New Bike Day! Any guesses?

[jhawley]

Today's bittersweet, we've all been there. I'm de-farkling the F6b, collecting all the stuff that should go with it and prepping it to be traded tomorrow.

This was a truly great bike, but l loved almost all the bikes I've owned and enjoyed what they did well.

Well that makes me feel better about wanting one, I just don't want to sell my beloved VFR to add this to the garage.

Also for your new bike, I ended up with the Arrow Dark line slip on, not sure if its totally compatible with the cross tour, but if you do I bit of ebay searching, there is a vendor out of italy selling them, price is SUPER reasonable and shipping was only a few days. Quietest aftermarket pipe ive ever owned.

[SteveM]

Pics!

[SteveM]

A set of better pics...

[Chippertheripper]

Give us your words too.

[SteveM]

OK,

I had time to ride yesterday afternoon and a bit this morning, so these are really very early impressions.

First, the abruptness of the throttle response is not as bad as it seemed on a short test ride a week ago. As usual, it probably has more to do with me being used to the F6b and not some inherent shortcoming in the X. I have found it much smoother after 100 miles and expect it to get better.

The seat is OK so far, but the real test will come as I add distance. First step, a 100 mile trip with one stop. The ergos are otherwise terrific, reach to the bars and leg room is great (5'11") and when I stop I'm either flat footing my left leg and leaning it slightly or on the balls of both feet. Neither seen too tippy, but in one case where I stopped suddenly I could feel the weight a bit as it leaned farther than it had before.

The engine, while detuned from from the 1200f, put out immediate power down low in almost any gear and keeps it up as the revs rise without and stumbles or flat spots I could feel. It'll accelerate quickly and as long as your're not in 6th gear, downshifting to pass at any starting speed over 30 is unnecessary.

I find the suspension is harsher (duh!) than the F6b, but there's a lot of paving going on in my town and the X handles the transitions, bumps and scarred pavement with much less protest than the F6b. As I hoped, it is a good bike for bad pavement. I'll fiddle with sag and rebound as I get time, but I tend to prefer it a bit softer than most advise, as I'm just not pushing it that hard. Turn in is predictable and pretty quick, with a tight turning radius and stability at low speed. I need to get in a few parking lot sessions and practice the offset weave and 8's to get more comfortable with the dynamics of this.

On the highway, it is quieter than I expected with very good wind management. At 4,000 rpm in 6th, I'm cruising a 70 and it's almost asleep.

Aesthetically, I love the look and the sounds, The exhaust note is great and reminds me I'm riding a motorcycle, which is not what the F6b sounded like. So far I'm not missing the audio, as the sound of the V4 is reminding me why I ride.

[nhbubba]

The beak looks way better in black than in red. I straddled a red one at IMS back in December and was impressed with the bike. Although not entirely with the aesthetics. The black helps that!

Good to hear they've tuned some V4 exhaust into it. Got passed by an ST1300 while out cycling the other day. You could be completely fooled into thinking that bike is not a V4. One of the highlights of a V4 engine is that sweet sound. Why fubar it honda?!

At some point once you have it reasonably broke in I'd be interested in what your real tank-tank gas mileage works out like. I hear the VFR1200F mileage kinda sucks.

[SteveM]

On the mileage front, my personal number is 40. If I can get this under day long touring conditions I'm happy.

I suspect that slow, heavy traffic and >75 on the highway will be lower.

[jhawley]

On the mileage front, my personal number is 40. If I can get this under day long touring conditions I'm happy.

I suspect that slow, heavy traffic and >75 on the highway will be lower.

I would be damn impressed, best tank I ever got was 44 according to fuelly, and I only drove 70 miles, my guess was it was an early season ride with the old lady and I was riding like a saint.

M avg mpg is 34.4 over just about 10,000 miles tracked.

[SteveM]

I'm hoping that the "detuned" motor does better

[nhbubba]

This is my worry with the VFR1200 engine. That and pain in the ass maint.

[jhawley]

maintence has not been terrible at all.

Ive changed drive shaft fluid twice, (I'm due for it shortly, but buying a house has really cut into my riding)
Oil gets changed about every 2-3 months about 5kish miles (bike HATES rotella T6, as it breaks down too quick, having greta luck with the mobil one full syn stuff, pricey though)
For some reason it eats front tires, but usually a set every 7500ish miles
I changed to a K&n filter about 2 years ago when I had the bodywork off to fix a rad leak. I'm a bit over due on cleaning it but like I said I haven't been riding much, so that will get put off till this winter,

I'm also overdue for spark plug, but #becuasehonda you have to pull all the body work off just to get to under the tank.... but those will get done this winter.

While it was in for the driveshaft recall, I wanted to do the valve check, but after hearing the cost just to inspect them, I decided to roll the dice and put it off another year, so this winter will be pricey.

One set of front brake pads last year, rears finally went out after almost 28K miles.

but looking at it big picture its been as cheap as any other bike to run, with the exception of the valve check. I'm budgeting spending about 1 grand this winter for them to go through the whole bike. In 3 years and over 30k miles that really isn't that bad.

[Garandman]

//(bike HATES rotella T6, //

T6 is full synthetic?

[nhbubba]

maintence has not been terrible at all.

...

I wanted to do the valve check, but after hearing the cost just to inspect them, I decided to roll the dice and put it off another year, so this winter will be pricey.

...

[jhawley]

I see what you did there.

Other than that damn valve check, its been no harder or more money to service compared to my wife's fz6.

But if your only doing the valves every 30K, for the average rider in new England, that's going to take a long time

[nhbubba]

Internet says the valve check interval is 16k for the VFR1200. Is that wrong? Is it 30k?

Not that it actually matters.

No kidding, whats the dealer ask for a check? Are there two figures, one for a check and another if they actually have to lift the cams and swap shims?
And have you even considered doing it yourself?