In the spirit of the new year, it seems like an opportune time to assess where various projects are and formulate some shop goals for the year, even if my best laid plans don't always work out.

In the photo below, on the right is Project Magna, nearing completion. She still needs a set of lower handlebars installed, the rear turn signals replaced and a paint job. This is a first-year V4, a 1982 VF750C, and deserves to be kept on the road and looking good.

In the center is Project 12, AKA The Blues Project. I actually completed this one in the Fall of '15 but its new owner's priorities shifted after a fall and now it's back for repairs and a facelift. The changes include fresh rubber, stainless brake lines and heated hand grips. I was fortunate to find a workable right side fairing on eBay and so the rare blue/silver '87 will remain true to its colors.

On the left is Project 14, another '87 700F2 which has enjoyed a full spa treatment. All of its systems have been dealt with and it's now at the stage of refitting the bodywork. It will be a red/white/blue model with a few mods: rear fender eliminated, 17-inch front wheel, custom shorty mufflers, jetted carbs with blacked out fender, wheels and mufflers. The rest of the bodywork are original, unrestored pieces. Can't wait to get this one out on the alphabet roads of Wisconsin this Spring. I expect it to look great, sound awesome and run like a cat on fire.

Meanwhile, at the "warehouse," future projects await. The covered one is my personal 1990 VFR750 and the rest are 1986-87 VFRs. To the far left is a parts bike. Of the other four, three are 750s along with one 700.

Project 18 is a 10,000-mile bike which will have a nearly total restoration; repainted body and wheels plus updated suspension.

Good to know that I won't run out of projects anytime soon...and it sure beats going to work.

It's just way too frigid here in the hinterlands to bother heating the shop, so I decided to tackle a little project in the basement workshop.

Project 14 is being fitted with its new clothes and that means preparing a set of infill panels — the plastic covers between the fuel tank and side fairings.

This is what I'll need to deal with =>

At some point these panels have received not one, but two coats of spray-bomb paint; first a khaki tan and then a badly applied thick coat of matte black.

I began by hand sanding but decided chemical stripper would be much more efficient. It was.

Note the electrical switch hole which will need to be patched.

After stripping the left panel here's how it looked. The original blue color of this '87 F2 piece can't be saved after all it's been through, but that's okay because patching the hole in the right side will necessitate painting in any case. Also, Project 14 will be wearing red/white/blue bodywork so these panels need to be black. 

The plan for patching the switch hole involves filling it with either of two types of plastic.

On the left I've plastic-welded a plug of ABS and on the right (another panel repair) I've used a liquid plastic product called Plast-Aid. I wish guys would stop drilling holes in these panels.

Either will work fine and both need basic body work to finish — grind/sand the plug flat and finish with body filler.

This panel is ready for paint. It's too cold for that so it will wait for another day.

Next up, mirrors.

What: Interceptors!
Where: Vegas, Baby
Why: Auctions are fun!
Price: Highest bidder

It's January and that means the Las Vegas auctions are right around the corner. This year's Mecum motorcycle event runs January 25-28.

On the block are several Interceptors mixed in with motorbikes of all description. I count two 1986 R/W/B VFR750s, a '97 VFR750, a VF500...and it wouldn't be a proper auction without a 1990 RC30. I would love to hang around and maybe throw a few bids, but for some inexplicable reason Patti doesn't think a motorcycle auction is the ideal way to celebrate her birthday week. I'll have to catch some of the action on the delayed NBCSN broadcast on January 31.

What: 1989 VFR 750R (RC30)
Where: South Yorkshire, England
Why: A pristine collector example
Price: $34,236 USD

In the increasingly rarefied world of RC30 ownership, this one stands above, both for its 1550 miles and its asking price.

Offered by Bennetts Motorcycles, an exotic bike dealer with an impressive inventory, this is represented as a Japanese model RC30 in original condition. Too bad it's most likely destined for never-ending retirement in some obscure collection.

Click here for RSBFS's take on this beauty.

Elliot Cuker
A recent Petrolicious (.com) article featured an interview with a New York exotic car dealer by the name of Elliot Cuker of Cooper Classic Cars. This guy's led an interesting existence and lives an artsy and philosophical life. He also happens to be into cigars and when asked about his affinity for them his response involved sensuality, sex, cars, motorcycles and the meaning of life......

While refurbishing the brake calipers on Project 14 I came across an all-to-common issue — the lower mounting point on the rear caliper.

The mount consists of this "sleeve," as Honda calls it, which is required to slide slightly to & fro in its boss as the brake is cycled. Trouble is, this particular pin is usually severely corroded and often frozen in place. The brake will still function but at a fraction of its potential. It seems well-protected by two tightly-fitted rubber boots (shown in background) but still suffers from its location at the bottom of the caliper.

