Always a favorite here on RSBFS, the RC30 is a bike that every serious collector wants. Officially designated as the Honda VFR750R with different trim based on destination country, the RC30 was a true homologation bike and came with what was at the time unheard of specs for a street bike; titanium and magnesium parts, gear-driven cams, track based “slipper” clutch, a first gear that could take you up to 80 mph, a single-sided swingarm, etc. How special were they? Let me put it this way – the RC30 was so epic even James May of Top Gear UK owns one.
The RC30’s 100 hp 749cc engine may seem tame today but what made the RC30 so special was the way it put everything together; huge amounts of feedback, a massively broad powerband, lightest weight in its class, the Honda blew the 750cc competition away. Of course all this race tech didn’t come cheap; the RC30 was priced at an eye popping $21,000 in 1990, which equals about $39,000 USD in today’s dollars.
A review of the RC30 can be read here.
1990 Honda RC30 for sale on ebay
For this particular RC30, there seems to be both an upside and some potential downsides. On the upside, the seller states the bike is 100% stock original except for some stainless steel braided front and rear brake lines. Fluids look fresh and the engine area looks immaculate which shouldn’t be surprising since the seller appears to be a serious collector. On the downside, the seller indicates they are the 3rd owner so true history of the bike will be something of an assumption. Also the mileage is a bit higher than alot of RC30’s we see here on RSBFS but this is reflected in the price.
Is this 1990 Honda RC30 worth its 23,500 starting bid? Well we have seen recent posts range from $22,000 to over $28,000 USD so the asking price seems right in line with the current market. Also these are true Rare Sportbikes with only 300 reported as coming into the USA so values will probably continue to rise over time.
Here at RSBFS we have some regular readers who will be able to offer better insight on the current fair price for this RC30 so if its time for you to add one to your collection, I suggest you check out the the comments on this post or the recent posts linked above but be quick if you are seriously interested as ebay auctions of these bikes often end early.
-Marty/Dallaslavowner
I like what I see here. After looking closely at all of the provided pictures, this example appears to be as original and unmolested as claimed. All details look factory correct, and I see no red flags or “tells”. Literally the only thing I find is the missing metal clip on the red vent tube from the fuel tank, and some USA spec warning stickers. Nice to see the factory included rear wheel stand included. It looks clean for any 25 year old Honda with 23K miles on it, and seems to have been treated with care and respect for what it is. Put in context, it’s reassuring to see the owner has a proper shop with a Handy lift.
That said, there is no substitute for inspecting any collector bike in person, close up, with an led flashlight and a dose of suspicion. Who would take the chance on spending $23K+ on a motorcycle without seeing it first and looking underneath the bodywork? Maintenance records and ownership documentation will add more value than any eBay written claims- after all, we can’t look inside the engine and talk is cheap. Documentation from previous owners can back up all claims.
Value: first, there’s an obvious error in your write up, Marty. “…the RC30 was priced at an eye popping $21,000 in 1990…”. No, it wasn’t. Easy to verify that USA versions had a list price of $14,995. Therefore, they have only just about doubled in value in 25 years. I don’t believe that’s so outrageous, nevertheless whiners that lost out over the years will chime in and claim they’re too expensive now, that they’re over valued. The collector free market disagrees, and RC30’s aren’t likely to ever go down in value- they never really have (except the first few years), and likely never will. They’ve proven to be more than safe investments that you can enjoy.
Rarity: I read with great amusement the comment from the previous RC30 here about there being so many of these available and owners must be colluding on price. I strongly suspect that those comments come from someone who has never owned an RC30, has never ridden one, has never worked on one, has never even sat on one, and has likely never even seen one except for in magazines or on the internet- but they’re everywhere and easy to find. There’s a couple of us here who comment who are actual current owners, who have ridden them on street and track, have restored them and know them intimately, for 20+ years in my case- whose opinion carries more weight? Hope somebody checks this one out and that it seems as real as it appears- welcome to the club!
