MCN and Foc

[Lez72]

As such I think the biggest buying point has been missed....

I totally agree with that. They have laboured the commuter angle too much really, when as we all know its a stonking performance bike (and thats not just a biased opinion). It's one of the best bikes ever built for its performance, looks and versatility which 12 years on is still hard to better. I guess if it doesn't have the latest electrickery on it though it gets dismissed by journos to some degree. In fairness, they get to ride all the latest 'hot poop' bikes out there so become a bit 'blinkered' in my opinion  :rolleyes

[JoeRock]

[quote author=pitternator link=topic=6645.msg62236#msg62236 date=1362729984]

As such I think the biggest buying point has been missed....

I totally agree with that. They have laboured the commuter angle too much really, when as we all know its a stonking performance bike (and thats not just a biased opinion). It's one of the best bikes ever built for its performance, looks and versatility which 12 years on is still hard to better. I guess if it doesn't have the latest electrickery on it though it gets dismissed by journos to some degree. In fairness, they get to ride all the latest 'hot poop' bikes out there so become a bit 'blinkered' in my opinion  :rolleyes
[/quote]

It's not a performance bike though is it, it's just an all rounder that happens to have a number of strong points!

[AyJay]

Depends what you mean by 'performance bike'. Compared to other bikes in the same class such as the CBF1000, Speed Triple, Bandit, ZRX1100, Brutale 990, SuperDuke etc, or big capacity Adventure bikes, it's still faster.


In fact, the only big nakeds which are faster are the K1300, Tuono V4 and our very own FZ1, and then only just. As J. Pitt said, the VFR1200 isn't faster (ok, maybe above 120, but certainly not under 120) so it's only when you get into the litre sports bikes like the Blades, R1s that you get something quicker. Okay, so some of the bikes I've mentioned would beat it round a track because they have better handling, but then again, the Fazer 1000 is quite an old design.


I know what you mean, but instead of thinking of it as an all rounder,  I reckon it better to think of it as a real world performance bike. Instead of having to compromise on ease of use, tank range, touring ability or comfort to own a performance bike, you just buy a Fazer!


And that's why it's a great bike. Nothing's beaten it in 12 years.

[spoonlamp]

Nice one - thanks for sharing 

[pitternator]

also I said " bang for buck"...you can still buy relatively low milers for around £3k, spend approx £1k on jet kit and good suspension, and you have IMO one of the fastest( useable) road bikes ever made..I exclude  sportsbikes here , I am talking allrounder / road bikes. So for just £4k ish you have a bike capable of keeping up in most groups on  a trackday but will still tour europe in comfort.
What else is there out there at that sort of money ??...
I liken my fazer to a wolf in sheeps clothing !
Commuter ???  FFS , its soo much more than that.

Its why I still have one in my garage after 12 yrs, and almost 12 other bikes !!( I have  run two bikes since 2004)..the vfr1200 comes close,its an awesome bike , but IMO still isnt as flickable in the twisties or as practical for touring...and is 12k new ...in fact I now tend to buy opposite type bikes or character bikes to run alongside the fazer , which is still IMO the fastest bike point to point I have ever ridden.

[kitcrazy]

Agree with all of the above but we all know that BLUE is still the fastest colour :lol

[AyJay]

"fastest point to point bike I've ever ridden"


Very good point. I'm trying to think of a bike with as much performance and flick ability and has as large a tank and I'm struggling. It goes further and faster than just about anything.


Have to say I disagree with the VFR being awesome, though. It's very ordinary if you ask me, and a dog's dinner in many ways. Spend some time on the VFR forum and the problems are very evident, from tank range to people needing 4 rear shocks in 10,000 miles, swarf in the engine on early bikes, complete engine failures, rear panels cracking, brakes seizing, vibrating engines, dreadful power delivery/performance restriction in 1st and 2nd gear, restricted top speed, the centre stand being a 200 quid 'option' and most bought them despite the looks! And now take a look at the resale values. 


I really wanted to buy one as it should have been the perfect Fazer replacement, but it is an utter lemon. It's the worst new bike built in the last decade.


If you want awesome, try a ZZR1400 which beats the VFR into a cocked hat in every single department, comfort, build quality, tank range, handling, ABS/traction control and I won't even mention performance. That's the bike the VFR should have beaten, but it doesn't even beat a 12 year old Fazer.

[stevierst]

The worst thing is that the VFR 12, it looks like a melted lego block. It's minging! :lol

[AyJay]

It really does! I hear Honda wanted to get away from the sporty/aggressive look of recent bikes, but they also seemed to have got away from aesthetically pleasing bikes too. The Blade looks likes like an upturned dead ray fish on a beach.

