Honda VFR800

Massive VFR fan still got a 88 model and 94 model both 750 tried a few more manufacture's in the sport tourer category still come back to the Honda bought a 2015 model 800 can't not fault it the perfect all round motorcycle build quality is top notch. Having 3 VFRs in my garage and ridden every model the latest model is in my opinion the best one it's a gentleman's sport bike does everything perfect and will last a long time an excellent all round motorcycle.

I have a 2014 VFR 800F that I have had since new and while I usually use it for recreational purposes it really is the best bike I have ever had (I have had bikes since 1972). Extremely good build quality and very smooth to ride it still has plenty of power with great handling it really is a pleasure just cruising. The only thing lacking is a 12v accessory port. Fuel economy is good and I only use 95 RON unleaded fuel though you can use 91 RON unleaded but not any with ethanol. Probably not a boy racer bike but a true sports tourer that will please capable riders.

I had the vfr800f 2017 model from july’17 pretty happy with it. Paid little over 14k ride away in Victoria.
Ticked all boxes for me, super comfy to ride, heated grips, center stand, comfy pillion seating.

Only con can think of is riding in winding situation, I personally tend to little balance, can’t fully control. I may need to brush up my skill in this situation.

I bought the 1998 model as reading the write ups / reviews on the net, this is the one model VFR that most seemed to like the best. It appears to be the second hand model is the most sought after and seems to hold its price well. It is also the model that apparantely Honda based their latest model on. That is fairly obvious from the syling of the new bikes.
The bike is comfortable to ride, the seat is comfortable, although I have only ridden 2 hours non stop but found it still comfortable. The power is very adequate, and you have to be careful when passing traffic , as it is very easy to get to over 200km/hr (130m/hr) without feeling your going that fast at all, the bike is deceptively fast, possibly as the V4 fuel injected 800cc motor revs very easy with good torque in a very stress free manner. My bike has a aftermarket muffler, it sure does sound nice. The models motor is distinctive as it has a geared camshaft drive which has a slight whine as compared to the chain driven model, this sound is so "cool" , not sure why but just is. The lean forward to the bars is not as bad as I thought it would be, I get a sore neck and shoulders on sports bikes, this has not happened to me yet on this bike, ....yet. The dials are easy to read with neat round dials, speedo and rev counter, and a tidy little LCD screen for temp, odometer , trip meter, fuel etc. The suspension feels very plush and there is no hard shocks when riding over bumps, the handling is just fine for me I find it very good up tight windy hilly roads where 4 gear and 5-6000 rpm give the bike a race like feeling, with lots of torque, although max torque is developed at over 8000rpm. Never been there yet. Fuel consumption appears ok , but admit I haven't checked it for km/L.The gear box while easy to use feels a little notchy, not sure why, just not as smooth as my old Suzuki sports bike gearbox. I saying that I have not real issue with it. Neutral is easy to find. My other bikes have large engines ie 1200cc +. What I do notice is that you cannot leave the VFR in say 4th gear and slow to 40km/hr and accelerate off quickly, it gets a very lumpy hesitation feel, so you have to change down gears. This is really me being lazy and used to big motors that can easily handle this type of riding. The truth is it is 800cc and needs to be ridden through the gears. Not a complaint just me being used to larger motors. Overall the bike has been very reliable, well sorted, comfortable, good handling, nice sound, my bike has only done 35,000 km and expect it to do another 100,000 km without any major issues. All my friends that have ridden it, love it. I can only give it top points.

The VFR is a very capable all rounder. I own a 2016 8th gen (white) which I purchased in Dec 2016 and have now done 4,500km's with. I've been riding two wheels since 1995 and have owned several bikes.
I commute daily rain, hail or sunshine and have fun on the weekends every opportunity I get with this bike.
It has a great seat for both rider and pillion. I have the 45litre OEM top box fitted c/w back rest and my wife loves being on the back.

The seating position is aggressive stock, but you can lower the seat by 20mm and fit risers, available in 16,24 & 32mm (non genuine google motopumps). I've got the 24mm's fitted. It's comfortable enough to ride full to empty, and you can go close to 400kms range using 18 litres from the 21 litre tank on the open road.
The bike is heavy and you notice the weight when pushing the bike around parking. On the road it's perfectly balanced to a point where the weight is an asset. The bike can be very nimble once your used to it, and it gets better the less fuel you have in the tank.
The build quality is typical Honda which is a very good thing.

