Honda introduced this V4 sport-touring nameplate for the 2010 model year as a clean-sheet flagship aimed at riders who wanted long-distance comfort with a more modern, performance-oriented character than the older VFR generation. It arrived as a major shift for the lineup, with Honda positioning it as the next evolution of the company’s V4 touring tradition rather than a simple update of the previous bike. In some markets it was also marketed under the Interceptor 1200 name.
The model is historically significant as the first motorcycle equipped with Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission, which was added during the production run and helped establish Honda’s DCT system as a key technology across later motorcycles. That made the bike important not just as a sports tourer, but also as a showcase for Honda’s approach to electronic shifting and rider-focused automation.
Stylistically and conceptually, it moved the VFR line in a more muscular, high-tech direction, with fully enclosed bodywork and a strong emphasis on premium road use rather than track intent. It retained the VFR family’s V4 identity while marking a new era in design and engineering for Honda’s larger-displacement touring motorcycles.
Production continued through the 2016 model year, after which the nameplate was phased out. It did not return as a separate revived series, so this was a single continuous production run. Enthusiasts generally remember it as a distinctive, technologically ambitious flagship that bridged Honda’s classic VFR heritage and the brand’s later automatic-transmission era.