SOLD: $5000 via eBay auction
Sold on Christmas day with 24 bids, this first year VFR1200 DCT went for an even $5000 in a no-reserve auction.

The bike shows 34,000 miles and sports a boatload of farkles — custom seat, radar detector, Puig screen, Werkes Competition muffler and more. I spoke with the seller and he assured me that, despite having some miles under its tires, the bike is in excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition.

The holiday season is arguably the worst time of year to sell a vehicle, but this auction shows that buyers are always out there for a nice example at a fair price.

SOLD: $2550
The fourth generation (1994-97) of the Interceptor series would be the last of the 750cc models. A major remake brought us the 800cc series in 1998, ending the carbureted era of the VFR.

This 1997 sold recently via eBay auction for $2550 after five bids. It's a very nice-looking example showing only 16,000 miles and claiming to be a very original bike. The photos show pristine-looking bodywork with everything in its place, along with a new slip-on muffler and the passenger footpegs deleted — the original parts are included. This seems to be an exceptional fourth-gen VFR and reinforces what I always say: used VFRs are the best value out there in used motorbikes.

This morning Project 11, a 1986 VFR700F, was carefully loaded onto a box truck to begin its long journey to the west coast of Norway. The bike's new owner, Nils, first contacted me in late November just as I was finishing a mild updating of Project 11. Nils had been searching for his original and identical 750cc bike from 20 years ago, which he eventually located in Norway. But it was found in rough shape and would require more time and money to bring back to Nils' standard than he was prepared to offer. He decided that Project 11 would be an excellent replacement and began jumping through the hoops required to import it into Norway. With all the paperwork in order, the journey has begun.

This VFR will be a unique 700cc version in Norway — in Europe for that matter — and I hope Nils enjoys the bike for many years and miles. Trygg reise.

For the tenth time Ducati has claimed the "Most Beautiful Bike Of The Show" EICMA award. This time it's the Streetfighter V4S, an out-of-this-world 1103cc V4-powered naked superbike putting out 208 HP at 12,750 RPM! What one would do with that kind of power in a streebike package is beyond my mortal comprehension, but good on Ducati for pulling it off. The styling doesn't do anything for me, but I do like the T-shirt....

Anyone who follows my ramblings here knows I'm a big fan of white wheels, probably a result of spending too much time around 80's sport bikes, the Interceptor in particular. Sport bikes tend to follow in the steps of their heroes on the track, so when the racers started showing up with white wheels back in the day we began seeing them in showrooms. Honda really got it right with the first VFR and its flashy sibling, the RC30....

But they weren't the last to sport white hoops. Many followed, and even today custom builders and common backyard designers like to add a dollop of bright white to their builds. Here's a sampling for your viewing pleasure.
(click on an image to enlarge)

Update: This bike has sold.
With a recent break in the wintery weather and clear roads, I was able to get Project 11 out for a thorough test ride. It went perfectly — this bike is just as smooth and powerful as I remember from the first time it passed through my shop, five years ago.

I was graciously offered this bike back by its caretaker, Andrew, when his circumstances changed and he needed to downsize his collection.

After looking over the bike, I decided to strip it down and go through the systems, bringing the maintenance up-to-date while upgrading some bits and returning others to their original look.

The performance remained, however, with a rare and beautiful shorty Yoshimura pipe in concert with jetted carburetors and performance air filter. This 700 is super smooth with a high RPM howl that showcases the V4 sound these engines are famous for. It's a pleasure to ride, to be seen on and just to look at. Other than some professional paint blending on the fuel tank, the bodywork is original with just a few small flaws. The swingarm is polished and the turn signals needed restoring, but this one is otherwise stock.

I can't keep them all so this 1986 VFR700F will be searching for its next caretaker. Contact me for details.
$4000.

Photo gallery with 59 hi-res photos:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmJEh31Q
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(click on an image to enlarge)