[ChristoT]

A lot of people got very pissed off at Honda fro the VFR1200. The VFR800 is possibly one of the best allrounder middleweights (the Fazer 600 is often described as a budget VFR in reviews), and has quite a faithful following. A lot of people were hopping when the 1200 came out, as it was a bike they'd really been looking forward to until they saw the picture on the brochure.

On a side note, what is it with Honda and styling these days? The VFR1200 is hideous, and has anyone seen the Goldwing F6B? I think that's as close to looking like a slug as you'll ever see a bike. Horrible thing!

[Lez72]

[quote author=Lez72 link=topic=6645.msg62239#msg62239 date=1362731410]
[quote author=pitternator link=topic=6645.msg62236#msg62236 date=1362729984]

As such I think the biggest buying point has been missed....

I totally agree with that. They have laboured the commuter angle too much really, when as we all know its a stonking performance bike (and thats not just a biased opinion). It's one of the best bikes ever built for its performance, looks and versatility which 12 years on is still hard to better. I guess if it doesn't have the latest electrickery on it though it gets dismissed by journos to some degree. In fairness, they get to ride all the latest 'hot poop' bikes out there so become a bit 'blinkered' in my opinion  :rolleyes
[/quote]

It's not a performance bike though is it, it's just an all rounder that happens to have a number of strong points!
[/quote]

Of course it's a performance bike. If you own one and don't view it as that then maybe you have a lemon ? It's a powerful bike with ample performance as so many have already intimated. Don't confuse what i am saying with 'Superbike'. I don't for one minute think it could out perform an R1, GSXR, Blade etc but in comparable company it still shines in my opinion 

[Lez72]

Agree with all of the above but we all know that BLUE is still the fastest colour :lol

What is it with this 'blue being the fastest colour' thing ? If that is true then black is certainly the meanest  8)

[ChristoT]

[quote author=kitcrazy link=topic=6645.msg62417#msg62417 date=1362824298]
Agree with all of the above but we all know that BLUE is still the fastest colour :lol

What is it with this 'blue being the fastest colour' thing ? If that is true then black is certainly the meanest  8)
[/quote]

It's some BS that Exupnut started. The blue lads have jumped on the bandwagon. It's empty words, I tell you!!  :lol

[richfzs]

Mental illness, is what it is ;-)

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

[bludclot]

many thanks for uploading the article scans.


those of us with decent medium term memories will remember the bike 440. (for non 'bike' readers and copious amounts of dope smokers it was a 440 mile test route that bike magazine rode all their test bikes round, encompassing pretty much all types of tarmac roads.)


and which bike was the fastest around this route? yes, you guessed it - the fzs1000.


faster than the r1 and gsx-r1000 of the time. not in terms of outright performance of course, but a combination of speed, handling, comfort and tank range.


my personal experience tells me that my own fazer is faster than a db9 (he had a good go on a dual carriageway) and a bently continental (he had a good go on a motorway)


so, to my mind, the fazer 1000 is most definitely the fastest vehicle on british roads.  for me, this was a factor in buying the bike.




having said the above if i had to set off from my house on a 440 mile round route i think that i would complete it quicker in my escort van than on the fazer. why? there's always the kit on and off time factor but crucially i could do 440 miles straight in the van without stopping for fuel or stretching. the fazer would need 2 fuel stops and i would need perhaps another 2 stops for stretching, eating up any 'stuck in traffic' time.


so in reality the fazer 1000 is slower than a 12 year old escort van with 35 bhp at the front wheels.




in conclusion the fazer can be thought of as a performance bike but the reality is that any vehicle is only ever fast given the right circumstances.

[AyJay]

having said the above if i had to set off from my house on a 440 mile round route i think that i would complete it quicker in my escort van than on the fazer. why? there's always the kit on and off time factor but crucially i could do 440 miles straight in the van without stopping for fuel or stretching. the fazer would need 2 fuel stops and i would need perhaps another 2 stops for stretching, eating up any 'stuck in traffic' time.

I remember the BIKE 440 and I'll take that challenge!


I would lose maybe 5 mins for kitting up, 10 mins for fuelling and I'll give you a 5 min stretch too, so you'd have 20 mins in hand  over 440 miles which included 124 miles of A roads 136 miles of B roads and 160 miles of motorways like the A1. I happen to know most of the 440 roads very well and I'd take 10 mins out of a van on those 136 miles of B roads alone.


BIKE did it in 6 hours 10 mins (it says here in the November 2003 issue). Now if you'd said ride to the south of France on motorways, I'd say van, or even London to Edinburgh M1/A1, I'd say van, but around the 440...... I doubt it.