HFT or Dual Tranny and the VFR 1200

(Continued from "long time no type")

Hi everyone

Having been chatting about the DN-01s HFT Human Friendly Transmission (hydraulic) and confusing it with Hondas latest dual transmission which pre selects the next gear so little time lag, and more efficient than a conventional geared system (see long time no type) I thought I'd start this new thread....

So replying to Bills last post in "long time no type" I think I read somewhere that it is the dual transmission that is gonna eventually come as an option on all Honda flagship models, such as the Pan, VFR, Gold Wing, and presumably the new Blackbird... I also read somewhere that the Honda VFR 1200 is the Blackbird replacement?

Incidentally the new VFR 1200 is already meeting with good reviews, especially along the line of journalists taking it round the track for a sporty ride and seeing how the dual transmission is... Apparently it seems to get the right gear all the time, and is apparently better to ride the bike in sports auto, than in manual.....

I had to laugh..... In the first web address below, in the embedded U-tube clip.... Usual stuff, sun rises behind bike, rider rides round some curvy roads and in a twist to the usual, carries on to pick up his girl..... Just before she gets on she attaches the panniers.....

Somethings just don't change do they.....?!

Nice looking bike though... And a brave nice market ploy.... in between a heavy tourer and lighter sports Tourer... But with all that weight it is quite a hefty beast....

http://blog.motorcycle.com/2009/10/23/motorcycle-news/honda-vfr1200f-%E2%80%93-first-impressions/

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/bikereviews/searchresults/Bike-Reviews/Honda/Honda-VFR1200F-2010-current/

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/2010-honda-vfr1200f---full-vfr1200-specs-and-pics/8430.html

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/08october09_honda2010vfr1200f.htm

The only real downside that I can for see is its weight..... One hefty bike, and is that going to detract a bit from its performance compared to its lighter competitors... That said if it is anything like the old Blackbird, well its not going to matter too much as that beast was in itself a benchmark in the the annals of big bikes..... Another issue is that when compared to the big Kawasaki concours, the FJ1300 and BMWs top tourers they say the VFR is more sporty...... Could it be that Honda has come up with another "definitive" but this time all round big sports tourer.......

More importantly, is the dual tranny suggestive of the first death knell of scooters? That said I don't think so since it is going to cost a mint! Not finacially viable for a scooter....Besides how good is it compared to the HFT? And indeed what of the HFT.... Would it now be in Honda's better interests to simply have the Honda Deauville with HFT and bin the DN-01... Or has the HFT got a future, but in midrange bikes. What about HFT as a replacement for the scooter..... And does that mean that there will one day be an E4-01?

What does everyone think?

For Me, I would go with the DN-01, based mainly on price, weight and the more upright riding position...Safe Riding. Robert in Az.

robert wrote:

For Me, I would go with the DN-01.

I can't believe Honda has sold even 1 of those. Great powertrain, but hideous exercise in styling.

I love the look of the DN-01.
If the money were there I'd have sold my Swing for one a year ago.

dspevack wrote:

I love the look of the DN-01.
If the money were there I'd have sold my Swing for one a year ago.

Have you sat on one? It didn't work for me. Was it comfortable for you? Even the sales manager of the Honda Powerhouse store was shocked when he actually sold the only DN-01 that Honda Canada forced him to order.

dspevack wrote:

I love the look of the DN-01.
If the money were there I'd have sold my Swing for one a year ago.

Honda just can't sell them in the UK. A brand new one was advertised for nearly half price a while ago.

The price has killed the machine in the UK, dealers are not ordering any more and I heard a rumour that Honda may not be making any more. The couple of guys I know who have riden them/owned one have loved it.

I have sat one one and I like it. I've got a 28 inch inseem...short legs.
The seat height is low enough for me to flat foot the bike which is great for me. I wouldn't mind a vfr1200 but the seat height is way to high, the bike is way to heavy and its got enough horsepower for me to get into trouble.

The DN-01 is light enough, has a little more hp than the Swing, and can be outfitted with an aftermarket turbocharger if necessary.
Additional storage, lighting and other gadgets I have on my Swing can easily be installed on the DN.

The lack of sales just drives prices down and makes it closer to affordability to me.

dspevack wrote:

The lack of sales just drives prices down and makes it closer to affordability to me.

What is the bottom line on price in the US?
Here they went from an MSRP of $17622 down to $11499. That's still significant coin when a brand new '09 Swing ABS is going for $6200 here.

In the USA,
Used they can go for around $9200
New they range from 11-13k
Don't know what that converts to in Canadian money

dspevack wrote:

The DN-01 is light enough, has a little more hp than the Swing, and can be outfitted with an aftermarket turbocharger if necessary.
Additional storage, lighting and other gadgets I have on my Swing can easily be installed on the DN.

The lack of sales just drives prices down and makes it closer to affordability to me.

I wouldn't mind owning one (at least for a little while) once they come down even more. And Honda is pretty good about keeping parts available for a long time even on short-lived models, which is nice.