After many late seventies and early eighties Jap bikes competent and easy to maintain as they were - the VFR seemed light, low and small. The brakes were razor sharp, use them with the kind of grip reserved for hauling up the dinosaurs and you'd be chucked over the handlebars - the scratches on the fairing kind of confirmed this. I found the handling and straight line stability a revelation. At first, the suspension appeared rather too firm, but what appears hard at 40mph is translated into a deal of tautness the faster you go and becomes much more comfortable.
It can be tipped over onto the foot pegs with ease and even fitting a large pair of panniers did not upset the beast - an act that would have produced a wallowing, wiggling wastrel of a bike on one of my older machines. However, the 16” front wheel does make it drop into slow corners, a trend eliminated on later bikes by using 17” wheels.
The bike is used every day for work, for motorcycle instructing at the weekend, has to put up with shopping trips, long hauls and short blasts; just about everything really. The chain is on its last legs and will just about see 20000 miles before replacement. Tyres last 5000 miles, or less, on the back and 6-8000 miles out front, Metzelers being my preferred brand. Brake pads are £15 each for the plasma sprayed OE jobbies but EBC do replacements far cheaper and brake fluid does not evaporate during normal road use.
The oil is changed every 2000 ‘miles, filter every 5000 miles. The plugs are difficult to reach and the valves need checking every 7500 miles. Generally, maintenance requirements are fairly low and I reckon the bike could be neglected for long periods without serious mishap.
The height of the screen is far too low and the amount of protection afforded by the expensive fairing inadequate and I’m a skinny 5’ 7”. The screen is perfectly placed to blow the wind straight into your face. A quick blast down to Plymouth was only made bearable by crouching over the tank bag all the way there. This kind of journey shows up the seat for what it really is - a plank.
The pillion perch has more padding but slopes forward; the little lady is alternatively nearly thrown off the back under acceleration, only staying on by dint of a white-knuckle hold onto the pilot, and crashes into the rider under braking, giving the crash hats a good test when they collide. Why on earth they didn’t make the seat flat I just don’t know.
Unless the passenger is small (and preferably very perfectly formed), the stepped seat leaves their head exposed to the blast and flapping around like a ping pong ball on a spring. The rear of the tank is perfectly formed to seriously damage the wedding tackle when the passenger is thrown forward by the braking. Fuel consumption averages about 50mpg on unleaded. The chain flaps around, not aiding the clunky gear selection, with occasional missed gears thrown in just to keep the rider alert. The fairing directs an unbearable blast of hot air over the rider on warm days, slow traffic can become very frustrating. The clocks: and switches are excellent.
The VFR comes with a 24 month guarantee, like other big Hondas, and appears to have had all the faults associated with earlier V-fours eradicated - there are bikes around with over 50000 miles on the clock, so don’t let the poor reputation of the older bikes put you off.
The engine is the main asset of the bike, despite earlier versions blowing up. The V4 engine is smooth, torquey and generally lovely. It gets you from A to B without feeling the least bit fussy. It feels deceptively lazy but revs like hell. It really is mind blowing, coupled with that exhaust growl, it has a unique combination of characteristics. It is plenty fast enough (93 horses at the back wheel) but also very usable, even on wet roads. I’ve just covered 7000 miles in 5 months so it gets well used. With 18000 miles showing, nothing has rusted, dropped off or broken.
The bike is a real head turner and less common than the straight four, race replicas that seem to be everywhere, these days. Compared to 750s of just a few years ago it’s so far ahead that there really is no comparison. I certainly know which one I'd go for. This is a true quality machine with alloy foot pegs, neat frame welding, adjustable handlebar levers, etc. More than a match for a BMW. Pity, then, about the stiff neck, dead backside and bruised and boiled nuts. But the VFR is still a very fine road bike.
Jon Timms