Posts by Category: Honda

Honda January 5, 2019 posted by Aaron

Featured Listing – 1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport

Tens years after the ground-breaking CB750 was introduced, Honda responded to market pressures with a DOHC update, making a solid 100 hp per liter. Honda's Super Sport was aimed solidly at the market, and left HRC to tune and alter the CB's for AMA racing.

1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport for sale at Seattle Used Bikes

Ultra-square with 62mm bore and stroke, the new engine willingly revved to 9,000 rpm, where 77 hp was found. Honda had three engines in the pipeline, and chose the smallest bore since it made for the narrowest engine and had the best combustion characteristics. A fairly traditional twin-downtube chassis was constructed, with a riding position just slightly more forward than the original CB750. Brakes are big, all disks, and in a nod to the 500 lbs. dry weight, the rear disk is larger than the fronts.

Offered by Seattle Used Bikes, this Super Sport has logged just over 8,000 miles, and has been nicely restored. The Comstar wheels aren't the sportiest but have endured the test of time. Though the bar end mirrors are cool, K&N filters and black 4-into-1 exhaust will be the most noticeable mods after the engine's started. Notes from SUB's - website -

This very clean Honda Supersport brings back lots of memories of Honda’s HRC racing efforts with Freddie Spencer in the early 80’s… This particular bike has gone through a full restoration over the past 10 years, carbs are updated to the fabulous Keihin CR Specials, a Moriwaki hand made 4-1 exhaust was installed along with K&N filters, this Honda Supersport runs and sounds fantastic!

Have to applaud SUB's tuned-in business model - service, parts, accessories, and consignment - very neat. Ten bikes currently ( three on RSBFS ! ), and the CB750F is right in the middle of their sporty / spendy continuum ( just as Honda always intended ). The ask is $5,199, and the cherry condition might sway a rider who's either not interested in financing someone else's boat payment or who recalls the Freddie Spenser era and can no longer pretend an ergonomic challenge is that much fun. Contact Dave at (206) 535-6812 or by email - here -.

-donn

Featured Listing – 1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport

Featured Listing January 2, 2019 posted by Aaron

Featured Listing: 2005 Honda RC51 SP2

Update 1.2.2019: Brent has renewed his Featured Listing for this RC51. Good luck to buyers and seller! -dc

The Honda RC51 got right to the point when it came out, knocking Ducati and the other Japanese brands off their seats at the top of the World Superbike grid beneath future MotoGP star Colin Edwards. To do it, they had taken a page from the Italians' book, relying on rules that let v-twins have 1,000ccs to take it to the 916 and 998. It won the title again in 2002, and accomplished the same feat in AMA Superbike with the peerless Nicky Hayden.

The RC51 did it all with reliability, aplomb and majestic build quality -- the only way Honda knows. It was a death blow to Suzuki's wayward TL1000R, which never really hit its stride as either a street or race bike, and it showed the Italians that mechanical sex can also be totally reliable. The critical numbers from the throaty, snarling v-twin are: 130-ish horsepower at the crank, and the better part of 165 mph on the big end.

This 2005 Honda RC51 looks incredible, wearing the pretty charcoal fairings of the later bikes, and blessed with the SP2's updated fueling system, which nixed spotty low-end fuel delivery from the SP1 machines. It has done just 5,000 miles, and wears a Sato titanium exhaust system and a custom-tuned Power Commander.

From the seller:

The RC is #189 and tastefully
modified with all original equipment mint and in my possession . The bike has under 5500 miles and has less than 1000 miles on the latest Q3+ Dunlop’s . Sato Banzai titanium exhaust, Kyle Racing tuned power commander and tail tuck kit.

The bike has never been down or repaired in any way. Spark plugs have been replaced at 4000 miles. Meticulously maintained. I am second owner . Have owned for last 1500 miles. Bike is is in top shelf working condition and needs nothing. Bike was built as is from zero miles . Has gear adjustment and speedo correction performed as well. As previously stated I never intended on selling but the 2017 CBR1000RR SP2 is on the menu. Although I haven’t completely convinced myself that it is a true legacy bike.

Brent, the seller of this magnificent beast, is asking $10,000 and can be reached at 405-613-7607.

Honda December 25, 2018 posted by Tad Diemer

Christmas Bonus: 1989 Honda VFR750R RC30 for Sale

Long before "mass centralization" became a popular marketing buzzword for sportbikes, Honda was investing its bubble economy-inflated budget in a bike that took advantage of that very concept, the exquisitely-engineered VFR750R, otherwise known as the legendary RC30. Honda was so invested in sportbikes at the time that it actually sold an I4 and a V4 range of bikes concurrently, with their CBR and VFR filling slightly different niches. But when it came to their homologation bikes, Honda took their hard-won knowledge from the street-oriented V4 bikes and used it to develop the bike seen here, the VFR750R.

