When the new World Superbike Championship was introduced in 1988, Honda had an issue as its highly successful custom-built RVF750 factory endurance racer (not the RC45) wouldn’t be eligible to compete. So they set out to create a new top-shelf, street-legal, limited edition race bike, producing the minimum number of units required to satisfy homologation rules. Knowing it would only have to turn out a relatively small batch of machines, Soichiro Honda wanted to use the new model to demonstrate what its factory race department was capable of. The result was a no-expense-spared race-grade legend brimming with features previously reserved for track-only machinery. Japan called it the VFR750R, but the bike we fell in love with in America was named the RC30.
At the heart of the RC30 was a liquid-cooled, 748cc, 90-degree V4 engine with four valves per cylinder, gear-driven double-overhead cams, titanium connecting rods, forged two-ring pistons, an 11.0:1 compression ratio, and a “big bang” firing order. Paired with a six-speed transmission with a trick slipper clutch, the sophisticated V4 made 118 hp at 11,000 rpm and 55 ft-lbs of torque at 9,800rpm (unrestricted). The VFR750R had a best-in-class dry weight of 396 lbs and a wet weight of 488 lbs, which was almost 10 lbs less than the game-changing Suzuki GSX-R750. The VFR had a top speed of over 150mph, and thanks to an incredibly high gear ratio, could break 80 mph in first gear.
The RC30 got fully-adjustable Showa suspension fore and aft — 43mm telescopic forks up front and a mono-shock out back. Braking duties went to a pair of fully floating 310mm discs bit by four-piston Nissin calipers in the front and a single 220m unit pinched by a dual-pot caliper in the rear. The bike’s fork sliders also allowed the front calipers to remain in place during wheel changes, a feature that, like the ELF-designed single-sided swing-arm, was born out of competition for ultra-quick pit stops.
In total, only 316 RC30s were sold in the US – and only in the 1990 model year.
Manufactured in December of 1989, this example is VIN: JH2RC3005LM200098.
The seller acquired it three years ago from Iconic Motorbikes. Photo by Nathan May from when the seller acquired it from us.
The seller has owned the bike for three years, during which time he has ridden it for 1,122 miles. The odometer currently shows 8,121 miles.
Maintenance:
In September of 2021, the tail suffered some damage during transport – the seller had us send the tail out for a repaint.
In June of 2022, the seller had us rebuild the forks, refinish/clearcoat the fork lowers, install front brake pads, change the engine oil/filter, install new turn signal brackets, and clean/sync the carbs.
Modifications:
Ladybird exhaust (purchased new by seller and installed by Iconic in September 2021).
Marvic 17″ wheels, aftermarket rotors.
Ohlins steering stabilizer.
Fox shock.
Nippon Seiki temperature gauge.
Aftermarket grips.
Fork adjusters.
Lightened inner fairings.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Inside of the tank:
It is riding on Dunlop Sportmax Q3 tires with date codes of 3815 and 4815.
The sale includes three keys, the original tool kit, and a reprinted owner’s manual.
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this Honda is offered on a clean California title with registration current through October 2022.
Have any RC30 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
Additional Information
Location
Santa Monica, California
Year
1990
Make
Honda
Model
RC30
Mileage
8,122
VIN
JH2RC3005LM200098
Title
Clean
Title State/Country
California
Private Party/Dealership
Private Party
Additional Charges
No
VIN Report
https://cyclevin.com/jh2rc3005lm200098.pdf
Total Bids Placed: 48
Auction has ended.
Highest bidder was: i*******3
Bidder Name
Bidding Time
Bid
Auto
i*******3
October 20, 2022 1:25 pm PDT
$42,000
Reserve
b********9
October 20, 2022 1:25 pm PDT
$38,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
b********9
October 20, 2022 1:24 pm PDT
$37,600
i*******3
October 20, 2022 1:24 pm PDT
$37,500
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
i*******3
October 20, 2022 12:49 pm PDT
$35,100
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
b********9
October 20, 2022 12:49 pm PDT
$35,000
i*******3
October 20, 2022 12:25 pm PDT
$32,300
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
v*******9
October 20, 2022 12:25 pm PDT
$32,200
i*******3
October 20, 2022 12:14 pm PDT
$32,100
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
b********9
October 20, 2022 12:14 pm PDT
$32,000
i*******3
October 20, 2022 11:57 am PDT
$30,100
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
b********9
October 20, 2022 11:57 am PDT
$30,000
i*******3
October 20, 2022 11:56 am PDT
$29,100
b********9
October 20, 2022 11:56 am PDT
$29,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
b********9
October 20, 2022 11:50 am PDT
$28,100
i*******3
October 20, 2022 11:50 am PDT
$28,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
i*******3
October 20, 2022 10:10 am PDT
$25,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
v*******9
October 20, 2022 10:10 am PDT
$24,930
i*******3
October 20, 2022 9:58 am PDT
$24,530
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
v*******9
October 20, 2022 9:58 am PDT
$24,430
i*******3
October 20, 2022 9:57 am PDT
$24,330
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
v*******9
October 20, 2022 9:57 am PDT
$24,230
i*******3
October 20, 2022 8:17 am PDT
$24,130
b****b
October 20, 2022 8:17 am PDT
$24,030
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
b****b
October 20, 2022 8:16 am PDT
$23,600
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
i*******3
October 20, 2022 8:16 am PDT
$23,500
b****b
October 20, 2022 8:16 am PDT
$23,100
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
i*******3
October 20, 2022 8:16 am PDT
$23,000
b****b
October 20, 2022 8:16 am PDT
$22,700
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
i*******3
October 20, 2022 8:16 am PDT
$22,600
b****b
October 20, 2022 8:16 am PDT
$22,500
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
i*******3
October 20, 2022 8:16 am PDT
$22,400
b****b
October 20, 2022 8:15 am PDT
$22,300
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
i*******3
October 20, 2022 8:15 am PDT
$22,200
b****b
October 20, 2022 6:29 am PDT
$22,100
j****1
October 20, 2022 6:29 am PDT
$22,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
j****1
October 14, 2022 10:26 am PDT
$20,169
b****b
October 14, 2022 9:19 am PDT
$20,069
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
j****1
October 14, 2022 9:19 am PDT
$20,000
b****b
October 14, 2022 8:49 am PDT
$18,600
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
s********t
October 14, 2022 8:49 am PDT
$18,500
b****b
October 14, 2022 7:22 am PDT
$15,100
s***p
October 14, 2022 7:22 am PDT
$15,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
s***p
October 13, 2022 1:44 pm PDT
$8,100
r*c
October 13, 2022 1:44 pm PDT
$8,000
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
r*c
October 13, 2022 1:16 pm PDT
$5,100
Auto This was automatically placed for a bidder with a higher proxy.
Continental US: Iconic has several private shipping partners that criss-cross the country for us. Please email transport@iconicmotorbikes.com or fill out the form at the bottom of this page to request a quote.
California/Nevada/Arizona We are located in Santa Monica, California 90405. On a case-by-case basis, we can transport motorcycles in our van. Please email transport@iconicmotorbikes.com or fill out the form at the bottom of this page to request a quote.
$2,000 for Los Angeles, CA to Canada is a ROUGH ballpark, please contact TFX for an exact quote including shipping and customs.
Europe and Asia: Please inquire though transport@iconicmotorbikes.com and we would love to put together a custom quote for you with our trusted transport / shipping partners.
