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| {{DISPLAYTITLE:{{PAGENAME}} Sabre V40: history, specs, pictures}} | | {{Infobox Motorcycle |
| {{Motorcycle
| | |name = Honda VF700S |
| |name = Honda VF700S Sabre V40 | | |image = |
| |photo=Honda-VF700S-83.jpg | |
| |aka = Sabre | | |aka = Sabre |
| |manufacturer = Honda | | |manufacturer = [[Honda]] |
| |parent_company = | | |parent_company = |
| |production = 1984-85 | | |production = 84-85 |
| |model_year = | | |model_year = |
| |predecessor = | | |predecessor = |
| |successor = | | |successor = |
| |class =Power Cruiser | | |class = |
| |engine = Four stroke, 90°V-four cylinder, DOHC, 4 [[valve]] per cylinder | | |engine = 700cc |
| |bore_stroke = | | |bore_stroke = |
| |compression = 10.5:1 | | |compression = |
| |top_speed =121 mph | | |top_speed = |
| |power = | | |power = |
| |torque = | | |torque = |
| |fuel_system =
| | |ignition = |
| |ignition = Transistorized | | |spark_plug = {{sparkplug|DPR8EA-9}} '84-85 |
| |spark_plug = {{sparkplug|NGK DPR8EA-9}} '84-85 | | |battery = {{battery|YB14L-A2}} '84-85 |
| |battery = {{battery|YUASA YB14L-A2}} '84-85 | | |transmission = |
| |transmission = 6 Speed | | |frame = |
| |frame = | | |suspension = |
| |suspension =Front: 37mm Air adjustable forks <br> | | |brakes = |
| Rear: Swinging arm, single shock
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| |brakes =Front: 2x 274mm discs <br>Rear: Single 160mm disc | |
| |front_tire = {{tire|110/90-18}} '84-85 | | |front_tire = {{tire|110/90-18}} '84-85 |
| |rear_tire = {{tire|130/90-17}} '84-85 | | |rear_tire = {{tire|130/90-17}} '84-85 |
| |rake_trail = | | |rake_trail = |
| |wheelbase = | | |wheelbase = |
| |length = | | |length = |
| |width = | | |width = |
| |height = | | |height = |
| |seat_height = 810 mm / 31.9 in | | |seat_height = |
| |dry_weight = | | |dry_weight = |
| |wet_weight = 235 kg / 518 lbs | | |wet_weight = |
| |fuel_capacity = 18.2 Liters / 4.8 US gal | | |fuel_capacity = |
| |oil_capacity = | | |oil_capacity = |
| |recommended_oil=Honda GN4 10W-40
| | |fuel_consumption = |
| |fuel_consumption = | | |turning_radius = |
| |turning_radius = | | |related = |
| |related = | | |competition = |
| |competition = | |
| |final_drive=Shaft `84-85<ref name="wps_street_2019">{{cite book|title=2019 Western Power Sports Catalog|publisher=[https://www.wps-inc.com/catalogs Western Power Sports]|date=2019}}</ref>
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| }} | | }} |
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| The '''Honda VF700S ''' is a [[motorcycle]] produced by [[Honda]] from 1984 to 1985. | | The '''Honda VF700S ''' is a [[motorcycle]] produced by [[Honda]] from 1984 to 1985. |
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| ==Engine==
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| The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, 90°V-four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder. The engine featured a 10.5:1 [[compression ratio]].
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| ==Drive==
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| Power was moderated via the Wet plate.
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| ==Chassis==
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| It came with a 110/90-18 front [[tire]] and a 130/90-17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 274mm discs in the front and a Single 160mm disc in the rear. The front suspension was a 37mm Air adjustable forks while the rear was equipped with a Swinging arm, single shock. The VF700S Sabre V40 was fitted with a 18.2 Liters / 4.8 US gal fuel tank.
