| Written by Costa Mouzouris on Monday, October 26th, 2009 |
 Words: Costa Mouzouris. Pics: Bill Petro, Honda
PREFACE – sport bike or sport tourer?
Sportbike or sport tourer? It seems that everyone has an opinion.
Well, response to our riding impression of
the new VFR1200F, originally posted last week (and included below), has been overwhelming.
Probably the biggest controversy about what
I had written was that I compared the new Honda to sport touring bikes
currently available in Canada.
Journalists, as well as motorcycle
enthusiasts, were quick to challenge my comparison, claiming the new VFR is
closer to bikes like the K1300S, ZX-14, Hayabusa and the CBR1100XX.
Well, I didn’t make my assumption based on
hot air; I actually looked at the spec sheets of all those bikes, as well as actually riding the bike (albeit briefly) before making my assessment. Let me state my case:
Even without the bags and auto transmission, Costa says sports tourer.
The new
VFR claims a wet weight of 267 kg. Lightest to heaviest of the sport-touring
bikes, weights are as follows: K1300GT: 288 kg; FJR1300: 291 kg; Concours 14:
304 kg. The sportier bikes in the mix follow at: K1300S: 254 kg; ZX-14: 257 kg;
Hayabusa: 260 kg.
At 267 kg, the VFR falls right in between
the sport bikes and the sport touring bikes. Add about 9 kg for the saddlebags,
and the auto-shift transmission reportedly adds another 9 kg, which would put
the VFR at 285 kg, right in the midst of the sport tourers.
Wheelbase was also a factor in my decision — usually, the longer it is the less sporty the machine.
The VFR’s 1,545 mm wheelbase compares favourably to the 1,520 mm of the
Concours 14 and is the same as the 1,545 mm of the FJR1300. Compare that to the 1,460 and 1,480 mm
of the ZX-14 and Hayabusa, respectively. It’s actually closer to the K1300GT’s 1,572
mm than it is to the S-model’s 1,585 mm.
With optional centrestand.
Steering geometry is also closer to the sport-touring bikes than the sport
bikes, and I also took into account the fact that the VFR has integrated
saddlebag mounts and available styled-to-match luggage, not generically styled
items like those available from the aftermarket for sport bikes.
And its new auto-shift gearbox
is closer in function, at least in semi-auto-shift mode, to the Yamaha FJR’s
gearbox than to any other motorcycle currently available.
As responsible journalists we try to assess a
machine as accurately and truthfully as possible — heck, we can compare the new
VFR1200F to a camel — but in the end it’s the consumer, the one who sees the
bike in person and is either awed by it or completely turned off by it, who
makes the ultimate critique by either leaving the showroom floor riding it, or
moving on to something else.
Okay, I rest my case, for those who missed it the first time around, here's my initial ride impression of the VFR1200F.
THE ORIGINAL RIDE REPORT
It's a quickie but it gave us a scoop!
The new VFR1200F has barely finished making the rounds on the
internet, and we’ve already had a chance to ride it, courtesy of Honda
Canada.
Alright, the ride was brief, about 20 minutes, so my riding impression
is limited, but enough came through on this new machine that I thought
CMG readers would find of interest.
The bike will undoubtedly be compared to other big-bore sport touring
machines, namely the BMW K1300GT, the Yamaha FJR1300 and the Kawasaki
Concours 14.
Physically, the bike feels slimmer and lighter than those bikes, and it
is lighter according to its spec sheet, which puts its wet weight 21 kg
lighter than the next lightest bike in that group, the K1300GT.
Riding position is more sporty than the ST1300.
It seems that most enthusiasts, be they current VFR fans or not, are
not sure what to make of the bike’s styling. I say wait until you see
the bike in person before making a snap judgment.
Fit and finish are
impeccable, and the bike certainly looks quite sleek. The riding position is not as relaxed and upright as on the Honda
ST1300; the bike was, after all, designed by an Italian for the
European market. That said, the riding position is much closer to a
grand-touring machine than that of a supersport.
The seat is wide and supportive, but more time in the saddle will reveal if the ergonomics can sustain long-distance travel.
Honda has gone to lengths to make the engine narrow at the rear so that
the frame can also be narrow at the rider’s inseam, and if memory
serves me right the bike is indeed narrower than at least the FJR and
the Concours 14, and reach to the ground will be easy for average sized
riders.
Bike is quite narrow.
The fairing is unique in that it is a layered design claimed to manage
airflow for improved engine heat control, aerodynamics, high-speed
stability and rider comfort. That’s a tall order, and unfortunately, my
ride wasn’t long enough to reap these benefits.
The engine, which is really the focal point of this machine, is
remarkably torquey and very powerful. Throttle response is
instantaneous but easily manageable. I rolled on the throttle full from
about 2,000 rpm in second gear, expecting to have my arms stretched
straight, but was surprised to discover that the engine pulled in a
subdued manner.
No driveline lash makes for smooth rolling on and off throttle.
I asked Honda Canada’s Warren Milner if there was some kind of
electronic intervention in the lower gears, like Kawasaki does with the
ZX-14, and he said he wasn’t aware of such engine tuning but would look
into it. Regardless, the engine is very manageable at low speeds.
Honda has done a remarkable job of controlling driveline lash, and
rolling on and off the throttle is exceptionally smooth. As well, the
gearbox on the manual-shift model we rode (the auto-shift will be
coming to Canada, but later in the year) was light-shifting, precise
and quiet.
Also, the new drive shaft system, which locates the transmission output
shaft below the swingarm pivot to reduce driveshaft jacking, works as
claimed, with no noticeable hopping or squatting.
Single cams ride atop the intake valves and act on the exhausts via rocker arms.
The engine’s 76-degree V angle, the first time Honda has deviated from
using a 90-degree V-four design, uses offset crankpins to reduce
vibration without the use of a counterbalancer. Honda claims engineers
deliberately let some vibration get through to enhance the riding
experience, and the engine is quite smooth, with only some unobtrusive,
throbbing vibration letting you know what the engine is doing.
One thing Honda has been working up in its marketing hype is the new
bike’s unique sound, which Honda claims produces a “fantastically
stirring note”. The bike does have a unique sound, partially due to
its unusual firing order, but also due to the exhaust system.
The muffler uses a servo-operated valve to quell noise at low rpm that
opens at higher rpm to unleash “a truly inspiring, hard-edged V4 howl
to stir the emotions”.
Admittedly, I found the sound at idle about as inspiring as a toddler
banging on a bongo that has a loose-fitting drumhead. The sound was
offbeat and flat. However, once the engine revved, that rich,
distinctive V-four drone, which has become a Honda hallmark of sorts,
tickled the eardrums.
Oddly, the machine emitted a low-pitched mechanical whirr on take-off
and acceleration from low speeds, but it was not intrusive and quite
agreeable.
Honda has yet to set Canadian pricing, though Milner hinted it would be
in the high teens to low 20s. That puts it on par with its three main
competitors, though those machines include saddlebags, items that will
be offered as accessories on the VFR.
We’ll have pricing info as soon as it’s released, and we’ll keep
hounding Honda to let us have it for a somewhat more complete ride
before the snow falls!
|
I'm out ! 
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