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Viffer no more...


laurie

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WTF!!!! Laurie, before I go and slash my wrists. Can't find anything on the internet regards your post, why would they show a pic of what appears to be a 5th gen. Not some form of April fools joke is it? More Info Please!!!!!!

I'm with JZH on this one - Old News!!!!

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The image is a screen shot from a tribute video showing all the VFR models. It was taken from the Honda Australia Facebook page last night.

If you are on Facebook you should be able to go to Honda motorcycles Australia on FB and find the post.

i posted the screen shot because I don't know how to share the full post here.

laurie

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34 minutes ago, laurie said:

The image is a screen shot from a tribute video showing all the VFR models. It was taken from the Honda Australia Facebook page last night.

If you are on Facebook you should be able to go to Honda motorcycles Australia on FB and find the post.

i posted the screen shot because I don't know how to share the full post here.

laurie

 

Oh dear!!! I rang Honda just now and had it confirmed, she had no idea what would be replacing it or why it would be discontinued! Told her I was amazed it would be on FaceBook before being announced on the official Honda website. She told me to keep a look on the website and keep in touch with a dealership for further news - Time to go slash my wrists WTF are Honda doing, I feel like there's been a death in the family.:wacko:

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Grum

im not at all surprised that they have decided to discontinue the viffer. Big chook chasers and "cruiser" style bikes seem to be the popular choice these days.

laurie

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1 hour ago, laurie said:

The image is a screen shot from a tribute video showing all the VFR models. It was taken from the Honda Australia Facebook page last night.

If you are on Facebook you should be able to go to Honda motorcycles Australia on FB and find the post.

i posted the screen shot because I don't know how to share the full post here.

laurie

 

I found and read the FB post and watched the video and it's interesting how they are very careful in their wording to focus solely on the VFR800F model (and its beginnings in Australia in '97/'98) and that this model has reached the end of the line.  IMO they are leaving the door open for an all new model / generation - for example a 2019 or 2020 VFR1000 to compete with the V4 powered Italians 

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3 hours ago, GatorGreg said:

 

I found and read the FB post and watched the video and it's interesting how they are very careful in their wording to focus solely on the VFR800F model (and it's beginnings in Australia in '97/'98) and that this model has reached the end of the line.  IMO they are leaving the door open for an all new model / generation - for example a 2019 or 2020 VFR1000 to compete with the V4 powered Italians 

Sure hope you're right Gator. Maybe the next VFR might stand for Vee Five, we can only live in hope. I'm still gutted to think the 800 is gone, one of the best machines ever built.

Early days, we will just have to hold our breath and see what or if will be its replacement. Memories of the fabulous Blackbird come to mind!

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51 minutes ago, Grum said:

Sure hope you're right Gator. Maybe the next VFR might stand for Vee Five, we can only live in hope. I'm still gutted to think the 800 is gone, one of the best machines ever built.

 

 I assume the earlier generations of the VFR were also sold in Australia?  I find it interesting how the vid is captioned (see screen shot below) like a grave marker as "1998-2017 VFR800F", and not something like "1983-2017 VFR".  This gives me hope that there will be a 9th gen VFRXXX(X).  What's scary though is their use of the hashtag "#farewelltotheVFR" instead of "#farewelltotheVFR800F".

IMG_4024.PNG

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6 hours ago, GatorGreg said:

 

 I assume the earlier generations of the VFR were also sold in Australia?  I find it interesting how the vid is captioned (see screen shot below) like a grave marker as "1998-2017 VFR800F", and not something like "1983-2017 VFR".  This gives me hope that there will be a 9th gen VFRXXX(X).  What's scary though is their use of the hashtag "#farewelltotheVFR" instead of "#farewelltotheVFR800F".

IMG_4024.PNG

Reason being is the the vfr went to 800 cc in 1998  before that they were 750cc.

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My local dealership are telling me both 800 and 1200 are to be discontinued, with no info as to a replacement, time will tell. Sad day!

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There's not much more development they could do to it, to be honest, and it's never been a huge seller precisely because it does everything so the single-minded think it's not for them. As long as they keep making spares...