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| ==1984== | | ==1984== |
| [[Image:1984_honda_Vf700s.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda VF700S]] | | [[Image:1984_honda_Vf700s.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda VF700S]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-0.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-1.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-2.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-3.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-4.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-0.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-1.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-2.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-3.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-4.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-5.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]][[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-6.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]] |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-0.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-1.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-2.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-3.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-Black-4.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda V45 Sabre VF700S in Black with Pleiades Silver Metallic and Red]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-0.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-1.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-2.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-3.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-4.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-5.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]] | |
| [[Image:1984-Honda-VF700S-BlackSilver-5897-6.jpg|left|thumb|1984 Honda Sabre VF700S in Black/Silver]] | |
| <br style="clear: left"/> | | <br style="clear: left"/> |
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| **Compression Ratio: 10.5:1 | | **Compression Ratio: 10.5:1 |
| **Valve Train: DOHC, four valves per cylinder | | **Valve Train: DOHC, four valves per cylinder |
| **Carburetion: Four 32mm [[diaphragm]]-type CV | | **Carburetion: Four 32mm diaphragm-type CV |
| **Ignition: Solid state | | **Ignition: Solid state |
| **Transmission: Five-speed plus overdrive sixth | | **Transmission: Five-speed plus overdrive sixth |
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| **Suspension Front: 37mm air-adjustable forks with dual Syntallic™ bushings and TRAC | | **Suspension Front: 37mm air-adjustable forks with dual Syntallic™ bushings and TRAC |
| **Suspension Rear: Air-adjustable Pro-Link with four-way adjustable rebound damping | | **Suspension Rear: Air-adjustable Pro-Link with four-way adjustable rebound damping |
| **Brakes Front: Dual disc with twin-piston [[caliper]]s | | **Brakes Front: Dual disc with twin-piston calipers |
| **Brakes Rear: Drum | | **Brakes Rear: Drum |
| **Wheels: Cast alloy | | **Wheels: Cast alloy |
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| **Black/Blue | | **Black/Blue |
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| ==Review==
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|
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| When the Honda Sabre was unveiled just
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| three short years ago, it was a 750cc definition of the word "new." Its
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| engine was a type that hadn't been seen in modern motorcycle history, a
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| 90-degree, liquid-cooled V-Four, with twin cams for each cylinder bank and
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| four valves for each cylinder. Its bodywork was free-flowing Japanese
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| modern, dipped in bright, candy-apple red paint. The Sabre didn't have
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| simple instruments; instead it had a pod that used techy, grid-pattern
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| instrument faces crammed with LCD displays for everything from fuel capacity
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| to a stopwatch. The Sabre was Honda's entry into motorcycling's future, and
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| it drew crowds just sitting in the showroom.
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| But that was three years ago. A 1985
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| Sabre sitting on a showroom floor, or anywhere else, attracts no crowds,
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| creates little excitement. The motorcycle that was 1982's show-stopper has
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| become perhaps the most conservative bike in Honda's lineup.
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| Some of the change in the way the Sabre is perceived is due to the way the
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| motorcycle market has changed since the bike's introduction. Street-legal
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| road-racers like the Interceptors and the GPzs have pushed the definition of
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| a sportbike far beyond the reach of the Sabre. At the other extreme, factory
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| cruisers have developed a loyal audience that bikes like the Sabre can't
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| touch. And this turn of events has left the Sabre sort of drifting around in
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| the middle. But the fringes didn't just spring up around the Sabre; Honda
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| has helped move the bike toward the center, as well.
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| The video-arcade instrumentation was
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| banished for the 1984 model year, replaced with traditional, round
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| instruments, and LCD displays only for the water temperature and
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| gear-position indicator. Gone were the fuel gauge, the self-canceling turn
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| signals and the stopwatch. A traditional round handlebar also showed up in
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| 1984, replacing cast
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| handlebars that couldn't be changed by the owner. Some of the plastic body
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| parts were replaced with metal ones by the factory, and the paintwork became
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| more subdued. All of this was intended to place the Sabre closer to the
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| motorcycle, mainstream, to make it more like what buyers thought a
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| motorcycle should be and less like what someone at Honda thought it should
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| be. Other changes were made in response to reliability problems or owner
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| complaints. The 1982 Sabre wasn't the best-handling motorcycle around,
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| especially once its tires became somewhat worn. Honda responded in 1983 with
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| a new frame and different steering geometry. At the same time, the twin
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| airbox extensions mounted alongside the engine were consolidated into one
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| large airbox above the engine. That, along with new carburetor jetting,
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| cured a midrange flat spot.
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| And because early Sabre suspension was particularly harsh over smallish,
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| sharp bumps (freeway expansion joints, for example), improving ride quality
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| was another goal.
