Interceptor Timeline

1983 VF750F Interceptor

Honda's original VF750F Interceptor® rewrote the rules in the sport bike class. With its liquid-cooled 90° V-4 engine and race-bred chassis, the Interceptor was the quickest 750 on the market, and the best handling sport bike, period. Yet the Interceptor also offered a balance of comfort to go along with that performance, something unheard of in motorcycling. And no other motorcycle made as direct a connection between the race track and the street.

1986 VFR750F Interceptor

For the Interceptor's first makeover, Honda left virtually no part untouched. An all-new V-4 engine with geared cam-drive offered more peak power, while a race-inspired aluminum frame provided sharper handling. Honda engineers reduced the bike's weight substantially, too, with the VFR®750F tipping in almost 45 pounds lighter than the original. Yet while the Interceptor expanded its race track credentials, it lost nothing in terms of comfort and all-round balance.

1990 VFR750F and RC30

With the simultaneous introduction of the RC30™ and the second-generation VFR750F, Honda's 750 V-4 line split, as did its focus. The racier RC30, destined for Superbike and world endurance competition, featured super-sophisticated suspension components and more horsepower. The VFR750F shared many features with the RC30, such as a twin-spar aluminum frame with a Pro Arm® single-sided swing arm, and in some engine specifications even exceeded the RC30's.

1994 VFR750F

Now in its third generation, the VFR750F came cloaked in all-new bodywork that took cues from Honda's legendary oval-piston NR™750. Underneath, changes to the V-4 engine and twin-spar aluminum frame provided more power and even greater handling precision, while reducing weight by almost 20 pounds. Those advances, plus the same balance the VFR had become famous for, helped the VFR750F keep its hammerlock on Best 750 awards among enthusiast publications.

1994 RC45

Honda's latest street-legal racing weapon improved on the RC30 in every way. The RC45™ was lighter, faster, more compact and ultra-sophisticated, with broad-ranging chassis and engine adjustability. Its all-new V-4 engine utilized programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI) for more power and better throttle response, while the redesigned twin-spar aluminum frame offered increased stiffness and a more sophisticated suspension system for even sharper handling.

1998 Interceptor

Completely redesigned for 1998, the Interceptor once again redefined sport bike performance by solidifying the connection between race track and street. In fact, the Interceptor offered even more technically advanced features than the RC45, such as aluminum-composite cylinder sleeves and a pivotless Pro Arm chassis. And, just like the original, the 1998 Interceptor offered a breadth and depth of capabilities no other sport bike can match.

2002 Interceptor

For 2002, Honda recreated the Interceptor bit by bit, incorporating improvements into every facet while retaining the essential foundations. As a result, the VTEC™-equipped Interceptor is now a markedly advanced, new-generation sport bike, and arguably the sharpest-edged street-going iteration yet. At the same time, Honda's engineers also reconfigured the Interceptor so it could accept a set of Honda-designed accessories--including hard saddlebags--to create a top-rank sport bike with true cross-country abilities.