It always feels like the first thing to address anytime a VF1000R hits the market: It’s a porker. But once that elephant is addressed we can move on to all the other reasons we love them as enthusiasts: It’s a great looking full fairing model in classic Honda red/white/blue, singing gear driven cams, serious displacement, and a significant milestone in modern classic superbike history. What’s not to love really?!
1985 Honda VF1000R for sale on eBay
from the seller:
Fully restored collector quality Honda VF1000R with super low miles, no leaks, runs and looks like it is right off of the showroom floor. Large 1000cc V4 Motor with 4 overhead Gear Driven Cams.
The buy-it-now on this listing is $16,500. While I would’ve preferred more detail in not only the listing details, the Instagram ready images don’t provide much insight either. On the other hand, due diligence is always required when buying online and reaching out to the seller for more info would be a must.
dc
And yes, the Morrissey tune referenced in the title didn’t come out until 1992 but felt appropriate here 😀
dc
Great singer, good song, best looking motorcycle Honda has ever made, imo. These are heavy but above 10 mph you’d never know it. A great riding bike. A friend had one in 86, I had GSXR-1100 so wasn’t as impressed as I might’ve been otherwise.
Headlight looks like a 1986 model year, no? Not that the description is enlightening on that point. I can’t make out the VIN tag well enough to tell…
Has a 1986 dual headlamp. I’ve owned 3 of these and the 86 is the best but there is soo little information on this bike it merits an inspection. Rear shocks all fail. There is a UK rear shock replacement that works well. Steering head shake is always a problem. The photos are so heavily photoshopped and the colors freakishly exaggerated.. I would love to see clear photos and more description of what was done. In minty form (I owned one with 365 miles on it and it was Barber class bike) these are worth money, but this one raises soo many more questions than it answers. I guess I’m spoiled by the extensive descriptions and phots and video on BAT.
Geez I remember a few years ago nice examples went for 4 to 6 grand
I sold my flawless 1986 with sub 400 miles for $12,999 a few years ago. Prices since then have gone up for sure but that was a high water mark a few years ago, and still good money. I think a really nice one went at a Mecum Vegas auction for 12 or 13K.. , but this insane bike/car economy defies explanation! I think the bike MIGHT be worth 10-12 grand IF it was more clearly described by the seller and it didn’t have these comic book digital photo edits. at $16+ I really expect more from the seller and the lack of information is the most telling.. If it was that good they would crow more about it. In the end, it is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I would put it at a solid $8k without any more information.. but I’ve been proven wrong and the market alone determines value.
Why the ridiculous filter on the pics? Why!!!!???? This and pics of wet motorcycles/cars drives me up the wall.
“Above 10 mph you’d never know it”, are you kidding me? I had 3 of these things. They are HUGE, steel framed monsters, as I recall almost 600 pounds wet. The reach to the bars is long and low, pegs are high, it’s like riding a 250 GP with 300 pounds added for “road hugging weight” for those old enough to remember.
They look great, were very expensive new, but suck to ride.
Yes, they may have been undervalued but have taken off like everything else. Which begs the question of why collector vehicles have gone insane since, oh, maybe 2019? It all seemed to hit like a light switch in 2020.
Did that many guys retire early with huge payouts, was it the lack of availability of new cars and bikes, the Gov’t handouts, or knowing gas powered vehicles are ending production in 2030-35?
Add in cheap gas until Bye-Don was installed, maybe it’s all of the above?
I happened to be looking through my old videos and found this 2017 Bonhams auction for a 4 mile example that went for $11,500. If this listing was prepared with better photographs (before, during, and after restoration), a decent video, and thorough explanation of the restoration, it may not be that far off with the asking price — especially with current market conditions. That’s a lot of if’s of course…
dc
have the UK Spec ’86 Rothmans and it truly is the heaviest bike I have ever owned ! Get it moving however, and definitely feels planted around corners. Might have to dust it off this weekend…
I bought a basket case one of these back in 1993. The guy had completely disassembled it trying to remove weight. He even hacked into the wiring harness to remove “extra” wires… It was a mess but went back together eventually – it had never been down and the cosmetics were nice. I was riding an 86 VFR750 at the time. I rode the 1000 once and came to the same conclusion as most others – this thing is a pig and worse than the 750 in every way, except fit and finish. This was a high point in Honda build quality – everything about it (except the weight) exudes quality. But after riding it I could never get excited about it again – I sold it quickly.
I haven’t owned one of these, but would agree with the weight assessments. My ’85 GPZ900 is a similar piece of kit, a massively heavy, overbuilt bike that truly defines the concept of ‘period riding experience’.
This bike has been relisted, now at $15,500, with the same pictures. But a video has been added and no apparent filters applied. You be the judge. -dc
For sure this bike is trying to reach the upper end of the market for reasonably used bikes (11K miles). It’s not bad but also far from minty. And a few things detract — for example all the inside fairing black plastic and fill panels have been gloss clear coated. It’s a really nice driver so we’ll see if this is where the market has risen to.
For comparison on values, a recent sale at Mecum Las Vegas 2022, Lot T152 sold for $11K (including commission) and had 27K miles. While it looked presentable in pics, in person it was pretty tatty throughout and had slip on F1 cans painted to look like stock exhaust. That felt like all the money for that bike at the time.
The nicest one recently sold was at Mecum in 2018, Lot T145. It was a true 1986 with dual headlights, 32 original miles and brought $16,500 (including commission). It was purchased by Throttle Stop in Elkhart Lake WI and is on display in their museum. I’ve seen it in a person and it’s as new. That is surely a bike in the $25K+ range now with the dramatic rise in the market.
The last one for comparison was a 1-mile bike sold this January by Iconic Auctions. While a 1-mile bike arguably should bring more, that bike had many noticeable scratches, cracks and other cosmetic blemishes (all honestly disclosed in the listing). That obviously affected final sale price of $15,301 ($14,300 bid plus $,1001 commission). Some too would argue the rectangular headlight of the 1985 doesn’t bring as much as the dual headlight 1986, (or non-US 1984 models which also benefitted from the prettier endurance tank with a flat top to complete the line with the seat cowling).
Net net, the days of clean, medium mile drivers for $4-$6K is getting rather distant in the rear view mirror. And forget about parts. The old adage always applies: “Buy the best and cry once.”
Yes, I posted here about having 3 of these, and later bought a 1983-84 VFR750 cheap, what a pig it was. A steel-framed boat anchor, couldn’t sell it fast enough but made a little on it, at least. One has to be careful with 1980’s ‘Sportbikes” when many of them were pushing 600 pounds wet.