Honda VFR750R

The Honda VFR750R, frame designation 'RC30', was a fully faired racing motorcycle created for homologation purposes for the World Superbike Championship by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC). It was first released to the Japanese market in 1987, then the United States in 1990. The final one hundred RC30 machines were made for England in 1990.

Engine

The 748 cc 16-valve gear driven double overhead camshaft liquid-cooled RC24-derived 90° V4 produced 110 hp (82 kW) at 9,500 rpm. It contained race-inspired components. These included such items as titanium connecting rods that reduced reciprocating weight (50 g or 1.8 oz lighter and eight times the cost) and, gear driven camshafts. The engine firing configuration was very different from the road-going VFR750F from which it was derived with a 360° 'big bang' crank arrangement instead of the smoother 180°. This feature produced a very broad spread of power and, when coupled to the close ratio gearbox which had an extremely high first gear ratio (0 - 82 mph), made the RC30 untouchable in terms of driveability when on the move. Slowing down was made easier with a slipper clutch, and impressive braking capability for the era.