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| The cure involved the fitting of slightly
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| stiffer springs.
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| How, you might ask, did stiffer springs improve ride quality? Well,
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| first-year Sabres relied on a combination of coil and air springing, the air
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| offering easy adjustability of overall spring rate.
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| Unfortunately, the air also increased seal friction and thereby reduced
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| suspension compliance. So, with stiffer coil springs, the Sabre could use
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| less air pressure under most conditions, and the suspension could be more
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| responsive.
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| Most other Sabre updates are invisible,
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| the kinds of small fixes that make well-developed models more reliable than
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| brand-new designs. New mufflers appeared in 1983 that were less likely than
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| earlier ones to have their baffles rust and fall out. The cams received a
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| new hardfacing in 1984 to improve durability; and needle bearings replace
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| bushings in the shock linkage in 1985 models for the same reason.
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| Of course, the biggest change to the Sabre over the last three years came in
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| 1984, and it had nothing to do with customer wishes or reliability. The
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| 748cc version of the Sabre was replaced by the 699cc version, a move made to
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| avoid the over-700cc tariff that went into effect in April of that year.
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| Shrinking the displacement was simple enough, requiring only a destroked
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| crankshaft, along with longer rods and pistons with slightly higher domes.
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| No changes were made to the engine block, but camshafts with less duration
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| were used to recapture some of the low-end and midrange power lost by the
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| displacement reduction. Peak horsepower suffered through this detuning,
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| dropping from 82 bhp at 9500 rpm for the 750 to 76 at 10,000 for the 700.
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| That may help explain why the 700's
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| engine performance doesn't seem particularly impressive, although 76
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| horsepower is nothing to scoff at. The V-Four is rubber-mounted, unlike an
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| Interceptor's engine, and is extremely smooth, about as free of perceived
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| vibration as a motorcycle engine can be. And the Sabre always starts easily
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| and carburates cleanly. But it just doesn't feel particularly willing or
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| powerful. The exhaust note is uninspiringly flat, and the power curve is so
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| smooth that nothing spectacular ever seems to happen. Peg the throttle open
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| with the engine turning 5000 rpm, and the bike gathers speed rather than
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| lunging forward. It gathers its speed quickly, mind you, so much of the
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| non-willing feel is due to the rider's perception of performance rather than
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| to any actual lack of performance.
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| The 750 Sabre was deceiving in that same
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| way, and the 700, due to its lesser displacement, is even more so.
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| Handling is similarly deceptive. The Sabre can be made to go fast down a
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| twisty road, but it never feels as though it encourages such behavior. The
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| motorcycle is long, and its steering geometry indicates stability rather
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| than light steering. But the steering is, in fact, fairly light and, at a
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| moderate pace, perfectly acceptable. Go faster, though, and the steering
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| will also feel tentative, as though the front wheel isn't completely sure of
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| what line to follow. When the Sabre is cornered smoothly, this imprecision
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| serves mostly to keep the rider from feeling completely confident. But if
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| the rider delivers a jerky input into the steering anywhere in a turn, the
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| Sabre will punish his indiscretion with a low-frequency wobble, at least
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| when the suspension is at the soft end of its adjustment range.
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| Using the proper suspension settings
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| helps steady the Sabre's handling. With the air pressure in the rear shock
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| up to 30 psi, the rear rebound damping on No. 3 and 5 psi of air in the
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| fork, the Sabre is a lot more forgiving of a less-than-smooth pilot. Ground
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| clearance is much improved with the stiffer settings, too, with
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| nothing more than footpegs dragging when the Sabre is cornered hard.
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| Actually, the tires might impose the greatest limit on cornering speeds, for
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| they're biased more toward long life than traction, and the rear tire often
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| slips noticeably when exiting corners.
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| Those increased suspension pressures only
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| marginally impair ride quality. The ride is a little firmer over small
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| bumps, but that's partially offset by the fact that the rear suspension no
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| longer bottoms over large dips in the road. But while Honda has succeeded in
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| improving the 700's ride, no one will be likely to mistake the Sabre's
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| handling for an Interceptor's, and no amount of suspension
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| tuning will change that.
