Project 17 finally got out for a test ride yesterday, probably it's first time back on the road in at least ten years. Everything went well so it's time to finalize the cosmetics and attend to all the final details.

First up is to replace the funky engine covers with some much nicer spares. This clutch cover is a big improvement.

Next up — start fitting the bodywork.

There's a little informal gathering of bikes every Sunday in my area at the Full Moon restaurant on Route 41 near the Great Lakes Naval Station military base. So I thought I'd take my Interceptor down for look-see on this warm September morning.

Not a huge turnout this particular day, but what was lacking in volume was made up for in quality. Several Ducs, a nice old Goose and a few customs.

This pristine Aprilia Tuono V4 stood out, at least to me. I waited awhile for the owner to fire it up for a listen to the Arrow exhaust, but he never showed. In the background sits an equally nice MV Augusta.

While we're on the subject of Ducati, this gentleman was about to leave on his gorgeous looking and sounding Panigale.

(Below) Something else that caught my eye was this custom Triumph. I would call it a bobber with meticulous build quality and some interesting engineering. The main frame looked to be from a '71 or newer with a custom swingarm, while the suspension consisted of a forward-mounted spring/shock and a huge upside-down new age fork. Modern rubber and discs front & rear. Very cool.
(click on an image to enlarge)

Sometimes it seems that the only true bargains left on eBay are old-school no-reserve auctions with low opening bids. This is the purist form of selling — let the market decide. This type of auction is becoming more rare but here we have two very different ST1300s available on opposite sides of the country.

What: 2007 ST1300 (non-ABS)
Where: Half Moon Bay, California (San Francisco)
Why: No-reserve auction
Price: Bidding at $1025

Represented as "absolute pristine condition," this 31,000-mile ST features a Givi top box, Two Brothers exhaust, electric windscreen and Throttlemeister. Not mentioned, but visible in the photos are an electronic cruise control and Sargent rider's saddle. The seller states that it's always been garage kept but is in need of fresh rubber. Looks like a nice one.

What: 2004 ST1300 (non-ABS)
Where: Edison, New Jersey
Why: No-reserve auction
Price: Opening bid at $1760

At the opposite end of the ST1300 spectrum is this second-year 2004 model showing 85,000 miles and a bit more wear & tear. Still, the higher miles are no reason to turn away from a well-cared for ST.

This mostly stock example comes to us in the original Pearl Coronado Blue and is still lookin' good. There's an aftermarket rider's touring saddle and electric windscreen, but otherwise appears option-less. The seller says he/she has service records available.

This would make someone a great commuter or occasional-use weekend tourer.

Despite Patti's less than subtle hints that I spend too much time in the garage (I don't), I'm still able to occasionally sneak a day away for a solo ride and a return to my roots. For some 40 years my motorcycling playground has been the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin. This Wisconsin version of the Texas Hill Country offers hills, curves, pastoral scenery, Amish charm, no traffic, small-town cafes and so many roads it would take weeks to cover them all. No map required; just choose a direction and explore. Here's a short drone video of the area. Yes, the midwest winters can take their toll on road surfaces but there's no shortage of great riding. 

Five years ago we relocated two hours to the southeast, so to make the most of the daylight I've taken to trailering to the edge of the hill country and riding the day from there. My base is charming New Glarus, WI, a boring two-hour drive from home. I leave early and get home late, giving me all day to explore, eat and...ride.

Earlier this month I purchased a new Kendon ride-on single bike trailer, pictured above. The advantage of this design is that it stores vertically against the garage wall, which allows those of us with limited room to still own a quality trailer and store it out of the elements. Last week I took advantage of an absolutely perfect riding day to do an inaugural run with the new rig. Here's some of my day....

(click on images to enlarge)

(Below) For this ride I strapped on my Held tailbag; an excellent quality expanding bag that holds perfectly in place and pops on and off easily. I also tried out a small Alaska Sheepskin pad, which always helps in the comfort department. It does restrict side-to-side movement a bit if you like to move around the saddle in the turns.

I left New Glarus in a generally northwest direction, working my way up through Mt. Horeb and then west along Hwys J, F, K and other favorites. Wisconsin labels their county highways with letters and combinations of letters, leading to the phrase "alphabet roads." In this landscape of kettles or coulees (valleys) and moraines (hills) carved by the last glacier, the roads generally developed high along ridges or down in the river/creek valleys, producing the entertaining and scenic byways we find today. Sometimes we find a gem that takes advantage of both the ridges and valleys, like an all-time favorite, Hwy HH in Iowa county. Ten minutes of twisty bliss.

