Magnificent Bastard

The 1986 VF 1000R is the great grandfather to many Honda V-four motorcycles.This motorcycle was a higher specification model than the VF1000F, and was intended for endurance racing. Gear-driven cams and anti dive forks were just part of the sophistication that added to a price tag worthy of  an Italian exotic. At 524 lbs it was too heavy for the price and for racing purposes. At a time when Suzuki was promoting their lightweight GSX-R line, the 524lb (dry) Honda was never going to be a sales success. With 998cc and a bore/ stroke ratio of 77mm x 53.6mm, this 90 degree V-4 is not too out of spec from current production racebikes. However, it was never intended to be a dual sport motorcycle, until the guys at ICON (no relation) decided this beast needed some customizing. I think it is an inspired choice, and am curious as to how that bike would handle some dirt roads. A look at the numbers puts it very close to the current crop of adventure-touring motorcycles. If you want to check out more, here's the link:http://www.rideicon.com/bikes/magnificent-bastard/
Photo source: ICON