Motorcycle Consumer News Vfr800 Evaluation

[MotoPumps]

For those not familiar with MCN, the don't take advertising, so most consider them fairly neutral and unaffected by advertising dollars.

Decent overview of the bike, including a video:

http://www.motorcycleconsumernews-digitalmagazine.com/mcnews/november_2014d/?pg=16&pm=2&u1=friend

[raoufhakam]

top speed of 140.77mph??

i've personally hit 240 km/h (150 mph) on my 14 years old 5th gen a few times and i feel like the bike still had a little more to go, i've seen youtube vids of people hitting 250 and 260 km/h on 5th and 6th gen VFR's

isn't the new 8th gen supposed to be lighter?

i test rode the new 8th gen back in August, while it didnt feel more powerful or faster than my 5th gen, it definitely did feel a bit lighter or nimble!

[Shinigami]

There can be as much as a 10% differential between actual and indicated speed on 5th and 6th gen VFR's. Unless using GPS or calibrated speedo healer videos tend to overstate actual speed by more than 10 mph. I have had my '14 at a GPS measured 143 on an absolutely flat course at. 8500' and it took what seemed to be forever (it was actually 28 sec) to get to those last 5-6 mph, hugging the tank, tucking elbows, etc.

Edited to add: my 6th gen in a similar state of tune never exceeded a GPS verified 133 on that exact same stretch in similar conditions (50's and no wind). Speedo read something like 147.

The speedo on the 8th gen is much more accurate. Only a 1 mph difference at that speed range on the OEM tires.

[Dustin]

I can confirm that the stock 6th gen with new tires displays speed around 9% too high and distance only 0.5%

If you're seeing 250 kph on the speedo, that's only 227 actual. When talking top speeds, that's a big difference

[Rectaltronics]

top speed of 140.77mph??

i've personally hit 240 km/h (150 mph) on my 14 years old 5th gen a few times and i feel like the bike still had a little more to go, i've seen youtube vids of people hitting 250 and 260 km/h on 5th and 6th gen VFR's

isn't the new 8th gen supposed to be lighter?

i test rode the new 8th gen back in August, while it didnt feel more powerful or faster than my 5th gen, it definitely did feel a bit lighter or nimble!

The top speed could be affected by testing altitude or possibly that in some cases the top speed tests are actually top speed in a half mile.

A few less pounds won't make a huge difference even in a half-mile top speed test. But as I've pointed it in my review, the question about the new VFR being lighter is, lighter than what? It's heavier than my 4th gen, though it feels more nimble.

I've not yet had an opportunity to find the top speed of the new VFR. No place around here I feel safe trying. When I did it with my 4th gen it was way out in the sticks of the Dakotas, and did get within a couple of MPH of 150, verified on a Garmin Quest, where the speedo was just about pegged.

[raoufhakam]

8th gen: 536lb (this MCN review)

6th gen: 554lb (MCN performance index jan2010)

5th gen: 517lb (MCN performance index jan2010)

So its clear they are saying its lighter than 6th gen, which is the preceding model

[Misspent Youth]

Honda does a few things to reduce top speed, including adding timing cutouts in certain gears. Check out the latest Cycle story that includes review of the CB1000 (or whatever that retro is called) - they had to dyno it in 3rd gear due to the ECU limitations in the upper gears.

[Shinigami]

Another thing that reduces top speed is optimization of real world power levels at lower speeds. If you compare the need for midrange power to sheer top speed on a street bike you can understand why.

[emil]

In Germany, the certificate of acceptance for any motor vehicle contains the rated top speed. The RC79 is listed with 242 km/h. The ratings are usually rather accurate.

In the comparison test I took that dyno graph from I posted in the other thread, afair it reached 240 km/h with panniers.

Hondas speedos are usually 6% ahead here, so it should display 256 at top speed.

[Shinigami]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say there's no way a U.S. spec '14/15 VFR is doing 150 mph on any flat course. Maybe Euro spec bikes make more power, but I doubt it,

[emil]

Why not, that speed does fit in given the engine output, if it is broken in correctly (which can take a while, and might be difficult because riding top speed for a while at today's traffic is kind of suicidal).

The CBF1000F with one hp more is limited to 230 but could go faster without the limiter (read some complaints about it after Autobahn rides). The RC79 should have less wind drag. 240 km/h seems plausible to me.

[Shinigami]

My opinion is based on owning 6th and 8th gen VFR's, not reading specs. If you want a bike oriented for top speed, get something else.

