Why is it....

Early ones suffered from big end failure (two press bikes blew up on the
launch...). Later ones (the F2) were stronger and they are, indeed,
fabulous bikes. I've owned one and would happily own another.

 

No: the Benelli Sei did it a decade before. And the CBX1000 too, of
course.

Its only real claim to fame was the hydraulic tappets: never used on a
Jap four before.

 

Rode one of them, too. *Much* better than the predecessor VF1000, but
still a huge heavy tank of a thing.

Nice, if you like that sort of barge.

 

I was told on Friday that I've been volunteered to work on the
upgrade planned for CMS in about 10 years' time. Looks like that sees me
through to retirement...

--
Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

That's about the sum of it. Any VF500 still on the road should fall
into the former category.

 

Oh right... I shall stop mocking him then.

--
JackH

98 Honda VFR800FiW
05 Sachs Madass
03 VW Passat TDI Sport
89 Vauxhall Nova 1.3 Pearl

 

I believe it's done something like 40k plus miles, so hopefully if it was
ever going to go bang, it would have done it by now.

Bloke who sold it to him had a matching VF1000 as well, apparently.

--
JackH

98 Honda VFR800FiW
05 Sachs Madass
03 VW Passat TDI Sport
89 Vauxhall Nova 1.3 Pearl

 

Goodo.

I might risk having a go on it then in that case the next time we're out on
bikes.

--
JackH

98 Honda VFR800FiW
05 Sachs Madass
03 VW Passat TDI Sport
89 Vauxhall Nova 1.3 Pearl

 

I can't say I'm that keen on them, even though I'm a fan of the VFR750 /
800s.

When you say huge, do you mean on the scale of Verdigris??? (1)

It's been noted I look a bit big on a VFR, and I dwarfed the R6.

Speaking of which, that was sold last week - much as I'd have liked to have
kept it, albeit with perhaps the addition of a steering damper, I can't
justify having something worth that much just as a toy in the absence of
regular gainful employment. :-(

(1) What's happened to him? Not seen him post in here for ages.

--
JackH

98 Honda VFR800FiW
05 Sachs Madass
03 VW Passat TDI Sport
89 Vauxhall Nova 1.3 Pearl

 

The 500 is terribly under-rated. ISTR it has a duplex camchain, believe
it or not: twin-row. So it's tough. I'll have to have a look - I think
I've still got a spare cylinder head or two in my garage.

Small, light, compact, handles beautifully, and with a lovely power
delivery.

 

Not as tough as gear driven cams. ;-)

Buried under a stack of suspiciously similar looking gaskets, perchance?

My first question when he rang me to tell me about it was, (what with the
last VF series bike I'd been familiarised with being a VF400F), 'Does it
have those lovely inboard enclosed brakes?', which apparently it doesn't, so
that's a good initial plus in my book anyway.

--
JackH

98 Honda VFR800FiW
05 Sachs Madass
03 VW Passat TDI Sport
89 Vauxhall Nova 1.3 Pearl

 

**** me, that's grim.

 

The inboard discs weren't as bad as people made out. My 400 never
suffered from brake fade and wheel removal/replacement was only
slightly more time consuming.

 

From what others have said, they were a relative PITA to work on.

--
JackH

98 Honda VFR800FiW
05 Sachs Madass
03 VW Passat TDI Sport
89 Vauxhall Nova 1.3 Pearl

 

There'll be a few big hardboard boxes on freeserve so all that's
needed is to find a space under the nearest flyover.

 

bloody cheap immigrant labour, coming over here, stealing our jobs

 

I'd gladly take my old Swiss salary, if you could convince STFC
to pay it!

--
Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

Oh, there are but not with the same commute. Plus I'm not exactly
social so wouldn't want to share a flat.

 

I can't remember when the CBX 750 came out, but didn't the FZR750 also
beat it?

 

No.