MAN! You are riding a 270kg behemoth - and the fact you are even competing in that level is undoubtedly a massive testament to the sheer brilliance of this bike! THE VFR 1200 is one of the MOST underrated bikes yet- even in 2021- it is still such a torque-monster powerhouse beast- NOT full tourer, not 100% pure race track - BUT DOES BOTH BETTER THAN MOST !! IN A SUPER COMFORTABLE SEAT & RIDE POSITION- A must have in any true bikers stable! FOR £ 6500 ( you can get a very neat low mileage 2014 vs ) you WILL NOT FIND ANYTHING CLOSE TO COMPETE AT EVEN DOUBLE THE PRICE- A thoroughly well designed piece of engineering brilliance!
I know its and old video. Here because I just picked up a 2012 VFR. I will do trackdays. Have many laps on various tracks on the East side. It's a dream of mine to lap Laguna Seca. You've shown the bike is capable. Hope I'm up to the task!
Congrats on your 2012 VFR, absolutely fantastic bike, it is a heavy bike but feels much more light and nimble thru the turns plus it is rock solid stable at speed, you will have fun, enjoy!
I have one too and it doesn't get embarrassed at track days here at Oz. 3:37 - Loved it how the slow dude was balking you in the corkscrew so you sailed around the outside - ala Stoner Vs Rossi!! (hahaha)
9 of 45 riders crashed? I guess some people don't know their limits! Nice riding. I was looking at this bike as a second bike purchase and like that it has an automatic version. I love shifting, but honestly I can see so many advantages to focusing on handling/braking without bringing shifting in to the equation.
A few people I've talked to that have the DCT version think it works really well and they like it! It would be interesting to see how one did on the track.
Just too expensive when new I guess. I love mine but when new it was around the same price as the BMW k1300s which had all the electronics and maybe even more power.
Nice ride...I can hear a few scraps against bitumen in sharp corners , and I am all too familiar with it. The VFR 1200F doesn't scrap the foot pegs but the part of the exhaust under the frame on the right side , and the pointy bottom end of the side stand pivot point on the left side of the bike...... Do yourself a favour , and buy the rear shock link replacement that is jacking up the back end for 35mm. It only cost 35 Euros from Germany ( bikefarmMV Motorradtechnic or something like that ), it will give you more ground clearance , sharpen up the front end and point into tho corner easier, make the steering a bit lighter . It will also effectively change the preload on the rear shock and make it a bit firmer , just as it should be and will work in pair with front fork . It will still accomodate factory centre stand if you wish to have one , or after market exhaust . It is all good news as long as you are not a midget , and you can reach the ground with your feet as the seat is about 30mm higher than standard.
enjoyed that, I also have the DCT. in sports mode its fast enough for me. Looking at the speeds you reached in 2nd & 3rd I get the impression yours is not 'standard' ?? Guhl flashed ECU
I don't know if the gearing is different on the DCT, but mine is pretty much stock except for a DAM pipe, de-catted, and a regular Guhl flash, nothing special, increased redline by 500rpm, which I think is standard.
I just installed Ohlins NIX30 carts and had Ohlins rear shock installed last year - you can smoke any sport liter with this setup. Nice skills there mate! BTW - Guhl reflash? Tacho spins to 11k :>
vmeansvelocity true. I haven't very big sport attitudes but I putted on the same Ohlins setup five years ago (a few weeks ago I had to recharge and set up the whole) and after 70.000 km I love it as the first day
+magnusx99 wow. So it will actually pull to 186 or that's the theoretical topspeed? I currently have vfr750 and researching next bike. Want more power and touring, but not get walked by superbikes like now.
IMO anyone complaining about VTEC is riding the bike the wrong way. Not to be offensive to you magnus, but Marcel you aren't suppose to to slow down letting the bike RPMs drop below VTEC. You're either going to have to ride slow and just enjoy the ride or stop being lazy , downshift, and rev match before entering the turn. I Own both 800/1200 VFR currently and will own them both till I can buy a Superduke GT and a cheap track bike. The 800 does not reward indecisiveness. Ride it hard and find the right gears for the riding you plan and you'll never hit VTEC, but if you're riding like Magnus here not changing enough gears before you corner... you're going to Float back and forth between VTEC. Again, I'm sorry Magnus and I really hated to call you out on that, but I hate people knocking the VTEC 800 more. I hope you understand and you're still a good rider.
