VOL. 52 ISSUE 31 AUGUST 4, 2015 P89
I
n 2010, the beloved VFR800
Interceptor met its demise. It was
replaced in Honda's lineup by the
VFR1200F, a bike that was overflow-
ing with technology and was going
to make you quickly forget all about
the previous but well-liked VFR800.
The 1200 was all-new and featured
a MotoGP-inspired motor and, if you
wanted, there was a dual clutch, aka
"automatic" transmission, version of
the 1200. Pretty cool stuff, really.
The VFR1200 was a dramatic
change from the previous VFR that
had a storied history. Anyone who
rode the VFR800 or the earlier
VFR750 immediately fell in love with
it. Not only did the VFR look gor-
geous, it performed even better than
it looked on the showroom floor! As
good as it was, though, the VFR750
and 800 were never great sellers for
Honda (probably not sporty enough
for the younger crowd and maybe
not sophisticated enough for the
older generation), but the VFR1200
was going to change all that. Or so
Honda thought.
As good as the VFR1200F was,
and it really was a pretty damn good
bike, for whatever reason—maybe its
high price tag, questionable styling
or smaller fuel tank (not good when
you're a sport-touring bike)—it, too,
never really caught on. Like the
VFR800, the VFR1200 eventually
faded off into the sunset. Luckily for
us, the VFR1200 was replaced in
2014 by the VFR800F, a bike that
never really should have left in the
first place, even if it never was one of
the company's best sellers.
WELCOME BACK
WE GET REACQUAINTED
WITH AN OLD FRIEND
BY KIT PALMER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
