Is the Honda Vfr really as comfortable as I have heard??

[jessd768]

after reading many reviews of the vfr and hearing about how comfortable they were for long distance riding I went out and purchased the 2004 vtec 800. I live in Guernsey so its difficult to do long distance as it only takes about 1.5 hours to circle the whole island and the speed limit is 35mph lol iv read that when you get up to higher speeds the bike becomes more comfortable but normally I am not a sporty bike type of person and prefer the sit up style and I noticed that like 10 minutes into a ride on my new Honda my neck and wrists start to ache... so as I have got a touring holiday booked for july where I will be doing 1000+ miles on the bike I am wondering if the Honda is really going to be comfortable for me or if I should just take my bandit. can anybody with experience of riding different bikes advise me on this please?
____________________
J De La Haye

[arry]

IMO no it's not all that. Much like my Sprint - can do a tank on it but it's not sporty enough to make me sacrifice the fact a more upright bike wouldn't make that tankful a lot more comfortable for the rider.

But it's not uncomfortable, per se. Like in the way that proper head down ass up small sportsbikes are.

[Snowdonia Rider]

Anything leaning forward isn't comfortable, people who say they are are just lying I'd take the Bandit. My bike is slightly leaning forward and I want a more upright bike not for my wrists or back but for my neck lol.
____________________
I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider

[jessd768]

Indeed, the last thing I want is to get half way round my trip and feel like I'm not enjoying it
____________________
J De La Haye

[arry]

[jessd768]

Good point
____________________
J De La Haye

[Dave V4]

you will probably find that around 70+ the VFR will come into its own verses the Bandit, the wind will take alot of weight of your arms/wrists etc but it wont be putting a strain on your neck like it would on the Bandit. suppose it would depend on where you are heading and the types of roads you intend to ride. 2 days of motorway speeds on the Bandit will wish you had the VFR and vise versa. have fun whatever you choose, don't let your choice of bike put you off, it will be great either way

[jessd768]

I'll be cruising on motorways up from Portsmouth then spending a few days around the lake districts in Cumbria then back down through Cornwall so a bit of both motorway and scenic roads
____________________
J De La Haye

[Dilyan]

Over 6 hrs a day and my back is ef-d, which is an improvement actually.
____________________
Current: 2007 VFR800; Ex: 2001 YZF600R Thundercat
Škoda Octavia (yes, a taxi driver)

[Silver_Fox]

I found my CBR600F ('97) more comfortable than the VFR800 ('98). The huge fairing on the VFR actually meant the reduced wind blast needed more core strength to keep me up, thus tiring me out quicker than the CBR. I'd much rather tour on my CBR comfort wise
____________________
CBR600 F3 FV
CG125

[GTR1400]

Fitting a Sargent seat and Helibars will likely make the VFR much more comfortable. They're not the cheapest things to buy though!
____________________
Current ride: Honda VFR 800 (Pre-VTEC) Previous: Honda CBF600, Kawasaki ER5, Derbi Senda 125

[arry]

[Nyarlathotep]

Having done over 25k miles one one (although I sold it a couple of years ago now), I found it comfortable for such a bike (it's no Goldwing, it's still a sport bike), but the seat isn't great. An Airhawk inflatable cushion solves that.

[spnorm]

I found my 2000 model VFR800 tolerable, but Helibars improved the comfort dramatically. They didn't do much for the handling though.

My 2003 VTEC was hard on the wrists and arse in comparison, especially if riding consecutive 8-10 hour days.