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VFR Vintage


RC79NC001

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VFR Vintage

I am approaching 4 years of owning my 2014 VFR. It has taken some time,effort,research  and money to get my VFR to the point where it is today. The modifications I have chosen to make have enhanced the riding experience greatly. Like a fine wine my Interceptor  is getting better with time.

It started with seeing a picture of the then new 8th gen in the spring 2014 issue of some motorcycle magazine. It looked good. Previously I had been fond of the 5th gen and cool to the styling of The 6th gen. The 7th gen 1200 never appealed to me. So, the 8th gen looked good enough to consider  buying. I take that back. After looking at the picture of the new 8th Gen and reading the accompanying article, I knew  there would be one in my garage some day. “Some Day” turned out to be 3 years later. May 2017.

Haters Gonna Hate.....

  About a month after that first photo grabbed my attention, Motorcyclist Magazine came out with a new issue which featured a white 8th gen Interceptor on the cover. There was an extensive test of the new VFR conducted by Marc Cook. I have read this article in this magazine so many times that the cover is missing and the pages are worn. Cook’s review is lukewarm at best . He also compares it unfavorably to the Kawasaki 1000 Ninja. Full disclosure, at the time the VFR test was conducted, Cook was most enamored with a KTM 900 SMT that he was riding as a long term test bike. Cook bought that KTM at the end of the test.The same issue of Motorcyclist Magazine has an editorial by Cook who eulogizes the end of the sport touring branch of motorcycles. The guy prefers ADV Bikes to traditional sports tourers. Cook wrote many articles for Motorcyclist in its print era and I mostly enjoyed  them ( and agreed with ) many of his opinions. His opinion about the 8th Gen VFR as well as sport tourers being an obsolete category irked me.

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/reviews/2014-honda-vfr800-interceptor-first-ride/

 

Kid you’ve got potential but, we need to work on some things.

Here’s my top 8 list of mods/add ons.

1)      Tires; I discarded the OEM Dunlops within the first week of ownership. I replaced the Dunlops with Bridgestone T30s. A friend with a 5th gen VFR foolishly took those OEM Dunlops  from my bike and had them spooned on to save some money . He never used it that much but, on one spiritied group  ride those Dunlops scared him enough to sell the bike..and buy new underwear. Sorry ! Tires are a popular subject and everyone has an opinion.  My list includes Bridgestone T30,T30 Evo,T31. Metzeler Roadtec 1, Z6. Pirelli Angel ST.

2)      Handlebar Risers; Motopumps

3)      Pazzo Levers; Another choice that is very subjective.

4)      Frame Sliders by T-REX

5)      Sargent Modified OEM seat; Lets you ride a long time. My current best is 853 miles in one day.

6)      Jamie Daugherty Fork and OEM Shock Modifications; For me the largest single improvement in enjoying this motorcyle has been making this change. The improvement in control,confidence, and ride comfort is simply amazing.

7)      Delkevic Slip On Exhaust. I was always a quiet motorcycle kind of guy. Loud pipes do not save lives. I’ll never forget a Sunday ride with a friend years ago when he rolled his Monster out of the garage early one Sunday morning and proceeded to “serenade” his neighbors with a thunderous Termignoni warmup. Quite the “Dick” move. When my Motorcycle Shop modified my VFR’s OEM exhaust ( without asking ) I was intially upset but, ended up liking the the change. The Delkevic sounds great and is not very loud. It also is lighter but, saving weight is probably best acheived at the rider level. Here’s a link to the real deal Factory Honda RCVs starting up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEQ6OnwhDpA

😎      Galfer Braided Brake and Clutch Lines. Feels better looks better.

 

The 8th Gen VFR is a great motorcycle but, with a few well chosen modifications it can be Fabulous. I think the press missed the mark on its introduction and some folks don’t understand the sport touring concept. Their loss is my gain.

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Nice write-up!  Like your 8th gen, the mods to my 6th gen were either based on functional or comfort/preference, and my list was very similar to yours.

 

I don't think any moto-journalists have liked a VFR since the 5th gen, and maybe even 3rd or 4th gen.  When I bought my 6th gen in 2006, sporty sport-tourers were very rare, as everyone was either buying supersports, cruisers, or true touring machines.  Great all-arounders were pretty much ignored by the motorcycle press and most buyers.  Thankfully times have changed.  VFRs still aren't at the top of a rider's wish list, but at least the market isn't dominated by just a couple styles like they were years ago.  IMO more people are buying bikes they *should* buy, rather than just to fit in with their buddies.

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On 12/27/2020 at 7:08 AM, RC79NC001 said:

VFR Vintage

I am approaching 4 years of owning my 2014 VFR. It has taken some time,effort,research  and money to get my VFR to the point where it is today. The modifications I have chosen to make have enhanced the riding experience greatly. Like a fine wine my Interceptor  is getting better with time.

