h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

One thing this club is missing are some bike reviews written by the members. Look at the membership list and it's clear that there is a diverse range of machinery that's sat between the two legs of us all.

Anyone want to write one? Or two?

You might want to consider including some/all of the following points(or even just a few words would be appreciated...):

Why you bought it
How long you've ridden it and how many klms its done
Whether you'd recommend it to someone you really liked
Whether you'd recommend it to someone you really disliked
Bits that have fallen off or lasted really well
Fuel consumption
Service costs
Tyres - types and sizes, cost, suitability to type of riding
Accessories
Performance figures
Whether its good or bad at:
-Cornering and straight-lining
-Commuting and cruising
-Touring and off-roading
-Lookin' good...
Anything else you can think of
Do I need to say make/model/year? Didn't think so...

Post it below and I'll add it to the review page...which will be up as soon as we get some reviews written.

Good idea BadZen.

I'll do some thinking on VFR750fl & ft, VFR800fiw and maybe a golden oldie 400four.

I'll give it a go.
My bike is a Virago 125, R reg with just under 12000 mile on the clock, and I've done 6K of those in the year I've had it. It had been stored for more than 2 years before I bought it for £600. I spent another £250 (ish) on relacing the manifold, diaphram, and float jet. The rubber had deteriorated through lack of use. The first two items to be replaced were the jet and the manifold. I rode it for about 6 month with a very sluggish top end of 50 mph. Then I had the diaphram replaced. Now it's good for 60 to 65 with no sluggishness at all. It handles well, it's comfortable to ride and it does turn heads. The only modification I've doen is left the pillion seat off. It wasn't attached when I bough it and it makes the bike look meaner and bigger, mind you at about 7' 6" long it's not tiny.
I do about 20 miles to and from work each day and a bit of running around at the weekends. It costs me, with tax, insurance and petrol, about £1.00 a day. It'll probably cost a wee bit more in the summer when I can get out there cruising and generally showing off.
I don't think that's too bad considering that all I started needing was some cheap run around to get me too and from work. What I've ended up with is a very nice (extremely nice) looking machine that I'm proud of and I'm not ashamed to park it up against anything else out there. It has been valued at more than twice what it cost me. I've not passed my test yet but I'm in the process of doing that shortly but even when I've passed the test I don't think I'll be changing the bike.
Where's the point in spending extra money when I won't be able to go a great deal faster than what I go now on the sort of twisting, winding country roads that I like best.

Solaires_grandad

VFR 750 FL (1990)

I’d been riding since the early seventies and had a Honda 400fourF2. A brilliant bike! I’d just returned from my second trip to France and although she coped I wanted more. I got down to some serious research, reading everything I could about all the new bikes.

I didn’t want to jump from a seventies mid range bike to a modern rocket but I did want something comfortable and capable of scratching and touring.

The choice narrowed to a CBR600, which seemed a modern direct replacement, but very common.
A CBR1000, guaranteed to tour and plenty of power but a bit too big.
And Yamahas big tourer, the FJ. Not much more technically advanced than the 400 it would have replace and it was BIG.

It had to be the VFR. Not too big. Described as a ‘sports tourer’. And different…..single sided swing arm, gear driven cams, an exhaust that spun to the side for tyre changes and adjusting the chain on one adjuster in seconds. Tasty looking in red too.

I tried them all out. The VFR was the last one I went to. I didn’t need a test ride, just sitting on it told me everything I needed. It fitted like a glove.

Now to get a good price. All the magazines insisted that you could get deals if you tried hard enough. But back then most people settled for list price, 6 months tax and a tank of gas.

Not one of the local dealers would deal. Even the loan rates were poor. I live near Liverpool but thought that there are so many dealers in London there must be more competition for your money.

I was right and £4500 secured a UK (greys were rarer then) bike, full tank of gas, 12 months tax. I can’t remember the list price (‘RiDE’ suggests £5799), but that was a saving of around £12-1400.
They currently sell for around £2200. That’s less than 50% depreciation in 14 years!!!
Thanks HGB Ruislip Manor.

For the three years I had it never let me down. It started first time, every time. I swear it was made by the Swiss (those gear driven cams added to the illusion). Ice, rain snow and sun? No problem!
Over the years Honda had had a bad reputation across the range for troublesome cam chains. Earlier VF750 invented ‘choclate cam’ which wore rapidly. Hence the gear driven idea. Honda over engineered the VFR to get it’s reputation back. Many magazines reckoned they were losing money at list price, so I felt mine was a real bargain.

It’s only fault was flaking paint on the fork legs (a fault I’ve had on all three VFRs I’ve owned) sorted under warranty.

I did around 14,000 miles a year on it despite owning a car. It was just such a pleasure to ride. Pillions had no effect. Quick laps of the TT course showed no faults except the brakes. They could have been sharper, but at least they didn’t fade, what you started with, you finished with.

In, roughly three years, I totalled around 34,000 miles. And never regretted a single one.

The stats (as best as I can remember, I was too busy having fun!):-

MPG- Average 48, low 42, high 54. Magazines reckoned hard riding returned 36 but 39 was the lowest I ever managed and only once (TT if your wondering).

Tank range- 220 mile (best), 200 (typical).

