I'm midway through Project 14, an '87 VFR700 F2 in need of a thorough TLC treatment.

This bike came to me with a 17-inch CBR front wheel conversion with both wheels painted black, and I've decided to keep that look. After chemically removing the badly-applied Rustoleum finish, I began with a coating of Dupli-Color Self-Etching Primer followed by top coats of Dupli-Color's black and then clear wheel paints.

I left the old tire in place during painting.

With the paint cured and new Avon mounted, I went about adding a trim line. This bike will be finished in red/white/blue bodywork with black accents, so to tie the black wheels to the predominately white body, I decided on a single white accent stripe.

I'm no freehand striping artist, so I cheated with a like-new Beugler mechanical striper device which I found for half price on eBay. The YouTube videos show some fantastic work with this baby, but I thought it best to stick with simple stripes; a wider one for the rear and narrow for the front.

After a little practice on a sheet of paper, I managed to get the stripe in place with only a couple of "character" flaws.

I'm not really a fan of murdered-out wheels, so with this little bit of flash I hope that the dark wheels will compliment the overall look — some other parts of this build will also be black, including the muffler, radiator and instrument nacelle.

What: 1997 VFR750F
Where: Edgewater, New Jersey
Why: Fully farkled, low miles
Price: BIN $3100 or Make Offer

Here's a great-looking final-year example of the 750cc VFR. The bike shows 17,500 miles and the seller does his best to describe and show the minor flaws. This one has a laundry list of desirable upgrades including a Staintune slip-on muffler, jet kit, RaceTech fork springs, Corbin seat, recent tires, plus upgraded brake lines, charging system and clutch.

The original seat, seat cowl and muffler are included along with two service manuals. This is a nice package for a reasonable asking price — a perfect example of how a well-kept Interceptor offers the best used bike value around.

Update: The seller has had second thoughts and decided to keep the bike. Wise man.

Creative tool ideas always get my attention. This one finds many uses around the shop — it's called the Form-A-Funnel.

Bend it, mold it, use it to drain hard-to-reach areas...like those pesky carb drains on a V4 engine, for example. Here I'm draining the carbs for winter storage on The Blues Project. No muss, no fuss.

I also use this to catch excess spray when lubing a chain or funneling dripping gas when disconnecting fuel lines. Form it into a dish and set it under your leaky British twin. Make it into a funnel when adding oil or gas. It wipes clean and doesn't seem to be affected by any solvents. It's even easy to store.

For more information:
http://www.formafunnel.com

Our summer continues into the winter months here in the hinterlands of the upper midwest. Yesterday was showing 70 degrees and the sun was bright. With colder temps on the horizon, the time has come to prep the ST1300 for hibernation. That will require an oil change, which will require warming the oil, which will require a ride. Perfect. Sounds like an excuse to hit some Wisconsin Rustic Roads and a favorite coffee stop in East Troy (former home of the defunct Buell Motorcycle Company).

Along the way I found myself leisurely gazing over a highway bridge and when I looked up a jagged remnant of an alloy car wheel was lying in the right-side track of my lane. A gentle swerve took me clear and by the time I was able to stop, turn around, and get back to clear the lane, four other vehicles (including a motorcycle) had passed by the chunk of death and continued on their carefree way. This is a little disturbing, 'cause this thing would certainly take down a motorcycle or do some serious damage to a car. C'mon people, let's help each other out.

For more on the Rustic Roads program, visit:
http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/travel/road/rustic-roads/default.aspx

Project Magna is progressing and we're turning our attention to the front end. With the wheel, forks and brakes on the work bench each component can be dealt with.

First up, the wheel. After a new Dunlop 404 was mounted I wanted to address the tired-looking wheel. These cast rims are a combination of black painted and polished alloy, and both the metal and paint were looking pretty tired after 34 years on the road.

< Here's a before shot.

Working with Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish, I hit the polished areas by hand. If your polishing cloth turns black, as in this picture, then you know you're working with aluminum as opposed to clear-coat paint or some other metal. That's aluminum oxide being removed, aluminum's version of rust.

