Soichiro Honda would be pleased. Mr. Honda was a believer in the V4 engine configuration and set out to prove its merits with the street and racing Interceptors of 1983. Thirty six years later the 2019 MotoGP lineup will consist of 11 teams...and eight of them will be running V4 engines. Honda, KTM, Aprilia and Ducati all have developed the V4 as the pinnacle of their efforts in motorcycle competition. Of those manufacturers, all but KTM also provide a V4 street model. And for 2019 Aprilia and Ducati have upped their street game with some upgraded models.

Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory
The new, larger top-of-the-line model is up to 1078cc in a 65-degree V4 boasting 217 HP at 13,200 RPM and 90 pounds of torque at 11,000 RPM. All this at only 439 pounds. Yikes.

The bike has a comprehensive list of electronic aids and controls, MotoGP-derived aerodynamic winglets, and even has Bluetooth connectivity, as if you need to listen to music or answer your phone on this exquisite Superbike.

Aprilia RSV4 RR
As the Factory's little brother, this one is 1000cc and is rated at "only" 201 HP. I think that might be enough for the street.

Ducati Panigale V4 R
Ducati's basis for their MotoGP challenge will be this bike, using their 998cc Desmosedici Stradale R, a 90-dgree V4 with 234 HP at 15,500 RPM, and 83 pounds of torque. Weight is listed at 379 pounds.

Like the Aprilia, this bike comes with the latest and greatest electronics and suspension along with its own winglet design.

Here's a simple solution to a nagging problem — holding the battery cable mounting nuts in position.

The task of managing battery cables, bolt, screwdriver and the rear nut is bad enough but made worse when there's just no room for my fat fingers to hold it all together while engaging the nut and bolt.

Here's a simple fix: I snoop around the "misc" drawer in the shop to find some random foam, cut a small piece and fit it behind the nut, holding it in perfect alignment. And no more battery terminal nuts rolling around the shop floor, never to be seen again.

What: VFR750R
Where: Hinckley, Ohio
Why: RC30
Price: Auction; reserve not met at $36K
UPDATE: With 17 bids, the reserve was not met at $39,100. Not relisted.

This example is a collector that unfortunately will most likely never see a road or race course again. With only 643 miles and in "museum quality" condition, it will be deemed too valuable to risk.

Originally sold from Cycle Sport Center in Cridersville, Ohio, amazingly the bike still resides in that state.

Hurry, the auction ends today.

What: VFR750R
Where: Marina Del Rey, California
Why: RC30
Price: Buy It Now $39,995
UPDATE: After a few more relistings, the item is "no longer available."

Offered by a dealer, this example shows 7400 miles and is described as in "fantastic condition and all stock." With a fair amount of salesperson hyperbole our seller invites us to give a visit and check out this and their other inventory:
iconicmotorbikes.com

This eBay classified has been relisted a few times looking for its buyer.

Hailing from northern Minnesota, Roger P. is the now the proud owner of his second RC24, this 1986 VFR750F. Roger has several motorbikes to choose from in his toyshop, but with three sons the VFR is in high demand, so a second Interceptor only seemed natural. Roger and I agreed to meet up in Madison, WI for a trailer exchange. It was a beautiful day and the VFR got its share of attention in the Kwik Trip parking lot.

I hope this bike serves Roger and the boys well. Safe rides!

Honda calls it a "single seat cowl" and it covers the passenger portion of the seat to give a monoposto look to the VFR. An option in 1986-87, these pieces are getting more rare as the years pass.

So is their appearance on eBay. This one just sold at auction with 11 bids. The seller doesn't include the year, but judging by the color and lack of "VFR" decal it would say it's from a pearl white 700 F2.

If you're searching for one of these, be aware that there's one more subtle difference: near the seller's thumb in this photo, there's a locating tab on the earlier "F" models which inserted into a slot in the tail light fairing. The later production bikes didn't have the tab or the slot. These cowls often have a crack at the rear (center) locating tab, or it's missing altogether. That's a critical tab and difficult to repair with any semblance of strength. Another crack-prone spot is at the downward curve near the bum-stop. The bum-stop colors match the various seat colors, so that's another thing to look for. Chuck Crites (aka VFR Chuck) made a run of these as reproduction parts in heavier but stronger fiberglass so you may come across one of those in a generic gelcoat white color.

Pictured below are an OEM cowl on the left and one of Chuck's on the right. Both have the extra mounting tabs. Looking closely at the OEM piece, you'll see I've made repairs to a crack near the bum-stop and have reinforced the central tab on the underside. Click on an image to enlarge.

A year ago I was fortunate to get a little saddle time on a Motus ST. I walked away impressed and maybe a little awestruck at its brute force. Impressed...but not a convert.

I mention this because I just read that, after a 10-year run, Motus has been forced to cease operations due to financial woes. Sad news, but not entirely surprising, considering the history of American motorcycle startups. Even with well-deep pockets, many American brands have floundered in this business, most recently Buell and Victory.

