VFR400 NC30 Hondas legendary 400cc sports bike

6Tdegrees motorcycle video review
You could argue that this motorcycle resembles and is often mistaken for something else. A solid imitation of Hondas legendary V4, but left in the clothes dryer for a little too long.
Meet the RC30s little brother... the legendary 1989 VFR400 NC30...
This over engineered master piece dominated the 4 stroke 400cc sports bike class in its day and in this episode we got to experience first hand what this little bangen V4 was all about.

[@Terraceview]

I've owned many bikes, ridden even more but NONE come as close to the NC30. That sound...

[@Drobium77]

I had a 1989 NC29 CBR400RR and it was my first big bike when i passed my test in 1998. It was the first and only bike I got my knee down on several times, I've not bothered since because I'm not that sort of rider, but wanted to prove a point to my mates 😛 But the bike was really fast in bends, to the point that my mate with their GSXR600EXUPs and the first R6s were even impressed by the handling. The tragedy of it is that in my absolute love of this bike and my ability with it, it got nicked from the front of my house whilst I went in to have a shit before a big blast out with my mates....the police eventually found it, but by them it was tainted in my eyes. My mate did buy it back from the insurance company, but them painted it bright purple, upon which my relationship with it was finished 😞 I do miss it though, especially the noise of the engine, which even on a CBR400RR and not a v four, was magical!

[@manitolas]

Cam gear train was responsible for the amazing formula sound of cbr, i had the 400 and what a great bike... 😀

[@peterjennings8258]

Sensational little bike, bought mine in 2016, nearly sold it I 2020, so glad I didn't.... lesson learned.

[@fusionbim]

Oh! man you just made my day how you captured the NC30's soul! A great tribute to this legend. I just know how honored I am to intimately know everything you said about and showed of this gem. That multi-layered sound is the best!! in acceleration and then totally again in engine breaking. Everything about the NC30 is just perfection.

[@loekskywalker1013]

my dad has an NC30 and in a year or two when i got my license it will be my bike. very exciting

[@davidrobert2007]

Your fork mod reminded me of when I upgraded the front fork springs on my CB550, the modification cost me 16 pence, that was 4x 2 pence coins on top of each fork spring - they were a perfect fit 👍

[@mrazor]

I'm so glad I owned this beauty a long time ago. At that time I was 25, earned not much, and bought this bike on loan. Had a really good time with it but inevitably sold it because of the poor financial situation. I wish I could own this bike again and I swear I'll keep it until I die. One big problem with this bike which some of you may never encounter, is the heat coming out from the 2 big vents under the gas tank when going slow. Probably only happens in the tropical/sub-tropical area, but when it happens it works like an air fryer and you'll find your thigh sink crispy.

[@gdeveson]

I owed one of these 20 years ago. I miss the little bike but don’t miss my wrist, shoulders knees and every other body part hurting after an hour on a bike.

[@6tdegrees]

Hahah yeah not the most comfortable bike out there

[@weatherproof1]

@@6tdegrees I did nearly 900km on mine in one day touring cottage country in Muskoka, Canada. Your T-Rex impression was pretty spot on how I looked once I got home. I wouldn't exactly recommend doing that...but it was probably the best day of riding ever. Had to take lots of breaks to rest but that just gave me the excuse to take lots of pics of that gorgeous bike in some beautiful locations. I've done the same route on a much faster 750 Ninja and old Z1 900 too, but they just don't compare once you get off the highway. Turns any fun 2 lane roads in to your own pretend TT course and makes you feel like you're Dunlop or Hislop. If you're on roads with lots of turns it's actually less tiring than cruising in a straight line. Your ass and wrists go numb almost right away on slow straight sections. It's really not meant for anything other than eating up curves faster than almost anything else on 2 wheels. Got one for my first bike (and second bike) and have kept my first for over 15 years now. Don't think I'll ever let it go. Have put over 45,000km on it so far and 35,000km on the other one before I sold it and can still walk mostly upright. If I need a cane or walker by the time I'm 45yo, so be it.

[@RHauto]

Cute little bike, real nice example and the best colours. The video itself is just outstanding. Nice work!

[@6tdegrees]

Still have that 5th gen vfr800?

[@soundofvroomsic2961]

What happened to bikes like this? I swear my pops generation had all the best stuff and we get the what’s left of it, and at a greater cost and little left of it. I wish I could find a bike like this

[@NeFjuS]

I will be restoring one soon ! my Grandfather has one, and we will have a go at it. Last time he rode it was like 15 years ago. Best looking bike imo !

