Sexiest Sportbike

[beemerdons]

Fred,

You mentioned the Gen V VFRs being the best...what Gens were the VTEC models? I've been a Honda (car) fan since the early 80s, but have never owned a Honda bike (?) I was always intrigued by the VTEC technology in the cars, but I never read anything good about the VTEC VFRs...lots and lots of complaints about power delivery.

Which Gens were the VTEC VFRs and was the VTEC that big an issue? (thinking about a ZRX replacement)

Oh, I'm a BIG and FAT guy (as you remember)...would the VFR be too claustrophobic for 6'4", 275lbs?

Fixed!

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks Fred. I think you just cost me some money.

Now, if only I knew someone who could find me one in primo condition....hmmmm.

You mean like this one?

Dammit Fred!

I see serious thunderstorms acomin' in a certain Wheaton household.

I want one and I've never even ridden a bike other than the FJR. After trying to chase airboss' VFR in Peoria a few years back, I saw how fun that looked.

Does it make sense to buy a bike without having even sat on it or ridden it? Oh yeah, I did that with the FJR.

 

[Fred W]

Fred,

You mentioned the Gen V VFRs being the best...what Gens were the VTEC models? I've been a Honda (car) fan since the early 80s, but have never owned a Honda bike (?) I was always intrigued by the VTEC technology in the cars, but I never read anything good about the VTEC VFRs...lots and lots of complaints about power delivery.

Which Gens were the VTEC VFRs and was the VTEC that big an issue? (thinking about a ZRX replacement)

Oh, I'm a BIG guy (as you remember)...would the VFR be too claustrophobic for 6'4", 275lbs?

VTEC is only in the 6th gens, 2002 and up until the new VFR1200 came out in '09. The knock on VTEC in this implementation is that it is a simplified version where the bike runs on 2 valves per cylinder until 6800 rpm, at which time the other two valves kick in. This results in a surge of power at the 6800 rpm threshold, which is pretty unwelcome when that happens in the middle of a corner. BTW 6800 may sound pretty high to an FJR rider, but the VFR 800 engine redlines at almost 12k rpm (11.8k on my 5th gen) so it really is right in the middle of the band. If I owned one I'd figure out a way to run on 4 valves all of the time.

The 6th gen has chain drive cams, not the gear driven cams that are part of the aural appeal to vifferati. Some folks don't like the high pitched cam gear whine, but I happen to love it because I know what it means. You don't really hear the gear whine above ~5k anyway, (which means just about all of the time you are riding it) just the V4 exhaust note, which is infectious. The 6th gen does add the under-tail dual exhaust which is kind of sexy, and has some factory hard luggage options. I have a Givi setup for my 5th gen.

But... a Viffer would be a pretty tight fit for a guy as big as you. I'm pretty tightly folded up on mine and I'm only 6'2 and 220. I seem to remember that Mark is a tad shorter (and lighter) than me, so he would likely be a lot more comfy on one than either of us.

 

[Fred W]

Dammit Fred!

I see serious thunderstorms acomin' in a certain Wheaton household.

I want one and I've never even ridden a bike other than the FJR. After trying to chase airboss' VFR in Peoria a few years back, I saw how fun that looked.

Does it make sense to buy a bike without having even sat on it or ridden it? Oh yeah, I did that with the FJR.

I bet you could ride that one.

Nice thing is... after you talk him down a few hundred, if you ride the bike a year or two and decide to part with it, you should be able to get everything back out oif it that you've spent. They really are not depreciating very much anymore, just condition based prices.

 

[airboss]

04 VFR with factory bags that Wheatie chased.

VTEC; go on any VFR forum and they will be dishing the VTEC on the sixth generation VFR. Never could figure out the complant. VTEC happens at 6800 rpm every time in every gear. not like you didn't know it was coming. I can get the same effect on the FJR by dropping a gear and gassing it a little.

 

[RadioHowie]

VTEC; go on any VFR forum and they will be dishing the VTEC on the sixth generation VFR. Never could figure out the complant. VTEC happens at 6800 rpm every time in every gear. not like you didn't know it was coming. I can get the same effect on the FJR by dropping a gear and gassing it a little.

