Honda's V4 Interceptors
V4 Dreams
  • Home
  • Shop Blog
  • Maintenance
  • Products
  • My VFRs
  • Historical

Sport Touring V4

1/12/2020

0 Comments

 
The Honda V45 & V65 Sabre
I made mention of the Honda Sabre in the previous post. I don't cover the Sabre/Magna models in detail on the Historical page but they were both important models in the V4 lineup, after all, they were the first two V4 models introduced in 1982. The 750cc V45 Sabre (VF750S) ran through 1985, and was joined by the "tariff-buster" 700cc in '84 and '85 — the reduction in size was accomplished by destroking the engine. A tooth was also added on the clutch gear to compensate for the reduction in torque.

An 1100cc version joined the range in 1983, known as the V65. The 45 and 65 designators are a reference to the cubic inch displacement of the two engines — a classic marketing move. All the Sabres were gone after 1985, though the name was resurrected in 2000 for a new line of V-twin models.
Picture
The Sabre (left) was marketed as a street standard, while the Magna would serve as a cruiser and the Interceptor a sport bike.

PictureLooking tailored in non-standard black.
While the standard Sabre was graced with an ungainly but very 80's square headlight and no fairing, two very cool options were available from Honda to turn the naked bike into a viable sport tourer. These included a sexy, swoopy headlight fairing, notably with a round headlight, together with a set of compact but stylish saddlebags. These same items were first developed for the last two years of the CBX.

Picture
Shown to the left is a fully-optioned Sabre in factory colors.

I've always thought that the fairing equipped Sabre is one of the most handsome bikes of the era. But it's no light-weight, and its bulk, combined with an old-school steel tube frame and skinny forks with lazy geometry, resulted in a rather ponderous handling machine, much more at home eating miles at a relaxed pace, the mellow hum of its V4 setting the mood.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    THE SHOP BLOG
    •••

    An on-going account of miscellaneous information, project bikes and noteworthy VFRs for sale


    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Site powered by Weebly. Managed by HostGator