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Wilit: The Man, The Myth, His VFR800
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2002 Honda VFR800 · 781cc DOHC V-4 · Dual 4-piston Calipers (Front) · 5.8 Gallon Tank w/.8 Gallon Reserve · Fuel Injection w/Quad Throttle Bodies · Single Sided Swingarm Factory Options Modifications |
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1983 brought changes to the rules of AMA Superbike. Displacement for 4 cylinder bikes was restricted to 750cc's while V-twins were allowed 1000cc's. Honda already had created a V4 engine the year before, the V45 Magna, but it was far from the repli-racer the VFR would become. Though early V4 Interceptor models existed as the VF line, the VFR was born in 1986. Throughout the years, numerous changes have occured, resulting in 6 distinct "generations" of bikes. The 2002-Present VFR's are known as the 6th gen bikes. New features for the 6th gen include underseat exhaust, revised styling, and the love-or-hate-it demise of the gear driven cams thanks to the new VTEC system. Unlike the VTEC used in Honda automobiles where a seperate "high-speed" cam lobe is used to alter the cam lift and duration, the VFR's VTEC system utilizes 1 intake and 1 exhaust valve at low speed to maintain good low-end torque and throttle response. After 7,000 RPM, a second intake and exhaust valve is utilized for high-end performance. | ||
| Kim and I decided that a motorcycle adventure was in order. We purchased a tank bag, a set of saddlebags, and practiced riding 2-up on the RC51. We soon realized there was no way we were going to be able to cover 2,000 miles in 6 days on the RC51 without serious chiropractic help afterwards. I began thinking about picking up a new bike since Kim really likes to ride with me. Several bikes jumped into my head. I really liked the low-end torque the V-twin engine provided, so I narrowed my search to V-twin equipped bikes. I looked at the Ducati 900ss, SV1000, TL1000S, VTR1000F, and the Ducati ST2. I checked out all of them thoroughly, and while nice, the riding position on all of them still seemed too sporty. Not to mention the gas mileage and tank range of all of them left something to be desired. Especially when riding through parts of Nevada as we were going where gas stations are few and far between. I ended up sitting on a 5th gen VFR and decided the VFR was the bike for me. With 200+ miles per tank, a more upright seating position, and fuel injection, there couldn't be a more perfect bike. I checked the local Craigslist ads, looked at a few bikes, and settled on this little gem. | 
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| She is a 2002 model that was completely stock with only 4,999 miles on it. The gentleman I bought it from was the second owner and put less than 1,000 miles on it. Since I'm not much of a haggle-er I talked him down an enormous $100 and drove the bike home that day. Then began my quest to make the bike more comfortable. I purchased a set of Helibars, a Corbin saddle, a Throttlemeister throttle lock, a Zero Gravity DB windscreen, and a Throttle Rocker. In the span of 2 weeks, we put on nearly 2,000 miles. In retrospect, I'm 100% glad we bought a VFR. The major selling feature for me, the tank range, became a life saver in the Nevada desert. On any of the other bikes I considered, we would have had to walk on several occasions because I knew we would have run out of gas. But thanks to the VFR's excellent gas mileage and large tank, it was nothing but smooth sailing. | |||
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