Restyled 1985 Honda VF1000 F2 Walks a Thin Line Between Restomod and Custom

A long period of dormancy had followed, yet the V4-powered Honda was destined to eventually undergo an invigorating makeover. Its present-day owner is none other than Ralf Eggl, the founder and lead mastermind of Woidwerk from Bodenmais, Germany. The shop was established as a family business around 2014, and Ralf’s inherited VF1000 came out of storage a year later.

It has, over time, morphed into the striking one-off you’re looking at here, but there’s no word on how long it took to attain its current form. What we can tell you is that Woidwerk revealed it rather recently, so the transformation process may have taken place over an extended time. This seems like a fair assumption given the project’s personal nature, which might’ve caused it to take a back seat when client commissions and strict deadlines got involved.

Regardless of when it was completed, this build will most certainly be worth talking about for a long time to come! The VF1000 F2 provided a very solid basis from a mechanical standpoint, with the ability to spawn up to 116 hp at 10,000 rpm and 64 pound-feet (86 Nm) of torque lower down the rev range. This force is delivered by a liquid-cooled 998cc V4 mill, with dual overhead cams and a quartet of 36 mm (1.4-inch) Keihin carbs.

Honda’s old-school sport bike is far from light, though, weighing in at 245 kilograms (540 pounds) without any fluids. A fair bit of this mass was due for removal during the Woidwerk treatment, as Ralf sought to expose the machine’s V4 powerplant by deleting its lower fairings. That was only the start of his overhaul, and a lot more work still had to be done here. First things first, he needed to tighten up the motorcycle’s proportions at the back.

That was achieved with some clever tweaking of its subframe, which is now shorter than stock by about eight centimeters (3.15 inches). It’s slightly narrower, as well, but all this would mean nothing if the tail section wasn’t modified to suit the updated anatomy. The project’s author had it shortened and trimmed down on the flanks, while ditching the stock saddle in favor of a tailor-made alternative.

It features a raised construction for the passenger portion, with the added benefit of more stability for the rider. The top section is cross-stitched with white threads, providing ample contrast from the black Alcantara upholstery. They’re encircled by two-tone stitching that matches the highlights on the bodywork, but we’ll get to those a bit later on.

Although the front fairing was retained, Herr Eggl had it repositioned in order to fit its host’s updated proportions. It now sits approximately 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) lower than before, held in place by way of tailor-made mounting hardware. This relocation revealed a couple of unsightly gaps at the front of the fuel tank, so Ralf had them filled in with bespoke aluminum air scoops.

The VF1000 F2’s half-fairing got topped with a low-profile tinted windshield, and the chunky OEM turn signals made room for flush-mounted LED replacements. Out back, modern aftermarket blinkers are attached to a custom license plate holder, which sits right below the factory taillight. Woidwerk also kept the standard headlamp and front fender, but the latter has been downsized to reduce visual heft at the front end.

For a considerable upgrade in the handling department, the specimen was blessed with high-grade Wilbers suspension technology fore and aft. Even though there’s no word on what sort of mods occurred in the cockpit, we clearly see that Ralf got rid of the bulky fairing-mounted mirrors. In their stead, you will now find a single bar-end unit on the left-hand side.

As far as the powertrain-related work is concerned, the German artisan performed an extensive rebuild of the 998cc V4 motor. He subsequently added red silicon hoses for its cooling system, while revising the airbox to help it breathe a little more freely. Of course, some fresh exhaust pipework was a must-have, so our protagonist got his hands on an Aprilia part and adapted it for the VF1000.

Finally, the creature gained a stunning color scheme to make it all come together. A shiny silver base has been used for the upper bodywork, while the accompanying highlights nod to both HRC and Martini. The front fender was finished in red, and things like the coolant hoses and seat stitching do a great job at providing visual continuity throughout this bike.