VFR800 too BIG for first bike???

[berto46]

Planning my first BIG bike in Sept and wanting a VFR800 Fi (got two years no claims from my 50cc scooter)

I will be doing a refresher course to get used to clutch control (on a 500cc) and gear changes again so think thats covered but wondering if I am getting a bit ahead of myself??

The bike will be used for commuting to work and planning on keeping it for 3-4 years before my next "step-up"!! 30 years old too (not that I think that matters LOL!!)

Any advice would be great.

[Skub]

Depends on you.

There is no bad first time bike,just riders who try too much too soon.

If you are halfway sensible,the VFR is a pussycat.

[Itchy]

depends , its expensive to drop so make sure you can handle the weight , VFR800s are weird in terms of clutch control , I prefer cables since they are easy to fix and can be fixed at the side of the road and every VFR800 I've seen has a hydraulic clutch.

[bish777]

go easy on the throttle and youll be fine.
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GSXR1100J

[quacker_boy]

Bish and itchy both raise good points.

Educate yourself to control the throttle and you'll be fine, the FI VFRs are lovely machines without a doubt but when you want a f*cking good rag, it still has the power so be careful.

As Itchy said, a hydraulic clutch can become quite a handful (no pun intended) in heavy traffic. Having ridden my best friend's ducati ST2 i can say i'd never want to do it again!

Chris
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wizzzard wrote: Imagine God just stopping by, tidying your front room up and then quietly letting himself out again. Statisticly more likely to happen than Korn being on here.

[Skub]

[quacker_boy]

Skub, i found the VFR to still have a heavy clutch, regardless.

Maybe you're just a big strong man

Ducrappy's i've gotta remember that one!
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wizzzard wrote: Imagine God just stopping by, tidying your front room up and then quietly letting himself out again. Statisticly more likely to happen than Korn being on here.

[Jack_Cheese]

[SP2Rus]

The VFR is a very nice bike to ride IMHO. Yes its got a a lot of power if you arent used to it, but you as the rider control the delivery of it. So if you feel you can be restrained and ride within your limits and develop your skills over time, then no problem. All comes down to whether you trust yourself at the end of the day I guess!! I personally never felt the clutch was difficult on them, no different than most bikes I have ridden, but thats just my experience.
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Honda VTR1000 SP2
Honda VFR800
The dummy failed the crash test........

[Skub]

[Johnny GSX-R]

[Johnny GSX-R]

This fookin site winds me up!!!

Hydraulic clutches heavy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Utter crap!

[Itchy]

[GearboxGeezer]

I wouldnt trust myself with a bike like that after only riding a scooter, but im an idiot ( hence why im on a rs 125 )

Keep it restricted ( I take your under 21? ) for a lil while if your worried about not being able to handle the power ( or not being able to handle yourself with that power! ) and just be careful.

[vfr800]

Compared to a ped you are looking to far ahead to jump on a VFR and expect to have no problems, a 500 should be the limmit your looking at.
The VFR is a heavy bike in comparrison to a 500.
Have fun on a lighter bike and get some valuable experience first, even if it's only for 12 months.
The clutch is not a problem, it's the power delivery at low rev's that can catch you out. Apart from that the VFR is an awsome machine capable of some seriouse fun.
Either way, ENJOY!
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don't take it easy 'ride it like you stole it'

[GearboxGeezer]

Just think to yourself, do you go for small gaps that you shouldnt be going for at 20mph on a ped, Now think what its like when your going for it on a 800 which is more than capable of doing 100mph on small roads... thats the way I look at it

[paulthewitt]

hi there. recently went through the same quandry. but had been riding 125cc sportsbikes before....not a scooter

was thiking of buying a tl1000s.

bought an sv650 instead. more than fast enough. but if you want more, a 600 sportsbike i'd say would be better. dont get me wrong, IF you can control you throttle, you'll be fine. BUT these bike are much faster than you are expecting....unless youve been pillion on a big bike thats not restricted.

be careful, and think, will you want to show off in front of the girls. if your answer is yes. get a smaller bike, then progress.

down to you. chosse wisely

Paul

[vfr800]

I totaly agree with the last post,
Berto, where are you based, if your local to the midlands i'll gladly take you for a blast.
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don't take it easy 'ride it like you stole it'

[paulthewitt]

[king kong]

I'd say go for it, I rode scooter for 3 years and have just traded my Varadero against a 1998 Suzuki GSX750F, my first big nike. Can't wait!

[berto46]

[Jarvis]

I was in much the same boat as yourself
But i only started learning last november
Before i had even done my lessons i had my eye on a 750cc gixxer
all the time while i was learning i was wondering if it was a good idea
too big??
too fast??
I have now passed my test and after doing a couple of hundred miles on the bike i dont know what i was worrying about
you control the throttle and the clutch....just be sensible
and if you are not sensible you will get hurt no matter what size of bike you get
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'88 GSXR 750 Slingshot............. minus the fairings

[alfie698]

I did my DAS last year after not even swinging a leg over a bike for years, and thought about getting straight onto a 'big' bike but decided against it. I bought my Honda NTV650 because I needed something of a decent capacity and the ability to cope with all weathers for my commute. I've had a few jaunts on it apart from riding to work, done some work on it, and dropped it once. Now, a year later I'm getting tired of it and feel that I am ready to handle something bigger/faster/better suspended and I'm thinking of trading up to a 750/1000 cc bike after I've serviced and MOT'd the NTV. The VFR is one of the ones that I'm considering.

The NTV will never win any awards, and I cant say that it lights my fire, but it has been a good learning curve for handling a big bike before I go and spend a more serious amount of money on a bike that I could potentially throw down the road because of a lack of experience. I dont regret getting the NTV for one minute, and its done the job that I wanted it for admirably.

I'd certainly recommend working your way up to a bigger bike, it might not be what you are dreaming of, but its part of the journey to get what you want. You cant buy experience.

Just my tuppence worth, cheers, Alfie
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Ted: "These are small; the ones out there are far away."
Dougal: "I still dont get it, Ted."
https://www.bikepics.com/members/alfie698

[colin1]

i think a vfr750, vfr800 is a good bike for someone new to big bikes as its easy to ride with plenty of torque at low revs and stable handling

i suspect its not that cheap to run or maintain for commuting compared to a cb250 or yp250 but if you want one bike to do everything including weekend trips on winding roads, i think it would be a good buy

not necessarily a bike for thrills but that might be a good thing as it wont tempt u to ride like an idiot

it may have a bigger engine size than a sports 600, but its a far more sensible first big bike than an r6 for example
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[fuzz]