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| Then again, no one will ever mistake the
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| Sabre's seating postion for an Interceptor's, either. The Sabre is a
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| throwback to the days of standard motorcycles, bikes that were neither
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| choppers nor roadracers. The Sabre rider sits just short of bolt-upright,
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| feet slightly forward, arms extended, hands high. It's a position that works
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| well around town and while cruising the highway at or near legal speeds. At
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| speeds much above 75 mph, though, wind blast can be countered only by
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| hanging on tighter to the handlebar, and that alone discourages scofflaws
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| from practicing their highspeed trade for very long.
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| Despite the near-touring-bike seating position, however, Sabre comfort could
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| be better. The seat is flat, but narrow and slightly hard. It's an
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| acceptable saddle, but certainly not plush or inviting enough to encourage
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| anyone to spend an entire day sitting on it. And for a motorcycle with a
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| wheelbase almost 62 inches long, the Sabre could have a more expansive
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| seating position, with more footpeg to-seat distance to prevent
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| leg-cramping during a long ride.
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| If you're starting to get the impression that the Sabre is a
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| middle-of-the-road motorcycle, it's only because that's what it is. Aside
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| from engine smoothness, the Sabre isn't outstanding in any category, be it
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| power or handling or over-the-road comfort.
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| But it's also far from being the worst in
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| any of those categories. The Sabre is like the decathlon competitor who wins
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| no single event, but places highly overall by consistently good, if not
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| spectacular, performances. What the Sabre might be is the most versatile and
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| least specialized motorcycle in its class. It will travel down a twisty
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| backroad easier and faster than most custom bikes, drone down an endless
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| interstate more comfortably than most sportbikes, andVc this all while
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| requiring little routine maintenance or regular care.
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| And unlike a cruiser or a sportbike, the
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| Sabre can easily be tailored to suit an owner's needs or wants. Honda offers
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| a CBX-style fairing and saddlebags, allowing the Sabre to be molded in a
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| sport-touring shape. And there are numerous aftermarket companies offering
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| other alternatives that allow a Sabre owner to inject some of his own
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| personality into a motorcycle that doesn't come with a strong pre-defined
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| image.
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| So it's true: The Sabre no longer defines "new," in the 750 class or in any
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| class. Instead, it defines "versatile" by offering competent all-around
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| performance in a package that can be tailored to suit the wants and needs of
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| a wide variety of riders. All that the bike asks is that the rider have
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| middle-of-the-road tastes in motorcycle performance; because that's the only
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| flavor that the 700 Sabre is able to provide.
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|
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| ==Specifications==
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| !Make Model
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| |Honda VF700S Sabre
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| |-
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| !Year
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| |1984-85
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| |-
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| !Engine Type
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| |Four stroke, 90°V-four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder
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| |-
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| !Displacement
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| |699 cc / 42.6 cu-in
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| |-
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| !Cooling System
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| |Liquid cooled
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| |-
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| !Bore X Stroke
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| |70 x 45.4 mm
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| |-
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| !Compression
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| |10.5:1
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| |-
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| !Induction
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| |4x 32mm Keihin
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| |-
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| !Ignition
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| |Transistorized
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| |-
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| !Starting
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| |Electric
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| |-
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| !Max Power
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| |81 hp / 59. kW @ 10000 rpm
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| |-
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| !Max Torque
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| |62 Nm / 6.2 kgf-m 44.8 lb-ft @ 8500 rpm
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| |-
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| !Clutch
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| |Wet plate
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| |-
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| !Transmission
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| |6 Speed
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| |-
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| !Final Drive
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| |Shaft
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| |-
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| !Front Suspension
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| |37mm Air adjustable forks
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| |-
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| !Front Wheel Travel
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| |150 mm / 5.9 in
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| |-
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| !Rear Suspension
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| |Swinging arm, single shock
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| |-
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| !Rear Wheel Travel
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| |116.8 mm / 4.5 in
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| |-
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| !Front Brakes
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| |2x 274mm discs
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| |-
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| !Rear Brakes
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| |Single 160mm disc
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| |-
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| !Front Tire
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| |110/90-18
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| |-
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| !Rear Tire
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| |130/90-17
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| |-
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| !Seat Height
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| |810 mm / 31.9 in
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| |-
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| !Wet Weight
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| |235 kg / 518 lbs
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| |-
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| !Fuel Capacity
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| |18.2 Liters / 4.8 US gal
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|
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| |}
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|
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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|
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| {{motorcycle-stub}} | | {{motorcycle-stub}} |