vinjah

I've got the NWS carbon fiber hugger on my '02 that the PO had installed. It's just now starting to sort of delaminate on the rear lip but overall is still in great shape for being 15 years in service. My rear fender is trimmed but mostly in place from the licens plate upwards. I get some chain lube flung up onto the underside of my left Staintune, but as others have said, my shock sure is clean!

Thanks for the perspective. I'm finding it difficult to line up a test ride at local Bay Area (SF) locations. I'm empathetic to your comment above, and as a result have been afflicted with a condition known as, "Holy shit I want a KTM Super Duke GT-itis". At 2x the cost of an 8th gen VFR, it would be a tough battle for my wallet, and marriage.

Thanks for the description, both quantitative and qualitative, of what the PC has done for your bike. Will be interested to hear about its affect on fuel economy-- though really that's secondary. The KTM Super Duke has caught my eye and sure, 1290cc is going to put out some torque in V-twin format, but continuing to read about how smooth the Gen 8 fueling is and even better with some mapping work, makes me think this could be a viable replacement for my Gen 6 ('02).

Agree with the others, great writeup with detail that makes me feel I was having the experience myself. And like ridered, I too was disappointed in the BMW R1200RS and posted my impressions here. I ride my 6th gen ('02) daily about 70 miles to work and back, and while it's great on many fronts I'm hoping the FI is smoothed out after 12 years. It's my biggest niggle with the '02 and probably exasperated by the Staintunes. My guess is I can smooth things out with a PC but just aching for something new after a decade of my 6th gen! p.s. Congrats!

Interesting that you mention insurance. As I shop around for bikes to replace my '02 VFR, I asked for quotes from my insurance company (State Farm) and was quite surprised to find that the cost for similar coverage on my '02 is only $20 more for a '14 (collision is not included in this calc as I do not carry it on my '02, and of course adds substantially to the '14 bill). Other bikes, including the FJ-09, Ninja 1000 (duh), and R1200RS were anywhere from a little more, to triple. I'm glad young hooligans pass on this model.

Any chance you have a video coming? I would love to hear that pipe, as I am considering going this route. Also, I noticed that L3XB looks shorter than the L3X. Is that the case? I can get send a video if somebody can tell me how. I am not sure how to imbed it into this forum. From my understanding they are the same. I am not sure why it is listed twice on their website. Thanks. Easiest way to embed video is upload to YouTube and post the link from the address bar into the body of the reply. I agree, most straightforward way to post video is as mentioned above, post to YouTube. I too am interested in the sound of the L3X on the VFR!

The RS was a comfortable bike, but it had no soul, IMO. I also hated that boxer engine. It is not a sports bike engine. I wanted my old 5th gen back in a hurry. You'll have to decide for your self. Post your opinion here. Ridered-- I just did a writeup of my test ride this morning: http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/81624-visit-to-bmw-dealer-saved-me-20k/?p=1008192

I test rode a '16 BMW R1200RS today. Been looking forward to this for weeks and finally had an opportunity. Took an FJ-09 for a test ride during Yamaha demo days in Jan and still trying to source a ride on a '14+ Interceptor for comparison. This is in hopes of replacing my stalwart '02 which is rather dialed in with revalved forks, Penske rear, Staintunes, NWS carbon fiber hugger, and Heli bars. I'm seeking a more modern safety cushion to help with the unexpected- features like ABS and TC, partially motivated by a growing family and a more wary wife. Got the orientation to the controls and was given a route for an unaccompanied ride that included freeways, ramps, and some surface roads, though limited twisties. The riding position was possibly one of the most comfortable I've ever had on a motorcycle- leaned over just enough but not a hard reach to the bars (I'm 6'1", 33" inseam, 145 lbs). I found the FJ-09's sit up and beg position caused me to slouch. There are a lot of things that can be chalked up to jerkiness that would smooth out with continued riding, but I felt like clutch actuation was typically smooth but occasionally grabby when leaving a red light. Shifting was smooth and clean. Brakes were fantastic though sometimes I'd feel a vibration in the rear lever when first pressed, as if the ABS had come on lightly. No strangeness if I just used the front. Being able to switch throttle/ride and suspension modes on the fly was fantastic. The standard "road" suspension setting soaked up way more stuff than my Penske, though "dynamic" was a bit on the hard side. Maybe I'm too light for that setting. Part of the issue with clutch actuation was the disconnectedness between the controls and what the bike is doing, something others have mentioned. With the digital tach buried in the electronic cluster, and the boxer engine kind of sounding the same through the rev range, it was hard to know what was going on. I'm sure you learn it once you own it, but it wasn't apparent where you were in the power band (though that's partially due to a respectable amount of torque all over). Speaking of torque, it didn't quite feel like a 1200cc engine. My friend's Bandit 1200S from early 2000s seemed to pull stronger, and communicated with you better. About the engine, fairly smooth at revs, but not a V4 at idle. It had a fair amount of vibration, though what's with the bike pushing to the left when blipping the throttle at a standstill? The factory exhaust sounded pretty good for factory, and the quick shifter made you want to speed. Handling was impressive- rock solid in keeping a line. I came in to a freeway to freeway interchange ramp a little hot and had no choice but to lean it over, and it complied. Tachometers are better as sweeping needles. Wind buffeting from the factory screen on my '02 is terrible for me, so I'd say the RS was decent in both lower and upper positions. Having the ability to change is nice, and that's really my favorite thing about the bike-- being able to change the experience through throttle and suspension modes. But I just didn't get a lot of character from the boxer, which made the entire bike seem a little sullen. I could see owning one, down the road and pre-owned, as a tourer that was sporty, but why not go with an R1200RT? Sadly, that still has the boxer engine which I was not impressed with. Overall, I was underwhelmed, especially considering price. It was an antiseptic, and as mentioned, somewhat soulless ride. Exceptional at certain things, but was like an East German athlete during the cold war, brutally efficient. I'm looking for a little more character; the search continues...

