This past Sunday I decided to do something I'd never thought to do in the past — enter one of my bikes in a show, one where they actually judge the bike, not just look at 'em. The venue was the second annual Evanston MotorCycle Classic held along a closed-off block in downtown Evanston, Illinois. Evanston is a north suburb of Chicago and sits adjacent to equally beautiful Northwestern University and the Lake Michigan shoreline. The modern college-trendy downtown contrasts with the old-money neighborhoods and their classic homes.

The show is open to bikes of 30-year vintage or older, so my 1986 Honda VFR700F just made the cut. And I just made the show; I literally put the finishing touches on the bike the night before. I decided to trailer to the show (no current plates or insurance) and arrived about 30 minutes before the 10:00am designated show start. I found a nearby parking spot, unloaded, and rode the half-block to the show. Taking up my spot in the Japanese section, I got a coffee and started snooping around....

(Below) The show is in the block to the right in this photo.

(Below) The pearl white really made the Interceptor stand out. "Please don't look too closely at the license plate"!

​Only one other V4 was in attendance — this VF700. The photo doesn't show much of the, ahh, patina which graced this example. This bike was a year older than mine, so that officially made the VFR the newest bike here.

(Below) The oldest (by far) was this rusty beast. I didn't note it's maker, but the front tire was still holding air! In the background are a pair of 50's Cushman scooters restored to the max.

​And here's a nice old police Moto Guzzi flanked by two very pretty Laverdas.

(Below) This BMW hack was nicely presented and sported a very stylish sidecar fender. Lots of beautiful BMWs.

(Below) I was surprised to see that some of the spectator bikes parked along the opposite side of the street were more interesting than many of the show bikes. They formed their own show. This bevel head Ducati was sparkling in its polished aluminum and bright red frame.

(Below) Then there were these two polar opposites: The chopper (the only of its type on the block) was very nicely done and sported a set of clear wheels. I'm certainly not into the custom bike scene, but I've never seen this. It really caught my eye, even though it was clearly not intended to (or was it?).

The BMW R100GS was impeccably restored. I couldn't see a single flaw, and I looked closely. It was so perfectly clean I don't know how he even rode it to the event. It should've been parked on the other side of the street.

(Below) Near the show's beginning, I figured I had a shot at the Japanese crown, but it was not to be. At about 10:30 a guy rolled in on this 1962 Honda CB77. It was restored to the nines. I knew I was beat, and, indeed, he took home the honors for the day. Congratulations and well done.

The show ended at 2:00 and I packed up for the 45-minute drive home. But I chatted with some good people and ogled a great variety of great bikes on a perfect September day. And for once I was part of the show. I just might come back next year.

Here's a tip taken from the Factory Service Manual which allows you to accomplish three jobs with one trick.

​The FSM lists this under testing a fuel pump, but I use it for all three of the above. It's basically bypassing the fuel pump relay in order to force the fuel pump to operate. The job of the relay is to allow the pump to operate only if the engine is turning over — in case of an accident the pump won't keep spewing fuel just because the key is still on. So if we need the pump to operate without the engine running we simply bypass the relay by jumping the two contacts in the connector. Pull the connector, insert a jumper wire between the contacts and turn on the key. The pump will then operate, allowing you to test the pump, or test that the petcock's main and reserve are functioning, or drain the tank, or prime the carbs if they've been drained. Here's my jumper in place....

And here's what it looks like when I'm draining the tank or, in this case, testing the plumbing after installing the tank on Project 17. Next, I'll reconnect the line to the carbs and prime (fill) the carbs with fuel. If you skip the priming step, they'll need to fill while you crank and crank the starter. Priming is A Better Idea.

Project 17 finally got out for a test ride yesterday, probably it's first time back on the road in at least ten years. Everything went well so it's time to finalize the cosmetics and attend to all the final details.

First up is to replace the funky engine covers with some much nicer spares. This clutch cover is a big improvement.

Next up — start fitting the bodywork.

There's a little informal gathering of bikes every Sunday in my area at the Full Moon restaurant on Route 41 near the Great Lakes Naval Station military base. So I thought I'd take my Interceptor down for look-see on this warm September morning.

Not a huge turnout this particular day, but what was lacking in volume was made up for in quality. Several Ducs, a nice old Goose and a few customs.

This pristine Aprilia Tuono V4 stood out, at least to me. I waited awhile for the owner to fire it up for a listen to the Arrow exhaust, but he never showed. In the background sits an equally nice MV Augusta.

While we're on the subject of Ducati, this gentleman was about to leave on his gorgeous looking and sounding Panigale.

(Below) Something else that caught my eye was this custom Triumph. I would call it a bobber with meticulous build quality and some interesting engineering. The main frame looked to be from a '71 or newer with a custom swingarm, while the suspension consisted of a forward-mounted spring/shock and a huge upside-down new age fork. Modern rubber and discs front & rear. Very cool.
(click on an image to enlarge)

Sometimes it seems that the only true bargains left on eBay are old-school no-reserve auctions with low opening bids. This is the purist form of selling — let the market decide. This type of auction is becoming more rare but here we have two very different ST1300s available on opposite sides of the country.

What: 2007 ST1300 (non-ABS)
Where: Half Moon Bay, California (San Francisco)
Why: No-reserve auction
Price: Bidding at $1025

Represented as "absolute pristine condition," this 31,000-mile ST features a Givi top box, Two Brothers exhaust, electric windscreen and Throttlemeister. Not mentioned, but visible in the photos are an electronic cruise control and Sargent rider's saddle. The seller states that it's always been garage kept but is in need of fresh rubber. Looks like a nice one.

