My First Proper Ride

[Skids]

I just don't find it excites me like the R1 does, and performance-wise all my R1 has is a pair of slipons.

Based upon that statement, I'd question your expectations are set correctly. The 1200 will never compete with an R1 performance-wise (assuming you mean acceleration, cornering etc) and therefore the excitement-factor is bound to be lower on the 1200. Perhaps this could explain your lack of connection with the 1200?

[hvfrdave]

Personally, I get a bigger kick out of riding the VFR1200, yes In a straight line most 1000cc sports bike will beat the big VFR to 160mph, but with well sorted suspension on the VFR1200, I am not so sure. I find it will hold its own with most sports bike riders on our B roads in the UK, saying that, no matter what you ride, you will always come across someone quicker than you. :smile2:

[RoystonRocket2]

I think this is a fairly simple problem to fix. An R1 is a supersports bike, designed for fast sporty knee down riding and really only properly usable on track if you're to get the best out of it.

A VFR1200F is a sports tourer, yes sports is there, but it ain't no supersports bike! It's not going to set any lap records. What it will do is get you comfortably, rapidly if you so choose, from A to B or Z and anywhere in between on public highways and can carry your luggage and wife into the bargain, still quite rapidly if you so choose and the wife doesn't scream too much.

If you find the VFR isn't as exciting as an R1, in many respects you'd be right. I'd guess then that you perhaps prefer shorter blasts and scratching over longer days out, touring and holidays etc? Personally I love what the VFR gives me, that awesome linear drive and plenty of speed for a road bike that can carry a load too. So it all comes down to want you want and if that's a supersports bike then the VFR is never gonna float your boat. Just like an R1 wouldn't deliver what I want from a road bike these days, unless what I want is a bad back and painful knees!

But as others have said above, whatever you ride you'll come across other riders who get there quicker, be that via reckless speed or sheer skill. One very small event from my memory that always makes me smile when thinking about stuff like this happened a couple of years ago. I was on my way to meet some mates for lunch in a little village round here called Finchingfield and pulled up at a red light in a town called Saffron Walden. As I waited for the lights to change three power rangers on sports bikes pulled up behind me. They were all chatting to each other and revving their motors and I'm sitting there on my 800 5th Gen thinking I'll just let these guys past when we get out of town as they'll be right up my arse looking for an over take otherwise. Anyway, off we go, me riding my usual pace and in no particular hurry and after a couple of miles out in the countryside I suddenly remember the power rangers and think what happened to them? Nowhere to be seen in my mirrors. Got to the café we were meeting, first to arrive, helmet and jacket off, sit down, order coffee and then I hear them approaching, they were still making plenty of noise, just not much progress Now this isn't a story about me being a riding God...far from it, I'd never claim to be the quickest. Just pointing out it's more about how you use it than what you have in many ways and also want you want from it. Horses for courses I think the saying goes!

Whatever you decide, I hope it gives you as much fun as my big Viffer is giving me.

[iamzombie]

Let's get the record straight, I did not expect supersport performance out of the VFR12. I was looking for a compromise between a supersport and a tourer, which is what the VFR is, a sports-tourer :P

I do not find the VFR as comfortable as you all seem to. I don't find it to be drastically more comfortable than my R1 with an aftermarket saddlemen seat. (this one)

I find there is a lot of handlebar buzz on my VFR, my hands get noticeably numb after an hour or two of riding.

I don't find the VFR to have any passion. It's fast, but it's japanese fast, like a lexus LFA versus a ferrari (maybe a poor analogy). It's engineered well, and it performs well, but it doesn't have the sensation or noise. The biggest killer for me is the exhaust note. It just does not sound like I imagined a 1200cc V4 would sound (more like a MotoGP bike than an ATV). I've read many posts about cam angles, etc. And I'm sure Honda had a reason for making the exhaust sound the way it does, I just wish I had an easy way to un-do it.

If someone can post a video of a good sounding VFR 1200, (decatted, slip-on, w/e) I'd like to hear it. As soon as I bought the bike I started researching exhausts, hoping I could just add a slip-on and discover the sleeping beast. I've watched every single youtube vfr1200 exhaust video (I'm pretty sure anyway) and not a single one sounds noticeably better than the stock exhaust.

