I was never really drawn to sport bikes, preferring vintage standards, oddball cruisers and one-off choppers. But when I had to scratch that itch for a new (and not just new-to-me) bike and the Honda Magna had been discontinued, my fascination with the V4 drew me to the Interceptor. Its mix of street-applicable performance, agility, durability and long-ride comfort really made me a believer in the sport-biased side of the sport-touring world.
So I bought this bike from a Triumph dealer in December of 2005 as a “used” bike, with 461 miles on it. Someone bought it, chopped the ugly license plate holder and the rear end of the exhaust cans off and decided it was a little too sporty for their taste, so they traded it in on a Triumph Sprint ST. At $2,500 under the going price for the “new” 2005 VFR at the Honda dealer I didn’t hesitate for a second. Looking back, if I had hesitated for about an hour I might’ve left on a Triumph Speed Triple – an awesome hooligan bike, but for the sake of self-preservation I’m glad I picked the VFR!
My time with this bike has taught me all sorts of technical things about motorcycling I never would have learned on Magnas, CB900s and Bonnevilles… shock adjustment, rebound damping, rider geometry, the effects of changing weight distribution, and exactly how much of a difference a tire can make in adjusting the riding experience. But by FAR the most worthwhile lesson I have learned from owning this bike is the value of an excellent riding community. The guys and gals at VFRDiscussion.com are truly as good as they come. Annual (and twice-annual sometimes) bike meets in every region of the US, northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand… Friends who will go to any length necessary to help each other out… a community that without hesitation raised funds to buy our fearless leader a new VFR1200… No matter what bikes I ride, VFRD is home.
