Work continues on Project 17. With the front end components off the bike it's time to clean, paint and polish all the bits.

First up are the front brake rotors. I've come up with a technique that makes taping off the brake surface pretty quick and easy. I simply over-tape the area and trim the excess with a fresh razor blade. They're painted with silver wheel paint and clearcoat. These rotors will look like new when installed.

(Below; before & after) Next I need to make the upper triple clamp ("bridge") more presentable. After stripping the factory clearcoat I wet-sand the aluminum and give it a light polish. 

(Below) The handlebar set on this project was in pretty rough shape. Lots of corrosion which just wouldn't sand out, so I looked around the shop and tried out a couple of rotary paint removal wheels. The orange-colored one proved very effective. It went through the bad spots quickly and left a smooth, brushed finish. I completed the process with a light sanding and polishing.

After a few hours spent refitting the subframe and associated wiring, accessories and parts to Project 17, I stood back and saw the depressing scene at right: the subframe/fender was sitting a full inch to the left of the tire centerline. Not good.

With a completely unknown history, I set to measuring and checking level and plumb of the various components. I deduced that the problem probably lay with the swingarm, but just to be sure that it wasn't the subframe (more likely), I fitted a spare subframe...with the same results. So off came the subframe, wheel, shock and swingarm and on went a spare swingarm followed by the subframe and fender. Success — everything lined up nicely.

And here's the magic stuff: Easy-Off oven cleaner. I took the piece out into the sun for a little solar assistance and started experimenting. I found that an initial soaking for about 20 minutes, wipe, and re-soak for an additional 10 minutes was the ticket. The entire swingarm used one can of Easy-Off.

And here's the rather discouraging result. The process left behind this black residue. I thought sure I'd done more harm than good, but not to worry....

A quick application of Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish applied with a non-scratch kitchen pad dissolved the blackened finish and left raw aluminum.

The raw finish was still not completely uniform in appearance so I brought out an old trick and lightly wet-sanded the piece with 500-grit sandpaper, leaving a nice, smooth matt finish.

​This was followed by a light application of Mother's and then hand-buffed.






The result is better than I'd hoped for. Amazingly, the chain wear decal survived the entire ordeal.

Job done!

The tank and body panels for Project 16 are back from the painters. I chose a Kia color, Snow White Pearl, which is the closest modern color match I could find to the original '86-87 Pearl Crescent White.

This job is done in two stages (from my perspective). The color coat is applied, at which point the bodywork is returned to me for refitting to the bike so that the decal set can be applied. When I've completed that step the panels are returned to the painter for clearcoat.

This process is necessary because some of the body panel decals need to line up with others. This is especially true for the red/white/blue scheme, but also for the white bikes where the tank meets the side panels. The reproduction decals are of high quality, but it's still a delicate, one-shot chore with no mis-steps allowed. Fortunately, I seem to have a pretty good eye for this, but I still spend between two to three hours on this job. Once the paint is finalized this project will be complete and looking for a new caretaker.

When the forks are removed for rebuilding, it's the perfect opportunity to check the steering head bearings for wear. Without the added weight of the forks and wheel I'm able to swing the triple clamp through its arc and feel for roughness or a notch, typically in the centered position. That wasn't necessary in the case of Project 17. What I found here is the worst case of notched bearings I've ever seen on a bike. This must have been a handful to actually ride. Here's a video...

(Below) Let's get this thing apart.
​TIP: To avoid breaking the plastic center cap, remove it by tapping it from beneath with a dowel or similar.

(Below) Next I remove the upper nut with an impact wrench and lift off the upper bridge, exposing the locking nuts beneath.

(Right) With a closer look at the locking nuts I see that a previous mechanic had failed to bend up the locking tabs. This is a sure indication that an earlier service on this bearing issue was dealt with badly.

(Below) Lacking the proper tool, I simply use a slip-jaw pliers to loosen the two serrated nuts, allowing the steering stem assembly to drop out the bottom of the frame neck. This thing is an over-greased mess.

(Below) After cleaning some of the dirty grease away, I use a long piece of round stock to drive out the upper and lower bearing outer races.

Here we see the damage to one of the outer races. It's subtle but it's enough to cause problems with the steering bearings.



For a tutorial on replacing the steering bearings see the "Maintenance" page article: "Steering Head Bearing Replacement."

What: 1984 VF700S Sabre
Where: Carbondale, Colorado
Why: Original rider, easy money
Price: $1950 or offer

Introduced in 1982 alongside the Magna, this model was part of the first volley in Honda's V4 assault. The Magna was an all-out cruiser and the Sabre more of a standard with a bit of power cruiser attitude, the "power" part of the formula cemented with the 1984 introduction of the 1100cc V65. The Interceptor added a sport bike to the range in '83.

