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| MacJelly |
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MacJelly
L Plate Warrior
Joined: 02 Jun 2010
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| Speedy3 |
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Speedy3
Traffic Copper
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
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 Posted: 21:15 - 05 Jun 2010  Post subject: |
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Id say NC30, purely for the fun and handling factor 
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Current bike: 2005 Triumph Speed Triple 1050 :: Previous Bikes: 2001 Kawasaki ZZR-600 E9 (Sold) 1996 Yamaha Diversion 600s (Sold),1997 Honda CB250 Nighthawk (Sold), 1988 Honda VFR 400 NC24 (Written Off), 1987 Honda CB350 S-G (Sold), Yamaha DT125 (Sold), Honda X8R-S 50cc (Stolen) |
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| Itchy |
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Itchy
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Posted: 22:21 - 05 Jun 2010  Post subject: |
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CB500, EVERY VFR400 has been owned by somebody who has mistreated it and they will all be wrecked shagged or crashed and or neglected.
Except Craig's VFR if he still has the thing though that thing has been polished to death more than anything.
The VFR needs small hands for maintainance and Honda usually keep making some of the parts for 20 years, the VFR400 I think passed this mark in 2009!
The CB500 will be both cheaper and less shagged. With conventional sized tyres easy maintance and better low down grunt.
If you want some cornering capabilitiy learn to hustle the bike round corners, or stick some decent tyres on it and upgrade the suspension,
Way back in the day of NTVdom my 650 was a good match for the VFR400, it definately weighed more but I used to cheat because I always rode in places where the twin would be better than the 4.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching. |
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| MacJelly |
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MacJelly
L Plate Warrior
Joined: 02 Jun 2010
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| Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike
tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
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| Posted: 23:45 - 05 Jun 2010 Post subject: |
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If you live with a mechanic, then the VFR might be livable with; getting it up to scratch & keeping it there, though they are awkward to work on, & you need to know what your looking at to find a genuine UK bike you can get ALL the bits for rather than a grey-import which can be a bit of a lottery.
Living with the things is a different matter. They are a VERY small bike. If you are lillipution, then one might fit quite well.....
I'm 6'2" and err.... I think it was only a TAD more rideable than my kids mini-moto!
They ARe cramped, and the riding possition on the road is a pain in EVERY bludy thing!
And visibility severely compromised.
Used to ride with a mate who had one; great on the lanes, but round town I had to walk infront of him with a red flag...
Well, not quite, but come junctions, I'd have to go out and wave him through 'cos he could see bog all, and we'd have been sat there an enternity elsewise.... in pub 'banter' he said it half jokingly, but there was more than a seed of truth, 'sometimes, I think I ought to get off, PUSH it round the corner, then get back on, JUST to make sure theres nothing coming!'...
On the track or the twisties, they suddenly make sense......
And hustling one round a twisty track like Cadwell or Malory, you can post lap-times that embarress big-bikes...
BUT... every-day riding? On REAL roads? In Traffic?
I'd think it would be quicker, easier and slightly less painful to simply cut my wrists and call the meat-waggon!
They REALLY aren't a good choice for that kind of work, and THAT is where the CB500 excells.... boringly......
They can be made a bit more spirited, as said by firming up the springers, & fitting sticky rubber; Hagons front & back, with a tad more heavier weight in the forks, and a set of braided hosed for the brakes...
If you want to get a bit 'keen' slightly overlength rear shocks and drop the forks 1/2" down the yokes to quicken up the steering....
It'll NEVER be a sports-bike, but properly set up, they can be entertaining. |
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| Digitalize |
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Digitalize
Nearly there...
