Yep, 6 years, no bike. Can't believe I did that now. I rode for 15 years before that.
Not sure if you saw my first response at the bottom of page 1, but in summary I really think the Gen 4 VFR is sweet. Gen 5 was the first 800, and first with EFI, but there are plenty of other VFR heads out there that feel the Gen 4 was/is the pinnacle of the VFR evolution. Gen 6 lost the gear driven cams.
That first CL link has an aftermarket pipe. That bike, with the gear driven cams and pipe would sound insanely cool. My 87 had a slip on 4 into 1 and gear driven cams. That bike still rates as the coolest sounding bike I've ever owned.
Pros Magna vs VFR (IMO):
VFR: How it sits, how it rides, how it looks, how it handles, how it goes.
Magna: hmm I'm struggling here. How it looks and how it sits if you like that style of bike I guess.
I'm horribly biased obviously.
Now VFR vs Blackbird:
VFR: Sound, as long as you are talking gear driven cam models (gen 2-5). Fuel economy. Ride (stock for stock)
Blackbird: POWER. Makes the VFR feel like a moped. Wind protection. POWER. Oh and POWER.
Handling is nearly a draw IMO.. Seating position in stock form is about a draw.
Not hard to modify either one for suspension and seating position improvements. You've seen my blackbird build thread. The results of that were incredible in both ride and comfort. Keep in mind I've ridden it over 1000 miles in a day with stock suspension and minor seating mods, but my riding partner Paul did the same on his stock VFR.
Here's a little video clip I made last spring on my bird. A VFR won't do this:

And its not even close to running out of steam at that speed.