Seriously, I know you all think I want to ditch the VFR, but I'd like to keep it. I just need to convince myself it's worth putting the money into ECU flashes and such.

[luvtoleanit]

Personally, I get a bigger kick out of riding the VFR1200, yes In a straight line most 1000cc sports bike will beat the big VFR to 160mph, but with well sorted suspension on the VFR1200, I am not so sure. I find it will hold its own with most sports bike riders on our B roads in the UK, saying that, no matter what you ride, you will always come across someone quicker than you. :smile2:

Pretty much the same.

My R1 is a crossplane and I have way more money in it than the VFR, way, and on the road, the VFR can do everything the R1 can. The R1 is a little better in every area but overall, the big VFR is just like a large literbike to me, a comfortable one. It rails, hard, and I've scraped a set of boots so much that rearsets were a necessity.

With the suspension set up for your weight, it handles very close to a literbike, even direction changes are a no-fuss affair.

[luvtoleanit]

I find there is a lot of handlebar buzz on my VFR, my hands get noticeably numb after an hour or two of riding.

I don't find the VFR to have any passion. It's fast, but it's japanese fast, like a lexus LFA versus a ferrari (maybe a poor analogy). It's engineered well, and it performs well, but it doesn't have the sensation or noise. The biggest killer for me is the exhaust note. It just does not sound like I imagined a 1200cc V4 would sound (more like a MotoGP bike than an ATV). I've read many posts about cam angles, etc. And I'm sure Honda had a reason for making the exhaust sound the way it does, I just wish I had an easy way to un-do it.

If someone can post a video of a good sounding VFR 1200, (decatted, slip-on, w/e) I'd like to hear it. As soon as I bought the bike I started researching exhausts, hoping I could just add a slip-on and discover the sleeping beast. I've watched every single youtube vfr1200 exhaust video (I'm pretty sure anyway) and not a single one sounds noticeably better than the stock exhaust.

Seriously, I know you all think I want to ditch the VFR, but I'd like to keep it. I just need to convince myself it's worth putting the money into ECU flashes and such.

First, you are comparing a stock seat on the VFR to your aftermarket seat on your R1. Problem one. Put a seat and some bars on the VFR and see the difference, it's a big difference.

Next, exhaust note. The VFR's engine was based on the RC212V's V4 which was 75 degrees, the 213v they went back to a 90 degree v angle. It sounds fantastic once it's opened up and like shit stock. To me this is a very common thing with a stock bike, any bike. And you are comparing a R1 with cans to a VFR with no cans.

Bars, if you don't want to put Helis on there then get some heavier bar end weights. I never had a problem like you describe stock, or with helis. My helibars iirc are lighter than OEM.

You repeatedly post how unsatisfied you are with it. Either fix what you don't like or sell it. You should be able to see the potential in it the way it sits now. Like any new bike these days the factory restrictions need to be removed via ECU flash.

[crakerjac]

I have a DAM exhaust on my 1200 and YouTube videos just don't do it justice... especially now that the can is broken in a bit. I've had more than a couple people come up to me and tell me that the bike sounds great with the exhaust I have on it. I never cared for the stock exhaust sound... when the flapper opened at 5k or so, it sounded better, but the sound while idling (flapper open or closed), it sounded like crap. No offense to anyone here who likes the open flapper sound at idle... it just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Skids]

I'm wondering whether a re-flash is worth the money now as there are no fuelling issues that I've found (admittedly, less than 500 miles) and it accelerates pretty well in 1st - 3rd so will I really notice it and how often do any of us get to 150mph+?

So the jury is out on that for me right now.

Suspension however is front & centre.

First though is a lovely DAM can!

[marriedman]

So far, the DAM exhaust is the best sounding exhaust that I have found. But it doesn't even come close to the sound of a 5th gen with any aftermarket exhaust. I mean, it's just no contest. But I find that the rest of the bike is just so brilliant that I can totally forgive it.

