Quote:
Originally posted by Rushjob Mate has a new Triumph St after having a VFR800... His report after doing a lap of Spain & Portugal was that he wanted to turn around & go again..... |
IMHO the Triumph has by far a better engine and should be far better than the VFR.
In the pre VFR VTEC days i attended a Honda development focus group. Albout 15 out of 20 people said that the VFR needed a bigger engine, less weight, and better handling. The other 5 wanted a sportier Pan Euro.
The Honda staff kept banging on about wouldn't you just love variable valve timing and ignored all the feedback.
Having just bought my first ST4 i suggested that Honda copy that (much to their disgust!)
I searched for the elusive perfect sports tourer for many years.
VFR 750 early and late model
VFR 800 (not the crappy vtec thing either)
Firestorm
Triumph ST
Now to me the heart of the bike is the engine, next requirement is good handling and looks and soul are important up at the top of the list as well.
The VFR's covered an accumulated 40,000 miles.
Firestorm did 4000 miles in 3 months and was sold
Triumph covered about 5000 miles in 4 months and was sold.
I bought my first Ducati, an ST4, i loved that so much i replaced it with an ST4s on which i did about 20,000 miles.
The Ducati came closest to giving me what i wanted from a SPORTS tourer, emphasis on sports.
The VFR's were efficient but bland and soul less, The firestorm just ran out of petrol in less than 100 miles all the time and had basic suspension.
The Triumph had the best engine out of that lot so far but still didn't inspire me despite in many eyes being better than the VFR.
Most of the press didn't rate the ST4, but i tried one and loved it. Comfy, great engine, best handling of the whole bunch and some emotion.
I got the Ducati bug so badly that i now use a 996R with helibars, higher screen, Technosel seat, and ventura luggage as my all time favourite SPORTS tourer.
Nothing compares to the buzz of a good long days ride down twisty foreign roads, "bend surfing" then plotting up in a nice hotel, sitting in the sunshine with a cold beer, some good food, admiring the best looking bike ever made, covered in dead flies; comparing the days riding.
Sports tourers are about having fun, not just droneing up and down motorways with everything but the kitchen sink on board, and gods knows with despatching i've done enough miles up and down motorways on BM's, Pan's, CX 500's, Katana 1100 and GPZ900r's.
I go back to my first ramble on in this post about what a new Ducati ST4+ or ST4SPS should offer.
Time to get of my soapbox.