Anyone had a go on vfr vtech?

[steve trow]

Im considering a swop of the storm to get something a bit more suited to touring but still want the grunt of a vee (better mpg). Ive had the storm over a year and rate it highly but I rarely buy the same bike twice and like a change.
Im loyal to hondas from past experience ( cbr 1000, cbr600's mtx 125...... cd175+c90 bogseat when i was 12 and a mere spunky yoof casing havoc on the footy pitch )
Only bike I can really think of is the Vtech. Blackbirds too costly to run/insure.
Pan european is to focused on the old and germans.

Havent got round to blagging a test ride yet as they havent got a demo so waiting for a secondhand one in the dealer. Ive only had a sit on a new un and like it.

Experiences anyone? or should i wait for the new storm whenever that is

[t00lkit]

Been reading a few reviews on the new VFR and there's a couple of things to be aware of:

1) Linked brakes - Theres no option to just put the back brake on on a slippy roundabout, it automatically puts a bit of front on too!

2) That VTEC - It only uses the top end when you get past 7000 revs, the trouble is that this is cruising speed in a lot of scenarios, which means the bike ends up lurching between 2 and 4 valves/cylinders (whatever).
Could have high servicing costs too.

All in all, its still a quality bike, but not as good as it used to be.
I fancy one myself to do a bit more touring, but I might end up with a blackbird one day.

ps 3) Theres bugger all luggage space due to the underseat exhausts!

[cupasoop]

The thing they fortet to tell you about the vtec is the 16000 mile service (the big one) is an engine out job to adjust the valves. £600 - £700 i've heard!!!

[tattie]

A mate of mine bought one 2 years ago he put 1200 miles on it over 6 months and put it in the garage. Sold it last week, he said if only he had a decent test run on it before he bought it. He likened it to a two stroke. When the Vee tec cuts in at the wrong speed for touring /cruising it was not a pleasant machine to ride.

Cheers

A.M.

[phattire]

I just got rid of my Viffer on Friday - I used to have the 2000 800 - great bike, as the guys have said above the VTECH's have several problems - including

Fueling problems
Servicing cost (Especially the 16000 one - engine out job!!)
It won't keep up with a storm!!! Handling's a bit lardy.

I think you'll miss the overtaking grunt.

The build quality is superb.

Cheaper to insure - don't ask me why.

The brakes are fine - once you get used to them - I used mine all year round and I found the linked brakes excellent! With no problems in the wet.

Went out on Saturday on my new storm along with 2 guys on VFR's they seemed to struggle with the twisties.

But if you want a Viffer - then go for one pre VTECH with low mileage FSH etc anything under 20,000 is no problem coz by then the gearbox has run in - and the engine has started to loosen up.

Make sure it's had a new Reg/Rec fitted or the new modified one.

If you do go for one - iv'e got some Viffer bits for sale!!!!

Good luck and have a look at the vfrclub.org site!!

Phats

[Proudest Monkey]

Guys,

after a very lengthy discussion with Steve Brouggy (head instuctor at the Aus SuperBike school) about the linked brakes scenario he informed me to use them exactly how he told us to brake. Use them as you normally would, and you will notice the benefits. It is all about the geometry of the bike and without being in front of you to use my hands, i am going to find it very difficult to describe. I rode my viffer for 2 years, stepped onto the VTR and have not changed my braking technique at all... NO NEED TO!!!

[DD]

P/M 'philm' hes the man to speak to as he went from a VTR -VETEC & then back to VTR.

I asked this question before buying the VTR as I had a 1100i Guzzi Sport and dident no weather to go for the VFR or VTR.
The VTEC VFR is a awesome bike just wicked but I think the pre vtec motors are the better of the to I have had a 86 and 97 VFR750 and they would be the only 4cyl that I'd own.
However I ended up with the VTR cos v2's just rock. this has been no help to ya I no its up to you realy good luck in deciding.

[AMRKMR]

I went for a test-ride on a VFR800-vtec and then a VTR1000F2 (both new)back to back last year, so my observations my be of interest.

First up was the VFR. It felt small and easily controllable ... I took to it as if I had always ridden one. I didn't notice anything strange about the linked brakes, which upset me as everyone seems to have an opinion. Then I found two things that I didn't like:
1> The VTEC pissed me off big time ... out on the motorway and wanting to accelerate you open up the throttle, but bugger-all happens. You sit there like a dummy with the throttle wide open waiting for the revs to spin up to the point where the VTEC operates all the valves and you get some power. Next time you want to accelerate, you think ... I'm not going to sit there waiting, I'll change down a gear first ... so you do, but then you only have a few more revs to go before the red-line looms. So, you're stuck between a rock and a hard place, or in this case two valves and the red-line. I'd be interested to discover what it was like when the VTEC cuts in part way around a long sweeping corner ... Yuk (didn't encounter that on the test-ride).
2> I've never had a fuel injected bike before, so this may be more to do with carbs vs injection, but is still relevant in the given scenario: When accelerating hard and then rolling off the throttle to stop accelerating and just hold the current speed, the engine actually cuts out for about a second before kicking back in again with the lower level of throttle now requested.
This coupled with the VTEC complication made me yearn for an engine that was less intelligent that me.

Next, the Firestorm! Wow ... what a difference. Power everywhere, torque everywhere and an engine that just knew what to do without thinking about it. I was screaming with excitement inside my helmet. This is what all motorbikes should be like!
I still have my GPZ1100 ... but I've seen the future and it's a V-twin. The VFR and it's intelligent engine can stay in the showroom ... it not a real man's bike, it's an excercise in technical wizardry and it doesn't do it for me!
Cheers to all ... Live long and ride safely ... take a second to reflect on riders no longer with us.

Alastair

[steve trow]

Al,
thanks for the reply.......
I bumped into a VFR owners club group when up Mount Snowdon last week ( not on the bloody mountain but by the ice cream van in the carpark!) I asked the same question about the vfr's.....
2 lads have used them to go to barcelona and rated them highly with a tank range nudgin 200 miles.
Claimed when in top gear the vtech will only kick in at about 107 mph so cruising along in top aint a problem.
One had abs and pointed out the remote hydraulic preload adjuster... makes life easy when youve got a pillion or luggage.
Both said that if the vtech kicks in on a roundabout you need to learn to ride a bike as any decent rider wouldnt rock things up and be nudging 7 grand in 2nd / 3rd round a roundabout He was an advanced rider so maybe i would rock it up
Both the bikes i looked at had about 20k on the clock and looked like they had just come out of a showroom.
The words good all rounder just kept flowing
The only downside was both guys had not had the pleasure of a vtr... both didnt acknowledge my 'swapsies' comment so they missed the opportunity to feel the grunt of the vtr against the wizardry of vtech.
Im still keen on the vtech and cant get a testride on one locally so ill have to wait and see.....
pity honda arnt making a new storm.... bigger tank... full fairing. 450mpg .... cast iron CCTS.... underseat cans.... a speedo you can read... striking good looks

[AMRKMR]

Steve,
Interesting observations. The VFR does seem to be the mature, or sensible, choice for an all-round bike. I feel that Honda treat it as a special model and maybe give it a better standard of finish than other models thay produce.
I have seen numerous articles saying that the VFR750 is the better choice if you're after a VFR.

As goes a new VTR Firestorm ... MCN had a paragraph recently saying that Honda were going to revamp the Firestorm for 2005, including Fuel Injection to increase the mpg, but apparently nothing else terribly radical. I don't like fuel injection too much, so might grab a discounted end of line 2004 model ... sounds like a plan to me!!

Cheers
Al