Honda

honda vfr800

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Photos by FreelanceThink

V-4 engines have gone full circle from being a popular engine configuration in the 80s, to being a sport touring engine in the 90s to being practically forgotten in the 2000s to being the preferred race engine configuration in the 2010s.What do you like about this Honda VFR?

Amazing video of some legendary “time capsule” Hondas.

Thanks to reader Johan Blom for pointing this one out to me.

He wrote in:
Hi!
I was searching the web for some movies of this project ( http://feber.se/bil/art/210331/saabskal_med_viperhjrta/) a SAAB with a Viper engine… But now to the fun stuff i found which might interest you – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvmnSiVpoH8.
As you can read in the comments “Short in bad english: A swedish motorcycle dealer bought the bikes as collectors items when they were brand new. Now, almost 20 years later, he puts them on display in his store. No, they are not for sale. :)”

So they are from the late 80s and early 90s and have been stored in their original boxes since they arrived to Sweden, and in march 2010 the were un-boxed and placed in the stores in glass cabins…

http://www.mcvaruhuset.se/index.php – this is the dealer!

Maybe this old news but I thought let you know.

Thank Johan I had not seen this one before. It’s amazing to think that bikes like this can even exist. What an amazing find! Thanks for the information and the links!

UPDATE: An Exquisite Reader CB550 Gulf Racing Tthemed Cafe Racer

Update: Chris had actually sent me links to a a pair of photo albums and he actually pointed me to the better of the two… which I promptly forgot about and posted the lesser quality of the finished pics. So I thought I’d update this oversight by sorting it out now. These are much better and more representative shots of the finished product. Someone really does has a nice touch with the lens Chris. Thanks and orry for any confusion..

Chris Trotter send in this very special build. I absolutely love the Gulf Racing colors. Oh and these are just a very small taste. Be sure to check out the slideshow folks. SLIDESHOw OF THE FULL BUILD

Hey Steve,
So I bought the original bike a 1975 Honda CB550K in October of 2010, which was stock except for the exhaust. With the exception of the engine, which was in great shape, everything on the bike was replaced, refurbished or built anew. The subframe was built to match up to the tail, which was built to echo the tank. Both tank and seat/tail are constructed from a mix of fiberglass and Kevlar. That was an eye-opener for me; due to Kevlar’s uncooperative nature, I have to say the next build will exclude it entirely! All of the 36 year old bearings and bushings were replaced for peace of mind. Many members of the forum Do The Ton contributed to this build whether by encouragement or hooking me up with parts. For instance, the rear sets and top triple clamp were machined by a forum member, and the logos were airbrushed on by a friend and fellow forum member, with the stencils being made by another! The paint scheme and name are in honor of Gulf Racing’s efforts at the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Thanks Steve! Let me know if you need anything more.

Really special bike. Well done.

Here’s a progress pic…

And the before pic…