If you're passingly familiar with Honda's roadbikes, "VFR" probably evokes images of practical and engaging sport-touring bikes that lean on the sport end of the spectrum. This is not one of those bikes. The RC30 was developed to win production-based racing classes, specifically the then-new World Superbike Championship, although the ELF-designed single-sided swingarm hints at the bike's endurance racing capabilities as well.

At the heart of the bike is obviously a compact V4 engine with a relatively narrow frontal area for good aerodynamics and very centralized mass, gear-driven cams for extremely precise valve control, and a 360°crankshaft that improved traction at the rear wheel, compared to a more traditional 180° unit. The concept of the 360° crank is that the combustion events are clustered close together, instead of spaced evenly throughout each engine revolution to allow the rear tire to "recover," increasing traction and improving tire life. It also gives the bike a flatter powerband and a distinctive soundtrack that can be appreciated, even if your skills don't extend to tire-spinning corner exits. The downside of a V4 is generally increased weight compared to an inline-four and tight packaging, especially with a 90° v-angle, as used here. Stripped of its fairing, the RC30 looks very dense and packed with mechanical bits, and V4s can be a bit of a bear to work on.

Reviews then and now describe it as an easy bike to take full advantage of, a bike that rewarded finesse, a bike that just did as it was told and allowed the rider to get on with winning. Power was unremarkable, weight was average, and nothing about the bike screamed "race winner." But win it did, even against stiff opposition from Ducati, Bimota, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki, and Honda only abandoned the V4 formula when it decided that rules in WSBK favoring v-twins were onerous and biased. So they built a v-twin and showed everyone they could win with those as well, but it was clear their hearts would always belong to the V4...

The RC30 is a handsome bike, with nearly perfect proportions and a wealth of amazing details, although it doesn't have the easy wow-factor of something from Italy. It's not often you can accuse Ducati of cribbing styling elements, but the 916's taillights and distinctive single-sided swingarm look awfully similar to what you can see here. And unlike those Italian machines, every single component is carefully thought out to work as part of a complete package, and engineered to near-perfection.

From the original eBay listing: 1989 Honda VFR750R RC30 for Sale

Long term ownership and fewer than 5,000 miles

1989 Honda VFR750R RC30

Frame Number: 2100129

Engine Number: 2100162

Legendary 16-valve gear-driven DOHC 90 degree V4 engine

Reportedly fewer than 3000 produced

Single owner since 1990

Fewer than 5,000 miles from new.

One of the modern era's few immediately collectible classics, the Honda VFR750R - better known as the 'RC30' - was created for just one reason: to win the World Superbike Championship, a feat it achieved in the nascent series' first two seasons of 1988 and 1989. And while American Fred Merkel was bringing Honda its first two WSB crowns, Britain's Carl Fogarty used an RC30 to win the TT F1 World Championship in 1988 and 1989, and the equivalent FIM Cup in 1990. No mere short circuit scratcher, the RC30 and its derivatives proved durable enough to win a hat-full of Endurance Classics too. That this latter requirement was also part of the design brief may be determined from the fact that a quick-release front fork and single-sided swinging arm - essential for speedy wheel changes - were part of an unrivaled specification that included a twin-spar alloy beam frame, 16-valve V4 engine with gear-driven cams, close-ratio six-speed gearbox and four-pot front brake calipers.

All of which did not come cheap: at the time of its launch in 1988 an RC30 cost near double that of other super-sports 750s. Despite the passage of time and progress of motorcycle technology, the RC30 remains a match for the latest generation of sports bikes but possesses an exclusivity that none of them can approach. 'No other bike from the late-Eighties is lusted after like the RC30', reckoned Bike, and few would disagree. And then there's the exhaust note – loud, of course, but soulful enough to bring a pit crew to tears.

This RC30 was only very recently liberated from its second and very long-term owner. Purchased in the UK in 1990, fewer than 5,000 miles have been put on the bike since it was new. Not long after acquisition, the superbike was taken to the Isle of Man where it was driven around the race track, but not actually raced. In 1991 the machine was brought stateside. Regularly maintained since new, the previous owner reports that the RC30 was taken to the local Honda dealer for a pre-sale service within the last couple of months.

Fresh from nearly three decades of single owner care, this legendary machine is offered in excellent condition throughout. The engine starts readily, idles smoothly and has an abundance of power. The clutch is silky-smooth and brakes and suspension are near perfect. I would opt for a new pair of tires before serious road use and am happy to negotiate your tire choice in to the price.