This is the result of the sleeve being frozen in place. The inboard brake pad isn't allowed to slide freely, resulting in only the upper portion making contact with the disc. Note the bevelled profile of the pad. These pads are junk.

Fortunately, the sleeve and boots are still available from Honda. The sleeves retail for $10.85 and the boots for $3.85. 

The hard part is freeing the sleeve from the caliper — this one was soaked overnight in parts penetrator and twisted loose. The boots are often in reuseable condition.

The bore itself typically only needs cleaning with a brass brush and flushing with brake cleaner. I then coat the bore with some brake caliper grease and reinstall the sleeve and seals — there's a trick to this; install one seal, push the sleeve all the way through from the opposite side, install the second seal then slide the sleeve back to engage the second seal.

I'm sure if these sleeves were serviced at each brake pad replacement or say, ten years, they'd remain in useable condition.

Good to go! Let's mount 'em up.

It was a case of what might have been. Way back in 1959 Ducati's U.S. importer, the Berliner Motor Corporation, convinced company management (and the Italian government, which had a stake in Ducati) to compete for police bike sales in America. Specifications required at least 1200cc and 16-inch tires, which would prove to be a major factor in the bike's failure to launch.

None other than Fabio Taglioni, the eventual creator of Ducati's iconic L-twins, designed the 90-degree V4 for the new model — named Apollo for America's moon launch vehicles. The 1257cc engine put out an incredible (for the time) 100 hp which was more than overwhelming for both the brakes and tires. When testing revealed that current tire technology couldn't cope, the engine was detuned to 80 hp, which made the whole package non-competitive with Harley-Davidson and the British. The Italians pulled the plug. With a bit more development the bike could have been a contender and Ducati's future may have included many more cylinders.

Two Apollos and four engines were built and only one bike is accounted for. It belongs to a Japanese collector.

Honda's corporate focus in this world is as an engineering leader first and foremost. The company has decades of history filled with innovative consumer products but the HondaJet is surely the pinnacle. Aviation critics love the airplane. Flying magazine's January '17 issue honors the HondaJet with an Editor's Choice Award:
"As we can attest, the HondaJet flies beautifully and has the performance cred to satisfy its many buyers. Add it all up, and Honda has delivered a game-changing light jet that easily lives up to the hype."

Congratulations to Honda on reaching this mile-high milestone.

Project 14, an '87 VFR700 F2, needs attention lavished on all of its systems. When the clutch and front brake master cylinders were opened up here's what lay in wait.

This situation is very common with my projects and is due to nothing more than neglect. Brake fluid should be flushed every two years, and this is the long-term result of ignoring that maintenance item.

I don't know how that solidified gunk forms, but fortunately it cleans up with a straightforward sudsy washing. 

Both of these master cylinders will require a complete rebuild. That involves new seals and replacing the aged sight glasses.

I like to clean the bore with solvent and a plastic rotary brush. If the bore then passes a visual inspection I move on with the sight glass repair before installing the new seals — I don't want to risk debris from the old sight glass contaminating the seals.

I begin with the demolition of the old plastic window. A tap with a small screwdriver from the inside starts the process. Then, using a larger flat-blade screwdriver I pry around the perimeter from the outside, working my around.

Sometimes they come out pretty cleanly, as here, and sometimes not. When I come across a stubborn lens that just won't let go, I use a small wire brush on the Dremel tool to finish the job.

Due to manufacturing variances, the lens will sometimes be a bit too tight a fit. A few minutes spent gently sanding the edge, while rotating the lens, on some medium grit sandpaper will allow it to drop into place.

After a final cleaning of the lens and it's seating groove with acetone or similar, I stick the lens on a finger tip (using rolled-over masking tape) and carefully apply adhesive around the perimeter.

I've used clear RTV but here I'm using Permatex 5-minute epoxy which claims to be impervious to most chemicals. And brake fluid is actually pretty nasty stuff.

Put the lens place and secure with a rubber banded socket while the adhesive cures.

Expect some residual adhesive to show, but overall a practical repair.

Now we're ready for the seal kit. I hold the assembled plunger down in the bore (against the spring pressure) with a screwdriver while inserting the circlip. The bent-tip snap ring pliers makes this a smooth operation. Be sure and coat the parts with brake fluid when installing.

(clutch master shown) >>

All that's left are the levers. Motion Pro and probably others make complete reproduction levers for the VFR, but there's nothing like the originals if they can be saved.

A thorough inspection is called for with these old parts and their unknown history. While looking over the brake lever I discovered this crack on the underside. It obviously resulted from a crash or tip-over. No question that this one goes into the trash bin. Fortunately, I had a NOS brake lever on hand.

Who knew these adjustable levers have so many parts?

After a thorough cleaning, de-rusting and polishing, I carefully reassemble the levers with a touch of white lithium grease on all the rotating parts. Fresh stainless steel reservoir screws are a finishing touch.

These master cylinders are ready for the next thirty years......