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1990 HONDA RC30 R I D E R E V I E W P86 It's how some things re- ally were better back in the day. Compared to a modern bike, one that has to comply with untold emissions regulations that ruin a nice throttle response, the RC30's initial delivery of the power is velvety smooth. Power is delivered so seamlessly and to a chassis so compliant, you start building up speed far faster than you'd think for a 30-year-old motorcycle. First gear is exceed- ingly tall, with second-third-fourth gears very close together before spacing out again for fifth and sixth. Yet the gearbox is so light and direct, it's right up there with the best gearboxes I've ever used—new or old. Remember, there's no electronics working here. Just refined mechanical excellence at work. Overall, the RC30 is tiny. It's not much bigger than the VFR400 that came out at the same time, and for a rider of my 6'1" frame, I'm about half a foot too tall for it. But the RC still flatters a relative giant like me in how clearly it communicated with the rider, telling me exactly where the wheels are, what's happening with the suspen- sion, all while accompanied by one of the greatest mechanical soundtracks ever created. The svelte chassis simply decimates corners. With a weight bias heavily leaned towards the front and that 18-inch rear wheel matched to the 17-inch front, you can easily fall into the trap of taking multiple stabs at a corner, such is the sheer turn speed of the chassis. You can change lines on a whim—the RC30 will simply abide by your thoughts almost before they become actions. It's not 250cc Grand Prix levels of agility, but for a four-stroke, it's one of the very finest I've ridden when it comes to letting the rider pick and choose lines at any point while riding. The brakes serve to show just how far we've come in the last 30 years. While good in that the feel is there, an RC30 simply misses the overall power we've all become used to with regards to braking systems. However, that fact reminds you to take it a bit easy, as damaging one of these beauties simply isn't worth thinking about. The RC30 is not a bike to go and get lunch on. It's a thorough- bred racer, born from within the walls of HRC. You know this because if you sit at the lights for any great length of time, the temperature gauge will rise almost as fast as the revs. The rear cylinder becomes extremely hot, so you need to make sure you have fresh air, devoid of cars in front, to keep the temp gauge under control. Regardless of this, the RC30 is an utterly incredible machine. It's always nice when you meet a hero and they are as cool as you'd hoped, and the RC frankly surpassed my expectation. The RC steers better than most mod- ern bikes and has a presence they could only dream of, and I'm honored Jon Sidel and the crew at American Honda orga- nized this test for me. Thanks, guys. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S HONDA RC30 (VFR750R EUROPEAN) PERIOD OF PRODUCTION: ..........1987-1992 ENGINE: .............. 90° V-4, liquid-cooled, DOHC, gear-driven BORE X STROKE: .............70.0 x 48.6mm CAPACITY: ....................................... 748cc GEARBOX: ....... 6-speed, chain rear drive COMPRESSION RATIO: .......................11.0:1 CARBURETION: ......... 4 38mm Keihin CV CHASSIS: ..... Aluminum twin-spar frame FRONT SUSPENSION: ......... Showa 43mm cartridge type fork REAR SUSPENSION: ................Single shock, single-sided aluminum swingarm WHEELS: ............. Cast magnesium alloy FRONT TIRE: .....120/70-17, 3.00-inch rim REAR TIRE: ........ 170/60-18, 5.5-inch rim FRONT BRAKES: ......... Dual 310mm discs with Nissin 4-piston calipers REAR BRAKE: .................. Single disc with 2-piston caliper FUEL CAPACITY: ............................ 4.7 gal. WEIGHT: ........................................410 lbs. WHEELBASE: .................................55.3 in.