VFR 800 Essential Superbike Scans...

"Getting a knee down on VFR 800 is no problem. Neither is going at incredibly
fast speeds. It handles well, it's comfortable and it's reliable. Is there any
wrong with this bike?"

Read on here... http://www.reeky.org/gallery/album01

Note... double click on each page to enlarge... enjoy...

Larry L
94 RC45 #2
Have a wheelie NICE day...
Lean & Mean it in every corner of your life...
If it wasn't for us the fast lane would rust...
V4'S are music to the seat of my pants...
1952 De Havilland Chipmunk...
Yank and bank your brains loose...
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/-xlax-/
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/
http://www.fox302.com/index.pl?s=vg&user=netters2

 

Yes when the other two valves kick in it is not smooth. Also valve
adjustments on this thing are more complex then a Duc and just as
expensive. Is that enough for you or should I go on?



Regards

Mike

 

It weighs over 100 lbs too much, brakes are mediocre, engine anemic, suspension
is a bit too compliant. It is comfortable, but I may have a different definition
of "incredibly fast speeds" -- it doesn't reach them in my book.

With luggage it makes a respectable sport tourer. It's not fair to compare
it to a real sportbike (like the 600cc Yamahondakawazuki).

 

Please go on Mike... just one problem though... this VFR that I scanned does not
have VTEC or Vanishing Torque Engine Compartment... so it's smooth because no
two valves kick in...

Larry L
94 RC45 #2
Have a wheelie NICE day...
Lean & Mean it in every corner of your life...
If it wasn't for us the fast lane would rust...
V4'S are music to the seat of my pants...
1952 De Havilland Chipmunk...
Yank and bank your brains loose...
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/-xlax-/
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/
http://www.fox302.com/index.pl?s=vg&user=netters2

 

Well Mike if you have a beef about Hondas lets hear it! I'm betting the VTec
system on a Honda hardly qualifies as a two stroke powerband typical of,
say, a Kawasaki 750 triple of yesteryear, and I'm betting you don't adjust
the valves on it near as often as a Duck. Complex is only bad when its got
wheels and assembled by Americuns...someday, for example, we might be able
to assemble a cage from a domestic factory with fewer problems and more
reliability than the Japanese, but it ain't happening now.

Plus, in exchange for a modestly increase in complexity, superiorly
assembled, you get more power per unit of displacement and better
efficiencies and higher quality than anything built in this country.

My v-twin for example hasn't required a valve adjustment yet Mike, and you
whine about them like they are required with every tank of gas. Give it a
rest already and face reality...Honda kicks Buells ass because Honda does it
better, more complexity or not, and Buell is just some backwater place
marker which can't even be tuned to make enough power to get out of the way
of itty bitty 600's......

What is the displacement advantage required by Buells in Formula Extreme
this coming year to make up for how slow and inefficient they are....100%
increase over something importish? Wow.....liter plus competing against
600's.....what drama......what action.....what a pathetic excuse for a
motorcycle....no valve adjustments and all.

 

Lol, a little unclear on the model. No vtec, valves are easy if you can read
a vernier scale or dial guage

 

I had one opportunity to take my 02 VFR (with ABS!) on the track for a
riding school at Grattan back in 2003. It wasn't my first choice but the
RC51 was in pieces at the time. I put new Dunlop 208's on, stripped off all
the unnecessary stuff for track use (still scraped up the side stand,
left-side headers, and both footpegs without feelers attached) and had a
real blast. The ABS was a real pain to get used to on the track (I really
bought it for the commute / touring benefits) but overall if you keep the
revs above the 7K mark (so that the VTEC does not disengage), it keeps right
up there. It's real important to keep the revs up on that bike to get into
the powerband, I found if I dropped below 7K the bike became real "heavy"
until the VTEC kicked back in. The bike ran a bit hot, sort of like the
RC51, but gave me no problems all day. That experience has made me more
confident on the streets on the VFR. Just wanted to throw in my two cents.

John
03 ZX6R 636 (track only)
02 VFR
00 RC51

 

snip

While the VTEC Interceptor is a very nice bike, and offers VFR enthusiasts
everything they want, it's just not the tidy package the 98/01 VFRs are. The
styling, which is the product of the German design studios is akward and
strict and doesn't flow from one end to the other.
The absence of the cam gear whine is disconcerting as well, very un-vfr
like.

