Launch report: Honda VFR1200F

Honda and V-four engines have always been happy bedfellows, whether it's in a pure racing context or on the street. But there hasn't been a fresh V-four roadbike for eons, prompting much pleading for the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer to pull its finger out.

Obviously, the top brass at Honda also felt it was time to flick the switch again, commissioning an all-new V-four platform about three years ago, which has now reached its zenith in the VFR1200F sportstourer - for now.

This new engine is a seismic shift forward, producing a claimed 171hp and 129Nm, compared to 125hp and 85Nm for, say, the ST1300 - one of two V-fours still in the Honda stable (the other is the VFR800) before the VFR1200F arrived.

This may give us a clue where the ST's next mill may come from, and the 1237cc engine is set to power a number of other motorcycles, with an adventure bike tipped to be well and truly in the R&D queue. Can't wait for that one - look out BMW R 1200 GS and Ducati Multistrada!

But for now Honda's primary focus is on the VFR1200F, which is unquestionably its biggest ticket release in recent years. Sure, we've had bikes like the quirky DN-01 and Fury custom chopper - which we'll ride in a couple of weeks - ticking things over but the VFR1200F has some real high-volume flavour.

And it's going to be fascinating to see it go into battle against bikes like the BMW K 1300 S, Suzuki Hayabusa and Kawasaki ZX-14. For a start, the rear-end on the VFR-F is nearly identical to the K 1300 S.

The shaft-driven 76-degree liquid-cooled 1237cc VFR-F definitely packs a punch, and it certainly had plenty of opportunities to execute that strength during a recent 230km odyssey from Sydney to Cessnock, via the spaghetti-like Putty Road, during the Australian media launch.

But the bike's certainly not a one-trick pony, and it has the directional, confidence-inspiring handling smarts to make it one helluva mile-muncher -- which we plan to authenticate when we grab another press unit in a couple of weeks for a more substantive test.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
There were leaks aplenty -- some official, some hearsay -- before the VFR1200F was unveiled last year, and the Bikesales Network certainly ran with them, including reports on the dual clutch transmission (which was true) and a purported complete cylinder shut-off system when the rider's power requirements were minimal (which was not).

Horsepower was also tipped to be around the 200hp mark but the real number is 172 at 10,000rpm. However, according to Tsutomu Ishii, the engine manager at Honda, the company didn't go for top-end spec and top-end performance when developing the VFR-F mill.

"The concept of the motorcycle is a sportsbike that can also tour. This means the motorcycle has sporty characteristics delivered in a very smooth way," said Ishii-san. "To do this we first looked at the positioning of the V-four cylinders and also how best to lay the crank pins."

And Ishii continued: "When developing a V engine you need to eliminate the vibrations coming, so we chose an angle of 28 degrees. For the firing of the cylinders you normally choose the uneven numbers for the fronts (cylinders one and three), and the even you chose for the rear bank (two and four).

"But in this case we have chosen cylinders one and four for the front and cylinders two and three for the rear, providing a very compact construction - while maintaining this unique V4 feel.

"One of the biggest advantages is when using this cylinder bank layout are the width and length of the engine are shortened. The engine is almost as thin as a two-cylinder V engine - and this means the rider can change their position on the bike easily. It also means you have a greater degree of freedom in how the bike is designed.

"We have also reduced the height of the engine by using the UNICAM system from the CRF off-road range, which has both compact construction and excellent performance.

"This has made the engine overall more compact. This allowed us to reduce the size of the exhaust side of the engine so we were able to place it more to the front, which gives the customer a much better riding position.

"Basically the RC211V engine layout and design concept is the same for the racebike as for the street motorcycle, and I knew we had to design the V-four engine very compactly so it would fit into a spherical frame."

The VFR-F produces claimed torque of 129Nm at 8750, which is about 17Nm more than the CBR1000RR Fireblade.

Fuel duties are handled by throttle-by-wire technology, and a slipper clutch is fitted, similar to the one on the Fireblade. Honda claims the throttle-by-wire delivers improved responsiveness during fast acceleration, manoeuvrability, and fuel efficiency. It's the first Honda with throttle-by-wire, and without the gremlins that have affected other manufacturers' offerings in recent years.

As expected, the VFR-F also comes with Honda's combined ABS (C-ABS) set-up. There are six-piston Nissin calipers gripping 320mm discs on the front, and it's a twin-piston/276mm matrix on the rear.

