A few days ago I was visiting Petrolicious (.com) and came upon a short video featuring a guy by the name of Carini Lino. He's Italian (I think) and, like myself, he's found a passion in his retirement — in his case restoring vintage car radios. He calls his shop Lino Autoradio.

Carini seems like a quiet, thoughtful guy who goes about his work with an eye toward respect and appreciation for the pieces he loves. What I found particularly interesting is his distinction of calling himself an "enthusiast" as opposed to a businessman or restorer. I feel the same way toward my projects, but he's better at putting it into words:

"A real enthusiast is not attracted by worth — an enthusiast is in love with that particular thing, not with its monetary value but with what it represents, its flaws along with its qualities. Otherwise he’s not a real enthusiast, he’s a businessman, nothing more. A real enthusiast cares about the details, of how the item was originally. I try to keep the originality as much as possible, at least as much as I can. It requires a lot of work to give it originality, and you lose a lot when you try to restore." Carini Lino

When it comes to workshop manuals, I'm firmly in the old school camp — I want to have a printed manual sitting at my elbow on the workbench. And if it's dog-eared and grease-smudged...all the better.

So it was with some dismay that I read Haynes' announcement of its plans to end print editions. In fairness, they are actually stopping the print editions of new manuals and will continue printing existing titles, but I suspect the handwriting on the wall means they will cease all printed versions eventually. It's the digital future. The plan, apparently, is a transition to their subscription service, where their selection of manuals will be available for an annual fee. This is nothing new, of course; we don't own the content on our streaming services, nor the operating systems on our devices; we pay for the right to access them and there are terms and conditions that go along with that.

Personally, I prefer the Honda Factory Workshop Manual, but Haynes is a great backup, as they consider the home mechanic, offering some helpful details and work-arounds that the factory manuals ignore. I've also used online and PDF versions when necessary, and while it works, I really don't like having my $1200 MacBook Air sitting anywhere near the bench, collecting dust, debris and the occasional errant blast of brake cleaner overspray. I can also print out the relevant pages for the workbench, but that's one more step.

I've personally lost four motorcycle magazine titles to digital editions in the past two years, so I realize that the future is at my doorstep. But clicking through the lastest Rider magazine is just not the same as paging through it. I may have no choice, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Luddites unite!

What: 1982 VF750S Sabre
Where: Longmont, CO
Why: Original w/ optional fairing
Price: $4200

Offered by a collector on the beautiful east slope of the Colorado Rockies, this gorgeous example of a first year V4 sports a rare Hondaline fairing, looking regal in its original red. The fairing houses a volt meter and vary rare altimeter. This example shows 20,135 miles.

Some of these models suffered from the infamous "soft cam" wear issues, but that should have been worked out on this bike by virtue of time and miles. I think the Sabre cuts a handsome and imposing profile, with the fairing completing the picture of a gentleman's express, much like its older sibling, the CBX. The asking price is at the high end for early Sabres, but possibly justified in this case.

SOLD: $5500?

I recently found this 2014 VFR800 advertised on ADVrider.com, then this morning it's posted as sold. The asking price was $5500 and it likely sold near that amount — a bargain in the used bike universe. 

The bike is a hard-to-find Deluxe model showing 8800 miles and sporting a few extras, notably a Delkevic slip-on, with all systems ready to ride.

​Someone got a great deal on a nearly new ride.

Comparables: Recently a 2014 non-Deluxe VFR, in red, failed to sell on eBay classified at $5100. Also on eBay a 2014 non-Deluxe VFR failed to meet reserve with bidding up to $3900 (25 bids). The eighth-gen VFR800 was not a good seller in the U.S. market, and it looks like used values are dipping below the $5000 mark.

I'm on to the foot peg assemblies for Projects 29 & 30. The 2d-gen brackets are cast polished aluminum with no factory clear coat applied. As such, they're prone to weathering, which results in corrosion, discoloring and general dulling.

I begin with a complete disassembly, followed by cleaning. Then the rusty bits are soaked for a few days in rust remover while I attack the rest. That starts with either a wet-sanding with whatever grit paper is appropriate, from 320 to 800, or, if the corrosion isn't too bad, I have success with a fine painter's scuff pad (gray) used with a scuffing compound. Then a single pass with aluminum polish to give a sheen without trying to look like chrome.
Here's a look at a right-side set fresh off the project bike (left photos) and a finished example (right).
(click on an image to enlarge)

Next I'll deal with the brake/shift levers. These I either paint, using Dupli-Color engine paint, or polish, after grinding/smoothing the casting marks. The left photo shows two sets of painted levers (and a rear brake torque rod), the center photo shows before & after of a polished brake lever. Ideally, the levers would be powder coated for durability, as shown in the third photo on Project 24.

