My recently completed 1986 VFR700F has just been accepted on Bring-A-Trailer's auction site. This is a first for me, so I'm excited to see what degree of interest the bike generates in a no reserve auction.
It should go live in two or three weeks.
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My recently completed 1986 VFR700F has just been accepted on Bring-A-Trailer's auction site. This is a first for me, so I'm excited to see what degree of interest the bike generates in a no reserve auction. It should go live in two or three weeks.
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 Earlier this week RareSportBikesForSale posted about a 1994 VFR750 for sale on Bring-A-Trailer. What caught my attention was contributor Norm's write-up on the VFR in general. There's a couple of details askew in his account, but overall he does a good job of capturing a bit of the VFR's appeal. UPDATE: This VFR sold for $7000 "These VFRs just look better and better every time I look at them. Age is making these finer and finer and I always say Honda has left some of the most remarkable bikes and engines in its wake through time. There’s just something so romantic about winding out a gear-driven V4 and feeling the power come through at 10k RPMs through a windy, empty road. Ten to 20 years from now when rocketpods are the new school buses and time travel capsules are the new rocketpods, bikes like the VFR are going to be the artifacts that best recall what exceptional and classic mechanical engineering looked like.
From an engineering standpoint, the VFR had been considered a success ever since it came out. Executing a single-sided swingarm and V4 in a streetable platform is no joke but Honda got it pretty right when the VFR first came out in 1990. In 1994, they came with some upgrades to further fine tune the VFR as an excellent multi-purpose street machine. In regards to the powerplant, Honda had tinkered with the cam timing, reshaped ports, and switched to a 34mm carb setup. They also opted to go with a 4-1 exhaust system that shed 5 pounds. Shedding weight was really the name of the game with the 1994 VFR as the exhaust combined with other various improvements resulted in a 20 lb weight loss. Weight is a sport bike’s worst enemy so the leaner profile certainly earned the VFR more credibility on the road and as a true swiss-army knife."  With all the finishing details attended to, Project 40, a 1986 VFR700F, is finished. I acquired this project in Michigan in April, 2022 from a seller who had begun his own project, but lost steam. The bike had a transplanted 750cc engine installed but much of the rest was in boxes, which filled the bed of my truck. After much consideration, I decided to take the bike back to its 700 roots and swapped back the original engine (which was included in the sale). Also included were "750" side fairings, which I decided to keep on the bike.  Most of the bodywork was in excellent original condition, needing only cosmetic attention, with the exception of a faded and dinged fuel tank and some plastic cracks to the large right side fairing, which were both repaired and professionally repainted. The mirrors and front turn signal housings were also repainted, while reproduction LED CBR/VFR 400 rear signals were sourced to tidy up the rear. Other modifications include a set of restored Kerker dual slip-on mufflers with polished header pipes, a reproduction windscreen and 19mm bar risers from MOTO-CNC. The rear shock is an OEM unit from a low-mileage bike while the rebuilt forks have an extra 1/2" preload spacer installed. Here's a summary of this VFR:
Three recent V4 auction sales on Bring-A-Trailer help give an insight into current values. These include a Sabre and two 1st-gen Interceptors; 750 and 500 versions. The sales prices seem to signal an uptick in early V4 values.  SOLD: $8100 1983 VF750 Interceptor Here's an example of a first-year V45 with an unclear history. Showing only 9 miles on the odometer, the comments generally suggest that is unlikely. Curiously, this bike has not been run for an unknown period and there's been no investigation done to determine if the bike is affected by the infamous "soft" cam issue. And, there's two right hand mirrors mounted (?). Surprisingly well-sold.  SOLD: $8200 1986 VF500 Interceptor This mini-ceptor is presented as a 6000-mile survivor with assorted scuffs and dings to support that. The bike shows well enough, is above average cosmetically and has low miles. The selling price is impressive, all things considered.  SOLD: $4400
