Member Contributer Rob916 Posted August 26, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 26, 2014 Hi all, i'm the proud owner of a Red 2014 vfr 800, ( my first honda and VFR ) In the states i think it would be called the deluxe version, here in France its just the basic no options added model. ( DCT,ABS,heated grips,center stand,passanger seat cowl, and i got the Honda side panniers/saddle bags half price from Honda ) im coming from a KTM RC8R (traded in for VFR) so maybe my riding/foot position isnt right, but my left heel tends to touch the swing-arm now and again ( i was used to having my toe section on the foor rests on the RC8 ) i have searched and not found any type of protection ( RC8 had a ktm sticker set for this type of issue; i think ive seen some fireblades with protection too) . any ideas on what i could use on/stick to the swing-arm to protect it from scuffing ? thanks for any advice . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted August 26, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 26, 2014 stickers... make a carbon cover... make an aluminum cover... just ride it an deal with it after / if it scuffs . swap a custom swing arm on to it.. powdercoat paint. you pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shinigami Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 On my CBR600RR (07 with black swingarm) I find my Sidi boots have worn the coating down to bare metal - have covered that zone with a black urethane pad. On the new VFR I wear my Dainese Torque Outs and there is a little scuff that cleans right off. The boots have a soft pad in the contact zone. If you're unwilling to place a protector on the swingarm perhaps you can use adhesive Velcro (the loop side) on the boot. Or, find yourself a nice "elf" sticker to put there (ELF and Honda collaborated on the Pro Arm, the first Honda swingarms on the VFR)- I got one of those in Japan last week and have it mounted there now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriverDave Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 I haven't noticed my left heel hitting the swingarm, but when I do a quick "stand up" to stretch the legs, my right heel hits the exhaust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHvar Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 My left heal bumps the swingarm also on occasion depending on how I have my foot on the peg. The mark from my boot heal just wipes off easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoPumps Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 DCT on the 800? Wow, didn't even know that was an option. Perhaps it had been implemented on other 800cc versions that didn't come here. How do you like it? Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriverDave Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 His avatar pic is quite small, but I'm pretty sure I see a clutch handle. I'm also pretty sure there's no DCT available on the 800...in any country. He probably meant TC (traction control). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 My left heel pretty much rides on the swingarm...I don't worry about it~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rob916 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 27, 2014 Hi all, thanks for all the advice, i'll be looking for a discreet as possible elf sticker and ill be borrowing some velcro ( soft side ) (thanks Shinigami) from work, we have tons of it .... a HUGE thank you all ........ Oop's , my bad for the DCT, i did mean TC . (thanks DriveDave) i did consider the quick shifter but seems to be a little over kill on my new girl . ( her names Vicky by the way ) biker buddies at work think im nuts, makes the french babes laugh though !!! Lol .... the only reason im a little worried about it was i hadn't noticed it on the RC8R until 6000 kms, and by then it had made a rather unpleasant mark on my shiny black swingarm . ( i do worry too much though about my bikes ) . thanks again guys, have a fab evening/morning/day whever you may be ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriverDave Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Isn't it going to be hard to deal with such a big power loss, coming from the RC8R? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rob916 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 27, 2014 Honestly im enjoying myself alot more not having to worry about how bloody quick im going, i do 40 kms to work every morning and the same to go home in the evenings, and in the real world where i live in the french countryside this little VFR is perfect, the RC8R was , i must admit too much for daily commuting for me, i had trouble controling my desire to fly everywhere, now im having loads of fun and my drivers licence is relativley safe . it corners better than i thought possible, the vtec transition is perfect, i get 350 kms per tank ( the RC8R gave me 145kms ) . and having bought the RC8 new 0kms it munched 1L of oil every 1000kms ( apparently according to KTM France and Austria whithout tracking it it'll eat oil till about 12-20 k kms ) Maddnesssssssss .......... i do miss the RC8 terribly But , however am pleasantly surprised how much fun this little vfr is, i do miss the brutal rider position and the mad power too . ( ill buy another in a couple years time ) the bike was just too exotic for my meeger pay cheque and every day use . little example: i go through a number of tiny classic french villages on the way to work, coming out of one in particular with the RC8 id be in 3rd at 50kms almost stalling her ( 50kms limit) the road changes from 50kms limit to 90 for about 150m before going back to a 50kms limit for the next village, i'd twist the throttle ( not violently) jump to 110-120kms before cutting the gas to enter the next village, with the vfr im in third comfortably, accelerate change to 4th then 5th and slow for the next village with a smile on my face, Admititly not the stupid grin the RC8 gave me but a fun smile too . the RC8R to me was an expensive gorgeous supermodel/ limit upper class escort , the VFR is a well maintained ex gorgeous supermodel thats gained 36 kgs and become a family lady that still loves a good time out. i'll always miss the RC8R, but i love the VFR already, she is sexy and she is good for my bank balance ( even though its only money, if i pass tomorrow cant take it with me ) .... anyways .... have a groovy evening, thanks again .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CornerCarver Posted August 27, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 27, 2014 Rob, Good description of the differences between the two bikes. Merci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer bswiles Posted August 29, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 29, 2014 Riding through quaint French villages on a new VFR...I'm officially jealous!! Beautiful bike you got there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shinigami Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Last spring I did ~3600 miles from Paris to Torino and back through AUS, SUI, FRA, BEL, NED, shunpiking as much as possible. France was wonderful. But I was a little shocked to see how many "working girls" there were on the back roads in seemingly the middle of nowhere... Mostly looking like Eastern Europeans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriverDave Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Wow, that sounds like an amazing trip. What were you riding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rob916 Posted August 30, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 30, 2014 i really live in the sticks, small little asterix and obelix like villages, no working Ladies around here, there are however alot of eastern european and north african ladies that work the large city streets, iether through choice or most of the time victims of human trafficing organisations . ( a huge problem in europe that nobody likes to talk about in public . ) no place is perfect hey ....... Dont forget, france had a huge amount of legal brothel's till not too long ago ( 1946 ) , even in todays french lauguage the french term for brothel is used daily as an equivelant to mess/unorganised state of things . (Bordel ) if youre ever in france and see white little station wagons/vans on the side of the duel carrige ways or rest stops , those are working Ladies by choice, a classic in france, they live and work in their vans . anyways ........ ( the french joke about them alot ) i should be taking the vfr to spain's west coast, the north of itaily, Austria, Czech rep,poland,germany and belguim May/2015 . if it all works out ill post all the pics/info . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shinigami Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Yes, well I have seen that in cities in Europe of course, just was a little surprised to see it on (what I thought of as) rural roads in France (paralleling A6 between Riom and Lyon). Then I noticed quite a lot of truck traffic on those roads and it made more sense. And I noticed the caravans but didn't make the connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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