[@RetroSuperbikes]

We are organising what we think is the biggest NC30 meet worldwide, trying to get one of each type 1 to type 9 together as well as nc35.

[@steng.karlsen2662]

Got mine in 2021. Had it on track a few times, and there is nothing more fun. Being able to hop on and drag solid mounted footpegs within 5 laps is insane. The bike inspires confidence like no other, and as he said, make you feel like a legend. I will never sell my vfr. What a lovely machine

[@aaa84gt]

Hi. Are you located in Scandinavia? Or where else did you get it? I'm trying to find one in Northern Europe, so hard

[@gizzync1525]

Still beat most 400's to date. i loved mine. owned her for 10 yrs. even now i'd dump my GSXR750 to get another 1. wish H would make bikes like this again.

[@jradish]

your videos are criminally underrated wow

[@scottsmith491]

Well, here in the USA we were never even given the opportunity to purchase one of these Jewel's. Like it's big brother, it's one of the all time best looking bikes...........ever! Thanks for the video, loved it!👍

[@jaimearroyo5136]

Great video!!! I love VFR 400R.

[@stringsnare]

lovely production quality!!!

[@missionDan]

i had an nc30, a 1993, i was 18, it was a seriously good good bike for somone my age. unrestricted box, 65mph in first gear! it was an amazing bike. i miss it badly.

[@davidthomas1424]

Cracking video. Just looking at one for sale locally at the moment. First bike I ever road on track, and first time I scraped my pegs. My KR1-S was getting rebuilt after a bit of a smash at the time 😢

[@danielbateman6518]

The vfr400, cbr400rr, cbr250rr, are all so special to me. Small displacement and high rpm come together to give you something that sounds incredible, but as long as it's respected and not underestimated it's something manageable for the road. I'm hoping to be able to get an nc29 in the not so distant future.

[@davidgerardphilipe]

Thank's for this movie ! Top ! And great great GREAT bike !✌👍 many greetings from the south of France

[@509guy7]

hope your channel growsby the day.such a good quality presentation.and entertaining.

[@h3lldriver367]

At first - thx for bringing back a lot of hidden memories. Owned one of those in the late 90s. Loved it to the bone. The look - love on first sight. Bought it over a 748 SP. Anyway, regarding suspension. The were progressive springs available in those days. I used those. Fitted braided lines with racing pads on it and got my hands on the HRC racing exhaust system (ok, setup was not realy street legal anymore - at least in Germany). It gave around 8 PS more if i remember right. It was awsome to drive. What you should think about, is the competition at that time. Fireblades had only 35 PS more and had 60 kg more weight with a far worse weight distribution. We had so much fun hunting big bikes on twisty roads.

[@kevinn9835]

mate this is my dream bike. it's like the big brother to my mc22

[@RetroSuperbikes]

Do you still have your MC22? We are in the UK

[@stubbk3]

great bike , we had the 250's and then 400's growing up. i went KR1 to FZR400RRXUPSP route, gotta love yamaha's bike names back then. keep trying to imagine my 2004 blade in those honda rc30 nc30 colours though

[@johncamplin3557]

This was my first bike after getting my full bike license in the UK in 2000. Was fresh out the grey import container with 7,500 miles from new. Paid 3,000quid for it and man it was worth every penny. Sexiest bike I have ever owned and miss it, but I do remember even then it was no good on a longish ride. Used to kill my wrists! The price we pay for riding a super model. 😂

[@Matt-wg1xi]

Finally a video that i can appreciate 🙏 nc30 ❤️❤️❤️

[@6tdegrees]

Thank you 😊

[@mckirvis5761]

thank you ryan, nice video

[@ridingdigital]

Love it. And the videocraft is👌

[@markussveksa6860]

This video was near fortnine levels of production quality

[@bc8463]

i love my nc30 so much, i am considering remortgaging to get the rc.. just that extra power..

[@esdarley9101]

😃 Yay! I have one of these (a 1990 tricolor) in Sydney, which I could import after owning it in Japan for over a year and traveling to all 47 prefectures on it. The sound really is fantastic, isn't it? As you mentioned, it feels unbelievably light and comfortable around tight windy roads. I haven't seen another one in Australia yet, so it's nice to see footage of one on our roads. With the new 25 year import law I hope some more might pop up. I'm pretty light and not a great rider, so honestly the 750 would just be wasted on me and too much power. I really feel so glad to be able to own my ideal bike which I love. The only design complaint I really have is that the non-tricolour faring options don't look good, in my opinion. Things like the positioning of the spark plugs being a bit mental, and rear tyre options being limited are things I can happily live with. Have fun on your bike!

