Sold for $13,000
Whoa, $13K for a 1985 VF1000R? Yes, and well sold. This minty example shows only 442 miles and the condition reflects that. Originally listed on eBay with an opening bid of $12,000, the auction garnered four bids.

The bike was stored for 27 years and has been treated to a full maintenance regimen plus some suspension updates. This is all the money for this model, but try finding one like this for any price.

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It seems change is the new "normal" when it comes to our climate these days. The so-called average for temperatures and precipitation don't seem to hold much credence. People and property are suffering out west, snow is falling down south and the east coast is buried in snow one day with T-shirt weather the next. And that's just the first two weeks of the year.

But here in the upper mid-west we can count on winter being winter. And today is the half-way point — it's downhill from here, or so we tell ourselves. In honor of Winter Hump Day I found a sunny-day video of a VFR800 running the famous Mulholland Drive, beginning near Malibu, CA. Enjoy.

I came across this AirTECH brand race/replacement fairing on eBay. AirTECH has been making bodywork for motorcycles since 1983 with constant involvement in racing at all levels. They supply pieces for just about everything you can name, from Aprilia to Yamaha, plus vintage, drag bike, land speed bike and, of course, cafe racer.

The auction listing at left is a headlight fairing for the '86-87 VFR. This is a typical piece as supplied from AirTECH — the mounting holes and headlight opening would need to be added by the purchaser. As such, the fairing could be used either for competition or as a replacement part, albeit with some mounting fabrication required. AirTECH's price is $168.

AirTECH supplies parts for nearly all the generations of VFRs, beginning with the VF models and extending to the VFR, RC30 and RC45, plus generic fairings for a custom build.  I'm not sure about shipping charges, as the ordering process is limited to phone orders. I have a set of used AirTECH mid-fairings — the fairings are very flexible and lightweight. The company only states that their products are manufactured with the "best tried and true aircraft composites." For a track bike, these are a no-brainer; for the street they may be a viable option when original components are hard to find, like the mid fairings for the third-gen VFRs. Check 'em out.

I'm always on the watch for useable fuel tanks for my 2d-gen projects. "Useable" might mean an original condition example or one that could be used in a restoration. Prices and condition run the gamut. Here's a few sales from recent eBay auctions.
NOTE: If someone is in need of a '90-93 fuel tank I have two available in factory red and factory black.

This is a very similar-condition tank from another parts breaker in Oregon. No dents, and the seller states that the interior is like new. No hardware included. Sold for $400, shipped.

Here we have what appears to be an original tank in Pearl Crescent White, but in need of some serious refurbishment efforts. The exterior is passable, but the interior looks pretty bad from the photos and, in fact, there's a pinhole leak in the tank's bottom.

Our seller is also a long-time parts guy from Montana who listed this item for a lofty $499 but wisely accepted a $200 offer with shipping.

Our Minnesota seller was also successful with this original-colored 1987 tank in blue/silver. Judging by the photos, the paint condition looks like it might work for a rider, and I suspect that some color sanding and buffing would work wonders.

This one includes the petcock and fuel level sender. The bargain of the bunch, it sold for $133, shipped.

Finally, from a breaker in Michigan comes this example in need of refurbishing inside and out. There looks to be a lot of rust to deal with here and the exterior has been painted and decal-ed sometime in the distant past. The fuel sender is included. Sold for $75, shipped.

I've begun prepping an entire set of bodywork and fuel tank for a grand experiment for Project 13. My plan is to have a complete hydrographic (film dip) application in place of repainting. I haven't decided on the final pattern I'll use, but the first step in this process is the same for any paint job — strip the old decals. This can be accomplished with machine sanding but that's gonna' leave a mark on the plastic parts, so I choose finesse over brute force.

I first determine if the decal has been clearcoated. If so, I go around the edge of the decal with a palm sander to provide a clean edge. After a gentle application from the heat gun on low setting, I begin scraping with a fresh plastic razor blade. Unlike a steel razor, the plastic blade won't gouge the plastic. I can only progress about one to two inches before needing more heat — we just need the decal warmed so proceed carefully, the ABS can deform with too much heat.

Sometimes the adhesive will remove almost completely, but more likely most will be left behind, as pictured here.

