1990 Honda VFR750R RC30
Another easy one for the masses. This bike needs no introduction. Early Honda sport bikes are some of the most desirable and well known pieces of two wheel machinery that exist in the enthusiast community. Honda was spending heaps of money in R&D to produce some of these championship winning designs as made evident by the MSRPs that followed suit on homologations such as the RC30. If I’m not mistaken the RC30 was $15k. Gear-driven cams. 16 valves. ss swingarm. Yata yata yata. Like I said, this bike needs no introduction. I should listen to myself and just spare you all the time and move on. I’d rather belabor my opinions on turbo engines, genetic modification, and bicyclists.
Red, white, and blue means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. God Bless America and Toby Keith. For Honda sellers or buyers, we know the ol’ RWB means $$$. The seller notes some cosmetic blemishes on the plastics and a small dent in the fuel tank. I wasn’t able to find a picture of the dent in the fuel tank but I wouldn’t dwell over it much. 20k miles means she’s slept around a bit…as she should.
I’ll admit I probably don’t know as much about these bikes as some of the market so I’ll have to pass the magnifying glass over. One of the commenters on the auction, outobie, calls out the following parts being modified:
“the lollipop reflectors are missing, the chain guard is missing, the fuel cap is the wrong color, the frame, swing arm and rearesets are polished, the “elf” badging is missing, the OEM rear stand that it was shipped with is not mentioned and doesn’t appear to be present. windshield is missing it’s trim, license plate bracket and tag light are missing, aftermarket rear reflector bracket, Left bar end is missing and right appears to not be stock, brake pedal rubber is missing. What if any of these things are included with the bike”
These bikes have always been popular so I doubt it ever ended up in the hands of a buyer that would make these changes for no reason. More likely than not they were made for track use which seems fair for a track bike. The seller acknowledges he’s not selling a museum piece. I can help you get started bringing her back to stock with this stock rear shock. Just make sure you are sitting before you click and see the price. Clean up the Ohlins and keep her in the back pocket.
You don’t see these too often with a polished frame and I really don’t know what the general sentiment is on polished frames. I would love to hear thoughts in the comments. I’m personally a fan and I think it adds to the “retro-ness” of some of the 90s products but that’s just me. Maybe not the most fitting here.
The seller mentions in the comments that the bike had sat for 10 years prior to his purchase. We all know what happens to seals, gaskets, filters, etc when a bike sits but the seller seems to have addressed all of that. He even recommends buyers to speak to the shop who serviced this RC30 in 2022. I’m sure the shop and tech remember this bike. You don’t see them often.
A piece from the seller-
” The bike is equipped with red, white, and blue bodywork over a twin-spar alloy beam frame, and additional equipment includes a quick-release fork, a monoshock, a single-sided aluminum swingarm, triple disc brakes, aluminum wheels, a four-into-one exhaust system, a solo seat, and a side stand. The bike is said to have been kept in storage for a decade prior to seller’s acquisition in 2021. Recommissioning work in 2022 included cleaning the fuel tank, repairing the exhaust system, changing the fluids, fitting aftermarket turn signals and Brembo front brake calipers, overhauling the clutch, petcocks, brakes, and carburetors, and replacing the battery, thermostat, horn, intake manifolds, tires, radiator caps, and fuel cap. This VFR750R is now offered with a 2022 service invoice, a copy of a 2019 issue of Motorcycle Classics magazine, removed front Nissin brake calipers, and a clean Virginia title in the seller’s name”
I’m excited to follow this auction. The bid sits at $25k with 5 days remaining at the time of writing. Sub 1k mile examples have routinely transacted for $80-$90k but that’s the ceiling. If you’re looking for a floor, Iconic sold an RC30 with 70k mi for $26k in 12/2021. There have been a number of transaction between those two numbers I think the comments on the auction offer lots of education on this specific bike and should help guide the price. Believe it or not there’s a 2×3 painting of an RC30 that sold for $2.5k Congrats to the buyer?
We’d love to hear thoughts on price guidance or any stories/memories you have of the RC30 in the comments!
Good luck and thanks for reading!
Norm
Looks like a great rider and I’d think around $30-$35k is where it should end up. Even though Honda/HRC polished their frames/swingarms on their race bikes, that probably hurts the value from a stock streetbike collector standpoint considerably. The things missing/incorrect don’t matter to the riding experience. This would be a great one for track days – those in the know will be really glad you’ve shown up on it! You meet the nicest people on a Honda and all…
The my favorite ones have the red wing on the tank! And rc30 on the tail 🙂
Wow that is a kind of unexpected statement that the nissin calipers “ could not be overhauled”. Only the seals would need replacement. I didn’t think the calipers look unique. Surely japanese domestic models of similiar vintage used these same parts, no?! If I were ever fortunate to swing one of these it would gut me to discover $30 in unobtainable parts were keeping me from riding. I always figured that 18” rear wheel was the biggest roadblock.
BaT shows sold for $30k.
dc