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| Motorcycle Message Board - Motorcycle USA > MotorcycleUSA.com! > Bike Reviews > 2004 Honda Interceptor | Forum Quick Jump
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vfr_mike
Registered Member
      
Date Joined Aug 2004
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 8/13/2004 2:36 PM (GMT -8) |   | For one, it's a VFR800F. There hasn't been an R model since the RC30 aka VFR750R.
The VTec implementation on the newest VFR it really called Hyper-VTec. It's just an solenoid induced oil pressure activated pin in a lifter assembly that makes 2 more valves start working. It's nothing so fancy as alternate cam timing and/or profiles. However, I am not convinced of it's long-term reliability. The 90-97 VFR motor would go 100k miles easily, and didn't really need very much in the way of valve clearance adjustment after 32k miles. The 98-02 VFR motor should have similar reliability as the big change there was moving the cam drive to the side of the motor. When you start talking about activating and deactivating lifter assemblies, thoughts of many small parts with many points of failure start occurring.
Mike
San Diego, CA
Former VFR owner | | Back to Top | | |
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flickmeister
Registered Member
Date Joined May 2004
Total Posts : 1021
| Posted 8/13/2004 4:50 PM (GMT -8) | | | I dunno. I had a '98 VFR800. It was the finest piece of machinery I ever owned. Then they came out with this new-fangled thing. More weight, less horsepower, no gear-driven cam whine (blasphemy!), and even less low & mid range power. The higher tech VTEC produced nothing in terms of real world performance. In fact, it was a step backwards. The VFR has always been Honda's declaration of their high tech capabilities. High tech for the sake of high tech is a waste if it doesn't produce significant improvements in performance. I think Honda really missed the boat here. They could have produced a real winner by increasing the displacement to the 1000cc range, dropping a few pounds, given it a more sophisticated suspension it's high price requires, and eliminated the LBS system (OK, I admit it worked great, but it was heavy, complicated, and a major project to bleed and replace brake fluid). This would give it more performance, especially in the low & mid rev range, with added horsepower, better handling, and less complication. The only complicated aspect they should have retained was the gear driven camshafts. Trust me, it ain't a real VFR without that soulful gear whine. I loved my '98, but when it got fatter, slower, uglier, and took a major personaility dive in 2001, that was it for me. Enjoy the ride. Cheers, Jack
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YellowDuck
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 4130
| Posted 8/16/2004 5:09 AM (GMT -8) | |
ECeptor said...
YellowDuck said...
And a general lack of aural stimulation. Ever heard an open piped 180° crank V-4? No, but I sure would like to. I have to admit that the noise is important to me. With the open airbox and cored cans on my duc, for me it is about 1/3 sportbike, 1/3 work of art and 1/3 musical instrument. Not sure my neighbours always enjoy the concert, but what do they know? Stupid neighbours....
I can't complain...but sometimes I still do.
Life's been good to me so far.
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ianisme
Typical Bloody Brit!
Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 8110
| Posted 8/16/2004 2:05 PM (GMT -8) | | | Funny isn't it, how everybody rates the old 750 and nobody much likes the 800? I count myself amongst the crowd here too. What I want to know is why isn't Honda listening to its customers (both past and present)? Bring back the old gear driven lump, reduce the weight by 100lbs, bore it out to 1000cc or thereabouts and watch those suckers fly out of the showrooms! How about somebody at MCUSA contacting a spokeman for Honda and putting that proposal to them?
In summary:- Old VFR - yummy!, New VFR - Yaawwwnnnnnnn!
If only it was this easy
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G-Man
Registered Member
Date Joined Aug 2004
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 8/17/2004 8:32 PM (GMT -8) | | My wife & I hired a near new VTEC VFR 800 for 3 weeks riding in the
Alpes & the Dolomites. We travelled light but still had two panniers
full of gear & a tank bag as well as the two of us. The bike handles
well in very steep and tight twisty roads (1st, 2nd & 3rd gears most of the time), was really comfortable and
is a really good size. Very important too is that it is comfortable
for the pillion - the pillion seat is also high enough that the pillion
can see over your head.
Having said that after doing approx 7500km on the VFR, I would not buy
the VTEC model as I found there to be very little power down low (below
7000rpm), plenty of power up top BUT the transition between the two was
really poor and difficult to ride smoothly. VTEC seems like technology for the sake of technology to me. Stick a Yamaha FZ1 engine (or similar) in the VFR and it would be heaps better. | | Back to Top | | |
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1KPerDay
The Avocado of Death
Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 5481
| Posted 8/18/2004 8:31 AM (GMT -8) | |
Kansas said...Whats your stink with VTEC 1kPerDay? It seems to work good in ol' Honda cars... Something I should know about VTEC in a bike?
Only if you want to do your own valve adjustments. 
I think the VFRs, past and current, are great bikes. I almost bought a 2000 but went for the GPz instead. I know of a certainly the new Viffers can haul the proverbial booty, as I rode pillion on one behind Freddie Spencer for two fast laps. And if that thing will go that fast with my fat proverbial booty on the back, It'll do just fine. He was going faster in the turns 2-up than I was going solo on the F4i. AMAZING. 
I just think the VTEC is useless (no gain in power versus the old motor) and needlessly complicated. The valve check/adjust procedure is like 5 pages long, and you have to remove and install the CAMS about 4 times. Nooooooooooooooooo thank you. 
"Sexual orientation means nothing in post-apocalyptic Australia. If it moves, rape it."
--1K | | Back to Top | | |
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figbuck
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 423
| Posted 8/19/2004 7:56 AM (GMT -8) | | I just saw a '95 in a driveway for $4500. Guy just bought a new Goldwing and had a garage full of Quads with sand paddle tires that he trailers to the dunes down on the south Oregon coast with his motor home... lots of toys.
It was very clean, 45K, needs tires and chain. It has been serviced by the dealer and the next major service interval is 64K.
I was thinking... $500 for a Fox Shock, $200 or $300 to go through the forks, $100 for braided lines, $400 for tires and a chain...
So, maybe $6k for a bike that handles and will smoke a new one for $11K OTD. Cheaper insurance too. | | Back to Top | | |
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figbuck
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2003
Total Posts : 423
| Posted 8/19/2004 12:06 PM (GMT -8) | | | The stock shock and springs lasted me about 20k before they were toast. When I changed them out, I wished I would have done it at 10K. Hey, it's more about how and where you ride. | | Back to Top | | |
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