The original radiator mounted on Project 41, a 1987 VFR700 F2, has seen better days; crash damage on both sides, corrosion, dirt and petrified bugs everywhere, slightly bent on the right side — it's a mess. Still works fine and salvageable, and I am refurbishing it, but I've decided to try out an alternative.

A Chinese company called GPI Racing offers replacement radiators for many vehicle applications, including the RC24/26. They're prevalent on eBay under several names and sellers, but I suspect they're all made by GPI. While appreciating the economies of large-scale production, I still can't help but have healthy skepticism of a $75 (shipped) item that Honda would certainly price at many hundreds of dollars.

​I was unable to find much firsthand experience on the usual internet forums, so decided to find out for myself and ordered one. Arriving in less than a week, I was first impressed by the packaging, and then by the look and feel of the product itself. The radiator appears robustly made with quality material, nicely finished welds and cap included. Some of the mounting tabs are a bit crudely cut and not perfectly aligned but, again, very robust.
(click on an image to enlarge)

The first thing I did was compare several dimensions — everything was spot on or very close. I began the swap by transferring the rubber mounting grommets and test fitting to the frame mounts — everything lined up well. Next, I moved to fitting the fan, where I found a 5mm gap at the bolt mountings. No problem, just fit a thick washer to fill the gap.

The OEM temperature sensor screwed right in place; I will replace the sealing o-ring, still available from Honda.

My next priority is to fit the protective grill to the front side. I found that the aluminum finning is noticeably more delicate compared to the OEM radiator, so I wanted to protect it before proceeding. ​Searching my parts hoard, I found an old screen for test fitting.

The Gen 2 radiators were supplied with two types of grill mounts; one had the upper two mounts using a tab & slot mounting with the lowers using screws. The other style uses screws top & bottom, as does this new radiator. My issue is that the screw mounts are not threaded and too thick to use the original U-clip screws on top. After considering different solutions, I settled on well nuts (below). I drilled out the existing mounting holes to fit the well nuts and tightened the screen in place. One of the four mounting holes was about 2mm off-center, but a little filing had everything lining up. 

With everything in place, all that was left to do was to connect the coolant hoses, fill the system with distilled water and run the engine up to temperature. All went well. No leaks, and the fan activated at the proper time. The system has been in place for a week and run twice more with the same results.

The only other nit is that the coolant overflow hose fitting is larger than OEM so I'll need to address that, probably by switching to a silicone hose which will tolerate stretching over the larger fitting.

l'm in the early stages of this build so the radiator will be coming off for grill refinishing, engine detailing and silicone hoses fitted.

Final thoughts: I'm actually impressed with this product and pleased that there's an aftermarket radiator available for the RC24/26. I half expected quality and fitment issues but found nothing of note. The manufacturer claims better cooling and TIG welded aluminum in a "vacuum brazing furnace" (above my pay grade). I plan to make use of this radiator long-term on this project, fully realizing it's an unknown quantity, but then so is a tattered 40-year old original.

Third Party Updates: Reader Michael advised ​that the overflow nipple is only screwed in place with teflon tape as the sealant, and his eventually began leaking at that point. Mine's the same; you can see the tape in this photo. His solution was to weld it in place, but I plan to "JB Weld" it.

VFRworld forum member Fastdruid added that his installation required lots of fettling to fit. As for longevity, he's been using it for two years problem free, including two track days.

SOLD $9100
Just as I finish lamenting declining Interceptor values in my previous post, I found this recent sale on Bring-a-Trailer. Featured is Honda's first Interceptor, a 1983 VF750F in blue & white showing only 8794 miles. 

This example is a two-owner from California, the seller having purchased it from the original owner ten months ago. The many detailed photos indicate a very nice survivor with just enough patina to show its originality. The frame doesn't show the typical Gen 1 surface rust while the black chrome mufflers are as nice as you'll find outside a museum. Some essential maintenance has been completed but the bike is still wearing nearly 40-year old tires, which shows the very low usage in that time. These bikes were susceptible to the infamous cam wear issues, but the seller includes closeup photos of the lobes and describes them as "pristine."

The selling price reflects a bit of a bidding war, increasing $3000 in the last few hours of the auction.

Included in the listing is a nice little video (below) of this bike running LA's famous Mulholland Drive.

I've been curious about reports of generally declining values in the classic motorbike market, so I thought I'd compare two years of Gen 3 VFR sales on Bring-a-Trailer. For 2024 I found the three pictured below, with an average sales price at just under $5000 and average miles at 11,600. For comparison, looking at the two Gen 3 sales from 2023 we see an average sale price of $6900 with miles at 20,500.

I realize that averages are only a snapshot, but there's still an interesting comparison to be seen here. The 2024 sales were arguably nicer examples with half the miles compared to the 2023 bikes, yet this year's sales show 27% lower average dollar amounts. That seems statistically significant.

I also noticed that three RC30s have sold on BaT in the past two years with an average sales price of $37,350. Five or more years ago you could hardly find an RC30 for under $45,000, at least in my memory.

Markets are cyclical, buyers have ephemeral tastes, and newer generations of riders are certainly leaning away from traditional cruisers and sport bikes in favor of smaller, lighter models, often with a retro vibe. Yesterday I was passed by a trio of presumably hip, young riders, all mounted on little Honda Navis, of all things. And they looked to be having a blast at 40 mph.