[@BrettJoy]

Good video, the vfr400 is a cool bike I have one in my collection

[@orvillets8818]

This is sick video. bro, you deserve more views!!! i'll share this to all my friends and my hot high school teacher.

[@KN-lq4zv]

Great vid.

[@aldomura301]

Great review, funny and informative: now I really want one....after that MM joke if I could I would give 2 thumbs up

[@carlxie]

Just bought one, also in Brisbane, looking forward to rebuild and restore the beauty.

[@jamesgrant4549]

How much did you pay? Wondering where these are sitting now days. I’m down the road from you.

[@carlxie]

@@jamesgrant4549 I paid 4 for mine, but need some work to get it back on the road.

[@RetroSuperbikes]

Shame you're in Brisbane bud, We are gathering as many NC30 and 35 together in the UK on the 4th September as we can

[@godwinikape8888]

Haha.. brilliant video! I like your humour

[@pierreabrie9445]

Wish Honda can make a new model

[@54macdog]

Great video. Why are today's middleweights so piddling compared to this masterpiece?

[@6tdegrees]

They just dont make them like they use to, honestly the 80s and 90s was the golden age of sportsbikes. Bring back the 400cc 4cylinders I say haha

[@w00ey21]

Dam shame, They've almost all been castrated to make learner class bikes

[@frankfurt458]

@@6tdegrees same as 250s now back in the 90s those 250 inline 4s produced some serious power,only thing matching that now is the zx25r but stupidly not available in the uk

[@scoobyi]

@@frankfurt458 the mc22 🤤

[@littlehedchog123]

And that 1st gear that goes on forever.

[@crystalzues4712]

Would love to see you do a video on its inline 4 baby brother the CBR250RR MC19 or MC22. I myself have a MC19 and find the gearing is short as and the eclipse of 20,000 rpm is blissful.

[@pierreabrie9445]

Only 3000. Then probably half was in South Africa. This was a very popular bike and almost every one had a VFR or if you were lucky a RFV back in the day.

[@bd1982]

You could probably consider doing a video for RVF as well?

[@Paul-kp1tu]

That is very very sweet, there is a real charm about these midrange/small cc bikes. Is it my advancing age or are they just more rideable? Either way it’s beautiful. Plus I noticed that Gino and Igor’s painting Ute has leaked paint over your roads as well Canberra’s region. How is that possible. They do get around.

[@Captain-Donut]

🙏❤️ Love from Scotland ❤️🙏

[@dipladonic]

The first bike that I ever scraped the pegs on.

[@GC-xy2ec]

Nice little.bike

[@scottamano1259]

Just discovered this great video. Awesome job!!! Would you say the Kawasaki ZX-4RR is the spiritual successor to this bike?

[@simonh1791]

My dads still got his. Trying to buy it off him but he wants too much hahaha

[@nickdavis9280]

I always think of Joey Dunlop when I hear a V4.

[@simes205]

I’ve still got one and will never sell it

[@skimpywan]

Fuck Marques ... bring back the old school warriors from the 2 stroke era!

[@brakmaster]

Came for the motorcycle stayed for the T-Rex impersonation!

[@patthewoodboy]

I had one of these sweeties , lets a mate ride it. As he got off it he said "i cant understand why anyone would want a bike like this" (hes English)

[@glowimagery634]

Mate where can I buy a smoke flare from for my bike shoot?

[@toufeeqgarcia6931]

Yooo, I’m in love with this video, i was just about to sell my baby but I’m having second thoughts after watching this video, if you got the time is it possible i could ask you a couple of questions upon this beautiful beast ?

[@6tdegrees]

Definitely

[@RetroSuperbikes]

Don't sell it!

[@serggeggeg3148]

У меня в гараже такой но красно чёрный)

[@Andreas.619]

For some reason South Africa has a bunch of these selling for next to nothing. But they're all pretty fricked

[@tharindudanushka1]

🎉🎉

[@GK1976A]

I’d rather have the 400 over the 750 any day of the week. Much more fun and much less likely to get bike jacked.

[@vladimirhristov1492]

I hav the seim its nice bike

[@karlwalker1771]

I had a VF400FD In the 80s And Loved It PS I now Ride A VTR 1000F AND LOVE THE LEGGS:)

[@Import61]

Cbr400rr vs VFR400 who would win?

[@motoDareDevil5]

great bike, I ride the same

[@RetroSuperbikes]

Are you in the UK?

