Honda VFR750F

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The Honda VFR750F is a sport-touring motorcycle produced between 1986 and 1997. The fully-faired motorcycle featured a reliable 98 horsepower (73 kW) liquid-cooled double overhead cam (DOHC) V4 four-stroke engine. The VFR750F can be divided into three distinct "generations", with significant revisions having taken place upon the introduction of the VFR750FL in 1990 and the VFR750FR in 1994. Since 1990, the Honda VFR-series of motorcycles has become synonymous with the elf-designed single-sided rear swingarm and, until the introduction of the 2002 VFR800 VTEC, gear-driven cams.

The original VFR750F was introduced in 1986 as a complete redesign of the VF700/750F models in order to address some of the camshaft and bearing problems that had become associated with the first-generation Honda V4 engines, and to improve Honda's negative image concerning this engine. Compared to the VF750F, the new VFR750F featured greatly improved power output, lighter weight, a lower center of gravity, a wider front tire and a slightly longer wheelbase.

The VFR750F received many positive reviews and awards while in production, including winning the Best 750cc sport bike award from Cycle World six years in a row.

Although not designed as a race bike, in 1986 British racer Ron Haslam took a standard VFR750F to third place in a soaked Transatlantic Challenge race at Donnington Park, UK.

"Tariff beater" 700cc versions (VFR700F) of the first-generation bike were available alongside 750cc versions in the US market, due to the tax laws in place at the time that penalized large- displacement imported motorcycles (in order to protect the troubled Harley Davidson Motor Company).

In the Japanese domestic market the VFR750F also saw service as a police-spec model with its own distinctive model number (RC35).

Contents

[edit] Engine

The VFR750F series all used 750cc 16-valve DOHC liquid-cooled 90° V4 engines with carburetor-based air/fuel induction; the bore/stroke remained the same for all 750 models at 70.0 x 48.6 mm (2.8 x 1.9 inches). The engine was made of cast aluminium alloy with the crankcase being divided horizontally. Lubrication was via a wet sum with a chain-driven, dual-rotor oil pump; an oil (air) cooler was also fitted. Transmission was a 6-speed, with a constant-mesh, wet multi-plate clutch and chain drive to the rear wheel.

The V4 engine is highly reliable, with few known faults. The gear-driven camshaft system removed any lingering concerns about cam-chain maintenance, which had dogged the VF-series of Honda V4 engines. Valve adjustment on first-generation VFR750Fs was by screw and locknut, which changed in 1990 to shim-under-bucket, along with the valve-clearance inspection interval (to 16,000 miles). However, RC36 engines have been known to reach well over 50,000 miles without any need to adjust the valve clearances.

Second- and third-generation VFR750Fs have notoriously suffered from failed regulators/rectifiers--a $100+ part. Although Honda eventually re-designed the replacement part, such that failures of the new, finned regulator/rectifier are rare, this occurred only after it had become commonplace for VFR750F owners to buy a $10 CPU cooling fan and attach it to the regulator/rectifier. Spliced into the tail-light bulb wire, it was hoped that this modification would provide extra cooling to protect the regulator/rectifier--but modified regulator/rectifiers still usually fail eventually.

[edit] Suspension

First-generation VFR750Fs sported anti-dive (adjustable on some models) on the damping-rod front forks and a conventional, dual-sided swingarm with a centrally located damping unit with remote hydraulic preload adjustment at the rear.

Second-generation models featured non-adjustable 41mm cartridge-style Showa front forks, coupled with a remotely adjustable (for pre-load) emulsion-type Showa shock absorber and the trademark single-sided swing arm. Mid-way through the first generation, Honda upgraded the VFR750F's suspension to include pre-load adjustment on the forks, and damping adjustment on the shock. The bike's distinctive swing arm, which had been derived from the ELF-designed race-bike Pro-Arm development work, has the advantage of allowing rear-wheel removal without the need to remove the drive chain and rear axle, and allows chain adjustment to be made very simply with no concerns about maintaining wheel alignment.

Third-generation VFR750Fs continued to use the same basic suspension components as the VFR750FN/P, though the single-sided swing arm was re-designed to be somewhat lighter than that of the earlier model.