Joined: 09 Aug 2009
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| YZFR1IAN |
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YZFR1IAN
Scooby Slapper
Joined: 21 Mar 2008
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| Posted: 10:49 - 06 Jun 2010 Post subject: |
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Yea Hornet, its 599cc 
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05 Yamaha YBR125 > 94 Honda CB500 > 98 Honda Hornet 600 > 02 Yamaha R6 > 2000 Yamaha R1 > 2000 Yamaha XJR1300SP > 2000 Honda CBR929RR Fireblade
MY BIKES Past & Present |
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| MacJelly |
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MacJelly
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| Itchy |
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Itchy
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| Posted: 00:36 - 07 Jun 2010 Post subject: |
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| MacJelly wrote: | Just done a bit of looking about for a Hornet, think I could stretch the budget a bit more..
Is a Hornet going to be a best of both worlds? Neither race nor commuter? Going to a bike superstore this week so will see if there is any of the mentioned bikes in stock, hopefully get a better idea!
Thanks again for the replies, think I may be on the right path now at last!!! |
The hornet is just a naked CBR600 with a slightly detuned engine, its built down to a price though so the suspension isn't great, however you can stick a CBR600F4I forks on it (pre 2005) and a harder shock and it'll fly.
Problem is the hornet is thirstier than a CBR yet has a titchy tank, on a ride out with the hornet pilots they always need to stop 2-3 times to fill up, everybody else once or twice, depending on how mega the ride out is ages ago we had a 462mile ride out (but we never went below 70)
I would note the hornet DOES NOT CRASH WELL, the thin box spine frame snaps when you put it in a hedge, Dean and Treesey's girlfriend crashed them gently as with Lynne and blue devil of my old group. They ALL broke the frames at sub 50mph crashes.
The frames snap if you look at them too hard
Though if you are looking at a Hornet maybe you'd like an early fazer? the early ones pre 2001 are great, don't have the fuel issues of the Hornet or the frame issues and can be hustled around like nobody's business, has a centre stand for easy maintainence, a bikini fairing.
Kitty has not managed to kill her fazer and she handles it pretty roughly. The fazers have 2 issues: The downpipes rot, though all of them rot, Also the headlamps are worse than candles. Though again Kitty has managed to live with this (a simiple mod) and the pipes on hers are ok.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching. |
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| Alex A |
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Alex A
World Chat Champion
Joined: 05 Mar 2007
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| Posted: 11:26 - 07 Jun 2010 Post subject: |
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| Teflon-Mike wrote: | And visibility severely compromised.
Used to ride with a mate who had one; great on the lanes, but round town I had to walk infront of him with a red flag...
Well, not quite, but come junctions, I'd have to go out and wave him through 'cos he could see bog all, and we'd have been sat there an enternity elsewise.... in pub 'banter' he said it half jokingly, but there was more than a seed of truth, 'sometimes, I think I ought to get off, PUSH it round the corner, then get back on, JUST to make sure theres nothing coming!'... |
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about here.
Why couldn't he see? Could your mate not twist his neck in the direction of traffic as appropriate? Could he not sit up to look over cars?
Bikes are sat on, not in. Your head is in free space.
I've ridden a VFR400 and I'm 6'1", and whilst it was on the small side, it was perfectly rideable and I could see just as well as I could on any other sports bike.
To answer the original poster, a VFR would be great if you could find a genuinely tidy one, but odds are you can't, and if you can, it'll be priced at a suitable premium. A CB500 is utterly dull in comparison. The Hornet is a good shout.
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| Hetzer |
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Hetzer
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Joined: 19 Feb 2007
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| Posted: 11:40 - 07 Jun 2010 Post subject: |
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| Alex A wrote: | | Teflon-Mike wrote: | And visibility severely compromised.
Used to ride with a mate who had one; great on the lanes, but round town I had to walk infront of him with a red flag...
Well, not quite, but come junctions, I'd have to go out and wave him through 'cos he could see bog all, and we'd have been sat there an enternity elsewise.... in pub 'banter' he said it half jokingly, but there was more than a seed of truth, 'sometimes, I think I ought to get off, PUSH it round the corner, then get back on, JUST to make sure theres nothing coming!'... |
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about here.
Why couldn't he see? Could your mate not twist his neck in the direction of traffic as appropriate? Could he not sit up to look over cars?
