VFR 1200 Launch night

After being spectacularly let down by RiDE magazine, who e-mailed me about a test ride on the new VFR then never followed it up, it was left to White Bros. Honda in Darlington to pick up the pieces and invite me and Zippy to the launch night of Honda's new VFR/Blackbird replacement.

Plenty of food and drink was laid on for the guests, which me and Zipster fairly laid into (the prawn thingy's were great) while we mooched around looking at the rest of the stock awaiting our turn to sit on the star attraction.

When we got our hands (or should that be arses) on the bike I have to admit to being quite impressed, it was very light or more likely very well balanced which made it feel light. The lines of the bike are very clean with no fairing fasteners on display and lovely deep paint.

This is where things started to take a turn for the worse. The salesman showing us around the bike asked if we wanted to hear it running, to which we said yes. Oh Dear! As nice and shiny as the bike is it sounds a bit cack, a bit limp wristed, a bit like a Citroen 2CV. In fact a lot like a 2CV. We wandered off at this point, looking up at the ceiling and whistling quietly in a "it wasn't me guv,

honest" kinda way. So, we found our way to the Cruiser section, Honda's new Fury chopper was launched on the same night, and very nice it was too, although I think I preferred the matt black bobber bike they had on display.

Zippy loved the Cruisers by the way, but more alarmingly, he couldn't take the grin off his face when he sat on the Pan European. If he gets one of those we will have to try and sneak out for a ride while he isn't looking, oh! the embarrassment.

Bungle