Hondas VFR launched yesterday

Nothing new there then.

 

I'm safe then. He ripped everythng he said off some **** or other.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Don't be so sure. It could be part of a massive conspiracy dreamed up by a
Nonda specialist.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I liked mine, it was especially good on gravelly roads, where I could
just ignore the front brake and use the rear. The engine braking on
the BBird was pretty crap (ie non existent) so the brakes were kinda
important ...

The Tiger has good EB but it's (too) easy to lock up the rear on loose
stuff.

Paul.

 

It's a Honda with compromised engineering for the sake of cost (think of
the amazing reputation the old gear-driven cam VFR still enjoys - I
doubt this new one will be in the same ballpark) with nasty looks, a
stupidly small fuel tank, and a silly price tag.

 

Oddly, I always liked Moto Guzzi's linked brakes. The earliest, the
simplest, and in some ways, still the best.

 

Chronic Lack of Torque would be funnier, but I think the Versys actually
has some, doesn't it?

 

Interestingly, I've never had the ABS activate on my K except once, when
the front wheel just touched something slippery when I was braking at
about 20mph.

I've used the brakes bloody hard from speed on a few occasions, and I
can only conclude that there's way more grip than I'm exploiting and
that I'm therefore a wuss.

 

Too much of a wuss to ride it on icy roads ?
Probably not a good idea anyway, even the little scoot got "interesting"
on the slippy stuff.

 

Hmm, panic braking on the Ormeau Rd in Belfast. Raining, dreaming, tottie
walking up on left, woman in front stops suddenly to let Paedo cross. ABS2
rocks.

It's a great "training aid" in the dry with modern sticky tyres mind. You
quickly realise that with controlled application the grip available is quite
unexpected.

 

Chronically Lacking In Torque works even better.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Damn right. I was quite happy skating the little GN250 through the ice
and slush, but sod trying to do that with a quarter ton of Bavarian
steel and plastic.

 

I'm going to get it back on the road and maybe even get it on a track
somewhere.

A proper track, not one that spends most of the time as Sussex.

 

We had an entertaining hour the first time we did the Elefant and
Burnt, Statto and myself all had to ride K series BMWs along those
manky little roads between the site and the motorway.

 

It has actually, it feels like it has more than the SV650 for some
strange reason. Drop the revs right down in 5th and the Versys will
pulls strongly and smoothly when you accelerate away again, whereas the
SV would be chuntering along snatching the **** out of the chain and
almost stall when you gave it some gas.

The Versys is lacking in power compared to the SV, and that fact is
obvious. I don't miss it though.

 

Discovering at 80mph the Belgians hadn't ploughed their section of the
motorway was exciting.

 

That Corbin leather seat can handle a fair amount of bum pucker but I
bet it's got a star shaped motif engraved into it now.

 

I've owned both and find the VFR way more involving than the Blackbird. Sure
the Bird has a higher top end but it is way too heavy to corner well.

Fraser

 

Unless you are Valentino Rossi I can't understand why you wouldn't want abs on
your bike.

Fraser

 

My experience too. I didn't really find them a problem on my Blackbird or the
VFR. They were a bit shit compared to the radials on my R1 but you are talking
very different styles of bikes. They are tourers with pretensions of
sportiness. Not track terrors.

Fraser