Post-Sale Update: This French Import sold for the BIN of $9,500.
Honda Motor Company bet a lot on the V4 engine concept in the early 1980’s. They blasted the marketplace with a full range of styles and engine sizes, and the big gun was this baby, the VF1000R. America got the ill-fated “F” model in 1984, essentially an enlarged 750, replaced with the “R” in ’85. But Europe went right to the “R” employing gear-driven cams, full bodywork, different wheels, brakes and more. Endurance racing was a Big Deal in Europe and that’s the look Honda was after with the blunt fairing and dual headlamps.
It was not to be. The big VFs were heavy, cumbersome handlers and couldn’t compete with the latest inline fours on the street or track. The VF1000s left the market in 1986 amid a general slump in motorcycle sales worldwide. For more on the VFR, check out this article on Motorcycle Classics.
Our feature bike (VIN: SC162002340) is a 1984 French model VF1000R. The import process has been completed and the seller indicates a clear title and the bike ready to ride. The photos show beautiful cosmetics and the VF appears to be in original kit with the unfortunate exception of an aftermarket exhaust, which promises a great-sounding V4 song, but for the purists nice OEM pipes are difficult to source. Value? Hard to peg, with an ’84 “R” being so rare on these shores. Museum-quality, very low mileage VF1000Rs have brought over $12,000. Find this French beauty for sale in West Tisbury, Massachusetts with a BIN of $9,500 or best offer
This bike-uriousity brought to you by Sam P!
Or if you don’t need this kind of rarity and would like to spend less, there’s also a ’85 model (VIN: JH2SC1601FM000840) with 37,820 miles in OK shape with a Kerker exhaust in Farragut, Iowa. Find it for a BIN of $4,000 or best offer
