by Michael Rogers
photography by Stuart Collins
Ask us why we ride and words like ‘freedom’ or ‘escape’ top the list. Getting away from the mundane, the daily grind, leaving the hassle and the hectic behind. It isn’t just about big miles – inside our helmets we’re isolated no matter where we are. No calls, no emails, no incessant chatter – riding cleanses the soul. It’s meditation on wheels.
However, if our heads are in a tranquil place, why not put our bodies there too? Because another special feature of biking is that we can go anywhere, fast. Especially on today’s congested road network. A bike dices traffic with contempt, dismissing snarl-ups with disdain. Take that, modern living!
Honda’s VFR800F provides a passport out of the city for the weekend
It’s what I’m doing right now, swapping spreadsheet tyranny for unalloyed riding pleasure in the Scottish Highlands. It’s midday on Friday, I’ve knocked off early, and I have 500 miles to arrive at the world famous (and magnificently hospitable) Applecross Inn. The inn shelters on the far side of Britain’s steepest road ascent and descent (sea level to 2000ft and back in a few miles), on the extreme west coast of Scotland. Between us lie 300 miles of roadwork-strewn motorways, followed by 200 miles of premium Scottish tarmac involving many, many corners and an equal number of staggering panoramas.
There are perhaps other bikes that would better suit the dull straight-line bit, the carving through roadwork queues bit, or the sporty, twisty bit. But none suit them all better in the same trip than the new VFR800F. With a smooth, richly potent engine, high-tech chassis and world-beating ergonomics developed over 30 years of racetrack success alongside road-riding refinement, the VFR800F successfully envelops sporting prowess and the practical necessity of travelling a big distance to use it. For smiles and miles, the VFR800F is the bike.
Compact V4 engine centralises weight and ensures intuitive handling
As we power away from the confines of the city, the VFR’s 782cc, 100bhp V4 motor lets me know I’m in safe hands. The V4 was the engine layout closest to company founder Soichiro Honda’s heart. As one of the world’s greatest engineers, he believed its compact design centralised mass better than any other configuration, which in turn forms the basis of a bike’s handling dynamic. The V4’s unique firing interval also creates an almost supernatural connection between the throttle action and rear tyre. And the V4 engine character is delightfully smooth and yet contains a gruff, offbeat resonance that gives an organic, soulful feel.
All these things prove true right away. The VFR800F steers between cars and urban potholes with precision and clarity, linking thought to action and reaction with a flattering, graceful fluidity. The VFR changes direction like the most nimble commuter bike.
Ergonomic design helps transport you to incredible places in effortless style
Onto the motorway heading north, I immediately relax as the VFR pulsates gently on cruise mode at the legal limit and decades of ergonomic expertise come to the fore. The fairing deflects the worst of the wind yet permits enough past to balance my body and relieve strain on wrists and back. It even keeps me dry when a light shower interrupts the ride.
The miles tick away with such ease it’s a shock when I notice the new clocks show nearly 200 miles have passed under the VFR’s wheels and it’s time to fill up the generous tank. A 200-mile range is pretty good for a bike, and is usually fine because I need a stretch by then anyway. But the VFR is so comfortable I could happily carry on for another 200.
Breathtaking Scotland is a biker’s paradise
Back on the road, and a few more miles leave me north of Glasgow’s ring road and heading into the proper twisty stuff. Scotland is a biker’s paradise – long, sweeping arcs cutting through pine plantations, fiddly point-and-squirt chases alongside lochs, and plenty of flashing through glens and over mountain ranges.
The VFR800F demolishes the ride, making a seamless transition from accomplished Tourer to Sports bike with such breathtaking ease it’s impossible to be complacent about its versatility. The suspension seems to switch from supple compliance to taut, sporting damping as if it somehow knows the roads and riding style have changed. The engine’s formerly genial burbling assumes a harder, barking edge as its VTEC variable valve timing opens up towards the more prolific end of its rev range. The brakes are pin-sharp, handling fast and responsive, riding position tailored for attack mode. It’s hard to imagine even Honda’s Fireblade can deliver a more road-based, real-world performance than this.
Away from city limits the VFR seamlessly switches from refined tourer to scintillating sports bike
Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, Fort William, Invergarry, Eilean Donan castle and Lochcarron all flash by – I’d love to stop but this isn’t a cruise – and soon we’re climbing up the dizzying Bealach na Bà high road towards Applecross. The view so dramatically intense it’s worth sporadic drenching as clouds drift across the mountain-top. The VFR performs one last trick, negotiating one-in-five hairpins with the finesse of a Sports bike.
That evening, in the bar at the Applecross Inn, I realise I’m no more tired than if I’d been driving a car, but more exhilarated by several orders of magnitude. And the new VFR800F has proved itself once more the most accomplished all-rounder on two wheels. When it comes to racking up motorway miles, dusting traffic in town or carving across mountain passes, nothing gets close.
And the best bit? I get to do it all again on the way back tomorrow.
Why ride to Applecross?
Two things make the tiny village of Applecross a great two-wheeled destination. The first is because the ride to get to it takes you along the most dramatic and exciting roads in the country, passing through the most dramatic and exciting scenery. It’s a double-whammy of awesome. From Glasgow, take the A82 ribbon alongside Loch Lomond, left at Crianlarich, right at Tyndrum, then prepare to be visually assaulted by the glacial splendour of Glen Coe. Then through Fort William to Invergarry, turn left on the A87 for more cracking scenery, then just after Eilean Donan castle (where Highlander was filmed) turn right onto the A890. Trace round Lochcarron, pick up the A896, then head up the absurd Bealach na Bà for Applecross. And you’re done.
Oh, and the second reason? The food, beer and hospitality, of course.
