What: Not sure, but based on an ST1100
Where: Tampa Bay, Florida
Why: When you absolutely, positively need to be different
Price: $3200 or offer

Some folk's imagination take them to strange and unique places. Mine is obviously quite limited, 'cause I would never have envisioned this build. 

Based on a Honda ST1100 (1990-02), a 700-lb sport touring bike, our seller has bobbed, chopped and stripped his way to what is actually a pretty bad-ass (looking) muscle bike, in the vein of the Diavel and VMAX. A tough model to transform to a naked, this ST bobber has some interesting details. I think there's a NOS bottle mounted on the left side, probably acting as a radiator overflow tank, faked Ohlins suspension, and the custom seat blends pretty well with the stock fuel tank. The shortened mufflers, lowered bars, tinted headlight and little flyscreen all fit pretty well, and the choice of color is a refreshing change from the usual black. Too bad about the winged-foot Honda badge pointing backward on the tank, though.

I can just imagine what our seller was faced with at some point in the past: "What can I do with this wrecked ST?" Here we have the result.

The Honda V4 engine is a mechanical wonder to those of us who are in on the secret, and even more amazing that it's able to be produced to a price point allowing the VFR to be an affordable yet thoroughly modern performance motorcycle. When startup Motus and reborn Norton chose engine designs for their exclusive (read: expensive) new motorcycles both companies settled upon the V4 configuration — but in totally different directions.

Motus chose to play on their role as an American manufacturer and created what they like to call the "Baby Block," a reference to the Chevy small block V8. The reference is valid, with a torquey 90-degree pushrod design mounted longitudinally in the frame. This is a big mill at 100 cubic inches, or 1650cc.

Possibly taking a lesson from the Buell experiment, Motus chose not to compete with a world full of super-competent sport bikes, and instead went with a big, mile-muching sport tourer. Two models are available; the MST and MSTR. The bikes are a bit average, but the real star here is the motor, delivering 120 pounds of asphalt-rippling torque.

Are they worth $31K and $37K? Let your checkbook and common sense be the judge.

Norton, on the other hand, went the full-on sport route and came up with a 1200cc, 72-degree V4 spewing somewhere north of 200 hp, sitting transversely in an aluminum frame by Spondon.

In addition to their race bike, two street models are planned. In contrast to the rather simple Motus, both are dripping in electronics and carbon fibre. The chiropractor's dream shown here is the naked Dominator SS.

And, in what has to be the most "notice me" styling exercise since the Britten, Norton presents the RR. No, that's not chrome, rather a silver impregnated paint.

It seems every time the Norton name is resurrected, the price takes a leap upward. Expect these bikes to run $35,000 to $40,000.

I guess I'll be sticking with the Honda, at least till my lottery winnings come through.

What: 2010 VFR1200
Where: Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Why: Yard sale price
Price: $4900 buy-it-now or make offer

As values on first-year VFR1200s continue their slide to oblivion, the resulting buyers' market is creating some great opportunities.

Located near Washington, D.C., this example looks to be a clean and straight bike with some desirable mods, including a go-fast slip-on muffler, Corbin seat, HeliBars bar risers, and Z-Bomb timing retard calibrator. FYI, the Z-Bomb is a simple and inexpensive plug-in electronic device whose job is to simply fool the ECU into thinking the bike is in a higher gear when in first or second. Honda (and others) intentionally retard the timing (to lower power) in first and second gear in an effort to save us from our power-hungry selves. Showing 12,820 miles, the seller claims "excellent condition." Tempting, no?