Honda Vfr1200f
HONDA VFR1200F
CYCLE WORLD TEST
Ruthlessly composed, spiritually efficient, broadly capable
MARK HOYER
IT WAS AN ODD THING TO HAVE CROSS my mind the first time I thumbed the starter button on this 2010 VFR1200F, the long-awaited follow-up to the previous Interceptor. But as the lightly syncopated combustion rhythm of the 76-degree V-Four with 28-degree-offset crankpins made its flat, almost-360-degree-crank sound—a droning, distant echo of MotoGP—I thought, "Honda made a chopper...
I know Big Red has an obligation to enter market segments where sales can be found, and I cannot fault the company or the Fury. But it almost seemed like a cry for help in a world gone mad.
Honda has so long been a performance company, a technology company, a maker of machines “because it can.” Like the ovalpiston NR750. The original CB750. The CBX inline-Six. And many, many others.
Which is what makes this VFR1200F so...settling. Bikes like the VFR—especially in its variations from 1986 to now—are Honda’s spiritual core. When you ride Fury, it is impressively operational” but you can tell they don’t really mean it.
When you ride the
new VFR, you know
Honda means it.
Everything about this bike exemplifies the hard-won reputation of striving for advancement, quality and precision. The VFR’s performance is broad and impressive. Even the finish is bea ful. Take the black strip of paint on t tank that shows between the red plastic bodywork pieces: It really is like liquid and of very high quality. In fact, the finish on the whole bike, from the rich ruby red (with subtle metalflake) to the texture and material of the seat, feels rich and smooth.
The press materials make much of the new engine, from its CRF450R-inspired sohc heads (for compactness) to pairing the rear cylinders, and therefore their rod journals, between those of the front on the crankshaft, making the engine more narrow between the rider’s legs and eliminating the vibration-producing right/left rocking couple of a conventional V-Four crank layout.
But while the 1237cc engine is claimed by Honda to be more compact than the previous 781cc version, it fits into a spacious, full-size sporting motorcycle that is a definite step up in scale from the Interceptor 800 but still a bit more compact feeling than its bag-equipped sporting competition. The unusual crankpin and Vee arrangement are said to “essentially” negate primary engine vibration. There is plenty going on at most rpm in terms of the engine communicating its existence to you. Mostly, it’s just a minor and interesting reminder through the handgrips that this is not last year’s V-Four. At cruise speeds, it’s all-day smooth, and about the only time engine vibration truly gets noticeable is on closed-throttle deceleration, when the fuel tank transmits an excited, coarse buzz.
As mentioned, the engine sound is flat and MotoGP-like, at least in spirit if not in decibels. The valve-equipped rightside muffler breathes through the lower of its two openings and keeps things quite muted when the bike is not moving (rev as high as you like in neutral and the secondary will not open). On the road, the valve opens at 6000 rpm in first and second and 4000 rpm in the remaining gears, with a definite boost in exhaust note as it exhales through both outlets.
While we are certainly interested to get some serious miles on the Dual-Clutch Transmission version that has no clutch lever or foot shifter and perfectly rev-matches downshifts for you, this standard six-speed gearbox is extremely refined. Shift quality is excellent, and when clicking down for corners it is very easy to match revs the old-fashioned way with a quick blip of the throttle. There is surprisingly little driveline lash for a shaft-drive setup, especially considering that there are four dampers between primary and final drive. Add to this mix the superb slipper clutch, and aggressive corner entries with multiple downshifts are utterly drama-free.
As is turn-in response and midcorner stability. This is a precise handling and very stable motorcycle. The 60.8-inch wheelbase and 25.5-degree rake/4.0-inch trail reflect the GT intentions. Standard suspension settings for the Showa fork and shock are taut and controlled. Spring preload and rebound damping are adjustable at both ends, and changes to the settings are effective at altering the feel and attitude of the motorcycle. Two to four clicks out from the standard rebound at the front, for example, smoothed freeway cruise and improved comfort, if somewhat at the expense of composure at deep-lean cornering angles. Same at the rear, where a small change on the rebound adjuster made a notable difference in ride quality. Spring-preload changes at the rear are conveniently accomplished by hand, with a plastic knob/hydraulic adjuster located under the tailsection and in front of the left-side passenger footpeg.
After a 15-hour day in the saddle, I am relieved to report that the seat is excellent. It is supportive, firm and spacious.
In fact, from the outset, I clicked right into the ergonomic triangle. The footpegs are highish without being too high, and the bar placement is right for my 6-foot-2 frame. A huge aid to comfort is the degree of wind protection and well-managed airflow. At normal highway cruise speed there is zero buffeting—just smooth wind at helmet level. I also ran the bike up to 105 mph and held it there. Same situation: smooth air and a neutral riding posture, giving me the feeling that I could cruise that fast all day, if there weren’t such unfortunate potential legal complications. I also rode in windy, gusty conditions and the VFR remained rock-steady on the road.
Corner-to-corner thrust is strong and response from Honda’s first throttle-by-wire system is intuitive and predictable, although there are situations where apparent powersmoothing seems to mitigate engine output. If the revs drop below 6000 rpm in a second-gear corner, for instance, there is enough power to settle the bike at the apex, but revs have to build before real thrust is delivered. In taller gears, engine response feels stronger at lower rpm. On the dyno, there is nearly 70 foot-pounds of torque at 3800 rpm, and the curve is beautifully linear as it climbs to a maximum of just above 80 ft.-lb. at 9100 revs. The 145-horsepower peak comes just after 10,000 rpm and surprisingly near the 10,600-rpm electronic rev-limit.
