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VFR1200X Owners Thread

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As there doesn't seem to be one at this point, here goes. At this point I have to say very quick, nice suspension, and hides her weight well. The DCT is a boon for commuting and actually as I get used to it not bad generally! The last "new" bike I bought last 15 years. We shall see how it does.

Mine 2016 VFR1200X DCT.
Pending pieces;
Givi TN1110 crash bars
Givi Trekker outback cases

The rest will get added as they come in. It might be a couple months since I want to do all the electrical at once. The bars are in the way of the side panels the same as they were on my BMW so I want to take her apart once to fit everything. then I plan on riding the wheels off it.

Photobucket seems Jacked up so for now a link to the virgin pictures on Google. The filters at work block google but not photobucket. Go figure....

https://goo.gl/photos/V3GCbFgX1du9yzaP9
 
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Wow I guess I'm it. Maybe I should have the thread moved to Red Headed step child forum. Or maybe everyone else is scared to come out of the closet!

Still a piece or two to go then the actual build begins!

I don't care though I'm lovin it.
 
Photobucket does not work anymore for me, either. That's why I don't post pics anymore. Rumor is Photobucket has reworked its programming to favor smart phones and such, leaving us retarded people with real computers out in the cold.
 
Well 1k update. Very nice bike definitely feels more like a sport bike than you'd expect. It hoasts the front end pretty easy with the TC turned down. Strangely it feels lighter in every way than the BMW and it's supposed to be nearly 100lbs heavier. Go figure. Everything is starting to break in so it gets more settled every day.

So it's not as plush as the BMW I miss the Ohlins but it feels light and nimble, the GS did not! Traffic wise other than a Vespa I don't see a better bike. Effortless stop and go traffic.

No buffeting on the screen, heat management is pretty good, again better than the BMW or Wee.

The last of the parts will be here this weekend. The all important factory fog light switch is here. So starting this weekend I will start the "build". Then hopefully next weekend do a run to SA.
 
Bike porn. Bags, bars, LED's, so stuff! The lighted switch with the OEM heated grips is just so civilized.
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So I've had my 1200x DCT, CT everywhere else, about 6 weeks. Well 2000 miles in and I have to say this is the most versatile bike I've had yet.

I have commuted stop and go for hours now, ridden like a hooligan, and pulled a short road trip. It has done all with aplomb! The DCT takes the chore out of the commute. The engine is a gem, for hooning around, it has the feel of several naked bikes I've had. The loaded up it didn't care if I was doing 70 mph or 90. I actually had to watch my speed.

The stock seat is not bad, not exceptional, but not bad. A stretch every tank was welcome but there was no dread getting back on. Not sure which half of the equation gave in but it worked. Maybe a sheepskin is in order. The air around the screen is smoother than other bikes and multiple screens. Given I live in **** airflow is welcome even this time of year. Average temp was around 78f (24C) this ride. The suspension is bedding in and the spring seems to like a load.

I did a 300 mile trip (one way) to San Antonio to drink beer with a buddy. Got up drove home. Easy! The GS was busy above 80 and the mileage tanked. The Wee was well, a Wee. I'm very impressed with the most do it all bike. I'm thinking maybe a Kaoko will be the last and final mod.

Mods
Givi crash bars
LED lights with OE switch
Givi trekker 48l side bags and 42l top box
R&G hugger
Knight design lower/wider pegs
 
Givi skid plate due in next week for an upcoming Big Bend trip. We'll see how it does out there in the heat, sand and rocks. Black Gap first! Well, maybe not first. Lol.
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Sweet! Looks like mine did!

Let me know about the skid plate. I have considered one but realistically felt it wasn't necessary. Yet
 
10-4. Heading to Big Bend and that header pipe looks expensive.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk
 
Go! You'll love it.
Give yourself 3-4 days to enjoy it. Check out the towns outside the park to exercise the V4 a little. Don't ride Black Gap. You can see the Ernst Tinaja off Old Ore Rd about 5 miles in from the South entrance. Don't go farther without knobbies. River road is at your own risk. Depends on the maintenance status. Part of it was closed when I was there. Glenn Springs was a fun road on the big X.
Lots of fun. I'm going back this fall for sure.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk
 
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Any engine heat issues with the bike? On my old VFR 800's, the heat coming off those rear header pipes would roast the underside of my right thigh pretty good. On cold days, it was nice. In the summer it could get pretty bad. Still, I LOVED that V4 motor!