Not a problem. Using a strip of non-scuff kitchen pad, I soak a section of adhesive with 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner for about 30 seconds and gently scrape the residue with a fresh plastic blade (I buy them in packs of 100). Repeat as necessary and finish with a final wipe with a paper towel wetted with adhesive cleaner.
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We're left with a nice clean surface, but with a distinct outline where the clearcoat edge was. This needs to be removed or it will show under the new paint, or film in this case.

My final step is a general sanding of the entire piece in preparation for paint. For this I use wet-dry 320-grit paper with a little extra attention to the decal outline. The film dip technician will prime and apply the appropriate base coat color as part of his service, so like any painter, he needs these pieces delivered ready for paint. This cowl took about 30 minutes to this point and I'll spend four or five hours removing all the bike's decals. From here I'll deal with any plastic repair and/or bodywork required.

Bruce Brown died December 10, 2017 at age 80.

Bruce was the filmmaker who brought the world the most influential motorcycling film ever made, "On Any Sunday," back in 1971. The documentary, along with Honda's "nicest people" ad campaign, helped change the public perception of motorcycling and motorcyclists and spurred a golden age that lasted through the 1970's. Many of us were hopelessly influenced by the film and have simply never gotten over it.

Bruce began his career with a very popular surfing film, "Endless Summer." He was an avid surfer and motorcyclist. "On Any Sunday" earned him an Academy Award nomination, and his son, Dana, went on to produce a sequel, "On Any Sunday II." Bruce Brown was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. Thank you, Bruce.

What: 2007 VFR800 Anniversary Edition
Where: Middleburg, Florida (Jacksonville)
Why: A time capsule special edition
Price: $7500 opening bid

For the discerning 25th Anniversary Edition buyer, here's your dream: Ridiculously low miles, unmodified, like new condition...everything except the price.

Our seller claims to be the original owner and has managed to put on fewer miles than the equivalent of one tank of gas per year; only 1342. Other than a fresh battery the bike is as delivered. There's no ABS and the tires are past their use-by date, but this beauty is as close to a new 10 year-old bike as you'll find outside a museum. Trouble is, the upper market for this model seems to be closer to the $6K mark than our seller's opening bid of $7500. Also, most of us are in the midst of a brutal winter and many buyers would need to factor in shipping costs. A quick search of the seller's area brings up a 2015 VFR800 with 7800 miles for only $1000 higher asking price. I hope to be proven wrong, but a wait-and-see strategy might be best here — see if the seller lowers the price in a subsequent listing.
And here's a good comparable:

What: 2007 VFR800 Anniversary Edition
Where: Ft. Worth, Texas
Why: White wheels, of course (and great price)
Price: $4650 asking

Up for sale is this Anniversary Edition showing 11,000 miles. All stock except for the (awesome) white powdercoated wheels. A two-owner bike, this one is also absent ABS, but does include a set of OEM saddlebags in white. Offered on ADVrider (may require registration). Or, here's the link to the seller's local C-list ad.

Has there ever been a more ground-breaking production bike than Honda’s NR750?
Back in 1992, when the NR750 was unveiled, motorcycles were still incredibly crude compared to the those of today. Even range-topping superbikes used carburetors rather than fuel injection. Carbon fibre was still something that only racers tended to see and the idea of an aluminium frame was still new and exciting, restricted to the upper echelon of bikes.

The NR750 may never have sold well, and is often decried for having performance no better than superbikes a fraction of its price, but it broke down barriers and opened our eyes to what we could have on more attainable bikes in the future. Basically, we wouldn’t have the likes of the Ninja H2 SX and Panigale V4 without it.

Here are its top 10 boundary-breaking ideas:

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There's an eBay seller from Japan who's apparently parting out a JDM VFR750R (RC30). He's currently got 50 items on buy-it-now listings, and his asking prices demonstrate just how valuable these parts may be in the used market.

There's virtually no verbal descriptions for these items and some of the photos don't help much, being mostly white parts on a bright white backdrop.

Take this fuel tank, for example. Judging by the photos, there's some wear & tear, it's not a U.S.-spec color, and the price is $2588 plus $229 (!) for shipping, Pictured below are a few more pricey examples: There's an OEM regulator/rectifier for $454 plus $43 for shipping. How about a used set of 27 year-old coolant hoses and overflow bottle for $488 + $52? There's also a very cool "Endurance" branded exhaust system that is claimed to be an HRC part. The price leaves me cold, though: $2793 + $166. Best of luck to our seller.
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