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2014 Vfr800F Test Ride


Skids

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Very nice. Looks like it's back to a classic VFR look and purpose.

Updated hardware and software. :beer:

The 1200's always looked too big to me.

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Had my test drive on a showery day on a white one. The bike is good but I don't think I will be ordering one now. It's a shame really as I thought this would be just what I needed. It's personal preferences really I didn't like the signals (I know I am not going to get used to it as my thumb can't reach without moving my whole hand off the grip). The riding position made the bike feel too small and I have been spoiled for torque of late. I expected it to be less but not that I would notice it that much. Final thing for me was the luggage which was looking to be quite expensive on the provisional figures. Dealer suggested it might be the vfr1200 that is more what I would be better looking at but that's a jump in price and with luggage and center stand as extras. Apparently the Automatic ones are the most popular and that's the demo? I didn't feel comfortable testing that in the wet and £1000 excess so passed. Well that and if I liked it I be in real trouble. I just keep thinking what if abs sensor fails as happened when Danny Pedrosa had his back brake clipped. Do we know if these systems fail safe?

The vtec blip isn't there like I remember but I did notice the traction control cut in for fraction of a second when revving the bike at the transition point but maybe that's just the wet road but it happened every time. It is very very easy to ride and I never felt suspension to be twitchy even on some rough roads. Wind on the motorway was fine with an area of pressure on chest and clean softer flow at helmet. Good to take weight of arms. Wasn't unduly affected by side winds. Ducking down on the tank puts you right into that pressure air and is unpleasant though. I did once and that was enough. Gear position indicator seemed slow to make a decision. I did clutchless shifts up and would look to check and it would show '-' then settle on a number. Nitpicky but it means I looked twice because I wasn't sure I trusted it. Pegs felt higher and further back than my CBR but I counting that as seat in low position which is where I figured it should be with 29" inseam but that might have been a mistake not putting it high.

I think if I was coming to it with less time on bigger bikes I would have liked it more. Say I was wanting first bike after doing direct access then this would have been perfect. I've seen posts about vfr owners wishing it was vfr1000 in 2014 bike. I think they might be right.

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In the states I did have a 6th gen vtec. It was smaller than the 5th gen I have now. It felt more compact overall but I'm not sure it was anything other than in my mind.

The new one has the radiators moved to the front down low so the width of the bike is very narrow now. I think that plays a role in how big it feels. I don't like that as it just means less wind protection. Could mean less drag though.

It is lighter and has some upgrades but It is still cheaper for me to upgrade my 5th gen suspension and brakes than go with this new model. At £10,499 I think this model is more like a movie where you wait for the matinee when it's cheaper. You could get a great used bike with accessories for that price.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a slightly different take on this bike to Skids. I tested the same bike out of the same dealer, I ride an 800Fi1 that I've owned since 2004 and a VFR1200F 2013. I've written this test for a UK forum so bear with the the UK road details etc. but the following is what I found when I rode the new 800 back to back against my 5th and 7th gen bikes. You should also know I have never ridden a 6th Gen Vtec.

VFR800F, I rode my 800Fi1 into work this morning as it was booked for its MoT this afternoon (it passed of course), I hadnt ridden it for a while and I have to say it felt a bit slow but still good, anyway, rather than sit around the Honda dealer waiting Id arranged to test the new 800. My first impression on looking at the new bike was that it doesnt look as good in the flesh as it does in all the pictures Id seen. That can probably be said about many bikes but I was expecting more from this one as the magazine photos looked great. Dont get me wrong, its not bad looking at all but something just wasnt as good as I was expecting, not sure what. Anyway, life signed away and Im off for a ride.

First thing that struck me was on tick over it sounds a bit shit, a bit like a parallel twin. It feels quite familiar when you throw a leg over it which isnt a surprise and first impression of the riding position is its a little sportier that the 800Fi, mine has Helibars so that may be partly why but its the foot pegs position too. Before I talk about the engine a little about how it rides in general. Its good, nice and easy in traffic as I left the dealers and easy to throw around out on the open road with precise quick steering, not Fireblade / sportsbike type turn in but good for a sports tourer for sure. Now for the controversial bit and Ill tell with a description of my ride.

