Honda calls it a "single seat cowl" and it covers the passenger portion of the seat to give a monoposto look to the VFR. An option in 1986-87, these pieces are getting more rare as the years pass.

So is their appearance on eBay. This one just sold at auction with 11 bids. The seller doesn't include the year, but judging by the color and lack of "VFR" decal it would say it's from a pearl white 700 F2.

If you're searching for one of these, be aware that there's one more subtle difference: near the seller's thumb in this photo, there's a locating tab on the earlier "F" models which inserted into a slot in the tail light fairing. The later production bikes didn't have the tab or the slot. These cowls often have a crack at the rear (center) locating tab, or it's missing altogether. That's a critical tab and difficult to repair with any semblance of strength. Another crack-prone spot is at the downward curve near the bum-stop. The bum-stop colors match the various seat colors, so that's another thing to look for. Chuck Crites (aka VFR Chuck) made a run of these as reproduction parts in heavier but stronger fiberglass so you may come across one of those in a generic gelcoat white color.

Pictured below are an OEM cowl on the left and one of Chuck's on the right. Both have the extra mounting tabs. Looking closely at the OEM piece, you'll see I've made repairs to a crack near the bum-stop and have reinforced the central tab on the underside. Click on an image to enlarge.

A year ago I was fortunate to get a little saddle time on a Motus ST. I walked away impressed and maybe a little awestruck at its brute force. Impressed...but not a convert.

I mention this because I just read that, after a 10-year run, Motus has been forced to cease operations due to financial woes. Sad news, but not entirely surprising, considering the history of American motorcycle startups. Even with well-deep pockets, many American brands have floundered in this business, most recently Buell and Victory.

As an (admittedly) armchair critic, I came away from my test ride with the impression that the Motus was an unintentional "modern retro" creation. Here was a new design with an old-school pushrod V4 admittedly derived from the dinosaur Chevy small-block V8, with several high-end components added and a chain final drive. It's as if the Laverda Jota had been resurrected in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. No ABS, no drive-by-wire, no electronic drive modes, no traction control (which it really could use) — just a brute new/old machine with a $30K + price tag. Where is its market?

I really don't mean to sound like a Motus hater. I'd love to have one in the garage, I just wouldn't be willing to pay for it. The bike is uber-cool and the planned naked version would have been a special kind of beast. And I love a Chevy V8 as much as anyone — I came of age with my head stuck under the hood of Camaros and Chevelles. But if I want the riding experience that this bike provides, I'll check in on Craigslist for a $3500 17-year old Ducati ST-4. Just my 2-cents.

Back in February, 2016, I found a pair of '86 750's near Fredericksburg, W. Virginia. They'd been languishing in the seller's pole barn for seven years. Both red/white/blue versions, one was an original-owner with only 10K miles which came to be designated Project 18. The second is this bike, a 33K-mile example which the seller had bought some years before as a potential parts donor bike in the event his ever needed some transplants. That scenario never came to pass and this bike just sat on its side stand...waiting like a sad-eyed puppy at the pound.

Well, its day has come. Under the layers of dust and neglect lay a perfectly good Interceptor with a healthy heart and strong bones. Early this summer I finally got the bike stripped of its tattered clothes and began the evaluation process. What I found was an engine with strong compression and a chassis that seemed to tell me to keep going. And so I did. The California emissions were stripped off the carbs and with a thorough cleaning they brought the engine to life after at least ten years of slumber. All the electrical checked out, the steering and suspension were brought back to service, and a new suit of clothes was sourced from the massive warehouse here at the sprawling V4 Dreams campus (not really).

The bike came to me fitted with a depressing-looking set of SuperTrapp slip-on mufflers which required many hours of hands-on massaging to bring back to life. Tunable for sound and back pressure, these are probably the best-sounding pipes I've heard on an old Interceptor so the effort was worth it.

During assembly I discovered a slightly twisted swingarm, so a good example was fitted after stripping and polishing to bring out its best. A reproduction windscreen was fitted along with repainted mirrors and nicer engine covers. The wheels were painstakingly cleaned, their paint touched up and fresh Bridgestone BT45 tires fitted with 90-degree valve stems. The body paint was color-sanded and machine buffed. I haven't been successful in locating the infill panels between the tank and side fairings — something for its new owner to chase down.

The very thorough test ride last week confirmed that this VFR was never intended to be a "parts bike," but was destined to be back on the road. With a great sound from idle to redline, the bike rushes towards the horizon like a mustang released back to the wild.

Hyperbole aside, this Interceptor will make its next owner an excellent rider-quality motorbike. It's not perfect, but the price reflects the plusses and the imperfections. I'll put together a walk-around, running video when the weather improves. Contact me for more information.
[email protected]
​608-807-7829 call or text
​
Photo album:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmsuiQs2
Craigslist ad:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/mcy/6734791640.html

My latest project has left the nest. Following a spring and summer of work, paint, assembly and all the little things involved in finishing one of these bikes, a new owner was found just over the border — the Wisconsin border, that is. Matt and his son Kyle are heavily involved in vintage bikes, and this 1986 VFR700F caught their eye. They won't get a lot of saddle time before the winter sleep sets in, but come spring I wish them many safe and fun miles together.

I took advantage of a rare opportunity for a group photo a few days ago when I realized that three project bikes were all available at the same time. Well, let's line 'em up for a portrait....
(left to right; Projects 13, 16, 17)

The annual Autumn Stafford Sale took place October 13 & 14 in Stafford, UK. As one of the big international auctions, it's closely watched as a gauge of the coming winter auction season. The sale's winner this year was a 1933 Brough Superior SS100 "project" which sold for $209,801. Might be the most expensive project bike ever. For us commoners, there were also a few more pedestrian V4's in attendance with two significant sales....

