“Les vieux fous sont toujours plus fous que les jeunes”. Alexis de Tocqueville
Last week-end I went to Nederland to fetch my “new” 1985 V65 Sabre, a black and grey Californian one with 43 500miles on the clock. She has been in Holland since 1991… She’s in good original condition with only two minor flaws: ruptured grabhandle and nearly broken right rear footrest. With a Belgian club mate, we decided to buy a whole lot of V65 S spare parts which includes the parts I need and much more!
Now, the photographs:
I just neglected the weather forecast: snow & black ice in the belgian’s Ardennes… :’(
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very nice fred, looks in great condition…now all you need is time to ride them all 
Lovely one Fred - well done. The Ardenne? Ah yes, you are not the only one to have been surprised by the Ardenne, ask General Paton.
Sounds like the French are planning a worldwide coup of vf1100’s ?
Lovely bike, one of the best colours too.
I’ve the Magna version. You’ll love the engine, and the surprised look on various crotch rocket riders faces as you say bye bye at the lights.
Have fun!
C.
One more flaw on my bike: she’s fitted with a 110/90/18 Dunlop front tire, correct size but “S” speed specification with a 180km/h speed limit. Unfit for the french MOT, I’ll have to look for a “W” stamped one…
337 miles today with my V65 Sabre, 337 miles of pure happiness! She didn’t miss a beat even when we met a 50 miles downpour. High power, big torque, lots of pleasure. And icing on the cake, 47 mpg on B roads, 39 mpg on city traffic/barely legal speed on motorway mix…
I’m definitly in love with my V65 Sabre!
Photographs of the trip to come…
The V65 and a friend’s BMW in the forest on the “Plateau de Millevaches” 3280ft high with some snow just before we stopped. The BMW nearly let us down with a brake hose failure on our way back.
Jumilhac le Grand Castel (Château de Jumilhac le Grand) One of the beautiful castels we saw during our trip…
Hébergé par Imagesia, le meilleur hébergeur d’images du net !
We also went to Châlus to see the castel where the King Richard Coeur de Lion (King Richard 1) was killed…
As you say Fred, perfect bike and definitely perfect countryside.
Yep, in my opinion the fun factor is bigger when riding the Sabre than when riding the BolD’or. It has more grunt on low rpm’s. Both are fun, though 
Fred, can I have a ride on it when we meet up on the 7th June ? :o We’ve decided to change from Pau to Bayonne. My son and I will be staying in a hotel in the Centre Ville. I’ve been looking at the price of those Sabre’s / Magna’s and the Americans don’t know they’re born with their prices being so low compared to ours.
What’s the difference between the two models and why the hell did Honda designate it VF65 ? That’s just going to confuse everyone surely ?
M
Of course, Marmite, you 'll have a ride on her, no problem. She’s a delight to ride and she’ll be even better soon when she’ll have her new Fournales shock fitted. V65 is just the engine capacity in cubic inches, I assume that, 30 years ago, 1100 cc didn’t speak to the average redneck the bike was aimed to. In period road tests, writers said that the big guy that used to bully you at school and ate your sandwiches under your very nose most certainly rides a V65 Sabre…
The Sabre has got more power, more torque, better brakes, just more every thing than the other VF and, icing on the cake, she’s just frugal! On our way back from Limoges via the medieval city of Rochechouart with, at the end, a 70 miles motorway journey at a good 100 mph it returned to a miserable 5.8 L/100 km which is 48.7 mpg…
I am in love with my Sabre!
Sounds perfect Fred. see you soon.
Martin
