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Are the differences between the 2010 vs 2012 + VFR1200 significant?


tdmp

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I'm the current owner of a 6th gen VFR 800 and previous owner of a 4th gen VFR 750. I have been eyeing the VFR1200F for a while now and thinking I'll be making an upgrade this year. I've have been researching the various VFR1200 years and it seems the 1st gen VFR1200Fs were the 2010 model years and then the 2nd gens were the 2012 + model years. I haven't read of any changes after the 2012 + model year.

Going through ads, it seems that most of the VFR1200s for sale are 2010 model years (mostly red) with the 2012s + much less common. A list of "upgrades" to the 2012 model years include "Honda Traction control, increased torque between 2000-4000 rpm, larger fuel tank, revised seats, new colors and Honda accessories".


As someone buying used, are the upgrades enough to make it a more capable bike over the the 2010s? Comparing stock bikes with condition and mileage being similar, would a back to back ride between the 2010 vs 2012s even be noticeable?

I understand the fuel tank increase was small. Trying to figure out if a 2010 with an aftermarket ECU and seat would essentially be as good or better than a stock 2012 in terms of comfort and ride-ability.

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I testrode a 2011 VFR 1200F and a 2015 VFR 1200F, the 2015 model had around 15.000 kilometers on it, and the 2011 had around 7000 kilometers, they were both in very good shape. 
 I personally found the experience VERY similar between the two, i did make the TC on the 2015 model work to feel it out and tbh i enjoy using the low end grunt to make my rear spin up now and then, so was not a big deciding factor for me. It acted the same as on my previous VFR 800F, which is to say NOT a smooth interruotion of power and very jerky, to me more of a hazard than an aid...
  If you like the added "safety" then ofc it might be a big deal, in my opinion this is a very smooth and predictable engine, as long as you respect it when its damp/cold you are not going to need TC. 

As in regards to the engine "upgrades" i did notice that the 2015 had more grunt in the lower gears, it also felt less stressed below 3000RPM if you gave it the beans, if this was the actual case, or just me expecting it to be like this, as i knew the engine was "revised" i honestly cannot say, the difference was not large. I ended up buying the 2011 bike and have had it remote tuned by Sabsteef (very very easy process) and it now no doubt pulls harder at the bottom and runs smoother than the 2015 bike i rode, so i am pleased with my choice!

Make sure the model you choose has had the relevant recalls carried out btw, other than that i really think you should take the one with least miles / best condition, and then have it tuned by Sabsteef. This would make a 2010 engine run better than even a pristine 2017 model. 

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Thanks.  I ride in dry conditions so not that concerned about the traction control.  I have a PC-V for my current bike but it sounds like the ecu re-flash is the preferred upgrade? 

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2 hours ago, tdmp said:

Thanks.  I ride in dry conditions so not that concerned about the traction control.  I have a PC-V for my current bike but it sounds like the ecu re-flash is the preferred upgrade? 

Cant say for the performance of the power commander, i'd suspect having someone reflash it would be the best option, especially since its a very easy job if you have Sabsteef send you the cable + unit for the flash. I can send you the "list" of things he did to mine. Fuel and timing map are changed. Throttle response is updated. 1 and 2 gear unrestricted. Max speed is set to 320. (not gonna get there) max rpm is set to 11.000. Fan is set to be less agressive.
Probably wont be able to get all that done with at PC-V (as far as i know) 

TBH all i really care about is the 1/2 gear change and the general "smoothness" that his reflash has brought on. I dont really have the need to beat the living hell out of a bike like this, so a slight bump in the revlimit or speedlimit was not my focus. 

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12 minutes ago, Magneto said:

People in States usually send ECU to Ghuls for reflash...

Better to have Sebsteef do it remotely in your garage methinks

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2 hours ago, Magneto said:

ECU cost 1000 bucks, I would have to weigh my options before choosing online over brick and mortar service...

Pretty sure Sabsteef talked about having a sort of backup, so he can reset it to factory spec if you dislike whatevs.
Seems safer than having to take it out and sending it with the mail 🙂

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    As above, get the Guhl re-flash or the other via cable and laptop. The traction control is very rudimentary, but has saved my bacon more than just a few times already. Yes it cuts power by almost 100% and take 2~3 seconds to recover, but the alternative would be a high speed low-side, or worse, a high side. So I will take the annoying TC over not having it. If you ride in a very calm manner, you may never need it, but if you're wearing tires out in less than 2,000 miles, then it will let you know when your wrist is thinking you can do it, but physics dictate that you cannot.