History is prone to repeating itself when it comes to human nature, and today's market is reminding me of when I first swung a leg over a motorcycle — when 350cc 2-strokes were giant-killers and the giants were themselves only 650cc. Will small bikes rule once again?

This morning Patti (best wife ever) suggested I take some personal time and blow the cobwebs off one of the bikes. I thought, yeah, it's been a week or two so I grabbed my gear and headed for the garage. But which bike? I'm down to two personal rides; my late-model Triumph Bonneville and the '93 VFR. The Honda was looking a little neglected so I cinched on the tail pack and Garmin Zumo XT, hit the starter and the V4 burbled to life almost before I could let my thumb off the button. It was telling me, "It's about time."

As the engine warmed I contemplated which direction to point the front wheel. Not a lot of choices, due to my geographical location — the chaos of Chicago lies to the south, never-ending suburbs to the southwest, a sea of cornfields to the west and a giant inland lake to the east. North it is, or more precisely, northwest to the southern entrance of the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive in Waukesha and Walworth counties, Wisconsin.

"The Kettle," as it's known locally, is a designated scenic route in southeastern Wisconsin that links the two units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The route traverses through scenic and historic areas, including landscape shaped by glaciers from the latest ice age. In fact, "moraine" is the term for large deposits of sediment left by the melting glacier, forming ridges — and lots of fun roads. On this weekday morning, traffic is almost non-existent.

​Today I would pick up the pace south of the little town of Palmyra, then work my way northeast on a collection of "alphabet roads," twisty county highways designated by a letter or letters, along with smaller byways with more interesting names, like Hidden Valley, Moraine Hills and Honeysuckle. I was pleasantly surprised to find Hwys H & ZZ freshly paved with nary another vehicle on their entire length. A short stop for soup and coffee at the Hen House Cafe in Eagle, and I'm back on the road, first northeast then tacking southeast to begin working my way back home.

I take a few minutes for a butt break and photo op (below) at the quiet Mukwonago Town Park and later for my mandatory stop at The Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago, home of the locally famous "pie baked in a bag." I always pick up a fresh, warm 5-inch apple pie (fits in my tail pack) for tonight's dessert. Simply the best.

Next, I'll skirt the town of East Troy, former home of Buell Motorcycle, and pick up Hwy D at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre for a high-speed run east, rising and falling on the graceful sweepers of this tabletop smooth road, seemingly designed to allow the VFR, and myself, to clear the cobwebs. Working south, I search out a few more of the state's Rustic Roads and eventually ease into the driveway four hours from the start of this short but worthy ride; 151 miles.

​I'm continually impressed with this build. Its upgraded suspension, modified ergonomics, perfectly tuned engine with slightly lowered gearing, rolling on Bridgestone T32s — this has turned out to be a comfortable and responsive GT-style sport tourer, composed at speed and happy to flick about on a twisty back road. I think it looks nice, too!

Bridgestone's Fall rebate promotion is upon us: get $50 to $70 rebates when you buy a set of two eligible tires. I always take advantage of this deal if I anticipate needing tires in the next several months. And, if you purchase through Rocky Mt. ATV & MC, they'll do the paperwork for you. Great prices, too.

Yesterday I received a set of Gen 3 carburetors for rebuild, purchased on eBay. The single issue I found in the listing photos is this bent "choke" rod seen in this photo (red arrow). I have encountered this before and my fix is to straighten it using a 2-pound brass mallet on a flat surface; an old-school anvil would be ideal but my smooth concrete floor will work just fine. I gently tap my way around the circumference and length of the mild steel rod till straight. Remount and check the choke operation — took me about five minutes.

But the interesting thing about this carb set are the intact factory markings all over the exterior shown by the smaller arrows. You'll see remnants of these markings on most carb sets, but I noticed that these are all still in alignment, indicating original factory assembly. The clarity of the marks are also evidence that these carbs have never been cleaned. So, I believe these are untouched, factory-assembled carburetors from 30+ years ago, something I've never personally encountered.

The exterior looks relatively clean, so I was anxious to see what lies inside. Not good; heavily varnished fuel coats the bowl interiors — those jets are thoroughly clogged. The good news is that the throttle, choke and diaphragm slides are all free. These carbs have waited long enough for a thorough cleaning and rebuild, and I'm happy to oblige.

What: 2014 VFR800 DLX
Why: Low miles, well-equipped
Where: NW Arkansas
Price: Asking $7800

If I'm ever in the market for an 8th-gen VFR, I would be looking for the Deluxe version. I would also like to see low-ish miles and some nice extras that I would be acquiring for cents on the dollar. This example ticks all those boxes and comes in arrest-me-red to boot!

Our seller doesn't provide any information on potential issues or flaws, so, pending more details, I'll assume it's in as good condition as the photos indicate. In addition to the nice-to-have stuff included with the Deluxe model, there's $1300 in extras listed, including a Leo Vince exhaust, aftermarket windscreen and more. The 8000-mile service is competed and this one looks ready to ride home. I hope our buyer delays a few days in order to play in the seller's backyard — if you've never sampled NW Arkansas' backroads you should add it to your motorbike bucket list. As for the price, I think $7800 is in line with other quality Gen 8 offerings and there seems to be some wiggle room built in.