...which is exactly what a lot of potential buyers must have been muttering during the Bonhams auction last week as the bidding climbed into the stratosphere for this RC30 on auction.

When the hammer sounded the bidding had hit $92,000 (with buyer's premium). I had to double check to be sure this wasn't pesos we're talkin' about. Two web sites I found had predicted $40,000 and $50,000 sale prices, and my guess of $37,000 is just laughable. This sets a whole new bar in RC30 values worldwide. Granted this particular bike may be the finest U.S.-spec example around, but future RC30 sales will surely be riding this wave for some time. Congratulations to the seller, and "well done" to Bonhams.

I've put together some more parts I'm clearing out from my 1990 VFR750. Here's a partial list with some prices (add shipping). Let me know if you need something....

•Carburetor Sets (2 complete sets), rebuilt, new lines/o-rings, cleaned, sync'd, zero miles: $160 and $180
•Front Forks, rebuilt 150 miles ago with fresh seals. Nice condition: $100
•Fuel Tanks (2), OEM, one red (very small dent), one black (larger dent), otherwise nice condition: $60 each
•Tail light Cowl: modified to one piece, in black, with tail light and turn signals. Very nice condition: $70
•Seat Subframe, straight as far as I know. Nice condition: $20
•Rear Fender, looks good, slightly bobbed below license plate. Nice condition: $10
•Handlebar Clipons set (right & left), OEM, straight. Nice condition: $20
•Pulse Generator Assembly (triggers spark plugs), used, working, NLA from Honda. $40
•Triple Tree assembly, complete w/ recent bearing upgrade. A bit scuffed: $35
•Chain Guard, looks good: $12
•Rear (passenger) Brackets (right & left) -- w/foot peg-ectomy , smoothed, polished, look great: $25
•Front Calipers (right & left), rebuilt with almost new EBC HH pads, look pretty good: $100
•Misc: infill panels, emissions stuff, relays, rubber heat shields, etc

Here we have a seller in Reno, NV who "got a little carried away" with a custom build for his son. Starting with 500cc Magna cruiser, our builder went for a scrambler look...and pulled it off pretty well. The goal was the popular 1973 Honda CR250 Elsinore.

Along the way the forks and rear wheel were swapped for early CBR components while the fenders and number plates are Elsinore parts. I have to say that I love the look, though the choice of cruiser-to-scrambler is an odd one. The current crop of street scrambler styled bikes are mostly for...ahh...style, and this build is certainly no exception. The knobby tires are certainly a compromise while the 500cc V4 is pointedly lacking the torquey pull of the old "enduros." The upswept mufflers are spot on, but the square headlight is just wrong on all counts.

I appreciate the work and dollars invested in this build, but the seller's asking price of $5000 is probably on the optimistic side. Having said that, the builder should be applauded for a great job in executing his vision. Below is a view of his staring and finishing points. Here's a link to a Bike-urious feature on this bike.

The other auction in town next week is Bonhams event being held one day only, January 25th. Bonhams is generally known for offering the highest-end collectible vehicles, and this year won't disappoint; rife with hallowed names from the past like Brough, Pope, Indian, Vincent, Ariel, Velocette and many more.

The only V4 Honda in attendance will be a 1990 VFR750R RC30. But, if you want to dance with an RC30, this one is the belle of the ball. Showing only 14 miles, this is a bone fide museum display queen. As the brochure notes, "A never-to-be-repeated opportunity to acquire an as new RC30...." My guess: $37,000.

Here's a link to Bonhams Las Vegas catalog. 

MOTORCYCLE AUCTION WEEK
The 2018 Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction is almost here. In the classic car biz, they have their "Auction Week" every year in Scottsdale AZ, also in January. That evolved out of Barrett-Jackson's huge car auction that attracted so many buyers and sellers that other auction companies joined in. Today there are a half-dozen or so big classic car auctions during that week in Scottsdale, hence the name "Auction Week." In the classic vehicle biz, the Las Vegas auctions kick off the year with a bang.

It all started with one auction company, in this case MidAmerica Auctions, who came to Vegas in 1990 and slowly built up over the years to a 3-day sale with upwards of 700 bikes. The resulting buyer draw attracted Bonhams Auction Co. who hosts a 1-day sale of a couple of hundred bikes each year on Thursday. A few years ago, RM Auctions came in trying to bump MidAmerica from their spot, running their 3-day auction on the same three days as MidAmerica and doing whatever they could to steal the show. MidAmerica's loyal audience stuck with MidAmerica, giving them a record-setting sale, and RM never came back. A couple of years later, MidAmerica sold their business to car auction giant Mecum Auctions, and they've grown the sale considerably. Last year, they boasted 1000 bikes in a 4-day sale. This year, they're promising 1750 bikes in a 5-day sale. Sounds like a good time in Vegas.
Mecum Auction link

Here's what Mecum is offering in the Honda V4 world for 2018.
My WAG for selling prices are shown in parentheses.
Selling prices (including premium) shown in red.

