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83 Posts
Hi,
As per the title, I currently own a '09 VFR800. This was the bike that I learned to ride on (with the exception of dirt bikes on a farm rounding up the sheep in my younger years - and no - that's not a metaphor), and pretty much the only road bike I have ever ridden (apart from taking some friends bikes out for a short run).
I'm looking in particular for people's experience that have made the switch, what they found difficult to adjust to, what they found easy to adjust to, and their end thoughts of making the switch more than a straight comparison of the two.
I'll admit - I have an attachment to my VFR like some teenage girls have to their Justin Bieber. I love the way the bike sings, the way it looks, the way it moves, and I still scream with delight everytime I see one. :grin:
But alas - I've just found Honda have given up on them now like I've given up on Holywood ever making a new original interesting entertaining movie, so I'm looking to see what's the 'next best' option available for me.
I'm looking for some honest truths from people who have switched from the 6th Gen VFR800, to the latest Gen (2018) Ninja 1000. The good, the bad and the ugly.
I know this is a Ninja forum, so I expect a little bias here, but I'd really like to hear the 'dont likes', or 'what I miss' posts as well as 'what I love'. Not to turn me off making the switch, but just so I have a good solid idea of what I may miss as well as what I'll gain if I make the switch.
My primary concern moving away from a VFR is the way the bike handles. As mentioned, I learned on this bike. I found that it was solid on the road, just sits in the corners, and for someone who had very little experience - I was scraping my boots, and then my pegs before I knew it (without intending to). I wasn't pushing hard - and don't consider myself a 'race' rider. (I'm the kind of person who reads 'road craft' books rather than 'twist of the wrist' books - so consider myself a spirited but conservative and responsible road rider. Most of my peg scrapes have been at lower speeds too - I just love the way the VFR can dip into the corners but still feels like it's solidly connected to the road. It's a solid bike that makes me feel confident and comfortable.
So the fact that I got down to my pegs with no training, and whilst feeling comfortable speaks volumes for the way the VFR handles. It was the best of both worlds to learn on (enough power to keep me up with everyone else once I became more confident, but also a friendly bike easy to anticipate how it would handle in conditions whilst being able to handle what demands I made of it when I had a rush of blood and a desire for a more spirited run).
There are a few things I had in my 'wish list' for the VFR that Honda never brought out. In particular was just that 'little' bit more power, which makes a switch to the 1K an option.
Below are my current thoughts, and concerns, and I'd be very appreciative to hear what other people who are familiar with the VFR 750/800's (especially 6th Gen) have found when you made the switch:
I'll be honest. If Honda made a VFR1000, I'd probably jump at it. It feels like the VFR was made first for handling, and then everything else has been around that. (So it gains handling at the cost of a bigger engine, more electronics, etc). I have never purchased a bike brand new before - and it's a big committment to change. Sorry for the big post and wall of text, but I'm just wanting to gain an appreciation of what others have found who have transitioned from a VFR750/800 to the Ninja 1000 to know what I might be in for.
As per the title, I currently own a '09 VFR800. This was the bike that I learned to ride on (with the exception of dirt bikes on a farm rounding up the sheep in my younger years - and no - that's not a metaphor), and pretty much the only road bike I have ever ridden (apart from taking some friends bikes out for a short run).
I'm looking in particular for people's experience that have made the switch, what they found difficult to adjust to, what they found easy to adjust to, and their end thoughts of making the switch more than a straight comparison of the two.
I'll admit - I have an attachment to my VFR like some teenage girls have to their Justin Bieber. I love the way the bike sings, the way it looks, the way it moves, and I still scream with delight everytime I see one. :grin:
But alas - I've just found Honda have given up on them now like I've given up on Holywood ever making a new original interesting entertaining movie, so I'm looking to see what's the 'next best' option available for me.
I'm looking for some honest truths from people who have switched from the 6th Gen VFR800, to the latest Gen (2018) Ninja 1000. The good, the bad and the ugly.
I know this is a Ninja forum, so I expect a little bias here, but I'd really like to hear the 'dont likes', or 'what I miss' posts as well as 'what I love'. Not to turn me off making the switch, but just so I have a good solid idea of what I may miss as well as what I'll gain if I make the switch.
