Sammy Miller tells the tale of the time he took an AJS V4 racing bike to the Isle of Man in the early 80s, It caused quite a stir among the Japanese manufacturers, Sammy goes on to say that within 4 or 5 years the Japanese produced their own V4s
Well in reality he demonstrated the bike in a parade lap in 1980 that’s less than two years before the appearance of the Hondas first V4s Even for Honda that would seem a very compressed time line, but you never know. It should also be noted that the V4 engine was quite common in cars during the 60s and 70s
I own a 1997 VFR with only 15k on the clock. As I am now getting on in years, I am waiting for some decent weather here in the UK. It is late April 24, and it is very cold out. Oh well.
Beg to differ. I rode all year round in the UK, no fairings, had not learned yet of the usefulness of such things. Once I was riding home from work and I forgot that the electric gear was on, I was sweating profusely thought I was coming down with something until I realized what the issue was 😂
Some great machines. Personally, I would have loved to have seen the Aprilia V4 in there. It's probably one of the most unmistakable sounds on British roads when the open pipes are fitted
Thank you for making the V4 version, I had a ST1100 and sold it as it was difficult to reverse out of my garage, I bought a CBF 1000 and still regret selling my Pan
Except for the small main tank I love my 1982 Honda VF 750c Magna especially the shaft drive , known as the V45 ( 45.6ci) in the USA as they have troubles with metric measurements for some reason,. It's done about 70,000 kms( I'm in Australia and it's a U.S. import hence the low kms. When I got it about 4 years 6 months ago it had about 13,000 miles or 21,000kms on the clock ) and still no top end problems. Mind you I don't thrash it( I never go above about 7,000 rpm and let it warm up in the morning) and it gets a service every 6 months or about 4,500 kms so that may help.
Regular oil changes make a big difference, for me it’s the most neglected part of any motorcycle. Why do they use cubic inches, I’ve always found this odd really because even in the veteran days before Britain went metric CCs was the default term
Cubic inches is from the automotive side. Most people use metric terms to describe swept volume, bikes use cc and cars use liters. Americans are in transition, but I don’t expect it will be a quick transition. I still use gallons, Fahrenheit and inches and thousandths, but cc with bikes and liters in cars and in some circles cubic inches.
Thanks that was really engaging, informative and well interesting. Never owned a V4. I've always fancied a VFR 750F, because I'm getting to old to ride V twins.
I have some fond memories of owning a Honda VFR 750FS that I bought new around 1995. My favourite bike dealer had just lost the Honda franchise as Honda had started pushing for solus dealerships and he had a red VFR in stock and did me a deal on it. This was one of those bikes I wish I'd never sold but a change of work and the need to commute daily to London meant the VFR was traded in after 3 years. The Honda was 100% reliable and only required servicing. I might be tempted to get another 750 if I can find one in the right condition at the right price (but don't tell my wife!}
@@bikerdood1100 I preferred the 750s to the latter 800 and VTEC models. I don't underatand either why the VFRs seem to be unloved, perhaps they're deemed not as sexy as a Fireblade.
I love Honda V4s . The 1994 and onward VF750C Magnas are great bikes. They kind of were overlooked for Sportbikes and the V Twin Metric Cruisers. You get VFR reliability and great looks. Too bad they didn’t continue that line or make a Sabre or Retro Version of that platform. Or a bigger version like the Yamaha VMax. VFR motors rule!
I rode an ST1300 across the US, on 2 lane roads, to deliver it to someone in Oregon. 730lbs! Yes, it had power, yes it could handle curves nicely. But OMG, what a pig for weight! And servicing it with all that plastic was a nightmare. IMHO, a period BMW RT was a much better bike. But, it was memorable!
@@bikerdood1100 Yes, BMW RT, which was a head to head competitor. Which is why I mentioned it. Weight is both relative and absolute. And the ST1300 was heavy on both counts. Its was much harder to maneuver at low speeds than the RT. Its weight was higher up, too. The ST had the Wing in its genes. The RT had the RS in its genes. The difference was notable. Mind you, the ST1300 ride across the US was fun. I'd do it again. But I was incredibly afraid of dropping it. And it wouldn't have been hard to drop, either, with that tall V4. In Idaho, on the ride, I met a former ST owner who said he sold his for exactly that reason.
