Description
Additional photos of this Honda NR750 are available here for your perusal.
We’ve had our fair share of NR750s come through here (last month we had four in the shop), and typically they’re display pieces. We just sold a 0-mile one that’s en route to Hungary, for example. But this one stands out because it’s a strong runner that’s ready to enjoy right now!
The easiest way to summarize the NR is to simply say that when it was released, it was the most expensive production motorcycle the world had ever seen. But the NR is much, much more than a hefty price tag – it’s a symbol of what can happen when one of the world’s best manufacturers goes all out. Engraved on the gas cap and displayed on the rear wheel is a simple message but bold message: “THE RESULT OF A DECADE’S PERFECTION”.
Just 307 examples were built, and with a price tag of approximately $50,000 when it was released, the NR has only been available to a select few. The bike owes its existence to Honda’s NR (New Racing) program, which started with the NR500 Grand Prix racebike of 1979. It was Honda’s attempt to fight off two-stroke dominance while being boxed in by GP rules that limited the number of combustion chambers in an engine to four. Honda got around it by essentially creating a V-8 as each piston was oval-shaped with two connecting rods. It was insanely complicated, but the 500cc race motor was capable of putting out 130 horsepower at 20,000 rpm!
The street bike was also known as the RC40 and while it’s informally called the NR750 the correct name is simply “NR”. The street motor produces 120 horsepower at 14,000 rpm, and it was full of features that were either incredibly rare or completely novel to a production street bike: eight valves per cylinder, twin connecting rods, partial carbon fiber bodywork, digital speedometer, titanium-coated windshield, underseat exhaust, single-sided swingarm…the list goes on and on. Many of the styling cues were unobtanium to the public until Ducati came out with the gorgeous 916 a couple of years later.
People are still in awe about what Honda was able to bring together in a production road bike. For more examples of what made the NR ahead of its time, check out this profile on Visor Down.
This example is VIN: RC40-1000154.
The odometer shows 10,341 kilometers (6,425 miles).
It came to us from a Japanese collector. We unfortunately do not have history on it, however a couple of us have taken it for a spin (perks of the job)! Before we rode it, we cleaned the tank, installed a new fuel pump, flushed all the fluids, replaced the tires, rebuilt the rear caliper, and gave it a full detail.
Abhi was blown away by how well it runs as well as its high-speed handling. Here’s a couple of short videos if you’re in a rush:
Startup and 1st gear acceleration:
Up through redline:
If you’ve got more time, Adam rode it for an Iconic Rides video:
The sale includes a NR sales brochure (photos of every page are in the album up top).
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California, this NR750 is offered with a clean Oregon title.
Have any NR stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the comments below!