This is a rare opportunity to acquire a motorcycling icon of performance and provenance and a must-have for a discerning collection.

For additional information and photos go to ClassicAvenue.com

V4s are all the rage these days, but Honda really pioneered them for modern motorcycle applications. Because who the hell else would want to design around such a packaging headache? Obviously, Honda has a history of doing things just because they can, practicality be damned: their oval-pistoned racebikes grew out of a staunch refusal to adapt to the changing technology of the Grand Prix scene and simply build a competitive two-stroke. And although that particular experiment was a failure, it shows the lengths to which Honda will go when they believe in an engineering concept. Luckily, the V4 wasn't quite so complex and was ultimately vindicated by both in-period success and by the legacy it left behind. This example has very low miles and appears to be in very nice, original condition with an asking price of $44,900 and just one more day on the listing, so if you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas this year and happen to have a bit of your holiday bonus left lying around...

-tad

Christmas Bonus: 1989 Honda VFR750R RC30 for Sale

Honda December 21, 2018 posted by Mike

Eye of the Storm: 1987 Honda CBR600 F Hurricane

Winter is upon us with its stormy moods. A perfect time to sit inside by the fire and reflect. What better time to take a look at a pretty cherry CBR600F model Hurricane and revel in its ability to survive. Sure, I know what you're thinking: there is no way that a UJM that was mass produced in the tens of thousands will ever be rare. And I can see the point. The whole crux of the laws of supply and demand move us to a place where demand outstrips the supply - this is difficult to do with a commodity product. But this was a commodity more than 30 years ago. Today to find a well preserved CB600F model is not all that easy. It may not be Supermono or Tesi scarce, but certainly no easier than finding a clean Ducati "R" model, Superlight or the odd Bimota SB/YB series example. Today's Hurricane has traveled fewer than 500 miles per year of its life, and is looking spiffy for it's existence of relative relaxation. Let's dig deeper.

1987 Honda CBR600 F Hurricane for sale on eBay

The bikes we covet today are direct descendants of the 1980s, that watershed era when manufacturers experimented like hippies in the 1960s. Trying any number of cylinders in a variety formats, different types of induction, liquid cooling, four valves per cylinder, mass centralization, full fairings and air flow management, tire and wheel sizes, brakes and exhaust, the Big Four went crazy with bringing new ideas to market. Honda in particular exhibited A.D.D. during this period, offering air cooled, V-4 and inline four models with varying performance characteristics. But it was the Hurricane that open the door to the fully-faired repli-racer look that continues to this day in the 600RR line. That is a pretty amazing run for a very capable machine.

From the seller:
1987 Honda CBR-600 F Hurricane - Only 15K Miles - Also CBR 600 F - CBR600F
Mechanically this bike is a 9.9 Out Of 10 And Cosmetically It's a 9.8 out of 10
Excellent condition for a 32 year old ICON in the Motor Cycle World.

It'd be nice for it go to a collector who understands what it is and appreciates it's excellent condition. I just rode it yesterday for 15 miles out in the country and the bike pulls clean and runs - idles perfectly. Please note in the pictures & the video that some of the angles the sun makes the red color look faded out. It is all bright RED as it was when new.

Before this ignites a storm of another kind, we have seen this seller before. The consensus is that the bikes represent themselves better mechanically than cosmetically - but that doesn't mean everything offered is in the same condition. This bike looks very clean and in far superior shape to most any of the vintage Hurricanes we have seen. 15k on the clocks is higher than many would consider, but aside from some minor cosmetic damage if the bike is as stated mechanically what you have here is an excellent rider. Check out the pictures and video. And as alwasy, RSBFS recommends that you do your homework. Look closely, research the model, and ask the seller questions if any data or detail is unclear. This holds true regardless if you are buying a RC30 or a YSR50.

If you've weathered the storm thus far, you have seen a clean example of a 1987 CBR600F. And while this is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, this No Reserve auction has shown some decent action. There is no gold-plated Buy It Now option here. $100 bought you the first bid in this game, and the price has quickly climbed over $2k. How high will it go? There are lots of watchers on this one, but from the looks of things the price is still firmly in the bargain basement territory. I don't see really see this above the $5-6k mark, but there may be someone out there that just has to have a vintage Hurricane. Jump in if you're nostalgic for the bike you couldn't afford in high school, but don't expect to be making a brilliant investment. There will always be a market for a clean, older bike - even one that isn't in high demand - but the value appreciation will be slow at best. But who really cares? The value is in what you see, and who doesn't see something cool in a well-preserved sport bike artifact? Check it out carefully, and bid with gusto - after all, Christmas is just around the corner! And be sure and jump back to the Comments and share your memories of the Hurricane - because I know you have them. Good Luck!