These big bikes really need aggressive tires if you are going to ride them on anything other than hard packed dirt/gravel. Even if you just put something like a TKC 80 on the front, it makes a HUGE difference in how the bike handles and the confidence you will have in it going where you want it to go.

Honda has usually been pretty good with their headlights, say as opposed to BMW :roll: How are the headlights on these bikes? My old VFRs lit up the road like a light house beacon, curling the hair on road side critters. I miss them when I am out riding my GS. There is a good reason why you see so many GSs with auxiliary lights mounted all over them!
 
TM,
I haven't noticed any annoying heat issues. I see a lot of concern from previous F owners. Never had an F model, but plenty of nasty old Harleys and boxers and I don't recall thinking about my leg heating up at anytime on the X.
The Shinko 804/5 combo transformed the bike off road with the only washouts being in deep sand. It does want to push the front in that stuff, of course.
I'd say the headlight is about a 7 out of 10. Ok, but nothing phenomenal. Coming out of the Chihuahuan desert at 11pm had me wishing for some auxiliary back up lighting.
I'm a fickle motorcycle owner like most of us and I can't find much I don't like about the X model. Every time out on it I'm grinning like I was 10 years old again on my '72 TS50.
a244b1d9628de120c0dc9572ed40066a.jpg
 
That is a serious looking bash plate!

Good to hear the heat is not an issue. It has never been an issue on the three GSs I have owned. There just isn't that much heat coming back off the heads. The VFR heat was mostly only a problem at low speeds when there wasn't good air flow to carry it away because it was right under the seat. GS heads are in front of the legs so no worries at low speeds.

Being that this is a Honda, I would expect it to feel lighter than it is because they are good about mass centralization and low CG.
 
The DCT takes the chore out of the commute.

I know you love this. The YCCS trigger shifting on my FJR is like gold when it comes to handling traffic. I'm pretty sure a DCT would be pure platinum. :mrgreen: I'd be quite tempted to upgrade if Yamaha would fit a DCT on an FJR.
 
I'm still loving mine. It is in my mind a step forward from the 05 GS. The GS had better suspension and that's it but really only after the ohlins.

The V4 is smooth and strong the GS kind of ran out of wind above 80. It handles as big of a load just as well.

Heat wise I feel the heat is there but much more distributed. I feel it on the insides of my feet and back of my legs. The GS was painful on the shins, I swear I had burns from it commuting.

Headlight is okay I had a set of LED's kicking around. I wired them to a factory switch so it is quite clean.

Commuting DCT is a dream, and the response begs to be used. I find I wring it out where the GS just didn't. It covers all the bases well. I just couldn't afford a new GS which may have addressed the issue. But then I don't have a BMW either.

I think with a tire change at this point it will go anywhere the GS would (assuming I'm riding it). I'm glad there's at least 1 other to compare notes to!
 
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The bike is balanced very well and the weight was never an issue except when stopped. Off road, I stood the majority of the time because that's just how I ride and it was really comfortable. The pegs suck and need to be replaced. Eventually, I'll upgrade the suspenders. I far exceeded the limits of the stock suspension. After a 13 hour day in the saddle, about half off pavement, my back was talking pretty good.
With the settings adjusted, it felt good and tracked good except for the sharp edged lips. It's just not capable of being progressive enough off road. But hey, we knew that going in. Overall it was better than I expected though and really quite fun until it gets real rough.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using Tapatalk
 
Twisted throttle has SW motech adjustable pegs. Or I have the knight designs. The adjustable ones look interesting and cheaper too.
 
I just wrapped up a road trip on the beast and I have to say it did exceptionally well. So Dallas Tx, to Huntington Beach Ca, San Diego, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Moab, Durango, Dallas. 3990 miles in 12 days. 1 sore *** and 1 set of tires dead.

I left Dallas at 6am Friday and shut down about 10 pm Phoenix time. Just under 18 hours and shy of 1100 miles. Slept on the floor, got up and knocked out the remaining 450 miles to Cali. Elapsed time 33.5 hours for 1500 miles. The bike was awesome It just really didn't care, 90-95 through the desert loaded like a rented mule. I have the 48l Givi outbacks and 40l(?) tailbag then a dry bag with tent etc. I am also of superior dimensions.

