raoufhakam Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 i've had my VFR ( a '00 5th gen with 64,000km = 40,000mi, one stock, except a Delkevic slip-on) now for about 5-6months and put on it about 7,000km = 4,500mi on it, and just the more i ride it i notice how smooth the 90deg V4 engine runs! i know VFR is heavy-ish compared to new bikes, stock suspension is not A1, brakes aren't the best, but all that aside, the engine itself just runs really smooth (dont feel any noticeable vibration or banging parts inside). i feel its engine is too smooth and balanced to the point of being boring or blunt? i've gone through all the engine configuration spectrum: 2 CBR600 (inline-4), GL1100 (boxer 4), V-Strom650 (V2 liquid cooled), Ducati monster1000 (V2 air cooled), KLR650 (single), Victory vegas (big stroke V2), and tried many other bikes (GL1800, CBR1000, FJR1300, CB1000, ..... and many others to list). its even feel smoother running than my brother's CBR1000RR thats 9 years newer! currently owning the '00 VFR800 and a '07 Ducati Monster S2R1000 which i absolutely love, its a fun little bike to ride (~425lb wet weight), size and weight of a little 250cc bike, but power of a big bike! really fun on the twisties to through around corners, its very light and stable chassis with very good suspension and brake for its size, but i'm even starting to feel all that is fading away compared to the VFR's versatility and smoothness, V-twin are inherently not very smooth, and add to that its air cooled, with dry clutch, every time i hop into it i love how light and superior its suspension and brakes are compared to the VFR, but just feels noticeably un-smooth (maybe thats what they call Ducati's Character?) anyway, just kinda sharing my thoughts and looking for what people think of their VFR as a smooth running engine compared to other bikes they've owned, still own or tried? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rush2112 Posted October 23, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 23, 2014 The smoothness is a thing of beauty... ... and the sound is acoustic audacity! How dare you call our engine boring!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dgordon Posted October 23, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 23, 2014 Raou, the V-four is smooth. :-) I love all engine configs, but to me, the V-four has the best overall characteristics. Lumpy sound at idle, vroomy through the midrange and then howling. Mirrors stay sharp, the bike has excellent power characteristics for real world riding and it just sounds ace. (Properly uncorked) I've always loved British twins, and Guzzi's. I never would have expected to become addicted to a V-4 sound, or character. But I have and it's a long term relationship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raoufhakam Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 The bike has excellent power characteristics for real world riding and it just sounds ace. (Properly uncorked)I think you kinda summed it up here!Having owned and ridden most engine configurations, im not a big fan of inline-4 anymore, though they do sound amazing but they just feel dead on low to mid range, then they suddenly come to life at high range, which is not very useful to me. For me, i dont have a car, so my bike is what i use to commute to work, take it to twisties or weekend fun, do trips on it and ride it everywhere, and i kinda like that i can shift at 5k rpm and still dont feel like im lacking power or the bike is jerky. I kinda like to put it that way, V4 is the mid point between great torquey low-mid range of a v-twin and mid-top range of a roaring inline-4 For comparison, my last bike was '06 CBR600RR, which is amazing powerful machine, but u gotta keep the needle beyond 5k rpm to keep ig smooth, and it only comes to life after 7-8k My other bike now a '07 Monster S2R1000, amazing mid and low range torque around 4-6k rpm is the sweet spot for twisties riding, but anything beyond 7k rpm just feels flat like it ran out of power, but its geared short enough that 6th gear does 130km/h (82 mph) at 4,700 rpm only. But the VFR is better overall,it is mixture of both, its geared and powered right that i can comfortably commute and cruise around town on it and i can still do 240km/h (150mph) on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharms1973 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Hi. Ive only ever ridden single cylinder bikes before (lumpy, noisy and sometimes down right annoying). But now owning a 99 VFR800 I find the viffers V4 is so smooth and sounds awesome (I have a Remus slip on and K&N air filter on mine) I dont think I will ever change. And the gear noise . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Belfry Posted October 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 24, 2014 When I bought my 6th gen near San Antonio, TX four years ago, I headed west through the hill country on I-10 then north on Hwy. 285 on my way to Santa Fe, NM. That was my first long ride on a VFR. The southern part of 285 is a two-lane highway, straight, flat, with only road runners and the occasional pickup truck for company. My other bike (then and now) is a DR650 thumper. When it's going 70 mph you know it. The first time I noticed some vibes from the VFR I looked down and the speedo was reading 100. I had a Canadian moment before I remembered the reading was in mph not kmh. The VFR was that smooth by comparison. I like it. I think of it as stealth mode. If I want to make some noise I take it into VTEC range and "engage." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted October 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 24, 2014 BTW: VFR800fi has been listed in Motorcycle Consumer News as tied for 6th for the best braking (60 mph to zero) production mc at 108.x feet. Certainly not the best but tied for 6th is not chicken feed. (Is it possible yours need some attention to achieve their full potential?) i know VFR is heavy-ish compared to new bikes, stock suspension is not A1, brakes aren't the best, but all that aside, the engine itself just runs really smooth (dont feel any noticeable vibration or banging parts inside). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marriedman Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 The 5th gen has some weak spots, I'll give you that. But I have never heard the motor described as boring! I'd go so far as to say that as a package, the 5th gen motor is the best of any bike I have ridden. The 7th gen is becoming my favorite pretty quick, but it doesn't have that sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zupatun Posted October 25, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 25, 2014 If it is too smooth, maybe youre not spending enough time in the 7000 to 12000 rpm range... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer KevCarver Posted October 27, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 27, 2014 If it is too smooth, maybe you're not spending enough time in the 7000 to 12000 rpm range... Don't ride a VTec if you think the 5th Gen is too smooth. It'll put you to sleep! Makes my '99 feel raw and racy compared to the 6th Gens I have ridden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 My 6th gen's engine is pretty darn smooth, except around 2k-3k rpm. The first time I rode a 6th gen - a short test-ride - I wondered what was wrong with it when I let the revs fall down in that range. Compared to the inline 4 Kawasaki 750 I owned at the time (my only other bike to date), it felt like I was riding on knobbies the way the engine shuddered. The Kaw. never felt like that, even at low revs. Of course, most of us don't spend much time under 4k rpm on a VFR, even while cruising city streets. To me, my 6th gen's sweet spots are 5k-6k for spirited riding, and 8k-9k for "extra spirited" riding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted October 31, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 31, 2014 I've noticed when disassembling and assembling my fifth gens that parts that can vibrate are rubber-isolated. This adds to the quietness of the whole machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 My 6th gen's engine is pretty darn smooth, except around 2k-3k rpm. The first time I rode a 6th gen - a short test-ride - I wondered what was wrong with it when I let the revs fall down in that range. Compared to the inline 4 Kawasaki 750 I owned at the time (my only other bike to date), it felt like I was riding on knobbies the way the engine shuddered. The Kaw. never felt like that, even at low revs. Of course, most of us don't spend much time under 4k rpm on a VFR, even while cruising city streets. To me, my 6th gen's sweet spots are 5k-6k for spirited riding, and 8k-9k for "extra spirited" riding! I can cruize along at 3 k no problem , now if in a high gear and you WFO it at 3 k, it would then shudder, is that what you mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 CBR6000 (inline-4)? I suppose anything would seem a little tame next to a six liter sport bike. LOL Smooth and motor music at 10k+ rpm is all good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikesmini080877 Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 im not sure you would call the engine "soo smooth" as above 7000rpm you get vibes through the bike which I don't mind when im thrashing the bike but at other times I could do without, Love the v4 configuration but the engine still needs to be 1000cc and a lot more grunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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