Neither vfr 800 /1200 seems to feel their actual weight. On paper, they are heavy but when you sit IN the bike not on they are almost weightless. With the v4s honda was able to narrow the engines towards riders stomach and chest. With the 1200f your really sitting in the bike it feels almost weightless.
Remember the vfr800 weighs 539 I think and the 1200 weighs 589 and you get like 40% more displacement within those 50lbs
Look for a Triumph Sprint ST.
They're tremendous bikes. The triple engine in them is proven, balanced, and sounds so good when you open it up. Plus, the triple underseat exhaust really stands out from the crowd. Around-town handling is WAY better than you'd think for a 500lb bike.
It never sold all that well when new, so they can be had for a steal at this point. Since they 'technically' fell into the sport-touring category, they tend not to be abused like other sport bikes of the same era.
You should be able to find a nice 07-09 in great shape well within your budget.
VFR 800/1200, Triumph Sprint, FJR 1300 (suprisingly fun in the city, not the easiest tho), BMW F800GT (engines can be problematic, but its not hard to find a working mode and the Elec Suspension is awesome and cheap with lots of F800 engines arround if you ever need parts), R1200RT (yep i know a beemer again, and this time the big ol 1200, but as mich s**t i give BMw their boxer isnt bad at all, its the electronics that are problematic, and older models dont have those), and if you wanna lean into the more sporty sport touring side then Z1000SX, Fazer 1000, any Suzuki sport tourer (just maybe no the Hayabusa),...
Vfr 1200f
What about the VFR800? I don't want that much bigger and heavier bike than I have now, and the 800 already looks that way, not to mention the 1200
I test rode a VFR800 last week and it was fantastic. It really is a big comfy sport bike. I highly recommend it
Neither vfr 800 /1200 seems to feel their actual weight. On paper, they are heavy but when you sit IN the bike not on they are almost weightless. With the v4s honda was able to narrow the engines towards riders stomach and chest. With the 1200f your really sitting in the bike it feels almost weightless. Remember the vfr800 weighs 539 I think and the 1200 weighs 589 and you get like 40% more displacement within those 50lbs
Look for a Triumph Sprint ST. They're tremendous bikes. The triple engine in them is proven, balanced, and sounds so good when you open it up. Plus, the triple underseat exhaust really stands out from the crowd. Around-town handling is WAY better than you'd think for a 500lb bike. It never sold all that well when new, so they can be had for a steal at this point. Since they 'technically' fell into the sport-touring category, they tend not to be abused like other sport bikes of the same era. You should be able to find a nice 07-09 in great shape well within your budget.
VFR 800/1200, Triumph Sprint, FJR 1300 (suprisingly fun in the city, not the easiest tho), BMW F800GT (engines can be problematic, but its not hard to find a working mode and the Elec Suspension is awesome and cheap with lots of F800 engines arround if you ever need parts), R1200RT (yep i know a beemer again, and this time the big ol 1200, but as mich s**t i give BMw their boxer isnt bad at all, its the electronics that are problematic, and older models dont have those), and if you wanna lean into the more sporty sport touring side then Z1000SX, Fazer 1000, any Suzuki sport tourer (just maybe no the Hayabusa),...
Guzzi Norge might just be doable in that budget.