 

     If the stock suspension does not suit you, then spend the cash and get the good stuff. The 1200 is a really good bike, especially considering the current pricing. Good luck in your search!

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7 hours ago, RC1237V said:

    As above, get the Guhl re-flash or the other via cable and laptop. The traction control is very rudimentary, but has saved my bacon more than just a few times already. Yes it cuts power by almost 100% and take 2~3 seconds to recover, but the alternative would be a high speed low-side, or worse, a high side. So I will take the annoying TC over not having it. If you ride in a very calm manner, you may never need it, but if you're wearing tires out in less than 2,000 miles, then it will let you know when your wrist is thinking you can do it, but physics dictate that you cannot.

 

     If the stock suspension does not suit you, then spend the cash and get the good stuff. The 1200 is a really good bike, especially considering the current pricing. Good luck in your search!

Eh idk about wearing out tires fast, but if this type of TC is saving you in anything other than winter conditions, then at least we ride VERY differently haha.
 In my experience this type of TC is simply dangerous. On track if you are hard on the gas on corner exit and end up with the rear spinning up a little (its fine if you know what you are doing) this TC will apruptly cut ALL the power which can easily either: best case just throw you off your line and be very uncomfortable and obviously ruin your lap, or worst case make your rear slide out and send you sliding... 
 I'v also been on public roads and have hit something uneven whilst being hard on the gas, which caused a small spin, which the TC fixed by again cutting power and just being generally sucky 😄. (This is all from my 800F, but it was pretty clear the 2015 1200F i rode had the exact same TC system). 
This type of TC is only suitable for slow road riding where it might be slippery, i.e winter basically, rain does not warrent this type of murderous TC haha. 
IF i could have it, i would. And i would just turn it off unless i was out riding in very cold conditions. 

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8 hours ago, Sunde said:

Eh idk about wearing out tires fast, but if this type of TC is saving you in anything other than winter conditions, then at least we ride VERY differently haha.
 In my experience this type of TC is simply dangerous. On track if you are hard on the gas on corner exit and end up with the rear spinning up a little (its fine if you know what you are doing) this TC will apruptly cut ALL the power which can easily either: best case just throw you off your line and be very uncomfortable and obviously ruin your lap, or worst case make your rear slide out and send you sliding... 
 I'v also been on public roads and have hit something uneven whilst being hard on the gas, which caused a small spin, which the TC fixed by again cutting power and just being generally sucky 😄. (This is all from my 800F, but it was pretty clear the 2015 1200F i rode had the exact same TC system). 
This type of TC is only suitable for slow road riding where it might be slippery, i.e winter basically, rain does not warrent this type of murderous TC haha. 
IF i could have it, i would. And i would just turn it off unless i was out riding in very cold conditions. 

Yes, I have hit a bump, or crosswalk paint stripe while accelerating quickly and the TC will kick in unnecessarily. However I have had a few times where I have been fully leaned over and grabbed too much throttle (yes, I know better than that), and the TC kicked in and saved me, as it doesn't seem to cut it instantly. It takes a few fractions of a second, or maybe it's jut engine and tire rotation momentum, but does give you enough time not to high-side, and reduces quickly enough not to let you low-side. That being said, I have also had it save me on wet sitting pavement where the slimy green stuff grows in the shadows, and is slick as snot. If I was on the RC51, I would have had a high chance of going down.

 

I have ridden the RC51 at 20+ trackdays now, and am very aware that there is no TC, which makes me a bit more careful. Spinning the rear tire out of turns is fun, and has a steep learning curve. I have had some almost low-sides, and a few that almost turned into high-sides as I came off the throttle a bit too quickly. I ride the RC51 with a bit more caution since I know there is no safety net. The downside to having a great TC system is that the rider can get to the point of not learning those skills. When I'm coming up on a modern R1 or BMW-RR at the track, many times I notice that at full lean, they slam the throttle wide-open, and sort it out through the TC and Slide Control algorithms.

 

I agree that the TC system is very primitive, and many times just pisses you off, but I do have a few thankful moments for it.

 

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39 minutes ago, tdmp said:

 

Looks like.  That must be the last one in new condition.  I'd want to have them certify no degraded fuel or brake fluid.  Also figure on new tires - but wow, what a steal.

 

Also . . . they're showing a new (1 mile) 2014 8th gen in white. 

 

https://champion-honda.com/Motorcycles-Honda-VFR800F-2014-Hicksville-NY-cf0841ed-4828-4944-8461-a5f300f1089a

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