Not so old a Honda but haven't seen one for ages

[98tls]

Was talking to a bloke at at a mates Mrs birthday bash the other day who mentioned having one of these old girls at home so went round for a look see,never everyones cuppa tea but a blast from the past none the less....and yep i like it.

[gjm]

I like them.

Still a very, very handy bike in the right hands.

[98tls]

I like them.

Still a very, very handy bike in the right hands.

True no doubt but then not such an acceptable opinion in these days of internet motorcycling.

[manxkiwi]

I have a soft spot for these too. They were cutting edge, just before they all worked out that lighter was better.
A very nicely put together piece of kit never the less.
Hope the owner hangs on to it. They'll be rising in value now and in to the future.

[98tls]

I have a soft spot for these too. They were cutting edge, just before they all worked out that lighter was better.
A very nicely put together piece of kit never the less.
Hope the owner hangs on to it. They'll be rising in value now and in to the future.

Yep the blokes had it awhile with no intention of being rid of he said he gets out on it most weekends so will join him on the old S in the next few weeks for a ride,clever bugger with a nice old Trumpet project coming on nicely in his shed.He loved the old TLS and spent quite some time walking around the thing.

[AllanB]

Yeah Nah......

Memory lane is all good until you are riding it too hard into that ever decreasing corner.....


I'd have your modified TL over it any day.

[98tls]

Yeah Nah......

Memory lane is all good until you are riding it too hard into that ever decreasing corner.

Indeed but thing is despite what the internet says modern day motorcycles just like those of old are pretty fucking useless if the guy that handed over the cash has no idea.

[neels]

Makes you wonder where they all went, although being a Honda of that era most of them probably died in an unfortunate camchain related incident, and I suppose the world moved on from trying to muscle 260+kg of bike on average suspension.

It pleases me that there are people to preserve these things though, progress is all good but it's nice to keep a bit of history alive as well.

[AllanB]

Makes me wonder what us old buggers will be reminiscing about on KB in 20 years (F-me I'll be 70!!!)

What will be the desirable 'classic' in 20 years we all nod to now? Will they even exist given all of the top range bikes are so bloody good now - face it for 96% of us a BMW/Yamaha/Honda/Kawasaki/Aprilia/etc motorcycle etc fancy pants current jizz bike will never be tapped out to it's max as our abilities will come into question first and we will gracefully button off citing legal issues, wind factor, helmet noise or diaper rash.

BMWS1000R was cream de la cream a couple years back, new R1 sounds like the bomb NOW, Kawasaki supercharged?

Actually the Kawaker is interesting - I have a theory on this bike. The hyper version will be very collectable and rare - the 'sstandard' ahem model will also be relatively rare - not because it is not farking fantastic but more because when we riders think - hell year I want it - somewhere in our minds where we will never, never admit it is a voice saying - you can't handle it. Then 'we' will justify purchasing a Ducati, Harley etc etc that we know we can (possibly questionably) 'handle'.

Watch this space over the Kawasaki - know of anyone waiting for theirs to be delivered?

Alternatively I have drunk too much wine, or stressed over house sale/purchasing, or have unnaturally small balls and possibly completely wrong. Good thing that regardless of the size of my balls (what is the average size?) I am male and prone to NEVER admitting I am wrong.

[merv]

Makes you wonder where they all went, although being a Honda of that era most of them probably died in an unfortunate camchain related incident.

That model was gear driven cams - has 'CAM GEAR DRIVE' written just under the tank in the photo.

[pritch]

although being a Honda of that era most of them probably died in an unfortunate camchain related incident, a

If that's what I think it is, it's hard to see how it could be effected by any sort of cam chain incident. Unless the cam chain was on another bike? :whistle:

[neels]

Makes me wonder what us old buggers will be reminiscing about on KB in 20 years (F-me I'll be 70!!!)

Only time will tell, and probably won't be anything we would think it would be looking at things now. I'll be well on my way to 70 by then too.

Then again what would I know, I think I'll have another beer.

[neels]

That model was gear driven cams - has 'CAM GEAR DRIVE' written just under the tank in the photo.