I'm in the throes of this topic right now. Feeling like I want to increase the safety envelope around me (ABS, TC) during my 70 mi r/t commute as I await the birth of my second child, my 6th gen ('02) rides great though feels dated without the electronic extras (again, just for safety, not for pure motorcycling joy). Having just changed the clutch and brake fluid as well as coolant, and fixed up some broken plastic rivets to cut down on rattle... the riding experience with Staintunes, Heli bars, NWS hugger, Penske rear and revalved fronts... it's dialed in and great. Now feels like the window of opportunity though, with an implicit ok from the wifey (who can argue against safety?), before I have two kids to entertain on weekends. Took the FJ-09 for a ride, fun motor, but the riding position made me slouch and fit and finish was not up to VFR standard. Something about that insecty looking front as well. Tomorrow I test an R1200RS. Kinda wish I didn't read all the negative stuff from other guys on here as it may have biased me, but the cost alone gives me great pause. That leaves a test ride on the new Interceptor, which is not easy to come by it seems. The reach on my '02, even with Heli bars, is a bit long so that's my biggest concern (I'm about 6'1", 33" inseam) with the new VFR. But everything else mentioned about Honda barely touching the engine, keeping the frame... makes it hard to get excited about that cash drop. I'll be keeping an eye out for the seasonal price drops, though the season in Northern Cali never really stops. Fly-ride!

I had an '85 VF500F, my first bike. When it was hot out and I would shut it down, upon restart (could have been hours later), it would sputter and stall out on me over and over again. Nearly killed myself trying to get off a ferry between Long Island and Rhode Island on it's diamond plate ramp. Turned out there's a vacuum diaphragm at the bottom of the tank which only lets fuel flow when the engine is running. That diaphragm had rotted out and would no longer reliably open the valve under vacuum. Why it happened sometimes and not others is still unclear. Since you're having luck with carb adjustments, I'm guessing it's a different fueling issue though something to check. Personally, I agree with V-FORE: check fuel filter and fuel pump pressure. (I believe it has a fuel pump... man it's been a long time...)

I can fit my Arai Signet GT in with my Rev'it jacket (Lab-R) in the V46 but don't like to. With the hard armor that's in the jacket, I feel like I'm asking seams to do things they weren't intended to. It'll fit though.

I'm not authorized to start a thread in the Review section, so I'll post this here: Last fall, after returning to riding from a 3yr riding hiatus (rear-ended by a Volvo on my '93 VFR), I got a used 02 VFR and rode with my old gear for a couple months. The time spent shopping for a new jacket (first and foremost) led me to Rev'It!. Stupid name, awesome company. I settled on their Lab-R jacket and have been happily, and more comfortably, and better protectedly riding for the last year. This jacket replaces a First Gear, first-gen Kilimanjaro that did well over the years but made me feel like the Michelin Man-- kinda like the faux-fur-hooded winter parka I wore when I was 9. I'm skinny and tall, 6'1" 150#, so most North American jackets fit me with room to carry two bags of groceries in the gut. RevIt is from Europe (NL) and cut their clothes leaner (they call it Engineered Skin). Cutting through the wind now, no buffeting on the sleeves at speed, CE protection in elbows and shoulders though weak foam back pad that can be upgraded by Knox. Great jacket and completely waterproof in my SF Bay area winters (no serious extended downpour riding, though I'm pretty confident it would excel). During the heatwave in CA a few weeks back, I took out the lining for one of the first times only to find the seam at the shoulder split. Called Rev'It, they are sending a new jacket to me this same day. Talk about awesome customer service! Highly recommended clothing and company. Anybody know any other m/c clothing review sites where this happy customer might post?