jeremyr62

It's good, you just apply the back brake.The bike won't/can't stall. Just be aware the VFR1200 is first gen DCT so is a bit agricultural compared to the latest variants. However, if you wear good ear plugs so you can't hear it clunking away, it is fine. The brakes on the VFR are the stand out feature of this bike. They are amazingly good. Over in Europe the bike didn't sell well and is still unpopular, so it offers fantastic value for money IMO.

You have to have the side stand down to see the DTCs btw. For such a fault I'd be amazed if there are no codes stored.

From the lack of traffic in this group, I don't think there are any 7th gen riders left anywhere..

I have paperwork saying my 2011 was done in June 2016 (in the UK) but no punch mark.

Yes, it's the red connector under the seat. Don't think it is OBD2 standard though.

Thanks for posting what the cause was. Glad you got it fixed.

The DCT is first gen so a bit agricultural but it works and if you wear earplugs, not too intrusive. It only has two settings, D and S, compared to later DCT bikes which have at least 4 modes. S mode is very sporty indeed. I find you have to be careful at low speed, low throttle openings as it can be a bit herky jerky when maneuvering. I actually like the DCT, it's the VFR I don't like much. The tanks too small and the handling isn't as good as other similar bikes I've owned (Blackird FJR). Just my opinion, others will disagree of course. I get mid forties mpg. If I ride like a granny I can break into the fifties and it improves in the summer too. They are fantastic value as they are unpopular bikes.

I question the value of removing the ECU restrictions by flashing on the DCT bikes. If you ride in auto, the DCT controls the gear changes so the benefit is very limited IME. If you ride in manual mode maybe it's worth it. If you do flash the bike you can't program new HISS compatible keys either. The 2012 bikes got traction control and this changed the restrictions. The detailed dyno info is out there if you search for it. The DCT bikes don't seem to suffer from the 6th gear issue. The number of DCT issues in early or later bikes is very small afaik. (I own a 2011 DCT bike. Not a fan but can't argue with the value.)

That's just plain dishonest by the seller though. I assume you must have got it cheapish. There are second hand engines on Ebay (which may or may not have the same problem).

I find mine feels planted at very high speed but at low speed it's not great. I have had two and they were the same so it just seems to be a characteristic of the bike. No doubt in mind this is one of the reasons it failed so badly. I have a Nitron R2 on the back and it hasn't made as much of a difference as I had hoped.

I would definitely try pumping up your tyres first. I find 40psi (2.8 Bar) front and 42psi (2.9 Bar) rear makes my VFR1200 handle a lot better.

I have Daytonas on my GSXR1000 and they have been fine. I got them just before they upgraded them with the auto off function so I run them through a Healtech Thunderbox to make sure I don't drain my battery. The Daytonas have been good and they get hot enough. My VFR1200F came with the OE heated grips (red LED). These have 3 settings and these too get hot enough. I also fitted the OE heated grips to my NC750S. These had 5 settings (green LED) and they integrated with a symbol on the LCD dash which was good. However, their performance was not great and they just did not get hot enough. I now have a new to me 2022 NC750X and I won't be fitting the OE grips. I'll go aftermarket, probably Oxfords this time.

I can't understand why you would even want to do that. Modern aftermarket grips are miles better than the Honda grips IMO. Daytona, Oxfords, Koso all have inbuilt auto power off technology so can be connected directly to the battery, and have a low profile inbuilt button so no large ugly controller anymore. However, to each their own..

Are you getting the MIL flashing any DTC codes? I'd have thought such an obvious fault would be triggering something. The flashing ABS light is a symptom of a weak battery btw.

For UK dwellers, Timpsons can clone HISS keys. I had two keys cut from an Ebay supplier and I paid the extra for the transponder chip. As I mentioned above I couldn't program these to the bike, probably due to the ECU being flashed. My programming loom was fine as I used it to successfully program a a key for my NC750. Timpsons used their own transponder chip. Not dirt cheap, but I suspect a lot less than getting one from Honda and very convenient.

Thanks John. My bike had the exact same issue as yours. I suspect it is the ECU flashing that trips a flag to prevent further key programming. I am just guessing though, I have no proof. I have spare dumb keys now so if I have to, I will go down the cloning route.

Probably very old news but just in case it hasn't been posted before, I discovered a 6 point 46mm socket I had in my toolbox (from when I briefly owned a VFR800FiW) fits onto the preload adjuster knob, as long as you take the small plastic fairing off to give a bit more clearance. This makes freeing it up a lot easier when it has seized.

Put the battery from the 800 into the 1200 and see what happens? It does sound like the battery has had it.

I'll be trying to program some spare transponder keys soon. Did you ever work out why your bike was different? My bike may have been been reflashed too. I searched Youtube and found other examples of issues but these seemed to be related to incompatible transponder chips. None of the examples mirrored your HISS light staying off either. I assume the XHORSE clones the existing key so in theory you could have many cloned keys as you wanted.

To throw a spanner in the works when I bought my 2011 DCT it came with a Puig double bubble type screen. I am 6ft 3in. The buffeting was moderate but I am not seeking a windless ride. I have naked bikes too so I can put up with plenty of wind. I didn't like the look of the Puig and I prefer my bikes as standard as possible so I bought the OE screen. There's really not much difference IMO. If you want smooth air you'll need to lose height and buy a bike with an electric screen.

Don't know about over there but over here, Ebay is the first port of call for parts. Breakers use Ebay too. If the US is like Europe, The 1200 is not popular so demand for parts is not that high, yet. It may change as the VFR has received some decent press coverage recently in the UK as a very good value sports tourer, but I doubt it will ever be an in demand bike. The plastics should sell easily enough but you will just have to look at Ebay to see what the going rate is.

For info, I am the OP. I removed my driveshaft to grease the splines at either end. It's a relatively easy job. I did write it up and post it but not on this site. I can if anyone is interested. I did it because as an ex FJR owner we were all obsessed with driveshaft splines. The recall instructions give a Honda mechanic just over an hour to do a DCT. Took me a smidge longer than that but I can see how it could be done in that time.

I think it works because you compress the trapped air bubbles and this makes it easier for them to migrate up the hoses to the master cylinder.

I bought the bike. It doesn't have the stamp on the frame. Honda confirmed it had been done though, and lo and behold, there was even confirmation in the service history the PO gave me. The bike had it done in the UK before it was imported in 2017. The reg was KX11XOV before it was imported into Ireland.

They did get back to me. The bike I was interested in had no outstanding recalls. So I assume this means the drive shaft was replaced.