My primary concern moving away from a VFR is the way the bike handles. As mentioned, I learned on this bike. I found that it was solid on the road, just sits in the corners, and for someone who had very little experience - I was scraping my boots, and then my pegs before I knew it (without intending to). I wasn't pushing hard - and don't consider myself a 'race' rider. (I'm the kind of person who reads 'road craft' books rather than 'twist of the wrist' books - so consider myself a spirited but conservative and responsible road rider. Most of my peg scrapes have been at lower speeds too - I just love the way the VFR can dip into the corners but still feels like it's solidly connected to the road. It's a solid bike that makes me feel confident and comfortable.
So the fact that I got down to my pegs with no training, and whilst feeling comfortable speaks volumes for the way the VFR handles. It was the best of both worlds to learn on (enough power to keep me up with everyone else once I became more confident, but also a friendly bike easy to anticipate how it would handle in conditions whilst being able to handle what demands I made of it when I had a rush of blood and a desire for a more spirited run).
There are a few things I had in my 'wish list' for the VFR that Honda never brought out. In particular was just that 'little' bit more power, which makes a switch to the 1K an option.
Below are my current thoughts, and concerns, and I'd be very appreciative to hear what other people who are familiar with the VFR 750/800's (especially 6th Gen) have found when you made the switch:
- Handling. How did you find the change with the way the Ninja handles compared to the VFR? I don't care about the race track, but am interested in mountain twisties, which range from sharp through to sweepers. This is my #1 concern about switching bikes. I know the VFR - I love the VFR, and making a switch concerns me. Does the Ninja sit and feel as nice in corners, or does it require a little more or less handling?
. - Seat Position / Feel. From what I've been told the feel of sitting on the Ninja is completely different to a VFR. On my VFR800 it feels like I sit 'in' the bike, not 'on' the bike as it does with some other bikes I've tried. (Yamaha MT09 as an example). How did you find the transition of the way the Ninja feels to sit on compared to the VFR?
. - Vibrations. Is there much difference between the vibrations. I've read that some earlier models vibrate more. I do week touring at a time, on the bike all day every day so I need a bike that's going to be comfortable and not irritate me with vibrations coming from the V4?
. - Power. This is something I'm hoping for a little improvement on if I make the switch, but what's it like in the twisties.I normally ride between 3-6k reves in twisties so that a bump, accidental twist of the wrist, etc won't spit me off. One thing I've been concerned about more powerful bikes is that they are easier to 'make mistakes' on whilst in a corner and I'm just wondering if this is something that is a significant change from the VFR to Ninja 1K, or is the power only there when I really demand it, and not from a little flick of the wrist?
. - Seating position. I'm not getting any younger, and have a nigly back. CBR1000's, R1's, etc lean too much for me when I ride them. From what I can gather, the Ninja 1000 is a lot less of a lean than the VFR (nearly halves the lean). I don't mind a bit of forward lean in the VFR, and am worried that the 1K will feel more like a MT09 or Street Tripple (upright bike) than a sports tourer, and might affect the 'sports' aspect of a sports tourer feel. Can anyone who's transferred over comment on how they found the lean? Is the position still spirited enough to enjoy as a sports tourer compared to the VFR800?
. - Center stand. From what I gather, the Ninja 1000 doesn't have a center stand. This is something I'm worried about as I use my center stand all the time on my VFR800. (Not just in the garage but when out and about - it makes quick checks whilst touring so much easier). Am I the only one that uses the VFR center stand so frequently, or are their others here that used to use it all the time, and if so how did you find yourself adapting to a bike without one?
. - Reliability. One thing I loved about my VFR is that it's never let me down. Not for a moment. I know as they get older previous generations had issues with the stator / electronics although I think that was sorted in the 6th gen. The engine itself is remarkable, and owners and dealers alike have told me not to worry about valve clearance checks when scheduled, to ignore completely or at least wait double the distance first, as they're so reliable.I have no experience with Kawasaki. Are they also known for quality workmanship, or are they more about the tech/electronics?
. - And of course, anything else that stands out or comes to mind when you made the switch. I have no knowledge of the Ninja 1000. (Prior to today, I actually thought it was in the same league as CBR1000's, and R1's - so I was surprised to hear that it was more orientated to sports touring, and even significantly more upright than the VFR800).
I'll be honest. If Honda made a VFR1000, I'd probably jump at it. It feels like the VFR was made first for handling, and then everything else has been around that. (So it gains handling at the cost of a bigger engine, more electronics, etc). I have never purchased a bike brand new before - and it's a big committment to change. Sorry for the big post and wall of text, but I'm just wanting to gain an appreciation of what others have found who have transitioned from a VFR750/800 to the Ninja 1000 to know what I might be in for.