As street legal, race replica motorcycles go, the Honda RC 30 was a bike that compromised little between the street and the track. The bike was a direct, street legal descendant of the Championship Racing Bike RVF 750, which dominated motorcycle racing in the early and mid 1980's.
The RC 30 was created as a limited edition motorcycle. It gave normal riders a glimpse of the performance potential of a street legal motorcycle, essentially bred for track use. Honda engineers used exotic material and production techniques. If you had to ask how much it cost then you couldn't afford it.The RC 30 was powered by a 748 cc, liquid cooled dohc (double overhead cam) 16 valve, 90 degree V4 motor. It produced a maximum of 112 bhp at 11,000 rpm.
The bike had a top speed of 155mph and was deceptively fast. When at speed the flat hum of the V4 engine gave the rider the impression of a much lower rate of speed. Because of its race breeding, the RC-30 was happiest on the track or long stretches of country road where the bike's performance could be realized. It was far less happy in the city. It's gearing, especially its tall first gear stressed the clutch. The riding position wasn't the most ergonomically friendly especially for slow speed city riding. As with other race replica motorcycles the narrowness of the mirrors made them close to being unusable.
The RC-30 wanted to be driven hard and fast. At a weight of 407 pounds it was as maneuverable as it was powerful. It featured an adjustable front and rear suspension and used a single sided swing arm.The RC 30 had a top speed of 160 mph and used a six speed, chain drive transmission. It had an aluminum twin spar frame. For stopping power is used twin discs brakes on the front and a single disc on the rear.The Honda had all of the qualities a racer would want. It was quick and powerful, had great throttle and engine response, good suspension control and marvelous braking power.
The RC-30 was a testament to the design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities of Honda.