What: 2004 ST1300 (non-ABS)
Where: Edison, New Jersey
Why: No-reserve auction
Price: Opening bid at $1760

At the opposite end of the ST1300 spectrum is this second-year 2004 model showing 85,000 miles and a bit more wear & tear. Still, the higher miles are no reason to turn away from a well-cared for ST.

This mostly stock example comes to us in the original Pearl Coronado Blue and is still lookin' good. There's an aftermarket rider's touring saddle and electric windscreen, but otherwise appears option-less. The seller says he/she has service records available.

This would make someone a great commuter or occasional-use weekend tourer.

Despite Patti's less than subtle hints that I spend too much time in the garage (I don't), I'm still able to occasionally sneak a day away for a solo ride and a return to my roots. For some 40 years my motorcycling playground has been the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin. This Wisconsin version of the Texas Hill Country offers hills, curves, pastoral scenery, Amish charm, no traffic, small-town cafes and so many roads it would take weeks to cover them all. No map required; just choose a direction and explore. Here's a short drone video of the area. Yes, the midwest winters can take their toll on road surfaces but there's no shortage of great riding. 

Five years ago we relocated two hours to the southeast, so to make the most of the daylight I've taken to trailering to the edge of the hill country and riding the day from there. My base is charming New Glarus, WI, a boring two-hour drive from home. I leave early and get home late, giving me all day to explore, eat and...ride.

Earlier this month I purchased a new Kendon ride-on single bike trailer, pictured above. The advantage of this design is that it stores vertically against the garage wall, which allows those of us with limited room to still own a quality trailer and store it out of the elements. Last week I took advantage of an absolutely perfect riding day to do an inaugural run with the new rig. Here's some of my day....

(click on images to enlarge)

(Below) For this ride I strapped on my Held tailbag; an excellent quality expanding bag that holds perfectly in place and pops on and off easily. I also tried out a small Alaska Sheepskin pad, which always helps in the comfort department. It does restrict side-to-side movement a bit if you like to move around the saddle in the turns.

I left New Glarus in a generally northwest direction, working my way up through Mt. Horeb and then west along Hwys J, F, K and other favorites. Wisconsin labels their county highways with letters and combinations of letters, leading to the phrase "alphabet roads." In this landscape of kettles or coulees (valleys) and moraines (hills) carved by the last glacier, the roads generally developed high along ridges or down in the river/creek valleys, producing the entertaining and scenic byways we find today. Sometimes we find a gem that takes advantage of both the ridges and valleys, like an all-time favorite, Hwy HH in Iowa county. Ten minutes of twisty bliss.

(Below) The area is dotted with historical markers which make convenient (and informative) rest stops. This was an area of French fur trappers and the Blackhawk Indian wars, logging barons and Mississippi River lore. I love history and geology, so this is my kind of place.

(Below) I eventually make my way to a favorite lunch spot, the Piccadilly Lilly Airport Cafe at the Tri-County (Lone Rock) airport, Sauk County. The Piccadilly Lilly is named after the last B17 Flying Fortress in use by the Air Force. I flew here for many $100 breakfasts and lunches in my flying days. With all the genuine ambiance of a rural airport cafe, this is a must-stop for me. On this day I rolled in just as a National Guard Chinook was taxiing for takeoff. I also enjoyed a chat with a pair of riders who were in on the secret of riding this area on a quiet weekday.

(Below) Back in the saddle I tour some farm roads, both fast and slow. Here's a typical Wisconsin farmstead with their backyard view.

(Below) Working my way north, I take advantage of a rest stop (with rest rooms!) conveniently located on the 3d hole tee of a golf course in the village of Plain. Later, I roll into Leland, home to the twice-annual Slimey Crud Cafe Run. Pretty quiet today, just the way I like it.

(Below) After getting a little lost on a sleepy backroad, I came upon this twisty piece of heaven along a beautiful stretch of Hwy C in Sauk County.

​Some of the locals saunter up to check out the Interceptor. You know what they say: Chicks love bikes.

(Below) Eventually I roll east into the Baraboo area, home to Devil's Lake State Park and Circus World Museum. Devil's Lake was also a result of glacial action on a massive scale when glacial deposits blocked both the northern and southern flow of a river, forming a naturally dammed 368-acre lake. This is the most visited of the state parks, offering camping, rock climbing, hiking and non-motorized water activities. But the road serving the south side is the attraction today.

(Below) I can't roll through Baraboo without a stop at the Log Cabin Family Restaurant at the east end of town. Great north woods ambiance, excellent food and the best pie north of the Illinois border. Today's selection is fresh peach, warmed, à la mode with black coffee. I have a tee-shirt that reads, "Will Ride For Pie," and I will.

(Below) I came across a new distillery in town — this sleepy little city is growing up. Elephant rides were in full swing at the Circus World Museum. This shot was taken across the swollen Baraboo River. South-central Wisconsin has suffered some localized flooding recently, but I didn't encounter any issues on this ride.

As I continue south towards the trailer and home, I have the choice to cross the Wisconsin River on any number of forgettable bridges or to ride the Colsac III at Merrimac. This cable ferry is part of Hwy 113 and is the only free ferry in Wisconsin. It operates 24 hours per day from April to November or as long as the gods of winter allow. The crossing takes all of five minutes but is a cool and calm respite towards the end of this day's ride. 

My day on Wisconsin's back roads comes to an end just before sunset as I load the bike on the trailer for the drive home. The GPS stats tell the tale: 299.5 miles at a moving average of 46 mph and a top speed of 84 mph. My gas receipts say that the VFR averaged 44 mpg. I don't know about all of that, but I do know that, while I've always savored days like this on these beautiful roads, as I face the twilight of my riding days I need to treasure them even more. Each time I come here is a homecoming, and it always will be.