Road – 2012 VFR1200F test: give more while costing less! – The new VFR1200F on the road

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2012 VFR1200F test: give more at less cost !

Road - 2012 VFR1200F test: give more while costing less! - The new VFR1200F on the road

Two years after its launch, the Honda VFR1200F undergoes its first update and notably incorporates a traction control system for 2012. Other points are also improved while, at the same time, its price is lowered ! First try.

The new VFR1200F on the road

It was under a blazing sun and at an ideal temperature of 17 ° C (value displayed on the VFR table) that Site took control of the new VFR1200F! Or new VFR rather, since the two versions, manual and automatic, were made available to us.

Whether on the DCT or the F "just short", or even on the 2011 VFR1200F also present, the driving position remains the same: the bust is leaning forward, which puts the wrists in slight strain, the thighs tighten perfectly flared tank and the feet look high enough – for a road – their footrests.

The pilot instantly becomes one with the machine. It is by moving the motorcycle with the engine off that the beautiful harmony is broken: it is better to have a solid experience to move forward, backward or to turn this 267 kg motorcycle (+10 kg, not really sensitive, in DCT version). ) !

Fortunately, the turning radius is satisfactory and limits the number of maneuvers to get out of the parking space. Pay attention only to the very indented shape of the tank which requires to raise the inner wrist to take advantage of the full amplitude of the steering.

Conquered by the DCT of the Crosstourer (read our), Site decides to start its test of the new VFR1200F on a model equipped with the 2012 version of the DCT.

As on the Honda maxitrail, the "fully automatic" starting – once the trigger D is activated to drop the first gear – is done in appreciable smoothness, even more than with the previous model..

On a little trickle of gas, the VFR chained the first five reports without exceeding 2,500 rpm. By opening the throttle a little wider, the engine speed reaches 4500 rpm and can rise even further when the throttle is further wrung out, despite the selection of quiet mode "D".

We note then that the engine responds effectively present a little earlier than on the VFR of 2010, but remains very wise, especially compared to the version which equips the Crosstourer. "Camshafts, maps, intake and exhaust are modified and offer more "trunk" to the V4 of the trail version", reminds us Bruno Skotnicki, technical manager.

However, the fact that the 4-cylinder Honda only develops 129 horsepower in this configuration is unlikely to move French bikers restricted to 100 horsepower … We would like Honda to fit Crosstourer engines in its "French" VFR1200Fs, "but unfortunately this is impossible from a logistical point of view", answers Sebastien Pernel. !

The kilometers pass and allow to rediscover the excellent chassis of the VFR1200F. Its suspensions in particular, work extremely well, erasing the small imperfections of the bitumen as well as the big ones..

On the outskirts of the Gorges du Verdon, the bends multiply and close, to our greatest happiness, because the bike may be heavy, it can be agile and efficient … With a flick of the right thumb, we select the "S" mode and the Honda then settles on 3rd gear at around 90 km / h.

Accelerations beyond 5000 rpm are now accompanied by small vibrations in the feet and crotch, but the rider is too focused on the road to realize or complain about it. The brakes are as pleasant as ever: the Nissin radial calipers bite the 320 mm front discs with conviction and allow the braking to be adjusted to the millimeter.

The same goes for the rear brake which, combined with the front, offers great power and a very good feel. Finally, it is only in the middle of a curve that the action on the brakes can disturb: the VFR1200F always tends to refuse the obstacle and prefers to be led "cool".

Likewise, if the compromise chosen by the Japanese at the level of the suspensions (the inverted fork is adjustable in preload and the mono-shock absorber in preload and rebound) is not too "soft", it does not make it possible either to cut the departmental as a Fireblade slices a circuit !

In the end, we can still maintain a hell of a rhythm on the handlebars of the VFR1200F, including on the DCT version which really adapts to the type of driving adopted! By opening and closing the throttle in a wide and abrupt manner for example, the pilot "automatically" takes advantage of the high speeds of the V4..

It is also in this "on-off" mode that the clamping is felt the most: after having strengthened the tone by passing 4500 rpm, the engine of the VFR1200F seems ready to be released by reaching 6500 rev / min … But it is not: the rise in the modes becomes sadly flat…

Under these same Franco-French conditions (100 hp), the contribution of traction control is minimal. In addition to superb roads, good BT-021 tires – original equipment, but the Dunlop Roadsmart is also homologated – and an idyllic weather, Site was only really able to slip from behind on trails….

The intervention of the TCS – disconnectable, but for what? – there is then soft and the return of the horses progressive. In short, it’s good to avoid untimely slips in the rain or on the white stripes !

Back on the road and by sparing more the right grip this time, the pilot has an engine which takes fewer turns and becomes more pleasant to drive. We are then satisfied with the gain in peps of the V4 seen at around 4000 rpm to get it right.

With the manual gearbox – pedestrian? – precisely, the left foot is not overloaded with work! The gears are engaged without forcing the tip of the boot, they are mounted on the fly without touching the clutch lever, and only downshifts require a little application to limit transmission noise (jerks are insensitive ).

A short jaunt on the expressway makes it possible to verify that the VFR1200F protects well from origin – shoulders and torso, head by bending the spine -, and that the deflector available as an accessory makes it a real road. Likewise, it should be noted the arrival in the same Honda catalog of a 45-liter Top Box allowing to enclose two full-face helmets, which the pre-existing 31 L version does not allow….

On the other hand, if the new coating of the saddle condemns any slipping of the rear end, the lack of thickness of the foam ends up tiring prematurely. The walk of about 250 km around Marseille was enough to make us notice it! In this sense, the still insufficient autonomy of the VFR1200F can be practical…

Indeed, the half liter capacity of the additional tank and the lower consumption of the V4 – praised by the Japanese – did not prevent the reserve of certain VFRs from flashing after only 180 km. !

Over the last hundred kilometers, MNC consumed 6.6 l / 100km (6.85 L for 103.5 km to be exact). The on-board computer indicated, over the entire route, an average consumption of 6.9 l / 100km which was quite consistent. With a 19-liter tank, the maximum range therefore reaches 275 km. Beyond that, it will be necessary to push. Watch out !

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