There are two additional components integral to the right foot peg bracket assembly; the rear brake light switch and master cylinder. If necessary, both assemblies and their components are still available from Honda — with Project 29 I'm rebuilding the master cylinder. The metal cylinder housing is some sort of metal, and this one was severely corroded (below). After disassembly and cleaning, I use a small brass wire brush mounted on a hand drill to remove most of the corrosion, followed by a bit of hand sanding. I then tape off the openings and spray a Dupli-Color black caliper paint. Honda's rebuild kit is no more expensive than aftermarket, so I'll go with that, along with a fresh OEM o-ring at the reservoir hose connection. Job done!

​As an alternative to painting the master cylinder, it can be left bare metal (as they were on the later VFRs) and rubbed with a metal treatment, like Corrosion X, as seen here on Project 14. Also shown is a polished brake lever.

One of the tasks facing us on Project 30 is the replacement of the left mid-fairing decal. Chris is replacing the original fairing with a nicer example, but which was originally mounted on a 700cc model. While the "750" designation was displayed on the 750s, there was no numbering on the 700 version. As we can see, someone went to the trouble of adding "700" lettering to this fairing. In any case, we're replacing it with a reproduction 750 decal.

(Below) We begin with removing the old decal, noting that the goal is to preserve the fairing's finish which will be clearcoated once the proper decal is in place. I cover this technique on the "Maintenance" page (Decal Removal - No Mar), and the first step is to gently heat the decal and start the removal by scraping a corner with a fresh plastic razor. Continue heating, peeling and scraping till the entire decal is removed, leaving behind the remaining adhesive.
(click on an image to enlarge)

(Below) I remove the adhesive with a combination of 3M Adhesive Cleaner, plastic scraper, non-scuff pad and a final wipe of cleaner on a fresh paper towel till we're left with a spotless fairing panel. The process took me about 30 minutes to this point.

My next step is an overall sanding with 1500-grit wet/dry to remove paint scuffs and imperfections (as much as possible), and prepare the surface for clearcoat.

Finally, I apply the decal...but that's a discussion for another time.

(Below) The finished product, ready for mounting!

I've recently completed brake systems rebuilding on projects 29 and 30, including front and clutch masters and all calipers. Years ago I once made the mistake of assembling the front outboard brake pads at a cocked angle, which causes brake drag and uneven wear on the pad. Here's how to avoid that mistake.

In the photo to the right I've pointed out the two tiny tangs that locate those outboard pads. During assembly be sure to capture the pads within the tangs, then secure with the slider pins. A small but important detail.

Obviously, those tangs locate to the outboard side of the calipers; to assemble the rear caliper spring, first insert the small tab into its locating hole (right photo)........

....then press downward to secure (right).

Next, insert the inboard pad, press downward slightly to pass the slider pins through the pad's locating holes, and repeat for the outer pad.

(I'm showing the '86-87 here)

​Mistakes are not acceptable when it comes to our brake systems, so I proceed carefully, double-checking my work as I progress.

What: 1995 VFR750F
Where: Bayville, New Jersey
Why: Pristine, low miles
Price: $3000

​This kind of find is soooo tempting. Original look, nicely appointed, low miles, gleaming original condition....

Located along the Atlantic seaboard, this minty '95 checks all the boxes for the carbureted 4th-gen, short of some suspension magic. "Runs as good as it looks," the ad reads. Some nice details include the Staintune muffler, rear fender eliminator, aftermarket seat plus original, including the cowl. No word on whether the original muffler and rear fender are included, but they're not hard to locate in the online world. I've owned two of this generation, and I have to say they're my favorite for racking up the miles with performance and style. The caretaker of this VFR will never need apologize for his or her choice of motorbike.
(click on the dash photo and look closely — those pristine details give a great indication of what you're getting)

Progress continues on Project 30, a 1986 VFR750F, and now that the front forks, brakes and wheel/tire are back in place it's time to begin refitting the bodywork. 

This is a very low-mile bike with no apparent prior damage so things are fitting well, with minimal massaging needed. The fuel tank interior was restored with a basic vinegar soaking. The mirrors will need repainting and one fairing will require a decal replaced followed by clear coat. The light at the end of the tunnel is clearly visible.