If that's what I think it is, it's hard to see how it could be effected by any sort of cam chain incident. Unless the cam chain was on another bike? :whistle:
You guys have better eyesight than me, I thought it was a couple of years earlier that that. So why was it they went to gear driven cams again?

[Drew]

I hadn't realised the thou ever came out with gear driven cams. Thought they dropped it with the introduction of the VFR750.

Anyhoo, I had a VF750F. Loved it, thing happily kept pace with SRAD 750 and a TL1000 over the hill. Dunno about the issues with decreasing radius corners, lower yer shoulder and pitch it harder. One of a very small % of my bikes I jever crashed.

[T.W.R]

Once every 6mths or so one will pop up on TM, one just last month that was a roughy with a damaged crankcase but another motor that went with it.
Honda's technological tour de force in their day
Speculation by some mags said that Honda America had a lot still in the warehouse in the 90s, had that partially verified by a Family friend who worked for them.

BTW Mike you/March Hare cost me a damn phone at this years rally :pinch: fucker didn't take to getting drowned too nicely :no:

[tri boy]

The Honda racing 860 ignition kit/ and cams really made the ol girls skirts lift.
Paddles wedged one into a speedway sidecar frame, feck, it would haul:eek5:

[Crasherfromwayback]

They'll be rising in value now and in to the future.

They'll only ever be worth fuck all.

[Swoop]

Cor blimey! Lovely stuff, indeed!

Probably an "entertaining" ride for a modern-day rider...

Sadly Honda hasn't got the swing of the Thou' with other bikes. Pump out a VFR Thou = a happy group indeed.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Yeah Nah......

Memory lane is all good until you are riding it too hard into that ever decreasing corner.....


I'd have your modified TL over it any day.

pish posh. grab a handful of brake - WCGW.

I really like these too. Particularly fond of that colour scheme. Those and CB1100R's.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Cor blimey! Lovely stuff, indeed!

Probably an "entertaining" ride for a modern-day rider...

Sadly Honda hasn't got the swing of the Thou' with other bikes. Pump out a VFR Thou = a happy group indeed.

Where do I sign?

And no, the VFR800 and the (shudder) VFR1200 don't count. The VFR800 is a nice bike no doubt, but yeah nah.

Though of course we all "know" that a V4 has an intrinsically long wheelbase, and not enough weight over the front wheel, making them impossible to steer...... *



*because the internet told me thats why the Ducati MotoGP bike sucked.... thus it must be true

[Swoop]

Where do I sign?

And no, the VFR800 and the (shudder) VFR1200 don't count. The VFR800 is a nice bike no doubt, but yeah nah.

Though of course we all "know" that a V4 has an intrinsically long wheelbase, and not enough weight over the front wheel, making them impossible to steer...... *



*because the internet told me thats why the Ducati MotoGP bike sucked.... thus it must be true

Also, not being able to wheelie the 1200 since the shaft-drive will prevent this...

[rastuscat]

A bloke who was on the last intake of the ACC traffic dept was killed on one of those in 1989. It could have been any bike, the way the crash happened.

When he got it we all told him he'd kill himself on it, turns out it only took 3 weeks.

Sad memories.

[jellywrestler]

A bloke who was on the last intake of the ACC traffic dept was killed on one of those in 1989. It could have been any bike, the way the crash happened.

When he got it we all told him he'd kill himself on it, turns out it only took 3 weeks.

Sad memories.

'better work stories'

[James Deuce]

You guys have better eyesight than me, I thought it was a couple of years earlier that that. So why was it they went to gear driven cams again?

Honda didn't make them, HRC did. It was the RC30's direct predecessor. It's built to a much higher standard and spec than a VF750.

[Zedder]

A bloke who was on the last intake of the ACC traffic dept was killed on one of those in 1989. It could have been any bike, the way the crash happened.

When he got it we all told him he'd kill himself on it, turns out it only took 3 weeks.

Sad memories.

Sorry to see that rtc.

I see on here you're retiring. Did that Scuba Steve guy get to ya? He's a worry alright.

