Vehicle Description
Honda's V-4 program of the 1980s had its share of hits and misses,
but Freddie Spencer and Mike Baldwin dazzled the crowds at Daytona
in 1982 on the FWS1000 and Baldwin won the AMA Formula 1
championship. That bike evolved into the RS850, on which Joey
Dunlop won the first of six straight Formula 1 TT races at the Isle
of Man in 1983.
Honda took the bike's distinctive red, white and blue color scheme
to the street in the VF1000R, first offered in Europe in 1984 and
in the U.S. in 1985-86. Fully faired in fiberglass and carbon
fiber, it was impressive in two ways, neither of which helped
sales. The steel frame and Comstar wheels meant it weighed 603 lbs
with a full 5.1 gallon tank, and it cost $5,698 - $2,200 more than
the VF 750F. 1986 was even worse, with an increase to $6,298,
though the bike gained the superb double headlights from the
European model.
Dealers were discouraged, and the VF1000Rs became paperweights in
showrooms, even though they were fast enough at 152 mph, and
enjoyed an excellent aerodynamic fairing. The sales picture got
worse still in 1985, when the alloy frame VF750F cost $1,000 less,
and was 125 lbs lighter.
If you knew what you wanted, though, the VF1000R was seriously
useful. It was stable, comfortable, and the handling was
predictable, even with a 16-inch front wheel. The engine's redline
was a smooth 11,000 rpm and it could eat up Western American
highways in 200-mile increments.
These were never bikes to be ridden around town, but a number of
original survivors exist in the hands of collectors, or experienced
older riders who enjoy long journeys. The engines have been
reported in Europe to last 100,000 miles and seldom need attention
beyond services, tune-ups and hoses.
That said, the 1000R is comfortable, quiet, fast and with a
striking color scheme that usually prompts other riders to wonder
when they last saw another. A good original example is an excellent
buy if you have travelling on your mind.
