Description
Please note: Iconic has reduced the minimum buyer fee on this item from $250 to $150.
Essentially a scaled-down version of Honda’s legendary RC30, the VFR400R, or NC30, was a race-bred 400cc superbike 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.
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 60hp. Top-speed was a respectable 130mph, 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, albeit in limited numbers. Produced until being phased out in ’94, the NC30 wasn’t ever sold in the US, though grey market examples have found their way to US shores.
The display engine was sent to Iconic from Japan. It measures 25″x21″x18″ and weights approximately 60lbs. Per the seller, “Parc Ferme MotoArt display engine. This is an actual NC30 engine, no internals, can not be made to run in the future, for display only. Comes mounted on a specially painted Parc Ferme NC30/35 engine work stand. It can be used with a standard left exit exhaust system for display if desired.”
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located in Santa Monica, California, this Honda is offered on a Bill of Sale only. Have any VFR400 NC30 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
