“Iguess I get a bit bored when my hands aren’t tinkering,” beamed Clive when explaining his latest creation. If you’re a regular reader you’ll have come across one or two of his masterpieces over time, but in the words of Tina Turner, we reckon this one’s “simply the best”. “Where did the idea come from? I’m a racer, a racing fan and I know I’ll never own a MotoGP bike, but where’s the harm in making something look like it could be off that grid? I did it before with a Vinales-rep RGV250 and this V4 powered Honda just seemed a no-brainer. My missus has got an RVF and I’ve always thought it’s a great little bike, with loads of features, which made it a great starting point for a special. It’s just a bit different, but as brill as they are they’re looking their age nowadays. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’ve seen people do all these sketches of how a modern-day classic could be built – you know the ones I mean? I figured rather than drawing something, I’d get stuck in and make my own.”
After scouring the net for many months, Uncle Clive eventually stumbled across an RVF that was worthy of some TLC. “You can find a scabby RVF for not too much money, but I was really picky and wanted a nice clean example that hadn’t clocked enough miles to have been around the world a dozen times. Even the fairings were mint, which is probably why I paid such a premium, but it was the exact bike I was after – it’d been looked after.”