(Below) The area is dotted with historical markers which make convenient (and informative) rest stops. This was an area of French fur trappers and the Blackhawk Indian wars, logging barons and Mississippi River lore. I love history and geology, so this is my kind of place.

(Below) I eventually make my way to a favorite lunch spot, the Piccadilly Lilly Airport Cafe at the Tri-County (Lone Rock) airport, Sauk County. The Piccadilly Lilly is named after the last B17 Flying Fortress in use by the Air Force. I flew here for many $100 breakfasts and lunches in my flying days. With all the genuine ambiance of a rural airport cafe, this is a must-stop for me. On this day I rolled in just as a National Guard Chinook was taxiing for takeoff. I also enjoyed a chat with a pair of riders who were in on the secret of riding this area on a quiet weekday.

(Below) Back in the saddle I tour some farm roads, both fast and slow. Here's a typical Wisconsin farmstead with their backyard view.

(Below) Working my way north, I take advantage of a rest stop (with rest rooms!) conveniently located on the 3d hole tee of a golf course in the village of Plain. Later, I roll into Leland, home to the twice-annual Slimey Crud Cafe Run. Pretty quiet today, just the way I like it.

(Below) After getting a little lost on a sleepy backroad, I came upon this twisty piece of heaven along a beautiful stretch of Hwy C in Sauk County.

​Some of the locals saunter up to check out the Interceptor. You know what they say: Chicks love bikes.

(Below) Eventually I roll east into the Baraboo area, home to Devil's Lake State Park and Circus World Museum. Devil's Lake was also a result of glacial action on a massive scale when glacial deposits blocked both the northern and southern flow of a river, forming a naturally dammed 368-acre lake. This is the most visited of the state parks, offering camping, rock climbing, hiking and non-motorized water activities. But the road serving the south side is the attraction today.

(Below) I can't roll through Baraboo without a stop at the Log Cabin Family Restaurant at the east end of town. Great north woods ambiance, excellent food and the best pie north of the Illinois border. Today's selection is fresh peach, warmed, à la mode with black coffee. I have a tee-shirt that reads, "Will Ride For Pie," and I will.

(Below) I came across a new distillery in town — this sleepy little city is growing up. Elephant rides were in full swing at the Circus World Museum. This shot was taken across the swollen Baraboo River. South-central Wisconsin has suffered some localized flooding recently, but I didn't encounter any issues on this ride.

As I continue south towards the trailer and home, I have the choice to cross the Wisconsin River on any number of forgettable bridges or to ride the Colsac III at Merrimac. This cable ferry is part of Hwy 113 and is the only free ferry in Wisconsin. It operates 24 hours per day from April to November or as long as the gods of winter allow. The crossing takes all of five minutes but is a cool and calm respite towards the end of this day's ride. 

My day on Wisconsin's back roads comes to an end just before sunset as I load the bike on the trailer for the drive home. The GPS stats tell the tale: 299.5 miles at a moving average of 46 mph and a top speed of 84 mph. My gas receipts say that the VFR averaged 44 mpg. I don't know about all of that, but I do know that, while I've always savored days like this on these beautiful roads, as I face the twilight of my riding days I need to treasure them even more. Each time I come here is a homecoming, and it always will be.

Work continues on Project 17. With the front end components off the bike it's time to clean, paint and polish all the bits.

First up are the front brake rotors. I've come up with a technique that makes taping off the brake surface pretty quick and easy. I simply over-tape the area and trim the excess with a fresh razor blade. They're painted with silver wheel paint and clearcoat. These rotors will look like new when installed.

(Below; before & after) Next I need to make the upper triple clamp ("bridge") more presentable. After stripping the factory clearcoat I wet-sand the aluminum and give it a light polish. 

(Below) The handlebar set on this project was in pretty rough shape. Lots of corrosion which just wouldn't sand out, so I looked around the shop and tried out a couple of rotary paint removal wheels. The orange-colored one proved very effective. It went through the bad spots quickly and left a smooth, brushed finish. I completed the process with a light sanding and polishing.

After a few hours spent refitting the subframe and associated wiring, accessories and parts to Project 17, I stood back and saw the depressing scene at right: the subframe/fender was sitting a full inch to the left of the tire centerline. Not good.

With a completely unknown history, I set to measuring and checking level and plumb of the various components. I deduced that the problem probably lay with the swingarm, but just to be sure that it wasn't the subframe (more likely), I fitted a spare subframe...with the same results. So off came the subframe, wheel, shock and swingarm and on went a spare swingarm followed by the subframe and fender. Success — everything lined up nicely.