I saw a Saddleman seat with a channel on a VFR1200 and I really want it, but it is looking like a custom job only. The stock seat is good, but I know it could be better. I find the suspension markedly better than the 800's, but there is always room for improvement. The first thousand miles I was just really getting to know the bike. I thought the 1st & 2nd gear restrictions would only affect those with more experience than I have, but after becoming comfortable with riding it, I have found that it doesn't respond like I would anticipate coming out of curves or tight turns. So it isn't about performance, but rather predictable power delivery like I have become accustomed to. So I know that I will get the flash done eventually. I just want to smooth out the first few gears and maybe see if I can improve mpg's.

[iamzombie]

I find there is a lot of handlebar buzz on my VFR, my hands get noticeably numb after an hour or two of riding.

I don't find the VFR to have any passion. It's fast, but it's japanese fast, like a lexus LFA versus a ferrari (maybe a poor analogy). It's engineered well, and it performs well, but it doesn't have the sensation or noise. The biggest killer for me is the exhaust note. It just does not sound like I imagined a 1200cc V4 would sound (more like a MotoGP bike than an ATV). I've read many posts about cam angles, etc. And I'm sure Honda had a reason for making the exhaust sound the way it does, I just wish I had an easy way to un-do it.

If someone can post a video of a good sounding VFR 1200, (decatted, slip-on, w/e) I'd like to hear it. As soon as I bought the bike I started researching exhausts, hoping I could just add a slip-on and discover the sleeping beast. I've watched every single youtube vfr1200 exhaust video (I'm pretty sure anyway) and not a single one sounds noticeably better than the stock exhaust.

Seriously, I know you all think I want to ditch the VFR, but I'd like to keep it. I just need to convince myself it's worth putting the money into ECU flashes and such.

First, you are comparing a stock seat on the VFR to your aftermarket seat on your R1. Problem one. Put a seat and some bars on the VFR and see the difference, it's a big difference.

Next, exhaust note. The VFR's engine was based on the RC212V's V4 which was 75 degrees, the 213v they went back to a 90 degree v angle. It sounds fantastic once it's opened up and like shit stock. To me this is a very common thing with a stock bike, any bike. And you are comparing a R1 with cans to a VFR with no cans.

Bars, if you don't want to put Helis on there then get some heavier bar end weights. I never had a problem like you describe stock, or with helis. My helibars iirc are lighter than OEM.

You repeatedly post how unsatisfied you are with it. Either fix what you don't like or sell it. You should be able to see the potential in it the way it sits now. Like any new bike these days the factory restrictions need to be removed via ECU flash.

The seat on the VFR isn't the problem, comfort-wise. I actually find the seat on the VFR much more comfortable than the saddlemen seat i have on my R1, so there :P I was expecting it to be more touring and less sport (I'm not saying I wanted it the other way around, I just expected it was from reading how heavy it is) The bar-buzz is just fatiguing... I'll have to look into some weighted bar-ends, or maybe verifying the balancing of the front wheel.

I can only hope the videos aren't doing the aftermarket pipes justice, because they all sound horrid on youtube, IMO. The DAM and Comp Werkes are the only ones I've watched videos of that even seem remotely My R1 sounded better stock, at least IMO (but that is obviously subjective ;)

It's not a matter of not wanting to put money into the VFR, but as it currently stands, I'm still paying for it, so my mod budget it limited at the moment. To get this bike to be even remotely close to what I want of it, I'd need to flash ($500 CAD) decat (free, more or less, since I know a good welder) and slip-on ($500+). And if I'm going to decat and add slip-ons, I need to do that before I get the ECU flashed so I can have Don load on a map when he flashes it.

[satariel]

You should try to go either more to tourer or more to sport - first choice would be FJR1300 and the second Z1000SX.

R1 - 100% sport
VFR1200 - 60% sport, 40% tourer
Z100SX - 85% sport, 15% tourer
FJR1300 - 100% tourer

I rode all those bikes and this is my personal feeling. If I would not be married I would most defo hop on Z1000SX - my wife hated it.
VFR1200 gives me a solid choice - detach luggage and ride fast trough twisties, 3 clicks and the wife is happy too.

Catch 22!!!

[crakerjac]

My previous bike was an FJR1300 which I had for all of about 3 months. I hated it. It felt like I was back in high school driving my mom's Honda Accord. It was quick, and comfortable, but that bike sounded like a Jetson's car... It just had no soul.

And don't get me started on the heat issue of the 1st gens... It felt like my coin purse was in a toaster oven every time I rode that thing.