All the V4 models would succumb to the tariffs imposed by the U.S. government as a thinly disguised bailout of Harley-Davidson, with 700cc models available to the budget-conscious. By 1984 only the 700 and 1100 engines were available and '85 would be the final year for the model (the name would later be resurrected for use on a V-twin cruiser).

So our example here is neither the 750 nor the final-year model, but what makes it desirable, I think, are the combination of low-ish miles, nice rideable condition, and the inclusion of the optional Hondaline swoopy fairing. A close look at the photos reveals an original-condition bike with very good cosmetics (some further detailing would do wonders here) and excellent mufflers — always a good indicator of the level of care given to a motorcycle. The CBX-inspired fairing looks the part and really sets this bike apart. There also appears to be a Fox rear shock absorber installed, with the carbs rebuilt and fresh tires.

The Sabre was not, in all honesty, a stellar performer. The power is adequate and the handling is heavy. But it was never intended as a sport bike, leaning more toward the cafe or cruiser crowd. As a present-day commuter or weekend fun bike, this would be a reliable, classic rider — with the added panache of the V4, of course.

(the two holes in the dash are intended for optional gauges, which can be sourced as used items)

If there's a collectible version of the third generation Interceptor, it would be the final year of the run; 1993. The reason is the color; Honda did a marketing face slap and offered the bike only in a gleaming Pearl Crystal White, right down to the wheels. It stood out from the crowd then and ever since. Here's a couple on offer on eBay, with both sellers apparently looking to get in the low- to mid-$3000 range. That's about right for nice examples.

What: 1993 VFR750F
Where: Marietta, Georgia
Why: Looks great, ready to ride
Price: $3800 or Make Offer

​Showing 25,600 miles and looking spiff in the photos, this example has the maintenance brought up-to-date and looks ready for the road. It sports a lovely Vance & Hines slip-on and cheesy aftermarket rear turn signals, but otherwise in gorgeous original condition, with possibly a tip-over blemish on the left side, but hard to tell from the photos. The seller provides a start-up video. If the fuel tank is not dented or rusted, this looks like a great candidate.

What: 1993 VFR750F
Where: Meridian, Idaho
Why: Looks great, ready to ride
Price: $3000 opening bid, with reserve

With similar mileage but located on the opposite side of the country, this example is described as in "excellent" condition with the carburetors serviced but not much else for details. I have the feeling the seller is flipping this bike and doesn't seem to have a lot of knowledge ("5-speed"). It sports a Corbin seat (with original) and some striping added to the mid-fairings. Still, worth a look.

What: 1992 NR
Where: Dublin, Ireland
Why: NR
Price: $84,995 or Make Offer

​Here's a rare opportunity to own the elusive NR, the mythical street version of the oval-piston NR750 factory endurance racer of the eighties. These bikes have long since reached the collector-only status of display pieces, too rare and valuable to risk on the road. This one is offered with only 13 miles on the odometer with worldwide shipping available. The seller doesn't provide much information in the listing, calling it "beautiful original condition" and number 60 of 200 made. They don't come up often but prices have been seen around $75K in recent years.

Speaking of the NR, here's an interesting video from 2010 of a Honda NR and an RC30 being uncrated and cleaned up. Might be the same NR featured above?

While rearranging the garage yesterday I realized that all three of my personal bikes were set up for a photo op. It also occurred to me how stratified the motorcycle market has become. Back in the day having more than one bike was a luxury reserved for the truly committed or those with more disposable income than most.

That one bike was meant to do anything you asked of it — from commuting to sport riding to touring, maybe even some mild off-road fun. It also helped to be of a certain age where spending consecutive days on the open road on a naked, rattling, temperamental British twin could be viewed as an adventure rather than an exercise in stamina and character-building (which it was).

My garages of the past have housed many brands and genres of motorbikes from Germany, England, Italy and Japan. Today I finally have one made in America, along with a British and Japanese model. If I had more room I'm sure I'd still have my vintage Honda XL500S dual-sport, covering most of the street motorcycling niches. We're very fortunate to be living in an era of such affordable variety in our sport. Bikes that were cutting edge a few years ago are now available at a fraction of their original MSRP, allowing us to fill our garages with the eye candy of our dreams.

What: 1985 VF1000R Interceptor
Where: Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, Canada
Why: Beautiful driver
Price: Auction; opening bid of $6500

Available in the U.S. for only two years, the "R" model VF1000 replaced the one-year "F" as a complete redesign, offering greater complexity at the cost of a lot of sore backs and wrists. These two models are the only attempts at a big-bore V4 on Honda's part, so if you're after that kind of grunt, this is your bike.

This particular example is a Canadian version showing just under 47,000 kilometers and boasting lots of NOS parts, including fuel tank, forks and more. There's been some repainting and a Hagon shock installed. Our seller uses the terms "restored" and "original" in the same breath, but I would view this as a thoroughly refurbished rider. From that perspective the opening price of $6500 (no reserve) is at the high end for this model, but the seller's assertion that you couldn't replicate this for that kind of money rings true.