A few days ago, Brett, the proud owner of Project 33, a 1993 VFR750F in original Pearl Crystal White, emailed me with a question about his brother-in-law's newest acquisition, a 2007 VFR800 Anniversary Edition. Brett also mentioned that he'd recently gotten the '93 down to the Smoky Mountains for a few days of riding bliss.
RIDING THE DRAGON
When someone in my small part of the VFR universe casually mentions that they've taken their Interceptor on a special ride, no matter where that may be, I doubt that they realize how satisfying those words are to me. Helping to rescue a forgotten, forlorn machine from the corner of a dark shed and put it back in the hands of someone who will see it with fresh eyes and fresh enthusiasm is a reminder of why I keep doing this work.
Someone commented to me once regarding this website by saying, "Wow, you flip a lot of VFRs." I wasn't sure how to take that. I hope that what I do isn't "flipping." Spending 80 to 100 hours in an effort to breathe life back into these special motorcycles is often dirty, tedious, thankless work. I call this "sympathetic restoration" — that's when you do your best to bring an example up to the best standard it can be while still being true to its unique overall condition, history and originality, all the while trying to avoid looking restored. That requires attention to every detail, down to every screw head, knowing full well that no one will likely appreciate the effort. But anyone who's done this kind of work understands that those details are what define the whole.
These classic VFRs can hold their own 30 to 40 years after leaving the showroom. They have looks, charisma and the charm that only a vintage road machine can provide. The V4 development was Soichiro Honda's pet project, culminating in the RC30, RC45 and RC213V-S. And, in my opinion, no GSX, CBR or ZX7 can touch 'em.
So, thanks for sharing, Brett, and reminding me of why we do this.
Someone commented to me once regarding this website by saying, "Wow, you flip a lot of VFRs." I wasn't sure how to take that. I hope that what I do isn't "flipping." Spending 80 to 100 hours in an effort to breathe life back into these special motorcycles is often dirty, tedious, thankless work. I call this "sympathetic restoration" — that's when you do your best to bring an example up to the best standard it can be while still being true to its unique overall condition, history and originality, all the while trying to avoid looking restored. That requires attention to every detail, down to every screw head, knowing full well that no one will likely appreciate the effort. But anyone who's done this kind of work understands that those details are what define the whole.
These classic VFRs can hold their own 30 to 40 years after leaving the showroom. They have looks, charisma and the charm that only a vintage road machine can provide. The V4 development was Soichiro Honda's pet project, culminating in the RC30, RC45 and RC213V-S. And, in my opinion, no GSX, CBR or ZX7 can touch 'em.
So, thanks for sharing, Brett, and reminding me of why we do this.
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