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Honda VFR1200 (2011): Bob Pickett ignores the preconceptions, rides out on Honda’s flagship sports-tourer, and discovers something truly impressive

With thanks to Johns of Romford for the loan of the bike

2011 Honda VFR1200 The VFR1200: a bike has suffered from preconceptions. The rumour mill was chuntering for a long time, claiming Honda was going to come up with a larger capacity V4 sportsbike, or even a V5 or 6. So when the VFR1200 finally arrived – saddled with a truly dire marketing claim from Honda that it was the “Bike that would change the world of motorcycling for the next decade”, it faced an uphill struggle to shrug off the imaginary beast of the forums.

This wasn’t what people had dreamt up. What it was/is, is a 1200cc sports-tourer, with a supposedly non-sporting shaft drive and a decidedly non-touring 18.5 litre tank. It also didn’t sport 1,001 mode settings like all the other top of the range machines. And the general consensus of opinion was it looked, well, a bit odd really (more on the looks later).

But clear your mind and consider this; if someone came up to you and said “Fancy 1200cc of sporty V4, with the practicality of shaft drive (does anyone want to spend their tour lubing and tightening chains on a regular basis)?” In my mind, this made it worth checking out.

Johns of Romford, London Road branch kindly provided me with their ex-demo bike, with 812 miles on the clock (before our road test), up for sale for £9,450 – a saving of just shy of three grand on a bike barely run in.

This is another one of those bikes that looks better in the flesh, also proving to be much smaller than pictures suggest (my 29” legs reach the floor easily). Press the start button – more on positioning later in the piece – and the VFR purrs into life with a quiet growl from the stock can.

2011 Honda VFR1200 The VFR1200 supplies drive to the rear wheel in an totally controlled way with no shocks or surges. Open the throttle steadily, and you are rewarded by the V4 seemingly mining more and more reserves of power with no hint of ever tailing off.

But the fun thing to do is crack open the throttle. Do this and the V4 rewards with a change in engine note from purr to roar and the bike drives forward with purpose… but still smooth as silk mind. I was expecting a slight delay, but the power delivery from the Honda is instant. But do hang on tightly, or you will find yourself sliding backwards on the rather shiny saddle.

The engine provides one other surprise. If you are one of those riders that sits right up against the tank, you might want to move back a touch or avoid 4.5K. At those revs, the Honda provides a strange tingling vibration that feels like someone is ticking your private parts. It isn’t an unpleasant sensation by any means, but it can be a touch distracting!

The riding position is fine most of the time, but there is a wristiness that does catch up in slow traffic and I felt a little sore at the end of the day. The clocks are clear, perfectly placed and relate everything they show the rider at a glance. The mirrors are a revalation; not a glimpse of elbow, on a bike with some degree of sporting pretensions!

2011 Honda VFR1200 Stopping power is provided by two 320mm discs with two 6-piston callipers up front and a 276mm disc with 2-piston calliper at the back. The braking is controlled by Honda’s excellent C-ABS: the first time I apply the brakes, I stop some 15 foot short of the line! But I quickly adapt: a gentle squeeze will bleed the speed gradually but a firm application really sees the digits on the clocks tumble in a blur. But there is never any hint of pulsing and you feel in full control at all times.

Allied to the brakes is beautifully set up suspension. The 43mm telescopic front forks and gas-damped pro-link rear soak up every lump, bump and pothole, keeping the 267kg (dry weight) on track without ever getting out of step, but still providing feedback at all times.

The handling isn’t sportsbike sharp, as the VFR1200 likes to swing more than tip into the bend, but “silken” is the word that went into my tester’s notes, as the Honda seems to glide from one corner to the next, aided by the smooth and accurate gearbox. Taking it down the backroad section of the Motobke.co.uk test route, I realise that I’ve covered it faster than on possibly any other bike, including my own bike… one I know intimately, not one I’ve been riding for just a couple of hours. A-roads are also great fun, enjoyed in the same way as backroads as the Honda flows from bend to bend.

That covers the sporting side, but this is a sports-tourer. So time to put the touring credentials of the VFR1200 to the test. Motorways are ticked off with ease. The reason for that unusual looking fairing is down to the huge amount of work put in by Honda to give this bike excellent aerodynamics: the twin-layer panelling sends air onto the engine to keep things cool, while also deflecting the bulk of the air around and away from the rider (though really pushing on did generate some pummelling of my head).

2011 Honda VFR1200 One of the major whines about the VFR1200 is the smallish tank. So I kept a careful eye on consumption. On roads that were flowing well and letting the engine work, the Honda drank half a tank within 60 miles. This would suggest, if running at cruising speeds, the tank range would increase to maybe 150 miles? Enough to get from my home in London to the Welsh borders.

150 miles would certainly be enough time in the saddle and you would be more than ready for a break. I fidget for the first time at around 100 miles. It didn’t get any less comfortable mind, but if you’re intending to cover some serious miles, put in the homework on petrol stations along the way and be prepared to have a breather at each fuel stop.

But ride this bike to explore it’s merits and you will be smitten. If full price is a bit beyond your means, then why not contact John’s about an ex-demo model like the one we tested?

Thanks again to Johns of Romford for the initial loan of the bike

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