The brakes are very good. The front end is essentially the same as the Fireblade plus there is a larger than usual rear disc sitting inside that rear wheel.
Luggage is very good. I've got the 45litre top box, you can fit the OEM panniers as well and then strap a large roll up on the pillion, tank bag and any other luggage you care for. The OEM luggage is expensive but there are cheaper alternatives from Givi & Shad available.

The bike is fitted with traction control that doubles as wheelie control and dual channel ABS. The ABS is very good, light quick pulses instead of harder coarser action on cheaper bikes such as my prior Kawasaki ER-6n 2010. The wheelie control kicks in with the front wheel approx 20-30cm up. You can carry the front wheel lower than this without activating it. The traction & wheelie control can be switched off entirely via the handle bar switch.

Finally, that lovely V4 engine. It has a cross plane firing order as well as the V4 config and VTEC which is what gives this bike it's character. Loose the stock exhaust for just about any aftermarket slip on and your in for a world of audible pleasure. (I've got the Akrapovic which is a Honda part outside of AUS)
The engine delivers a useful torque band, around 50-65nm between 2,500 - 6,000 which makes plodding around the burbs easy. It's happy to cruise up steep hills in 6th gear @ 3,500rpm with a load or two up.
Then when you want to run, well just let that tacho needle keep swinging until the VTEC kicks in @ 6,900 rpm. The power delivery of the VTEC is not abrupt on the 8th gen, you certainly notice it when it kicks in.

Negatives? Yes, no bike is perfect.

The stock Dunlop D222 tyres are rubbish. I think I've heard them called the worst motorcycle tyre available. I'd agree with that. The rear looks like it will be stuffed by 9,000km's.
The auto indicators can be annoying at times. They work mostly, but there will be the odd time they turn off when they shouldn't. There is a way to disable them, search the subject on the VFR dedicated forums.
The clutch is heavier than it should be. It's hydraulic and should be lighter than it is.
The traction control is abrupt when it kicks in and it does often but that is mostly due to the woeful tyres.

Overall I am very happy with the VFR 800F. I really hope that it will last as long as the previous generations have. I don't plan on upgrading unless Honda bring out an even better VFR which will be a very hard task for Honda.

It truly is a great all-round bike that has earned a very good reliability rating and trouble free motoring. The VFR will rack up over 200,000 klms if they are serviced well. My only criticism is power delivery. I think lower end torque has been sacrificed for high levels of top end power. I'd prefer it if it was more balanced torque / power delivery.

Two months ago I became the owner of a 2013 Sixth Gen VFR800 (Stormtrooper White/Black) with 9,000 km on the clock. Having owned many bikes over the last 24 years from Suzuki, Ducati and Harley Davidson I'm finally at the point where I've got a perfect bike - the engineering of the bike, the overall performance of the engine, excellent handling, comfortable riding position and predictability is second to none. I'm looking forward to many more years of ownership.

Having owned 4 Honda vfr800fi's over the years i can happily say that this bike epitomises when honda built precision and high quality bikes. Currently have a 2000 vfr800fi otherwise known as the 5th generation model. It does just about everything perfectly. Yes it could do with another 30hp and 30nm of torque but it'll tour and play racer with the best all whilst providing a brilliant soundtrack from the v4 gear driven camshaft engine and the highrise staintune pipe.
Future classic i say.

Having previously had the VFR750 and then the VFR800 I can say these are totally awesome.
I love the riding position (relatively upright) its comfy for a pillion and a great combination of sporty performance and ability to tour for hours on end.
Its amazing how I still get comments on how good the bike looks after such a long time.
I'm now ready to upgrade and will be testing the 2015 VFR800 which I hear is even smoother

I purchased a new 2014 VFR800 in October, it now has approximately 8000 k on the clock and I love it. I have never ridden a bike that does everything I have ever asked of it in such an effortless way. It is very user friendly. So far it has not put a foot wrong. It performs almost as good with my wife on the back as well. Honda really nailed it with this bike.

