VFR 1200 test rides

[Rogue]

Uh? like a public road!

Pete

Honestly, I think you are on the wrong bike.

Perhaps a Honda CBR250 will be more to your liking.  You can still break a few speed limits here and there but never anything that is 20 kph over.  Sportbikes are about speed, acceleration, and handling.  If you are way over concerned about too much power then I think anything over 30 rwhp would be too much for you.

[zzrwood]

I really don't know where the market is for the VFR??? It's not a 'Sports' bike. Both the Fartblood and even the VFR 'Conventional' fill that niche. Neither is it a full blown 'Tourer' Honda have that covered admirably in the ST 1400.

Umm, then it'd be a "Sport-Tourer" - you know, something between a sport bike and a tourer...  

Really, I haven't heard such a lot of crap about a bike.  The VFR is a great sport-tourer - even in Australia. Funny, I seem to be able to manage to ride mine without needing to do over 200km/h - and relish the brilliant handling.  Why it seems to bring out the crazy ones, I don't know...  

Cheers from Oz

[Pete Roper]

Oh dear.

[Rogue]

Nothing wrong with the bike.  It's the speed Nazism that's the problem.  

I'm puzzled because I thought this kind of mentality only existed in N.A. and the Scandinavian countries (I'm told).  

[UFO]

Errr? if you can't use all the power available what's the point in having it apart from bragging rights?

Using this argument your Mana is WAY over powered.

For a motorcycle it probably only takes ~15 hp to go 60 mph (100ish kph).  Everything else is bragging rights...right?

[Pete Roper]

Don't worry yer heads about it. I never suggested anything related to power limitation or other 'official' controls over any machine. I do think it stupid to have a motor working at below peak efficiency most of the time but that it would seem is beyond the ken of the 'You Can Never Have Too Much Power' mindset. That's OK. I'd forgotten how 'Verbotten' it is to step outside the lemming-like mainstream of though. Too long being an 'Outsider' I guess. Not my problem. Not yours either, as long as you are willing to simply be slaves to an advertising doctrine.

Keep on taking the tablets. You won't get any wiser but you'll keep feeling good.

Pete

[zzrwood]

I'd forgotten how 'Verbotten' it is to step outside the lemming-like mainstream of though. Too long being an 'Outsider' I guess. Not my problem. Not yours either, as long as you are willing to simply be slaves to an advertising doctrine.

Keep on taking the tablets. You won't get any wiser but you'll keep feeling good.

I see, conforming to the non-conformist zeitgeist...  

Perhaps instead of spewing forth mindless, individualistic dogma you might recognise that people have different situations, and hence different perspectives.  I ride two-up nearly exclusively, and often pretty well loaded with luggage as well.  I toured Europe for over 20kkms last year on a 100hp BMW and definitely desired a little more power on occasions.  I won't next year when I do the same on the VFR.

I really like Moto Guzzis - hopefully if I ever own one I won't have to position myself as an 'Outsider'  

Cheers from Oz

[Rogue]

Perhaps instead of spewing forth mindless, individualistic dogma you might recognise that people have different situations, and hence different perspectives.  

Agree on that.

This sort of thing happens a lot in various different areas of society.  This is how we end up down a slippery slope.  First it's just a lively discussion of limiting power or banning certain things, but later it becomes a movement, then law.  Once it becomes law then there goes personal freedom.  A good example of this is in the wilderness areas where you get people upset over offroad vehicle use, then later it's ATV's, then later it's mountain bikes, and pretty soon you can only walk on the trail, finally, they just shut the trail down!  

Luckily for us, there are still many places were high power motorcycles and cars can roam.  In Europe they have more liberties when it comes to high speeds outside of towns and cities.  That's slowly being eroded even in Germany.  Myself,  having just ridden across the State of Arizona, I can tell you that places where high horsepower and speed used with a big margin of safety still exists in plentiful abundance.  Thank goodness for that!  

On a related note:  I just rode across one of our Interstates in the desert for hundreds of miles where I had to fight strong headwinds while maintaining 85 mph.  I can tell you, 100 rwhp felt just right.  I could have used another 25 rwhp while passing at the higher elevations but 100 rwhp seemed perfect.  What I could have used was more torque, maybe another 30 ft. lbs., but the high revs were very welcome.  150 rwhp on a VFR1200 may seem overkill in certain places.  I would say it would have been very nice to have during my trip  125 rwhp and 85 ft lbs. of torque would have been ideal.

[DosEquis00]

This sort of thing happens a lot in various different areas of society.  This is how we end up down a slippery slope.  First it's just a lively discussion of limiting power or banning certain things, but later it becomes a movement, then law.  Once it becomes law then there goes personal freedom.  A good example of this is in the wilderness areas where you get people upset over offroad vehicle use, then later it's ATV's, then later it's mountain bikes, and pretty soon you can only walk on the trail, finally, they just shut the trail down!  

+100 as let the market decide what bikes are worth building when it comes to power and not government regulations.

[atadaskew]

Using this argument your Mana is WAY over powered.

For a motorcycle it probably only takes ~15 hp to go 60 mph (100ish kph).  Everything else is bragging rights...right?

My Vespa PX will hit 60mph with 10hp.
10 hp of two stroke 4 speed fury.

[Lon]

A friend of mine wrote a review here of the new VFR1200F.  She didn't much care for it.

[Lon]

Errr? if you can't use all the power available what's the point in having it apart from bragging rights?

First gear.  Highway merge on to a 65mph road.  idle..redline.

That uses it all, if only briefly.  Power:weight is the difference between getting there in <3 seconds (VFR1200) and getting there in 45 (150cc 4T scooter with a tailwind).  Then, dive in to an exit ramp to use some of the reportedly awesome handling.

Some people live for that rush.

[spitfiremk21]

I mean really......does it really take a market study to tell big red why the new VFR isn't selling?? All they need to do is read the damn forums fer crissakes!!
In black and white Honda here it is....lower msrp (a lot lower)....restyle it and give it a larger fuel capacity.....sheesh.

[gritsngravy]

Here's the hard cold facts...the U.S.A. is cruiser country.   That is what sells, that is what most riders in this country want.    Sport touring bikes have a limited audience here so the Europeans and Japanese have to share a pretty slim market.      

Gotta face it, ST riders in this country are the freaks and geeks of the U.S. moto market.  

[Rogue]

Gotta agree with that.

Go out onto the open road in the USA and you will see:  Cruisers (mostly HD's) and Gold Wings.  

Near a big city you will see more variety.