After a couple of weeks of emails and phone conversations a seller in Ohio and I came to agreement on the white 700 shown here. Patti and I took advantage of the 400-mile drive to visit friends in the southeastern part of the state, well-known for its twisty, hilly motorcycle roads. Even viewed from behind the wheel of the Ridgeline, it's some beautiful country. On the way home, we stopped by the seller's place to pick up the bike and were surprised to find the R/W/B '86 as its stablemate. Gregg's aging bones were to blame for his decision to sell the VFR, so, of course, I had to make an offer. Searching through the shed, we found lots of related VFR parts, so it all joined the frenzy too. 

So, what do we have here? The pearl white 700 (let's call her "Pearl") is a near-mint '87 F2 with only 11,000 miles, all original, and runs like a fine watch. Maintenance is up-to-date, the seat cowl is included and the tires are fresh. I'll go through the mechanicals just to be sure everything is as it should be, while the cosmetics speak for themselves. Patti thinks it's the prettiest of the VFRs and this one really sparkles.

The '86 is showing 18,000 miles, and judging by scuffing on the left-side muffler and a bit of fairing rash, it appears the bike had a low-speed fall at some point. This is the (non-F2) round-gauge model with the brown engine side covers. It's a beautiful example that, with a new muffler and a little cosmetic TLC, will make a great rider for the next proud owner. Both bikes show the effects of respectful ownership over the years — the fuel tanks have no dents, the switchgear housings are not sun-faded, the seats are in excellent condition and no modifications are evident.

I'm very pleased when I can search out and find such nice examples of the second-gen Interceptors and even more excited when an unexpected stowaway follows us home.

Honda has chosen to enter the large displacement adventure market with the VFR1200X. Known as the CrossTourer in Europe, the engine is the 1237cc V4 from the out-of-production VFR1200F and offers a choice of standard 6-speed or Honda's 3rd-generation Dual Clutch Transmission. Other features include shaft drive, ABS, HSTC (torque control), spoke tubeless wheels, hand guards and a full list of options, including hard luggage. The VFR enters a market packed with great competition from most all of the manufacturers, but unfortunately Honda chose to follow the styling cues from the rest instead of giving this V4 the distinction it deserves. Personal aesthetics aside, this will surely prove to be an awesome all-around ride.

No word on weight or price yet, but my crystal ball says about 530 pounds and $13,000. Available May of 2016 in your choice of Pearl Black or.... well, that's it. My guess is that this VFR will be overshadowed by the introduction of Honda's Africa Twin. Let's hope it's not another case of Honda competing with itself and losing a great bike in the process.

I will definitely wrestle a test ride next Spring.

While doing some carb tuning the other day, I mounted up a carb set on #13 and sync'd them up. The exhaust is currently off the bike (along with many other parts) but I stuffed in some earplugs and fired her up. Note the ECU strapped to the rear tire. The iPhone quality video can't quite capture the sound, but give a listen:

Recently sold on ebay is this interesting build on a VF500 donor bike. Featuring parts from several Honda models and a modified Ducati tank, the builder was going for a Freddie Spencer GP500 look from back in the day.

Overall, it's a good-looking package, but has some carb and electrical issues which will need sorting and the paint isn't to a professional level.

The winning bid of $3307 demonstrates that personal-style customs like this just don't bring anywhere near the investment in time and money required to produce them.

The current issue of Cycle World features an exclusive ride aboard the latest world-class superbike from Honda, the 2016 RC213V-S. Written by the magazine's go-fast guy, Don Canet, the bike was in heady company, with features on the latest Ninja H2 from Kawasaki and another V4 superbike, the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory.

Though severely detuned for the U.S. market, Canet was still immensely impressed with the Honda's riding ease and tractability on the Spanish race course. The factory Project Leader, in true Honda fashion, emphasized, "We're not aiming at a quality that comes from horsepower...of greater importance is precision. We wanted to replicate the precision that you have on a MotoGP bike." This attitude shows a philosophical lineage to the RC30 and RC45 in both race and street guise. Canet was also treated to some seat time on a version of the MotoGP version (again, detuned), the RC213V.

As for showroom power, the factory says that the Euro street version comes in at about 157 HP while the U.S. gets only 101, about the same as the second through sixth generation of the VFR750/800s. The $12,000 Sport Kit (not available in America) will show the street bike's real potential, boosting power to a claimed 212 HP. 

Get in line now, and don't forget your $184,000.

During my morning Craigslist search several days back, I came across this forlorn example of an '87 VFR700 F2, wasting away in a garage on the Illinois plains. The story (there's always a story) is that the seller's son had met his mechanical match a year ago when a hydraulic clutch issue sidelined the VFR. The kid took a job elsewhere and the bike languished in his parent's garage. Advertised at $650 ("but we're flexible"), Patti and I decided to load up the Trailer-In-A-Bag and make the two-hour trek to have a look.

