Who Rode Today?

DougE said:
How does the VFR compare the Busa? When I was looking to upgrade from a CBR 300, it was between these two bikes.
Click to expand...

I was reminded today after mostly riding the busa since I bought it that the VFR is more upright , my leg position is more natural, and it is a bit more comfortable, of course comparing them stock. The Hayabusa being larger and wider, the seat has that aspect of being more comfortable in the same way that the VFR wins over a CBR.

Nothing beats the VFR engine. I love hearing it, feeling it, I love the cam gear whine of this generation and I enjoy rowing through the gears. I gave it the Italian tune-up today and 11,000 just sounds crazy cool. I am not crazy about inline-4 engines because...everything on the road has one! The V4 bikes are very special in this regard.

I got the Hayabusa after, as we do, getting bored with the power of the VFR. I liked the VFR1200 as a great reliable V4 with more power but it is shaft drive (seriously Honda?) and all of these VFRs have an itty-bitty aftermarket. So for the power and ironically aftermarket (ironic as I have not made any changes) I got the Hayabusa.

This 2017 is like riding a Lexus. Shifting, fueling, everything is completely refined. So the older VFR which has Honda's first fuel injection is raw and visceral by comparison. On the Hayabusa there is no rowing through the gears. I guess if I changed the sprockets significantly I could do that, but cruising around town happens in second gear. You feel that effect in spades. You could rev the 300 all day long but now have to find a high speed area to use third gear. That is the irony of the higher power bike, it loses a bit of that magic.

I cannot recall what I wrote about the VFR but my Hayabusa review was extensive so check it out as well:

www.hayabusa.org

First impressions of my 2017 Hayabusa | New Owners Forum

HayaWakened said, "Enjoy it, and let the forum know your adventures!" So not very adventurous but here it is. I just got my first ride on my Hayabusa. Weather.com had predicted 0% precipitation from 7 AM to 10 AM and then definitive storms moving in. I launched somewhere about 7:45 or 8 AM (the...
www.hayabusa.org www.hayabusa.org
 
sixpack577 said:
I tried to get by the D-Day Memorial last week, but couldn't, so I stopped by on my way back today(it's about 30 minutes from my house).
Sad and surreal, that we are passing from a time when these men tell stories, til when the stories are all that's left.
The movie 'Saving Private Ryan' is based on the Bedford Boys.
It's 15 minutes from the Peaks of Otter, both in Bedford, Va.

View attachment 1652229

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Click to expand...
I thought that movie was based on the Sullivan family?
 
Hayabusa Wannabe said:
I was reminded today after mostly riding the busa since I bought it that the VFR is more upright , my leg position is more natural, and it is a bit more comfortable, of course comparing them stock. The Hayabusa being larger and wider, the seat has that aspect of being more comfortable in the same way that the VFR wins over a CBR.

Nothing beats the VFR engine. I love hearing it, feeling it, I love the cam gear whine of this generation and I enjoy rowing through the gears. I gave it the Italian tune-up today and 11,000 just sounds crazy cool. I am not crazy about inline-4 engines because...everything on the road has one! The V4 bikes are very special in this regard.

I got the Hayabusa after, as we do, getting bored with the power of the VFR. I liked the VFR1200 as a great reliable V4 with more power but it is shaft drive (seriously Honda?) and all of these VFRs have an itty-bitty aftermarket. So for the power and ironically aftermarket (ironic as I have not made any changes) I got the Hayabusa.

This 2017 is like riding a Lexus. Shifting, fueling, everything is completely refined. So the older VFR which has Honda's first fuel injection is raw and visceral by comparison. On the Hayabusa there is no rowing through the gears. I guess if I changed the sprockets significantly I could do that, but cruising around town happens in second gear. You feel that effect in spades. You could rev the 300 all day long but now have to find a high speed area to use third gear. That is the irony of the higher power bike, it loses a bit of that magic.

I cannot recall what I wrote about the VFR but my Hayabusa review was extensive so check it out as well:

www.hayabusa.org

First impressions of my 2017 Hayabusa | New Owners Forum

HayaWakened said, "Enjoy it, and let the forum know your adventures!" So not very adventurous but here it is. I just got my first ride on my Hayabusa. Weather.com had predicted 0% precipitation from 7 AM to 10 AM and then definitive storms moving in. I launched somewhere about 7:45 or 8 AM (the...
www.hayabusa.org www.hayabusa.org
Click to expand...
I've never heard anything bad about a VFR...ever....even the 1200, lots of people who tour like shaft drive as they don't have to worry about a chain...

I personally didn't care much for the appearance of the 1200 though.

A VFR like you have is a great looking machine and Honda should still be making one. They also should never have given up on the Super Blackbird either...
 
DSC_0573.JPG


Had a late model VFR. Didn't have it long. Great for comfort and smoothness.
But I found I was ringing its neck most of the time to get the 2nd set of cams to kick in.
Sounded amazing, just didn't have enough go for me. And two up became a nightmare
 
Bumblebee said:
They also should never have given up on the Super Blackbird either...
Click to expand...
I used to ride with quite a few B’Bird owners and I’ve had one myself.
The end of the Bird didn’t do Honda any favours. Whilst Suzuki and Kawasaki evolved their models and kept the Busa and ZX owners happy whilst pulling in a few more, the change from Bird to VFR12 wasn’t welcomed by a lot of Honda owners I know.

