I'm prepping the bodywork for paint on Project 29, a red/white/blue 1986 VFR750, and one of the more time consuming tasks is removing the decals. I detail how I approach this for plastic parts on the "Maintenance" page under "Decal Removal - No Mar," but there's a quicker way in the case of the metal fuel tank. Simply referred to as an eraser wheel, this device chucks up in my drill and does just what it says — quickly "erasing" the decal. After about five minutes of effort, I'm left with a lot of decal dust and some adhesive left behind, which I remove with 3M adhesive remover and plastic razor blade (below).

I'm left with a ridge of clearcoat paint along the edge of the decal's shadow which will need to be sanded smooth. I used some 320-grit wet/dry sandpaper followed by something like 800-grit over the entire tank. At that point I'll turn the tank over to a professional for final finishing and paint.

​TIP: If you have one of these r/w/b tanks repainted, you'll need to follow a specific sequence. Because the decals are translucent, the entire tank is first painted blue, then the red decal applied, then the lower edge of the decal is taped off, then the white applied. Finally, apply clearcoat over the entire tank. If this sequence isn't followed, the division line between white and blue will be visible under the red stripe. I learned this the hard way.

So, does the magic eraser work on plastic parts? I grabbed a scrap fairing and gave it a go. The answer is, no. The wheel treats the underlying plastic just like a decal and easily digs through the paint and into the plastic, creating divots as you go. I'm guessing that this is a result of the heat generated by the wheel.

I recommend using an eraser wheel outdoors due to the large amount of dust created.

​Off to the painter!

After seven weeks in the shop, owner Brett recently took home Project 33, just in time for some Spring riding. By the time Brett finally convinced his brother-in-law to part with his baby, a 1993 VFR750, the bike had spent too much time idle, the carbs hopelessly clogged, mice in the airbox, tires past their due date, maintenance lagging. Time was beginning to take its toll so we immediately set out to make it right.

First up were the carburetors, then mechanical checks and tuning, followed by brakes, forks, passenger peg removal and, finally, cleaning/body detailing. Along the way heated grips were added as well as a Mosfet regulator/rectifier. With only 11,000 miles, the bike responded well to the attention, rewarding Brett with a beautiful rider-grade VFR to be proud of. I found the bike to run smooth and strong, the deep, mellow sound track from the Predator exhaust being the perfect accompaniment to the V4 riding experience.

It's great to see another VFR brought back to the road, and I wish Brett many years and miles with his family treasure.

I came across these '86-87 side fairings for sale near me on Facebook Marketplace. The seller, Jacob, in the Milwaukee, WI area, has two unused sets of these available, asking price is $200 (per set, I presume).

These are fiberglass reproductions, with no hardware or mounting holes provided. With some time spent fitting, these could be a viable replacement for missing or botched OEM pieces, or perfect for a track bike project.

BIKE IS SOLD
Last Fall, while parking his bike on the street, my daughter's boyfriend was approached by a neighbor who struck up a moto-conversation, explaining that he had a like-new bike sitting unused in his garage nearby. Would Andres know of anyone who might be interested in bringing it back to life? Andres contacted me and together we learned that it was a late-model Triumph Bonneville SE which he had purchased new in 2012, rode it 1430 miles and parked it…for five years. I can't abide a perfectly useable motorbike sitting neglected, covered in dust, it's future bleak. We had to have a look, of course.

What: 1983 VF750 (V45)
Where: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Why: Clean, fresh paint, nice pipes
Price: $3000

Here's the definition of a classic Interceptor, the very first of the breed — a first-year V45 in stock condition. Located in central Wisconsin, our seller is of few words, but this example shows 20,000 miles with a professional repaint and described in "excellent condition, cosmetically and mechanically."

The typical sore spots on the VF look great — mufflers, wheels, engine covers and frame, which is steel and prone to rust. This may have been a frame-off restoration — someone's labor of love. Hard to go wrong at the asking price of $3000. If I were the seller, I'd get it on Bring-A-Trailer and watch the bidders go nuts.

