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.... v ~ o ..... Improved valve angle yields a better intake f low for increased power. u o (Below) VF750 rods. pistons and va lves are on left; new lightweight VFR750 components are on right. Note smaller piston skirts. --~ ~----- Honda for 1986 By Jim Wolcott American Honda 's 1986 model lineup In cludes an all -new VFR750 Intercep tor, a 450cc versio n of the popular Rebel, a dualpurpose m otorcycle wi th trials-bike styling called the Reflex, a nd a balloontired, easy-to -ride d in bike ca ll F e d th ea t Cat. Th e new VFR In terceptor 14 will be o ffered in two versions: with a tariff-passing 700cc engine in mass quantities, o r with a 750cc engine fo r ra cing. Virtuall y every component of the bik e is new. Th e cra n ksha ft now has two rod throws positioned 1800 apart (the o ld VF750 had a 360 0 cra n k) , with pairs o f rods sharing common rod journals. T he exhaust note is decidedly different, and the cha n ge en abled H onda to devise a less bu lky and free-flowi ng ex ha us t system. T he new V-Iour uses gear drive for th e over hea d ca ms ha fts , sim ilar to th e VFIOOO R int er cept or. Al so changed are th e rocker a rm s. One en d o f th e roc ker ac ts as a p ivot (ba ll-a ndsocke t), th e o the r en d rests o n the valve stem. The ca ms ha ft lo be is posi tio ned abo ve th e center o f th e rocker arm . With th e ca ms haft ac ting o n th e cen ter o f th e rock er, th e ca m lobes ca n be shorter to achieve th e sa me valve lift. T he shorter lo bes sho u ld of fer g rea ter durability th an a comparab le-l ift ca m sha ft acti ng directly o n a valve bucket. To en su re adeq uat e lubrica tion a t the ca m -to ro cker int erfa ce, m etering jets now direct a n oi l sp ray o nto each ca m 10 bea ve a d J ustmeru tS h a n dl e d Ily a \ , '1 i . screw a nd lock nut on th e ball-andsocke t end o f eac h rocker. 'Th e adjus trnent ritual itself is simpli fied: th e ra d ia to r (now a single radia tor) is designed to hinge forward for access to th e front cylinde rs. No more pullin g th e radiator and d ra ining th e cooling system for valv e adj ustme nt. Thecamshaftdrivegears aremaintena nce -Iree. A new two-stage oil pump routes oil from th e oi l cooler directl y to critica l ·eng ine parts su ch as th e main beari ngs . T hecooleroi l sup p ly shou ld en ha nce engine life. An al u m in u m-a lloy fra me is cla im ed to be ligh ter, as well as bein g 50% stro nger in resi stance to tw istin g forces than a steel frame. T he Eu ro pea n versio n of th e VF R750 will have a separate bo lt -o n al u min um tai l section fo r eas ier maintenance; U.S . models will have a weld ed , on e-piece frame. At the front end, th e T RAC antid ive system has be en redes igned to red uce its size a nd weigh t. The fro nt bra ke calipers are lig h ter a nd m ore co m pact, and th e brake pads have a p las ma-sp rayed cera m ic backing to red uce the cha nces o f th ermal d istortion . T he front rotors are dri lled for Lighter valves are actuated by rockers from separate cam lobes, weight red uction , a nd the d ia meter o f the rear rot or has been red uced by 40m m . Overall , th e three brake rotors weigh 5.7 pounds less than o n lastyea r's In tercep to r. Great effort has gone in to making th e indi vid ua l parts lighter : va lves, sp rin gs, pistons , rod s, rock er arms a nd piston rings a re a ll sma lle r a nd lighter than on previous Int ercep tors . T he V-sha ped rocker a rms tha t o pe ra ted two valves from a single ea rn lo be have been replaced by two separa te rocker s, whi ch reduces the reciprocating ma ss o feach val ve train. H onda cla ims th e lighter engin e com pone nts en ha nce th rottle response. Redl in e is set at 11,500 rpm; horsepow er for the 750cc version is a cla imed 103.5 bhp - from a machi ne th at weighs 437 pou nds. The new Rebel 450 uses the same tim e-proven three-valve vertical-twin engine that last a p peared in H on da 's H aw k. Though th e engin e is rigidly mounted in the frame, vibration is kept u nder co nt ro l wi th chai n -d