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Honda's latest tech-laden VFR1200F opens up a new avenue that promises to make motorcycling safer without making it dull and boring. Ken Matsumoto rides Honda's next-generation big-bike
Smooth, sweet and sensual is how the V4 burble of the new Honda VFR1200 sounds at idle. According to Honda, this is just the beginning of an all-new V4 dynasty that will expand in the coming years, like the magic and long-standing faith that prevailed in the Honda Fireblade series. When Honda first made the Fireblade CBR900RR in 1992, they had a plan that stretched till the iconic Fireblade 954RR, which came out in 2002. The Japanese giant foresees a similar growth and development for V4 engines in the coming years, thanks to the usability of power they offer. Successor to the much-loved and adored VFR800 sports-tourer, the new VFR1200F coins a new segment in itself - Road Sport. In the modern motorcycling scenario, Sport means shedding weight on the motorcycle as much as possible and maximising horsepower to gain the best possible power-to-weight ratio. Lighter the better has worked for decades now and the 267kg of mass on the new VFR1200 clearly doesn't fit into the Sport theory of today. But as pointed out before, the latest offering from Honda hopes to pave the path for the next generation of motorcycling, primarily focused on road use.
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The Honda wing moniker reflected the glittering morning sunlight as I got astride the VFR. With all that mass, I had expected it to be slightly cumbersome especially when getting it up from the side-stand, but the Honda techies have done a fabulous job of centralizing all that bulk and placing it really low. First couple of moments in the saddle and I could feel the ease that the Honda engineers were mentioning during the briefing session about their new motorcycle. During the initial few laps on the race-track, entering into the tight corners the bike veered into the turns quicker than I had anticipated. Smoothly holding its line, the well-tuned suspension took care of the road undulations as the VFR1200F attacked corners with negligible physical effort.
The compact next-generation 1,237cc V4 engine boasts of smartly incorporated technologies like replacing the DOHC configuration for a Unicam setup (borrowed from the successful Honda CRF motocross models), which aids in reducing the overall height and weight of the engine without compromising on performance. The layout of the V4 cylinders is borrowed from the MotoGP RC212V race-bike wherein the two cylinders in the front are placed wider than the rear pair, which allowed the engineers to slim down the rear section of the engine. This engine layout endows the bike with a narrower waist offering low saddle height and more room for rider movement as well as helping in mass centralization.
The new V4 engine not only matches upto modern-day sportsbikes in terms of agile handling and corner-carving but also on horsepower figures as it makes 172.6PS of power at 10,000rpm and an impressive torque figure of 129Nm peaking at 8,750rpm. The power delivery is extremely handy and useable on the VFR1200F. The linear torque curve allows the revs to climb right from 2000rpm all the way upto its 10,500rpm redline. The revs build up real fast albeit in a soothing manner without frightening the rider but instead making him feel comfortable and at-ease all the time. A significant change is the adoption of a shaft-drive in place of the conventional final chain drive - reducing power-losses furthermore. But the biggest development on the big-Honda is the all-new Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) available as on option in place of the standard 6-speed manual gearbox (refer Tech Focus.in the October 2009 issue of ZigWheels for more on this technology). |