 

Bullshit, of course....

Hyundai ties Honda in quality survey

The Korean carmaker's rating is nearly as good as Toyota's in J.D.
Power initial quality report.
April 28, 2004: 3:09 PM EDT
By Les Christie, CNN/Money contributing writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - For the first time, Korean carmakers, thanks to
a strong performance by Hyundai, have surpassed both domestic and
European carmakers in initial quality, a measure of the number of
problems owners experience in a new car.

Brian Walters, senior director of vehicle research for Power, calls
Hyundai's performance one of the largest improvements the firm has ever
seen. Hyundai bolstered its quality 29 percent from last year and 62
percent since 1998, scoring only 102 problems per 100 vehicles for all
its models. Among manufacturers, only Toyota Motor, with 101, did
better, Honda, also at 102, did as well.

Toyota branded vehicles -- Toyota Motor Corp. also makes Lexus and
Scion vehicles -- actually did slightly worse than Hyundai. Toyota cars
had 104 problems per 100 vehicles.

Kia, the only other Korean auto brand now sold in the United States,
languished far behind. Kia owners reported 153 problems per 100
vehicles. The average car brand had 119 problems per 100 vehicles.
Kia's performance was still an improvement over last year, though, when
owners reported 168 problems per 100 vehicles.

GM leads the "Big Three"
Among the American carmakers, General Motors scored best at 120
problems per 100 vehicles, followed by Daimler Chrysler at 123, and
Ford at 127.

The top American nameplate, Cadillac, cruised into second place among
all branded lines with a score of 93. Other above-average American
nameplates were GM's Buick and Mercury, a division of Ford Motor
Company, at 100 and the soon-to-be-defunct Oldsmobile division of GM at
110.

The worst performer was also a General Motors brand. Hummer, tallied
173 problems per 100 vehicles. Others faring poorly were Volkswagen
(164), Porsche (159), Mazda (157), and Nissan (154). Helping pull down
Toyota's leading average was its new Scion line, which scored a clunky
158.

The best news for consumers is that a clear majority of existing
models, 129 of 169, (76 percent) showed year-to-year improvement while
only 35 (21 percent) declined. "We've seen improvement across the
board," says Walters.

Since 1998, defects in American cars have dropped 32 percent from 182
per 100 vehicles. Power rated several domestic models tops in their
class. Among premium midsize cars Buick Century led, as did the Mercury
Grand Marquis in the full-size division. The highest ranked sporty car
was the Dodge Stratus Coupe.

Three domestic trucks also led their divisions with Ford Explorer Sport
Trac rated the best sport compact; the Dodge Ram HD the top heavy-duty,
full-size pickup; and the Chevrolet Suburban the highest ranked
full-size SUV.

Among all manufacturers, the cleanest individual model, the Lexus SC
430, recorded the best score ever recorded by Power, just 44 problems
per 100 vehicles. Lexus also came in first among all nameplates,
although Power reported that for all Lexus models, quality had declined
14 percent.

Hyundai's Sonata claimed the top spot for entry-level, mid-size cars.
Toyota recorded three firsts with the top-rated compact (Corolla),
light-duty, full-size pickup (Tundra), and midsize SUV (4Runner). The
company also recorded four firsts with its Lexus line.

The Power survey measures a range of quality problems detected during
the first 90 days of ownership. It compiles responses from 51,000
owners and lessees and is weighted toward defects and malfunctions,
workmanship, drivability, ease of use, and safety factors

 

Larry, you might want to rename that album to something a little more
descriptive

--
Odinn

"The intelligent man finds almost everything ridiculous, the
sensible man hardly anything." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org

rot13 to reply

 

Larry.... Larry, these are really OLD articles, not to mention the
VFR's been hopped up with after-market cam, exhaust ect; Stockers pull
146MPH no better, no worse and the Sprint's price has dropped to $10.5
with hard luggage incl. However biased your article was though, I'll
agree the VFR's a sweetie. Where'd you dig up this OLD stuff anyway?
BTW, the 02 &+ Sprints now have 108-112 RWHP. That's as much as your
RC, right?
You still haven't ridden a triple, have you? My buddy has a Daytona
with 140 RWHP and that's not even unusual, these days. wait'll next
year.

