Honda VF500F2
Honda VF500F2 | |
Manufacturer | |
---|---|
Also called | VF 500 F2 |
Production | 1984 |
Class | Power Cruiser |
Engine | Four stroke, 90°V-four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder |
Compression ratio | 11.0:1 |
Top Speed | 128 mph |
Ignition | Transistorized |
Transmission | 6 Speed |
Frame | Double cradle |
Suspension | Front: Air assisted 37mm forks Rear: Pro-link air assisted 4-way adjustable rebound damping |
Brakes | Front: 2x 255mm discs 2 piston calipers Rear: Single 255mm disc 1 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 100/90-16 |
Rear Tire | 110/90-18 |
Wheelbase | 1420 mm / 55.9 in |
Seat Height | 800 mm / 31.5 in |
Weight | 185 kg / 407 lbs (dry), 20 kg / 454 lbs (wet) |
Recommended Oil | Honda GN4 10W-40 |
Fuel Capacity | 17 liters / 4.5 US gal |
Manuals | Service Manual |
It could reach a top speed of 128 mph.
Engine[edit | edit source]
The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, 90°V-four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder. The engine featured a 11.0:1 compression ratio.
Drive[edit | edit source]
Power was moderated via the Multiple plate coil springs.
Chassis[edit | edit source]
It came with a 100/90-16 front tire and a 110/90-18 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 255mm discs 2 piston calipers in the front and a Single 255mm disc 1 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a Air assisted 37mm forks while the rear was equipped with a Pro-link air assisted 4-way adjustable rebound damping. The VF500F2 was fitted with a 17 liters / 4.5 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 185 kg / 407 lbs. The wheelbase was 1420 mm / 55.9 in long.
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Honda VF 500F2
The VF sports a sixteen valve, DOHC, V-four water-cooled motor of hugely
over-square dimensions and hefty 11:1 compression. It has a full fairing,
sixteen inch front wheel, anti -dive, Pro - link rear suspension, a hydraulic
clutch, and enough styling pizzazz to frustrate the most ardent boy-racer customizer.
On the track, I found it to be a delightful 'point and squirt' type of bike
just one of several typically two stroke expressions that fitted the bike so
well.
With a very high redline, a six speed transmission and relatively low weight,
the little bike was soon being run flat out around Kyalami and distinguished
itself by not giving anyone any hairy moments in either the handling or braking
departments.
When I fetched the bike from Midmacor, it was still wearing the standard
tires, which had been flogged to death on the track. Or rather, the tread edges
were dead, but the centre treads were fine that would fox them at a roadwor-thy
check, I'll bet. Now the track is a completely different place to the well oiled
roads of the reef, so I became Oscar Conservative when riding the bike about.
For a while, anyway.
Once out of a nervous Richardson's sight, (the bike is the only one of it's
type in the country), I gave it a fistful up Sauer Street, and was surprised at
how the bike blurred the scenery it's acceleration was definitely going to
take some getting used to.
Over the Queen Elizabeth bridge towards the slippery bends near the
University, and the bike never flinched, although I could smell diesel
everywhere. Storming down towards the intersection with Empire road, and the
half-expected mentally disconnected vegetable in a box turns right, across the
flashy Honda's path. Oh well, I have to test the brakes anyway, so I may as well
do it here. With a tight rein on the front lever, and just a light touch on the
rear pedal, the Honda slowed down as if a large hand had just been put in the
way at this time, our cabbage brained friend starts to reverse, hoping to
get a grandstand seat as yet another biker ploughs along the road. Even with the
brakes on tight and just short of locking up, the VF allowed me to change
direction and swerve around spinach-head as if nothing were amiss.
After a close encounter of the tarmac kind like that, I slowed the VF a
little, until we had left the town behind, and swung onto the freeway. On the
track, I hadn't been able to get the speedo past the 120 mph point, although the
bike felt willing enough with an empty piece of road, I wrung the little bike
to just over 125 mph, which is the 200 kph that I was sure the bike was capable
of.
With just my right hand on the bars, left tucked into the fairing in true
Bonneville tradition, chin on the tank and tucked in so close I was under the
paint, the VF was as stable as if I were tootling along at the legal limit.
Subsequently front wheel lockups showed the front tire to have an unusually
wide footprint, which is probably the cause for this satisfying high speed
straight line stability.
The VF is a little bike, at a touch over 5ft 9in, Tm about an inch too
big for it, my knees not quite fitting into the cut-outs in the tank, although
the saddle held enough room for a passenger. Although the machine is pure
sports, back seat comfort is good, aided by the unobtrusive grabrail and
well-placed pegs.
Honda's new mid-range model is deceptive in it's power output, feeling
distinctly slow off the line. To check this, I challenged a few bikes to
stoplight duels the results astounded me, not to mention the owners of a
Suz GSX1100 and a Kawa Z1000 the little Honda was right in there, through
to fourth or fifth gear the VF has six, keeping it's front wheel glued on the
ground while the big Suz mono-wheeled right beside me. So much for slow!
