All Comparisons – VFR800F, Z1000SX or CBF1000F: Each His Way! – On (auto) road, not so bad troop …

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VFR800F, Z1000SX or CBF1000F: each his way !

All Comparisons - VFR800F, Z1000SX or CBF1000F: Each His Way! - On (auto) road, not so bad troop ...

Two new motorcycles meet the same specifications in 2014: the Honda VFR800F and the Kawasaki Z1000SX, designed to cut the road quickly. Site compared them over more than 1000 km, in the company of a surprise guest: the CBF1000F…

On the road, not so bad a troop…

To reach your destination as quickly as possible – you have to start the barbecue before dark! -, Site chooses to take the highway. First observation at the toll gate: none of our three roadways has a storage compartment to house tickets, payment cards or change…

Not the slightest trace either of a 12V or USB socket to connect a GPS or a smartphone, which would have allowed us to dodge an endless traffic jam on the N104 … Cheaper and less heavy than the "Tsars of the road" (read our), VFR, SX and CBF are also less functional.

In terms of comfort too, our three bikes clearly do not play in the same court as the, or … However, the CBF1000F will manage to satisfy many bikers. !

Once – with difficulty – raised to its maximum, the bubble of the CBF1000F deflects the air flow above the shoulders and all it takes is a slight tilt of the bust forward to no longer feel the wind beating against the top of the helmet. The sound level drops suddenly !

To isolate yourself in this way on the Z1000SX, you have to lean more on the tank, even when its bubble is – more easily – set to its upper third notch. The half-handlebars being a little lower but also closer to the rider than the Honda’s handlebars, the position is less comfortable..

The driver of the Kawa not only has his arms bent more, but his legs are too. The saddle is much less soft than on the CBF and it is traversed by crackles which appear in the hands from 70 km / h (in 6th gear), pass through the feet then the knees and reach the buttocks beyond 120 km / h.

In this sense, the atmosphere aboard the VFR800F is more peaceful because the motorcycle is devoid of vibrations. Lower than that of the CBF, the saddle comfort of the VFR is higher than that of the SX, but the riding position is overall sportier, therefore more tiring.

Over the kilometers, the pressure on the wrists becomes more and more sensitive on the VFR800F, whose non-adjustable bubble does not allow the shoulders to be relieved from the wind, like the Z1000SX. The footrests placed a little too high wear down the ankles and knees … We are much better on the CBF.

On the course, a short downpour allows us to see that the CBF1000F, again, protects the lower limbs better than its two competitors. When at the end of 232 km the pilot of the Z1000SX decides to fill up with gasoline, his colleague on the VFR800F follows him without flinching while that of the CBF1000F would have liked to continue….

At this point, the Kawasaki has not yet reached its reserve but there is only one bar left on its fuel gauge, while the third bar of the CBF1000F has just gone out and that of the VFR800R. is always on.

To cover the first 471 kilometers of this comparative test (including nearly 350 on the motorway), Site had to pour 29 liters of fuel into the Green, 27.7 in the Dark Red – and 27.2 in the Bright Red. -, i.e. average consumption of 6.2 l / 100km for the Z1000SX, 5.9 for the CBF1000F and 5.8 for the VFR800F.

These data must nevertheless be weighted: the CBF1000F is the most loaded and the Z1000SX is not left out since its two suitcases are full and they put it at a disadvantage – above all – in aerodynamic terms compared to the VFR800F devoid of any luggage. We will therefore have to wait for the average consumption over the whole of our test to decide.

From a dynamic point of view, however, the Zed already clearly dominates thanks to its thunderous times on the last report and drops in the blink of an eye the Cebe and the VFR. The loud rumble of Akashi’s "big" in-line 4-cylinder engine contributes to this impression of being towed by a monster.

Very quiet – an asset in these conditions – the CBF1000F gives less the impression of pushing and yet, the "less fat" Tokyo 4-legged gallops quickly. It has all the more merit that in sixth at 130 km / h, the needle of its tachometer indicates 5,000 rpm, when those of the two competitors are 500 laps higher..

Stalled on the highway in two-valve mode (the other two valves activate after 6500 rpm), the "small" 782 cc V4 must drop a gear to keep up with its 998 cc brother, and two to follow. that of the cousin of 1043 cc.

The Kawasaki and its two cases also impress with the stability of the whole in a straight line as in a curve, which allows it to stay ahead of the VFR. The CBF, its suitcases and its top case – empty! – require more attention to manage gusts of wind or turbulence when overtaking trucks.

On the handlebars of the CBF1000F, we also negotiate the successions of long turns more wisely than at the controls of the two Sport GTs … A good point for the license? The motorway exit ramp – finally! – is an opportunity to realize that the more flexible suspensions of the CBF encourage more restraint…

The end of the course is done at night, which gives us the opportunity to test the lights of our motorcycles. This time, it’s the VFR800F that eclipses the competition thanks to its powerful lighting! Its LEDs make the bulbs of the other two machines pass for vulgar yellow headlights of the 80s: frightening…

More comfortable, the CBF1000F has so far given a hard time to the two new 2014 models … But the VFR800F and Z1000SX will be able to counterattack: our comparison also includes an arsouille of about 200 km on the small roads of the Doubs. .. After GT, it’s time for Sport !

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