What: 1984 VF1000F Restomod
Where: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Why: Nice bits, well-done, looks like fun
Price: Auction, with reserve

The first-gen VF1000F, produced for the U.S. market for 1984, was not a sales success for Honda, and was replaced with the "R" for '85-86. That left the F as the orphaned step child, and orphaned bikes tend to go one of three directions — thrashed till they're trashed, well-maintained daily drivers or transformed into an owner's personal vision of what the bike should have been all along. That's what we have here.

The VF boasts upgraded forks, swingarm and suspension along with performance header/muffler and many nice bits to complete the build. Most of the bodywork is original, which make this the definition of a restomod. Showing 27,000 miles, the bike was featured in the June, 2014 issue of Practical Sportsbikes magazine.

Bidding is up to $2300 with the reserve not met. Modified classic motorcycles in general won't have the market value of original-condition examples, so it will be interesting to see if this beauty fetches our seller's price.

Update: No sale. With 25 bids reaching $4050, the VF failed to meet reserve.

When Patti casually asks to make a quick stop at the Dollar General (or any one of the other "true" dollar stores) I don't moan too loudly 'cause I look at it as an opportunity to stock up on supplies. Here's a few examples...

Paper towel, hand towels, chamois...

This past weekend Las Vegas hosted the big motorcycle auction events of the year. At the Mecum auction six VF/VFR sales were recorded, including the highest price I've seen paid for a VF500. It's really difficult to gauge the value of an auction sale without having seen the bike in person and knowing relevant details. In any case, here's the results:

'85 VF1000R — $5250 — From the two photos provided this looked like a very presentable example with an aftermarket muffler. Mileage not listed.

'90 VFR750R (RC30) — $24,000 — This bike appears to be a beautiful, likely original, example and was displayed at a museum in California. "Low mileage."

'84 VF500 — $4500 — This very clean example is documented as the first VF500 imported to America. Mileage not listed.

'86 VFR700 — $3500 — Nice looking red/white/blue 700 with "HRC" stickers and some bluing on the left-side muffler, drooping turn signals — could have been better presented. 18,000 miles showing.

'86 VFR750 — $3000 — Very clean and well-preserved 750 in red/white/blue. Claimed to be all original. Drooping turn signals, excellent mufflers. 45,000 miles. Proving that miles do matter, this one sold for less than the less desirable 700 above.

'97 VFR750 — $3750 — Super clean, original, excellent condition, showing only 6.400 miles. Gorgeous final-year VFR and well-bought. I would have been bidding on this one.

The auction is scheduled to be broadcast on NBCSN January 31, 8pm - 2am.

What: RC30 Fuel Tank - Used
Where: California, USA
Why: When you really, really need a tank for your VFR750R daily rider
Price: $2239.26

Listed on eBay at a fixed price is this slightly blemished RC30 fuel tank. The seller does a good job of disclosing and showing the few sore spots, but no other history is offered. The price is somewhere around 10 percent of the value of an average RC30, so to ante up you must genuinely need this tank.

What: Tube handlebar conversion
Where: Germany
Why: Sweet kit
Price: ~$366 with options

From our friends at Gimbel in Germany comes this very nicely thought-out and finished kit to convert your 1986-87 VFR to tube handlebars. They have developed a pretty nifty but simple design which clamps on the forks in place of the OEM clipons and then uses basic handlebar clamps to fit the tube bar of your choice. The kit includes a single braided brake line or an optional two-line full replacement. An aluminum handlebar is included (in several colors) and even bar end weights are available. At the current exchange rate the whole kit with fixin's and shipping comes to around $366 USD, so it's not for the thin of wallet.

From their listing: Check out the cool Euro paint scheme on the VFR and the totally rad wheelie guy.

