Winter of 2009 I was back in the market for a motorcycle after a 13 year hiatus. I’d grown up on bikes and had always loved the ride, but my last steed, a Kawasaki ZX-6R, was sacrificed to Cycle Trader so my wife, Tracie, and I could buy our first house. As happens all-too-often, life got in the way and motorcycles became a postscript in the annals of my life.
I’d always missed riding and every spring when riders would hit the road en-force I would wistfully daydream of riding again. I had reasoned away the desire for years: They’re too dangerous, the roads here suck anyway, cagers are insane, etc… But as it happens life had come full-circle, and time and money allowed me to re-undertake one of the greatest passions I’d ever known: Motorcycling.
After consulting the CFO of Creggur Inc. I scored permission to get back ‘in the wind’ and the search for a new mount began. I knew I wanted something sporty, but a torture rack like the ZX-6R was going to be too much for my near 40-year old joints. I was determined to put some miles on this puppy and while I wanted performance, a certain level of comfort was essential. Something in the ‘Sport Touring’ category would be my target.
Honda’s venerable VFR had always been the goal. Since the third generation 750 back in the day, I’d wanted one, but they were always a bit outside the budget… always just out of reach. It seemed like the perfect bike to me – sporting characteristics with all-day ergonomics – and a reputation for bulletproof engineering and top-drawer fit-and-finish. And so the Interceptor would be my first query on the interwebz…and again it was just outside the budget. Damn! Oh well – onward and upward.
I didn’t need Liter-Bike Madness, just something sporty with good pep and comfort. After painstaking research, I’d all but settled on the Yamaha FZ6R. A new entry in 2009 that, on paper, was everything I was looking for. I stopped by the dealer with the, “I’m only looking” line to get a view of the 6R in person and liked what I saw. I sat on one and instantly appreciated the comfort of a relaxed rider triangle and the spec-sheet assured me it had all the performance I was looking for. Unfortunately (I thought at the time) the salesman talked himself out of a sale that day by trying to convince me the used FZ1 on their lot was more the ‘bike for me’ than the ‘starter bike’ I was looking at.
Frustrated, I started looking around again, and discovered I hadn’t dug deep enough on my initial VFR research. You see they don’t sell so well here in the U.S.; dealers were sitting on aging inventory, and Honda was throwing some serious cash out to clear dealer’s lots for the launch of the new VFR1200F. I was so excited; I would be able to get the bike I’d really wanted all along for the same price as the Yamaha I’d decided on just days earlier… The Motorcycle Gods had smiled on me and I was a happy camper!
A few rides as pillion on my VFR (Alice) had convinced the CFO that she might want to enjoy the front seat view of a motorcycle herself. Between you and me, she’s a control-freak that didn’t like being relegated to the back seat. I’d had my VFR for about two months, when on Christmas morning I presented her a very hoity-toity watch as the ‘big gift’ and she looked somewhat sullen and disappointed. “I figured you would have gotten me a motorcycle…can we send this back?” Oh, HELL YEAH WE CAN!
We searched and found a used Ninja 250 that we picked up for a song and she went about studiously learning to ride. It didn’t take long, however, before she was looking at bikes with a little more substance and pep. We had taken her 250 to the local Kawa-Yama dealer to get new shoes mounted when she happened across a Pearl and Pink FZ6R in the showroom. “When I get my ‘big-girl bike’ this is the one I want,” she decided and so the wheels were set in motion.
Eight months later it would be so. We found a leftover ’09 FZ6R at a local dealer for a great deal and the upgrade was complete. Which brings us to today (after, I hope, not too much rambling) and my opportunity to ride the FZ6R post-break in and get an honest comparison between the bike I’d originally decided to get back into the sport on, and the one I bought. FZ6R vs. VFR800 Interceptor– and here’s the deal…
Comfort:
The FZ6R wins this hands down. While the Interceptor is touted as having ‘all day’ ergonomics, for most this just isn’t the case. Apparently unless your body type is: 5’7” 153 pound Asian Honda test rider - modifications will be in order to achieve the ‘all day’ status.