Bob Nixon Chandler AZ-deer strike recovery
01 Sprint ST "RED" 45K miles
03 GSXR 1000 "SILVER" 7K RIP (deer slain)

 

Thanks for the tip Odinn... I'll remember that when I post the last V4... the
$58,900.00 NR750... too expensive for a Honda no???

I don't know how you did it but I owe you one for putting this together... I
just hope the amount of traffic isn't going to get me kicked off the site...

Larry L
94 RC45 #2
Have a wheelie NICE day...
Lean & Mean it in every corner of your life...
If it wasn't for us the fast lane would rust...
V4'S are music to the seat of my pants...
1952 De Havilland Chipmunk...
Yank and bank your brains loose...
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/-xlax-/
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/
http://www.fox302.com/index.pl?s=vg&user=netters2

 

Hiya Pard...

Where'd you dig up this OLD stuff anyway?

Where else??? Ebay...

Right... I show 108 RWHP but you'd swear there's more to it for a little old
750...

I've traded rides with two triples owners... in both cases I liked the engine
but not the handling...

Larry L
94 RC45 #2
Have a wheelie NICE day...
Lean & Mean it in every corner of your life...
If it wasn't for us the fast lane would rust...
V4'S are music to the seat of my pants...
1952 De Havilland Chipmunk...
Yank and bank your brains loose...
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/-xlax-/
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/
http://www.fox302.com/index.pl?s=vg&user=netters2

 

Yeah the motors put out almost exactly the same numbers. Your RC-45 =
my 2000 Daytona.

The RC-45 is lighter and has some better bits though. However, if Xlax
had a Daytona and NOT an RC-45: I guarantee his Triple would weigh less
than stock, have some cool trick parts, and those Ohlins forks would
make it handle great.

 

It's the weirdest thing. I went to order some gaskets for my 600 at
lunch today (it's valve-check time) and got into a conversation about
none other than the VFR with my friend Rob -- a salesman who works
there -- as we stood in front of the only example they ordered this
year. The MSRP is $10,200 and he is afraid they won't be able to sell
it.

"Sportbike guys don't want them, and neither do touring guys," he told
me.

It seems that for such a high price, GSXR1000s and the like are readily
available. Conversely, for a few thousand more, the ST is much more
touring-friendly. So it seems that the VFR is slowly becoming a niche
bike -- not fast enough to hang with the hooligans, not well-equipped
enough to compete with its own big brother.

It's a nice bike, but I give it another two or three years before it
eventually goes the way of the Magna, Valkyrie, and virtually all the
750s. It is unfortunately no longer relevant in the eyes of the
motorcycling masses.

__
Tim Kreitz
2003 ZX7R
2000 ZX6R
DoD #2184
http://www.timkreitz.com

 

Not if it has oval pistons, it isn't! ;-)

 

shoot! at that price, they'd be in an FJR if they looked hard enough.

 

Yes when the other two valves kick in it is not smooth. Also valve
adjustments on this thing are more complex then a Duc and just as
expensive. Is that enough for you or should I go on? <<

What is pictured is either a '98 or 99 model (probably a '98 since they are
talking about the successor to the 750). The valve adjustment
characteristics that you speak of above belong to the 2002 and later VTEC
models. The generation that included the '98 through '01 does not have the
VTEC engines. The '98 - '01 is the best looking generation IMHO. Of course
I'm prejudiced since I own one.
___________________________________
Mick McHam Houston, Tx
'99 ST1100ABS (4 Sale)
'99 VFR800FI
website: http://www.hal-pc.org/~mmcham

 

What's FJR stand for??? Fruit Juice Reconstituted???

Larry L
94 RC45 #2
Have a wheelie NICE day...
Lean & Mean it in every corner of your life...
If it wasn't for us the fast lane would rust...
V4'S are music to the seat of my pants...
1952 De Havilland Chipmunk...
Yank and bank your brains loose...
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/-xlax-/
http://home.comcast.net/~netters2/
http://www.fox302.com/index.pl?s=vg&user=netters2

 

f*cking jap rocket

Yamaha's FJR1300.