Reading


RC30 Information Sources

Knowledge is the key to everything.

Ratings are out of  *****


 Books

Honda RC30 Performance Portfolio 1988-1992
Written by R.M. Clarke
Published by Brooklands Books (the Road Test Series)
Paperback - 140 Pages
ISBN10 -
1855204339
ISBN13 - 978-1855204331
26.8 x 19.8 x 1.2 cm

Rating *** 1/2

The print quality is not the greatest. It's B&W except for the cover. Magazines were half black and white back then anyway I suppose. Consists solely of various early magazine tests. It was fairly inexpensive and will give you something to do while "sitting" and contemplating.


The Honda Story - Road and Racing Motorcycles From 1948 to the Present Day
Written by Ian Falloon
Published by Haynes
Hard Cover w/sleeve - 224 Pages
ISBN10 - 185960966X

ISBN13 - 978-1859609668
27.9 x 21.6 x 1.3 cm

Rating * (for the RC30 stuff anyway, it's better if you own a Gold Wing)

This book is poorly researched along with inaccuracies, errors and confusion. Titanium valves, race kitted 1990 models, 1989 US models ?? Whoa... this is a bit messed up, and only a couple pages or so on the RC30!. If you want to read an excellent racing history of a motorcycle company then buy a book called "Team Suzuki" which was written by Ray Battersby. This book sucks unless you drive Ian Falloon's favorite bike; the Goldwing. He has a boringly detailed history of it. This book is cooked up using a flawed recipe.


Honda's V-Force - The Four Stroke V4's on Road and Track
Written by Julian Ryder
Published by Haynes
Hard Cover w/sleeve - 160 Pages
ISBN10 -
1859604218
ISBN13 - 978-1859604212
26.7 x 29.8 x 2.0 cm

Rating **** and a bit

This book is pretty good, I dig it out once and a while. Chapter 8 is dedicated to the RC30. The whole book is pretty good, just V4 stuff. Also has chapters on the NR500, NR750, RC45, VFR750 and the all conquering RVF plus some of the earlier VF based bikes with cam problems. I think the binding is busted in mine now but so far still has all the pages stuck fast.

 

Some other good sources of written Honda RC30 information

The Owners / Shop Manual

Softcover, lots of pages
Rating  ****1/2

The bulk of the manual is how to rebuild and maintain most anything. Overall they are a pretty good shop manual. The Japanese owners/shop manual is completely different from the ROW. The JDM manual is bigger, thicker and better illustrated. The JDM manual also has some fantastic assembly schematics that are not in the ROW manuals.

All the real RC30 Owners/Shop Manuals are discontinued. Honda does have a deal with Helm publishers to reproduce the US spec RC30 manual. The Helm reproduced manual uses lesser quality paper and does not contain the wiring diagram. The pictures are also quite dark, and the cover is not like the original RC30 manual. I recommend holding out for a real one one. If you really want a Helm manual go here. If you have the Helm manual you could get by with a wiring diagram from here.

This manual also contains the standard Owner's Manual information such as how to insert the key, check the fluid levels, and the ever important how to operate your kickstand. These manuals contain plenty of Japanese to English translation errors to keep you in stitches. No offense intended but some subjects like these don't translate well. There is the odd mistake but they are mostly innocuous.
 

The HRC Kit Manuals
PDF
Rating  ****

The kit manuals have some information in them you may find useful, even without kit  parts on your RC30. Has some basic tips on jetting that are good if you don't know much about Keihin CV carburetors. There are a few other things that are of use.

A lot of the RC30 HRC manuals are available from Geoff Infield's web site (1988, 1989 and 1991 HRC Kits) by clicking here.

 

The Honda Parts Book(s)

Bound paper or microfiche.
Rating  *****

Parts books (also know as microfiche depending on the medium) can be very useful. When purchasing parts for an RC30, especially used ones, it is important to know if it is actually what you are after. The RC30 is fundamentally the same no matter when or where it was sold. Now at the risk of contradicting myself there are a vast amount of differences between countries and even within the country by year when you get to looking at details. The best way to sort out what you need is to have a parts book.

The parts books are also a useful assembly reference. A good example is the washer that goes behind the starter idler gear. The parts books show it correctly (behind the gear). The shop manual tells you to put the dowel in, put the gear on, and then the washer.

There are basically three different parts books (of which all have different revisions over the years). There is a JDM parts book, there is a USA parts book, and there is the ROW parts book that has every other country in it. The ROW and JDM parts books are very useful, but costly to purchase now. An early revision parts book may suit your purposes better than a later one if your goal is a restoration.

You can download a PDF of the ROW RC30 parts book (a.k.a. fiche) here.

 


The Honda Common Service Manual

Ring Binder (pages removable)

393 Pages
Rating  *****

This service manual covers many repair procedures, techniques and other important topics that may not be covered in the model specific manuals. This manual is good information whether you own a Honda or not. Click here to open a PDF of an older version of the Honda Common Service Manual. The VFRD also has numerous model specific manuals (no RC30 though) if you want to sign up with them.

if you think you know a lot about motorcycle servicing this binder will bring you back down to earth.

 

Videos

There are also lots of You Tube videos. Here is a sample of the Metzeler man Dahne going around the Nurburgring on an RC30 making it look easy. Knowing German helps to watch, but the language is secondary to the riding. Pretty fast for wearing a backpack. There is a good picture of this exact motorcycle in the "street" pictures section of this website.


Helmut Dahne at the Nurburgring

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