VFR vs FJR riding impressions.......

[designeraccd]

While a GL 1800 certainly isn't considered a sport bike or sport touring bike it sure does a credible "imitation" of a sport touring bike on all but the tightest roads...like say the Dragon. However, the ST1300zzzz I had while running the Dragon left a bit to be desired compared to how my '03 FJR behaved on tight mountain roads in se KY.

Now if only March and my '06 A would GET HERE!!! DFO

 

[FJRZON]

Rdfrantz, very nice write-up/camparison on the VFR/FJR. Thanks. I think many would also enjoy/appreciate this at the Sport-Touring.Net site with all the "bike soul searching" that goes on over there.

 

[rdfrantz]

Rdfrantz,  very nice write-up/camparison on the VFR/FJR.  Thanks.  I think many would also enjoy/appreciate this at the Sport-Touring.Net site with all the "bike soul searching" that goes on over there.

Thanks for the kind words.

You know, I do understand about "the agaonizing". I'm somewhat separated from it because I've got the benefit of a "well built maturity" that's left me with a better feeing that Tomorrow holds at least a different and likely better bike if not a "perfect" one, so some of the anxiety of any next choice is diminshed.

Youth has that drive, such an intense drive, to reach toward The Best, the pinacles of things. And as well, so much of Popular seems to stem from getting a bunch of them together and they seem to automatically stive to create a Champion. It even seems like it's a requirement to have one. But, the peers drop by the wayside as life's avenues open up differently for each one, and the individual find's himself or herself making decisions that are more and more self-directed or less group-directed. For me, that's when I found things became much more fully satifying. And after that, I began to see values, things to enjoy in both chocolate, and strawberry.

And then the agonizing began all over again. :haha:

 

[TahoeBound]

The VFR is a nice bike. I've ridden many. The "specs" suggested it to be my perfect bike then the road test killed it. My biggest complaint - under-powered and not enough room for two. It failed to hit my "excite" button each and every time I rode it.

The FJR rocks. It is HIGHLY versatile and adaptable to just about anything. Put sport tires on it, a superbrace, and the preload on high and it handles excellent.

IMO a better bike to compare with the FJR is the CBR1100XX. Check out what Europe gets:

European 1100XX

 

[Penforhire]

The new-style Goldwings are underappreciated. I've seen a couple of well-ridden ones handle nasty-tight, sandy, wet Malibu canyon roads just fine. My and my buddies (on FJR, ST1300, and K-RS) were all very impressed with their ability to keep up in tight stuff.

 

[twowheelnut]

The new-style Goldwings are underappreciated. I've seen a couple of well-ridden ones handle nasty-tight, sandy, wet Malibu canyon roads just fine. My and my buddies (on FJR, ST1300, and K-RS) were all very impressed with their ability to keep up in tight stuff.

I have a couple of routes that I've timed myself on... I was actually quicker on the GL1800 then I was on the VFR over these routes! Go figure...

 

[gr8eyes]

TWN I can figure, you were trying real hard on the Goldwing and out for a Sunday ride on the VFR. See that was easy

Glenn

 

[twowheelnut]

Naw, not really Glenn. I rode 'em as hard as I dared. Me thinks the lower center of gravity of the Wing was more confidence enspiring...

 

[TahoeBound]

The newer Wings (01+) are awesome. The people that bash them haven't ridden one. I owned one and was quite surprised how competent it was. I thoroughly enjoyed flying by Harleys in the San Diego back country with music blaring VFRs and SV650s too (though obviously not experienced pilots). I always said the Wing would be the perfect "second" bike.

In my perfect world I'd have a Wing and a CBR1100XX. I can only have one, so the choice of the FJR was an easy one.

 

[james1300]

Rear end whine? MY rear end never Whines! No, not THAT rear end! The bikes!

I use Moble 1 syn. No noise.

 

[falcon]

I think the whine is in the straight-cut transmission gears. I do hear a little hum from the rear but its nearly inaudible.

 

[Bikewhore]

I've had 2 VFRs and have ridden them about 40,000 miles combined.

I'll contradict a prior post or two (and this is my opinion with no facts to support) but I think the VFR was a different kind of comfy. I am not used to sitting directly on my ass with the FJR. Once I get the seat deal sorted out, I think I'll be fine. It's very comfy, but I could ride longer on the VFR.

The FJR has more power than my 94 VFR750 and more power than my 98 VFR800 had. Way more torque and a slight boost in top end power. Both VFRs were faster though. Once moving at and above triple digits the VFRs would check out IMO. Not that it matters.

The VFR handles a lot better naturally, but the FJR does well ebough that I don't really miss the VFR all too much (I have two other sporty-bikes now anyway)

I think the FJR has a build quality that beats out the hondas. I've heard about honda reliability and frankly, I've never really had a problem with any bike from the major 4. I just think the Yammy "feels" better put together. My hondas always start to develop wierd squeaks as miles pile on. My yammies seem to keep pretty tight.

 

[Bikewhore]

oh, and I get waaaaay more lookers and questions with the FJR. That could be good or bad depending on how you view that.

When I pull into the local BMW dealer I'll spend 10-15 minutes with people asking me about it. If yamaha brought these into showrooms rather than having them as order only, they'd convert some of the outer fringe BEEMER guys. The number one complaint I hear is "I didn't want to have to order and wait".

 

[TahoeBound]

Both VFRs were faster though. Once moving at and above triple digits the VFRs would check out IMO.

