1997-2001 Honda VFR800fi

When is a sports tourer, not a sports tourer? When it’s a VFR800!

Honda’s ubiquitous V4 can be a bike for anyone. Yeah, it’s a big heavy bike

(206Kg) but it certainly can hustle when ridden hard.

Touring duties for my VFR has been limited to a run from Aberdeen to London

(for work), and back again 2 weeks later. Apart from the fact that you can

get 180 miles on a tank of fuel, you will need some stops to stretch out.

I, being of the short arse variety, find the seat height just about at the

limits of what is comfortable for slow speed manoeuvring, but the upside

should be plenty of room, however when laden with soft panniers and a tail

pack, the bike does not offer too much in the way of room (or perhaps my

huge gut is the main problem!). SO I find myself stopping every 100 miles or

so. The only other complaint is the destruction of OE BT57’s with constant

motorway riding (had to stop in Doncaster for tyres on the way back to

Aberdeen after a wee discussion with our friends in Blue!).

Hustling the VFR does take a little bit of effort, but with minor suspension

modifications (SAG) you can kind of dial out the VFR’s tendency to push the

front end. Once set up – given the limited adjustments available – the bike

is quick enough through most corners, though you can find the weight a bit

of a problem getting the bike to flip from one side to the other. Hard

counter steering will do it, however the bike feels a little unstable just

as you roll over the fully upright position. Hanging off the VFR is not so

easy. A combination of my gut, and the bikes soft seat means you cannot

slide from one side of the bike to the other, you have to lift your arse!

Not a major complaint, but worth noting.

Commuting on the VFR is a laugh. It’s too big a bike to hustle through the

narrowest gap, and the fuel injection can be a little stuttered on small

throttle movements. It never gets out of control, but it is irritating. I

commute all year round, and only on the very coldest of wet mornings is the

fuelling a problem.

So the VFR does everything I could need from a bike. A little bit lighter,

and the bike would be perfect!