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Cult bike Honda VF 1000 R

Pioneer of the V4 concept

The Honda VF 1000 R was supposed to turn the world of super sports machines upside down in 1984. But the V4 bolide got badly injured. Here’s the finding.

So the marketing strategists had the presentation of the Honda VF 1000 R not presented. Ironically, in MOTORRAD (issue 6/1984), the V4 super sports car with the highest engine output of a production motorcycle to date, 122 hp in the brochure, was presented as a "focus point". Editorial colleague Hans-Peter Leicht drove the brand new Honda and then dissected it meticulously. He did not miss the fact that although the engine was upgraded with racing technology, the basic features were based on the VF 750 F. And in the same edition of all things, the VF 750 F had to take its oath of disclosure.

Cult bike Honda VF 1000 R

Pioneer of the V4 concept

Where is the successful road legal RCV 1000??

Sure, who wanted to put a test vehicle in their garage for 18,000 marks in 1984? According to unconfirmed figures, only around 10,000 Honda VF 1000 R models have been sold worldwide. A breakdown of the first order! But Honda wouldn’t be Honda if the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer hadn’t pushed its V4 concept into the market with all its might and even more commitment. Just four years later, the VFR 750 R, abbreviation RC 30, rolled over the superbike scene with a 90-degree V4 engine. Not to mention the tens of thousands of enthusiastic VFR 750 F tourists.

If you take a closer look at the Honda VF 1000 R from 1984 under the red-blue-white tracksuit, you can see that the Honda engineers already lured them back then with technical finesse that are now part of the technical standard. The aluminum swing arm was not welded from individual aluminum profiles, but made stable, light and inexpensive as a molded part.

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Honda CB 1100 R and Honda VF 1000 R in comparison test

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Even back then, tires with a radial carcass

And today? Every cost-conscious manufacturer puts such a cast component in the chassis. Even back then, the manufacturer mounted a tire with a radial carcass on the Comstar rear wheel of the Honda VF 1000 R. Not yet fully developed, but at least radial: an essential basis for high-speed motorcycle tires today. And who finally brushes off the in-line four-cylinder competition in MotoGP on (almost) every race weekend, so that the heather wobbles?

Exactly, Messrs. Marquez and Pedrosa, supported by the sheer power of their 90-degree V4 engines made by Honda. The bottom line is probably the best engine concept for a maximally compact, radical super sports car. It is therefore high time that Honda finally built what had to be built, but failed with the Honda VF 1000 R: a successful RCV 1000 with road approval. My home loan and savings contract is canceled faster than the dealer can say "Vau-vier".

Information about the Honda VF 1000 R

Data: Four-cylinder dohc four-stroke V4 engine, 998 cm³, 122 hp at 10,000 rpm, 92 Nm at 8000 rpm, five-speed gearbox, double loop frame made of square steel tubing, weight with a full tank of 272 kg, front tires 120/80 V16, rear 140/80 VR 17, tank capacity 25 liters, maximum speed. 249 km / h, 0-100 km / h in 3.4 seconds, price 1984: 18,218 marks.

Literature: Jurgen Gabebner, "Honda, the models with V4 engines". Motorbuch-Verlag, ISBN 978-3613016613.

Specialists: As with all machines from the 70s and 80s, the specialists are a bit rare. HKB-Motorrad in Pforzheim, phone 0 72 31/4 43 15 70, Joe’s Garage (Joe Liebmann) in Coburg, phone 0 95 61/3 41 16, Eckert Prazisionsteile (Roland Eckert) in Kupferzell, phone 0 79 44/9 15 00.

Market situation: Ideally, the Honda VF 1000 R is still in its original condition. With a bit of luck, you can get hold of drivable, well-preserved specimens for 2500 euros.

IG / Internet: www.vf1000r.de, www.rc30-club.de

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