Yes, Mr P, you and I are of a mind. I owned two VFRs and the '89 FK is still the most satisfying bike I've ever owned. Thinking man's sports bike indeed. God I loved that thing. But over the years, Honda failed to keep the VFR up with the Joneses, so what's a chap to do? buy a Fazer 1000, that's what. VFRs are lovely, but they just don't have the oomph I want. I agree, it is a bit bitza compared to the VFR, which is probably the most considered machine of all mass produced bikes, but the Fazer makes up for it on so many fronts - power, simplicity, comfort, DIYability - and thanks to our Lord Ivan and others, it's so easy to make it better.
I've ridden the Multistrada and it is leagues ahead of everything else I've ridden this year, but I didn't buy one not just because of the price but something that BIKE crystallised for me; it's not exactly relaxed. It's a bit highly strung and only being able to use the first 3 gears until you hit 40 would drive me nuts when pottering on a tour or during town work. But heavens, that suspension was an eye opener. So it should be. The one I rode was the top spec 15k MS.
The bike I was going to buy was the VFR 1200, even if it was obscenely ugly and expensive. Then I rode one. I can't get over how disappointed I was. I keep going on about it to friends. Who are not now my friends.
It was going to be a struggle financially, but if it had been as good as I remember the ol' VFR, I'd have made the sacrifice.
I'm now waiting for a cross plane Fazer. Or for Honda to do what they always do and launch a second gen V4 which fixes all the problems of the first (remember the VF750F?) Drop the weight, sort the awful engine, give it a decent sized tank and make it pretty. They are perfectly capable of this if you think how they revolutionised big 4 cylinder sports bikes with the Blade, so why couldn't they adopt the same strategy with sports tourers? Why did they have to create a 268kg monster with a crap power delivery, awful linked brakes, poor ABS and a limited top speed?
So, as you say, it all comes down to money. Am I going to spend huge money to get something that only partly beats the Gen 1? No. Although, if I win the lottery, I'll design my own sports tourer - V5, 1000cc, 200kg max, full fairing, large tank, riding position somewhere between VFR and Fazer, 21 litre tank, comfy seat. And around 150bhp at the rear wheel. Can't decide on chain or shaft drive though. Hmm, maybe belt . . .
What would your perfect sports tourer be? (let me guess - similar, but with an 1200cc triple!)