Faults:

Nothing outside routine consumable items.

General Comments:

I purchased the VX800 as an 'interim' machine, as I'd promised myself a new Triumph as a reward for a life achievement, but wasn't in a financial position to do so at the time. The bike's biggest attraction; it was cheap. But it was also a V-twin, with a shaft drive, and that appealed to me too.

Before I owned it, this bike had had a relatively hard life, having been used as an escort for learner riders being tested for their licence. As such, it had been fitted with a full fairing (which I suspect came from a Honda VF750) and hard panniers; these were in basic white so, at a glance, the bike looked not dis-similar to the Police patrol bikes. I quickly gave the fairing and panniers a coat of spray-can black, which did nothing for the looks of the bike, but as they were exceptionally functional - and it was only an interim bike - they all stayed put.

My first decent ride on it, was approximately 1000 kilometres, and at the end of that trip I was massively impressed. I couldn't quite believe what I had bought. It had far exceeded my expectations. As it was my primary mode of transport, it was tasked with city commuting, long distance touring, off road camping trips, spirited sports riding in the hills, and even a few track days. While the VX800 didn't excel in any of those roles, it did a fine job of all of them. So much so that despite my test riding many other fine machines looking for 'the right bike', every time I got back on the old VX, it didn't feel so bad at all. Certainly not for the sort of money the replacement bikes were asking. They simply weren't that much better for the extra money.

As such, the VX soldiered on for a total of eleven years ownership. I loved every minute of it. It was quick on acceleration, but only up to maybe 140 Kph (70mph) where progress was more gradual after that. Power was more about torque than horsepower, and this made it an absolute joy to ride in the hills and twisty bits. Similarly, loaded up for touring or with a pillion made little difference to performance. Mid-range was its forte. Brakes were adequate, but really would have benefited from a second disk up front.

Comfort was exceptional for the first couple of hours in the saddle, but then became an iron plank thereafter - I used to carry a square of sheep skin to ease the pain when required. At a little over 200 kilograms (420+ lbs) it was lighter than many of its 750-900cc peers. Ergonomics were excellent, aided by the very narrow saddle. Low speed maneuvering was never a problem. High speed handling was confidence inspiring, but not racer sharp, while the suspension was - for my weight - adequate, but maybe a little soft for the more sporting activities. I always used good quality tyres, and averaged around 5000 to 8000 kilometers between changes, sometimes better. Servicing was straight forward, and I undertook as many services myself as I did put it in the workshop (which usually co-incided with getting tyres replaced). Services by the workshop were not particularly expensive compared to four cylinder, chain drive bikes.

When I finally sold the VX800 and replaced it with a Triumph Tiger 955i - as I'd promised myself - I realised that the old VX was probably the most versatile and functional motorcycle I'd ever owned. It just did everything I asked of it, without fuss or trouble. I do miss it, and if I found another - they are pretty rare these days - I'd happily buy it and proudly park it beside my current BMW F700GS (another un-glamourous, do-it-all machine).

Faults:

The fork seals are starting to leak.

The rear disk must be made out of recycled aluminum downspouts. Very soft with deep grooves.

General Comments:

There are certain unmeasurables that combine to create the essence of a motorcycle.

This bike has character beyond the sum of its individual attributes.

Tourqey motor with good throttle response.

Predictable handling.

It begs for stiffer fork springs and dual disks up front.

Limited choices on aftermarket pipes.

Doesn't lend itself to performance modification, it is what it is. I generally tend to think that's a good thing.