Question For Any That Have Owned A 6Th/7Th Gen And Now The 8Th

[Das Bone]

Hey guys,

Been away from VFRD for a long time but am contemplating getting the '14 VFR 800 and coming back into the fold so to speak :-)

So, I'd be grateful for info from those of you that have the '14 800 and have had the previous gen VFR 800. I had an '03 for about 6 years that I loved. I'm basically interested in a comparison from you guys, i.e. engine, suspension, ergos...all the basic stuff ;-)

Much thanks in advance,

Craig

[Skids]

The 14 is better in every department.

HTH

[house]

Craig, sorry I took a couple of days to answer you PM... missed the email that it had arrived. Would it be OK to post my response to you here for others to read?

[Das Bone]

Certainly House, thanks Thinking about it after answering your PM, I wonder if the Evap canister has(does yours have one) might be somewhat responsible for the issue you described?

Thanks Skid

[Sixbeans]

Hi Craig

I owned a 2008 VFR and have traded up to the 2014. Both are fantastic machines, but the '14 just seems to me to be a better all-around bike in every respect. Specifics are as follows:

• VTEC rush is smoothed out. I never minded the "surge" at 6,500RPM at all, and often kind of enjoyed it. This surge is mostly gone and the '14 is very linear and predictable as the engine spins higher.
• I know the frame/geometry is basically unchanged, but the '14 seems to me to offer more cornering confidence that the Gen-6.
• The ride seems a little more stiff as set by the factory, but my Deluxe version (definitely would recommend) has adjustment capability should I decide I want to dial in another setting.
• I had saddlebags on my '08, and have bought them for the '14. The new bike incorporates bag mounts already, and to my eye the new bike looks much better than the '08 when ridden without the saddlebags as it had very visible bag mounting hardware.
• Really like the look of the new dash and instrumentation on the new bike. Super readable in any conditions.
• I loved the engine/sound on the Gen-6 and the new bike carries this on, unchanged.
• I prefer the single, side-discharge exhaust over the under seat units on the previous bike. They were likely inspired by Ducati's 916, and did look cool, but I like the new unit. It seems to complement the single sided swing arm that lives on the opposite side.

In the end, you won't be disappointed with either bike. I am glad I made the jump and am super-satisfied so far!

Sixbeans

[Das Bone]

Appreciate it Sixbeans!

I had a PC3 on my '03 which basically took care of the vtec fueling glitch and as I mentioned to House, was exicited to read in the reviews that those issues had been resolved with the '14. Good to hear you have no issues. How many miles have you got on yours? House and others have mentioned fueling issues which is a bit disheartening.

Thanks,

Craig

[Beck]

Sixbeans......FYI..... Elf France developed the single sided swingarm design in collaboration with Honda back in the early 80's.... NOT Ducati......

And IIRC, the underseat exhaust might have come from Honda's NR750 program before it appeared on the 916....

Yes, back then Honda was a lot more of a innovation pioneer/leader way above others in the industry than they are now.

IMO, Honda lost that drive and place in the industry mostly when Soichiro Honda died....

[choco]

I have a 2004 that I've put 72,000 miles, 270 today, and I rode the 2014 during our recent Oregon Trails PNW meet just last week. It was a deluxe version in the pearl white color, with bags, etc and I'd say in short, it is a more refined version than mine. The rider triangle is either the same of just as comfortable, it's a little slimmer, a little lighter and definitely the throttle response is smoother all across the twist of the wrist; and certainly the Vtec engagement is hardly noticeable, except for the rush of intake and exhaust sound. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I love the looks of the 2014, the dash, headlights, tail, from any angle, the bike is pleasing to the eye. My nitpicks are that the fugly muffler obscures a great looking single-sided wheel and it didn't FEEL as if it had more low end grunt than the Gen 6 it replaced, at least not mine. Both I and Bart Madsen of Motorcyle USA who brought the Honda-owned bike to the meet felt that my bike had more grunt and definitely better sound with double under tail Remus slip ons. Having ridden both the 2014 and a newish 7th Gen today, when I rode with Jim, (Bizbat), I have to conclude that both bikes are superb, the 800 with the 90 degree engine just sounds better than the 1200, or at least until I hear otherwise. The 1200 has deep pools of low-end grunt and Jim blows by me every time I goad him into doing so. Nevertheless, my 800, I realized, has plenty of everyday useable power. Having recently been fortunate enough to have compared the three with each other, I got back on mine today and it felt like home, like a well worn pair of gloves, I trust it.

I want to thank Bart Madsen and Honda for letting me evaluate the 2014 VFR, and I want to thank Jim for riding from Yelm to Duvall and then riding into un-forecasted storm after storm so that we could get another day of riding in . . . just because.

