VTR looks good. Someone gimme 4 grand: https://madison.craigslist.org/mcy/d/madison-honda-vtr1000f-superhawk/7480081946.html
You started talking about "Engine character" and brought up Honda's Ugly Duckling. Myself, I was reminiscing the first time a RC51 went by me in the North Georgia Mountains hearing that rumble. Then seeing it at Dales with that radical radiator. Yes, bike had soul and character! Hasn't been a chassis that has stirred me like that since.
I’ve owned more gas and diesel burning things than I can shake my dick at. And the only two Honda’s I’ve ever owned (and still have) are my Bratmobile Pilot and my plucked SuperChicken.
Guess I got a good one... beat the living shit out of it for over 30K miles with nothing more than oil changes. With dual Jardines sounded better than anything, including the 51.
Try to keep up. You brought up character. I wrongly assumed that you were talking about the kind of character that matters. You do remember writing that, right? it was still a better street bike.
Often bikes with SOUL and CHARACTER aren't to be daily riders. Wonder which chassis is worth more on the collectors market...
Last mass produced Honda that was special - CBR900RR 93-95 Followed by the limited RC-30 and RC-45. VTR1000 sucked balls while the RC-51 was a giant turd.
Which makes the 51 even more amazing. They managed to make a lousy street bike that didn't have soul or character. The one that fooled posers into thinking that they owned something as special as a RC30 or RC45.
Dude, Honda HRC threw a cubic shit ton of $$$ into the RC-51 in order to get it to perform in racing trim. What was on track was nothing like the retail production bikes. The RC-51 was a platform bike. Off the show room, they were giant turds. Top heavy and under powered.
That bike was phenomenal, Stand up whoolies for day! Like I said, Honda USE to make bikes with SOUL and CHARACTER!!!
Yeah, I wasn’t clear on this. I didn’t mean chronological order. I meant the only mass produced bike that was special was the 900RR followed along with the limited production rc30/rc45.
Every bike Honda made had a cubic shit ton of dollars into it. Hell, even the F4i was winning AMA races! Not one of you would be kicking a clean / un-abused RC-51 out of their garage! Last bike I owned was a Honda VFR-1200. Was like a swiss army knife. Did everything good. But at the end of the day it bored the snot out of me. Snooooooze
Yes. But even in stock form the F4i was a good bike on the street and the average racer could take an F4i off the showroom floor and be competitive in SuperSport trim. Not so much with the RC-51. It was a turd on the street. It was competitive in AMA and WSBK only because HRC spent Million$$$$$$ on it. It wasn’t particularly a bike that privateers or club racers had success with or even raced to be honest. I honestly can’t remember any privateer in AMA running one, maybe someone did, but it didn’t leave an impression.
Inspiration for Honda MC's died when Mr Honda died. Since then Honda is a car company that dables in bikes.