V-FORCE!
My regular transport for the past two months has been the 1985 Honda VF750F tested here. It was not meant to be that way, but the cosmic foot stamped heavily on my choc ice. With just 17,500 miles on the clock my daily transport, a 2013 KTM RC8 R, snapped an inlet valve. I’d just got the VF through its first MoT in heaven knows how many years, so I thought I may as well put it to work as a stand-in for the self-disembowelling V-Twin from Austria.
Although I’d rather not be shelling out small fortunes on the parts to fix my modern scoot, I have been amazed (and delighted) at what an excellent day-to-day bike the 32-year-old Honda V4 makes. It starts first time every time, returns about 45mpg until you start to cane it, and draws attention wherever you go.
One of my most enjoyable journeys was a 200 mile autumnal round trip to the show at the Stafford showground. The day started out grey and wet, but not too cold. The brakes were okay in the wet, the Bridgestone BT45 tyres gripped well on the slippery Tarmac while the frame mounted cockpit fairing kept most of the rain away from my body. I was spotted by one of the organisers as I pulled into the bike park and before