I'm a casual / weekend rider for the most part and never really enjoyed my CBR500, so I went out and traded up for a VFR800 and I've felt so much more at home on it. On the CBR500, I found myself getting a sore back after only 20-30km for whatever reason, but on the VFR I can go 120km and more with no discomfort whatsoever.

The build quality seems really good and it's a nice touch to throw in the seat cowl while the center stand it pretty handy for lubing the chain. The gearbox is smooth and the breaks are fine - they stop the bike. I could do without the automatically cancelling indicators as they definitely switch off before time, periodically.

When it comes to pushing the bike around in the garage, I'm still getting used to the extra weight - 240kgs vs 160/170kgs of the previous Ninja 300 / CBR500 - although it gets easier with time. I'm not so well practiced at pulling the bike up onto the center stand either - it usually takes two or three goes to get it there.

As far as engine sound goes - and to me, sound is part of the overall experience, the VFR is a weird one as I'm a fan of the inline fours, or triples like the Daytona 675. The VFR is neither of these. It sounds kinda like a twin at idle but then gets all loud and angry when you get to around 7k RPM.

I am in the market to buy one but my local dealer will not match the interstate price. Had a test drive and YES she is good put having 3 bikes the need is lower to pay more to get one.

These bikes really are in a class of their own, usually when you blend two styles, you get the worse from both, but with the VFR you get the best. Its happy cruising, touring, commuting and hill trashing. Brakes are so good that the lack of abs doesn't seem to matter. A heavier bike but very stable, I'm neither tall nor particularly strong but manage it quite easily. The V4 power is addictive and the power band so wide gear changes are minimal. Buy one of these and you might not ever purchase another bike (ok maybe to update to the latest model)
Wide power band, comfortable, easy to ride, long life span
A little heavy, but not a struggle, other than that I'm haveing a hard time finding any fault

Great bike that performs perfectly when fully loaded I.e. top box, panniers + extras. Recently rode from Alice Springs to Sydney via Adelaide & found speed, fuel range & comfort to be A1. At slow speeds or turning from standstill bike appears heavy (im not the tallest so this maybe why). Seat height is good for shorties.
Fuel range, luggage, its a Honda (reliability) speed.
Weight at slow speeds or standstill.

I've had one less than a week. I am so impressed with how light and refined the controls are on this bike, and how easy to ride, how light and nimble it is to ride, and how responsive the motor is. It's styling is just plain sexy. Yes, I've recently owned a heavy and torquey naked touring Guzzi Breva 1200 and had a VTR1000 two years ago. I imagined the vfr to feel similar to the vtr but the vfr is so distinctly refined compared to the vfr. Even with the handling the vfr felt somewhat vague going into corners but the vfr feels more precise and surefooted. I doubt if I'll be changing my bike for the foreseeable future, especially if reliability is as reported by others. I'd considered the kwaka 1000 ninja sports-tourer and the yami fzr1/s but I wanted a more practical fuel range for what I've got planned, and the power feels more than I will need, and this will depend on what sort of weight I carry on tour or who I end up on the back, maybe? I had little idea what to expect from the vfr and can't fault it, and know that I've made the best decision for me
Styling, performance and character of the v4 engine, finesse at handling, reputation for reliability
I'm thinking, I'm thinking and can't think of anything sorry

I bought mine new in 2011, traded in my beloved 98 CBR600F3 on it. And believe me, it had to be a great bike to do that. Went for the Black & White, but it seems every man & his dog has to, But you don't see that many VFR's around anyway. Love the V4 motor, nice & lumpy, while still being smooth. Some people complain about the VTEC & Combined braking, but I love the power surge & the brakes are superb. A heavy bike at walking speed, but all disappears once your moving, holds it line in the bends, even bumpy roads won't unsettle it. Get the suspension set up for weight & style & you won't look back. Fuel economy can suffer if you really fang it, but :)
Seating set up up is very similar to my old CBR, so no new bike adjustment to get used to. There are risers available from a company in Queensland if you need more height. There are a lot of gripes out there about at certain hesitation at some RPM's, never had that problem. Also they say that the VTEC is expensive to have serviced, maybe, but since they won't need adjusted till very high mileage, if ever!!
Looks, handling, comfortable. A quality package. Its a Honda
No ABS at this stage