All Duels – Honda VFR1200F Vs Kawasaki 1400GTR: The Seven League Boots – Let’s get down to business …

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Honda VFR1200F Vs Kawasaki 1400GTR: The Seven League Boots

All Duels - Honda VFR1200F Vs Kawasaki 1400GTR: The Seven League Boots - Let's get down to business ...

Between sport and travel, the new VFR1200F and 1400GTR have a lot to offer. Site therefore compared the long-awaited new Honda and the latest Kawasaki evolution over 1000 km. Which one wins this game of a thousand terminals ? Comparative test.

Let’s talk about serious things…

Come on, we stop doing block tours, it’s time to cut the road to see what our two drivers have in the belly !

As usual, to escape as quickly as possible from the saturated Paris region, we take the motorway. Our goal is to reach the mountains of Sancerre … in order to check if this VFR 2010 is a good vintage. Sorry, we had to do it !

The departure therefore takes place at a cautious pace, with fixed and mobile speed cameras almost as numerous as the kilometer markers on the outskirts of the capital. At legal speeds, between 110 and 130 km / h, you would almost be bored on the handlebars of these road vessels.

(Try not to) give in to temptation

Our two road cars are designed and cut for high speeds. Moreover, when they are not neutered at 106 hp like here, they output no less than 160 hp for the GTR and 173 for the VFR. This is to say if they are comfortable, even frankly bland at legal speeds…

It was therefore by taking advantage of a few "coyotized" hares to open the way for us (including one that was really excessively fast in a Megane RS …) that we tested our two competitors in the "wind tunnel".

In this little game, the VFR, less bulky, takes 15/20 km / h more than its competitor. At – very – high speed, the Honda proves to be perfectly stable, unfazed and almost comfortable despite its lack of protection compared to the GTR. On the latter, the pilot lifts the electric bubble slightly with a simple press of the thumb and remains upright, as calm at 110 km / h as at double this speed.

Calms you !

Whatever the pace, our two road cars allow their drivers to swallow the kilometers without fatigue. They both preserve a very appreciable saddle comfort. The saddle of the VFR is rather thin but perfectly designed. As for that of the GTR, it is worthy of the best GTs.

In absolute terms, this driving pleasure would make it possible to lengthen the stages if one did not have to stop at the pump because of the Honda. Indeed, the 1200 carries 3.5 liters less than the VFR 800 (ie 18.5 l for the "twelve-hundred") … which is complete nonsense since it consumes more! Suddenly, you can reasonably expect a range of just under 200 km before reserve. Pity.

On the Kawa, it’s much better since the latter consumes less than the Honda and carries 22 liters in its tank. This gives it a range of 260 km before reserve in rapid-normal driving….

Consume less

But the GTR is also encumbered with systems supposed to help the pilot consume less. First of all, the sixth gear is an "Overdrive": particularly geared down, it allows cruising at 140 km / h with only 4000 rpm.

Then, the GTR is fitted, on its dashboard, with an economic driving indicator which remains on as long as the pilot remains below 6000 rpm, at less than 30% throttle opening and below 160 km / h.

Finally, for the greenest, the Kawa has a fuel-saving assistance mode that the pilot is free to engage or not. When activated, the injection map changes to prioritize engine performance over drivability. In short, a lot of technology … while a little common sense does the trick as well !

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