Bikes are sat on, not in. Your head is in free space.
I've ridden a VFR400 and I'm 6'1", and whilst it was on the small side, it was perfectly rideable and I could see just as well as I could on any other sports bike.
To answer the original poster, a VFR would be great if you could find a genuinely tidy one, but odds are you can't, and if you can, it'll be priced at a suitable premium. A CB500 is utterly dull in comparison. The Hornet is a good shout. |
Yeah, what's with the 'visibility' tosh? 
I owned a VFR400 and I'm 6' 5". While I looked like a complete gonk on it I had no problems with comfort (I was 30 at the time). It was a stonking little bike, handled like a dream and plenty fast enough (120+mph top whack).
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| Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike
tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
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| Posted: 12:41 - 07 Jun 2010 Post subject: |
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| Alex A wrote: | | Teflon-Mike wrote: | And visibility severely compromised.
Used to ride with a mate who had one; great on the lanes, but round town I had to walk infront of him with a red flag... |
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about here.
| Hetzer wrote: | I've ridden a VFR400 and I'm 6'1", and whilst it was on the small side, it was perfectly rideable and I could see just as well as I could on any other sports bike. |
Yeah, what's with the 'visibility' tosh? |
 all subjective, I guess, and the 'key' in there is 'as on any other sports-bike'.
In the 'Racer-Crouch, which the little VFR exagerates becouse of its deminutive size, you have your arse up, and your head down, some-one once described it as kneeling on a table-top with your fore-arms flat gripping the edge.... I think of it as the recieving end of the doggy-possition.... and I'm not that way inclined..... but if the possition comes naturally to you.......  lol!!
On the bike, to look behind you, you sort of have to look under your arm-pit, or sit up, turn half round in the saddle, or generally make a LOT of effort! THAT is what I meant.
If you are used to sports-bikes, those are the sort of compromises inherent in them, and yeah, PERFECTLY livable with, IF you know no-better or are enthusiastic & eager enough to just get-on with it.
https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w269/teflons-torque/00_genral/bike_040.jpg
Thats me on the bike on the inside line at Cadwell on a VFR, many years ago. Here's another at the hair-pin.
https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w269/teflons-torque/00_genral/bike_039.jpg
Makes a lot of sense in that enviroment, but riding my mates bike on the road, yeah, OK, you can do it... but, given the choice, and I had it, I wouldn't WANT to.
On the 'street' a sit-up street-bike just makes everything so much EASIER. |
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| Alex A |
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Alex A
World Chat Champion
Joined: 05 Mar 2007
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| Posted: 14:46 - 07 Jun 2010 Post subject: |
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| Teflon-Mike wrote: | In the 'Racer-Crouch, which the little VFR exagerates becouse of its deminutive size, you have your arse up, and your head down, some-one once described it as kneeling on a table-top with your fore-arms flat gripping the edge.... I think of it as the recieving end of the doggy-possition.... and I'm not that way inclined..... but if the possition comes naturally to you....... lol!!
On the bike, to look behind you, you sort of have to look under your arm-pit, or sit up, turn half round in the saddle, or generally make a LOT of effort! THAT is what I meant.
If you are used to sports-bikes, those are the sort of compromises inherent in them, and yeah, PERFECTLY livable with, IF you know no-better or are enthusiastic & eager enough to just get-on with it. |
I think that's actually much more of a problem if you're shorter on a bigger sports bike. Even on my GSX-R750 slingshot (which has high pegs and an unusually long tank), my arms are long enough to allow me to sit fairly upright most of the time. Looking behind is never a strain. Admittedly a VFR's seating position is less roomy, but anyone over 5'10" should easily be sitting up enough to make visibility a non issue. Looking at the photo you posted of yourself above, you really wouldn't be looking through your armpit to see what's behind.
Seeing around traffic is easier on a sit up bike or crosser/supermoto, but I've never struggled with sportsbikes, and I wouldn't class the VFR as particularly impractical.
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