Anyone have any experience on the Honda Interceptor 800? I'm lusting...


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arse

New Member
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MistahT

Mistah T
Elite Member
I was looking at the VFR800 and FZ6R at the same time. I got to sit on the last 2 gen VFRs although I couldn't test ride them. I've heard their quarter mile times are almost identical, the main difference being the Honda is heavier. I chose the lighter (and better looking imo) bike with the nice I4, although the V4 has a nice sound too.

I don't think I'd call it an upgrade, maybe a lateral move.
 
milepig

milepig

Member
MistahT said:
I was looking at the VFR800 and FZ6R at the same time. I got to sit on the last 2 gen VFRs although I couldn't test ride them. I've heard their quarter mile times are almost identical, the main difference being the Honda is heavier. I chose the lighter (and better looking imo) bike with the nice I4, although the V4 has a nice sound too.

I don't think I'd call it an upgrade, maybe a lateral move.
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All a matter of opinion, I don't feel its a lateral move at all. Haven ridden both I find the VFR to be a much more refined ride than the FZ6R... no comparison IMHO.
 
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Nitrocan

New Member
I had a vfr 800 as well. Great bike!! Mine had a full luggage set up. It does everything good!, touring, commuting and sport riding!. Good power too. The single sided swing arm looks nice too. Rides nice and tame, give it some throttle and the V-tec kicks in and she goes!!
 
Bert-Aus

Bert-Aus

Well-Known Member
The two bikes are match for match, they ride/ handle very similar, power is similar and ergo are identical. At the end of the day the top is only slightly more.

It's sports tourer, I looked at it when buying my current ride the only thing that held me back was that it South Australia it is higher registration, insurance and running costs for bikes over 650cc and I preferred the idea RESTRICTING MYSELF FROM SPEEDING TOO MUCH!

I think they look good too!
 
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CtrlAltDl

New Member
Bert-Aus said:
power is similar
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They do have a lot of similarities, but power is definitely not one of them. It's much more torquey and pulls very hard when the VTEC kicks in at 7K.

114HP > 78HP

The VFR feels longer, so I feel a bit more stretched out. The OEM seat is only slightly more comfortable on the VFR, but both need upgrades.

The gas mileage blows on the VFR and I've been averaging 33MPG compared to 42 on the FZ6R.

The FZ6R wins hands down in reliability. The FZ6R is built with the best of mostly old technology, where as the VFR is mostly new unproven technology (at least when it debuted in '02). The VFR also has some known wiring issues.

The VFR definitely wins the fun-factor in my book, but you really can't go wrong with either bike.

I'm going to get rid of both my FZ6R and my VFR, not because I don't like them, but because I'm a bike whore and I gotta get me a Triumph Sprint ST 1050.:D
 
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CtrlAltDl

New Member
milepig said:
All a matter of opinion, I don't feel its a lateral move at all. Haven ridden both I find the VFR to be a much more refined ride than the FZ6R... no comparison IMHO.
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I agree, I own both and my VFR has nearly 50K miles and I can tell it feels more refined. I know the suspension feels much better, but there are lots of little things too (outside temp, 4 headlights, aluminum frame, single-sided swing arm, etc...). There is a reason why a new VFR sells for $12k and a new FZ6R sells for $8K.

And don't forget the roar of that V4 is unique and super addicting.:thumbup:
 
M

Marthy

World Most Bad A$$ 6R
Elite Member
When I got the 6R there was a 25th anniversary that I was looking at... Almost pull the plug on it. $$$ was an issue back then but kind of regret not getting it. She was a beauty!
 
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tmac6767

New Member
I currently owned 2004 VFR800 (owned it for 9 years) and 2012 FZ6R (less then 3 months). Like everyone has said, VFR is heavier, more powerful, and by that I mean you can really feel the weight and power. It has been very reliable for me so far. What I personally get from FZ6R is the yamaha is lighter and more flickable, and much more enjoyable caving backroads. Long distance and 2-up comfort, hands down I preferred VFR. My VFR is setup with a Cobin seat and a hard case in the back, may be that helps. If you can get the VFR for a good price and you should (I bought mine 2 years old with 3000 miles in 2006 for $5K), keep both :)

There are two very active VFR forums that you can read up on, google it and check out forsale sections, sometimes there are really good deals on VFR.
 
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SAFE-T

New Member
The early 7th gen VFR800's with VTEC had some issues ~ a couple of wiring harness fires, and some bikes that seemed to have a harsher VTEC transition from 2-valve to 4-valve operation.

I rode one in 2003 and it had what I thought at the time was fairly harsh vibration above the VTEC transition, which was fairly abrupt depending on whether you were just approaching it slowly or throttled through it quickly.
The next I rode one was in 2008 and it had neither of these problems.

Most people over on vfrworld.com and vfrdiscussion.com will tell you the bike got properly sorted it around 2006:

Honda VFR800 VTEC (2005 - present) review - Sports Tourers - Motorcycles - Visordown

Overall, the bike is definitely a more refined product than the FZ6R, with more power for 2-up riding although I have not seen a lot of people travelling together on one.

Since the FZ6R never had ABS, and it was an option on the VFR, I would hold out for an ABS model. It's the one thing that truly makes the 2006+ VFR800 better.
 

milepig

milepig

Member
SAFE-T said:
The early 7th gen VFR800's with VTEC had some issues ~ a couple of wiring harness fires, and some bikes that seemed to have a harsher VTEC transition from 2-valve to 4-valve operation.

I rode one in 2003 and it had what I thought at the time was fairly harsh vibration above the VTEC transition, which was fairly abrupt depending on whether you were just approaching it slowly or throttled through it quickly.
The next I rode one was in 2008 and it had neither of these problems.

Most people over on vfrworld.com and vfrdiscussion.com will tell you the bike got properly sorted it around 2006:

Honda VFR800 VTEC (2005 - present) review - Sports Tourers - Motorcycles - Visordown
t
Overall, the bike is definitely a more refined product than the FZ6R, with more power for 2-up riding although I have not seen a lot of people travelling together on one.

Since the FZ6R never had ABS, and it was an option on the VFR, I would hold out for an ABS model. It's the one thing that truly makes the 2006+ VFR800 better.
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My '04 did have an abrupt on/off throttle (only in 1st gear really) and kind of a hesitation or flat spot around 4-45k rpms, power commander fixed all that. No issues what so ever with the VTec engagement. As for the electrical issues, it's usually kept in check with annual connector cleaning maintenance.
 
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