@ Marcel Van Dijk I'm going to make the assumption you live in Europe. If at all possible I'd like to throw a few more bikes for you to check out. VFR1200- Pros it was a global failure. Dealers sell them dirt cheap. Bought mine for 6k with less thank 6k miles on it. What Sucks about it? Though it makes decent power and has a linear power band... it's really heavy and Fuel range is my god horrible. Yet, right now it's a stupid good deal and should be even on the other side of the world. Ninja 1000 or Z1000sx- Lighter, better fuel range, better hard cases, better tech to keep you safe, but will be slightly down on power. Rumor has it that you can get close to 140rwhp wit exhaust and ECu reflash which puts it in vfr1200 range. Obviously you know about the Superduke GT. It just does everything the VFR1200 does better, but it's godly expensive. BMWS1000XR- Haven't ridden yet, but I hear it's comfortable and power. Puts out 150rwhp and should be a lot easier to handle than the VFR1200 and more comfortable Ducati multistrada and Supersport are another two that may interest you. With the Supersport being an upgraded VFR800 Lastly, GSXS-1000F- I'm not sure what they call this bike oversees, but it has the same premise as the others.
Looking at the video it seems I should of stayed on the gas more approaching the turns, but from the cockpit it felt like I was coming up on the corners way too fast, I wasn't 100% confident the VFR brakes were going to slow me down enough in time, they were sizzling hot!
magnusx99 I noticed that you favoured 3rd gear through the transition of turns go up a gear and absolutely rely on those front 12 piston calipers as they are fail proof with no fade at all.
That VFR V4 motor has so much roll-on power I didn't need to shift much, I agree, definitely should power up to the turns a lot harder and use the brakes more.
magnusx99 I'm Australian and live in the state with Philip Island that Ive ridden mine at and it's a revelation as to what can be achieved with this great bike that does not lack in torque or it's ferocious brakes in riding. My comment originally was as an observation and not a criticism
Honda missed the mark with this bike and the riding public have spoken through not buying them. It's almost as though Honda had too much money in research and development and needed a chassis to plonk their engine in to recoup some of it back. Some commenters have talked about great linear power bands and I reckon using that terminology when talking about the VFR just means they're from Mars. To 3000 rpm the engine has all the same characteristics of a diesel and up to 6000 rpm it's not a whole lot better. Ok over 6000rpm it'll rip your arms out of their sockets but not for long at 2 k's per litre roughly 40k's/25 miles per tank. So from a standing start you're going to over rev it to stop it chugging and possibly stalling which becomes real important if you have any sort of lock on because it gets real heavy in a hurry. You are never going to ride at less than 3000rpm, so around town you'll be on the cusp between 2nd and 3rd gear seemingly revving its head off going nowhere. I own a 2015 F and I'm totally over all the jibes about how it sounds like a leaf blower. There's no defence to that though because it's true. Taking the engine out of the equation the rest of the bike is absolutely brilliant right off the showroom floor. Handles like a dream and the shaft drive is un noticeable. Oh and some half sucked aniseed ball decided to swap around the indicators and horn on the left switch block. The CBR 1100xx with it's suspension done up is probably a better bike overall and I own one of those too. So I use the VFR as an exciting commuter and go out to play on the weekends riding the Blackbird. What do I know?
I have a 2006 CBR1000RR I ride now as well and the difference is huge, the CBR is all top end power, pulls really hard after 8K rpm, but has very weak roll-on power anything under 6K, so requires a lot of shifting. The VFR is much easier to ride, I can put in 4th and ride through the canyons with one hand, it has so much grunt and mid range power that shifting is not necessary, other riders folowing me have commented that they can see the rear wheel spinning when I exit my turns and that is at a modest 4-6K rpm's most of the time. I did have the ECU re-mapped by GuhlMotors.com and they took out the notorious flat spot in the 1st and 2nd gear powerband and made the power much more smooth and predictable. I have not had any chugging problems, you would have to literally be under 2K rpm with this bike and then open the throttle 100% to run into that issue. The suspension on the VFR is superb; firm, smooth and rock solid stable, riding the VFR is a joy, it feels much more light and nimble once you are moving and you forget that it is a nearly 600 pound bike. I have owned a number of V4 bikes and love the sound, but to each his own.