Tyre life- Front 8000, Rear 5000.

Chain- 10000.

Services every 4000 (major at 12000, I think). Costs seemed reasonable.


I still look at FLs fondly. They are starting to look a little dated now, but the package is a good one.
I toured France several times and it was an absolute pleasure. When I think back about it, it's as if it was my first true love and a tear forms. Sad Old git!
I added a Baglux tank bag (I don’t like magnetic, I’m always afraid they fall off. Besides I’m partial to restraints, at the right time). In fact I’ve had a Baglux on all three VFRs and highly recommend them.


The facts that I picked it up in February and travelled about 250 miles in slush. Pulled up at a motorway little thief and had to navigate a massive carpark whose surface consisted of packed ice and discarded burgers. All without mishap. Are testimonies to how user friendly it was and justified it's name. Probably my best ever bargain.

Would I recommend it to a friend? Oh yes!
To an enemy? Yes, it might make them a friend when they realise two grand gets you something this good.

Why I change it? It got ‘lost’, nuff said.

Outrider.

Okay, okay! Don't shoot the messanger, he's just come off nights and didn't know about the copying from Word quirk.

B857r0s!*&*! and that isn't Word!!!
I think I've sorted it.



VFR 750 FL (1990)

I'd been riding since the early seventies and had a Honda CB400fourF2. A brilliant bike! I'd just returned from my second trip to France and although she coped I wanted more. I got down to some serious research, reading everything I could about all the new bikes.

I didn't want to jump from a seventies mid range bike to a modern rocket but I did want something comfortable and capable of scratching and touring.

The choice narrowed to a CBR600, which seemed a modern direct replacement, but very common.
A CBR1000, guaranteed to tour and plenty of power but a bit too big.
And Yamahas big tourer, the FJ. Not much more technically advanced than the 400 it would have replace and it was BIG.

It had to be the VFR. Not too big. Described as a 'sports tourer'. And it was different....single sided swing arm, gear driven cams, an exhaust that spun to the side for tyre changes and adjusting the chain on one adjuster in seconds. Tastey looking in red too.

I tried them all out. The VFR was the last one I went to. I didn't need a test ride, just sitting on it told me everything I needed. It fitted like a glove.

Now to get a good price. All the magazines insisted that you could get deals if you tried hard enough. But back then most people settled for list price, 6 months tax and a tank of gas.

Not one of the local dealers would deal. Even the loan rates were poor. I live near Liverpool but thought that there are so many dealers in London there must be more competition for your money.

I was right and £4500 secured a UK (greys were rarer then) bike, full tank of gas, 12 months tax. I can't remember the list price ('RiDE' suggests £5799), but that was a saving of around £12-1400.
They currently sell for around £2200. That'sless than 50% depreciation in 14 years!!!
Thanks HGB Ruislip Manor.

For the three years I had it never let me down. It started first time, every time. I swear it was made by the Swiss (those gear driven cams added to the illusion). Ice, rain snow and sun? No problem!
Over the years Honda had had a bad reputation across the range for troublesome cam chains. Earlier VF750 invented 'choclate cam' which wore rapidly. Hence the gear driven idea. Honda over engineered the VFR to get it's reputation back. Many magazines reckoned they were losing money at list price, so I felt mine was a real bargain.

It's only fault was flaking paint on the fork legs (a fault I've had on all three VFRs I've owned) sorted under warranty.

I did around 14,000 miles a year on it despite owning a car. It was just such a pleasure to ride. Pillions had no effect. Quick laps of the TT course showed no faults except the brakes. They could have been sharper, but at least they didn't fade, what you started with, you finished with.

In, roughly three years, I totalled around 34,000 miles. And never regretted a single one.

The stats (as best as I can remember, I was too busy having fun!):-

MPG- Average 48, low 42, high 54. Magazines reckoned hard riding returned 36 but 39 was the lowest I ever managed and only once (TT if your wondering).

Tank range- 220 mile (best), 200 (typical).

Tyre life- Front 8000, Rear 5000.

Chain- 10000.

Services every 4000 (major at 12000, I think). Costs seemed reasonable.


I still look at FLs fondly. They are starting to look a little dated now, but the package is a good one.
I toured France several times and it was an absolute pleasure. When I think back about it, it's as if it was my first true love and a tear forms. Sad Old git!
I added a Baglux tank bag (I don't like magnetic, I'm always afraid they fall off. Besides I'm partial to restraints, at the right time). In fact I've had a Baglux on all three VFRs and highly recommend them.


The facts that I picked it up in February and travelled about 250 miles in slush. Pulled up at a motorway little thief and had to navigate a massive carpark whose surface consisted of packed ice and discarded burgers. All without mishap. Are testimonies to how user friendly it was and justified it's name. Probably my best ever bargain.

Would I recommend it to a friend? Oh yes!
To an enemy? Yes, it might make them a friend when they realise two grand gets you something this good.

Why I change it? It got 'lost', nuff said.

Outrider.

Excellent reviews!!



I'll put a couple up about my last two bikes soon.
Now what about the rest of you out there?

Greetings BadZen.

Frogs offerings have got me thinking about travellers tales. If I ever find the time.

Remember 'shiney side up, rubber side down' - the bike silly!

Outrageousrider!