The bikes we rode at the launch were the conventional six-speed gearbox design, with the dual clutch transmission (DCT) variant set to follow in about June. Expect around a $1000 premium for that particular model. The base model retails for $24,990.

We'll talk more about the DCT in due course, especially the tech wizardy behind it, but in essence it allows the rider to operate the bike in either full automatic mode or in manual mode with clutchless gear shifting via finger-operated paddles. Whether it makes sport touring more appealing to a wider range of people is the million dollar question...

There is a twin-spar aluminium "diamond-configuration" frame; single-sided swingarm; a Pro-link rear shock with preload and rebound adjustment; and 43mm upside-down forks with preload adjustment only.

Rake and trail are 25.5 degrees and 101mm, and the wheelbase is a very stability friendly 1545mm.

The quality of finish is very impressive, particularly the lustrous paint. But the centrepiece is the layer-concept fairing, in which Honda describes as "unrivalled air management". It's very impressive.

Spent gases are emitted through a quartet of unequal-length headers that unite at the right-side muffler, and the wheels are seven-spoke on OEM Dunlop Roadsmart rubber.

Other accessories include 29lt panniers for $1670, a 31lt top box (including bracketing) for $1497, wind deflectors for $358, a tank bag for $267, heated grips for $732 (and they work well -- trust me!), a hugger for $335, a 12V socket for $188, and an alarm for $831.

The VFR has 12,000km service intervals, and it has a two-year unlimited-kilometre warranty. Colours are red or silver.

So who will buy the VFR1200F? Honda believes it will be the domain of 40-year-olds and above who appreciate quality and luxury, are sophisticated and have a high disposable income. Might just be the candidates for DTC?

ON THE ROAD
My niggling question as to why Honda held the international press launch for the VFR1200F at (the Yamaha-owned!) Sugo race track in Japan last year has been answered: this is a sportsbike first and foremost but one that can also take on the long-haul.

The UNICAM engine, as we'd expected, is a grunt master and there's no dithering or hesitation as it pulls cleanly from idle, with the soft-action hydraulic clutch ensuring a clean getaway. It's pure, linear V-four power: plain and simple.

Honda reckons about 90 percent of maximum torque (about 103Nm) is available from 3500rpm, and I don't think there's too much overstatement in that. But it's from 6000rpm when there's some real authority, accompanied by a powerful induction roar. One Honda staffer compares it to the growl from an RC30 -- I haven't ridden one, so I'll take his word for it.

From 6000rpm, the VFR makes it way to the 10,000rpm redline and 10,500rpm rev limiter in rapid fashion. It's relentless: there's not a stutter along the journey, and if anyone can pick out any discernible driveline lash they are a better person than I am.

I could feel the ABS working on a few occasions, especially when we hit some wet tarmac during the ride. The pulsing action is quite soft, which is the norm for most of the systems these days.

The chassis, suspension and long swingarm do enough to ensure that stability (touring) isn't an issue, while it still has more than enough agility (sports riding) to satisfy most riders. But there's no getting away from the fact that kerb weight is a heavy 267kg.

The Nissin ABS brakes are superb, and the ergonomics are well executed: plenty of room between the wide perch and pegs, and the bars are at a comfortable height. In fact, the ergonomics are identical to the current generation VFR800 -- another V-four in the Honda stable.

However, amongst the toasts there is a roast: I would like to see a height-adjustable seat which really should be standard issue on a sportstourer.

And I'd like to see the bars positioned back a few more millimetres for my short arms, and also a taller screen (even the $358 screen extension from the accessory list doesn't provide much more protection from the wind), but otherwise the VFR is a functional tour de force -- but one that you could also live with for a daily commute.

And we saw a bit (well, a shitload) of that during the urban snarl in Sydney to kickstart our ride but the VFR wasn't getting a sweat on its brow. It's easy to ride at a snail's pace, and it also helps that first gear isn't overly tall for the constant start-stop routine. And even though the engine was getting hot in heavy traffic, my legs weren't feeling the heat, which is a massive tick of approval for the heat transfer properties of the fairing.

All in all, it's a massively fun package. I'm an unabashed fan of sportstourers, and it certainly serves up all that I need: an engine which oozes technology, and with a chassis to make the most of it. This bike is a winner - period.