The year was 1983, Honda unveiled their new water cooled V-Four Interceptor which was very different than the inline four aircooled bikes.

1983 was also the first year the AMA change displacement to 750cc from 1025cc Superbike rules. Honda wanted to win races and flood the superbike field with the new Interceptors.

Besides the American Honda factory riders of Freddie Spencer, Mike Baldwin and Steve Wise they chose 5 factory support riders thru a test held late in 1982 at Laguna Seca, each rider rode a 1982 CB750F based 1023cc superbike. Up and coming Northern Calf racer Jon Woo perished at the tryout on one of Roberto Pietri’s superbike.

The chosen 5 racers were John Bettencourt aka “Johnny B”, Dave Aldana, Fred Merkel, Roberto Pietri and Sam McDonald.

Ive been lucky enough to restore 3 of the 5 HRC AH support superbikes. This VF found its way to Japan in the late 80’s and sat in a window of a motorcycle shop for a very long time until my friend Rick Degan of RDM motors in Japan had a chance to purchase this and another VF racer, both bikes were pretty beat up but I knew by the oil lines and plastic crash covers on the dry clutchs they were X AMA Superbikes, I just didnt know who’s bikes they were.

This was Roberto Pietri’s superbike which he campaigned for three AMA seasons 83-85