Currently have a Bandit 600, quite fancy a change although I have only had it since Oct and done about 900 miles. Was only meant to be a first kinda bike since my DAS....

Getting fed up of being battered by the wind on the motorway and anything above 60 to be honest.

Quite fancy a Honda VRF800, now I know its not a sports bike, and mates at work say I should get a ZX6R, R6 etc etc, but I'm not sure I want a knees around my arse kinda bike.... God I must be getting old !

So views of a VFR800 would be appreciated...

Ta

Mark

Heard very good things about this. It's got an impeccable lineage and the VFR750 & 800s are highly regarded by most peeps. They can scratch with most other bikes and can be supremely practical as well.

The new v-tec looks a bit odd IMHO but it sounds the goolies and looks like it takes things up a notch. Only probs are that it's beginning to look a little wheezy in the power/weight stakes and there is apparently a big flatspot in the delivery before the cam comes on song.

If I had to choose one do it all bike and had no car then a VFR800 would be it. Does it all really.
Hope this helps.

Cheers,

S/

Don't listen to the Sports bike brigade - they are blinkered. The VFR800 is a good bit of kit and will be good for everyday commuting as well as scratching and intercontinental touring as well.

Remember that the bike you ride has very little to do with how fast you can go, the rider makes abotu 90% of the speed!!!

Sports bikes are nice though ;);)

Matt (member of the (semi) Sports Bike owners club ;):D)

As someone said don't listen to the power ranger brigade, any of the VFR's are bloody good bikes.

Put it in perspective, when the VFR was first launched and the Transatlantic series was still held, Ron Haslam took a brand spanking new road legal VFR out of the crate, fitted slicks and removed the indicators and taped up the headlights and then went out and beat all the exotic thourough bred race bikes to a pulp. That gives it credible heritage.

It is a dam fine bike, and as the saying goes it is not what you ride but how you ride it, and any of the VFR range will give out and out sports bikes a run for their money in the right hands.

Double post

[Edited by DRUNKNORGY - 1/27/2003 11:30:42 AM]

Double post

[Edited by DRUNKNORGY - 1/27/2003 11:22:21 AM]

Agree with acc to a point, but riding a sportsbike (ZX6R for instance) is a bit like riding a balistic missile:D. Riding a sports tourer is a bit like riding a 'sports tourer;)'. Its down to what you want at the end of the day IMHO. A good rider on a 125 Aprilia will run rings around a crap rider on an R1 on the track.
You have to make compromises with sportsbike in terms of practicality (They look a bit daft with a topbox). You wouldn't realistically be able to exploit the differences between them on the road in any case (unless your a bit of a nutter).

All this said, 'Todays Sports Bike is Tomorrows Sports Tourer'.

Ash

Sounds good to me then. To be honest I'm after a good "all rounder" which I can commute 30 miles to work on, have a play on, just get on and ride without getting off and feeling like I need a chiropracter (sp ?). You get the guist.

I've looked into insurance quotes, and to say that I don't have a full years NCB on a bike H&R are coming up with a complete bargain of around £360 on a Yr2000 VFR :D :D

Looks like I'll be going shopping later in the Spring then..

Thanks

If you want a bike that you can ride to work on and still have fun at the weekends a Honda Hornet 900 is something else to consider.
I have gone from a CBR600F1 to a Hornet and it is so much fun riding to work.
0-100 it will keep up with anything, 100mph above and it gets very windy, but so easy to ride around town.
100bhp and 68lbs of torque means there is a loads of low down grunt.
Anyway that's just my opinion, a VFR800 V-TEC is also a fab bike just don't forget your pipe & slippers ;)

Blackscooby - I am in a similar situation to you - ref my post last week - replacing my SV650.

I have limited my choices down to VFR800 or Triumph Sprint ST - VFR usually gets the verdict in reviews, but Triumph has more power, and runs it close elsewhere. I havent ridden either (waiting for a sunny weekend - some chance !!) but sat on both and actually Triumph felt more comfortable, and loads more around 2nd hand.

LOL Danny B ~ Pipe and slippers... Yeah that's just me all over !!
Cruse around in my Beemer 328.. no revs what so ever....

As for the Hornet, nah not for me simply cos I'd have the same wind blast as I'd have on the Bandit 6. Its just horrendous on the motorway with no where to hide from the wind especially when "making good progress".

The main problem is that I'm not sure that I could trust myself on a Super Sports.

Trigger ~ I haven't ridden anything except my Bandit so I'm easily impressed.

You can get away from the windblast with a double bubble screen on a sportsbike and They are soooo much fun:D, Plus if you ever wanted to have ago at the track days, you wouldn'r feel out of place. We Ninja riders consider the CBR6's to be a bit Pipe & slippers anyway let alone the VFR's :D Look see at the MCNNinjas (http//:www.mcnninjas.co.uk)

Ash (MCNNinja Moderator:rolleyes:)

Have done 12500 miles since May on a VTEC - best bike I have had ever owned (including ZX6/R1 etc). Just as fast on the road as anything else but far more easy - as someone said it ain't what you got between your legs but how you use it.

Official UK bike, 4k, 8k and 12k cost £80, £80 and £130 respectively. Got a Givi monorack with it and heated grips, ridden every day and absolutely nowt has gone wrong with it. Averages 40+mpg as well.

Recommend it.

If you ask a 'sports bike' rider about VFRs, they just spout ****e unless they have ridden one.

The VFR is the bike I'd have if I had the balls to admit that sportsbikes are too impratical and uncomfortable the type of riding I do. That or a GSX1400 :D

I've had a VFR800 for the last 4 years from new.... ;)

It will do everything... and for 95% of time its the best bike in the world.

She's comfortable, handles superb up to that 95% point, great grunt (superchip+exhaust = 114bhp AT THE WHEEL :)), never goes wrong, never scares me, forgives me for my mistakes and still asks me to thrash her t1ts off.... sounds like a great woman really :D

I've been out with the superbike brigade, and in the "real world" i can keep up no problem...... so i might lose a bit in a straight line, but give a bumpy / damp road and i'll happily bugger off into the distance.

Ive been touring down to the south of france, gone for the weekend thrashes and also commuted on it daily. You can do it easily.

I can't imagine a better bike for doing it all on.

YOU WILL NEVER LOOK BACK IF YOU BUY ONE.

Just be prepared that no one whose a biker will think your cool....

Jza

I don't have cool road car, so I'll have a "none cool" bike to match ~ LOL.

Mind you have a rather nice 205GTi competition car which is a bit of a laugh... anyway.

The more and more I think of a VFR the more tempting it sounds. Just need to find the right one in a few months.

Have a look at http://www.doble.co.uk go to the used stock section, click on honda and keep scrolling down till you come across the red VFR VTEC ex-demo machine.
Bargain.

One thing to say on the ZX6-R its nothing like the R6 or GSXR for riding position. Its very comfortable, is in the supersports class and in my opinion at the top of it (not that i'm biast one little bit :p )but can tour on it 2 up easily and commute easily with no bad back or arthritic wrists.

The VFR has always had an outstanding reputation but one thing to consider is how long is it going to be before you want a sports bike? If not your thing and wont be then fair play. You say you don't trust your self with a super sports, don't forget the VFR 800 is not going to be much slower!

Get a Ninja, <in best Del Boy voice> you know it makes sense! ;)

P.S. are you really ready to mingle with the old farts VFR brigade? :p ;)

:D