Hard numbers according to Motorcyclist:

Hp Torque 60-80 roll-on 1/4 mile

99.1 54.2 5.07 [email protected] ('02 VFR)

126.2 88.5 3.65 [email protected] ('02 FJR)

Top speed numbers weren't available though I've read the VFR is somewhere in the 144-150mph range and the FJR is in the 150-154mph range. The quarter mile speeds above are well into triple digits...I'm wondering just where the VFR is "checking out?" I think you mean "signing off" :bleh:

 

[afterburn]

I think he meant checking out at the first curve. Going fast in a straight line is easy.

 

[Bikewhore]

Both VFRs were faster though. Once moving at and above triple digits the VFRs would check out IMO.

Hard numbers according to Motorcyclist:

Hp Torque 60-80 roll-on 1/4 mile

99.1 54.2 5.07 [email protected] ('02 VFR)

126.2 88.5 3.65 [email protected] ('02 FJR)

Top speed numbers weren't available though I've read the VFR is somewhere in the 144-150mph range and the FJR is in the 150-154mph range. The quarter mile speeds above are well into triple digits...I'm wondering just where the VFR is "checking out?" I think you mean "signing off" :bleh:

The numbers posted in magazines are a snapshot of a single point in time for one particular motorcycle corrected for altitude, temp, and barometric pressure. It's trying to compress a sumarization of a bike's performance in a 1/4th mile increment to a simple number. I also cannot discount the idea that some of the bike makers give the testers a "ringer" bike so that they will write favorably about it. A bikes rear wheel HP is even more suspect. Especially when you enter in the fact that every dyno is different. To me, dynos are great for recording a baseline, and recording progress while tuning.

IMO, I am fairly certain my 98VFR800 was quicker over 100. Maybe it just felt quicker and maybe it's in my head. Then again, I live inside my head.

 

[TahoeBound]

I think he meant checking out at the first curve. Going fast in a straight line is easy.

Review the subject - we were talking engine. I do not argue that the VFR will out handle the FJR.

It's trying to compress a sumarization of a bike's performance in a 1/4th mile increment to a simple number...

How many ways are there to test an engine? I chose one publications numbers for consistency of comparison. IMO this provides a very good indication of the type of engine you're getting and how its going to stack up against other models:

Hard Numbers

I'm not buying "seat of the pants" impressions - too misleading especially if you have to wind up a bike like you do the VFR. For example, I could swear my FJR was traveling faster at any given point than my CBR XX. When I looked down at the speedo I was sadly mistaken - I was generally 10-15mph slower in all cases! I attribute this to the silky smooth XX - never really felt like it was going fast.

The VFR gets spanked by the FJR in the quarter - period. So, the FJR is fastest to 125mph. Is the VFR faster from 125 to its sign off of 144-150, then the FJR wins again at top speed? Don't know, don't care. Will the VFR win a 100-150mph roll-on? Doubt it, but don't know, don't care. Point is the FJR has the enviable engine. Side note: if the VFR had the XX's engine, I'd own a VFR.

Check out Cycle World Nov 2005 "Speed Wagons" GT Shootout. An interesting read. One note is that the new VFR variety the dislike is VTEC and a comment something like "just increase engine size."

PS - I'd be glad to do some head to head roll-ons over 100mph and top speed runs against your VFR. We've got some nice desert areas out here in So. Cal.

 

[Bikewhore]

Has anyone gone from riding a Honda VFR to riding an FJR?  I currently own a 2000 VFR and have ordered an '06 FJR and plan to keep both but am just curious about other riders impressions of both bikes.  I have bought the FJR without ever riding it and am relying on the reports that you guys have been giving as to its superiority............

The gentleman asked for our opinions. I understood that to mean he wanted previous/current owners of both bikes. I am sure he has read atleast one motorcycle magazine and has access to others. His question was posed to owners, not writers who may be influenced by an external means OR have been given ringer models. I am not arguing that the VFR is faster or quicker than the FJR is on paper. I am arguing that "to me" the bikes felt as I reported they felt. We are also not talking about the Vtec VFR (02-current) I have piled a fair amount of miles when I traded a good friend his VFR800 Vtec for my non Vtec VFR800 for a weekend whilst exploring some parks in Gettysburg. Beautiful area BTW. The Vtec VFR is a step backwards in power over the previous model (98-01) VFR800. My 98 VFR800 eats his Vtec VFR800's lunch. That is neither here, nor there however. I also had an XX. Great bike.

Motorcycle magazines are good to read while I sit on the can. And yes, the hard numbers do pique my interest. My interest ends there however. I remember reading year after year of the Vmax running a 1/4mile time of 10.87 corrected.

I was on the Vmax list for a few years while I had my 89 Vmax. Most times being run in the quarter were 11.2-11.5 and only dipped into the 10s when some extensive exhaust/jetting work had been completed. Some of these bikes were being ridden by accomplished drag racers.

Keeping to the topic at hand I'll say that I have a greatly dissimilar manner for aquiring data. I ask people who own the bike. Not one or two, but by the hundreds, just as the thread starter did. Some people will tell you the FJR is the cure for cancer, some others will tell you it's the worst bike since Suzuki's RE5. Read the repsonses and take each with a grain of salt. Pool the collective and make your determination from that. Magazines are great, owners are better-

I can't race you in the desert. I sold my VFR to help me afford the FJR. Which I really like BTW.