What we found was an interesting assemblage of home-brewed mechanical fiddling in perfect harmony with Rustoleum aesthetics. Naturally, we immediately purchased it.

During it's 28 years and 22,000 miles, this 700 has managed to remain fairly intact with the exception of a few items. I quickly noticed the chopped rear fender and recovered seat, but stepping back I realized something about the front wheel was suspect. A closer look revealed that a CBR 17-inch wheel has been fitted. Interesting. Back home, I did a tear-down and found that an aftermarket electric fuel pump had been installed with a manual on-off switch conveniently located in the vacated mounting hole for the left-rear turn signal. Into the trash. I pulled the carbs, cleaned and refitted 'em and the old girl fired right up and ran great! 

Here's a shot of the fuel pump installation. Seems to me that someone went to a lot of fiddling, when fitting a used OEM pump would have been a much easier and cleaner install.

Here's an example of the refinishing technique lavished on this classic motorbike. This is the left side mid fairing. If the awesome sharks teeth decal can't be covered up with the initial coats of rattle-can grey, then try a few heavier applications. 

So, welcome number 14 to the asylum. What's the plan? Well, I envision a nicely presented red/white/blue rider. I'll return the front wheel to OEM and fit a nice set of stock mufflers. This bike is straight and complete with fairly low mileage so there's no reason it shouldn't be rescued and a new owner found to care for it. 

After five years sitting on the back burner due to a succession of VFR priorities, I decided that it was time for my dirty side to resurface.

My idea of the perfect dual sport classic — a 1981 Honda XL500S with a 550cc big-bore kit. Honda's final year for dual shocks, 6-volt electrics, and that bodacious 23-inch front wheel. Kick-start only. Vintage.

When I acquired the bike I immediately stripped it to the frame and slowly built her back up with Progressive suspension front & rear, enduro-style tail light, and everything refurbished, replaced or upgraded. The final touch was having the bodywork finished in a straw camo hydrostatic dip. Last weekend I participated in a brutal off-road event in West Bend, WI as an ultimate shake-down ride. The bike performed flawlessly — the same can't be said for me as it's been a few years since I've abused myself quite so much on a motorcycle. This thing is great fun.

No, I'm not building the next hipster noir bobber feature for EXIF. This is actually step one in deep cleaning Project 13. By removing the seat subframe and fender, accessibility is really opened up for detailing and condition inspection for the rear portion of the machine. I expect to be replacing the rear shock assembly, so it's now more accessible too. Note that the drive chain and front sprocket are removed in anticipation of replacing those components, along with the rear sprocket, of course. Removing the carb rack and sealing the intake tracts with plastic allows me to easily clean and rinse the intake valley. Likewise, removing the radiator and hoses allows much easier access to the front head for valve clearance checks.

I scrub everything with a biodegradable degreaser, a purple one with the unimaginative name of Super Clean which I get from the local big-box home improvement store. Some of these degreasers can etch bare aluminum, but this one seems pretty safe. Twenty nine years of chain grunge doesn't come off without a fight but perseverance will win the day. The forks will be removed for steering head bearing service, so that area will be detailed in its own good time.

This may be the nastiest chore in refurbishing the VFRs, but there's a certain satisfaction in the results. There's much work ahead, but no one likes to wrench on a dirty machine.

Recently sold via eBay listing is this very nice and very elusive VFR400R. This model was never offered in the U.S., designed primarily for the Japanese home-market where the 400cc and under class was popular, mainly due to drivers'  licensing restrictions.

Earlier, America got an upsized VF500 version of the V4, but this jewel, designated the NC24, was a later design much in line with the larger RC30 and third generation VFRs. This bike would later morph into the iconic (outside the U.S.) NC30 and later still into the NC35, produced through 1996.

Available only in the Rothman's replica scheme for the '88 model year, this one shows 28,000 miles and "fair" condition bodywork. Legally imported from the UK, ready to ride and located in Austin, TX, this VFR400 sold for $3600. reinforcing my notion that small-displacement motorcycles just don't have the appeal in this country.

Without ever putting rubber to the road this Craigslist seller in Chicago managed to do this to his unsuspecting '85 VF750 Interceptor. In his own prose: "Custom painted tank and fender...skulls, stripes...red...whats not to like?" Well, we can start with the fact that it's not running and hasn't for at least a year. Or how about the lack of a title? Amazingly, he even purchased the bike with no title. But wait, there's more: "...never had the chance to put mechanicals back together but I have all the pieces." Run. Away.

Also stalking the dark alleys of C-list we find this derelict beast. With fewer than 13,000 miles this '84 VF750 is likely destined for eBay's great parts heap in the sky. At least the Milwaukee seller has a title. No word on its running condition, but being as he's managed to "misplace" the right-side foot peg, I'm guessing the old VF hasn't turned a wheel for awhile. $750 includes aftermarket lower fairing panels (need work) and new handgrips.