[Rectaltronics]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say there's no way a U.S. spec '14/15 VFR is doing 150 mph on any flat course. Maybe Euro spec bikes make more power, but I doubt it,

I don't know why you're so sure about this. My stock 4th gen was able to hit 148 at around 3500' ASL, and its published specs are very close to the 8th gen's. In fact I probably could have gotten more out of it at the time but I had the Corbin backrest on.

And I'm gonna stick my neck out and say I'm pretty sure the new VFRs are spec'd the same in the fifty states, Canada and Yurp. Asia, not totally sure but a definite maybe depending on where.

In the spring I'm gonna leave the panniers home and find a station with non-Ethanol gasoline, find a section of empty highway around 150' ASL and wind it up for a mile or two. I'll report back with a snapshot of the GPS reading.

[Auspanglish]

My 98 catless and my 07 VTEC have both seen 255 km/h on endless Straights in the Middle of Nowhere, in La Mancha, Spain.

Mind you, view get up to 210 in no Time and then the Acceleration Graph starts to go Flaccid. The last 10-15 km/h take a lifetime.

Economy wise, I have seen 350km on one tank on both, even Laden with sidebags and tankbag and not slabbing at Legal steady Speeds but Carving it up and Down Mountains ... and still had Reserve left. Usually with cool weather maybe 10-16°C

On the Other Hand I've also seen 150 km to a tank at Almeria Racetrack on a 40°C day.

Is that what the topic is about???

[Shinigami]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say there's no way a U.S. spec '14/15 VFR is doing 150 mph on any flat course. Maybe Euro spec bikes make more power, but I doubt it,

I don't know why you're so sure about this. My stock 4th gen was able to hit 148 at around 3500' ASL, and its published specs are very close to the 8th gen's. In fact I probably could have gotten more out of it at the time but I had the Corbin backrest on.

And I'm gonna stick my neck out and say I'm pretty sure the new VFRs are spec'd the same in the fifty states, Canada and Yurp. Asia, not totally sure but a definite maybe depending on where.

In the spring I'm gonna leave the panniers home and find a station with non-Ethanol gasoline, find a section of empty highway around 150' ASL and wind it up for a mile or two. I'll report back with a snapshot of the GPS reading.

Well, for one thing, the cams have been reworked to decrease VTEC transition and provide a more robust midrange- which usually means a reduction in the high end. It will be interesting to see what you experience when you do your experiment.

[emil]

My opinion is based on owning 6th and 8th gen VFR's, not reading specs. If you want a bike oriented for top speed, get something else.

Why so grumpy? And over which distance did you ride those those at top speed? I take all my vehicles to top speed over at least a few hundred Kms, and the only one that didn't meet the specs was a 1996 CB500, which came out before certain verdicts: if a vehicle doesn't reach its specified top speed, in this country you can sue and you'll win, which has actually happened. So manufacturers tend not to boast with this value.

[ilprofessore]

According to 2 different magazines in Italy, the top speed of VFR 800 2014 is around 230 km/h (144 mph).

The same magazines had around 240 km/h for the VFR '98 and 245 km/h for Vtec 2002.

Not so important for me, I never been faster than 200 km/h with my old VFR '98.

[jekrumpe]

Not exactly a glowing review from MCN and I really like their publication. I recall that they did not like the 2010 VFR either and I really like mine. I guess you have to take all these reviews with a grain of salt.

[Rectaltronics]

At one point Shinigami reminded me to factor in altitude when considering speed tests. Also applies to drag strip times, dynos, etc. ;-)

Temperature, humidity and barometric pressure all can affect performance as well as altitude.

Italian magazines... where did they test? Consider for a moment that the Mugello circuit is almost 1000' ASL and that its typical warm, humid conditions could result in a computed equivalent of 3000-5000' ASL ("density altitude"), which according to a drag racing calculator could easily work out to a 6 MPH difference in top speed.

Same bike on a cool, dry day at sea level just might surprise you.

[VFR4Lee]

if a vehicle doesn't reach its specified top speed, in this country you can sue and you'll win, which has actually happened.

I love it.

When the speed limits don't go higher than 65 or 75 MPH,

whether your bike can hit 140 or 150 seems just about a moot point for street.

Either is liable to get your bike impounded if Leo sees you. Maybe you will wear the bracelets too.

I would only run this test on the top secret location proving grounds.

[emil]

Nothing can be impounded here, speeding is only an administrative offense with a maximum fine of €600 for extreme cases (can be doubled if it was considered deliberate).

Not that it matters on Autobahn parts without a speed limit.

North Germany is almost at sea level; temperature and humidity do indeed have some influence. With the NC and its meager 158 km/h top speed, I could often test this.

Somehow, my car is affected less. It can pretty much always reach its rated 250 km/h (155 mph) with usually 2-3 km/h more.