Description
Please Note: In response to customer requests, we are implementing an automatic bid bump: if your proxy bid meets or exceeds the reserve price, bidding will jump up to meet that price and you will see “Reserve price has been met” under the price. Please contact abhi@iconicmotorbikes.com if you have any questions!
Additional photos of this Honda VFR400 are available here for your perusal.
Essentially a scaled-down version of Honda’s legendary RC30, the VFR400R, or NC30, was a race-bred 400cc sportbike introduced in the late 1980s. A smaller and cheaper alternative to the VFR750R, the 400 still possessed the same bodywork and livery as the 750, as well as its stellar reliability and fit and finish which had become Honda hallmarks. The NC30 filled the role for the Chuugata 400cc license rules in Japan and thousands of them found their way into the hands of young riders in Japan.
Powering the NC30 was a carbureted, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve, V4 with gear-driven cams that gave the NC30 a unique roar. With a relatively flat torque curve and a redline of 14,500rpm, the NC30’s V4 was good for around 30 ft-lbs of torque and just shy of 60 hp. Top-speed was a respectable 130 mph, and with a wet weight of only 400lbs, the VFR400R’s dual front 296mm discs and four-piston calipers were more than sufficient at slowing things down.
The trick little 400 was also an early adopter of various features such as its 360-degree “big bang” firing order, TRAC (Torque Reactive Anti-dive Circuit) 41mm telescopic front-end, and ELF’s Pro-Arm single-sided swing-arm. Just like its three-quarter-liter sibling, the welterweight VFR used a competition-derived aluminum twin-spar frame. A four-into-one exhaust exited on the left side of the bike, enabling easy access to the 18” rear wheel, and the suspension’s preload and rebound were both adjustable.
The VFR400R was created for the Japanese domestic market, though it was officially sold in parts of Europe for a time in limited numbers. Produced until being phased out in ’94, the NC30 wasn’t ever sold in the US.
This example is VIN: NC301005623. The seller acquired it in 2003 from Road & Sport Motorcycles in Hamilton, New Zealand.
During his ownership, the seller has covered roughly 8,000 miles. The odometer shows 29,471 kilometers (18,312 miles).
The seller rebuilt the bike between May and September of 2017, he provides documentation of having done the following during that time:
– replaced wiring harness
– replaced regulator/rectifier with an updated MOSFET unit – sub wiring harness made
– replaced stator and rotor with a 2016 Suzuki GSX-R750 unit – sub harness to the reg/rec
– battery
– larger (new) coils
– spark plugs, spark plug wires
– posh box – ECU bypass, rev limiter
– cleaned carbs (replaced any stripped hardware)
– radiators (larger) & coolant (Engine Ice)
– coolant tank hose
– 520 sprockets and DID chain
– Ti sprocket studs/nuts
– Countershaft bolt
– Speedometer cable nut adaptor (plastic)
– Clutch cable
– Throttle cables lubed
– Tyga triple clamp, stem, & bearings
– Front rotors and pads bead blasted
– Front calipers and pistons cleaned
– Front brake flush
– Front brake reservoir hose
– Motul 300v oil and Honda filter
– Oil pan and strainer assembly cleaned
– Rust removed and neutralized from inside fuel tank
– New fuel tap lever
– Assorted nuts, bolts, and screws replaced as needed
– Bridgestone Battlax S20 Hypersport tires from 2015.
The engine was rebuilt by Mike Norman’s G-Force Engine Development @ 17km in April 2012 to the tune of $4,933. There is a dyno chart from the shop showing 65 horsepower and 28.5 lb-ft of torque after the motor was broken-in and a different set of needles. The work notes cylinder head porting and a performance valve job.
Modifications:
Tyga exhaust.
Tyga rearsets with carbon fiber heel guards.
Tyga upper stay, Tyga meter stay, double bubble windscreen.
Penske shock, 17″ rear wheel, rear wave rotor.
310mm front rotors, Galfer brake pads.
Carbon fiber front fender.
Pro-Tek Racing gas cap.
Carbon fiber chain guard.
Aftermarket mirrors.
Pazzo levers.
Samco silicone radiator hoses.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. The seller specifically calls out aftermarket bodywork which has been slightly altered, it shows chips and stress cracking in the paint.
He also points out that the seat cover shows wear and the Sun Gold powdercoat on the wheels is fading.
Mechanically, the seller notes that the “rear brake fades and barely works over time if not bled & filled weekly.” In preparation for the listing, the seller had us install a battery, clean a corroded brake light switch, and clean the carbs.
The sale includes a Pit Bull rear wheel stand.
It also includes a Haynes manual, copy of the Honda service manual, years of service receipts, and one key.
Lastly, it comes with a front fairing, lower cowl, two sets of middle fairings, two sets of lower fairings, and several spare parts.
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 on planned non-op registration.
Have any VFR400R stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
Please Note: In response to customer requests, we are implementing an automatic bid bump: if your proxy bid meets or exceeds the reserve price, bidding will jump up to meet that price and you will see “Reserve price has been met” under the price. Please contact abhi@iconicmotorbikes.com if you have any questions!