Project 31, a 1986 VFR700 F2, came back to life yesterday. This California-spec bike was treated to the usual carb cleaning and tweaking plus removal of all the emissions hardware, including removing the PAIR lines.

Before I even think about trying to sync a set of carbs on a project, I confirm that the valves are set and the compression readings indicate a healthy engine. But, when I removed the valve covers on this engine things got a little "sticky." 

These photos show the result of applying RTV sealant to gasket surfaces — the next guy gets to clean it all up, but the real risk is the excess RTV getting squeezed into the inside of the engine and, if dislodged, can circulate with the oil, clogging passages and potentially damaging the engine.

Here we see a ring of RTV from the valve cover hold-down bolts which had fallen onto a cam cap when the cover was lifted free. Fortunately, I was able to retrieve all eight of these rings before they found their way down into the gear drive cavity.

Next, I had to pick out all the tiny bits of random sealant pieces in and around the valve covers — here's some of the debris from the front cylinder head and the tweezers I used to retrieve it.

Beyond the potential for engine damage, this was a time-consuming task and completely unnecessary — the rubber valve cover gaskets don't require any sealant, much less this stuff. 

Eventually everything was cleaned up, the carbs refitted, and the magic button brought it to life. After warming, the carbs sync-ed nicely and we have another great-running VFR:

What: 1997 VFR750F
Where: Warren, Michigan
Why: Low miles, final 750cc edition
Price: $3200 OBO

This bike represents the final year of the carbed 750cc VFR line. While that may not lend you any cred with the bike collector crowd, many VFR lovers prefer the analog feel of the carbureted V4s. If you like getting your hands dirty with your bike, a glance at the parts diagram of the later fuel injected models' fuel system might make your heart sink just a little. Then there's the styling — the rounded, organic curves of the NR-inspired look certainly contrast with the sharp origami style of the new models.

If that's your style of VFR, then this might be a great candidate. The odometer shows only 9000 miles and it looks to be in very original kit with the addition of a Two-Brothers CF high-mount slip-on. Tires and battery are recent, and if you can still fit in a 32-waist pant (I wish!), the seller has some extras he's including in the sale.

What: 2009 VFR800
Where: Moline, Illinois
Why: Like new, low miles
Price: $5500 OBO

No such animal as a "dark edition" VFR, of course, but if there were this might be it. Located along the mighty Mississippi River, this murdered-out final-year version of the 6th-gen Interceptor is showing only 3449 miles, put on by the original owner who bought it new in the crate in 2016. The only changes from stock are the sexy Delkevic CF mufflers and a rear fender eliminator (original exhaust included). I would unbolt those passenger peg brackets to complete the look.

The price is in line with the typical range of asking prices for nice 6th-gen VFRs, and the seller is willing to work with you a bit. This bike looks and, I'm sure, sounds the business. Do these pipes make my butt look big? I like it.

Project 32, a 1987 VFR700 F2, recently received its new rear suspender, a fresh YSS shock assembly from EPM Performance Imports in New Jersey.

The company's website was not much help regarding information and ordering, but an old-school phone call easily took care of that. If your specified rider weight is outside of the standard spring specs, the spring will be changed out accordingly. I don't have any idea if that was done in our case, as there was no further communication during the process. Don't be in a hurry — the shock took about a month to get here.

The shocks are made in Thailand and have a two-year warranty. YSS built their name as a budget shock maker specializing in the huge Asian scooter market, but reorganized a few years back to become a mainstream, mid-level, full-line manufacturer. Our model number is MZ456-275TR, denoting an emulsion gas mono shock, 275mm (10.8 inch) mounting length, "T" is threaded spring preload, "R" is rebound adjustable. So we loose the remote preload wheel on the OEM shock but gain rebound damping in a nice, shiny new shock. Cost was $426 shipped. Compare that to high-end shocks at about $750+ or rebuilding your OEM shock at about $350 parts, labor and shipping. I will be very interested to try this beauty on the road.