What: 1999 VFR800 FI
Why: Low miles, unique yellow
Where: London, Ontario Canada
Price: $4700 ($6500 CAD)

​"Pictures don't fully show how clean this bike is." Wow, I would say that is an understatement when describing this bike. I've zoomed in on the photos and can't find much to differentiate this from a showroom example. Part of the reason is surely the 5615 miles shown on the odometer, the other may be an owner who spends as much time polishing as riding…my kind of seller.

Yes, the bike is located (not too far) over the Canadian border, but in this case the bit of hassle bringing it into the U.S. might just be worth it, assuming yellow is your color. Speaking of color, this appears to be Honda's Pearl Shining Yellow, available here in the States only in the 2000 model year. Not much required maintenance at such low miles, but there's recent tires, battery and oil change. This qualifies as a unique time capsule of the very desirable 5th-Generation Interceptor.

Andy Goldfine is the founder and sole proprietor of Aerostich Design & Manufacturing Company, based in Duluth, MN, of all places. If you've been involved in this sport for long enough then you're familiar with their signature product, the Roadcrafter riding suit. But there's much more in the Aerostich catalog and it's worth a browse, whether or not you think you're in the market for, well, just about anything for our varied motorcycling genres. 

Andy is also a quintessential motorcycling ambassador, serving on the AMA Board and awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award, named "Motorcyclist of the Year" by Motorcyclist magazine and founder of the annual Ride to Work nonprofit. He's a free thinker and embodies the Midwestern values so lacking in 21st century America. And he has a blog….

His latest entry is entitled, "Neither 'Right' nor 'Wrong,'" an essay on the natural human diversity of our sport and the bonds that tie us all together — here's an excerpt:

"There are as many ways to enjoy motorcycling as there are riders. Motorcycling works on us in ways that cut so deeply into our neurology, our psychology and our ‘souls’ that it’s truly a universal activity, experience and technology. If you ride a motorcycle – any motorcycle – down a quiet suburban street anywhere in the world, and there happens to be a three-year-old child on an adjacent sidewalk...when you pass, that child’s eyes will follow you, and his face will break into a grin. He or she ‘gets it’ in a way at that age they don’t get cars. Any cars. Exactly this same thing will happen alongside a remote dirt two track anywhere in the most impoverished parts of our planet.
Motorcycling is good for you, good for society, and good, period. And though lots of people do not get this, it’s still as good. Doesn’t matter why, or how. Motorcycles are simply a very good kind of thing. You and I are lucky to have them in our lives regardless of specifics related to model, make, or type. We are the fortunate ones, simply because we get to have the ordinary experiences of riding and taking care of and looking at motorcycles."

Well said. Consider subscribing to Andy's blog.

While perusing the Aerostich home page, scrolling downward, I was surprised to come across this photo promoting the Ride More Guarantee, Aerostich's generous refund policy. The picture features a virtual friend of V4 Dreams, Gamble Anderson, posing proudly in an Aerostich suit alongside his '86 VFR700F Interceptor. 

What: 1995 VFR750 (Project 24)
Why: It's one of my projects!
Where: Barrington, Illinois
Price: $3200 asking

NOTE: I have no affiliation with this sale.​

During the spring & summer of 2019 I tackled the full refurbishment of this bike (see below for a link to its story). I kind of fell for this one, keeping it as my personal ride for another year till a local rider convinced me to sell. At some point the bike changed hands and the current owner, Daniel, contacted me last week with the news that the bike would be coming up for sale.

I sold the VFR at about 40,000 miles and it recently turned 45,000. To my knowledge, it still wears its original paint, seat, etc. The bike has a lovely Micron slip-on and I addressed all the mechanicals and did some cosmetic mods, including bronze powder coat accents and polished lower frame. This bike has my personal distinction of being the fastest accelerating VFR I've experienced — not sure why, but it was.

The bike was recently bumped over while parked and the insurance elected to "total" the bike, though damage was minimal. Thus it now has a salvage title.

Contact Daniel through the FB Marketplace ad below for more information. The bike is located in Barrington, a northwest suburb of Chicago.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1087351690159637?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A21404291-c712-48f8-9d07-7acc4f6a9b72

https://v4dreams.com/shop-blog/project-24-completed

We've been enduring our part of a very uncomfortable "heat wave" that enveloped much of the U.S. recently, which finally broke a few days ago. With perfect riding weather (mid-70s and dry air) I got a text from Ken, owner of Project 25, a particularly striking Italian Red 1998 VFR800 FI, with an invite to join him on a local morning ride. We selected Friday and met near Rochester, a sleepy little town on the Fox River in southeastern Wisconsin.

Ken acquired his bike in the Fall of 2019. It showed 17K miles at the time and was a very clean example. Ken has since added a Corbin Smuggler seat and Throttlemeister throttle lock, plus recent fresh tires and an appropriate personalized license plate.

​We rolled west from Rochester, working our way to the southern part of the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, eventually taking a breakfast stop at the Edge Of Town Cafe in Palmyra. Ken is a commercial pilot and, of course, a motorcyclist, so we have plenty in common. Experienced pilots often have a varied and interesting career path, and Ken's story didn't disappoint. Suitably caffeinated, we set out exploring the area's county and township roads — a nice mix of open road blasts and quiet tree-shaded byways. Traffic was light, so we usually had the roads to ourselves, with the occasional turkey and deer sightings keeping us on our toes. A final butt break and coffee at my usual stop in East Troy, and we motored east, splitting with a wave in Waterford, me heading south and Ken north to home.

A pair of classic Honda V4 Interceptors on the midwest backroads is an increasingly rare experience, and I'm happy to have shared the ride with one of my project bikes and great company.