Well, y'know, some people would bitch if you hung 'em with a NEW rope.

 

[airboss]

Howie ya need to find one to try on, see if it fits.

 

[Fred W]

Howie ya need to find one to try on, see if it fits.

I didn't mean to dampen his spirits. Can't hurt, and it could be a lot of fun. :thumbsup:

One thing though... If I were lookin' at VFRs I'd also look for a CBR11XX blackbird. Whichever one pops up would be a whole bunch of fun. The Viffer may be a bit cheaper all around, but those 'birds, argh. I keep lookin' for mine.

Maybe if the big guy finds a pretty bike that he falls in love with (seems to happen to me every 6 or 8 months) it could be all the incentive he needs to "get in shape", whatever that means...

 

[beemerdons]

Howie ya need to find one to try on, see if it fits.

Karl, this thread is so totally worthless without pictures of lard ass RadioHowie on a VFR! Bust, 'Zilla, OM, Geek and Papa Chuy CANNOT wait to see that visual abortion!

 

[airboss]

Howie ya need to find one to try on, see if it fits.

Karl, this thread is so totally worthless without pictures of lard ass RadioHowie on a VFR! Bust, 'Zilla, OM, Geek and Papa Chuy CANNOT wait to see that visual abortion!

I am trying to get that done.

 

[beemerdons]

Howie ya need to find one to try on, see if it fits.

Karl, this thread is so totally worthless without pictures of lard ass RadioHowie on a VFR! Bust, 'Zilla, OM, Geek and Papa Chuy CANNOT wait to see that visual abortion!

I am trying to get that done.

Brother Karl, it is standard normal operating procedure on our Fine FJR Forum to provide an Eye Bleach after an offensive and disgusting photograph is posted up.

But in anticipation you are indeed going to provide a picture of RadioHowie on a VFR, I am going to supply the Eye Bleach long before that hideous sight arrives. Trust me, the entire Band of Brothers and Sisters of the FJR Forum will thank me for this humanitarian service:

 

[wheatonFJR]

Dammit Don...now there are photos of two things on this thread that I cannot touch...or is it three...I've lost track.

 

[beemerdons]

Dammit Don...now there are photos of two things on this thread that I cannot touch...or is it three...I've lost track.

Brother Wheatie, does this jog your memory? Just a small hint, they are both Canadians!

 

[wheatonFJR]

I suddenly have this urge to dive head first into purchasing a powerboat...besides a red VFR.

 

[zorkler]

 

[RadioHowie]

Isnt' that Bungie during his "Diversity" experiment???

 

[airboss]

Nice, but the extended swingarm kills it for me.

Let's take a look at the reason my friend Dave spent all summer locked in his garage.

Dave picked this KZ 900 up last year. It was in a basket, well actually 5 or 6 baskets.

 

[Fred W]

Nice, but the extended swingarm kills it for me.

Same here. Plus too much bling. No doubt this was a "younger" guy. Us old guys like the retro restorations a lot more. Your buddy Dave dun good on that Kawi.

When I was in High school I was lucky enough to take possession of a nearly complete Ducati 350cc single cylinder bike complete with bevel drive desmo valvetrain. A friend from school had moved up to Harleys (had a 50's panhead and a 45" servo trike) and just gave the whole thing to me.

The rolling chassis was mostly complete, but the engine was in the baskets. Found a manual for it and put it all back together on a shoe-string. High school kids didn't earn much scrubbing the floor at the local Finast Supermarket, back in the early 70's THe big problem, as it turned out, was the stator was shot. Why that prompted a complete teardown I'll never know.

Managed to scrape up a used stator that had continuity and got the bike running. All I ever did with it was rip around the local mall parking lot on Sundays with straight pipes, spanking all the other kids on their Briggs and Stratton go karts. This was back when Mass had blue laws so the mall lots were our Sunday playground.

I kind of wish I could stumble onto another one like that now. It might be a fun winter project to restore an old tiddler like that. Probably be a lot harder to find any parts though.

 

[Old Michael]

Dave picked this KZ 900 up last year.

I believe that is actually a 1975 Z1B.

 

[airboss]

I believe that is actually a 1975 Z1B.

Called Dave.

Dave said OM is right.

Dang hate it when that happens!