So you're saying the engine is the worst bit about the bike...? I'd say it's the best😂 oh and I agree on the exhaust note as standard, but I've got an aftermarket exhaust on mine and I actually quite like it. It sounds pretty mean at low revs using the torque, and then just above thatbit kind of sounds a bit flat, almost like a BMW boxer engine, but then the V4 howl comes in and that's nice. I had a Triumph Tiger 1200 with an exhaust and no baffle and that thing sounded awesome and was I intoxicating so it's hard to beat that sound, but the V4 is different and I still like it
MAN! You are riding a 270kg behemoth - and the fact you are even competing in that level is undoubtedly a massive testament to the sheer brilliance of this bike! THE VFR 1200 is one of the MOST underrated bikes yet- even in 2021- it is still such a torque-monster powerhouse beast- NOT full tourer, not 100% pure race track - BUT DOES BOTH BETTER THAN MOST !! IN A SUPER COMFORTABLE SEAT & RIDE POSITION- A must have in any true bikers stable! FOR £ 6500 ( you can get a very neat low mileage 2014 vs ) you WILL NOT FIND ANYTHING CLOSE TO COMPETE AT EVEN DOUBLE THE PRICE- A thoroughly well designed piece of engineering brilliance!
K1300s better bike
No its not
I know its and old video. Here because I just picked up a 2012 VFR. I will do trackdays. Have many laps on various tracks on the East side. It's a dream of mine to lap Laguna Seca. You've shown the bike is capable. Hope I'm up to the task!
Congrats on your 2012 VFR, absolutely fantastic bike, it is a heavy bike but feels much more light and nimble thru the turns plus it is rock solid stable at speed, you will have fun, enjoy!
Stuff of legends throwing a 275 kg Sports tourer around putting the wind up sports bike. I owned one and loved the V4.
I have the DCT version its quite happy cruising around but it can still put a big smile on your face when you ask it to :)
I have one too and it doesn't get embarrassed at track days here at Oz. 3:37 - Loved it how the slow dude was balking you in the corkscrew so you sailed around the outside - ala Stoner Vs Rossi!! (hahaha)
Nice to hear about another VFR1200 on the track, it is a great machine, the roll-on V4 power lights up my day every-time!
Nice vid mate. Great lean angles and smooth running. I have the DCT version, both variants are truly amazing bikes. Honda's best kept secret?
Bloody nice run, dude !
Same here ....The only bike that was slowly edging away from me on a 2015 VFR 1200F was a BMW S100RR with a competent rider on board....
Honda Powersports should have had your video as a sales and marketing tool .......plus I think you might hold the lap record on the Ortega Hwy !
9 of 45 riders crashed? I guess some people don't know their limits! Nice riding. I was looking at this bike as a second bike purchase and like that it has an automatic version. I love shifting, but honestly I can see so many advantages to focusing on handling/braking without bringing shifting in to the equation.
A few people I've talked to that have the DCT version think it works really well and they like it! It would be interesting to see how one did on the track.
Great skills! I'm super impressed. I have the same bike (same mods too) and I could never toss the big Viffer around with that degree of competency.
It was a lot of fun at Laguna Seca, awesome track!
What an awesome bike. A perfect supersport tourer for the highways, canyons and weekend track days.
Why discontinue this marvel Honda? Why?
An amazing, fun, reliable, all-around great motorcycle, I love my VFR1200!
Just too expensive when new I guess. I love mine but when new it was around the same price as the BMW k1300s which had all the electronics and maybe even more power.
But that Honda reliabilty vs BMW...takes a special kinda bank account to properly own BMWs lol
Nice ride...I can hear a few scraps against bitumen in sharp corners , and I am all too familiar with it. The VFR 1200F doesn't scrap the foot pegs but the part of the exhaust under the frame on the right side , and the pointy bottom end of the side stand pivot point on the left side of the bike...... Do yourself a favour , and buy the rear shock link replacement that is jacking up the back end for 35mm. It only cost 35 Euros from Germany ( bikefarmMV Motorradtechnic or something like that ), it will give you more ground clearance , sharpen up the front end and point into tho corner easier, make the steering a bit lighter . It will also effectively change the preload on the rear shock and make it a bit firmer , just as it should be and will work in pair with front fork . It will still accomodate factory centre stand if you wish to have one , or after market exhaust . It is all good news as long as you are not a midget , and you can reach the ground with your feet as the seat is about 30mm higher than standard.
I'll check it out!
Dustin' sucka's and smackin' bitches with a sport tourer! Nice job!!!
Nice work!
enjoyed that, I also have the DCT. in sports mode its fast enough for me. Looking at the speeds you reached in 2nd & 3rd I get the impression yours is not 'standard' ?? Guhl flashed ECU
I don't know if the gearing is different on the DCT, but mine is pretty much stock except for a DAM pipe, de-catted, and a regular Guhl flash, nothing special, increased redline by 500rpm, which I think is standard.
