Presson

Clearly beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but is this a great example of the last V4 ( especially for those of us not lucky enough to own or afford an RC45)

I know some people who swear by the BT023. The ones on my bike came new for a used machine from somewhere called 'Aberdeen' which appeared to be a salty place. I digress, the Bridgestone solution was not for me; squiggly on white lines and easy sliding in corners under throttle and surprisingly quick to flatten off making them very sensitive to surface imperfections. The bigger problem was very stiff sidewalls which seemed to amplify the rather basic suspension Honda chose for our RC79 VFRs. Done 150 miles on the new tyres now and happy to recommend Michelin Road 5 for sport touring, scratching etc

Just replaced a set of Bridgestone BT023 tyres with only 2k miles on them with Michelin Road 5s. The difference in handling and bump absorption is like night and day. Ok, I've not fully scrubbed the new hoops in yet but my earlier deliberations about fitting a 3-way adjustable aftermarket shock and sorting out the fork springs and valving are now on hold as the Michelin's have done the job. I admit to being a fan of Michelin's, having used them on other bikes, but I hadn't expected the difference in 'feel' to be so pronounced.

Power used irresponsibly is always a problem. Just because its there doesn't mean it needs to be used. In an old job I was generally using 60-80% rpm to go forward. Up to 115% was available but the speed and fuel penalties were potentially severe so one got used to being cautious and keeping to plan. Idiot behaviour on the road also has potential penalties but personally I'd still like the capacity for that fast overtake or acceleration away from hazards. It's a question of self control and responsibility. In short, I don't agree that there is a definitive upper HP limit for road riding but I do agree that not everyone gets that.

What roads, well that would be telling wouldn't it. But they were far from straight. And yes we do have lots of speed cameras. Cheers

Rode 95 miles today mostly at around 40-60 mph on very twisty and narrow roads which were also quite bumpy. Gets you very good at trail braking and thinking a long way ahead to plan your moves; don't be too sorry for us. Last 20 miles were at around 80-115 mph (oops) avoiding various ' cages' as you folks like to call them and exploring the full range of bank angle on traffic circles. Overall 57 mpg. The 8G is a truly remarkable machine and excellent on UK roads. Great fun. Now hiding in the garage in case anyone noticed.

Personally, I much prefer the look of the Suzuki. As an ex-GSXR rider I can be certain that the Suzuki engine (of that design) will be hugely torquey and incredibly smooth at low revs and small throttle openings. It will be a bit buzzy around 3-4k but smooth above and, oh lord, the power from 6k up just brings out the hooligan (or the fella who wants really snappy overtakes). I've never ridden a twin so can't really make a comparison in regards to how the power and torque goes down, but in my experience Suzuki suspension has always been sublime; massive feel on the front end yet also extremely plush and compliant whether at speed or tootling. Based on the info available right now I'd easily go with the Suzuki. Yeah, the Honda looks ' nice' but my guess is it will be adequate rather than exciting. Then again beauty and benefits are in the eye of the beholder and holder!

Hi Flya750, I'm using the standard OEM cushion. Starting to find it too soft and buttock ache coming on after about an hour and a half....

66 miles today around Bedfordshire (flat), mainly under the VTEC threshold but still fast enough for fun and got 65 mpg (imperial). Then a blast 20 miles down the dual carriageway using all available acceleration out of roundabouts and still got 56 mpg. In my view, quite outstanding.

Had this recently. Check your chain tension! A slight tight spot in the chain and insufficient slack will cause this exactly as you describe. Goes away at steady speed as the rear suspension settles. Hope that helps

Owners Manual VFR800F from 2016 View File Honda Uk supplied an updated Owners Manual for the VFR800F from 2016. The valve inspection interval has moved to 24000 miles/ 38400km (page 54). There may be other changes in the document over earlier versions Submitter Presson Submitted 03/29/21 Category Owners Manuals and other  

- Suspension is "meh". Once I figured out that Honda set the bike up at the factory to run on glass roads piloted by small, fit people, the adjustments were obvious really enjoying the reviews in this thread and reassured that my own thoughts about the 8 gen reflect many other owner's views. It is a heavy beast and still not got completely used to that; it weighs as much on its own as my old GSXR 750 with me in it. I was intrigued by the stomper's comment on suspension as I'm still fiddling; what changes did you make from stock? Mind you some of my problems might be due to the Bridge stone BT023s I've got on - stiffest abd most uncomfortable tyre I've even known. Going back to Michelin as soon as these are toast

Brilliant advice from the community as usual. If I understand the OP correctly, the issue is about how to transition hung off one side to the other quickly. I'll leave well alone the question of whether hanging off is necessary or desirable on the road; I do sometimes and on rough surfaces it often helps stabilise the chassis provided the legs are carrying the body weight. For a quick transition, bring the hung off leg back to the tank, grip the tank with both legs and slide the butt to the other side while also repositioning the upper body keeping the arms relaxed, then drop the leg on the side you've transitioned too. Tank grips really help. Ditto all the other points about keeping the CofG low. Track training really is to be recommended but for a good read try the Haynes book 'Performance Riding Techniques by Andy Ibbott ( Foreword by Keith Code). ISBN 978 1 84425 697 6. Hope that helps

I'm being lazy but also getting fed up with the poor ( high speed?) Compression response of the standard rebound only adjustable forks on our English roads. Anyone got experience of re-valving 8 gen forks. I'm interested in finding someone reliable in Southern England and the East Anglia region in particular.

Just got an email from Honda UK: HONDA UK Info <info.UK.car@honda-eu.com> Dear Mr. H, Thank you for contacting Honda UK. Please find a PDF copy of your Honda VRF800F's Owner's Manual, where it is stated that the bike's Valve Clearance should be inspected at 24000 miles. Thank you for contacting Honda. If we can be of any further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us. Kind Regards, Rositsa Ruseva Honda Customer Service _____________________ Honda Motor Europe Ltd. Honda UK I've added the PDF here and I'll put a copy in the downloads section. I note the Honda copyright date inside is 2016. Presumably it applies to VFR800F models from 2016 on. It seems the local dealer hasn't got the message as a number of us have been told 16K rather than the wallet friendlier 24K miles specified. VFR800.pdf