A Spectacular Showcase of V4 Power at the HONDA Collection Hall!

"Garage Collection Racer Replica Special Part 2 Honda Force V4" has begun at the Honda Collection Hall in Mobility Resort Motegi.

This special exhibition brings together Honda's 4-stroke V4 racer replicas, which have been developed with the aim of achieving higher power output.
There are 20 commercially available road sports and works machines. Including the permanent exhibits, a total of 29 4-stroke V4 machines can be seen.

During the exhibition period, two major road races will be held at Mobility Resort Motegi.
Watching the races while learning about the history of V4 machines at the Honda Collection Hall is sure to deepen your appreciation for racing.

Honda's first V4 was a revolutionary engine.

The history of the V4 as seen in the special exhibition

In April 1982, Honda released its first four-stroke V4 engine, the VF750 Saber and VF750 Magna.

At the time, the 750cc model lineup included the CB750F, a four-stroke inline four-cylinder engine, but Honda's tireless challenge led to the decision to introduce a more advanced V4 engine. Compared to inline four-cylinder engines, V4 engines have higher power output and a smaller overall projected area, making them more aerodynamic.

Honda adopted a strategy of increasing customer satisfaction with two engine lineups, the V4 and the inline four.

After the release of the VF750F, Honda published a pamphlet on engine technology, which explained the various types of engines for motorcycles. The 36-page pamphlet confidently conveyed the features of the V4 engine.

It appears that V-type engines are becoming the mainstream for Honda's large road sports models.

Introducing the V4 to the 400cc class

In December 1982, the 400cc VF400F was released.

In Japan, due to the licensing system, the popularity was concentrated in the 400cc class.

A highly mechanical V4 engine model was also introduced into this class, and it shared popularity with the inline-four CBX.

The evolution from VF to VFR

In April 1986, the VF750F was fully redesigned into the VFR750F, and the VF400F was fully redesigned into the VFR400R.

Both have evolved into high-performance machines that incorporate technology from factory machines that have been successful in races.

In this special exhibition, the production motorcycles and works machines are displayed side by side to make the relationship between them clear.

Force V4 logo mark appears

I believe that the title of this exhibition, "Force V4," was first used at the Suzuka 8 Hours race in 1986 as a phrase to promote the powerful V4 engine.

The VFR400R, released in March 1987, was fitted with the Pro Arm, which had been proven in endurance races. The body also proudly featured the words "FORCE V4."

The model on display at the exhibition is a special edition model that uses the colors of the Rothmans Honda team and was released in July just before the Suzuka 8 Hours.

The VFR's relationship with racing was very strong and deep, as evidenced by the fact that it used the same colors as the Suzuka 8 Hours works machine.

The RC30 was introduced as the ultimate racer replica

In 1987, the VFR750R (RC30), which incorporated the racing technology of the RVF750, was sold in limited quantities in Japan. Despite its high price tag of $10042.47, it was very popular due to its excellent potential as a race-based motorcycle.

Further evolution from VFR to RVF

In January 1994, the VFR400R adopted inverted forks on the front and was given a new name, RVF, to match the factory machine. The color scheme was inspired by the RVF750 factory machine that competed in the 1993 Suzuka 8 Hours. The RVF was last model to be changed in 1996.

Then, the VFR750R (RC30) also underwent a full model change and was succeeded by the RVF/RC45.

From that year, the machines in the Endurance World Championship were based on the RVF/RC45, and they won the Suzuka 8 Hours consecutively in 1994 and 1995.

In the exhibition corner, there is also a machine with the cowling removed, allowing visitors to observe the unique layout of the V4 exhaust pipes.

Don't miss the permanent exhibition corner

The museum displays machines equipped with V4 engines, so we recommend you visit it in conjunction with the special exhibition.

The V4 has been inherited by the current RC213V.

Honda's homepage has a special site called "Honda Force V4 Story" that introduces the history of motorcycles equipped with four-stroke V4 engines.

If you check out this website, you will have an even more enjoyable experience.

Subsequent 4-stroke V4 Machines

The RVF/RC45 was active in the Superbike World Championship and World Endurance Races.

After winning the Suzuka 8 Hours in 1999, it was replaced by the V-twin VTR1000SPW in 2000.

The V4 machine really showed its worth with the sports touring VFR (800cc) released in 1998, which gained support from a wide range of people, especially in Europe.

It then evolved into the VFR1200F in 2010, and was the first motorcycle to adopt a dual-clutch transmission as a pioneer in the automatic transmission movement.

A collaborative exhibit with Tomica will be held at the same time.

The special exhibition being held at the same time is a unique corner themed "Honda's Tomica x Tomica Honda" that displays two- and four-wheeled motorcycles that have been used as models for Tomica motorcycles in the past.

On the first floor, 150 Tomica products are on display all in one place.

Honda Collection Hall Home Page
https://www.mr-motegi.jp/collection-hall/

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See HONDA VFR1200F Parts & Accessories Page