[Das Bone]

Thanks for the info Choco and taking the time

[Guest]

I am looking at the new VFR as well. I had a 750 and the 800 VTEC. I currently have a FZ1 but the VFR is calling again.

[Das Bone]

A duo buy Rick!!

[Guest]

Maybe we can get a better deal and Mich PP thrown in as well.

[house]

Here was my original reply to Das Bone....

I am going to hang on to both bikes for awhile as each has it's own merits. The 6th gen is smooth as silk with Leo's and a PCV installed. I also love the Sargent seat when riding alone and I use a Corbin with backrest when the wife goes with me. Pazzo's make me love the road even more and I finished the controls with Progrips and DualStar heated grips with a heat troller. Factory Pro kit makes sure I never miss a shift (worth every penny!) AT 43k on that bike, I really have come to love it... it's comfortable and fun.

For the 8th gen, I did all the same mods except the can is (going to be) 2 Bros (when it arrives.) There's no PowerCommander yet either. Considering sending the seat to Sargent, but they want it for 3 weeks and I just don't want to be without the new bike for that long. I may send it off later this year as I have to spend some time in Hungary and won't be riding anyway. No Givi mount yet, but I ordered a SW-Mototech mount and should see it in 5 weeks or so. I built my own in the interim. This bike already had heated grips, so I just added grip puppies from Grab-on to make the grips thicker as they are really thin on this bike for some reason (or I am just spoiled by the Progrips.) I have mixed feelings on the grip puppies but need more time to make a decision on whether or not to keep them. I have an Ohlins HO 203 on the way and am headed to Traxxion when I get time to deal with the front end (and here's where the negative comes into play.) I HATE how this bike bucks at lower speeds when cruising around town. Again, I believe I have been spoiled by the 6th gen, but even my Ducati 848 is smoother than this bike. Some have also complained, while others say it rides fine, so I don't know what to tell you about that. The bike is fine otherwise and I think I can throw parts at the problem and fix it. The only other complaint I have with the new bike is the throttle is a little choppy... but much of that is the suspension jarring me (and the fact that I get lazy around town and put too much of my weight on my arms.) So if I drop a few pounds (in the works) and Traxxion the forks while smoothing the rear out with a new shock, I think it will be perfect! The LED headlights are fantastic and I wish they had a kit for the 6th gen! The bike turns in faster than the older model and is easier to flick (no surprise since it is lighter.) I also feel like the center of gravity feels lower, but that could be in my head ;). I am really happy with the bike and anxious to finish the suspension. I may also jump in on the header buy from whoever we end up group-buying them from. I know they will work out bugs next year, but I have been waiting years to try a new VFR and just didn't take to the 1200, so I jumped on this year's model. All-in-all I am happy with the bike and would be bored (or working on another home project) if I didn't have a bike to mod :)

I truly believe that the mods make the bike perfect (on any bike); or at least tailored to the rider.

Has anyone else noticed that slightly letting off on the clutch automatically revs the engine up a hair on the 2014? Guess that's to keep you from stalling the bike?

[dogman]

Has anyone else noticed that slightly letting off on the clutch automatically revs the engine up a hair on the 2014? Guess that's to keep you from stalling the bike?

Yes I noticed that as soon as I picked the bike up.

Good idea IMO especially if you are monouvering in tight places.

It would be interesting to know how they actually achieve that.

[Guest]

As someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.

I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I currently own a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....

[Texfoto]

A great bike, absolutely. Is it worth $14K.....I'm afraid not compared to what's out there.

[dfh]

As someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.

I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.

House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.

[house]

As someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.

I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.

House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.

My thoughts exactly :) Part of the thrill of getting a new bike is the fact that it's a clean slate just waiting for me to figure out what to modify to make it mine. I actually like the suspension the way it is when riding at speed or in the mountains (not that I have the skill to exploit the abilities of the stock bike suspension.) Still, I have the itch to tweak here and there (and also to figure out what fits and what doesn't.) Many like the suspension the way it is and I am confident that the tech that set mine up out of the crate just ball-parked all of the suspension settings without riding (the bike ODO was at zero when the sales guy took it out for a two mile check before turning it over to me.) I would be curious to get Cornercarver on the bike as is and see what he thinks. His suspension knowledge and skills are well beyond mine. Kevin would be another great choice (any of them .) It's just me and my daughter this weekend, so no riding for me unless I take my 6th gen since I sacrificed my pillion seat for a luggage rack. Let me call Kevin and Keith and see if they have time this weekend or Monday to take it for a spin so we can get a better opinion for you... may not be feasible with the rain, but I will try.

[dogman]

As someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.

I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.

House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.

Actually I sold a 2011 Fireblade to buy this bike, before that I had a fairly heavily modified 6Th gen RWB.

