Reader Sandy T. from Illinois sent along this photo of his wife riding the Tail Of The Dragon from several years ago.  She's on their fourth-gen Interceptor which Sandy is performing some winter maintenance on.

In my world, anything that helps me do a task better, faster or easier I consider a "tool." And here's a great tool to help preserve the finish of raw aluminum.

Last month reader Tom B. of Boise, ID wrote to tell me how he'd stripped the anodizing from one side of his stained swing arm and then matched the finish to the other, original, side. To preserve the new finish he applied this product, Sharkhide Metal Protectant. I'd never heard of it so I did some interweb research and it looks like the perfect alternative to applying a clear coat paint.

Developed for the marine industry, this magic stuff will protect raw aluminum (and other metals) for years. Their website suggests six years or more for vehicles that are garage-kept with routine cleaning. It ain't cheap; I found the best price at Eastwood at $67 for a quart. But a little goes a long way. I applied it to two sets of foot peg brackets and all the handling involved in remounting the brackets didn't even leave a fingerprint on the finish.

By the way, Tom's technique for saving his swing arm:
"After stripping the factory clear off, I scrubbed the whole swing arm in a bin. Then I took some coarse steel wool dabbed in metal polish and went to work on the right side. The idea was to remove only the oxidation and contaminates, not to shine, so only a little was needed. Then I took a stainless steel welding brush and brushed the bare aluminum to match the left side."
(click on an image to enlarge)

Project 30 is in the reassembly stage, and with the rebuilt shock installed I'm finally able to install the wheel assembly. One of the many details involves refurbishing the chain adjusting hardware, consisting of the end plates and "outer washers," in Honda-speak.

These parts live in a harsh, neglected environment but are visible and will really detract from the finished bike if left in this sad state (right).

(Below) After cleaning, I begin with wet-sanding the aluminum to remove the surface corrosion and get down to clean metal. In this case, I'm using a worn piece of 320-grit paper — the level of corrosion will determine the grit used. The side plates, though made of steel, get the same treatment. Any sanding marks will remain, so I sand in one direction to create a "grain," in this case lengthwise. The plates are now ready for buffing.

(Below) The screw heads and adjusting nuts are cleaned with a steel wire rotary brush, mounted in a drill.

(Below) Buffing isn't strictly necessary, of course, but I think a light buff gives a finished look. The level of shine depends upon the amount of buffing, but I just keep it light so, hopefully, the parts don't look out of place when mounted on the swing arm. I dress the wheel with a "Tripoli" bar from Eastwood — this is a mild cutting compound; for a finer, brighter shine I can progress to a white rouge compound, but in this case I'll stop with the Tripoli. The steel side plates get the same treatment. For a good primer on buffing parts, check out Eastwood's video.

The final step is to protect the fresh finish on these parts. I have a new favorite for this important task — Sharkhide Metal Protectant. (This is worthy of a separate post, but you can find details here.)

(Below) The finished parts now compliment the swing arm area, rather than detract. This task took about 1.5 hours of easy labor but the results will last for years.

A few days ago FedEx dropped off two rebuilt 2d-gen shocks, fresh from Jamie Daugherty's shop, DMr Performance Suspension. One of these is for my personal stash and the other will return to its original donor, Project 30.

Jamie rebuilds these shocks with new valving, seals and springs, based upon your weight, skill level and riding style, i.e., street, racing, touring. DMr also offers their own line of shocks, each built to your specific application.

This is the final piece of the puzzle for Project 30, so I'm on to final assembly.

Just hours in front of our first snow storm of the season, the latest additions to the project list have arrived at the sprawling V4 Dreams facilities, all the way from the Oklahoma City, OK, area. Owner Jeff C. has a taste for 1986 Pearl Crescent White VFR700 F2s, and he's brought two of his collection to me for help with their refurbishment.

Project 31 is the older of the pair; production number 26, showing 38,408 miles. It's very complete, but the large side fairings are Chuck Crites fiberglass reproductions. The engine is in running condition but needs carburetor work.

Project 32 is production number 290 with 22,675 miles, and full OEM body panels. Someone had toyed with this bike through the years, adding a Penske remote reservoir shock and somehow raising the bike about 1.5 inches front and rear. That will require some investigation. Also a running example, but in need of the usual tweaking and tuning.

Both of these examples are great starting points for full sympathetic restorations and Jeff and I are excited to see what lies ahead.

An observant reader sent me this eBay link for a unique custom build from Motorelic Custom Cycles in Hamilton, VA. The bike is based upon a 1984 Honda VF500C V30 Magna, chosen for its tube style frame and chain drive. The seller provides a pretty detailed build summary in the eBay listing; a good read. The inspiration is flat tracker, but this looks like an amazing super moto ride to me. An opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind V4 custom put together by a meticulous professional builder. Offered on auction or buy-it-now at $13,000.

What: 2015 VFR800 Deluxe
Where: Rio Grande City, Texas
Why: Low miles, Deluxe, extras, potential bargain
Price: $5500 opening bid, no reserve

Hands down, the latest generation Interceptor represents a blend of good looks, competence and value sitting at the top of the heap of pre-owned sport style motorcycles. As Motorcycle Consumer News gushed, "Dynamics such as control feel, power delivery and handling are all so perfectly neutral that you have to wonder how other bikes get shipped with all the flaws they possess."

And here's a perfect example. This 2015 version is a desirable Deluxe model in Pearl Glare White with a few extras, including bar risers, security system, throttle lock and more. A great bonus is the low 778 miles! If it were in my garage, I would add some tasteful red and blue accent striping as my personal tribute model.

The opening bid is a reasonable $5500 in a no-reserve auction. The bike is located on the Mexican border in southeastern Texas and the auction closes Tuesday evening. 

What: 1986 VF1000R
Where: Crystal Lake, Illinois
Why: Great original condition "R"
Price: $11,000

The final year of VF1000R U.S. availability was 1986, and here's #23 imported that year. This very original example spent most of its life in the Bob Weaver collection and shows 28,000 miles. Our seller states that the "paint and condition is great" and has accomplished the maintenance items most likely needing attention. This one should be ready for some summer miles. The asking price seems a bit on the optimistic side, considering the miles, so some tactful negotiation may be called for.

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