On the high-way, it would cruise happily at 80-90 mph in top gear up hill and
down dale, having enough oomph to get around dithering motorists with ease. In
fact, the only time I found a hole in it's power was when, two-up it was asked
to slow on a hill, and then without a down-shift, to accelerate back to cruise
velocity again. Kick back two cogs, and it was again willing, so we were being
unfair in asking the VF to cope with a load that many bigger bikes would have
baulked at.
As I mentioned in the track impressions, the VF has a healthy thirst for 93
Octane wild grip-twisting got comsumption up to about 16 km/I, although more
sedate cruising saw closer to 22 km/I, which, while being acceptable, is not
going to win any economy runs.
The skimpy fairing worked surprisingly well, although it didn't rain during
the test so I couldn't evaluate it's weather deflection abilities. Wind pressure
on the rider was greatly reduced, although my helmet stuck up out of the 'still'
air. The fairing does have it's drawbacks of course, in that access to the motor
is severly limited, and when it does rain, cleaning the mill is going to be a
major headache.
On the other hand, the fairing really makes the bike, styling wise, and a
amazing number of Hillbrow late-night bikers mistook the baby VF for it's bigger brother, the VF1000R.
This motorcycle is not really aimed at South Africa, it is aimed at the lucky
Europeans, where a 500 is still a big bike, in view of their small distances and
traffic congestion. For local conditions, the motorcycle handles and stops so
well that it will be ridden progressively faster until the little engine simply
runs out of puff. Initially, Richardson told me that we probably wouldn't be
getting the bike because it would be so damned expensive over six grand was
not impossible. How ever, by fiddling the figures, it looks like we will get the
bike after all, albeit the naked, unfaired version, with the fairing offered as
an extra.
If and when it does get here, at whatever price, it will certainly be in
contention as the top five hundred ceecee sports bike available, if only
because it's so versatile.
As I mentioned during the track session, all the watercooled Hondas seemed to
have a problem in the heat dissapation field; on the track they all ran very
hot, and their thermostatically controlled fans were in almost constant use,
although only the bigger bikes insisted on dumping their coolant on to
the road.
On the street, the VF ran at an even temperature whilst cruising, or during
mild suburban use, but the needle went up it's scale dramatically when the bike
was stationary during rush-hour traffic. When the machine was used in serious
contests, however, the fan kicked in and stayed on for an awfully long time,
further reinforcing my conviction that the bike would suit the colder European
climate better. I would imagine that the VF would have a tough time in Durban on
a hot and sticky afternoon.
Hot starting was also poor, presumably as a result of the fuel in the carbs
(contained inside the V of the cylinders) evaporating. On occasions, nearly a
full minute of cranking the starter motor with a generous thottle was needed to
light up the engine. The swichqear and instrumentation was the usual high
standard that we have come to take for granted, although the indicators are not
self cancelling. This is a feature that I would expect on a machine of this
price. Neither was an automatic fuel shut-off device fitted, another minor
ommission that is at odds with the generous price tag.
On the other hand, vibration was at an absolute minimum, and the mirrors gave
a clear and unrestricted view that was free from blurring no matter what revs
were being used.
Did I like the Honda? Sure I did, but then I like this sort of bike small,
compact, blisteringly quick, and looking like million bucks. So, I suspect, do
lots of other people. Whether they are prepared to pay the price for such an
attractive package remains to be seen.
Source Bike & Track 1984
Make Model | Honda VF 500F2 |
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Year | 1984 |
Engine Type | Four stroke, 90°V-four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder |
Displacement | 498 cc / 30.3 cu-in |
Bore X Stroke | 60.4 x 44 mm |
Compression | 11.0:1 |
Cooling System | Liquid cooled |
Induction | 4x 32mm CV |
Ignition | Transistorized |
Starting | Electric |
Max Power | 70 hp / 51 kW @ 11500 rpm |
Max Torque | 43 Nm / 4.2 kgf-m @ 10500 rpm |
Clutch | Multiple plate coil springs |
Transmission | 6 Speed |
Final Drive | Chain |
Frame | Double cradle |
Front Suspension | Air assisted 37mm forks |
Front Wheel Travel | 140 mm / 5.5 in |
Rear Suspension | Pro-link air assisted 4-way adjustable rebound damping |
Rear Wheel Travel | 115 mm / 4.5 in |
Front Brakes | 2x 255mm discs 2 piston calipers |
Rear Brakes | Single 255mm disc 1 piston caliper |
Front Tire | 100/90-16 |
Rear Tire | 110/90-18 |
Dimensions | Length 2070 mm / 81.5 in Width 760 mm / 29.9 in Height 1175 mm / 46.3 in |
Wheelbase | 1420 mm / 55.9 in |
Seat Height | 800 mm / 31.5 in |
Dry Weight | 185 kg / 407 lbs |
Wet Weight | 20 kg / 454 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 17 liters / 4.5 US gal |
Standing ¼ Mile | 12.6 sec / 102 mph |
Top Speed | 128 mph |