I just love the way this bike handles, I would say its very very close to the Fireblade in the handling and braking department.

It seems that you can chuck it at a corner at any speed and it just turns in and goes around, and inspires great confidence and encourages sporty riding, and high lean angles,and that is with ST tyres on.

I had zero chicken strips on the bike on the day I got it just riding it home from the shop, admittedly that was a 100Km ride through the hills.

What a lot of people may not like is that the ride is on the firm side, and quite heavily damped. For as long as I can remember, people have complained about the crappy suspension on VFRs, with the 4th and 5th gens 41mm flexy forks and weak springs and poor damping, the 6th gen was better but this bike is better again,

Everybody asked for a more sporty VFR, well this is a sport tourer heavily biased to sport, it may not have 150 RWHP but the engine spins up very willingly and is plenty in these days of draconian policing.

It is a fun bike to ride, the fuelling is faultless,unlike the 6th gens where a powercommander was a necessity of life, and just needs to make some noise to be perfect IMO

What surprises me is the number of people on a VFR enthusiast's forum who are prepared to condemn the bike without even riding it because it doesn't fulfill ther expectations of "the perfect VFR". Well guys, dont hold your breath waiting for the 1000cc gear driven cam non vtec with USD fork bike to come out of Honda any time soon, just go and buy a RSV4 and be done with it.

[Guest]

As someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.

I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.

House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.

Actually I sold a 2011 Fireblade to buy this bike, before that I had a fairly heavily modified 6Th gen RWB.

I just love the way this bike handles, I would say its very very close to the Fireblade in the handling and braking department.

It seems that you can chuck it at a corner at any speed and it just turns in and goes around, and inspires great confidence and encourages sporty riding, and high lean angles,and that is with ST tyres on.

I had zero chicken strips on the bike on the day I got it just riding it home from the shop, admittedly that was a 100Km ride through the hills.

What a lot of people may not like is that the ride is on the firm side, and quite heavily damped. For as long as I can remember, people have complained about the crappy suspension on VFRs, with the 4th and 5th gens 41mm flexy forks and weak springs and poor damping, the 6th gen was better but this bike is better again,

Everybody asked for a more sporty VFR, well this is a sport tourer heavily biased to sport, it may not have 150 RWHP but the engine spins up very willingly and is plenty in these days of draconian policing.

It is a fun bike to ride, the fuelling is faultless,unlike the 6th gens where a powercommander was a necessity of life, and just needs to make some noise to be perfect IMO

What surprises me is the number of people on a VFR enthusiast's forum who are prepared to condemn the bike without even riding it because it doesn't fulfill ther expectations of "the perfect VFR". Well guys, dont hold your breath waiting for the 1000cc gear driven cam non vtec with USD fork bike to come out of Honda any time soon, just go and buy a RSV4 and be done with it.

Thank you!!! I don't need the perfect VFR just a fun one. I owned a 750 and an 800. Neither were perfect but both were fun and I enjoyed them. I look back at the 10 bikes I have owned over the last 30 years and the VFRs were the most fun and the ones I would buy again.

Dogman. Do you own the standard or the deluxe version ?

Thanks.

[SHvar]

I agree dogman, I traded a cbr600 on the 2014 VFR800FD. I had less chicken strips in the first day with my VFR than I did in over 14 years with my CBR600 and over 35,000 miles (the cbr just did not inspire that much confidence, maybe because I had a nasty crash on a cbr 4 years older not long before I got that one). The suspension and handling are great, the brakes are amazing, and the engine has enough power. I can see where more HP would be fun, but it would be a rare occasion that I would make use of it. I think if it had 120 HP Id be getting myself into way too much trouble, this bike already promotes some bad behavior, haha, she likes to go, and she loves to go through twists and turns.

[dogman]

As someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.

I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.

House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.

Actually I sold a 2011 Fireblade to buy this bike, before that I had a fairly heavily modified 6Th gen RWB.

I just love the way this bike handles, I would say its very very close to the Fireblade in the handling and braking department.

It seems that you can chuck it at a corner at any speed and it just turns in and goes around, and inspires great confidence and encourages sporty riding, and high lean angles,and that is with ST tyres on.

I had zero chicken strips on the bike on the day I got it just riding it home from the shop, admittedly that was a 100Km ride through the hills.

What a lot of people may not like is that the ride is on the firm side, and quite heavily damped. For as long as I can remember, people have complained about the crappy suspension on VFRs, with the 4th and 5th gens 41mm flexy forks and weak springs and poor damping, the 6th gen was better but this bike is better again,

Everybody asked for a more sporty VFR, well this is a sport tourer heavily biased to sport, it may not have 150 RWHP but the engine spins up very willingly and is plenty in these days of draconian policing.