Where the bum meets the pleather: Both seats leave much to be desired. While the FZ6R lacks enough cushion for my 190 pounds, the Interceptor was simply too narrow in all the wrong places.
To be fair I haven’t spent a day in the saddle of the FZ6R in my usual, bicycle shorts under leather riding pants, setup. I just don’t see the amount, or consistency, of cushion being adequate to support me comfortably over the long haul. After about 30 minutes I found myself shifting on the saddle to relieve pressure points penetrating to the hard seat pan.
Likewise on the Interceptor, even with the bicycle shorts, the edge of the seat would start cutting into my legs on anything more than a short jaunt. It took a $400 Sargent World Sport upgrade to bring the seat up to the vaunted ‘all day’ moniker promoted by Honda’s marketing department.
With the lack of a mass-produced aftermarket option for the FZ6R available, and custom options the only solution to date, I’m calling the seating a draw between the bikes. In stock form both are lacking.
Rider Triangle:
This is where the FZ6R shines in the comfort department. The area between the bars, seat, and foot pegs on the 6R leaves the Interceptor in the dust. A more upright position, lower pegs, and higher bars is naturally more comfortable.
While the Interceptor retains some of its sport-bike heritage in lower clip-ons and higher pegs, this once again, requires an aftermarket solution to get into ‘all day’ land. $300 Heli Bars and $100 peg lowering blocks will bring the VFR into more comfortable territory, but the FZ6R has the combination down pat. And with conventional tubular bars there are fine adjustments available that clip-ons will not allow.
The sore wrists, strained back, and tight legs the Interceptor produced are simply not an issue with the 6R’s more standard seating position. A big plus for plowing down miles when multi-state trippin’.
Comfort Winner: FZ6R
Engine:
There is no contesting the low-end torque and high RPM rush combination of the V4 on the Interceptor. This engine has been refined to perfection for smooth performance throughout the rev-range. And even though the VFR carries an extra hundred pounds of heft, and their 0-60 times are nearly identical, the Honda just feels more powerful…way more powerful.
The FZ6R’s power is delivered in a linear fashion throughout the rev-range, and while not cornea-detaching fast it is a testament of Yamaha’s engineering how smooth and powerful the inline-four feels all the way to redline. There’s no big rush at any time, but the detuned R6 mill makes quick work of redlight to redlight runs. And while not mind-blowing it has a feel somewhat similar to the V4 in that the power never dips either.
Just a nice steady pull pushing you against the rear seat, and before you know it, you’re in triple digit land. The salesman’s labeling of the FZ6R as a ‘beginner bike’ is misguided at best.
The Interceptor, on the other hand, gives the best of both worlds: V-Twin torque, and four-cylinder rush. From a dead stop the Interceptor pulls hard and fast, and just when you think it couldn’t get any better, the VTEC opens up at seven thousand revs and off you go! It is a different sensation from any other bike I’ve ever ridden and the unmistakable baritone howl of the V4 is nothing less than symphonic in quality.
Much has been made of the VTEC transition at seven thousand RPMs – I can tell you from direct and frequent experience, the actual transition is a non-event. Even mid-corner there aren’t any unsettling qualities to the engine, it’s just allowed to breathe better and even ham-fisted throttle inputs aren’t penalized. Again, I can attest to this from direct and frequent experience…
Couple this with an earned reputation as ‘bullet proof’ and the V4 Honda is, in my mind, the clear winner in the engine department. Not to say the FZ6R is prone to reliability issues, but it’s not uncommon to see six-figure odometers on VFRs that have never needed a valve adjustment.
Engine Winner: VFR800 Interceptor
Handling:
Let’s separate this into two (low speed and high speed) then summarize.
