VOLUME 57 ISSUE 29 JULY 21, 2020 P83
18-inch rear with a 5.5-inch rim,
supposedly as it offered margin-
ally better wearing qualities, an-
other crucial factor in Endurance
racing. The rear-brake setup
incorporates a linkage connect-
ing the caliper to the chassis,
claimed to reduce 'squat' under
braking and acceleration.
Up front, provision for rapid
wheel changing was also evident.
Each fork slider actually swivels
inside the top mudguard mount to
allow the calipers to clear for easy
servicing, while a single nut on
the bottom of each slider oper-
ates a hinge that allows the wheel
to simply drop out.
A shapely aluminum fuel tank
with a quick-fill cap was used and
each fiberglass fairing was hand-
laid and finished. The RC30 bris-
tles with little touches that show
the extent of the thinking behind
it, such as the small crease in one
of the exhaust pipes to clear the
rear chain, this necessitating a
very slight difference in jetting for
the respective cylinder.
For 1987, a batch of 1000
RC30s was built for the home
(Japanese) market, but these were
severely detuned, producing just
77 horsepower, with small diameter
headlights and black mirrors. This
production completed the required
homologation for the 1988 Super-
bike World Championship. When
the RC30 went on sale in the UK
in 1988, it was listed at a stagger-
ing £8495, while American Honda
asked, and received, $14,998
for the examples that were origi-
nally earmarked for the American
market. In all, 4885 editions were
created for international consumers
between 1987 and 1992.
For racing, HRC produced a kit
comprising an exhaust system,
radiator, transmission set, differ-
ent gearing, handlebars, steer-
ing damper, front and rear race
wheels, different brake calipers,
axles and carburetor jets.
A Collectors' Item
Unsurprisingly, there is now
a healthy world-wide trade in
RC30s, with an original 1988
model selling for $121,000 at the
Mecum Las Vegas auction last
year—a new world record.
But it's worth knowing what to
look for and how to identify the
various models. The original JDM
(Japanese Domestic Market) mod-
els are very detuned with modified
ignition, carburetors, exhausts
and rev-limitation. Bikes that have