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Agreed FSB, plus you only have to look at the build quality and sheer complexity to realise there's no way this was a profitable bike, I'd like to know what it cost Honda to build them

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Have to disagree with the last couple of comments. I've shaved 35Kg off my 5th gen, added 25hp & better suspension & its like night & day with a stock bike. So they could have done much more with it.  As far as costs go, the 5th gen was one of Honda's best selling models & as a stranger said in the car park this morning when getting off a much newer Triumph, the VFR was the best quality bike he ever owned !  The engine was free, paid for by the RC45 development. The frame was nearly free, stolen from the VTR1000 development, the only original item was the swigarm & that was developed on the RC45 too. All the other cycle parts are stock Honda, except the brakes & body work. The 6th gen was a good seller for a number of years & the same engine & frame was used in the 8th gen variants, so basically very low cost to Honda. Setting up a production line costs more than tweaking an existing one.

 

But why are people expecting a replacement ? They have replaced it already with the Crossrunner plus various NC750 variants, so its more a move over old guy, rather than dropping the bike.  General road bikes don't sell so well. I can see why, the demographics of ownership are now old. The young want pocket rockets, the old want adventure bikes. I can see the appeal having ridden one all winter the VFR felt alien to my hands & feet due to the position of bars & pegs, compared to the relaxed seating position of the adventure bike.

 

Either way they will go on for a long time, the 5th gens are the best surviving bikes in the UK, of some 6500 sold, nearly 5000 are still on the road !

 

Enjoy them whilst the fuel lasts, there will be none in 20 years, well none you can afford. Get ready for the EFR  the Electric version :)

 

 

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Noooooooo!!!!

Sad day for all VFR lovers. The VFR suits my perfectly so I hope they replace it with something with the same DNA. Otherwise I have no idea what I will do when mine needs replacing.

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9 hours ago, Mohawk said:

Have to disagree with the last couple of comments. I've shaved 35Kg off my 5th gen, added 25hp & better suspension & its like night & day with a stock bike. So they could have donw much more with it.  As far as costs go, the 5th gen was one of Honda's best selling models & as a stranger said in the car park this morning when getting off a much newer Triumph, the VFR was the best quality bike he ever owned !  The engine was free, paid for by the RC45 development. The frame was nearly free, stolen from the VTR1000 development, the only original item was the swigarm & that was developed on the RC45 too. All the other cycle parts are stock Honda, except the brakes & body work. The 6th gen was a good seller for a number of years & the same engine & frame was used in the 8th gen variants, so basically very low cost to Honda. Setting up a production line costs more than tweaking an existing one.

 

But why are people expecting a replacement ? They have replaced it already with the Crossrunner plus various NC750 variants, so its more a move over old guy, rather than dropping the bike.  General road bikes don't sell so well. I can see why the demographics of ownership are now old. The young want pocket rockets, the old want adventure bikes. I can see the appeal having ridden one all winter the VFR felt alien to my hands & feet due to the position of bars & pegs, compared tot he relaxed seating position of the adventure bike.

 

Either way they will go on for a long time, the 5th gens are the best surviving bikes in the UK, of some 6500 sold, nearly 5000 are still on the road !

 

Enjoy them whilst the fuel lasts, there will be none in 20 years, well none you can afford. Get ready for the EFR  the Electric version :)

 

 

 

 

The crossrunner has run alongside the vfr since 2011. 

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9 hours ago, Smiler said:

Noooooooo!!!!

Sad day for all VFR lovers. The VFR suits my perfectly so I hope they replace it with something with the same DNA. Otherwise I have no idea what I will do when mine needs replacing.

+1 Given what's been done to mine, I simply wouldn't be able to (easily) replace it...certainly not without spending a wad of cash.

 

Would probably go and grab a well-sorted ZX14R and "join the Dark side" as it were...

VFR800.jpg

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I suppose Honda has been hinting at that - at least in N.A. - for some time showing the latest model as a 2015.   As with so many other beloved but now discontinued models Honda has produced - a long list - each has its own life cycle and things change.  I suppose we should be grateful that the VFR had such a long run - it gave us many variants to choose from and put a good number of them out there that will continue to come up for sale for years to come. 

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As much as they will be missed, in the US and I'm guessing the EU, there is no way the gear-driven cams would pass a sound test. And I'm guessing the engines are not clean enough for todays emission standards. 

 

It's a good thing, in one respect, that my season is not 12 months long (I'm awaiting the bolt of lightnig to strike any second for those words). If that were the case I'd be totally deaf by now. Between wind noise (reduced as much a possible by earplugs and a Schuberth helmet) and the whine of the cams the voices in my head (tinnitus) get a little louder each year. But that does not stop me from enjoying every mile on the way to sign language. Or at least more WHAT? s.

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