It is a fun bike to ride, the fuelling is faultless,unlike the 6th gens where a powercommander was a necessity of life, and just needs to make some noise to be perfect IMO

What surprises me is the number of people on a VFR enthusiast's forum who are prepared to condemn the bike without even riding it because it doesn't fulfill ther expectations of "the perfect VFR". Well guys, dont hold your breath waiting for the 1000cc gear driven cam non vtec with USD fork bike to come out of Honda any time soon, just go and buy a RSV4 and be done with it.

Thank you!!! I don't need the perfect VFR just a fun one. I owned a 750 and an 800. Neither were perfect but both were fun and I enjoyed them. I look back at the 10 bikes I have owned over the last 30 years and the VFRs were the most fun and the ones I would buy again.

Dogman. Do you own the standard or the deluxe version ?

Thanks.

We only get the "deluxe" in OZ mate :)

[Das Bone]

I'm still wondering why some are complaining of apparent fueling issues while others seem to be just fine? :unsure2:

[dfh]

Dogman. Do you own the standard or the deluxe version ?

Thanks.

What is the Deluxe in the USA is the "standard" & only model in the rest of the world. Looking at how little you save dollars-wise but how much really useful stuff you loose doing so, the Deluxe is really the only choice. Having said that looking at the parts list that someone posted earlier the dampers & springs are the same between the two models suspension wise so the performance of both on stock settings will be the same, just the ability to fine tune is missing on the stripper model.

[windyrun]

As someone who is looking at this bike, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to have suspension issues. My 6th Gen's suspension was fine after I had it setup. No mods needed. I did not need or expect it to handle like a CBR.

I don't want to pay $14k for a new bike that "requires" work right out of the box. I am currently on a FZ1 and after I had it setup, it's fine. A little better than the VFR it replaced. Still not a CBR but thats ok. Almost seems like I woud be better off finding a used low millage 6th Gen with all the bugs worked out....

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion without riding an 8th gen first. All the test reports I have read from the UK, Europe, Australia & the USA have been consistently positive in their reviews of the improvements in the suspension. Many indeed highlight the suspension, brakes & weight loss as being the areas of real improvement in contrast to the engine. In the direct comparisons I have read of the 8th Gen vs the z1000sx/Ninja1000sx in the UK mags MCM & Fast bikes plus the French site Moto-station http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/78726-reviews-8th-gen-vs-z1000sx-aka-ninja-1000-bmw-f800gt/ all have praised the 8th Gen chassis & suspension being superior to the z1000sx, despite the Kawasaki having the coffee shop appeal of USD forks.

House seems to be rushing too fast into wholesale suspension modification for my taste, but that is part of his bonding/enjoyment process with his bike so all is good. Why not PM Dogman for his views as he has had his 8th Gen for a couple of months, having traded his 6th Gen to buy it & still has a sweet 4th Gen as well for comparison.

Actually I sold a 2011 Fireblade to buy this bike, before that I had a fairly heavily modified 6Th gen RWB.

I just love the way this bike handles, I would say its very very close to the Fireblade in the handling and braking department.

It seems that you can chuck it at a corner at any speed and it just turns in and goes around, and inspires great confidence and encourages sporty riding, and high lean angles,and that is with ST tyres on.

I had zero chicken strips on the bike on the day I got it just riding it home from the shop, admittedly that was a 100Km ride through the hills.

What a lot of people may not like is that the ride is on the firm side, and quite heavily damped. For as long as I can remember, people have complained about the crappy suspension on VFRs, with the 4th and 5th gens 41mm flexy forks and weak springs and poor damping, the 6th gen was better but this bike is better again,

Everybody asked for a more sporty VFR, well this is a sport tourer heavily biased to sport, it may not have 150 RWHP but the engine spins up very willingly and is plenty in these days of draconian policing.

It is a fun bike to ride, the fuelling is faultless,unlike the 6th gens where a powercommander was a necessity of life, and just needs to make some noise to be perfect IMO

What surprises me is the number of people on a VFR enthusiast's forum who are prepared to condemn the bike without even riding it because it doesn't fulfill ther expectations of "the perfect VFR". Well guys, dont hold your breath waiting for the 1000cc gear driven cam non vtec with USD fork bike to come out of Honda any time soon, just go and buy a RSV4 and be done with it.

I think all some people are saying is they wish they could get gear driven cam or at least not vtec and some cool looking USD forks. Is that so unreasonable? Its really just asking for the old motor in the new bike..and maybe some bling? I think this is really rooted in the vtec engine that no one asked for that is still around. I mean this is the type of thing some manufacturers pay for---customer feedback/market research on what they would like. I don't think anyone would complain if they got their old gear driven cam back.