The low speed handling nod goes to the FZ6R. It is downright spritely next to the VFR’s mass and inherently easier to navigate parking lots and other low-speed maneuvers. While I have no trouble negotiating low speed situations on the VFR, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t easier on the 6R.
High speed is a different story, and in the interest of full disclosure the VFR sag and rebound is dialed in for me. The FZ6R on the other hand is running on factory settings and is decidedly under-sprung for my weight. At the same time I didn’t adjust my suspension for the first three months of ownership so an ‘out of the box’ comparison is doable.
The VFR is simply more stable at speed. Want to set the throttle lock on 110mph and cruise – no problem. Want to rail some twisties dragging hard parts along the way – no problem.
Where the FZ6R’s front end wanted to get a little light (nothing disturbing but I felt it) north of 99mph the VFR tucks in like a German sport sedan. Almost as if it were meant to just cruise there. Even with the stock suspension settings when the road turns serpentine the VFR tracks true through corners with minimal input and offers good feedback. The FZ6R wanted to wallow a little from the rear when pushed aggressively, unsettling the chassis and requiring minor adjustments to keep me out of Puckersville.
The Honda’s suspension is a bit more sophisticated with preload adjustments at both ends and rebound dampening available out back. And since most of our time isn’t spent in parking lots the nod must go the VFR.
Handling Winner: VFR800
Fit and Finish:
This is another area where the VFR shined brightly. Honda is known for the fit and finish of its motorcycles and it’s been said about the VFR that if Acura built a motorcycle it would be the Interceptor.
While the FZ6R has won unofficial parking lot staring contests with its defined lines and flaring graphics when you take a closer look the evidence is clear. Honda knows how to put together a motorcycle. The fairings fit snug and do not move in the least even at felony-level speeds. The FZ6R is by no means cheap in appearance and one would expect a bike with a $4,000 greater MSRP to reside on a different level of finish and it does.
Fit and Finish Winner: VFR800
Ease of Regular Maintenance:
Since many motorcycle owners are amateur wrenches and enjoy taking care of their own rides I threw this one in. Plus, lets be honest, I wanted my bike to win the overall.
Oil changes are basically the same. Remove a couple of screws, access the filter, pour in some new brew and you’re on your way. Where the VFR sneaks into the lead here is the most common maintenance we do: the chain. The Interceptor’s Single Side Swing arm and standard center stand make this essentially a non-event.
Prop it on its center perch, loosen one bolt, bump the supplied spanner wrench a bit, and retighten the bolt – ready to go. All together it takes less than 5 minutes from walking up to the bike to latching the seat back down to adjust the chain. It can be done just as fast in a gas station parking lot as in a full service garage. Bada Bing, Bada Boom – you’re done.
Ease of Regular Maintenance winner: VFR800
Overall both of these rides are stellar examples of motorcycle manufacturers getting it right. Both make great commuters, solid long-haul platforms, and are each fun to play on. The differences that make the VFR better are reflected in its higher price, but I must confess I would not have been disappointed one bit with the FZ6R as my only bike. Now let’s run some numbers to finish the comparison…
VFR MSRP: $10,995
FZ6R MSRP: $7,095
VFR Purchase Price: $6990 + fees and taxes
FZ6R Purchase Price: $4990 + fees and taxes
And here is where calling a definitive winner gets a little tricky. Is the VFR $4,000 better than the FZ6R? My honest answer would be no. There is enough fun packed in the Yamaha to overcome that gap and leave you with four bills in the bank for upgrades, gear, and ride vacations.
Is the VFR $2,000 better? Yes it is. And consider the fact that at the time I was looking there were no real discounts on the FZ6R, I picked up my VFR for the ‘then’ price of an FZ6R and price being equal, the VFR wins again.
Truth be told, for those with the means to buy a motorcycle right now the soft economy has conspired in our favor. There are some great bikes available at deep discounts as dealers are eager to move stale inventory. These two are prime examples of solid mounts that can be had at great prices for the motorcycling public…
