RC30:HONDA'S HOMOLOGATION HERO

The A4 piece of paper on the fuel tank left there by its owner contained a potted history of the bike, the knack of how to start it, and a few of its quirks to look out for, my particular favourite being: “Front brake pads are about 20 years old, so pretty f***ed, and the rear brake does little but make the wheel dusty."

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I immediately thought my RC30 bubble was going to be burst due to it being so lacking in the brakes department it'd put a real downer on the ride. I need not have worried.

Fuel tap on, choke pulled, start button pressed, and the V4 fired up first time and settled into a fast idle while it warmed up. There was never any doubt that this carburetted 37-year-old bike would start. After all, as well as being a looked after and regularly used bike, we're talking about the pinnacle of Honda engineering - not just at the time, but even by today's standards. The gear-driven cams on the RC30 are more akin to a Swiss watchmaker than a motorcycle manufacturer, but there they are, whirring and whining just behind the soundtrack of the exhaust.

As the engine sits there warming up on tickover, it's remarkable just how crisp and smooth it sounds. The carburation is right on the money; there's no hunting or a suggestion of anything being even slightly off with adjustment or wear and tear. It sounds brand-new, and then when I blip the throttle for the first time and the volume increases with the revs, there is that totally unique sound that transports me back to being a teenager at a BSB meeting or the TT as a spectator.