Not knocking the VFR, it’s a great bike and ideal for some folk, but it’s not an alternative choice to the Suzuki and Kawasaki the B’Bird was. An evolution of the Bird wouldn’t have been rocket science, big bore, modern suspension and electrics etc, but Honda went in an entirely different route.

Im sure the VFR found new fans but the end of the Bird certainly lost some.

I love Sports Tourers, I’ve had ZZR1100, ZX12R, several Busa’s, a H2 SX SE and a Blackbird but for a lot of folk like me who like big bore sporty chain drive inline 4’s the end of the Blackbird was a sad day and the VFR was not on the radar.

3E93A220-61F1-4D82-B041-4C96C8E5AF49.jpeg
 
Bumblebee said:
I thought that movie was based on the Sullivan family?
Click to expand...

I don't remember the family name, but they were from Bedford, Va.
Another reason the memorial is there.
It was raining(and eventually poured on me, and I dried out, lol), otherwise I would've taken my phone out of the case for better picture quality, I'm sorry the markers can't be read.

This one is dedicated to the Bedford boys

20220612_133426.jpg
 
WuzzaCBXRider said:
The Sullivans were sailors aboard the USS Juneau when it was sunk killing all five brothers in 1942. Since then the rule has been that no family members can be forcibly deployed together in a war zone. Imagine their parents getting notice that all five were KIA. :confused:
Click to expand...

As 4 of the 5 Bedford brothers were killed in combat...the 5th was 'Private Ryan'...and why the Army sent a unit to bring him home.
 
Tony Nitrous said:
I used to ride with quite a few B’Bird owners and I’ve had one myself.
The end of the Bird didn’t do Honda any favours. Whilst Suzuki and Kawasaki evolved their models and kept the Busa and ZX owners happy whilst pulling in a few more, the change from Bird to VFR12 wasn’t welcomed by a lot of Honda owners I know.

Not knocking the VFR, it’s a great bike and ideal for some folk, but it’s not an alternative choice to the Suzuki and Kawasaki the B’Bird was. An evolution of the Bird wouldn’t have been rocket science, big bore, modern suspension and electrics etc, but Honda went in an entirely different route.

Im sure the VFR found new fans but the end of the Bird certainly lost some.

I love Sports Tourers, I’ve had ZZR1100, ZX12R, several Busa’s, a H2 SX SE and a Blackbird but for a lot of folk like me who like big bore sporty chain drive inline 4’s the end of the Blackbird was a sad day and the VFR was not on the radar.

View attachment 1652253
Click to expand...
It sure wouldn't have taken much for Honda to bring the Blackbird up to the standard of the Suzuki or Kawasaki....sad they just let it go...it was right on the heels of the other two.

I almost bought one once-it was close but I ended up with a Gixxer 1k instead as I was and am a Suzuki guy I guess...
 
Bumblebee said:
It sure wouldn't have taken much for Honda to bring the Blackbird up to the standard of the Suzuki or Kawasaki....sad they just let it go...it was right on the heels of the other two.

I almost bought one once-it was close but I ended up with a Gixxer 1k instead as I was and am a Suzuki guy I guess...
Click to expand...
Hondas are good, but have little to no personality.
Suzukis on the other hand…. well…
 
Went out for a wee ride today...lots of traffic on my backroads and the wind picked up which sucked...

The Bumblebee coming out of the hive looking to go sniff a few flowers.....

I stopped by a gas station to top up when a fellow came over to look over the bike,

"Suzuki?" he says...
I said "it is indeed"..
.he said "what's it a 600 or something"
I said "or something"...then forgot I put the raised lettering on the tail...once he saw that he said "Yep, or something, it must be a rocket"

I said "it will keep up to the speed limit fairly easily"...he was still chuckling on his way back to his car saying "I'll just bet!"

IMG_0403.JPG


IMG_0402.JPG
 
Bumblebee said:
Went out for a wee ride today...lots of traffic on my backroads and the wind picked up which sucked...

The Bumblebee coming out of the hive looking to go sniff a few flowers.....

I stopped by a gas station to top up when a fellow came over to look over the bike,

"Suzuki?" he says...
I said "it is indeed"..
.he said "what's it a 600 or something"
I said "or something"...then forgot I put the raised lettering on the tail...once he saw that he said "Yep, or something, it must be a rocket"

I said "it will keep up to the speed limit fairly easily"...he was still chuckling on his way back to his car saying "I'll just bet!"

View attachment 1652395

View attachment 1652396
Click to expand...
You forgot the 40
 
Those pieces of CF were the result of my desire to get all CF parts to replace the OEM stuff...just those two signal light pods were over $300....that pretty much cooled off my desires....

All said and done, minus the tank, it was going to run me over $5k to CF the bike's bodywork...although the box the pods came in weighed more than they did.
 
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