What: 1993 ST1100
Where: Omaha, Nebraska
Why: Low cost road-eater
Price: $2500

Looking to put some miles under you? Riding on a budget? Don't want to worry about the occasional scuff or scrape? Here's your next bike.

It sports a Sargent seat, short and tall windscreens, recent tires and regular maintenance. The 32,000 showing on the odometer is considered low mileage for these bikes. The C-L price shows $2800 but it's also advertised on VFRdiscussion.com for $2500. You'll have to fetch it from Omaha, but it's not too cold for a fly-n-ride...yet.

What: 2014 VFR800
Where: Swansea MA
Why: A lot of bike for the money
Price: $6000 opening bid, no reserve

A Triumph/Suzuki dealer in Swansea, MA is offering this slightly used 2014 VFR800. With only 4700 miles it features an aftermarket windscreen, centerstand and seat cowl. This is the base model so no ABS, heated grips, etc.

Auction ends Halloween morning.

A year ago I sold Project 12, aka The Blues Project, to a local buyer. After a full season of trouble-free enjoyment Sean's priorities have shifted so he asked if I'd like the bike back in the shop. In that same week that he decided to part ways with his '87 VFR700, he took a spill right in his own neighborhood and managed to scuff up the right side pretty thoroughly. Of course, I had to take her back.

The damage starts with the mid-fairing and extends to the front fender, headlight cowl, Yosh slip-on and engine clutch cover. The headlight cowl mount is also tweaked. Where to go from here? I'm thinking of a change to Pearl White while leaving the grey wheels in place. I should be able to massage the aluminum Yosh pipe back into shape and repair/repaint the clutch cover.

Yesterday I took advantage of an Indian Summer day here in the upper Midwest and enjoyed a day of corner strafing in the Wisconsin hill country aboard this bike. These roads are made for VFR fun and I had the perfect day. With the Yosh pipe, a K&N air filter and jetted carbs this thing really earns the Interceptor title when the tach gets into the upper reaches. Great ride.

Welcome back to The Blues Project.

Previously I had experimented with a set of Japanese-market CBR400 rear turn signals fitted to the '86-87 VFR 700/750. Those were clear lens LEDs and I fitted them to the OEM signal mount tabs.

Here, I wanted to try installing a set of amber lens reproductions to an aftermarket fender eliminator bracket. I could see it would be tight but turns out they actually fit nice and snug to the fairing and license plate. In fact, I had to notch out the plate just a bit to squeeze it into place.

A side benefit of these particular eBay signals is that they use incandescent bulbs so no resistors are necessary, as is the case with LED lights.

I think the amber color is more suited to the classic character of the VFR. And the streamlined mounting position is surely better looking than the gangly monsters mandated by the DOT back in the day.

Owner Rich has done me the honor of putting his pride and joy back on the road. He is the original owner of this exceptional 1986 VFR750F showing only 5300 miles. His brief was simple: keep it original. We had to ditch the showroom tires but that's just about all. Fork seals and fuel lines are updated but everything else is Honda OEM.

This Interceptor was a pleasure to bring back to life and it embodies everything I think these great bikes were, and still are. They were designed and built by people who cared about the product and it shows everywhere from the mechanicals to cosmetics. Here's a link to my photo gallery of this bike.

Project 20 has reached completion. Time to rearrange the shop, so these two presented themselves for a nice driveway portrait. I'll be putting together a small photo gallery for Project 20 — it's a very original 1986 VFR750F. Here we have our 2003 ST1300 ABS sharing some kickstand time with the VFR.

Here's something I'm sure I've never seen in my years of messing with old Hondas — the elusive complete tool kit.

I don't know where owner's manuals and pieces of tool kits go to get lost over the years, but they're rarely complete, and just as likely to be missing completely.

Project 20 is a rare exception. Not only is the kit all together, the tools are actually in excellent condition.

Compare the kit to the parts diagram below.

When I really don't want to glob chain lube on the exhaust system (like when it's freshly painted) I go to the extra trouble of removing the left-side footpeg assembly. It's just two bolts and now I can lay some aluminum foil from Patti's kitchen stash over the exhaust pipe to catch the excess spray, or in this case 80w90 gear lube (as Father Honda recommends).

Bolt up the footpeg followed by a thorough wipe of the chain to remove excess lube and we're good to go.
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Need to clean the rear wheel of chain lube spray? Try WD-40. It dissolves the lube and leaves a nice shine to the wheel.

One of the cosmetic flaws on Project 20 are infill panels that were damaged during storage by an unknown agent, possibly mice.

My first thought was painting, but these items are unpainted black plastic so I'd rather save 'em. With nothing to lose I hit this panel with some 1500-grit wet/dry sandpaper and the spotting began to fade. Once I was back to black a final sanding with 3000-grit gave the finish I wanted. Next I wanted to get as close to the factory sheen as possible; not too dull, not too slick. Trying different rubbing and polishing compounds, I finally settled on a favorite all-around restorer, Meguiar's Ultimate Compound.  Just a light hand polishing got me the result I was after.

These panels take a beating over time from sun and, commonly, brake fluid, as they sit under the brake and clutch master cylinders. They're also very difficult to find these days, especially in one piece. Project 20, a beautiful all-original VFR750, deserves the effort to save the original, unpainted panels. Mission accomplished.

We can all dream, right? I suppose most of the 250 buyers of this piece of exotica will simply be adding the bike to their personal collections, which is a shame, but if you've got the nearly $200,000 to ante up then I guess one can do as one pleases with your new toy. From Motorcyclist:

"For many years, and with very few exceptions, grand prix motorcycles were a mystery to the public. For 2016 Honda Racing Corporation opened the vault just enough for the RC213V-S to slip out—a machine that sacrifices the seamless gearbox and pneumatic valve system but otherwise is spec’d identically to HRC’s racers. A MotoGP bike with lights, said Honda, for any and all to enjoy. As long as you were one of the first 250 people in line, that is, and have around $200,000 on tap.

A cool $184,000 gets the base bike—dialed-back performance for street legality, yet somehow just as drool-worthy and sweet to ride. Downright unassuming, really, with sublime throttle response and pleasant, usable power. If the resources are available to purchase the Race Kit for 12,000 euros the full, 215-hp potential can be released and you will find yourself aboard the closest slice of motorcycling to a MotoGP paddock since Ducati’s Desmosedici. As insanely satisfying as it is to ride, the real magic of the RCV-S is in the peek behind the HRC curtain. Some might even feel that Honda should keep mere mortals away from this most sacred of machines, that the mystique is earned and not purchased. Just for that, it is the ultimate dream.

We hit the Valencia circuit in Spain for this Video First Ride of Honda's MotoGP race replica."