Sport Tourers

1987Honda VF 500 F

19 fields on record

The 1987 Honda VF 500 F2 is a lightweight sport-touring middleweight that appeals to riders seeking nimble handling and practical versatility. Powered by a smooth 497cc V4 engine producing 70 horsepower, it's renowned for its responsive performance and excellent reliability. Best suited for commuters and weekend enthusiasts who value maneuverability and fuel efficiency over raw power.

Capacity: 497.0 ccm
Engine: V four, four-stroke
Gearbox: 6-speed
Wet weight: 206.0 kg
Seat height: Not on record
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Power: 70.0 HP (51.5 kW) @ 11500 RPM

⇄ Compare with another bike ＋ Add to garage All model years

What’s new for the 1987 Honda VF 500 F

vs the 1986

Spec	1986	1987
Top speed	199.0 km/h (123.7 mph)	206.0 km/h (128.0 mph)

Other years 1984 1985 1986 1987

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail10%

Cornering85%

City riding62%

Daily riding55%

Touring55%

Two-up40%

Track65%

Best for: A 1980s sport-touring middleweight built for spirited cornering and fast road riding with occasional longer trips.
Built for: Eager, revvy, and agile, with the distinctive exhaust note and mid-range punch typical of Honda's V4 engines.
Not ideal for: Not a good match for riders wanting relaxed upright comfort, off-road capability, or serious two-up long-distance touring.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Good

The 1987 Honda VF 500 F passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 88.3% of the time, 6.0 points above expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 76% of models.

All years of this model: 40 / 100 (average) from 1,320 tests.

88.3%Passed first time

7.8%Failed outright

3.9%Fixed during test

32,000Typical miles

257Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

92.5%

10-20k

87%

20-30k

80.1%

30-40k

79.3%

40-50k

75.9%

50k+

77.3%

All years of this model.

Score by year first registered

198519861987

Against its rivals · ranks 2 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Yamaha RD 250	51 Average	5,241
2	Honda VF 500 F	40 Average	1,320
3	Honda CX 500 Turbo	36 Below average	299
4	Kawasaki GPZ 500 S	28 Below average	23,836
5	Honda VF 400 F	23 Below average	1,160
6	Honda VFR 400 NC24	14 Poor	2,273

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.

Full specifications

Engine

Capacity: 497.0 ccm
Power: 70.0 HP (51.5 kW) @ 11500 RPM
Engine type: V four, four-stroke
Power/weight ratio: 0.3398 HP/kg (wet)
Bore x stroke: 60.0 x 44.0 mm
Compression: 11.0:1
Cooling system: Liquid
Valves per cylinder: 4
Torque: Not on record - add it

Transmission

Gearbox: 6-speed
Transmission type: Manual
Final drive: Chain

Performance

Top speed: 206.0 km/h (128.0 mph)

Dimensions & weight

Wet weight: 206.0 kg
Fuel capacity: 17.00 litres
Seat height: Not on record - add it
Dry weight: Not on record - add it

Brakes & wheels

Front brakes: Dual disc
Rear brakes: Single disc
Front tyre: 100/90-16
Rear tyre: 110/90-18

Compiled from manufacturer documentation and user contributions, corrected on an ongoing basis. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.

What changed, year to year

Differences highlighted

Specification	1984	1985	1986	1987
Capacity	497 cc	497 cc	497 cc	497 cc
Seat height	800 mm	—	—	—
Fuel capacity	17 L	17 L	17 L	17 L
Bike Reliability ⓘ	Too few tests	30 Below average	38 Below average	76 Good