Outright straight-line performance? Road Test Editor Don Canet returned from our test site with some pretty impressive numbers: The VFR1200 blasted off a 10.33-second, 134.85-mph quarter-mile run. The clutch is excellent around town and in normal use, and Canet reported the same from the launch zone: “Good clutch feel allowed for precise feedin of that strong midrange power.”
For comparison, the last Kawasaki Concours 14 we tested (August, 2009) made 133.6 hp at 8900 rpm and 88.7-ft.-lb. at 7500 revs, with a quarter-mile time of 10.78 seconds at 125.44 mph. The dragstrip performance deficit here is largely attributable to a difference in dry weights: The C-14 comes in at 647 pounds without fuel but with bags, while the no-bag dry weight of the manual-shift VFR is 561. The Honda’s top speed is limited to 157 mph in both fifth and sixth gears; the Kawasaki went 154. A comparison test between these two motorcycles will be as much a comparison of design intent as it will be of actual, measured performance.
Six-piston calipers at the front and a two-piston caliper at the rear are part of the Combined-ABS braking system. These are effective and strong but feel and feedback stop short (ahem) of the best supersport setups. This is conventional ABS with cycling at the lever, etc., not the seamless supersport system applied to the CBR-RR line.
Nice touches and demonstration of attention to detail? Consider the digital speedometer: easy to read and perfectly accurate (measured by us) all the way up to top speed. Nice! Also, it is heartening and superbly convenient to remove the saddle and find the battery and its terminals right there.
The base price of $15,999 makes the VFR more expensive than its main competition, especially if you add the optional hard bags (price not available at press time).
Heated grips are also optional, as are a top trunk, secondary laminar-type add-on windscreen, a centerstand and more. It is odd, however, not to have a power-port option for your electric vest, GPS, etc. And it is a drag that Japan and Europe get a navigation-system option while the U.S. does not.
This manual-shift VFR 1200F is an exceptionally good performing, highly refined sporting motorcycle. It offers a depth of competence, ease of operation and technical execution that lets you know Honda definitely means it. □
"Bikes like the VFRespecially in its variations from 1986 to now—are Honda's spiritual core."
EDITORS' NOTES
Looiu~G AT HONDA'S WEBSITE, IT'S CLEAR that Big Red positions the VFR1200F as a sportbike and not a sport-tourer. I can see the logic of placing the bike in either category. Throw on the optional bags and you end up with a potent machine that I imagine will give Kawasaki's Concours 14 a run for its money. On the other hand, the powerful V-Four VFR is also the perfect replacement for Honda's long-gone CBR1 IOOXX, a fast, sporting machine that was never quite on par with the Kawi ZX-12R or Suzuki Hayabusa but awesomely smooth and competent nonetheless.
In tile V t~ K, you getlong-distance comldrt and good handling combined With smoking quarter-mile acceleration and autobahn-speed cruising in total comfort. So, while it's not the lightest handling, fastest or quickest machine on the road, it is far more enjoyable over a long, fast riding day than any of the bikes that top those respective performance categories. -Blake Conner~ Associate Editor
Go FIGURE, THE HEAVIEST WINTER WEATH er to hit the Southwestern U.S. in years had us socked in during the only week I had available to acquire performance test data on the new VFR. There was little choice but to hole up a couple of days in the CW van at our secret desert test venue, waiting for a long-enough break between rain showers so the pavement could dry. Chalk it up to curiosity impatience orsheer boredom, but I made a few preliminary splashes through the quarter-mile and clocked a 10.90-second run in the wet. There's certainly something to be said for the nice clutch feel and tractability offered by this large-capacity V-Four.
Perseverance eventually paid off. A wind-dried road surface enabled the full realization of the VFR's holeshot potential. Few stock bikes I've tested have leapt off the line with such conviction. Keep the revs above 8000 rpm while feeding in the clutch and the front tire floats long and low. It was worth the wait. -Don Canet, Road Test Editor
AFTER A LONG STRING OF CLAPPED-OUT used bikes in the `80s and `90s (an RD400 and some Suzuki GSs), I finally got in the position to buy a new motor cycle. It was 1995, and as I surveyed the new-bike market and my needs as a daily rider, I found it impossible to ignore the VFR75O.
Primary among the reasons? The VFR had won a CWTen Best award seven times since 1986, and everything I ever read about the bikes-from magazines around the world-was like wading through a sea of praise for its balance, spirit, versatility and performance. So I bought one and rode the wheels off it for about 15,000 miles before regretfully selling it. The VFR has gone on to win a Ten Best award a total of 12 times. I've enjoyed the various testbikes we've had here over the years, except for the weirdly annoying VTEC on the most recent 800s, and even those are exceptional machines with one strange techno-quirk. This new 1200? Might be lucky 13... -Mark Hover~ Editor-in-Chief
HONDA
VFR1200F
SPECIFICATIONS
$15,999
0 V-Power The Official Fuel Partner of CYCLE WORLD.