It started with seeing a picture of the then new 8th gen in the spring 2014 issue of some motorcycle magazine. It looked good. Previously I had been fond of the 5th gen and cool to the styling of The 6th gen. The 7th gen 1200 never appealed to me. So, the 8th gen looked good enough to consider  buying. I take that back. After looking at the picture of the new 8th Gen and reading the accompanying article, I knew  there would be one in my garage some day. “Some Day” turned out to be 3 years later. May 2017.

Haters Gonna Hate.....

  About a month after that first photo grabbed my attention, Motorcyclist Magazine came out with a new issue which featured a white 8th gen Interceptor on the cover. There was an extensive test of the new VFR conducted by Marc Cook. I have read this article in this magazine so many times that the cover is missing and the pages are worn. Cook’s review is lukewarm at best . He also compares it unfavorably to the Kawasaki 1000 Ninja. Full disclosure, at the time the VFR test was conducted, Cook was most enamored with a KTM 900 SMT that he was riding as a long term test bike. Cook bought that KTM at the end of the test.The same issue of Motorcyclist Magazine has an editorial by Cook who eulogizes the end of the sport touring branch of motorcycles. The guy prefers ADV Bikes to traditional sports tourers. Cook wrote many articles for Motorcyclist in its print era and I mostly enjoyed  them ( and agreed with ) many of his opinions. His opinion about the 8th Gen VFR as well as sport tourers being an obsolete category irked me.

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/reviews/2014-honda-vfr800-interceptor-first-ride/

 

Kid you’ve got potential but, we need to work on some things.

Here’s my top 8 list of mods/add ons.

1)      Tires; I discarded the OEM Dunlops within the first week of ownership. I replaced the Dunlops with Bridgestone T30s. A friend with a 5th gen VFR foolishly took those OEM Dunlops  from my bike and had them spooned on to save some money . He never used it that much but, on one spiritied group  ride those Dunlops scared him enough to sell the bike..and buy new underwear. Sorry ! Tires are a popular subject and everyone has an opinion.  My list includes Bridgestone T30,T30 Evo,T31. Metzeler Roadtec 1, Z6. Pirelli Angel ST.

2)      Handlebar Risers; Motopumps

3)      Pazzo Levers; Another choice that is very subjective.

4)      Frame Sliders by T-REX

5)      Sargent Modified OEM seat; Lets you ride a long time. My current best is 853 miles in one day.

6)      Jamie Daugherty Fork and OEM Shock Modifications; For me the largest single improvement in enjoying this motorcyle has been making this change. The improvement in control,confidence, and ride comfort is simply amazing.

7)      Delkevic Slip On Exhaust. I was always a quiet motorcycle kind of guy. Loud pipes do not save lives. I’ll never forget a Sunday ride with a friend years ago when he rolled his Monster out of the garage early one Sunday morning and proceeded to “serenade” his neighbors with a thunderous Termignoni warmup. Quite the “Dick” move. When my Motorcycle Shop modified my VFR’s OEM exhaust ( without asking ) I was intially upset but, ended up liking the the change. The Delkevic sounds great and is not very loud. It also is lighter but, saving weight is probably best acheived at the rider level. Here’s a link to the real deal Factory Honda RCVs starting up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEQ6OnwhDpA

😎      Galfer Braided Brake and Clutch Lines. Feels better looks better.

 

The 8th Gen VFR is a great motorcycle but, with a few well chosen modifications it can be Fabulous. I think the press missed the mark on its introduction and some folks don’t understand the sport touring concept. Their loss is my gain.

I am 68 years old and was about 5’7” until gravity started shrinking me. Currently my Viffer has the low seat but no risers. I have taken it on some very long tours without any real comfort issues BUT with the 7th decade approaching I was wondering if risers might extend my time on the bike. Any ideas?

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What I've heard is that a more vertical upright back actually takes more impact from bumps as it compresses your back (motion is in-line with back). Rather than just pivoting your butt upwards.

 

If you're feeling Ok, don't change anything.

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40 minutes ago, Cogswell said:

Being engaged with a fitness program also will help.  

yeah! Even though I'm not bicycle-racing any more, I still do occasional 100-mile training ride. And have 1-month of gym-training in off-season.

 

Really helps with my moto-racing too. This one exercise alone does wonders for being comfortable on bike. I start with this and after month, end with 30-lb weight

behind my neck.

uc?export=download&id=1ms_UjSV7NnT5RC4ad

 

I have bars on all my bikes lowered to seat-height. Never have comfort issues and never understood why people complain about back issues or weight on wrists. 

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1 hour ago, DannoXYZ said:

yeah! Even though I'm not bicycle-racing any more, I still do occasional 100-mile training ride. And have 1-month of gym-training in off-season.

 

Really helps with my moto-racing too. This one exercise alone does wonders for being comfortable on bike. I start with this and after month, end with 30-lb weight

behind my neck.

uc?export=download&id=1ms_UjSV7NnT5RC4ad

 

I have bars on all my bikes lowered to seat-height. Never have comfort issues and never understood why people complain about back issues or weight on wrists. 

