Given that Honda has invested the UK budget deficit in developing the new VFR1200F, I thought I would at least go and see one in the plastic, so to speak, since at least Honda have something to show for their money (complaints to the usual address, etc..).  I’m the proud owner of an admittedly tatty VFR800A-2 VTEC with 40,000 miles on the clock and this is my third VFR in my biking career.  This surely qualifies me to call myself a VFR nut and I have been looking forward to seeing what Hondas R&D department had come up with after their eight year lie-down in a darkened room listening to whale music.

Not having seen one out on the road a full fortnight after its launch, I went over to Norton Way Honda in Letchworth to see if they had one in the showroom I could look at.  I was not at all sure whether I like the looked of it in the press photos I’d seen, and the biking press were ambivalent to say the least.  Norton Way had a white demo in the window and to my surprise I was offered the keys there and then.  It being a wet weekday they had no rides booked.  The bike had only done 290 miles, so not many people had ridden it at any other time, either.

On the design, I’m still not sure.  I think of all three colours available, the silver (primer?) colour would be my choice.  The white is just a bit too, well, white, and the red is a bit too pipe and slippers for me.  It might be better in a proper Firestorm/VFR750 red, or perhaps a 2002 VTEC blue?  I leave you to ponder that one.  Build quality is as you would expect for a £12,000 Honda creation, which is probably as well because if you had parted with a quarter of a top-rate PC’s annual pay (incl. CRTP), or signed up to £190 a month for three years, with a final payment knocking on £3,400 for one, it’s the least you’d expect.

Never mind that, what about the ride?  Well to anyone who has a VFR of any vintage, the moment you sit on the VFR12, you detect that this is evolution, not revolution.  The seat is lower that the VTEC and you feel much more in than on the VFR12, the riding position feels ever so slightly more upright, more like a VFR800Fi.  The bike seemed to mould nicely to my (not insignificant) frame and I was met with clocks that add a engine temperature gauge that is permanently visible, instead of the toggle needed between air temp and engine temp on the Fi and VTEC and a gear position display (to save you having to sully your new pride and joy with an ugly Datatool 80’s style red digital effort).  Again, this would have made Darwin happy.  Easy to read, functional and unobtrusive, just like VFRs of old.  The fuel gauge showed three bars.

After a couple of figure-of-eights in the car park to get a feel for the controls (precise, snatch-free and overall beautifully balanced), it was off into the rain and mud for a run.  I headed out towards Baldock services and along some of the roads I once flew down on various driving and riding courses.  With the £2,500 excess weighing heavily on my mind, I build a rapport with the bike almost straight away.  Anyone moving from an older VFR will feel at home in the seat of a VFR12.  The power comes on in typically linear VFR-fashion and is unintimidating up to 6k rpm, where there is a noticeable (VTEC-esque?) extra helping of go and the girl digs in her rear boot and the road becomes a tarmac treadmill in fast-forward.   It’s not intimidating, mind, and it was reminiscent of the way my old (and oft-missed) CBR900RRV FireBlade laid its power down.  I’m beginning to like this.  A VFR with old carb’ed ‘Blade power?  This could be my perfect bike incarnate.

The handling is not anywhere as frisky as the old ‘Blades, though.  It is, again, typically VFR.  Predictable, constant rate of turn but this is where Honda have put the work in.  The whole package inspired confidence-a-plenty and the feedback you get through the seat of your Goretex strides and the ‘bars makes it feel like the bike is talking to you.  This machine was wearing BT021 tyres, which are not to my personal preference, but never once did I feel like they would let go.  It was easier to turn than the other VFRs I have had and once your line is determined, you’ll stick to it.  Lovely.  The ride is on the firm side of sports touring.  The back roads around Ashwell showed this up.  The bike attacked the road, rather than floated across it, and it let you know just how bumpy the surface was – giving you a running commentary of what the road was doing underneath you – but the VFR12 was more composed than my VTEC would manage.  The progress was no less rapid and the ride was not harsh, however, and you still felt the bike would deal with whatever you asked of it (and a bit more).  On more smooth surfaces, the VFR12 was a joy to ride and flowing, systematic, progressive riding suits this machine beautifully.  If you want to point and squirt, get a ZX10R.

Out onto the A505 dual carriageway and it was a pleasant surprise to find that 170 bhp need not be licence (and pension)-shredding after all.  The VFR12 was more than happy to purr along at a moderate pace, the fairing is as useful as a VFR fairing should be, but beware cross-winds.  The VFR12, for all its mass, moved around a lot and this did require careful moderation of velocity to ensure the bike stayed on course.   Cruising along, I also begin to notice some vibes though the conkers, which is not something with which I am familiar on VFRs.  Hmmm.  I also notice the very occasional hesitancy on the throttle response when making very fine adjustments.  The fly-by-wire throttle is clever and glitch-free 99% of the time, but binary code still hasn’t been able to match the mechanical opening of butterflies for total smoothness.  The shaft drive, although excellent and hardly detectable may have accentuated the effect.  My unfamiliarity with the bike will also have played its part.

Onto the A10 south past the Silver Ball and I find out where the point of such a powerful motor lays and that is in overtaking.   Follow position, overtake position, rear obs-out-confirm-GONE.  This was the first Cheshire cat moment of the ride.  The drive available in any gear could either make you lazy, or crave a drag-race to the horizon, depending on your mood.  I found it preferred somewhere between the two extremes.   The fine balance of the bike will benefit any of you wanting to commute into work as filtering between stationary traffic was a calm, collected, feet up affair.  That you can jump on a completely unfamiliar bike and not paddle between the Chelsea tractors at the lights has to be a plus point.

As the ride progressed (A10, A414, A1M, B656) the VFR12 felt more and more familiar, a doddle to ride any way you wanted to.  Perhaps I’m older and wiser, but I never felt the need to wring the bikes neck, which is odd given that it was a test bike and isn’t that what you do with test bikes?  I was left in no doubt of the capabilities of this new VFR12, though.  ‘It’s there if you want it…’, the bike seemed to be saying,’… but it’s OK with me if you aren’t in the mood’.  It certainly has the capability to use refined hydrocarbons.  As I approach Hertford, the gauge starts to flash.  I put in £8 (7 litres).  When I get back to Letchworth I’m back on three bars.  60 miles on 7 litres, approximately.  39 mpg.  Not terrible, but shouldn’t modern tackle at least nod towards the inevitable future of ever-spiralling fuel taxation?

Whether it’s worth the money is up to the individual, but I personally didn’t walk away feeling like I had to have one at all costs.  Getting back on my VTEC only reinforced this view.  That my 40,000 mile bike didn’t feel like a bag of bolts when I rode it away shows how good VFRs are in general.  The V4 rumble, the neutral, predictable, handling, the unintimidating and real-world power delivery, all-day ergonomics (albeit a slightly sportier riding position) were all there in a bike that cost me peanuts in comparison.  90% of the bike for 25% of the price?  Honda may be victims of their own success.  It’s good to know that when there are some second- hand VFR12’s knocking about, you’ll be getting a great, well built and supremely capable bike for realistic money.

Thanks for the bike and the mug of tea to Philip Dawson @ Norton Way Honda. Tel  08453389719.

Jon M