[@motoDareDevil5]

@@RetroSuperbikes no a from Ukraine

[@RetroSuperbikes]

@@motoDareDevil5 Shame, we are gathering as many NC30's as we can for a live stream and videos in the UK

[@motoDareDevil5]

@@RetroSuperbikes Yes, I would like to go there too

[@RetroSuperbikes]

@@motoDareDevil5 Damn, if you subscribe you'd see the content when we go live etc

[@thelouwryder187]

I had a mint 94 biggest regret selling it 15 years ago

[@skimpylittle]

Only 3k ever sold? South africa is riddled eith these nc30 beutes. Bouta pick one up for R20k

[@6tdegrees]

No no watch again, only 3000 units of the 'RC30' were ever made (the vfr750r RC30)

[@threethrushes]

I will never forget my high-school, replacement English teacher.

[@6tdegrees]

Haha our maths teacher in highschool was smoken

[@peterkoning21]

One of the easiest and nice bikes to ride !!

[@michelleharrison8058]

I have one someone who was on their phones crashed into me

[@gilfchef1]

I'm lucky enough to own one of these and to be fair, I'd sell my wife and kids before I got rid of her! 👍

[@hachewie]

Mmmm Salty dollars.

[@6tdegrees]

🤣 anything for an rc30

[@MrB590]

Hi bud

[@FanaticalRK]

why do you have so little subs lol

[@6tdegrees]

I keep asking myself the same thing

[@FanaticalRK]

@@6tdegrees old road goes hard. keep at it man, your content is top quality!

[@hugomx5387]

These bikes are dirt cheap in the Netherlands

[@manitolas]

Agreed, still the cbr 400RR was faster with same amount of amazing cornering, not so legend cos inline 4..great machines i wish i had any of them💪🤟

[@Aspin_21]

bru these are super cheap where im from

[@philroy818]

Come on dude the king of the 400s was the repulse 400 from Suzuki!

[@Matt-wg1xi]

Nar the nc30 has a bigger following, i owned a nc35 similar to the one in this vid, that bike was a cracker compared to the other 400 classic i road.

[@6tdegrees]

Bbrraaapppp!!

[@philroy818]

@@Matt-wg1xi come on how can you forget the classic Impulse 400 - there were hundreds of them - yea they looked bloody ugly, handled like crap but sold well. Good luck trying to find one now!

[@Matt-wg1xi]

@@philroy818 exactly why they arent popular.

[@Dstructeur1]

Did I just watch a kinda weird turtle presenting a motorcycle and speaking my language ? Need to stop the pot

[@scowlsmcjowls2626]

The vfr was more of a sport tourer than a sports bike. The cbr rr is a sports bike

[@6tdegrees]

The Honda VFR750 (RC30) solo-seat-only racing motorcycle created for homologation purposes for the World Superbike Championship by Honda Racing Corporation. Wasnt until the late 90s the vfr name transitioned to the sports touring side of things due to popularity.

[@scowlsmcjowls2626]

@@6tdegrees but thats the bike in the video the popular sports touring bike. An rr model is a sports bike on the road. If he thinks that bike isnt comfortable try a cbr rr the riding position is as it is for racing not like the vfr that has been modified for the road and for longer rides.

[@6tdegrees]

@@scowlsmcjowls2626 no mate 🤣 The VFR and the CBR were both listed under the sportsbike category. Hondas VFR was there signature dish for some time, it was released well before the CBR900RR (which wasnt released until 1992). There was the CBR400RR back in 1988 which was labelled the more comfortable honds sportsbike to ride than the VFR400. There are plenty of shootout comparison between the 400cc class sportsbikes out there. The late 80s and early 90s was the era or golden age of sportsbikes, there were more than one type of label machine from each manufacturer that was listed as a sportsbikes.

[@6tdegrees]

@@scowlsmcjowls2626 also having compared the 1988 CBR400RR and the 1989 VFR400, the cbr was a much more comfortable sportsbike to ride plus the gearing wasnt as long toothed. Jump on my instagram and youll see both the cbr and vfr together.

[@Matt-wg1xi]

Hahahah dude youre thinking of the vfr750f 😂😂 that bike in the video is the RC30 the 750cc world dominating sportsbike. Bro you need a pair of glasses haha

[@YouCantSawSawdust]

They're OK,...I guess,if you cant afford the holy grail.The RC30. They are too small,a little gutless at only 400cc and a bit "boy racer". Good learner bike,though.

[@richardashworth400]

T-Rex and Mark Jokes had me creasing up. Straight howling🤣😆😆🤣

[@jradish]

your videos are criminally underrated wow