duc, duc, duc, GOOSE!

[topspin_flyer]

OK, I am out of the closet!  I took home a shiny new bike and it was not a Ducati, but a Honda VFR 800 Interceptor!  I have always been in taken with this icon since I can remember, when as a boy it peaked my interest in motorcycles, and to this day in my mind, it is the epitome of the sport for me.  The latest and greatest model, the sixth generation machine, would be my destiny.  So with that burning desire lingering in depths of my subconscious mind, the dream finally manifested itself yesterday as I took possession of a new metallic silver 2008 by way of a great deal from Shenandoah Honda out in Winchester.  My first ride was less than ideal, I was a bit nervous to be on a new and unfamiliar machine with cold and slick un-scrubbed tires, the air damp and cool, the pavement was wet and the sky was misty and threatening, but the weather could not have been better in the confines of my helmet which masked my ear to ear grin. 

So here are my first initial thoughts on the pros and cons regarding the new bike, a brain dump of my thoughts and excitement with my point of reference coming off a Ducati Monster 695 which was my first bike which served me well these past two years.
   
Pros:
-   800cc V-4 VTEC engine â€" Hello MotoGP specs!!!
-   107 horsepower, 59lbs of torque â€" I know, not exactly MotoGP stats but a nice step up in performance for me coming up from the monster 695 power plant which produced a lesser 73 horses and 43lbs of torque.
-   Powerband is pretty neat too, with the VTEC engine technology just two cylinders are used at lower RPMs and it seems to have decent power starting above 4,000 RPMs up through 6,800 RPMs, at which point the VTEC kicks in and all four cylinders come online.  It is exciting when this happens; you can really feel the power coming on, not unlike an F-14 going into full afterburner mode!  Ha!  You just have to be aware and cautious you are not leaned over in the middle of a turn when you trip the VTEC, that is concerning but manageable I think. 
-   Sound of the engine is that familiar sweetness, V-4s sound very similar the twins we all know and love vs the typical Japanese whiney inline four.  I am going to put some Leo Vince cans on it to make it rumble all deep and throaty and it will be undeniably awesome. 
-   Sportbike demeanor with all day comfort ergonomics.  Clip-ons vs handlebar which resulted in a narrower grip on the controls, feels a little different but I adapted quickly.   Also, I like having a fairing for some wind protection but I felt like I had a lot of wind on my head still, thought not as much on my chest so my wrist were a bit sore from supporting more weight than I am accustomed, but overall the bike does feel really comfortable. 
-   Metal gas tank holds 5.8 gallons of fuel, translates to a range of 200+ miles so I will be spending less time at the pump.
-   Dash instruments include a fuel gauge as well as ambient air temperature which I think is nice to have.
-   Designed to run on lower-grade 87 octane unleaded fuel â€" very practical in this economy.
-   Japanese build quality and reliability, resulting in significantly reduced maintenance and related costs.
-   180 size rear tire vs 160 on my little monster, size matters!
-   Single sided swing arm, so damn sexy from the good side!
-   Cheap to insure with Progressive, full coverage for about $46 per month as it is classified as a sport-touring bike, so actually not much more cost than my little monster.  Just for fun as a comparison, albeit apples to oranges, I also priced the Ducati 848 and the 1198 superbikes and they of course were about 3x the rate, almost $1500 per year - interesting to learn that those two bikes cost the exact same to insure!
-   
Cons:
-   More risk of theft with this bike over my little monster, that is particularly concerning and I will have to take more security measures and precautions.
-   More weight to be concerned with, weighs 540lbs wet which initially scared me to think about, 50% more than I am used too, but I was actually pleasantly surprised I hardly noticed it. And a plus to the extra weight is that it might be more cumbersome to steal â€" maybe it takes three guys vs two to pick it up and cart it off in a van.
-   Linked brakes, concerning to me because I don't get to totally control what is happening up front or behind.  I think it is a good feature in ideal conditions, but sometimes I can imagine a situation where I might want to employ just the rear brake and that is not going to be possible with a linked brake configuration.
-    Doesn't have that cool and useful high-beam finger trigger feature to flash the brights â€" I am going to really miss that feature because I liked to running with the low-beams during the day and having that option available to signal other drivers who piss me off or threaten me (e.g. “wake up, coming up fast behind you, move outta my way!” or the potentially lifesaving use at intersections “don't even think about turning left in front of me!”).  Maybe a headlight modulator would be an effective alternative...   
-   Winter storage gets a little more complicated, liquid-cooled and battery system doesn't seem to have that nifty cable to plug into accessories or a battery tender so will have to remove the battery from the bike to keep it charged over the winter. 
-   Going Japanese will potentially makes me a target for roasting and verbal abuse by the local Ducati illuminati at the weekly CAM Rhoadside meet ups.  Ha!  I will still keep and enjoy the monster but I have lost a bit of my Ducati smugness :-)

Alright, I was just taking the time to write this up since I am off work today and it was raining all morning, it turned into a fun bit of soul searching a exercise, but the sun has since come out and now I am dying to go for a ride on my new baby so I will post up more later, and pics to come too!.

[Monster Niiya]

Topspin, this is my first live post.  But wanted to say congrats on the VFR.  I just put my money down on my first Ducati 09 M1100.  I have an 02 VFR (6th gen like yours) and am keeping it so the Duc has a friend in the garage. 

I wanted to invite you to VFRDiscussions message board.  The board has a ton of into and is a very active board, much like this one.  You will learn a lot about your bike and meet some good people.  The web address is www.vfrdiscussion.com.

Good luck with the interceptor.....you will love it hopefully as much as I have loved mine.

[topspin_flyer]

Hey Tim,

Yes, you are correct on the valves vs cylinders, my ignorance is so very blissful... so I should have just said half the engine stuff is working and then all of it kicks in and that is awesome!  Also, the gear box is VFR almost too tight and deceptively smooth to the point that you really have to concentrate to feel it, and there is no slipper clutch so it is on my mind when I am downshifting quickly.  I actually took the little monster out last night for the first time since taking home the new bike and it was suddenly a lot more fun than I remembered, as I was seemingly able to ride the smaller and lighter bike a lot harder than I was comfortable with the VFR at this point.  I think I really can appreciate the monster more now that I have another reference point, which is not to say I am not thrilled with the new bike because I am, but rather I am really glad they are different and I get to have them both.