Motorcycle specifications HondaVFR 1200 F DCT 2017 A new generation of motorcycles?

by taking on the VFR name and an overabundance of technology, this very special Honda set out to shake up the category. But success was not to be, as the VFR 1200 was closer to a CBR XX than to the accomplished Sport-GT that is the VFR 800. The last examples will leave in 2017, the few permitted by Euro4 legislation. After that, it will be a big memory, coming back from an ambiguous path. A quiet but not set course. In 2012, the big VFR benefited from a series of technical improvements. Starting with the engine and its vigor. The torque curve has been significantly enhanced, mainly between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. The PGM-FI injection system has been revised to improve efficiency, while the fuel tank has been enlarged by half a liter (to 19 litres). The result is greater riding pleasure and longer range. And it's just as well: the seat has been given a new finish, and is now even more comfortable.
A fan of technology, and powered by high horsepower - 173, that's more than a lot... - the 1200 VFR is now equipped with traction control. Honda's TCS (Traction Control System), which relies on the slightest loss of grip to calm this big sport-GT. By comparing wheel speeds, the TCS reduces engine power in order to avoid a spill. It would be a tribute to the bike's high expectations that have inspired a generation of motorcyclists.

the VFR DCT's robotized gearbox was also fine-tuned in 2012. In D mode (fully automatic), the electronic control unit adapts gear changes to the rider's behavior. The system takes several parameters into account to automatically choose between two mappings, one for normal conditions, which minimizes gear changes for greater smoothness, the other for heavy loads, which shifts gears more directly to favor acceleration and engine braking.
Whether D or S automatic modes are selected, Honda's second-generation dual clutch also allows manual intervention: at any time, the rider can use the '+' or '-' controls in MT mode to select the desired gear. Then, if no further action is registered, the system takes over and continues to operate in automatic mode.

how many years have we been waiting for this new VFR? Four years? Ten? Does it matter now... When the new VFR was revealed, it was the discovery of much more than just an evolution of this very famous motorcycle. This model shook up many established references. A new engine, a new frame, a new design, a new way of thinking about sport-GT, a new generation of machines.

Look, contemplate, marvel at the style. The new VFR had to hit hard. And a large-displacement engine wasn't enough for Honda. The world's largest motorcycle manufacturer has put more than enough work into its technological flagship. The result is a machine like no other. No over-aggressiveness or sensual lines, but a few cultural styling effects - the 1200 VFR dictates its own codes, its own design, like no other. Its dress masters both function and style, with a touch of the surreal and a general astonishment. First and foremost, there's the headlamp, based on the V4 concept presented at Intermot 2008. It's a very unusual kind of false X, and promises remarkable illumination. The mirrors, with their integrated turn signals, have a touch of mother-of-pearl, derived directly from the latest CBR 1000 RR... and hark back to the distant CBR 1100. And it's no coincidence that Sensei Kishi, the father of the 1100 Blackbird, helped design this new VFR.
You're intrigued by these fairing panels, aren't you? It's no longer a full fairing as we used to think of it. In recent years, especially on sport bikes, the surface area has been reduced and purified. On the VFR 1200 F, the hoof has clearly separated from the rest of the bodywork. The bike is now clad in a deep, multi-layered fairing. The cavities created between the headlight and the sides channel airflow and improve stability at high speeds. Two additional panels grafted behind the main panels add styling effect and help evacuate hot air away from the rider's knees. The shoulders of the bike are gently curved to meet the sides of the tank, whose central section is in a different color. It's a new take on the full fairing seen on some BMWs. This elaborate design almost makes us forget one of its major roles: protection. And here, it would seem, the mission has been very successful. The rider should be more than satisfied with the shelter. A driver who won't know which way to turn at first, because between the V4, its power, discovering the new commodos (more ergonomic, redesigned, with an inversion of the position of the horn and indicators), and decioh, there's nothing revolutionary about the information (speed, gear engaged, engine and outside temperature, clock, fuel level and consumption), but the styling is particularly well done. 2 digital windows enclosing the needle-type rev counter - beautiful, functional, elegant!

now for the ones you've all been waiting for. THE ENGINE. Tired of hearing for years that the VFR 800 lacks torque (it's always compared to much more generously powered machines in its segment), Honda went all out to create a new V4. But it has nothing to do with the identity of its predecessors. Gone are the days when VFRs were powered by a 90° Superbike V4 derived from the fabulous RVF competition bikes. This time, it's an entirely new block, dedicated to this VFR, with a new 76° angle, a displacement of 1237 cm3, and colossal power worthy of a hypersport. The VFR 1200 F develops 173 horsepower. A figure that leaves us breathless. Torque is in excess of 13 mkg at 8750 rpm - 80% of which is available from 3000 rpm. From sport-GT, the VFR has almost become hypersport-GT. Only its wet weight of 267 kg (some 10 kg more than the 800 V-tec) will remind us of its pretensions. And that's not all: this engine has been designed with integration in mind. The rear cylinders are placed side by side, but very close together, while the front cylinders are more widely spaced. The result is a slim, compact design that fits snugly between the rider's legs, while helping to centralize mass.

on the transmission side, Honda has also been very innovative. The VFR 1200 is equipped with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Inspired by the automotive world, this technology combines the advantage of eliminating the jerks usually found in conventional automotive gearboxes, with a significant reduction in fuel consumption. On the technical side, the gearbox is in fact made up of two half-clutches (and therefore two clutches), each of which handles a different ratio: one for even gears, the other for odd gears. This means that when one gear is engaged, the gears directly below and above it are already engaged in the other half. When a gear is shifted, all that remains is for the two clutches to work in reverse. With the gears already pre-engaged, shifting is rapid, with no jerking or loss of revs. All this with fuel consumption claimed to be equal to or better than that of a conventional gearbox.
The electronic control will offer two automatic modes: normal or sport. For purists, it will be possible to switch to manual mode.
The video below shows the various uses of the dual-clutch automatic gearbox (which will probably be extended to other Honda models).

the safety chapter, dear to Honda, has obviously received just as much attention. For the first time on a sports tourer, the clutch is limited-slip, just like on pure pistardes. This prevents the rear wheel from locking up when downshifting hard. ABS is fitted as standard, backed up by combined front-rear braking, and the 320 mm discs are gripped by 6-piston radial calipers. The chassis is designed to withstand the rigors of the sport. The 43 mm inverted fork is anchored by a large aluminum double-beam frame, the kind you'd expect to find on an SBK machine. The swingarm, which plays a big part in the VFR's identity, is completely new, now equipped with a universal joint. Even if it's not an innovation (BM has been doing it for a long time), it's a big step forward for this sport-GT, which is equipped with this element long requested by VFR owners. At the ends of the machine, the slim-spoke rims are simply superb.

this VFR 1200 F wanted to make its mark, perhaps more than the VFR 750 did. Technologically, Honda has done very well. And 24 years on, the most famous of sport-GTs wanted to recreate what it once initiated: a new way of riding. A challenge partly met....

M.B - Manufacturer's photos