Project 12, aka The Blues Project, is back on the rack. After suffering a spill with its previous owner there's a bunch of cosmetic issues to deal with, including the Yoshimura slip-on muffler.

Here, I've begun smoothing the damage to the front edge of the aluminum muffler where it took quite a hit.

And here's a look at the rash suffered along the entire length of the muffler. The green tape is covering the Yoshimura badge to protect it during the next steps.

I begin with a heavy rasp to knock down the deep gouges. The blue on the file is chalk — rubbing chalk on the file keeps the aluminum filings from clogging the file. I'll follow with a finer file.

Switching to wet/dry sandpaper, I begin with 100-grit on the filed sections, and 400-grit on the scratches, then move progressively finer.

I'll end with 5000-grit which makes the final polishing a breeze.

Here, the final sanding shows a smooth but cloudy finish.

Aluminum polish applied by hand is all that's necessary to bring out the shine. The entire process took about an hour.

Ironically, I'd already repaired this same muffler two years ago when I first had The Blues Project in the shop. Good thing aluminum is so forgiving.

Kevin Cameron (Cycle World) writes an internet series of briefs about the significance of classic motorcycles, and in this installment he relates how the first VF750 Interceptor represented an all-out effort to bring a new-age redesign of the modern sportbike. The earlier 1000cc AMA Superbikes, even in race form, were never able to mesh their ever-increasing power to the inferior handling of the old school tube frames and wimpy suspensions. This was a big factor in the AMA's lowering of the Superbike class displacement to 750cc.

Engineered more as a "designed to race" bike, Cameron claims that Honda were caught a bit off guard when the street version proved to be a sellout success — Honda now had a winner on the street and track. Honda V4s would go on to win five straight Superbike titles.

(click on the image for a link to the article)

Project 14 is in the final stages of assembly and this time I've chosen to do something about one of the items that Honda overlooked on an otherwise nicely finished model — a 1987 VFR700 F2.

The rear brake pedal is a cast aluminum piece with kinda crud casting marks left in place (top lever in photo). In addition, the pedal is finished in a silver coating, probably paint. Some machine wheel grinding took care of the casting line and sandpaper erased the coating. I finished up with progressively finer sanding followed by hand buffing. Much nicer, I think.

If you'd been fast enough with your checkbook several months back, you may have scored one of these race machines in street clothes. But like a new pet puppy, the initial buy-in is just the tip of the iceberg. If you plan to run this beast in anger, here's a partial list of the cost of spares.
Exhaust System = $24,000
Fuel Tank = $5000
Oil Change = $565
Forks = $22,600
Throttle Bodies = $16,300
Oh, and after about 2000 miles of race use plan on replacing the major engine internals. Ouch.

At Performance Engineering (http://performance-engineering.co.uk) they've prepped an RC213V-S for some endurance racing next season. Here's a video they shot during the initial run-in on their dyno. This was a break-in session, but if you skip to 3:45 they give the machine its head. The fire breathing exhaust on deceleration is pretty cool.

From K-Speed Customs of Thailand comes this unusual bobber/cafe racer build. Unusual in that K-Speed chose to use a V4 motor and its associated size, weight and radiator as the centerpiece for a style that's typically known for simplicity and visual lightness.

The usual hipster custom cues are here: severe tail bob, blacked-out everything, ridiculously low bars and bulky Firestone tires — or in this case, Fuckstone, I kid you not. But looking at some other details this might just be the front guard of a new sub-genre; I'll call it the muscle cafe.

Shaft drive, big motor, cast wheels, leather-wrapped tank, plus the power, sound and revs to let the boyz know this ain't no wheezy Beemer or tractor-motored Triumph. Those four cylinders translate to cojones, my friend, so shut the fuck up and have another latte.

For more details, visit the Pipeburn.com article here.

What: 2005 VFR800 Interceptor
Where: Aurora, Illinois (Chicago area)
Why: Adult owned, adult setup
Price: $3950

When the third generation VFR was introduced in 1990 it's role had morphed into a sport-tourer, with the emphasis on sport. By the time the sixth-gen appeared the model was firmly established as a mid-sized gentlemen's express. A comfortable but competent all-arounder, high-tech but approachable. An adult's bike, if you like.

Offered here today is a perfect example. Our seller has set up his ride to suit his tastes and temperament. It features Honda saddlebags, a comfy aftermarket seat, adjustable bar risers, mirror extensions, a higher windscreen and adjustable suspension lowering kit. He keeps the maintenance up-to-date with premium parts and she looks pretty striking dressed in "Winning Red."  Showing just shy of 30,000 miles, and without the optional ABS. I can just picture myself setting out this Spring bound for a run down the Blue Ridge Parkway — this beauty would be the perfect companion.

I like good writing. Maybe I just envy good writing. I don't have a clue what it is that gave Mark Twain, for example, the ability to compress a hundred words into a short but memorable, piercing phrase. Talent, hard work, just being a really smart guy? I don't have a clue. I had to do a lot of analyzing of writers and speakers during my time at the University of Wisconsin, but that was academics, not necessarily real people talking about real stuff that interests me. And doing it with flair. A few of my favorites...