Well aware of the ST of course Big problem with all Hondas of the period and on to today is mountains of plastic Makes servicing a pain as we know from our own experience with the CB500x Much prefer my old Guzzi I can do the valves, have a drink and still have time for a fairly long ride out in the time required to do the same thing on the Honda Simplicity is a much underrated quality these days
Low CG is one of the main advantages on engines with inline cranks. The only real downside is a lack of natural balance, no gyroscopic effect if the crank providing balance. On the road it makes no difference but if does mean you couldn’t use em for trial 🤷🏻
@@bikerdood1100 there used to be loads of weird saw benches around singleton westsussex when i was a kid one had a harley side valve on it supposedly brought in the pub from a gi waiting to go on the d day landings
Sorry, I came off a bit heavy. The ST1100 is/was a superb sport touring bike and having a 71/2 gallon tank made it very capable when gas stations were few and far between. It could corner pretty well, but it liked going straight. Both bikes are superb, same mission, but different ways going about it.
I c'ant get enough of your very well made and informative videos, which still retain a non-sensationalist relaxing delivery. Thanks yet again.
Glad you enjoy them
I have an '02 VFR800 vtec and I must admit the bike is amazing, and the sound, 😎.
The V4 what ever the crank configuration does make an exhaust note all of its own and Honda standards it certainly has some personality too
Loved the race RVF 750. Watched the great Joey Dunlop win TTs on one.
Wonder where those RVFs went 🤔
Sammy Miller tells the tale of the time he took an AJS V4 racing bike to the Isle of Man in the early 80s, It caused quite a stir among the Japanese manufacturers, Sammy goes on to say that within 4 or 5 years the Japanese produced their own V4s
Well in reality he demonstrated the bike in a parade lap in 1980 that’s less than two years before the appearance of the Hondas first V4s
Even for Honda that would seem a very compressed time line, but you never know. It should also be noted that the V4 engine was quite common in cars during the 60s and 70s
@@bikerdood1100 probably in hondas museum. There are still some privateer ones around.
Great presentation as usual.
Always great comments below.
Thanks for the memories and the effort BD.
Thanks
Is always good to get feedback
I own a 1997 VFR with only 15k on the clock. As I am now getting on in years, I am waiting for some decent weather here in the UK. It is late April 24, and it is very cold out. Oh well.
Not that cold I was out yesterday
Heated grips, the best invention since the motor bike
Get some electric gear, vest, chaps or heated grips. Nice and toasty, you’ll laugh at the lousy weather forecast.
Heated vest ?
Not that cold in the uk
Usually
Beg to differ.
I rode all year round in the UK, no fairings, had not learned yet of the usefulness of such things.
Once I was riding home from work and I forgot that the electric gear was on, I was sweating profusely thought I was coming down with something until I realized what the issue was 😂
I also ride all year
I did buy an expensive jacket a few years ago and it made all the difference
Some great machines. Personally, I would have loved to have seen the Aprilia V4 in there. It's probably one of the most unmistakable sounds on British roads when the open pipes are fitted
True but you can’t fit em all into a single video
Great collection of bikes. Thanks for sharing guys. Ride safe and keep the rubber side down. Cheers
Thanks
Thank you for making the V4 version, I had a ST1100 and sold it as it was difficult to reverse out of my garage, I bought a CBF 1000 and still regret selling my Pan
They are big old boats
But as the police proves are very nimble even at low speeds
The fairings and plastic finish on the CBR was gorgeous though!
Well better than today that’s for sure
Some great machines.
Indeed they are
Great video, thanks a lot.
Glad you enjoyed it
Except for the small main tank I love my 1982 Honda VF 750c Magna especially the shaft drive , known as the V45 ( 45.6ci) in the USA as they have troubles with metric measurements for some reason,. It's done about 70,000 kms( I'm in Australia and it's a U.S. import hence the low kms. When I got it about 4 years 6 months ago it had about 13,000 miles or 21,000kms on the clock ) and still no top end problems. Mind you I don't thrash it( I never go above about 7,000 rpm and let it warm up in the morning) and it gets a service every 6 months or about 4,500 kms so that may help.
Regular oil changes make a big difference, for me it’s the most neglected part of any motorcycle.
Why do they use cubic inches, I’ve always found this odd really because even in the veteran days before Britain went metric CCs was the default term
Cubic inches is from the automotive side.
Most people use metric terms to describe swept volume, bikes use cc and cars use liters.
Americans are in transition, but I don’t expect it will be a quick transition.
I still use gallons, Fahrenheit and inches and thousandths, but cc with bikes and liters in cars and in some circles cubic inches.
Thanks that was really engaging, informative and well interesting. Never owned a V4. I've always fancied a VFR 750F, because I'm getting to old to ride V twins.