The Scorpions started wearing funny just outside Fort Worth and were really toasted by Phoenix. But I pressed on to Cali ordering PR4T's to be drop shipped in San Diego. I "worked" there a couple days and a buddy from Vancouver rode his Harley down to meet me. We drank a lot of beer and headed to San Diego to get the 3rd guy on an FZ07.

I had the tires swapped and hit Lyon's Valley road. Better than the Dragon in my opinion. Then did the Midway carrier tour and headed to Old Town for Mexican (margarita's).

The next day it was a long winding ride to camp in the desert north of Joshua tree. Then a daily trip to Hoover Dam, the the Grand Canyon and up to Arches Nat Park in Moab. We did between 250-350 miles a day. Tented, hoteled, drank copious beer. We separated at Moab and I headed to Durango via Ouray, absolutely OMG beautiful.

I was planning on staying in Durango a couple days but the weather came in so I pressed on to Sante Fe. Santa Fe to Dallas was 660 miles 640 in the rain and cold (50F). Hey it's cold when the temperature jumped 30+ degrees literally in 10 miles when I cleared the rain.

So the factory heated grips, suck. But they functioned way better than not having them.

Suspension, not fantastic better seemed better sorted loaded.

Seat not bad for 8-9 hours but by day 6 I had a Walmart memory foam cushion added. I'd like to bash the seat but I don't think my *** has ever found one up to that level of endurance.

Engine, wow, just wow. My favourite for this duty to date. Getting to like the "growl"!

DCT, awesome. Pulling into LA stop and go and go traffic after 1500 miles and some 24 ish hours of saddle time, it was a life saver.

So 7 months 9500 miles I think it may be a keeper.
 
I just wrapped up a road trip on the beast and I have to say it did exceptionally well. So Dallas Tx, to Huntington Beach Ca, San Diego, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Moab, Durango, Dallas. 3990 miles in 12 days. 1 sore *** and 1 set of tires dead.

I left Dallas at 6am Friday and shut down about 10 pm Phoenix time. Just under 18 hours and shy of 1100 miles. Slept on the floor, got up and knocked out the remaining 450 miles to Cali. Elapsed time 33.5 hours for 1500 miles. The bike was awesome It just really didn't care, 90-95 through the desert loaded like a rented mule. I have the 48l Givi outbacks and 40l(?) tailbag then a dry bag with tent etc. I am also of superior dimensions.

The Scorpions started wearing funny just outside Fort Worth and were really toasted by Phoenix. But I pressed on to Cali ordering PR4T's to be drop shipped in San Diego. I "worked" there a couple days and a buddy from Vancouver rode his Harley down to meet me. We drank a lot of beer and headed to San Diego to get the 3rd guy on an FZ07.

I had the tires swapped and hit Lyon's Valley road. Better than the Dragon in my opinion. Then did the Midway carrier tour and headed to Old Town for Mexican (margarita's).

The next day it was a long winding ride to camp in the desert north of Joshua tree. Then a daily trip to Hoover Dam, the the Grand Canyon and up to Arches Nat Park in Moab. We did between 250-350 miles a day. Tented, hoteled, drank copious beer. We separated at Moab and I headed to Durango via Ouray, absolutely OMG beautiful.

I was planning on staying in Durango a couple days but the weather came in so I pressed on to Sante Fe. Santa Fe to Dallas was 660 miles 640 in the rain and cold (50F). Hey it's cold when the temperature jumped 30+ degrees literally in 10 miles when I cleared the rain.

So the factory heated grips, suck. But they functioned way better than not having them.

Suspension, not fantastic better seemed better sorted loaded.

Seat not bad for 8-9 hours but by day 6 I had a Walmart memory foam cushion added. I'd like to bash the seat but I don't think my *** has ever found one up to that level of endurance.

Engine, wow, just wow. My favourite for this duty to date. Getting to like the "growl"!

DCT, awesome. Pulling into LA stop and go and go traffic after 1500 miles and some 24 ish hours of saddle time, it was a life saver.

So 7 months 9500 miles I think it may be a keeper.
Like button pushed.

---WITGDHIGOAH---
 
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