My Time with the VFR1200X
Okay, let’s talk about my experience with the Honda VFR1200X. I picked one up used, had heard a lot about it, the big V4 adventure-style thing Honda put out. Seemed like a solid machine right off the bat.
First thing getting on it, yeah, it’s a substantial bike. Not light. You feel that weight moving it around the garage. But once you get rolling, it actually handles pretty decently. Took me a bit to get used to the balance, especially at low speeds, but it wasn’t too bad after a few rides.
Engine and Getting Going
The V4 engine is the main event, right? It’s smooth. Really smooth power delivery. That fuel injection, the fly-by-wire throttle they talk about, it makes the throttle response quite precise. No sudden jerks or anything. It just pulls. You twist the grip, and it goes. Plenty of grunt down low for just cruising around town or getting up to speed quickly. I found it really shines on open roads, just effortlessly eating up miles. Doesn’t feel stressed at highway speeds at all.
Riding and Handling
- On the road, it feels planted. Very stable, even in crosswinds.
- Cornering is predictable. It leans in nicely, though you remember the weight going into tighter turns. It’s not a sportbike, but it handles curves way better than you might expect for its size.
- Suspension does a good job soaking up bumps on regular roads. Haven’t really pushed it off-road much, it’s more of a road-focused adventure bike, let’s be honest. Gravel roads? Sure. Anything rougher? Not really its thing.
Living With It Day-to-Day
For longer trips, it’s pretty comfy. The riding position is upright, easy on the back and wrists. The seat’s decent for a couple of hours straight. Wind protection from the standard screen is okay, could be better for taller riders maybe, but it does the job deflecting most of the wind blast.
That fuel tank is pretty big, I think around 5.6 gallons? Something like that. Gives you good range between stops, which is great for touring. I could easily get a good few hours of riding before needing to think about gas.
Build and Reliability
Typical Honda build quality. Everything feels solid. The paint, the switches, the finish – it all feels well put together. Haven’t had any major issues with it. Just regular maintenance stuff. Oil changes, checking the chain (it’s shaft drive, actually, my bad – even easier!), checking tires. It just starts and runs, which is exactly what you want.
Things I Noticed
It’s true, compared to some newer bikes in its class, it might lack some electronic gadgets. No fancy riding modes beyond the basics, no super-advanced traction control systems you see now. But honestly? I kind of like that simplicity sometimes. It just does its job as a powerful, comfortable motorcycle.
It did get discontinued, which is a shame. Guess it didn’t sell well enough against the competition. But that doesn’t make it a bad bike. Far from it. If you find a well-maintained one, it’s a heck of a lot of motorcycle for the money these days.
So yeah, that’s been my time with the VFR1200X. A really capable, comfortable, and reliable machine. Smooth power, good for distance, built like a tank. A bit heavy, maybe a bit basic on the tech by today’s standards, but a solid ride all around from my experience.