Today I began to fit bodywork to Project 14, a 1987 VFR700 F2. I was anxious to see the effect of the black accents applied to the otherwise stock red/white/blue look. Some of those accents include the wheels, front fender (still in red), mirrors (still in white) and mufflers. The wheels in particular give it a whole 'nother vibe compared to the OEM white. The front is also a larger 17-inch and the fender trimmed to a slimmer profile. The wheels have a single white pinstripe applied. The rear fender area has been cleaned up with a fender eliminator, tucked-in LED signals and the helmet lock tab eliminated along with the original turn signal mounts. The mufflers are shortened originals with one baffle chamber removed. So far I like the look and once the fender is blacked-out it should flow pretty well.

I've been asked about the work stand. I picked this up from AeroStich several years ago when it was on sale for only $100. It utilizes a pair of heavy-duty milk crates (I see the latest version uses a third in the center span) and is rated at 500 pounds. There's a ramp included, it's made of lightweight aluminum and it all breaks down to store against a wall or under a work bench. The bike is raised 11 inches off the ground, which doesn't sound like much but makes a noticeable difference. I don't have the room for a full-size motorcycle lift, so this is the next best thing. I wouldn't be without one.
Here's the Aerostich link.

In the motorcycle world, the name Arai speaks loudly. It says you recognize safety, quality, style...and you don't mind spending the dinero to make it all happen.

If you also happen to ride a red/white/blue Honda — say a 1986 or 2007 Anniversary Edition VFR — Arai has your helmet.

They call this Corsair X model the "Spencer," and it commemorates "Fast Freddie" Spencer's 1985 World Championship season. The colors are perfect and to further make the point, there's a Freddie Spencer anniversary emblem printed on the back.

Get yours now for $882 at RevZilla.

I wasn't aware that this item was even available. Here's a rear suspension lowering kit for the '94-97 VFR from HyperPro. The seller is located in England and the item is listed on eBay with a buy-it-now of ~$96 including shipping to the U.S.

The kit lowers the bike 35mm or about 1 3/8-inch. By raising the forks in the triple clamps a similar amount you could preserve the bike's geometry.

I presume that the purpose of doing this is for short statured folks, as lowing would certainly compromise the bike's lean angle.

Click here for the eBay link.

Winter hump, that is. January 15th marks the mid-point of winter (by my own highly un-scientific temperature-based computations) and so for those of us up nort', that means we can begin to see the light at the end of the snow tunnel. In celebration, let's go for a virtual ride aboard a VFR800, courtesy of YouTube.
(skip to the 1:00 mark to get on the road)

Last week a mutual friend arranged a visit with Barry Willey, President of National Cycle. Barry's company is a manufacturer of windscreens and accessories to the world and does it all from their base in Chicago, right here in the U.S.A.

Founded as Nation's Cycle Center by his father, Gordon, back in 1937, the company produced motorcycle windscreens and accessories for a "new" enthusiast market. Things took off after WWII and the family business has been looking to the future ever since.

National Cycle is an OEM supplier to manufacturers from Harley-Davidson to BMW. The consumer line includes replacement and aftermarket screens featuring innovative quick-release mechanisms for motorcycles, scooters and ATV/UTVs. Their successful ZTechnik brand is a full line of screens and accessories for the BMW rider. Other products include luggage, lighting, trim pieces, even exhaust pipes.

Barry is a businessman, a forward thinker and a rider. He and his wife have ridden the U.S. and Europe — he knows his stuff. He's coined the phrase RIDER*CENTRIK, the company's product design philosophy that states that everything they do is about the Rider.

For a gearhead like myself, a few hours spent talking bikes and touring the factory with Barry was a day well spent. And, I got an up close look at how my ST1300's VStream windscreen was made.

Victory Motorcycle Bites The Dust

Since acquiring the Indian nameplate back in 2011 and successfully developing it as a legitimate player in the American cruiser market, I've often wondered how/why Polaris Industries has been willing or even able to continue their less successful Victory marque.

That question was answered this week when Polaris announced that they're ceasing production of Victory Motorcycles after an 18-year run. It's become a case of competing against yourself so the red-headed stepchild takes the hit. The company says this move will allow it to concentrate on its Indian and Slingshot brands. They will continue to offer warranty and parts supply for ten years.