To each his own I guess... I looked hard at a 2002 VFR but bought a XB9R.
The VFR is definitely sweet, and it was a pretty difficult choice. The dealer ended up giving me a real good price on the Buell, so it was a couple grand less than an ABS VFR, and I liked the handling a little better.
Since everyone asks, reliability on the XB has so far been good (with around 3000mi). Nothing falling off or leaking out or burning off. I had problems with a previous Buell, and can say that they've earned their rep as having ``reliability issues'', but the XB really does seem to be holding together. [Actually, it's been pretty much maintence free -- belt drive, self-adjusting valves, doesn't burn any oil, etc. -- just fill tank and ride.]
And yes, an 600cc sport would most likely smoke it at the track (I don't do track days, but the XB is giving up enough ponies at the high end to make catching an R6 unlikely). On the other hand, my real-world experience is that the Buell is faster though commuting traffic than 600's (or at least the 600's that are commuting around me) . It's small and narrow enough to lane split anywhere and seems much quicker off stoplights than a four due to the abundance of low-end torque. Unless you're into driving like a squid, the ``scooter with torque'' aspect of the XB is great for commuting.
Overall, I'm happy with the XB since it works for the way I ride. But that VFR does look sweet....