+magnusx99 I had Guhl put a pc5 fuel map on mine.He claimed it adds 10bhp.
Nice!
Nice riding ! I see U had to steer clear of some squids who don't understand lines just so they didn't crash into U. LOL!
Great vid mate but the VCfr never got out of 4Rth
Any chance you remember your suspension settings at the time you made this video?
Love seeing my bike in action. Was it stock?
Stock suspension, Dunlop Q3 Sportmax front and back, DAM exhaust, ECU upgrade by Don Guhl, everything else stock.
@@magnusx99 thanks for the info!
9 crashed? holy shit lol. Anyway nice riding
Con la terza marcia non è possibile che andavi così piano
My next bike
Love watching your vid mate. What tyres were you using on the day? Were you running with upgraded suspension?
Stock suspension, Dunlop Q3 Sportmax front and back.
I just installed Ohlins NIX30 carts and had Ohlins rear shock installed last year - you can smoke any sport liter with this setup. Nice skills there mate!
BTW - Guhl reflash? Tacho spins to 11k :>
vmeansvelocity true. I haven't very big sport attitudes but I putted on the same Ohlins setup five years ago (a few weeks ago I had to recharge and set up the whole) and after 70.000 km I love it as the first day
Hi Magnus, any mods to the bike?
Great ride!
Pretty much stock except for a slip-on DAM exhaust, de-catted, and a ECU flash by Guhl Motors.
Dude was like slow down don't pass me lol
Great video, Guhl reflash?
Yes, more linear power in 1st and 2nd, removed the top speed limiter, increased redline by 500rpm, very nice upgrade.
+magnusx99 yeah I love mine, keeps up with the sports bikes, I need to do a track day.
+magnusx99 what is the unlimited topspeed now without the restriction?
Stock the VFR is limited to 155mph, after the reflash top speed at the new redline of 10,750rpm is 186mph
+magnusx99 wow. So it will actually pull to 186 or that's the theoretical topspeed? I currently have vfr750 and researching next bike. Want more power and touring, but not get walked by superbikes like now.
the beast
does it vtec? i own a vfr 800, i love it, but i dont like the vtec kicking in. this 1200 seems to go more linear.
Yes, the VFR1200 is very linear, much more so then a regular inline 4 and there is no VTEC, just great power all the way through the powerband.
thank you for your reply :) now i really want one !!!
IMO anyone complaining about VTEC is riding the bike the wrong way. Not to be offensive to you magnus, but Marcel you aren't suppose to to slow down letting the bike RPMs drop below VTEC. You're either going to have to ride slow and just enjoy the ride or stop being lazy , downshift, and rev match before entering the turn. I Own both 800/1200 VFR currently and will own them both till I can buy a Superduke GT and a cheap track bike. The 800 does not reward indecisiveness. Ride it hard and find the right gears for the riding you plan and you'll never hit VTEC, but if you're riding like Magnus here not changing enough gears before you corner... you're going to Float back and forth between VTEC.
Again, I'm sorry Magnus and I really hated to call you out on that, but I hate people knocking the VTEC 800 more. I hope you understand and you're still a good rider.
Texarmageddon i dont like to shift allot. maybe ill buy a 1200 in the futere :) supeduke looks awesome!
@ Marcel Van Dijk I'm going to make the assumption you live in Europe. If at all possible I'd like to throw a few more bikes for you to check out.
VFR1200- Pros it was a global failure. Dealers sell them dirt cheap. Bought mine for 6k with less thank 6k miles on it. What Sucks about it? Though it makes decent power and has a linear power band... it's really heavy and Fuel range is my god horrible. Yet, right now it's a stupid good deal and should be even on the other side of the world.
Ninja 1000 or Z1000sx- Lighter, better fuel range, better hard cases, better tech to keep you safe, but will be slightly down on power. Rumor has it that you can get close to 140rwhp wit exhaust and ECu reflash which puts it in vfr1200 range.
Obviously you know about the Superduke GT. It just does everything the VFR1200 does better, but it's godly expensive.
BMWS1000XR- Haven't ridden yet, but I hear it's comfortable and power. Puts out 150rwhp and should be a lot easier to handle than the VFR1200 and more comfortable
Ducati multistrada and Supersport are another two that may interest you. With the Supersport being an upgraded VFR800
Lastly, GSXS-1000F- I'm not sure what they call this bike oversees, but it has the same premise as the others.
You would have nailed that S1000RR if your lines were tighter and you would have braked a little later...