• 1990 VFR750R RC30 — 11,280 miles, all OEM parts ($26,500) $44,000
• 1985 V30 Magna — 2436 miles, rare 500cc mini-Magna ($3200) $3850
• 1984 VF1000F — 1611 miles, red/white/blue ($6300) $11,000
• 1984 VF1000F — 1531 miles, red/white/blue ($6300) $12,100
• 1986 VF1000R — 32 miles (!), all original right down to the tires ($14,000) $16,500
• 1985 VF1000R — 561 miles ($11,000) $14,850
• 1985 VF1000R Race Replica — Euro tank, fiberglass bodywork ($11,000) $4950
• 1985 V65 Sabre — 13,300 miles ($2900) $2200
• 1987 VF700 Magna — Under 7000 miles, rare cast wheels (solid rear) ($3100) $3025
• 1995 VF750 Magna — 10,679 miles ($3000) $3850
(click on an image to enlarge)

Sold for $13,000
Whoa, $13K for a 1985 VF1000R? Yes, and well sold. This minty example shows only 442 miles and the condition reflects that. Originally listed on eBay with an opening bid of $12,000, the auction garnered four bids.

The bike was stored for 27 years and has been treated to a full maintenance regimen plus some suspension updates. This is all the money for this model, but try finding one like this for any price.

(click on an image below to enlarge)

It seems change is the new "normal" when it comes to our climate these days. The so-called average for temperatures and precipitation don't seem to hold much credence. People and property are suffering out west, snow is falling down south and the east coast is buried in snow one day with T-shirt weather the next. And that's just the first two weeks of the year.

But here in the upper mid-west we can count on winter being winter. And today is the half-way point — it's downhill from here, or so we tell ourselves. In honor of Winter Hump Day I found a sunny-day video of a VFR800 running the famous Mulholland Drive, beginning near Malibu, CA. Enjoy.

I came across this AirTECH brand race/replacement fairing on eBay. AirTECH has been making bodywork for motorcycles since 1983 with constant involvement in racing at all levels. They supply pieces for just about everything you can name, from Aprilia to Yamaha, plus vintage, drag bike, land speed bike and, of course, cafe racer.

The auction listing at left is a headlight fairing for the '86-87 VFR. This is a typical piece as supplied from AirTECH — the mounting holes and headlight opening would need to be added by the purchaser. As such, the fairing could be used either for competition or as a replacement part, albeit with some mounting fabrication required. AirTECH's price is $168.

AirTECH supplies parts for nearly all the generations of VFRs, beginning with the VF models and extending to the VFR, RC30 and RC45, plus generic fairings for a custom build.  I'm not sure about shipping charges, as the ordering process is limited to phone orders. I have a set of used AirTECH mid-fairings — the fairings are very flexible and lightweight. The company only states that their products are manufactured with the "best tried and true aircraft composites." For a track bike, these are a no-brainer; for the street they may be a viable option when original components are hard to find, like the mid fairings for the third-gen VFRs. Check 'em out.

I'm always on the watch for useable fuel tanks for my 2d-gen projects. "Useable" might mean an original condition example or one that could be used in a restoration. Prices and condition run the gamut. Here's a few sales from recent eBay auctions.
NOTE: If someone is in need of a '90-93 fuel tank I have two available in factory red and factory black.

This is a very similar-condition tank from another parts breaker in Oregon. No dents, and the seller states that the interior is like new. No hardware included. Sold for $400, shipped.

Here we have what appears to be an original tank in Pearl Crescent White, but in need of some serious refurbishment efforts. The exterior is passable, but the interior looks pretty bad from the photos and, in fact, there's a pinhole leak in the tank's bottom.

Our seller is also a long-time parts guy from Montana who listed this item for a lofty $499 but wisely accepted a $200 offer with shipping.

Our Minnesota seller was also successful with this original-colored 1987 tank in blue/silver. Judging by the photos, the paint condition looks like it might work for a rider, and I suspect that some color sanding and buffing would work wonders.

This one includes the petcock and fuel level sender. The bargain of the bunch, it sold for $133, shipped.

Finally, from a breaker in Michigan comes this example in need of refurbishing inside and out. There looks to be a lot of rust to deal with here and the exterior has been painted and decal-ed sometime in the distant past. The fuel sender is included. Sold for $75, shipped.

I've begun prepping an entire set of bodywork and fuel tank for a grand experiment for Project 13. My plan is to have a complete hydrographic (film dip) application in place of repainting. I haven't decided on the final pattern I'll use, but the first step in this process is the same for any paint job — strip the old decals. This can be accomplished with machine sanding but that's gonna' leave a mark on the plastic parts, so I choose finesse over brute force.

I first determine if the decal has been clearcoated. If so, I go around the edge of the decal with a palm sander to provide a clean edge. After a gentle application from the heat gun on low setting, I begin scraping with a fresh plastic razor blade. Unlike a steel razor, the plastic blade won't gouge the plastic. I can only progress about one to two inches before needing more heat — we just need the decal warmed so proceed carefully, the ABS can deform with too much heat.

Sometimes the adhesive will remove almost completely, but more likely most will be left behind, as pictured here.

Not a problem. Using a strip of non-scuff kitchen pad, I soak a section of adhesive with 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner for about 30 seconds and gently scrape the residue with a fresh plastic blade (I buy them in packs of 100). Repeat as necessary and finish with a final wipe with a paper towel wetted with adhesive cleaner.
(click on an image to enlarge)

We're left with a nice clean surface, but with a distinct outline where the clearcoat edge was. This needs to be removed or it will show under the new paint, or film in this case.

My final step is a general sanding of the entire piece in preparation for paint. For this I use wet-dry 320-grit paper with a little extra attention to the decal outline. The film dip technician will prime and apply the appropriate base coat color as part of his service, so like any painter, he needs these pieces delivered ready for paint. This cowl took about 30 minutes to this point and I'll spend four or five hours removing all the bike's decals. From here I'll deal with any plastic repair and/or bodywork required.