Member Contributer Skids Posted August 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2014 I see in the current Bike mag that next month they'll be featuring a group test with the new VFR800F vs BMW F800GT vs Kawasaki Z1000SX. They also mention that in 2018 there will be a new V4 400cc bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rectaltronics Posted August 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2014 I see in the current Bike mag that next month they'll be featuring a group test with the new VFR800F vs BMW F800GT vs Kawasaki Z1000SX. They also mention that in 2018 there will be a new V4 400cc bike. 400cc V4 sounds tempting. Why do I get the feeling it'll never see the U.S.A...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Skids Posted August 22, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2014 I see in the current Bike mag that next month they'll be featuring a group test with the new VFR800F vs BMW F800GT vs Kawasaki Z1000SX. They also mention that in 2018 there will be a new V4 400cc bike. 400cc V4 sounds tempting. Why do I get the feeling it'll never see the U.S.A...? You may be correct. There's a lot of talk in the article regarding Euro 4 emissions legislation which comes into force in 2017. Not sure if that will be applicable in the US but apparently it will cost a bundle to get existing engines through Euro 4 (adding approx. 800 Euros to the cost of an otherwise unchanged Fireblade) so all-new models should be hitting the streets around 17/18. Suzuki planning 30 new bikes over the next 5 years. The article is entitled "Return of the VFR400R". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rectaltronics Posted August 22, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 22, 2014 400cc V4 sounds tempting. Why do I get the feeling it'll never see the U.S.A...? You may be correct. There's a lot of talk in the article regarding Euro 4 emissions legislation which comes into force in 2017. Not sure if that will be applicable in the US but apparently it will cost a bundle to get existing engines through Euro 4 (adding approx. 800 Euros to the cost of an otherwise unchanged Fireblade) so all-new models should be hitting the streets around 17/18. Suzuki planning 30 new bikes over the next 5 years. I thought of it is being more of Americans' trademark fondness for everything being excessively large that would be the obstacle to getting Honda to bring it here, rather than emissions issues. Yurp and North America are all on a similar emissions bandwagon. I'm more than a little skeptical of the claimed costs. It's not like the technology doesn't exist. Motorcycles are only now being made to play catch-up to automobile emissions standards. I'm stunned it didn't happen years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinyVFR Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 I rode all 3 within hours of each other. Kwak had a great engine,but I felt too far forward, like the clothed street bike it really is. Just putting a fairing and panniers onto a bike doesn't change its character. It'll be perfect for some folk, though. BMW was OK, but didn't exude that BMW quality I expected walking up to it. The engine worked OK, I understand it's economical, but it felt like a bike that was engineered to do a job, not be a bike to cherish. VFR had me as soon as it was started up and the test ride confirmed it for me. I'm still fairly new to bikes, but it felt well balanced and there was a depth of quality to it. Oh, it's also been through the "make people want one" department, doing whatever it is that they do to make OK bikes into great ones. Picking it up on Wednesday. Yes, I'll take my camera! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shinigami Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 I see in the current Bike mag that next month they'll be featuring a group test with the new VFR800F vs BMW F800GT vs Kawasaki Z1000SX. They also mention that in 2018 there will be a new V4 400cc bike. 400cc V4 sounds tempting. Why do I get the feeling it'll never see the U.S.A...? Just remember there are tough licensing standards in Japan for different displacement bikes. 400 and under is a huge licensing segment there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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