Description
Click here for a CycleVIN report on this 1992 Honda NR750. Additional photos are available here for your perusal.
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 tank and displayed on the rear wheel is a simple message, but it’s a bold claim from a company as large (and typically modest) as Honda: “THE RESULT OF A DECADE’S PERFECTION”.
Just 300 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.
Approximately 300 examples were produced worldwide, and 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 NR (VIN: RC40-2000043) is a European model. The seller acquired it in late 2017 from a private party in Virginia.
The European versions are typically more desirable as they are not restricted (JDM models make roughly 77 horsepower). They have velocity stacks (JDM models have restricted carb boots) and larger exhaust. The velocity stacks typically aren’t mentioned online, however it’s something we’ve noticed over the years as we’ve serviced eight NRs – three of them were Euro models and all of them had velocity stacks. Our White Glove service is currently 3D printing new velocity stacks for any NR owners that wish to have them as OEM units are no longer available.
European models also have the fog lights removed and a projection beam headlight.
The odometer shows 2,435 miles.
It has been repainted in the past. The paint work is good, but the original paint has a neon base that we don’t see here. We’ve never been able to find a painter that can replicate it, though.
It has an aftermarket clear windshield.
Cosmetic Blemishes:
In preparation for this listing, the seller had us install a new battery, flush the clutch and brake fluid, change the oil/filter, and give it a detail. We also replaced a non-functioning fuel pump.
Currently located at our facility in Santa Monica, California (please make an appointment for an inspection), this NR is offered on a clean Montana title. Have any NR750 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the comments!