When Peter Egan writes, I listen. At least for guys of a certain age, he's our voice. We relate — he's like an old buddy we've shared years with and remembers all the good times. He and I (and many others) have owned many of the same motorbikes and lived similar stories. I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon in Peter's garage and share a dinner out, and he was gracious enough to come across like an old riding buddy. It didn't hurt that we grew up on the same Wisconsin alphabet roads.

I guess I'm the weirdo who likes technical writing as much as any other genre. I like to know how things go together and why. I also like the history of tech, especially the oily kind of tech. There's three guys who rise to the top of this specialized writing form, at least to me. Gordon Jennings was an editor of both Cycle and Car & Driver, but I most enjoyed his technical columns while at Motorcyclist. He passed away in 2000.

My former passion involved things with wings, and the guy who explains that difficult subject with style, ease and big words I have to look up is Peter Garrison of Flying.

Think you know how that winglet on the tip of the Boeing Dreamliner's wing you're sitting in works? Not like Peter does. Wondering why the early rotary engines in WWI "fighters" had a stationary crankshaft while the cylinders rotated? Peter's your guy.

One of my favorite scribes, technical or otherwise, is Cycle World's Kevin Cameron. This guy has either the finest technical mind ever or a personal library the size of Cowboys...err...AT&T Stadium. Kevin has some 50 years (!) in the business with both Cycle and Cycle World. This guy knows the intricacies of mechanical objects along with their history, and is able to put the two together in a relevant, readable and entertaining way, at least to me. I'll read anything he writes, often twice.

My most recent "discovery" is Zach Bowman, an editor at Road & Track. He's a young gun in the biz and does both cars and bikes equally well. He's armed with knowledge, wit and a wordsmith's talent. Sometimes his words border on poetry. A sampling:

"A good bike exists in the blissful realm of the purposeless, shoulder to shoulder with the goldfinch and the sundress, the purple iris and the poem—all pointless and necessary in a world consumed with meaning. It stokes a fire in your chest you didn't know existed or forgot somehow, comfortable and exciting. It's a feeling spurred by all precious and secret things."

"It's a rare thing. With the world in your pocket, you're never alone. But there's value in being forced to contend with your own mind, to drown a bit in the world with nothing to shape or hammer your opinions but your own eyes. To be bored, to pull your gaze off your lap and let it wander. A motorcycle refuses to let your universe fit in your hand."

"A bike demands an ante. The wager is the rest of your life. All of it. Every dreary Monday, every willowy summer dusk. Every word you might utter, the whispers of unknown lovers, smiles and tears, and chest-bursting pride. The crunch of snow under your boot and the first saltwater kiss of the sea. You put it all up every time you twist the throttle and go reaching for some crooked stitch of unknown asphalt."

Good stuff.

There's others. I like Cycle World's Paul D'Orleans for his insight and style. John Burns of Motorcyclist is a fun guy to read, whether he's ranting about some pet peeve or giving a unique take on whatever bike is between his knees. I know these guys are not in the business for fame or money — there's not much of either in the business. They're obviously passionate about what they love and what they do, and want the rest of us to share it with them. We're lucky to have 'em around.

What: 2014 VFR800
Where: Shawnee, Oklahoma
Why: Crazy low price, new bike
Price: $5999

The sluggish sales continue for the latest generation Honda Interceptor, and here's the proof. Near Oklahoma City, at Shawnee Honda they're offering this new 2014 VFR800 for only $6000 (original MSRP $12,500). It's a standard model and presumably includes a factory warranty. The listing notes that they "cannot ship, must come to the dealership." Not sure why that is but if you're willing to make the trip there's a deal waiting in the heartland.

This same dealer has some other leftover deals on the floor, including a 2014 Deluxe model VFR800 for $8999 (original MSRP $13,500), and a 2014 CTX 1300 for only $10,999. Hurry on down, these V4 deals won't last....

Fellow VFR-isti, Gamble, from Austin TX, turned me on to this practical and very effective gasket removal tool.

It's the Bahco 625 Premium Ergonomic Carbide Scraper in the 1-inch size. The gasket on my '90 VFR's clutch cover was applied at some point with gasket cement and would have been a real challenge without this little gem. It fits your hand perfectly ("ergonomic") and will scrape the surface easily and completely, moving forward or back.

The blade has three surfaces and is replaceable — shaped blades are also available. Unlike most scrapers and even razor blades, this tool doesn't want to dig into the soft aluminum surfaces. My first thought was that $17 is a lot of dinero for a gasket scraper, but when a tool works this well, it's money well spent. Recommended.

My personal VFR, a 1990 model, has had an issue with a dragging clutch. The clutch engagement is fine and there's never been any slippage, but it just doesn't want to fully disengage. I know this bike led a hard life at the hands of its previous owners so I suspected the clutch did also.

Yesterday I removed the discs and, sure enough, the friction discs are severely worn. Here we can see by the shallow grooves that the disc is about half worn.....

......and here's the flip side of the same disc, which is completely smooth. Someone's been doing some hole-shots with this clutch.

The discs are not warped and there's no indications of excessive heat, so the steel discs could be reused if needed.

But I'm replacing the discs with a new Barnett clutch set — friction and steel discs (this photo shows the Barnett friction disc with the OEM steel plate).

Clutch swaps are straightforward mechanics and everything went together smoothly — and my clutch is back to normal.