This brings back memories of my first restoration, a 1972 Norton. Many, many hours of hand polishing (what seemed like) acres of shiny aluminum brought out the bling in all those gorgeous castings.

Aluminum has a soft, luxurious shine that even chrome can't compete with. Taking the time to go over your polished bits once per year keeps them free of corrosion and nice to look at.

Next up is the black painted portions. I really don't want to paint anything on my projects that doesn't absolutely require it. There's nothing wrong with some age spots on an old vehicle — I think it provides a genuine touch.

Some time ago I came across this product on the shelf at my local home improvement big box store. It's from Rustoleum and is called ReCOLOR or Wipe New, depending on where you look on the box. Well, anything with "As Seen On TV" on the package gets my attention so I had to give it a try.

I'm here to report...it works. This little bottle of magic is a watery potion that smells of sickeningly sweet cherry which is okay at first but after awhile has Patti "asking" that the item be removed from the premises. 

I don't know what kind of chemistry is at work here, but this is no glorified Armor-All. The product requires 24 hours to cure and it can't come in contact with water for that time or it will permanently spot.

I've tried it on smooth plastic, like a chain guard, with good results, but the rough satin finish of these Magna wheels is where it really, ah, shines. I can't speak to how long the effect lasts, but the spec sheet warns that if you screw up the application it's extremely difficult to remove. The color really pops and the dingy, faded corners and crevices come back to life. The 3-ounce bottle and the stuff with it cost me $20. A little goes a long way.

With those jobs done, I set to cleaning and prepping the brake discs for a facelift. They just weren't quite up to par with the refurbished wheels so a quick application of silver wheel paint ties it all together.

Job done. On to the forks.

Like a nervous parent watching their five year-old board the school bus for the first time, owner Rich and I loaded up his 1986 VFR750 for its trip home. Rich is the original owner of the Interceptor, and after a full spa treatment this stunner has a new lease on life. I wished him well and urged him to get this bike out on the back roads where it belongs. I also asked (pleaded?) to be first in line should it ever come up for sale, which isn't likely. It was a pleasure helping to bring this one back.

In 2013 Consumer Reports began evaluating motorcycles...well, at least those manufacturers with the highest market share — Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW and Harley Davidson. I recently came across this interesting reliability chart published by CR. The findings are not exactly surprising to those of us who spend way too much time playing with bikes. Much like the car world, Japanese brands fair better than European or German. Statistically, Yamaha motorcycles are six times more reliable than BMW. The world of consumerism is a strange place, however, and the reports goes on to say that the most loyal owners are those with the least reliable brands — BMW and Harley (H-D being the most brand-loyal of all motorcycle owners).

What goes wrong? Electrical repairs top the list with major drivetrain issues at the bottom. The report notes that most repairs are under $200. Gone are the days of grenading Norton engines and broken Triumph frames. Which is a good thing.

This past weekend Patti & I took a riding break to explore the Nashville, TN area and a northern portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway (https://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm).

We based ourselves at a great bed & breakfast in Columbia TN and spent three days with our "other" V4 (ST1300) in perfect weather, riding the area and sampling many miles of the Trace along with an exceptional afternoon of horseback trail riding along Lick Creek in western Maury County (http://www.nashvillehorsebackriding.com).

If you're the type of rider who can Zen-out on the perfect road, then this is a place you need to get to. I think it's an exceptional testament to the greatness of this country that our leaders had the foresight and vision to recognize the importance of what was, essentially, a working-man's path, build a 444-mile scenic roadway to commemorate its historical significance and then bestow it national park status to preserve and showcase it for everyone to enjoy.

Back in 2007 I toured the entire 469-mile length of the Blue Ridge Parkway at this same time of the year. One stop sign in 469 miles. There are those who say that these Parkways get a bit boring after some time — I say they're missing the point. With no commercial vehicles, light traffic, no billboards, no towns; just unending curves and natural beauty. How is that tiring? I wish they'd build one from east to west, ocean to ocean. I'd ride the entire length...and turn around and do it again.

For an idea of what it's like to ride the Trace, here's a YouTube sample (not mine):

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.