just a minor error by the writer of the article. This is just two pages out of a 7 page article on the new VFR, printed in the British magazine Motorcycle Sports & Leisure.
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I love it for the ease of changing tires. Easy off, easy on.

I thought that would be a great benefit at first as well until I actually did it. I can have my GSXR rear wheel off much faster than I can have the VFR wheel off. By the time I pull the Beetle Bag off, then move the exhaust, it takes a lot more time. Even if I didn't have the Beetle Bag, I think just messing with the exhaust (at least on a 5th gen) would make it take longer than a conventional swingarm tire change. I agree, it isn't as complex (no chain or brake caliper to mess with), but as far as time, it isn't nearly as fast.

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Just a thought, maybe they do not consider the original Interceptor as a 'VFR' as the first release was a 'VF' and the VFR didn't come out until later.

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Just a thought, maybe they do not consider the original Interceptor as a 'VFR' as the first release was a 'VF' and the VFR didn't come out until later.

the rc24 "VFR" is split up in 2 gens 86-87 and 88-89.

Were quite the differences between the 86-87 and 88-89 such as fairing, instruments and wheels

So 90-93 is 3rd gen, 94-97 is 4th gen, 800Fi is 5th gen, vtec is 6th gen and the new 800F is probably the "true" 7th gen if you wanna put it that way

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My friend Makota San was a previous Chief Engineer Honda R&D who
invented Honda's VTEC... he calls VTEC "his baby" and recalls his boss
being super skeptical of the idea working at all...

2013MakotoSanMrRC45_zps119ae64b.jpg

Makota San also worked on the NR500 oval piston racer and he plans to
visit the Busy Little Shop some day because I have 2 cylinder blocks
off the NR500 that I packed out of Japan in 1981...
gallery_3131_5511_17541.jpg

Makota San down on cannery row...
gallery_3131_5511_48694.jpg

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here is what MCN was predicting for the next gen VFR in 2008. Some hits, some misses, but overall, not THAT far off.

08VFR.jpg[/quote

I think I would buy that bike.

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Maybe if all I wanted was a sport bike, but not a do it all sport tourer. That seat would be a torture device, the bars are too low, and no passaner would ever want to get on.


But I do like the idea of a 1000 cc bike. Now that I have the VTEC I understand why everyone wants it so bad.

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But I do like the idea of a 1000 cc bike. Now that I have the VTEC I understand why everyone wants it so bad.

That would seem to have made much more sense than the complexity of VTEC - and probably more cost effective, too.

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An acquaintance in the UK sent me a glowing review of the 2014 VFR800 that's in the June issue of the magazine Motorcycle Sport & Leisure. The first page (only) is posted on their site. Posting the whole thing would be copyright infringement, I suppose, but there's an interesting short sidebar on VTEC that would seem appropriate at this point in the thread and should be okay legally (for educational purposes :wink:). I cut out one or two of the less interesting Q&A's to make it more of an excerpt than a copy:

Masatsugu Tanaka
Honda VFR800 project leader
What’s the advantage (of VTEC)?
The VFR’s cylinders have four valves, but it only operates two initially – one inlet, one outlet. This means that at low revs, we are able to achieve the torquey power curve that a two-valve motor offers. At a certain rpm, the other two valves – diagonally opposite to optimise gas flow – come into action, delivering four-valve performance. Four-valve motors achieve better performance at higher revs, which means we can deliver a strong flow of power from very low revs all the way up to the bike’s limiter. It gives the rider the best of both worlds.
Why is it not on other Hondas?
It is. The CB400 Super Four – a purely Japanese model – also uses the system. It is a big seller in Japan, because of capacity legislation and another of our premium products. We would fit it to more models if it made sense, but it is an expensive technology and it also is quite heavy. For these reasons, we’ve had to limit its instalment.
So we’re not going to see it on your V4 GP bike?
No. I think it would give the motor some advantages, but not enough to pay off the additional weight. Besides, on a race bike, the power focus is always right at the top end. It wouldn’t make sense to chase the low power performance.
Didn’t the VFR1200F warrant it?
It didn’t need it. The sheer size of the motor was sufficient enough to produce the desired performance we were after. We would have considered it if necessary. VTEC is best suited to mid-capacity bikes. The CB400 is as small as we’d ever look to go with the technology and the VFR800 is about as big as it would suit.
How have you improved the flow of the VTEC?
There are two main ways. The first is the exhaust, which has been lengthened and reshaped to help the gasses flow. The second is in the
fuelling. The hardware remains the same as the previous models, but we’ve altered the frequency and volume of fuel fired into the cylinders. The combination of both of these has helped to lessen the glitch between the 2-valve and 4-valve transition.
There's also a two-page spread that includes the various generations, but they call the 2014 the 6th gen. Here's how they break it down: 1986 VFR750, 1st gen; 1990 VFR750, 2nd gen; 1994 VFR750, 3rd gen; 1998 VFR800FI, 4th gen; 2002 VFR800 VTEC, 5th gen; and 2014 VFR800 VTEC, 6th gen.
And there's a second, longer sidebar that is an interview with Honda Assistant Chief Engineer Kanji Hayashi. Among the things he explains: 1.) They considered changing the frame, but decided they couldn't substantially improve upon that of the 6th gen (2002 and up). Instead they went after things like the under-seat exhaust (5 kg weight savings) and new aluminum subframe (2 kg less); 2.) Spokes were added to the wheels not for looks, but to smooth the ride--there is no weight savings; 3.) Two-piece forks also saved weight; 4.) The radiators were moved to the front to narrow the bike; they had to stay with two radiators because a single radiator large enough to do the job would interfere with the wheel; 5.) They kept the dimensions the same (rake and trail) to keep the same excellent compromise between sport and touring; and 6.) They kept the single-sided swingarm for its torsional rigidity and distinctiveness.
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VTEC... Vacillating Torque Engine Compartment... worked on heavy cars
but it's been a tough sell on light bikes...

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VTEC... Vacillating Torque Engine Compartment...

I thought it stood for Valve Train (of) Extravagant Complexity. :goofy:

I'm not a hater: It's very smooth and controllable on my 2006 and a real ace in the hole for merging and passing. Of course, I'm a member of the Baileyrock school of VTEC valve adjustment ...

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On the Dutch VFR forum one that took a test ride on the new VFR only had one "complaint": no noticable VTEC transition. Apparently not all dislike the small dip in the powerband where others have spend loads of cash on PCs etc. to smoothen the torque curve.

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On the Dutch VFR forum one that took a test ride on the new VFR only had one "complaint": no noticable VTEC transition. Apparently not all dislike the small dip in the powerband where others have spend loads of cash on PCs etc. to smoothen the torque curve.

Yup, that's what it was like for me.....you had to really concentrate to feel it.

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Asked my local dealer about a test ride. They say they are out in the states, but they did not order one because they were not sure about demand. So much for a test ride. I'll have to look at some other dealers for a test ride.

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Honda dealers in the 'States do test rides? That was usually not the case when I lived there! I think BMW dealers did. Anyway, back here in soggy sportbike utopia, I've got a new VFR800F booked for "an hour or so" on Saturday... :wink:

Ciao,

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Depends on the dealer, but good ones usually do. Had a car dealer once let me take a test drive for the weekend. One dealer gave me the keys to a FJR and said, "there is a quarter tank of gas, so you should be good for a while," implying to bring it back before I ran out of gas.

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