$7,000
Huntington, West Virginia
Category
-
Engine
1,237 cc
Posted Over 1 Month
This is a HONDA VFR 1200F manual shift 6 speed not the DCT. New Michelin Pilot 3 tires. Shaft drive recall performed. Serviced within the last 500 miles.When you ride the new VFR, you know Honda means it. Everything about this bike exemplifies the hard-won reputation of striving for advancement, quality and precision. The VFR's performance is broad and impressive. Even the finish is beautiful. Take the black strip of paint on the fuel tank that shows between the red plastic bodywork pieces: It really is like liquid and of very high quality. In fact, the finish on the whole bike, from the rich ruby red (with subtle metalflake) to the texture and material of the seat, feels rich and smooth. The press materials make much of the new engine, from itsCRF450R-inspired sohc heads (for compactness) to pairing the rear cylinders, and therefore their rod journals,between those of the front on the crankshaft, making the engine more narrow between the rider's legs and eliminating the vibration-producing right/left rocking couple of a conventional V-Four crank layout.But while the 1237cc engine is claimed by Honda to be more compact than the previous 781cc version, it fits into a spacious, full-size sporting motorcycle that is a definite step up in scale from the Interceptor 800 but still a bit more compact feeling than its bag-equipped sporting competition.The unusual crankpin and Vee arrangement are said to "essentially" negate primary engine vibration. There is plenty going on at most rpm in terms of the engine communicating its existence to you. Mostly, it's just a minor and interesting reminder through the handgrips that this is not last year's V-Four. At cruise speeds, it's all-day smooth, and about the only time engine vibration truly gets noticeable is on closed-throttle deceleration, when the fuel tank transmits an excited, coarse buzz. As mentioned, the engine sound is flat and MotoGP-like, at least in spirit if not in decibels. The valve-equipped right-side muffler breathes through the lower of its two openings and keeps things quite muted when the bike is not moving. On the road, the valve opens at 6000 rpm in first and second and 4000 rpm in the remaining gears, with a definite boost in exhaust note as it exhales through both outlets.There is surprisingly little driveline lash for a shaft-drive setup, especially considering that there are four dampers between primary and final drive. Add to this mix the superb slipper clutch, and aggressive corner entries with multiple downshifts are utterly drama-free..