Thanks Sixthgear. Comprehensive write up. Agree on overall condition. I notice the customary lower fairing discoloration at the rear where the exhaust pipes get close to the fairing. Also seems to be some chipping of paint towards the front of that fairing lower. But overall a really nice bike. And to your point about prices, the day’s of RC30s being under $20K in good, stock (even driver) condition are gone. If someone wants one they could do a lot worse. Having owned mine for just 3 years I can say there are few other bikes that match their appeal in terms of riding sensations and attention to detail. Hopefully the new owner joins this conversation. Lastly I agree with Marty, likely this bike won’t run the full auction and will end early with an off-ebay offer.
Will all due respect to your knowledge of the VFR750R, you comment that owning one is relevant to the amount produced is completely asinine.
Here is a link to the amount produced and followers can read for themselves because facts are facts:
http://rc30.yolasite.com/numbers.php
Now, are you going to tell me anything different?!! Or do I have to own a VFR750R to be able to read it?!!
I have ridden one a few times. I let him ride my MV AGO. I personally know of two just in my little city of 1 million (Edmonton) in Canada. One of which is a 0 mile sitting in the basement of a local Honda dealer. Also, know a dude in Vernon, B.C. who has one (I purchased a ’92 ZX7R K1 off him) and another in Vancouver, B.C.
Now, I’m not going to bother to post a link to every single RC30 (VFR750R) that has come up for sale this year but there is no shortage of supply for sale. In the last 8 weeks I can immediately think of 3: this one, the previous post, and
http://www.adhuntr.com/p/results.html?cx=partner-pub-9413604915893153%3Ao8xsd8d7h7s&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=honda+rc30&as_qdr=a&sa=Search
Then there was the low mile one for sale in CA along with the RC45 listed on craigslist just a few months ago.
This of course doesn’t include the ones for sale outside of N.America (like Ebay.uk) or ones listed on sites like the Owners club on Yahoo.
These come up for sale like buses going by.
So please, enough of the building these bikes up like they are Faberge Eggs!
I not going to debate the appeal of the VFR750R, but enough of the “pump and dump”.
Cheers.
Just to add a few more things to SIXTHGEAR’s observations.
The rear sprocket is aftermarket and the chain has a joiner link in it,so it may also be aftermarket.(The genuine chain is an RK “RO” race quality chain and is around $800 genuine).The screw securing the knob to the fuel tap is not correct.Someone has fitted stone deflectors to the fork sliders.Otherwise,it looks honest.
Third one for sale in 8 weeks out of the 4782 units produced.
Oh…..wait…… since I don’t own one or happen to be sitting on one as I type this….that’s an untrue fact.
lolololololololol
Investors’ call this the ol’ “pump and dump”.
Cheers.
I still remember being 20 and going to Fun Bike Center in San Diego for parts for my CBR………they had an RC30 that sat there for a while. It got to the point that the salesman never left his desk when I came in, my visits were so frequent. Still top of my list if I ever win Lotto.
……from the man who cosiders late model MV Agustas collectable.
I have an RC30 and RC45, bought them many, many years ago when prices were good, never bought as investments, bought as they were my dream bikes, will never sell so value is irrelevant.
I remember a price of 12,999 at the Honda dealer in Ephrata PA in the early 90’s.
Collector. I agree completely on resale. I’ve seen the quote many times “Resale value doesn’t matter if you never plan on selling.” I too have an RC30 and RC45 and I’m leaving them to people who know what they are and will take care of them.
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo53/joex-ray/RCs/RCs_front_low.jpg
Nice lineup!
dc
Thanks Dan. I started selling all the 70s stuff I found 15 years ago when CB350/500/550/750s were dirt cheap. Easy to fix and market turned in my favor. While I appreciate the 70s stuff, never really spoke to me. I bought a CB900F new in 1982 while working at a dealer and still own it to this day. But the mid 80s to early 90s repli-racers where my bikes of dreams.
Joe S, lovely line up. I as you will leave the bikes to someone who knows exactly what they are and also would keep regardless of value.
The Collector, thanks for the reply. It’s the only way!