And here's the magic stuff: Easy-Off oven cleaner. I took the piece out into the sun for a little solar assistance and started experimenting. I found that an initial soaking for about 20 minutes, wipe, and re-soak for an additional 10 minutes was the ticket. The entire swingarm used one can of Easy-Off.

And here's the rather discouraging result. The process left behind this black residue. I thought sure I'd done more harm than good, but not to worry....

A quick application of Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish applied with a non-scratch kitchen pad dissolved the blackened finish and left raw aluminum.

The raw finish was still not completely uniform in appearance so I brought out an old trick and lightly wet-sanded the piece with 500-grit sandpaper, leaving a nice, smooth matt finish.

​This was followed by a light application of Mother's and then hand-buffed.






The result is better than I'd hoped for. Amazingly, the chain wear decal survived the entire ordeal.

Job done!

The tank and body panels for Project 16 are back from the painters. I chose a Kia color, Snow White Pearl, which is the closest modern color match I could find to the original '86-87 Pearl Crescent White.

This job is done in two stages (from my perspective). The color coat is applied, at which point the bodywork is returned to me for refitting to the bike so that the decal set can be applied. When I've completed that step the panels are returned to the painter for clearcoat.

This process is necessary because some of the body panel decals need to line up with others. This is especially true for the red/white/blue scheme, but also for the white bikes where the tank meets the side panels. The reproduction decals are of high quality, but it's still a delicate, one-shot chore with no mis-steps allowed. Fortunately, I seem to have a pretty good eye for this, but I still spend between two to three hours on this job. Once the paint is finalized this project will be complete and looking for a new caretaker.

When the forks are removed for rebuilding, it's the perfect opportunity to check the steering head bearings for wear. Without the added weight of the forks and wheel I'm able to swing the triple clamp through its arc and feel for roughness or a notch, typically in the centered position. That wasn't necessary in the case of Project 17. What I found here is the worst case of notched bearings I've ever seen on a bike. This must have been a handful to actually ride. Here's a video...

(Below) Let's get this thing apart.
​TIP: To avoid breaking the plastic center cap, remove it by tapping it from beneath with a dowel or similar.

(Below) Next I remove the upper nut with an impact wrench and lift off the upper bridge, exposing the locking nuts beneath.

(Right) With a closer look at the locking nuts I see that a previous mechanic had failed to bend up the locking tabs. This is a sure indication that an earlier service on this bearing issue was dealt with badly.

(Below) Lacking the proper tool, I simply use a slip-jaw pliers to loosen the two serrated nuts, allowing the steering stem assembly to drop out the bottom of the frame neck. This thing is an over-greased mess.

(Below) After cleaning some of the dirty grease away, I use a long piece of round stock to drive out the upper and lower bearing outer races.

Here we see the damage to one of the outer races. It's subtle but it's enough to cause problems with the steering bearings.



For a tutorial on replacing the steering bearings see the "Maintenance" page article: "Steering Head Bearing Replacement."

What: 1984 VF700S Sabre
Where: Carbondale, Colorado
Why: Original rider, easy money
Price: $1950 or offer

Introduced in 1982 alongside the Magna, this model was part of the first volley in Honda's V4 assault. The Magna was an all-out cruiser and the Sabre more of a standard with a bit of power cruiser attitude, the "power" part of the formula cemented with the 1984 introduction of the 1100cc V65. The Interceptor added a sport bike to the range in '83.

All the V4 models would succumb to the tariffs imposed by the U.S. government as a thinly disguised bailout of Harley-Davidson, with 700cc models available to the budget-conscious. By 1984 only the 700 and 1100 engines were available and '85 would be the final year for the model (the name would later be resurrected for use on a V-twin cruiser).

So our example here is neither the 750 nor the final-year model, but what makes it desirable, I think, are the combination of low-ish miles, nice rideable condition, and the inclusion of the optional Hondaline swoopy fairing. A close look at the photos reveals an original-condition bike with very good cosmetics (some further detailing would do wonders here) and excellent mufflers — always a good indicator of the level of care given to a motorcycle. The CBX-inspired fairing looks the part and really sets this bike apart. There also appears to be a Fox rear shock absorber installed, with the carbs rebuilt and fresh tires.

The Sabre was not, in all honesty, a stellar performer. The power is adequate and the handling is heavy. But it was never intended as a sport bike, leaning more toward the cafe or cruiser crowd. As a present-day commuter or weekend fun bike, this would be a reliable, classic rider — with the added panache of the V4, of course.

(the two holes in the dash are intended for optional gauges, which can be sourced as used items)