Some time ago I began contributing to the bikes-for-sale site, Bike-urious (http://www.bike-urious.com). Here's a recent submission I found in Canada. Unfortunately, we have yet another case of a seller providing bad photos of a nice motorcycle. However, look closely and you'll see a Honda NR sitting quietly behind the VFR.

Perhaps the most iconic of Honda's homologation specials (or maybe any manufacturer's), the VFR750R, colloquially known as the RC30, was produced from 1988-1990, with worldwide production totaling 4782 units. Only 316 of these made it to the U.S. as 1990 models due to the EPA dragging their bureaucratic feet. In some European markets the bike was named the Bol D'or after the popular endurance race series held annually in France. This is one such machine.

Our seller, located in Quebec, Canada, tells us that this 1988 French-market machine has been a part of his static collection and will therefore need some maintenance brought up-to-date to make the bike rideable again. Showing 18,900 kilometers (about 12,000 miles), the fuzzy photos don't reveal a lot of detail, but the seller says it "shines like new." He states that the paperwork is in order and being more than 25 years old, importing to the U.S. should be routine. There's an opening bid of $19,999. U.S.-spec models typically run around $25,000, so we'll see what kind of response this Euro model brings here in the States.

UPDATE: SOLD for $26,000 with one bid.

Fellow VFR-isti and interweb virtual buddy, Gamble, from Austin TX, figured out this simple and effective solution to support the front end of his '86 VFR750 project while doing a fork rebuild.

Gamble uses a length of 7/16" steel rod passed through two engine block ears that look like they were made for the task, then supports the rod on adjustable jack stands. Genius.

Gives great access for a detailed cleaning, huh Gamble?

In honor of Winter Hump Day, a congratulations to all of us trapped in the frozen tundra — we've made it half way through the non-riding season. And to those in the American deep south and Down Under, well, get in the saddle, you're now on the backside of your season.

My projects tend to carry on throughout the year, but some are necessarily designated seasonal — I can't paint in the winter, for example....

1. So, this winter I've got a full set of bodywork at my painters. When he reaches the clearcoat stage, he applies a few light coats and then returns them to me for decal application. I quickly get them back to his shop for the final coats of clear. Then wet sand and buffing. These are the first batch that will benefit from our color-matching efforts for the '86 red/white/blue. I can't wait.

2. I've grown tired of messing with old fuel lines, and so have carefully sourced Thermoid main lines and Tygon for the carburetor set. OEM hoses, of course, have molded curves and the line from the fuel tank to the filter is magically sized differently on each end. And they're NLA from Honda. I plan to offer a complete kit to make it simple to replace the whole mess — high-quality lines, easy-to-use spring clamps, filter and a necessary reducer. I hope this helps out some owners. Should be ready soon.

3. Here's something that I've been thinking about for awhile. When our bikes go down, the mufflers nearly always take a hit, particularly near the ends. Unlike aluminum ones, ours are made of stainless steel, so they can't really be massaged and polished back into shape. And they're kinda quiet.

This is my solution (hopefully) to both issues. From my muffler stash I found two victims and, after some exploratory surgery, figured out the interior architecture. From there, I determined that I could remove about five inches from the rear which is the final interior chamber of four. The net effect should be twofold — an increase in sound and reduced back pressure because that final chamber forces the exhaust path to make two 180 degree turns before exiting. Both these reversals will be eliminated. Oh, and subtract a few pounds from the system. This turned out to be more complex a project than I thought, not as simple as chopping off the end.

The mufflers I'm using for this experiment both have road rash — scrapes and dents. My fix is to apply an epoxy (JB Weld) like I would body filler. File, sand, prime with VHT and sand some more. I plan to give a final coat of semi-gloss black VHT (when the weather warms) and fit them up. They could also be done in a silver color. When finished, I've got the perfect VFR700 FII to fit them to. The bike will be finished as a resto-mod and these should fit right in.

4. My "other" V4 is an ST. An '03 ST1300 to be exact. I bought it in Arizona four years ago and two of the many things I like about the bike are optional ABS brakes and the fact that it is fitted with a full Race Tech suspension front and rear. In fact, it was the test mule for the company's development of ST1300 components.

Most of our riding with the ST is two-up, but the previous owner had the suspension set up for much lighter weight. Lately, we've kind of run out of rear compression damping and so I've sent the shock to Race Tech's shop in Corona, CA for a re-valve and heavier spring. The idea is to make this great bike even better for our riding. They've just received it and promise to keep me in the loop. The estimate for this kind of service is $305. I'm really looking forward to the first Spring ride.

1986 VFR750R
Most RC30s that we see are the homologation imports sold as street bikes, some with a privateer racing history. This one is different.

While all RC30s were built by HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) some were further prepped by professional race teams and campaigned at high levels throughout the world. This particular machine was raced by Winfield Racing of Australia and its rider provenance includes Troy Corser and Anthony Gobert. Retired in 1994, the bike is now fully restored and offered for sale through an exclusive listing at RareSportBikesForSale.com. No price is given, the owner is requesting offers.

Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this seller is offering what appears to be a very presentable and well-kept 2006 VFR800 in a nice, if subdued, graphite color. Yes, it shows 56,600 miles, but the service, tires and chain are up-to-date and the bike seems to be completely original and not hot rodded. And it's only $2500 OBO.

If I were in the market for a general purpose motorcycle for recreational use, this is what I'd be searching for. The average annual miles for that kind of ride in the upper midwest is probably about 1000 per year, so do the math and this one could be in your garage for decades. A good buy.