riven dua l co u n ter bala ncers . T he H aw k 's int egral o il cooler h as been rem oved a s a styling co nsidera tio n: eng ine coo ling is improved by en la rged fi ns o n the cvlinde r and head . The en la rged coo ling fins a lso had th e desi rea ble byproduct o f making th e en gine loo k bigger. The w heels have spoked rims, but, th anks to a new design , a re fitted with tu beless ti res. To m ak e th e rims a irt ig h t, th e actual rim is extrud ed a lu m in u m wi th a ridge dow n the center, a nd th e spo kes are laced ba ckwards (the h ead o f th e spoke a t th e rim , an d th e adj ustment nipple in th e hub). The Rebel 450 has a cla imed dry weight o f 383.7 pou nds a nd a sea t positioned a mere 25.6 inc hes from th e grou nd. T he regu lar th ree-val ve 450 H awk h as a lso re tu rned , th is tim e wea rin g th e designa tion Nig htha wk 450. This entry-level ligh tweigh t has cast wh eels ( 16-inc h rear , 19-inch front) with tu beless tires, a six-spee d transmissio n, a nd a fro nt d isc brake w ith a tw in -piston ca liper . H onda 's best-sell in g street motorcycle , th e 700 Shadow, has all -new sty ling for 1986. The fra me has been revamped for a yet lower sea t he igh t (no w j ust 27.4 in ch es) and a lo nger wh eelba se. Also o n th e ros ter of styling cha nges are new cas t wh eels, a red esign ed two -piece step sea t, a nd revised, low -slung mufflers. The Sh ad ow 's engin e has a redesigned cra n kshaft for more low-end torque, and the rad ia to r is no w made o f a lu m in u m for light er weigh t and improved coolin g. The dua l front di sc brakes have been replaced by a sin gle large-diameter dis c. Honda's touring classic, the Gold Wing , will agai n be availa ble in th ree vers ions: the Interstat e, the Aspencade, and a lim ited -editi on Aspencad e SE -i. Changes to th e transmission make for quieter , smoother opera tio n , a nd the valve ti mi ng has aga in been revised for improved th rottle response. T he lim ited -edition Aspe ncad e SE- i has new LCD dig ital ins tru mentati on a nd a n upgrad ed Type III a ud io system wit h a sepa ra te p assenger spea ker system . T he H on da Reflex represents a new approach to th e dual -purpose market: street lega l, o n - a nd o ff-road ca pa bility with trials- bi ke styling. The engi ne is a 194cc two-val ve fo urstroke si ngle: enough displacement to make th e mach in e freeway legal. No electric starter is fitt ed, th ough th e kick-sta rter features an a utoma tic co m pression release. With tria ls-bi ke steeri ng geometry a nd a dry weigh t of 202 pou nds, th e machi n e sho u ld steer q ui ckl y and be ex tre mel y mane uvera ble. In spi te o f its trial s-bike sty ling, the Reflex is fitted w ith wide-s paced gea r ra tios for street u se. No p as- 1986 Honda VFR750 Interceptor Eng ine type .• •. .. . . Water-cooled , 90· V-four Bore x Itroke .. •.. . 70.7 x 4B .6mm Disptacement . • •. .. •. • . . . • • 748cc Compression ratio ••• .• . . • • . 10.5 :1 Carburetion • .• (4 ) 34mm Keihin CV Horsepower . ... • •.• • •• 103.6 bhp @ 10,600 rpm Torque • •• .• . 66 lb.-ft. @ 8600 rpm Velvel per cy linder . . .. •.. • .. . . • 4 Intake valve I lze . • •..... . . . . 27mm Exhault velve s lza 23mm Ignition . . . • . .... . . . . . .. •. . . . COl Lubrication .... • • .. . • . . . Wet lump Red line 11 .600 rpm Finel d rive .. . •.. • • . • • . O-ring chain Tra nsmislion • . . •• .• . • . • Six-speed Fra me • . . . . . . • ... Perimeter fram e. alum inum alloy Front auspension type • . . Telelcopic forkl Fork tube d i8meter . • • • •• . • • 37mm Rear suspension type ••• . . . Singleshock swing8rm Front brakes .. •. (2) Hydraulic discs. TRAC anti-dive Rear br8ke . . • . • • • . . Hydraulic dilc Front ti re 110/90-V16 Rear tire • •... . • . • ..• 130/80-V18 Cla imed dry weight . . • . . • . . 437 lb. Overall length . . . . . .. • . . .• • 85.4 in. Overall width . .. . . . . ... . . • 28.9 in. Overall height • • . • • . • . . . . . . 46 .3 in. Fuel capacity 6.3 gal. Colors . .. •• . White. red /white/blue Retail price . . . . . • . • . . . . . • . .. N.A.