Nice ride though .. :-)
Looking at the video it seems I should of stayed on the gas more approaching the turns, but from the cockpit it felt like I was coming up on the corners way too fast, I wasn't 100% confident the VFR brakes were going to slow me down enough in time, they were sizzling hot!
magnusx99 I noticed that you favoured 3rd gear through the transition of turns go up a gear and absolutely rely on those front 12 piston calipers as they are fail proof with no fade at all.
That VFR V4 motor has so much roll-on power I didn't need to shift much, I agree, definitely should power up to the turns a lot harder and use the brakes more.
magnusx99 I'm Australian and live in the state with Philip Island that Ive ridden mine at and it's a revelation as to what can be achieved with this great bike that does not lack in torque or it's ferocious brakes in riding. My comment originally was as an observation and not a criticism
Such a shame they didn't go ahead and make it a DOHC motor... At that weight and ridiculous fuel range I'm sure no one would have griped as much
You passed all but the last bike; what was it?
BMW S1000RR, he was fast.
Your record? Top speed?
+magnusx99
1:37 What was his problem?
He was egging me on, like 'c'mon try to catch me'
I hate pegs going down. It freaks me out
Is this the dct version?
dry509 You can see the fluid for the hydraulic clutch on the left corner, it's the manual one
オーナーです、俺のVFRもこんなに早いのか？！
pero esto?? es un principiante no por las calles se conduce mucho mas rápido
Honda missed the mark with this bike and the riding public have spoken through not buying them. It's almost as though Honda had too much money in research and development and needed a chassis to plonk their engine in to recoup some of it back. Some commenters have talked about great linear power bands and I reckon using that terminology when talking about the VFR just means they're from Mars. To 3000 rpm the engine has all the same characteristics of a diesel and up to 6000 rpm it's not a whole lot better. Ok over 6000rpm it'll rip your arms out of their sockets but not for long at 2 k's per litre roughly 40k's/25 miles per tank. So from a standing start you're going to over rev it to stop it chugging and possibly stalling which becomes real important if you have any sort of lock on because it gets real heavy in a hurry. You are never going to ride at less than 3000rpm, so around town you'll be on the cusp between 2nd and 3rd gear seemingly revving its head off going nowhere. I own a 2015 F and I'm totally over all the jibes about how it sounds like a leaf blower. There's no defence to that though because it's true. Taking the engine out of the equation the rest of the bike is absolutely brilliant right off the showroom floor. Handles like a dream and the shaft drive is un noticeable. Oh and some half sucked aniseed ball decided to swap around the indicators and horn on the left switch block. The CBR 1100xx with it's suspension done up is probably a better bike overall and I own one of those too. So I use the VFR as an exciting commuter and go out to play on the weekends riding the Blackbird. What do I know?
I have a 2006 CBR1000RR I ride now as well and the difference is huge, the CBR is all top end power, pulls really hard after 8K rpm, but has very weak roll-on power anything under 6K, so requires a lot of shifting. The VFR is much easier to ride, I can put in 4th and ride through the canyons with one hand, it has so much grunt and mid range power that shifting is not necessary, other riders folowing me have commented that they can see the rear wheel spinning when I exit my turns and that is at a modest 4-6K rpm's most of the time.
I did have the ECU re-mapped by GuhlMotors.com and they took out the notorious flat spot in the 1st and 2nd gear powerband and made the power much more smooth and predictable. I have not had any chugging problems, you would have to literally be under 2K rpm with this bike and then open the throttle 100% to run into that issue. The suspension on the VFR is superb; firm, smooth and rock solid stable, riding the VFR is a joy, it feels much more light and nimble once you are moving and you forget that it is a nearly 600 pound bike. I have owned a number of V4 bikes and love the sound, but to each his own.
So you're saying the engine is the worst bit about the bike...? I'd say it's the best😂 oh and I agree on the exhaust note as standard, but I've got an aftermarket exhaust on mine and I actually quite like it.
It sounds pretty mean at low revs using the torque, and then just above thatbit kind of sounds a bit flat, almost like a BMW boxer engine, but then the V4 howl comes in and that's nice.
I had a Triumph Tiger 1200 with an exhaust and no baffle and that thing sounded awesome and was I intoxicating so it's hard to beat that sound, but the V4 is different and I still like it
untie those horses
Spent almost all the time in 3rd gear, occasionally used 4th. Boring
More a feature of the track than the bike.
Chris Bassett yeah your uploaded track days on your playstation in your Mummy's house are a real heart thumper, dipshit