Well it really depends on the V-twin really I suppose
V4s are apt to be on the heavy side as a rule
Guzzi non to light lol
Just pulling your leg, know you like the Guzzi.
🙄😂
I have some fond memories of owning a Honda VFR 750FS that I bought new around 1995. My favourite bike dealer had just lost the Honda franchise as Honda had started pushing for solus dealerships and he had a red VFR in stock and did me a deal on it. This was one of those bikes I wish I'd never sold but a change of work and the need to commute daily to London meant the VFR was traded in after 3 years. The Honda was 100% reliable and only required servicing. I might be tempted to get another 750 if I can find one in the right condition at the right price (but don't tell my wife!}
The beauty of the VFR is just how affordable they are today
Unfortunately they don’t seem very desirable. Which seems strange to me
@@bikerdood1100 I preferred the 750s to the latter 800 and VTEC models. I don't underatand either why the VFRs seem to be unloved, perhaps they're deemed not as sexy as a Fireblade.
They don’t seem to get the attention the6 deserve at all
This does mean that they can be picked up for surprising little money
I love Honda V4s . The 1994 and onward VF750C Magnas are great bikes. They kind of were overlooked for Sportbikes and the V Twin Metric Cruisers. You get VFR reliability and great looks. Too bad they didn’t continue that line or make a Sabre or Retro Version of that platform. Or a bigger version like the Yamaha VMax. VFR motors rule!
They didn’t seem to capitalise on the V4 at all
Perhaps the cost of assembly put them off 🤷🏼
I rode an ST1300 across the US, on 2 lane roads, to deliver it to someone in Oregon. 730lbs! Yes, it had power, yes it could handle curves nicely. But OMG, what a pig for weight! And servicing it with all that plastic was a nightmare. IMHO, a period BMW RT was a much better bike.
But, it was memorable!
BMW ?
Weight I a relative thing
Now the Wing Is heavy
@@bikerdood1100 Yes, BMW RT, which was a head to head competitor. Which is why I mentioned it.
Weight is both relative and absolute. And the ST1300 was heavy on both counts. Its was much harder to maneuver at low speeds than the RT. Its weight was higher up, too. The ST had the Wing in its genes. The RT had the RS in its genes. The difference was notable.
Mind you, the ST1300 ride across the US was fun. I'd do it again. But I was incredibly afraid of dropping it. And it wouldn't have been hard to drop, either, with that tall V4. In Idaho, on the ride, I met a former ST owner who said he sold his for exactly that reason.
Well aware of the ST of course
Big problem with all Hondas of the period and on to today is mountains of plastic
Makes servicing a pain as we know from our own experience with the CB500x
Much prefer my old Guzzi I can do the valves, have a drink and still have time for a fairly long ride out in the time required to do the same thing on the Honda
Simplicity is a much underrated quality these days
But the CG is really low.
Hides its weight well once your on your way.
Low CG is one of the main advantages on engines with inline cranks.
The only real downside is a lack of natural balance, no gyroscopic effect if the crank providing balance. On the road it makes no difference but if does mean you couldn’t use em for trial 🤷🏻
i once saw a silver hawk engine in a circular saw bench in woodland for cutting fire wood wish i knew where it is now
Really ?
Seems a strange place to find one although it’s said that Steve McQueen found a flying Merkel in Mexico being used as a pump
@@bikerdood1100 there used to be loads of weird saw benches around singleton westsussex when i was a kid one had a harley side valve on it supposedly brought in the pub from a gi waiting to go on the d day landings
Amazing how resourceful people used to be
They did recycling before we had a name for it
A Hawk with a V4? So that is where Honda got it from! 😂
Those guys at Honda
Strange that’s it’s a U S import with a kms speedo 🤔.
Japanese import perhaps ?
@@bikerdood1100 yea that was my thought
Always fancied a Pan-European for my old age, so much better than that hideous pile the Lead-Wing which is a parody of itself🤣
The Wing is a bit Chucky
Too much of a two wheeled car vibe I suppose
You’re both wrong. The Pan euro/ST was heavy and it felt every bit of it. Start pushing it and the front tire will look like a hard used rear.
About ?
Didn’t say it was a lightweight
But they can go pretty quickly all things considered
Sorry, I came off a bit heavy.
The ST1100 is/was a superb sport touring bike and having a 71/2 gallon tank made it very capable when gas stations were few and far between.
It could corner pretty well, but it liked going straight.
Both bikes are superb, same mission, but different ways going about it.
Very true
One with an American accent if you will