In a previous post I featured an RC30 tool kit listed on eBay for what seems like a premium price of $1500. Not a chance.

Just sold on Bring-A-Trailer (.com) is this vintage tool kit from a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing for an impressive $20,500. No, that's not a typo.

I guess we've got nothing on the car guys.

From Tucson, Arizona this very nice 2015 VFR800 Deluxe recently auctioned for $5500.

With an original MSRP north of $13K, this 7800-mile example proved to be a genuine bargain for the winning buyer. Unfortunately it also sends a dismal message about the low popularity and resulting resale values for the excellent eighth-generation VFRs.

Introduced in 2014, the latest 800 never gained traction in the U.S. market and, in fact, Honda is no longer showing the model in their lineup. We know that the era of dedicated sport and supersport repli-racer bikes is waning, if not dead on arrival, but the Interceptors have always seemed to define their own space in the marketplace. I guess that's just not enough for today's new bike buyers. With the boom of minimally-faired standards, ADV and retro bikes, plastic-wrapped sport bikes have had their day.

But if you're one who still appreciates the experience of an exquisitely engineered, V4-powered riding tool slicing through the twisties on a quiet Sunday morning....the many generations of VFR Interceptors being offered for a song await on the used marketplace.

Project 17 came to me with some pretty nasty-looking exhaust pipes as part of the SuperTrapp slip-ons. Normally I would have them sandblasted but my guy's machine was out of service, so I simply went old-school — elbow grease.

I start with a thorough degreasing, then wire brushing the big stuff, then hitting the metal with a rotary rust-removing disc, and finally hand-sanding — first with 100-grit paper followed by a finer wet-sanding with sponge-backed sandpaper. Sponge paper helps get into the grooves and small crevices. After a wipe with acetone the pipes are hung to be sprayed with hi-heat primer and finally several coats of flat black. After a few days to cure I rub out the black paint with a clean, dry microfiber cloth giving the pipes a medium sheen which is very close to the factory look. Fresh gaskets and new chrome clamps finish 'em up.

The aluminum mufflers were finished with various grades of wet-sanding with a light hand polishing, which I've covered in previous posts.

NOTE: The spray-can paint used here is not at all impervious to gasoline or other chemicals. But if future touchup is necessary it's pretty easy.

Motorcycle tool kits are like disappearing socks in the laundry. It's always a mystery where or how they've managed to get themselves lost. I don't know how many cars and bikes I've looked at for possible purchase that have no owners manual and/or tool kits. Even original-owner vehicles. And don't get me started on titles...but that's another story.

​One might question the usefulness of an onboard tool kit of dubious quality, but I like the peace of mind knowing that at least I have an option other than standing next to a dead bike looking lost. And, as our bikes age, having all the pieces adds value. VFR tool kits do come up for sale occasionally and here's four on eBay now, ranging from the mundane to the exotic. TIP: check the listing's photo against a parts diagram for a parts inventory.

From a father & son motorcycle breaker operation in Virginia, comes this '02-09 VFR800 kit. It's been made presentable with a sandblasting and cleaning and is offered for $44.98, or make offer, with free shipping. There appears to be a couple of parts missing, like the screwdriver handle and 7mm feeler gauge.

One essential item in the kit, which applies to all gen-3 bikes and newer, is the large C-spanner used for chain adjustments. The size- and length-specific spark plug wrench is also a nice-to-have tool. Both are also available separately from the aftermarket.

Here's a kit listed with the Honda part number 89010-MT4-000, which translates to the '90-91 VFR750F. The kit looks nice but when compared with the parts diagram it comes up short (photo below).

We're missing a few parts, and at $100 (or offer) plus $8 shipping I would expect the complete kit. I wouldn't expect this one to sell anytime soon.

Finally, from Colorado we have something of the Holy Grail of tool kits — a kit and owners manual for the RC30 VFR750R. 

Our seller states that the items are from his personal bike which he still has. That begs the question of why one would sell two items that the next owner will surely want and expect to have included with the motorcycle. Hmmmm.

In any event these items are listed for a hopeful price of $1500, and as if that's not quite enough our seller is also charging $20 to ship them.

Recently sold on eBay for an impressive $4750, this 700F model shows a very low 3830 miles. This is the lowest mileage second-gen Interceptor I've seen sell in the past ten years.

Our seller doesn't offer a lot of detail but calls the bike "like new" with fresh tires and some maintenance completed. He or she also states that it's never been in the rain — I'm never sure how I'm supposed to take such an impossible to quantify statement. After all, riding a bike in the rain doesn't age it anymore than washing it. I suppose it's an attempt to suggest how the bike was babied. Personally, I'd be more interested in how it was maintained, or in this case, how it was stored, especially considering it came from hot and humid Georgia.

In any event, this looks like a keeper. Congratulations to seller and buyer.

What: 2010 VFR1200F
Where: Phoenix, Arizona
Why: Nice bike, nice price
Price: $5900 firm

Followers of this space have heard me sing the praises of the VFR1200F. It may not be an Interceptor made in the image of VFRs of the past, but it's a world-class sport tourer in its own right. And the bargain of the decade.

This example comes from the dry climate of the desert southwest and looks to be meticulously maintained. The photos show an unmolested, and very clean, first-year model with ABS and "standard shift" transmission. A few desirable upgrades are included like the Corbin seat, Z-Bomb and rear stand.  The bike is beautiful and the price is right. Someone buy this before I do.

Also find the bike for sale here on ADVrider (registration required).

Yesterday Patti and I wasted a day of our lives and about $75 chasing a Craigslist lead on a 12,000-mile 1986 VFR700F. The bike is located in southern Michigan and has been advertised for a few months, originally listed at $4500 if I remember correctly. It's now lowered to $3500. With only one photo and sparse details the bike was represented as a co-worker's barn find which the seller had a local shop bring back to life. A receipt of the work performed was included ($1500) as was an old beat up Arai helmet in the factory's racing colors with a Freddie Spenser signature (no documentation).

This sounds like something I would be interested in, so after a few phone conversations and negotiations we agreed to make the trip. The bike was represented as, "I can't find a single flaw."

Within three minutes of entering the musty garage I found several. The seller hadn't even bothered to wash the machine. It does run, but the overall condition was only average with two badly touched up paint spots and a splotchy seat cover. "Well, I'm a Harley guy" didn't do much explain how he missed the small dent in the fuel tank after I explicitly asked about small dents in the tank, as I always do. I'm always prepared to walk away from a prospective bike — which is exactly what we did.

So, if you find yourself tempted by the following Craigslist ad...buyer beware.

On my personal '86 VFR750 I've done some mild modifications, just to suit my taste. One of them was to shave the original rear turn signal brackets and helmet lock/seat lock assembly for a cleaner look to the tail cowling. This would require different signals and I chose a set of reproduction VFR/CBR 400 signals.

Originally I used an aftermarket fender eliminator but eventually decided that the original rear fender would be a better look. This change would require a separate bracket to be fabricated.

I began with this simple bracket using a strip of 1.5-inch wide aluminum which will bolt to the OEM license plate mount. After test fitting, I realized that the whole assembly was prone to bouncing and jiggling so I fabricated a small bracket to the rear of each light's mounting bolt (not shown in these photos) which attached to the fender itself. That firmed up the whole affair.

Here the assembly is test fitted with the left-side added bracket visible. With the license plate mounted, the whole thing becomes very stable.













After some filing and sanding, a coat of black paint followed by satin clearcoat is applied and...Job done!

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.