I pulled out of Norton way Honda with a plan. Id head up to Letchworth Gate (the A1 junction) go straight over and head up the A505 (dual carriage way) to Royston, leave Royston on the A10 and join the A507 (prime biking road) at Buntingford and head back toward Baldock. Within a few hundred yards of leaving the dealer Id decided I dont like the motor. It feels rubbish when its under the Vtec range, theres no pull, no power, no fun! But I thought Id better stick with it so got myself over to the A505, as I negotiated the roundabouts to get there I was getting more and more disappointed and when I attacked the last one and joined the traffic heading up the hill towards the Baldock tunnel my mind was made up. The reports Id read said the new bike delivers good power all the way through the range, IMO it does not. Its wheezy and uninspiring below the Vtec range and although when you hit the magic 7k it goes it just doesnt feel like youre accelerating with anything like the grunt and urgency an 800Fi delivers let alone the 1200. Now thats a little bit of a strange thing to say as I was now travelling at my usual motorway type speed but it didnt seem to get there like an Fi does. It also feels as if it wants to go but cant, theres something dull about this engine, its efficient and the Vtec transition is smooth but I can only describe it as the Honda Civic of the motorcycle world, if MPG is your main concern get one, if coming home with a smile on your face is more important...dont! On the Vtec transition, I did feel a lull a couple of times when accelerating to over take traffic in the inside lane after cars had moved over, this was solved with a gear change that wouldnt be necessary on an 800Fi and then driving it hard into Vtec range to get it going but even then, while ragging it all I was thinking was Ill be glad to get this thing back to the dealer!

So, through Royston, down the A10 with a few more dull and hard work overtakes and onto the A507, a great biking road. The 800F handles well, turns quickly and brakes well; the brakes are good but not a patch the 1200s 6 pots. But all the way through to Baldock my overriding thought and the thing that ruined the ride for this bike was the engines inability to deliver power progressively and when I wanted it. Its like riding a 2 stroke with no power band and when you hit the revs where you expect the power to surge you forward it lets you down with a whimper and sort of meanders along. Admittedly it meanders along to a decent speed but it just doesnt feel like its doing anything exciting. The Vtec having been smoothed out now kicks in too late, you want it to drive out of bends but for it to do that you need to enter them at a speed that just isnt safe on the road or in a gear so low that youre immediately scrabbling for more gears when you should be serenely lining up the next bend. Im not sure if that description makes sense to you all but for me its very simpleHonda have built a good handling road bike and ruined it with a wheezy, revvy engine with no grunt that never has enough power available when you want it!!

VFR800Fi1.

I wont bore you with an 800Fi report; Ill just leave it at this. As soon as I got back on my 800, even in traffic, I knew that this was the kind of engine for me. Linear smooth torquey drive that when I headed home via the A507 in the opposite direction to Id just ridden had me grinning like a Cheshire cat and summing up like this; the 800F does not handle or brake £10k better than my Nitron shod, set up by me, Fi, its a good modern bike but not good enough to warrant the money. The Fis engine is IMHO head and shoulders above the new bikes power unit and the ride home was an absolute hoot and a blessed relief all rolled into one!

VFR1200F and a final summary.

When I got home I took the 1200 for a blast just for a final comparison as I hadnt ridden it since Thursday. The VFR1200F rides like a slightly heavier, slightly slower steering 800Fi but make no mistake it can be pushed very nicely through the twisties and to coin a modern phrase OMG when you open the tap you get proper, laughter inducing seamless power that fires you straight to licence losing 000mph as quick as you can blink. As much as the 800Fs motor kills what could and should have been a great addition to Hondas ST range the 1200s motor makes this bike and having ridden it today directly after the other two I can only say that again IMHO its the 1200 that is the real VFR of the current range and as much as the 800F looks and feels worthy quality and style wise it is quickly exposed as a poor imitation of a proper VFR as soon as you hit the road!

I was fully prepared to report that Honda had hit the jackpot and that as much as I love both of my current bikes this was the VFR that would put the 800 back where it should be as THE VFR of choice for the dyed in the wool VFR enthusiast. IMHO its not and the new 800cc motor has killed a legend!

P.S. No pics, it's the same bike Skids rode.

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RoystonRocket, when you say no grunt you mean no torque?

I used to own a 6th gen. I thought it was ok but it didn't have as much ooomph as my 5th gen. I'm sure the 1200 beats the socks off of all of them which is expected. The new one sounds like it is pretty tame.

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@RoystonRocket, great review thanks mate,I owned a vtec for a while and loved the books of it but hated the engine, the VFR800 fi I have is simply brilliant, always puts a smile on my face and is the reason I ride bikes. So no new Vfr for me,I may even pick up another low mileage Fi somewhere along the line in case this one ever wears out,which is a long way off.

