1997 Honda VTR1000F review from United States of America

Compression lost in both cylinders @ 47,000 miles, despite oil changes every 3K with Honda SP4 synthetic oil and adult-ridden. The cylinders were basically worn egg-shaped--electroplated bores drilled directly into the (aluminum) top half of the crankcase. (Disposa-bike.)

Despite meticulous maintenance, it was burning nearly a quart of oil every 3,000 miles toward the end.

Cam-chain tensioners needed replacement at ~30,000 miles.

Regulator/rectifier toasted @~30,000 miles.

Hydraulic clutch with slave cylinder mounted on the engine cooked the DOT4 to a dark color and had to be flushed at least every other oil change.

Even with braided stainless-steel brake lines, these brakes were weak. But using the engine-braking helps here.

Fun, bike, fast bike, BEAUTIFUL bike, but ultimately flawed.

This bike is very noisy, due to a cam chain on each side of the bike, with absolutely no noise-dampening material in the crankcase, nor fairing.

A wheelie-machine due to the rearward weight distribution, but it also handles pretty funky (some say poorly) compared with typical I-4 bike.

Terrible mileage, even if you go by the optimistic tripmeter/odometer.