The Honda VFR800, known as the Interceptor in the United States, is a sports motorcycle made by Honda since 1998. It was the successor to the VFR750F and shares the V4 engine configuration with the Honda VF and VFR series.
Honda VFR800 at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| US name | Interceptor |
| Produced since | 1998 |
| Predecessor | VFR750F |
| Fifth generation | 1998–2001, VFR800Fi, RC46 |
| Displacement | 781 cc |
| Bore and stroke | 72 x 48 mm |
| Engine origin | RC45 of 1994, detuned |
| Frame | engine as a stressed member |
| Swingarm | single-sided, pivoted at the crankcase |
| Front forks | conventional right-side-up |
| 2000 update | catalytic converter, oxygen sensors, closed-loop EFI |
| 2000 addition | HISS immobiliser in Europe |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the VFR800.
History of the Honda VFR800
An RC45 engine for the road
The VFR800 is only 34 cc larger than the VFR750F, but with a wider bore and shorter stroke it is more oversquare and more powerful, the stroke reduced from 48.6 to 48 mm and the bore increased from 70 to 72 mm. Rather than being a direct development of the carburetted VFR750F engine, the VFR800 unit was a detuned version of the fuel-injected engine designed for the RC45 of 1994. The RC45 engine moved the camshaft gear drive from the centre of the engine to the right side next to the clutch pack, and used two side-mounted radiators instead of one at the front. In the VFR800 the engine was tuned for road use, improving torque throughout the rev range while maximum power rose only slightly over the VFR750.
Chassis
The VFR800’s frame uses the engine as a stressed member, derived from the VTR1000 Firestorm, and keeps the trademark VFR single-sided swingarm pivoted from the aft of the crankcase. It uses conventional right-side-up front forks.
2000 update
In 2000 Honda updated the fifth-generation VFR with a catalytic converter, oxygen sensors and an EFI system that entered closed-loop mode when cruising. These models also came with a temperature-actuated fast idle system, removing the need for a choke lever, and updated rear-view mirrors with rustproof metal stalks instead of rubberised ones. Bikes for Europe also received the H.I.S.S. immobiliser.
Design and features
- RC45-derived V4: a detuned race engine tuned for road torque.
- Stressed-member frame: the layout inherited from the VTR1000F.
- Single-sided swingarm: the VFR signature, pivoted at the crankcase.
- Closed-loop injection: added in the 2000 update.
Honda VFR800 versions
- VFR800Fi (1998–2001): the fifth-generation RC46.
- 2000 model: catalytic converter and closed-loop injection.
- Interceptor: the American name.
The VFR800 succeeded the VFR750F and sits below the Honda VFR1200F, with the Crossrunner built on the same V4 theme. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda VFR800, English Wikipedia: engine origin, chassis, 2000 update