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There's not NO torque, it's just different.

If we were all the same and all liked the same things, what a boring world it would be.

Nobody should take either my word or Royston's word or anyone elses...if you are interested in a bike, go and test ride it for yourself. No-one else is going to ride it but you so no-one elses opinion matters but your own.

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There's not NO torque, it's just different.

If we were all the same and all liked the same things, what a boring world it would be.

Nobody should take either my word or Royston's word or anyone elses...if you are interested in a bike, go and test ride it for yourself. No-one else is going to ride it but you so no-one elses opinion matters but your own.

Skids is right, you have to test it and draw your own conclusion. OK, there is torque, but not enough to pull the skin off of a rice pudding (English term, Google it).
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I would put a lot more value on your reviews though than some bike journo who is maybe getting paid for a favourable review,

some of the mcn/visordown reviews I've read on bikes are such rubbish.

You guys have ridden Vfr's and know what you're chatting about.

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Any thoughts on whether the torque deficit is just due to reduced noise giving that impression? I remember as a kid riding with my dad when he picked up our truck after a well needed tune-up. We pulled out on the highway and he was disappointed with the performance until he realized we were doing 80 mph. It was just that much smoother that it felt/sounded powerless.

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Any thoughts on whether the torque deficit is just due to reduced noise giving that impression? I remember as a kid riding with my dad when he picked up our truck after a well needed tune-up. We pulled out on the highway and he was disappointed with the performance until he realized we were doing 80 mph. It was just that much smoother that it felt/sounded powerless.

I have to say, the Vtec/6th Gen engine has always felt like you have to wring its neck a lot more to get the same result as the Fi/5th Gen engine. Much of this is cured with the snorkel/PAIR/flapper valve mods but there is still a feeling of less torque. The new model doesn't need these mods as it is a smooth and seamless torque into power curve but until we see a dyno run on one and can compare it to a standard 5th & standard 6th Gen then we'll never know.

I do know that when riding my 6th Gen x-country open roads & bends, I find myself faster than I would be on the 5th Gen despite the 5th feeling like it has more.

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The 5th gen does deliver more torque, the figures are not massively different but it does produce more. Anyone who's thinking about buying the bike needs to ride one because even debates like this can be misleading depending on personal preference. While Skids correctly reports that it delivers smooth seamless power and torque throughout the rev range I report that it delivers very low torque and power isn't always available in the same way as it is on the 5th gen and for me it's a significantly different feel, yes it is smooth, but it is not the kind of drive to power out of bends that I expect from an 800cc bike. My ZX9r IL4 track bike feels stronger. The new 800 feels nothing like a 5th gen anywhere in the rev range. I also think that now Honda have sorted the transition point to all valve Vtec then they should have lowered the change point to make it more useable in the real world. But as Skids said, we are all different and thank God for that.

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IM000015.jpg

Yes, the 5th gen (green line) delivers more torque than the 6th gen(orange line)

The 3rd gen (red line) tops them all (emission/noise laws more relaxed in the days thus allowing an engine that could breathe better..)

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On the ractrack my buddy on his 5th gen would pull away from me at the beginning of any straightaway... then I would overtake him through the curves on my 6th gen... the rolling chassis of the 6th gen is way better than the 5th gens and allows better cornering speeds... I used to own a catless 5th gen and can say it was a smidgen gruntier down low, but the 6th operates better at higher rpms... and handles a smidgen better.

But all in all they are very very similar. Compared to other bikes in the 800 range, the VFR weighs so much that it will never compete, but that's not its misión.

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Dear Honda,

Please have test rides at this years motorcycle show.

Especially the one in Long Beach. :warranty:

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Guest Recalcitrance

Still waiting for them to arrive in SoCal. So far, none of the super stores are expecting them until June which means more towards September. Fingers crossed for an on time delivery.

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Good reviews from true vfr owners & what pleased me reading them is the underlying statement there personal opinions & people should ride the bikes there thinking of purchasing & gauge for themselves. I'm a 6th gen owner & prefer the better handling over the common vtec complaint over the 5th gen motor, because I have owned a vtec for so many years my riding is adapted to the characteristics of that motor, so if I was to test ride the 2014 vfr my opinion would differ from say a owner coming from a 5th gen. It is more or less the same scenario that is documented all over this forum comparing the 5th gen to the 6th gen.