So now it's only SD to hold the fort, or are there others?

[Drew]

Also, not being able to wheelie the 1200 since the shaft-drive will prevent this...

Please let this be a piss take.

[HenryDorsetCase]

You guys have better eyesight than me, I thought it was a couple of years earlier that that. So why was it they went to gear driven cams again?

The VF750F was the one that had the cam issues. the problem was insufficient oil feed. It was fixed in the later V4's.

I personally would quite like a VF500F if I could find a tidy one.

[T.W.R]

The VF750F was the one that had the cam issues. the problem was insufficient oil feed. It was fixed in the later V4's.

I personally would quite like a VF500F if I could find a tidy one.


The attachment gives a brief on them

A bit of a diversion but oddly enough the biggest of the lot the 1100 V65 Sabre held a record for a number of years as the fastest production bike on paper and currently have huge cult following in the states....funny the one on TM last month went for bugger all

[Swoop]

Please let this be a piss take.
Keep up with the "KB knowledge-base". "Shaft-driven bikes cannot be wheelied".

[Kickaha]

Please let this be a piss take.

Everybody knows shafties can't wheelie

http://www.nbmwr.com/BMW/Images/JPEG/90sWheelie.jpg

Looks like nobody told Troy Corser that though

[AllanB]

Nah - that Beemer is just caught in a strong had wind which has lifted the front.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Everybody knows shafties can't wheelie


Looks like nobody told Troy Corser that though

LOL: a priceless bit of racebike history too.

Good.

[rastuscat]

Everybody knows shafties can't wheelie

http://www.nbmwr.com/BMW/Images/JPEG/90sWheelie.jpg

Looks like nobody told Troy Corser that though

They have photo shopped out the line to the helicopter lifting the front wheel

[ellipsis]

...i couldn't keep the front down on an XV750 i had, when the wind blew hard...

[cheshirecat]

The VF750F was the one that had the cam issues. the problem was insufficient oil feed. It was fixed in the later V4's.

I personally would quite like a VF500F if I could find a tidy one.
Had a VF500 and ended up despatch riding it in London poor thing. Only found out after buying the VF series had cam problems but a guy at Snetterton track trained riders on them and said all you had to do was change oil frequently and warm them up properly, ie riding asap gently until temp gauge moved. Did over 140,000 k on it in London winter and summer and it never let me down, ran like a Swiss watch. Was quick and agile too. Sad to see it go but have a VFR750 now and don't really want to ride anything else, well except a '74 750 MV, a Laverda triple and . . . .

[pritch]

You guys have better eyesight than me, I thought it was a couple of years earlier that that. So why was it they went to gear driven cams again?

The F model had chain driven cams, the R model had gear driven cams. The VFR750 had gear driven cams as well for many years. Dunno when they changed to chain, late 90s?

[manxkiwi]

The F model had chain driven cams, the R model had gear driven cams. The VFR750 had gear driven cams as well for many years. Dunno when they changed to chain, late 90s?

And it was the FII Bol d'Or that Geoff Johnson won the production TT on (in 1986/7?). Not the R as some people mistakenly think.

[pritch]

And it was the FII Bol d'Or that Geoff Johnson won the production TT on (in 1986/7?).

That stirred something in the dusty way-back part of the brain. In 1984 my home boys Alan DeLatour and Dave Martin won the Castrol Six Hour on a VFR1000F.

[merv]

That stirred something in the dusty way-back part of the brain. In 1984 my home boys Alan DeLatour and Dave Martin won the Castrol Six Hour on a VFR1000F.

That was the VF1000F not a VFR. Previous year 1983 DeLatour was on the VF750F and blitzed away out front until the first pit stop then it all turned to custard.

1984 VF1000F Alan and Dave rode looked something like this

http://honda.vf1000.com/owners-gallery/images/pa230220.jpg

[merv]

The VFR750 had gear driven cams as well for many years. Dunno when they changed to chain, late 90s? Changed back to chains with the 2002 VFR800 when vtec got fitted. Us real VFR guys wouldn't buy one of those.