1988 Honda RC30

Description

Additional photos of this Honda RC30 are available here for your perusal.

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. We called it the RC30 in the US, but most countries knew it as the VFR750R.

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.

This example is VIN: RC302000237.

The odometer shows 60,432 kilometers (37,550 miles).

It was originally sold in Germany in March of 1988. This is how it looked in 2008. We do not know when it resprayed with an OEM livery.

A service receipt from Honda Motorrad Shop in Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany in 1995 shows the purchase of multiple parts related to an engine rebuild (connecting rods, clutch plates, crankshaft bearings, etc), though with our limited comprehension of the German language we are not able to specifically find receipts for labor performed.

It was exported to England around 2015.

Maintenance:
In preparation for the listing, the seller had us replace the oil and oil filter, the chain, the steering nut, the shifter rubber, the coolant, the brake fluid, the windscreen hardware, and the fairing bolts. Additionally, the shop washed the brake calipers, cleaned and synced the carbs, and serviced the starter motor. Olly did the work, he notes the following in his condition report:

Tire Years – Front/Rear: 2017
Tire Life – Front/Rear: 95%
Brake Life – Front: 75% / Rear: 80%
Hydraulic: – Front/Back: Ok, New
Oil – Level: Ok; Quality: Ok, New
Coolant – Level: Ok; Quality: Ok, New
Low Beam: Ok
High Beam: Ok
Turn: Ok
Tail Light: Ok
Brake Light: Ok
Plate Light: Ok
Killswitch: Ok
Horn: Ok
Battery: Ok
Test Ride: OK

We also sent out the upper fairing to our friend Brian of B.K.M. Creations for a touch up. He refinished the white paint as well as the blue paint.

The sale includes a binder with documentation going back to 1988.

Modifications:
Öhlins rear shock with remote preload adjuster.

Tank protector (purchased from Honda Motorrad Shop in 1996).

Aftermarket headers into the stock silencer.

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 Roadsmart III tires with date codes of 2017 and 2617.

The sale includes one key.

Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this Honda is offered on a clean Oregon title. Have any RC30 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!