As a comparison I hate the 5th gen handling compared to the 6th gen & it really is a well known fact a bike that handles well will always be quicker in the long run that a bike with a bit more power that doesn't handle as well. But it is also why there is choice in the market place as we aren't robots so each individual prefers different things & it's simply a good thing we have choice.

Just to put it out there my fav motor is the 4th gen :-)

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Hi all across the pond! Last Wednesday I went on a day's test ride with Motorcycle News, a weekly bike paper here in UK who wanted existing VFR owners for a comparison test with the new bike. It was a good day out, we met at Bauer's offices (the publisher) in Peterborough, a 750 (4th gen to you lot), 800Fi (5th gen), two VTECs (6th gen) and the new one. After coffee, paperwork and a fuel fill-up we went and did a photoshoot in an underpass out of the rain (!), rode out into the country to do some more shots of all of us going round the same bend different ways on our own bikes and then rode off for lunch. After lunch more of the same, bike swapping, more rides to different photo locations and more going up and down the same bit of road. We each had about 30-45 minutes on the new bike, my session was the final bend photoshoot and then the ride back to the office for more coffee, debrief and final brainstorm.

My impression - the new bike is very impressive, still feeling very much familiar VFR but noticeably lighter and better handling than my VTEC, the motor is revvier and the finish and quality is superb. The can is, as has been pointed out before, fugly "looks like it was stolen off a maxi-scooter" but has a nice raspy edge when you wind it on. On B roads in the wet I didn't get anywhere near the VTEC transition point but the rider who tried it on the A1 said it wasn't an issue (and I never find it a lurch on my 05 VTEC anyway). The riding position seemed to me more upright with the slightly higher bars but at the same time slightly more cramped as seat and footrests are closer together due to the same footrest position but a lower seat. I could get both feet down flat which I can't quite on my VTEC.

Thinking about it afterwards we were very much focused on the bike Honda had produced, rather than what might have been. Yes, I prefer the 800Fi gear cam engine to the VTEC engine but I think everything else about my 6th gen is better (and I've owned both). Honda have developed what they had (again) rather than producing something entirely new. It makes me wonder who will shell out £10.5k for one, I think existing VFR owners would be the most likely but existing VFR owners by definition already have a VFR and as the bike seems to me very much an evolution with a lot of small improvements over the VTEC but not a quantum leap forward that makes it less likely at the same time, if that makes any sense. It didn't make me think "this is brilliant, I must have one" but I'd certainly get one if I were in the position of looking for a new bike.

Anyway, huge thanks to Phil at MCN for the coffee, photos (how else can you get pro pics of yourself on your bike?), insight into what goes into the production of a weekly and a chance to ride the new VFR800. We should be in next week's issue, meanwhile here's just a couple from my day, taken by Simon for MCN...

FSBonnewVFR_zps170c0090.jpg

FSBonnewVFR2_zps11159d86.jpg
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Thinking about it afterwards we were very much focused on the bike Honda had produced, rather than what might have been. Yes, I prefer the 800Fi gear cam engine to the VTEC engine but I think everything else about my 6th gen is better (and I've owned both). Honda have developed what they had (again) rather than producing something entirely new. It makes me wonder who will shell out £10.5k for one, I think existing VFR owners would be the most likely but existing VFR owners by definition already have a VFR and as the bike seems to me very much an evolution with a lot of small improvements over the VTEC but not a quantum leap forward that makes it less likely at the same time, if that makes any sense. It didn't make me think "this is brilliant, I must have one" but I'd certainly get one if I were in the position of looking for a new bike.

First off, cool forum name. haha

Second, thanks for the review. That is quite an opportunity to try it out with MCN. Thanks for sharing. I'll be buying the issue on the iPad just to read it!

I think based on the reviews I've seen so far and judging the options and upgrades on the bike I would say your assessment makes sense and is very fair. It is not a quantum leap forward as you say but today the only quantum leap I can think of in recent time is the combination of traction control and automatic suspension. Other than that it is hard today to come up with a mind blowing new 2 wheeled bike that just blows the socks off every previous bike.

I have a 5th gen and for that price I just don't see me jumping to it. I think for that price I'd look at all the used bike options out there that could fill a void in my garage. I can think of a few bikes that would be absolutely exceptional at a used price. FJR, K1200, VFR1200, Aprilia RSV4...... If I did not have a bike I think I would still have to think twice about one of these unless it was considerabley lower in price.

Thanks again!

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