[edit] Models

VFR model years for each generation (note that the VFR750F ceased production in 1998 with the introduction of the VFR800Fi):

  • 1986 to 1987 - VFR750FG/H (RC24)
    • New model based on a complete redesign of the VF750F, full fairing, alloy twin-spar frame, gear-driven camshafts, single-color paintwork, and 16 inch front and 18 inch rear wheels.
    • Bore & Stroke 70.0 x 48.6 mm
    • Compression ratio 10.5:1
    • Carburettors 4 x 34 mm CV type
    • Power (claimed) 105PS @ 10,500 rpm
    • Torque (claimed) 56.4 ft·lbf @ 8,500 rpm
    • Front tyre 110/90 V16
    • Rear tyre 130/80 V18
    • Wheelbase 1480 mm
    • Seat height 795 mm
    • Dry weight 199 kg
    • Fuel Tank 20 litres
  • 1988 to 1989 - VFR750FJ/K (RC24)
    • Minor revision with fairing re-design, stronger fork legs, a more reliable ignition system and 17 inch wheels front and rear. (Note that this model was not imported into the USA.)
      A clock and fuel gauge were also added.
    • Power (claimed) 105PS @ 10,500 rpm
    • Torque (claimed) 56.4 ft·lbf @ 8,500 rpm
    • Front tyre 110/80 V17
    • Rear tyre 140/80 V17
    • Wheelbase 1480 mm
    • Dry weight 203 kg
    • Power 87.5 bhp @ 9,700 rpm
    • Torque 47 ft·lbf @ 9,000 rpm
  • 1990 to 1993 - VFR750FL/M/N/P (RC36)
    • Major revamp with new frame and bodywork, cartridge forks, single-sided swingarm and wider wheels to accept more modern tyres, gain of some weight and loss of some power, but with gains in the midrange.
    • Bore & Stroke 70 x 48.6 mm
    • Compression ratio 11:1
    • Carburettors 4 x 36 mm VP CV type
    • Front tyre 120/70; 3.5 x 17 wheel
    • Rear tyre 170/60; 5.5 x 17 wheel
    • Wheelbase 1470 mm
    • Rake/trail 26 deg/100 mm
    • Fuel capacity 19 litres
    • Colors (USA & Canada)
    • 1990: R-157 Italian red (white wheels)
    • 1991: R-157 Italian red (gold wheels)
    • 1992: PB-184M Granite blue metallic
    • 1993: NH-193P Pearl crystal white
    • Colours (ROW)
    • 1990-1991: R-157 Italian red, PB-184M Granite blue metallic and NH-193P Pearl crystal white
    • 1992: R-157 Italian red, PB-184M Granite blue metallic and G-142M Tasmania green metallic
    • 1993: R-158P Pure (pearl) red, PB-256M Northern light blue metallic and G-142M Tasmania green metallic (all with NH-295M Sparkling silver metallic lowers)
    • Dry weight 216 kg (476 lb)
    • Curb (wet) weight 240 kg (529 lb)
    • Power 98.5 bhp @ 9,700 rpm
    • Torque 53.9 ft·lbf @ 9,000 rpm
  • 1994 to 1997 - VFR750FR/S/T/V (RC36)
    • Bodywork revision followed Honda NR design cues; mechanically very similar to its predacessor, but dozens of minor and weight-saving changes made the bike lighter and more responsive to ride.
      Last of the VFR750F models before replacement by the VFR800Fi in 1998.
    • Bore & Stroke 70 x 48.6 mm
    • Compression ratio 11:1
    • Carburettors 4 x 34mm VP CV type
    • Front tyre 120/70 ZR17; 3.5 x 17 wheel
    • Rear tyre 170/60 ZR17; 5 x 17 wheel
    • Wheelbase 1470mm
    • Rake/trail 26deg/100mm
    • Fuel capacity 21 litres
    • Colours (UK)
    • 1994: R-158P Pure (pearl) red, black, aquamarine
    • 1995: R-158P Pure (pearl) red, black, silver
    • 1996:
    • 1997:

    Related models include the VFR400R (NC30), RVF400R (NC35), VF1000F/VF1000R, VFR750R (RC30), RVF750R (RC45), NR750 (RC40) and VFR800Fi (RC46).

    [edit] External links

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