1985 VF700S Sabre Another 6000-mile survivor, this very well-kept Sabre will make a great classic motorbike, and I hope the new owner puts some fair-weather miles on her. Looking closely at the photos, it's evident that this is, in fact, a low-mile example, with clean engine cases and fine paint. The Sabres don't have the same appeal as the sportier Interceptors, especially the 700cc version, and the the sales price reflects that. There's still plenty of performance to be had, though, and the Sabre will always cut a handsome profile. Well bought.  What: 1991 VFR750 Where: Merrillville, Indiana Why: Low miles, clean, rare-ish Price: $3500 Reader Nick recently contacted me about his 1991 VFR750 for sale. Whenever I see a 3d-gen with the kickstand fairing still in place I know we've got a potential winner. This bike shows 15,677 miles and is very complete, but has had at least a partial repaint in the past. The '91 version is wrapped in Italian Red with one-year only muted gold wheels and gray seat — prettier in the flesh than photos can show. Contact Nick for details: (219) 678-3156 (I have no affiliation with this sale) Test ride complete, the time has come for final assembly of Project 40, a 1986 VFR700F. Below is a short slideshow which belies the many hours of fitting, tweaking, refitting, polishing fasteners, getting the turn signals straight, rubbing out the seat vinyl and buffing paint. A final polishing will have this one ready for its next caretaker. A beautiful example of the classic second-gen red/white/blue Interceptor. I'll have a more in-depth review of this bike when I have the final photos available. We've been basking in a spell of above-average Spring temperatures here in the upper midwest, so the opportunity finally presented itself for an initial test ride for Project 40, this 1986 VFR700F. I always leave the side fairings off for these tests, allowing visual inspection as the ride progresses, and the foot brake pedal is taped to help preserve its fresh paint. Here, I've stopped at Fox River County Park in Kenosha County, Wisconsin along my 40-mile test loop. Absolutely no issues arose during the test ride — this is a typically smooth and friendly 700. The dual Kerker pipes sound great without being obnoxious and the mildly jetted carbs pull smoothly in top gear from 2000 RPM all the way up. Next, I'll fit the remaining fairing panels and this project will be ready for its photo shoot.  Project 39, my 1993 VFR750, was in dire need of a refurbishment of the right side footpeg assembly, consisting of the peg, brake pedal, rear master cylinder, heat shield and the aluminum casting itself. Shown at right and in the photos below, the master cylinder was found to be leaking, the pedal was twisted and corrosion was everywhere. (click on an image to enlarge) I begin with disassembly and degreasing, then inspect the master cylinder for corrosion in the bore, which was thankfully absent. I attacked the master's exterior with a soft brass rotary brush and some polish followed by a fresh rebuild kit from K&L. Next, I soaked any rusted steel parts in rust remover, then straightened the twisted brake lever in the vise and finally ground smooth several gouges on the shaft before sanding, painting and a fresh foot rubber. The chrome heat shield was polished as well as possible despite some rust pitting. Next came the labor intensive part — the footpeg and casting required hand sanding to remove any surface corrosion to get down to smooth aluminum. I elected to finish with 600-grit wet/dry paper to leave the surface with a brushed finish. All the small fasteners were detailed before final assembly and the aluminum parts were sprayed with two coats of Sharkhide to preserve the finish. While the assembly was off the bike I prepped and painted the black exhaust pipes for a finishing touch. Below are some "after" photos — not perfect but a real improvement for this budget build.  Riding weather is upon us here in the upper Midwest — time to get our favorite classics back on the road.  This past weekend at Mecum's Glendale auction this beautiful 1986 VFR750 crossed the block at $7700 and I'm assuming there's a buyers' premium on top of that. This appears to be a for-show replica with lots of cool HRC and period correct bits, but no mention of engine modifications or competition history. No title. It's a very nicely done build and surely looked the role in its previous life as a display piece. Here's the bullet points from the auction listing: • Previously from the Kent Riches private collection • VFR750 Superbike with many rare HRC parts • HRC Magtek magnesium wheels, 17x3.50 front and 17x5.00 rear • Dual HRC style radiators • Large oil cooler with stainless braded hoses • Ceramic coated Kerker race exhaust • 43mm adjustable SC-30 front forks • HRC RS-250 front brake calipers and rotors • HRC RS-250 rear caliper and narrow band rear rotor • Fox multi-adjustable rear shock • Superbike bars with HRC clamps and RC-30 hand controls • Lightweight Air-Tech race bodywork • Painted in factory HRC race colors with correct decals • Built for racing only • Sold on a Bill of Sale  |
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