1992 NR 750
​$80,923

Showing only 875 miles, this example was originally a Swiss-market model. It still has the original battery, which is probably a good indication of it's condition.

1989 VFR750R (RC30)
$61,441

No self-respecting auction would be complete without at least one RC30. And this one is pretty special. It's never been used, showing only 1.5 miles gained from pushing around various collectors' display rooms in Denmark. The selling price confirms that RC30's values are on the rise once again. 

1994 RVF750R (RC45)
No Sale, value estimate ~$45,000

From the same Danish collector comes this unused RC45 showing only 2 miles. No buyers in the room on this day.

1992 VFR750F
No Sale: value estimate ~ $3000

I have no idea if this color scheme was a factory offering (probably not) but this third-gen looks pretty good. It came from the Netherlands with 41,600 miles on the odometer.

What: Honda RVF400
Where: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Why: Unique JDM import
Price: $10,000

Loosely related to our VFR400, this example was imported and titled in Colorado. No year is given but the paint scheme indicates that it's the final iteration of the model, the 1996 RVF400RT. One shouldn't be tempted to say that the RVF's are siblings to the U.S. market VFR400 — they are actually much different machines with few parts in common. The bike is more closely linked to the RVF750R (RC45).

This example has lots of upgrades and shows about 10,000 miles. The cosmetics are impeccable, while the white wheels and dash of "Uranus Purple" distinguishes it as a child of the 90's. The asking price is steep, but if 400cc sport bikes are your passion, then an RVF should be on your short list.

A few weeks back Patti and I took a two-day tour in central Kentucky. We saw a window of great weather and so looked for an area we could trailer to in a one-day drive. We chose a little college town south of Lexington called Berea and based ourselves at the local Marriott. I've seen the area from I-slab trips and a couple of low altitude flights in the past, and suspected that it would offer some scenic twisties. We weren't disappointed.

Our first day began eastward via rolling and climbing back roads through early morning fog patches, turning the dense forest ride into a serene and slightly eerie adventure. Not much was passed through the Sena headsets as we both lost ourselves in the mist.
(click on an image to enlarge)

Eventually breaking out on the four-lane Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, we turned south to our exit on Route 77, aka Nada Tunnel Road. In short order we were delivered to the Nada Tunnel, a 900-foot single-lane curved and claustrophobic burrow through a chunk of solid rock. Better have a headlight on for this:

Day two found us southbound on Route 23, a beautiful four-lane eventually delivering us into Virginia. Breaking off onto Route 160 we pass through the burg of Appalachia and wind up the gorgeous switchbacks to pass back into Kentucky at the state's highest point, Black Mountain. This road was virtually void of traffic and a genuine treat to ride on a perfect day. At Cumberland we turn west via open and fast Route 119, eventually joining Route 92 into Williamsburg. Jumping onto Route 25 we go north to join Route 90, westbound through the Daniel Boone National Forest. This road is another two-wheeled treat and we stop at a scenic pull-off where a wood carver is selling his custom and varied walking sticks. We chat with him to get a sense of the area's flavor. Note the Glock .45 on his hip. This is open carry country.

Leaving the forest, we enter more open country and work our way northward back to Berea. Our impression of central Kentucky is one of quiet hills and lots of trees. The roads are in excellent condition — most of the two-lanes we rode looked nearly freshly-paved. We're used to the rough and broken tarmac of the upper mid-west, so these two day were a real treat. For a relaxed riding experience, Kentucky makes a perfect destination.

I bought this project three years ago in Ohio as a running daily rider. Originally red, white & blue, I've made the change to the pearl white available in 1986 as a "special edition" color. Pearl Crescent White then became one of two standard colors for 1987. Despite my efforts, I've never been successful in matching the original color so after a lengthy search I discovered a modern match from Kia; Snow White Pearl, found on their 2014-16 Cadenza model.

After complete mechanical checks, reassembly began, including a recovered seat and reproduction windscreen. The bike came to me with the optional rear seat cowl and center stand, two nice finishing touches.

All the maintenance has been brought up-to-date with a few upgrades like braided stainless steel brake lines and HH-rated brake pads. 

On the road, this Interceptor shines. I've always found the 700 version noticeably smoother than the 750 and this one is no exception. Starts and runs beautifully hot or cold and pulls strong to redline with that distinctive V4 cam gear drive whine. A beautiful example that will never lose value.

Contact me for information
[email protected]
​608-807-7829 call or text

Here's a link to the local Craigslist ad:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/mcy/d/honda-vfr700-interceptor-1986/6721480893.html

Here's a link to the photo album:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmk35zZS

After waiting two months for the paintwork to be completed this summer, I went to fire up Project 16 and found that the throttle response was off — indicating clogged low-speed jets.

These were new jets but I'd neglected to drain the float bowls, thinking I'd be up and running with less delay. Off with the fuel tank, side fairings, etc., remove the carbs...and I found three of the four jets clogged. One cleared with compressed air but two required more persuasive means.

I was surprised by this but probably shouldn't have been. Our government-mandated ethanol-laced fuels create precipitates with exposure to heat and moisture...and this was a hot and humid summer here in the hinterlands. These precipitates are the yellow-orange goo found in carb bowls and jets and can cause dried deposits in recesses if evaporated — like my jets. Luckily I have the resources to deal with this as a fairly minor inconvenience, though an aggravating one. If a less handy owner inadvertently allows this to happen it can mean a $300+ repair bill.