Danno, there is no way this old fart is going to attempt that, even if I could climb onto that bit of gear. These old bones are probably porous. I reckon if I throw the Viffer down the road the ambos will just put me in a bag and throw me in a ditch.


I stopped bicycle racing in my late forties and now have the fitness level to prove it.

 

I don’t get sore wrists or neck riding now, just wondering if risers made any difference at all. I had Heli bars on my ZX6R and they made a world of difference, but that was a pretty extreme riding position initially.

DD6F1998-1268-4987-89B7-D5E6FE70A84B.jpeg

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Wow! I just hope to be in as good shape as you in 15-yrs! 👋

 

Certainly wouldn't hurt to experiment with different positions. Might stumble across something magical!

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I went with the Motopumps that raise the height 0.6 inches. There are 2 other options ( more height ). It might be worth a look.

 

I like mine and the 0.6 raise didn't require any lines to be modified. I also agree that fitness is important. 

 

https://www.motopumps.com/shop/vfr-bar-risers

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On 12/26/2020 at 3:08 PM, RC79NC001 said:

VFR Vintage

I am approaching 4 years of owning my 2014 VFR. It has taken some time,effort,research  and money to get my VFR to the point where it is today. The modifications I have chosen to make have enhanced the riding experience greatly. Like a fine wine my Interceptor  is getting better with time.

It started with seeing a picture of the then new 8th gen in the spring 2014 issue of some motorcycle magazine. It looked good. Previously I had been fond of the 5th gen and cool to the styling of The 6th gen. The 7th gen 1200 never appealed to me. So, the 8th gen looked good enough to consider  buying. I take that back. After looking at the picture of the new 8th Gen and reading the accompanying article, I knew  there would be one in my garage some day. “Some Day” turned out to be 3 years later. May 2017.

Haters Gonna Hate.....

  About a month after that first photo grabbed my attention, Motorcyclist Magazine came out with a new issue which featured a white 8th gen Interceptor on the cover. There was an extensive test of the new VFR conducted by Marc Cook. I have read this article in this magazine so many times that the cover is missing and the pages are worn. Cook’s review is lukewarm at best . He also compares it unfavorably to the Kawasaki 1000 Ninja. Full disclosure, at the time the VFR test was conducted, Cook was most enamored with a KTM 900 SMT that he was riding as a long term test bike. Cook bought that KTM at the end of the test.The same issue of Motorcyclist Magazine has an editorial by Cook who eulogizes the end of the sport touring branch of motorcycles. The guy prefers ADV Bikes to traditional sports tourers. Cook wrote many articles for Motorcyclist in its print era and I mostly enjoyed  them ( and agreed with ) many of his opinions. His opinion about the 8th Gen VFR as well as sport tourers being an obsolete category irked me.

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/reviews/2014-honda-vfr800-interceptor-first-ride/

 

Kid you’ve got potential but, we need to work on some things.

Here’s my top 8 list of mods/add ons.

1)      Tires; I discarded the OEM Dunlops within the first week of ownership. I replaced the Dunlops with Bridgestone T30s. A friend with a 5th gen VFR foolishly took those OEM Dunlops  from my bike and had them spooned on to save some money . He never used it that much but, on one spiritied group  ride those Dunlops scared him enough to sell the bike..and buy new underwear. Sorry ! Tires are a popular subject and everyone has an opinion.  My list includes Bridgestone T30,T30 Evo,T31. Metzeler Roadtec 1, Z6. Pirelli Angel ST.

2)      Handlebar Risers; Motopumps

3)      Pazzo Levers; Another choice that is very subjective.

4)      Frame Sliders by T-REX

5)      Sargent Modified OEM seat; Lets you ride a long time. My current best is 853 miles in one day.

6)      Jamie Daugherty Fork and OEM Shock Modifications; For me the largest single improvement in enjoying this motorcyle has been making this change. The improvement in control,confidence, and ride comfort is simply amazing.

7)      Delkevic Slip On Exhaust. I was always a quiet motorcycle kind of guy. Loud pipes do not save lives. I’ll never forget a Sunday ride with a friend years ago when he rolled his Monster out of the garage early one Sunday morning and proceeded to “serenade” his neighbors with a thunderous Termignoni warmup. Quite the “Dick” move. When my Motorcycle Shop modified my VFR’s OEM exhaust ( without asking ) I was intially upset but, ended up liking the the change. The Delkevic sounds great and is not very loud. It also is lighter but, saving weight is probably best acheived at the rider level. Here’s a link to the real deal Factory Honda RCVs starting up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEQ6OnwhDpA

😎      Galfer Braided Brake and Clutch Lines. Feels better looks better.

 

The 8th Gen VFR is a great motorcycle but, with a few well chosen modifications it can be Fabulous. I think the press missed the mark on its introduction and some folks don’t understand the sport touring concept. Their loss is my gain.

 

Sounds like you just need the VFRD 8G Custom Header.....

How much was the Daughtery mods?

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