VOL. 51 ISSUE 48 DECEMBER 2, 2014 P67
much on our 137-mile riding day,
where 93 mph spurts delivered no
undue turbulence for someone of
my 5'10" height. This is a comfort-
able high-speed mileater.
The taper-section handlebar
now has five-stage heated grips
as standard, although the hand
guards of the old model have
now been deleted. There's now a
very welcome gear select readout
on the vastly improved and very
classy-looking white-on-black dig-
ital LCD dash that's unique to the
Crossrunner (though the smooth-
action wide-open powershifter fit-
ted to the test bike is an option).
The two-piece seat is plushly up-
holstered and narrower in front
than before, making it easier to
put both feet flat on the ground at
rest. The longer-travel suspension
giving over 5.5 inch of axle travel
at either end is fully adjustable
for preload and damping so you
can tailor it to riding conditions
and load. The radial front brakes
with ABS as standard deliver
emphatic, but nicely modulated
power in stopping a bike scaling a
533.5 lbs. curb weight, with a full
5.5-gallon fuel tank that's good for
a claimed 240 miles.
However, I found the de-
fault settings on the rear Showa
monoshock very dry and harsh
for someone of my 192-pound
weight. It seemed oversprung and
lacked compliance over rough
road surfaces. Plus it bounced
back rather uncontrollably after
the suspension compressed in a
dip in the road. The front suspen-
sion felt good on standard set-
tings, though. To make the rear
match it, I took two clicks off the
35-click preload settings, leav-
ing this now five from the bottom
(not seven) and took one-quarter
turn more rebound damping, so
1½ turns from max out of two full
turns. That did it, with a smoother
ride and greater compliance.
Honda's got it right second
time of asking. The Crossrunner
is now a classy looking, perform-
ing and above all—a comfortable
practical mileater. This new ver-
sion of the VFR800X is much
more than a facelift. It's a sig-
nificantly improved motorcycle
that seems more substantial than
its predecessor, giving Honda a
valid contender for the mantle of
best all-rounder—on tarmac, that
is, not dirt.
The VFR800F provides the
market an affordable middle-
The second-generation
Crossrunner (left) has a sportier,
more aggressive look than its
predecessor (right).
"
Interestingly, Ducati has yet to
produce the 899 Multistrada that's
been rumored for so long. But if they
ever do, Honda's got its retaliation
in first with the new Crossrunner,
whose main competitor right now will
be the Triumph Tiger Sport.
"
