HONDA VFR1200F, ....as reported by NYTimes Options

[euphonius]

we don't have these here in China.......



Taking Sportbike Power to the Open Road

Taking Sportbike Power to the Open Road
By STUART F. BROWN
Middlefield, Mass.

SHOULD you be concerned that Honda’s recent focus on hybrid cars, business jets and stair-climbing robots will hamper its ability to produce brilliantly engineered motorcycles, the arrival of the 2010 VFR1200F may provide some reassurance.

Here is a machine bristling with innovation, with a lusty V-4 engine reconfigured specifically to make more room for the rider; an optional paddle-shift dual-clutch gearbox, the first in a motorcycle; and a dual-layer fairing that Honda says has been shaped to improve high-speed handling.

The VFR1200F occupies a narrow niche of Honda’s line of sport motorcycles, sandwiched between the racetrack-ready CBR1000RR and the sport-touring ST1300. Yet it is different enough from those bikes to justify its existence.

With a full tank of gas, the VFR is about 150 pounds heavier than the hard-edged CBR, and its wider handlebars, placed closer to the rider, give it a riding position that is far more humane. At the same time, the VFR’s performance sets it apart from sport-touring competitors that place more emphasis on comfort and luggage capacity.

Naturally, Honda has crammed an impressive array of leading-edge features into the VFR package, including drive-by-wire throttle control, linked antilock brakes and a cleverly positioned shaft-drive system engineered to keep the wheelbase from growing to unreasonable lengths.

But even with all of Honda’s meticulous attention to detail, there are times when the whole of the VFR seems to be less than the sum of its parts — an overall feeling that these subsystems do not always work in harmony. And then there’s the aesthetic matter of the VFR’s huge wedge of a muffler and its Y-shaped headlight, both of which struck a few onlookers as eyesores.

Some riders will surely be drawn to the new VFR by its engine layout alone; Honda has a three-decade tradition of building V-4s for racing, sport riding and even cruisers. The 1,237 cc engine produces 145 horsepower (as measured by Cycle World magazine), delivering fierce acceleration (zero to 60 in 2.6 seconds). A hefty amount of torque is available from about 4,000 r.p.m. upward.

Honda engineers have tried all manner of cylinder angles and crankshaft arrangements over the years, mostly settling on a 90-degree angle between the cylinders for the V-4 models, a layout that offers virtually vibration-free running. The VFR1200F engine is another animal altogether, with its cylinders set at a 76-degree angle to each other. The resulting dynamics produce a somewhat raspy feel and an exhaust note unlike earlier V-4s, but little objectionable vibration.

There is more novelty to this engine. The front cylinders are wide apart, with the rear pair nestled between, narrowing the aft end of the engine and giving the rider a more comfortable perch and shorter reach to the ground when stopped. This ergonomic setup really works, making the bike feel smaller and lighter than it actually is.

A factor contributing to the VFR1200’s weight is its use of shaft drive — a feature once felt to bolster a motorcycle’s image of dependability — rather than a chain. A driveshaft carries penalties in cost and weight, but the VFR’s drive system was so well done that I almost forgot that it was there.

The suspension works well enough to keep the bike stable while traversing bumps, but it is excessively harsh in comparison with models from competitors that come factory-equipped with premium forks and shock absorbers. The VFR’s brakes are sophisticated, combining antilock electronics with a linking feature that balances grip front and back, depending on whether the front brake lever, the rear brake pedal or both are being applied.

In the complaints department, my test bike, No. 18 off the production line, had a distracting engine jerkiness when rolling the throttle open from idle. Adjusting the throttle cable did not cure this; Honda said that recalibrating this bike’s electronic engine control should banish the annoyance.

At $15,999 the VFR1200F costs $1,600 more than a pure sportbike like the CBR1000RR (when equipped with antilock brakes), and $1,700 less than the ST1300 ABS sport-touring model; optional hard saddlebags for the VFR cost $1,400.

Honda’s intent to catch the attention of riders who might want something between the existing categories is perhaps a good marketing strategy, though that is not a large population. Sure, the VFR outpowers many entries in the sport-touring class, but there is also a risk that power-hungry riders will walk right past it and sign up for a sportbike without pausing to learn the charms of this hard-to-classify machine.