The Honda VFR800/Interceptor is a motorcycle introduced by the Honda Motor Company in 1998. It is a successor to the VFR750F (1986-1997), which was preceded by the VF750. From its first sales in 1986, the VFR750F scored highly on many press reviews. While it was originally intending to be a sports bike, the introduction of lighter competitors (including the nearly 30 kg lighter GSX-R750) prompted Honda in 1990 to transition the VFR into a mid-sized sports-touring bike, a category of which the VFR became the de-facto benchmark. However, by 1997, Triumph and Ducati presented Honda with significant sports-touring competition, so Honda responded with a redesigned VFR800 in 1998. Physical characteristics Rather than being a direct development of the previous carbureted VFR750F engine, the VFR800 engine was a detuned and longer-stroke power plant based on the fuel-injected RC45 race engine. The RVF750R RC45 engine, although a development of the VFR750R RC30 and originally derived from the VFR750F RC24, was very different as the gear drive to the cams was moved from the centre of the engine to the one side, similar to the CBR250. Tuned for road use in the VFR800, fuel injection provided excellent driveablility and power was slightly increased over the VFR750. The most noticeable change, however, was that the torque figures were substantially improved from the previous model right up to the 11750 rpm red line. All VFR800 models use fuel injection instead of carburetors for fuel-air mixing. In 2000, Honda updated the fifth generation VFR (RC46) with a catalytic converter, oxygen sensors, and an EFI system that would enter closed-loop mode under highway (cruising) operation.