My post below on the VFR800X has attracted a couple of comments – which I have tried to publish, but, for some reason they appear and disappear for no apparent reason, so here they are, as a post:-
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25 October 2010 21:21 Beacham Owen said...
I think you hit the nail on the head. My local Honda dealer is shutting down soon, even though they are small and own the property. They told me that the Honda line can't compete with the others. They've been open since the 1960s and were one of the first Honda stores in the U.S..
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28 October 2010 18:35 TSK said...
Glad I found your blog. Interesting that you can in one breath dismiss the VFR1200 and in the next breath argue the virtues of your "Dullsville". It's a bit hypocritical. I would invite you to read my blog and test ride a VFR1200 before you label it as a "miss"
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So, being open minded and in deference to TSK, here’s a link to his VFR1200FA blog so that you too can read about his passion for a bike that I consider to be inherently flawed from the design through to the execution, so go have a look (while I ignore his “Dullsville” jibe and personal insults of hypocrasy). Please note that he claims to love the VFR1200, but for me the headline to his blog sums it up just right. he says:- “Interceptor? More like "Fighter Bomber"
And that to me says it all, a fighter bomber is the ultimate compromise, not a fighter (fast and agile), not a bomber (slow and clumbersome) a mixture of both – so that'll be fast and clumbersome then, or agile and slow. Whatever, I do know that the VRF1200 (in the UK) is expensive, very expensive for a bike with limited fuel range. So I’ll save my cash by not buying VFR1200 and should I wish to have a spend with the cash saved I could buy a 700 Deauville and £4,000 of fuel – which to me would be much more fun! But then I choose to ride all year round.
1 comment:
Coop:
I suggested that your comments might be hypocritical... which is slightly short of calling you a hypocrite! And my remark about the "dullsville" was meant to be facetious. I think the Deauville is a great motorcycle.
I enjoy using the warplane simile for motorcycles. VFRs used to be called Interceptor. Honda have since dropped that handle. If I had to categorize the 1200 I would call it a fighter-bomber. Interceptors are small lightweight jump jets meant to scramble quickly and shoot down long-range bombers. It's a cold war term. Fighter-bombers like the F111 or the Tornado are multipurpose aircraft with very high performance but also some payload capacity and range. Not as nimble as an "interceptor" but also more durable.
I think 600cc supersports are like interceptors, 1000cc superbikes are your air superiority fighters, big touring bikes like the Gold Wing are long-range heavy bombers like the B52.
The Deauville would be a multirole night fighter like the A-6 Intruder.
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