Considering a change already...

[carlosthejack...]

OK, so I'm not getting on with the VFR as well as I thought I would. I really wanted to love it, but I'm not smitten at all. I can't put my finger on it, it's comfy, it rides well, and it goes rapid, but there's lots of little niggles that I've had with it that have really irked me. It performed admirably yesterday to and from Donington with the missus on the back, but I'm still not happy. So I'm considering going back to an IL4. I'm thinking sports rather than sports tourer.

Just wondering on opinions on what, if any, is the best litre bike for pillion comfort? Don't need grab rails, she likes the love handles, doesn't have to be missile fast or massively powerful, just needs to be comfy for when she's on it. Love Honda, so thinking maybe a 954 Fireblade or maybe defecting to Kawasaki and a ZX9. They seem to have the plushest pillion seat. Any other suggestions?
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Responsibility. It's a difficult reality for some. I'm running the 2014 Sheffield Half Marathon on behalf of Bluebell Wood Childrens Hospice. Please sponsor me, even if it's just a quid.
DonnyBrago: "I think you may be confusing rain and napalm..." Paulington: "It's not what you ride, it's how you ride it."
Current rides: '05 VFR800 VTEC, '57 Mondeo 1.8 TDCi #58LEGEND

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Busa.

[\partly trolling]
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[carlosthejack...]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

You surprised me mid edit.

Thought they may of been a tad on the ugly side for you, but in all other respects it fits the bill. Not really massively powerful are they.

____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[duhawkz]

07 HRC blade
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"The guy is a worthless cunt and I honestly believe I would be a slightly happier person if he died." - Chris-Red

[chris-red]

Sprint ST
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[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Was it just the niggles that stopped you from gelling with the VFR?

For what it's worth it's the ironed-out niggles that made me gel with the big lumpy Ducati.
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
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The Harry Turner Project

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Yeah what gives man? Sort of half fancy an old gen 1 viffer me sen. Guy who services my bikes swears by 'em. I can see how they might be a head over heart choice though. Everything looks ace on paper, but doesn't translate to thrills and smiles. Is it that kind of thing? Or what are these niggles of which you speak?
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[carlosthejack...]

As I said, I don't know why I'm not feeling it. I'm just not smitten as I was with the Hornet. It's just...something. I can't put my finger on it. As for the niggles, tyre problems, now fixed. Dropped it, now fixed. There was something else too, I'm sure, but I can't remember. Nothing major, just niggles. There's times I come in from a ride or commute and I've loved it. Other times, I'm just "meh".
____________________
Responsibility. It's a difficult reality for some. I'm running the 2014 Sheffield Half Marathon on behalf of Bluebell Wood Childrens Hospice. Please sponsor me, even if it's just a quid.
DonnyBrago: "I think you may be confusing rain and napalm..." Paulington: "It's not what you ride, it's how you ride it."
Current rides: '05 VFR800 VTEC, '57 Mondeo 1.8 TDCi #58LEGEND

[duhawkz]

Buy my blade instead.
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"The guy is a worthless cunt and I honestly believe I would be a slightly happier person if he died." - Chris-Red

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

@carlosthejackal
All Hondas do that....with the exception of the CB250RSA. <<<Indisputable fact.

OT.
I've recently ridden a newish Fireblade for a few days and I returned it with the feeling of meh. I've never ridden a bike with that amount of power before so was excited to ride it. It was lovely though the bends and very composed over rough tarmac. Very little input needed on the bars. No good for pillion but almost comfortable for everyday riding.

I put my meh down to me, I couldn't exploit much of the bikes potential. Different on a track or with a better rider....Yeah, sounds about right to me.
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
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The Harry Turner Project

[carlosthejack...]

One thing I don't like and can't seem to get used to is the feeling of top-heaviness it has. I sat on a ZX9R in a local dealers the other day and it felt so light in comparison.

I need to test ride some alternatives and get her arse sat on some pillion seats. It's a nice arse so it needs to be looked after...
____________________
Responsibility. It's a difficult reality for some. I'm running the 2014 Sheffield Half Marathon on behalf of Bluebell Wood Childrens Hospice. Please sponsor me, even if it's just a quid.
DonnyBrago: "I think you may be confusing rain and napalm..." Paulington: "It's not what you ride, it's how you ride it."
Current rides: '05 VFR800 VTEC, '57 Mondeo 1.8 TDCi #58LEGEND

[MC]

Wait... I mean weight. Weight ruins everything. That's my revelation really
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Pity that my local breakers recently folded......They didn't mind me and my little Shropshire viper trying out loads of bikes. I liked that place...no sales hassle.

You got anything similar near you?
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[P.]

Early 2000 era R1.
05/06 GSXR.

Both will do it all and keep you entertained.

Could see if you can get a decent seat for a street/speed triple and pillion on one of those, however lack of fairing.

[Itchy]

The thing is it's a Honda, they're all like that. Deadly neutral and do everything competently without too much fuss.

The 954 Fireblade I rode once felt like it was on rails. I felt if I got off it would happily ride itself.

While the ZX-10R I rode even the 636 shook its head furiously as I gave it the beans.
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[barrkel]

The top-heaviness is a lot of what gets me down about mine too - that, and reluctance to flick, it's hard work steering it quickly at lower speed.

I've dropped mine twice since I got it - once trying to put it on the centrestand, and once when I had a momentary lapse of concentration while stopped in gravel. There's less margin for error, and it adds a little bit of underlying stress.

I've had cause to have a couple of rides on my GF's ER6f in the past year. ER6s are rattley bags of bolts, but the lightness made it a lot of fun, really easy to swing around the place, felt like a bicycle.

I had a thread on here some time back - https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=3889636 - that may be of interest.
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Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ

[carlosthejack...]

[carlosthejack...]

[carlosthejack...]

[Knacker]

K1 Thou...Just sayin.
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Current: Gsxr 600 Srad - GS125 - DT125
Previous: K1 GSXR 1000

[johnsmith222]

tbh I'm not sure the ZX9R would be the best idea if you're wanting to take pillions regularly. It's not exactly the most comfortable bike for the passenger.

Tbh as soon as I get a job I'm going to be going for a busa even though i think they're very ugly bikes. Might be worth considering.

[Ammoman]

Has to be a Second Gen Busa
I had the VFR V-Tec for 3 yrs then got the Busa and never looked back
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2013 ZZR1400 & Honda CG125 1986..

[carlosthejack...]

I suppose the other alternative is keep the VFR for two up/commuting etc, and get a sports 600 or a naked for playtime...
____________________
Responsibility. It's a difficult reality for some. I'm running the 2014 Sheffield Half Marathon on behalf of Bluebell Wood Childrens Hospice. Please sponsor me, even if it's just a quid.
DonnyBrago: "I think you may be confusing rain and napalm..." Paulington: "It's not what you ride, it's how you ride it."
Current rides: '05 VFR800 VTEC, '57 Mondeo 1.8 TDCi #58LEGEND

[Moxey]

I know where your coming from, my VFR experience can be summed up as 'meh'; it was fast, good handling, practical & comfortable but just never gave me a buzz riding it & I did more miles on that bike than anything else I ever owned but I only remember it because of photos, if I hadn't got knocked off it would still have been reassuring myself that it was perfect and I didn't want another bike .

Considered a Blackbird? Basically the Honda equivalent Hayabusa (180mph but sensible ), also having tried one for size with a Pillion, a 929 Blade isn't too bad at all. I consider most Honda's to be meh though so could end up repeating the VFR experience.

Also Triumph +1 but post 955 Sprint (never got on with the one I rode, felt it was worse than a VFR for that meh factor).
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