What’s it like on the road?
It depends. And what it mostly depends on is whether it’s still on its original tyres. Pretty much every owner hates the OE Pirelli Scorpion Trail rubber. It’s not so much that they’re bad tyres, but they don’t suit this bike. Owners say they’re okay on warm, dry tarmac, but they’re unresponsive in the cold and downright scary in the wet.
Brakes on the early model are linked front to rear - some owners love it, some hate it. Happily, they’re not linked from 2015-on. Low-speed balance on both models is excellent - this bike is a natural for a longer commute that takes in faster roads and a bit of clogged city traffic. And it’s fine on smooth roads in the dry, too. But it’s less happy when the bumps kick in - the rear shock on early bikes is particularly soft – and the front-end feels vague in the wet. The second-gen model is more sure-footed and the longer travel suspension front and rear gives you a more comfy ride over rough surfaces.
The defining feature of the bike, though, is the engine. It’s pure VFR - a combination of growling grunt and howling hooligan that seems to adapt itself to suit your mood. The second-gen benefits from improvements to the VTEC system which smooth out the previously harsh step as it kicks in around 6500rpm, as well as very nicely set up traction control that begs you to push your luck a bit on corner exits to see if you can activate it...
“Low-speed balance on both generations of bike is excellent”