We must be in the season of ex-race bikes, because today we have yet another Superbike offering. This one, however is different. This one goes back to the days before all the large manufacturers threw cubic dollars to go racing, back when smaller teams and independents still had a chance. This bike, this race effort, clearly ruined all of that. Essenetially a “stock” V45 Interceptor built with unobtanium everything, this bike defined the next level of factory Superbike racing. Using the best of the hired guns and components that only the factory could make (or afford), you might consider this a time capsule rocket ship. And if you are young enough to ever have listened to music on CDs or downloadable audio formats, you will note (with amazement, no doubt) at the complete lack of carbon fiber on this bike. Carbon was still finding its structural legs in the aerospace industry and had yet found it’s way onto motorcycles, car hoods, or decorative trinkets. Lightness was achieved instead through magnesium, funky multi-piece wheels, and liberal CNC aluminum work.
1983 Honda HRC Interceptor for sale on eBay
From the seller:
I am running two race series next year and am making room in the garage. I must be nuts but……. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a true factory Honda Superbike!! HRC built factory Superbike with titanium rods, magnesium carbs, gear driven cams, very rare and completely unobtainable HRC built factory Showa anti dive forks and Nissin brakes……all the stuff Freddie Spencer had. The engine has just been completely rebuilt using only HRC parts, (ND5 71mm pistons). The HRC kit engines were $10,000.00 in 1983!! The showa’s are almost priceless because so few existed back in the 80’s and who knows how many are actually in existence today.This bike has AMA pedigree, (Sam Macdonald #29), Daytona 200 pedigree, (85 with Ron Haslam, the first year the superbikes ran the 200 miles) and is probably the last full factory bike in the world available for private sale. As I said, I might be a little crazy for selling it so you can guess the reserve!! This bike should be in the Honda collection hall in Motegi, Japan but it could be in your garage! I started it yesterday and it ran perfect and strong. Ran up my street on it, shifted clean. It’s a monster motor!!! Don’t hesitate!
I have one offer pending so I reserve the right to cancel this auction, (or change my mind lol). Has clear title so this bike can be shipped anywhere in the world. No warranty expressed, implied or given. You must arrange your shipping but I can assist with loading and storage.
We see so few historic examples like this it is really impossible to put an accurate price tag on it. It is clear that this will bring whatever the market might bear. Whether or not that is enough to meet the reserve remains to be seen. Check out the auction here, and be sure and let us know what you think!
MI
Definitely a Honda Interceptor fan and a Honda guy in general. Very Nice!
This is sick ! I actually am planning a bike build like this , but using a VF1000R motor as a bit of a “cheat” so to use less HRC parts to make it ‘fast” ! This build gives me plenty of ideas . Nice job and plenty of exotic parts to drool over ! Good luck to the seller .
These 80’s & early 90’s sportbikes are the ones most special to me. These are what I had then as sportbikes were taking off when my riding career was beginning. A great time to be getting into bikes big time. They were so drastically changing and defining the now standard specs of today’s sportbikes. Little has changed from the rim sizes and basic geometry of my then new ZX7R in 1992. However it was these early Interceptors and GSXR’s that were really defining the category.
As for this Particular one I ring the rims very interesting. They look flimsy and week, and obviously bolted together. How odd. Like the ones on my old 750 super sport. I’m sure they are anything but flimsy and week but take a good look at them. From a slight distance they look exactly like the MV Augusta rims featured in another recent RSB listing, though only in appearance. Perhaps a nod to the past?
Form my experience with Interceptors and VF1000Rs it appears to me that the owner of this creation removed the original Honda bolts (whick basically have Torx like heads ) and replaced them with regular hardware . I have been cautioned against ever taking these rims apart by a number of people . I find it cool that people repaint them , and like this gold centre idea ….just not sure how safe it really is to do that ?
I would appreciate some other comments with regards to disassembling these Comstars …the pros and cons . I am sure there will be much debate……….
Consumer Comstars where not intended to be disassembled. The 7 pointed single direction torx-style bolts cannot easily be removed, but they can never the less be removed. I have re-laced a number of pairs of NS400 wheels. NS400 17″ rear rim and spokes to NS400 front hub, VF1000R 17″ rear rim and spokes to NS400 rear hub. I used custom stainless bolts from a bloke in Japan. He just made a couple sets of Ti bolts for the re-lacing Comstars, but at $2500 a set they are simply too pricey for me. 🙂
If those are actual HRC Comstars on the bike in question, then they are assembled with grade 8 bolts and locknuts & aluminium washers. Torqued to 14-18ftlb. Per HRC guidelines. They are intended to be disassembled to re-lace different with rims on the spokes/hubs.
I have a set of RS500/NS500 HRC Comstars for my NS500 Spencer replica I am putting together. The reserve price really does reflect the parts list price for this Interceptor – so may fetch its asking price after all. Building a replica of this bike with the odd sourced HRC part would cost about the same in the end.
Hey RC45 , thanks for the info .. It is not the kind of stuff Honda/HRC would want the general public to know as per say . As you said the HRC wheels were/are intended to be rebuilt . However they discourage consumers from tearing apart the regular Comstars .
I would ask if you could please share some contact info for sourcing those bolts from Japan ? I too cannot see investing $2500 in Titanium . However the other bolts sound great .
Finally please tell me is it Torx bit to remove the stock Comstar bolts , or are they a special tool that only Honda has ? Is that why you see people bolt them back together with different hardware ?
Your info so far is great and I am sure there are many more like myself that will benefit from knowing all these little tricks and ideas .
You can either force fit a ratchet torx into the bolt heads and try undo them – or if they are rusted then just spot weld a nut to each bolt head and then use a box wrench to undo. The street bike (and 1984/1985 RS250 customer race bike) bolts are a special captive nut design. The real GP stuff is regular bolts and locknuts. The only source of contact I had with the ‘bolt guy’ in Japan has been his auctions on Yahoo Japan.
RC45 you are awesome ! I have learned so much from you with regards to the Comstars . If you had to recommend me an alternative source for bolts within say North America would you have one to suggest ? And /or would you recommend to reassemble the stock wheels with their original hardware still . I have seem guys do it , but was dissuaded in the past as people had told me all kinds of scary things about Comstars . I actually had a few Honda CX650E models as well as some 500 Turbos a few years ago . It actually was the era of them as well as some of the CBX models that I had heard of them actually failing though those ones have no bolts that I recall to even have a chance to disassemble them .
Finally I have a set that are nearly flawless for scratches , etc…. save for the bolts seem to have some corrosion on them . Should I hit them with say some CLR and Q-Tips or should I disassemble them and hit each bolt with a wire brush or the like ? I appreciate whatever advice you may have to offer as well as thank you for the already great tips you have suggest so far .