As an (admittedly) armchair critic, I came away from my test ride with the impression that the Motus was an unintentional "modern retro" creation. Here was a new design with an old-school pushrod V4 admittedly derived from the dinosaur Chevy small-block V8, with several high-end components added and a chain final drive. It's as if the Laverda Jota had been resurrected in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. No ABS, no drive-by-wire, no electronic drive modes, no traction control (which it really could use) — just a brute new/old machine with a $30K + price tag. Where is its market?

I really don't mean to sound like a Motus hater. I'd love to have one in the garage, I just wouldn't be willing to pay for it. The bike is uber-cool and the planned naked version would have been a special kind of beast. And I love a Chevy V8 as much as anyone — I came of age with my head stuck under the hood of Camaros and Chevelles. But if I want the riding experience that this bike provides, I'll check in on Craigslist for a $3500 17-year old Ducati ST-4. Just my 2-cents.

Back in February, 2016, I found a pair of '86 750's near Fredericksburg, W. Virginia. They'd been languishing in the seller's pole barn for seven years. Both red/white/blue versions, one was an original-owner with only 10K miles which came to be designated Project 18. The second is this bike, a 33K-mile example which the seller had bought some years before as a potential parts donor bike in the event his ever needed some transplants. That scenario never came to pass and this bike just sat on its side stand...waiting like a sad-eyed puppy at the pound.

Well, its day has come. Under the layers of dust and neglect lay a perfectly good Interceptor with a healthy heart and strong bones. Early this summer I finally got the bike stripped of its tattered clothes and began the evaluation process. What I found was an engine with strong compression and a chassis that seemed to tell me to keep going. And so I did. The California emissions were stripped off the carbs and with a thorough cleaning they brought the engine to life after at least ten years of slumber. All the electrical checked out, the steering and suspension were brought back to service, and a new suit of clothes was sourced from the massive warehouse here at the sprawling V4 Dreams campus (not really).

The bike came to me fitted with a depressing-looking set of SuperTrapp slip-on mufflers which required many hours of hands-on massaging to bring back to life. Tunable for sound and back pressure, these are probably the best-sounding pipes I've heard on an old Interceptor so the effort was worth it.

During assembly I discovered a slightly twisted swingarm, so a good example was fitted after stripping and polishing to bring out its best. A reproduction windscreen was fitted along with repainted mirrors and nicer engine covers. The wheels were painstakingly cleaned, their paint touched up and fresh Bridgestone BT45 tires fitted with 90-degree valve stems. The body paint was color-sanded and machine buffed. I haven't been successful in locating the infill panels between the tank and side fairings — something for its new owner to chase down.

The very thorough test ride last week confirmed that this VFR was never intended to be a "parts bike," but was destined to be back on the road. With a great sound from idle to redline, the bike rushes towards the horizon like a mustang released back to the wild.

Hyperbole aside, this Interceptor will make its next owner an excellent rider-quality motorbike. It's not perfect, but the price reflects the plusses and the imperfections. I'll put together a walk-around, running video when the weather improves. Contact me for more information.
[email protected]
​608-807-7829 call or text
​
Photo album:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmsuiQs2
Craigslist ad:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/mcy/6734791640.html

My latest project has left the nest. Following a spring and summer of work, paint, assembly and all the little things involved in finishing one of these bikes, a new owner was found just over the border — the Wisconsin border, that is. Matt and his son Kyle are heavily involved in vintage bikes, and this 1986 VFR700F caught their eye. They won't get a lot of saddle time before the winter sleep sets in, but come spring I wish them many safe and fun miles together.

I took advantage of a rare opportunity for a group photo a few days ago when I realized that three project bikes were all available at the same time. Well, let's line 'em up for a portrait....
(left to right; Projects 13, 16, 17)

The annual Autumn Stafford Sale took place October 13 & 14 in Stafford, UK. As one of the big international auctions, it's closely watched as a gauge of the coming winter auction season. The sale's winner this year was a 1933 Brough Superior SS100 "project" which sold for $209,801. Might be the most expensive project bike ever. For us commoners, there were also a few more pedestrian V4's in attendance with two significant sales....

1992 NR 750
​$80,923

Showing only 875 miles, this example was originally a Swiss-market model. It still has the original battery, which is probably a good indication of it's condition.

1989 VFR750R (RC30)
$61,441

No self-respecting auction would be complete without at least one RC30. And this one is pretty special. It's never been used, showing only 1.5 miles gained from pushing around various collectors' display rooms in Denmark. The selling price confirms that RC30's values are on the rise once again. 

1994 RVF750R (RC45)
No Sale, value estimate ~$45,000

From the same Danish collector comes this unused RC45 showing only 2 miles. No buyers in the room on this day.

1992 VFR750F
No Sale: value estimate ~ $3000

I have no idea if this color scheme was a factory offering (probably not) but this third-gen looks pretty good. It came from the Netherlands with 41,600 miles on the odometer.