Interweb forums are great for information sharing. And inspiration. There are some talented builders out there who think outside the box and aren't afraid to do their own thing. One of them is Captain 80s and this build documented on VFRworld.com offers some great ideas for those of us who like to play with old motorbikes...or just dream about a future project.

This build, 1986 VFR Track Bike Out Of Parts, chronicles a couple of years of transforming this '86 VFR700 into a much too pretty track bike. Some of the modifications include fitting a '93 CBR900RR dual-headlight upper fairing along with lowers from a '95, which meant relocating the fuse block to under the fairing. The fork is from a CBR600F2 with Race Tech emulators installed along CBR wheels and brakes from a '91 VFR750. The rear shock is a remote reservoir from Fox.

I have a lot of respect for folks who do their own work and the Captain is one of those guys, right down to the machining of one-off parts and painting. The finished product blends original and newer pieces nicely and helps inspire the rest of us, plus his thread is full of tips and technique. (click on an image to enlarge)

What: 2002 VFR800 Vtec
Where: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Why: Unique & Practical
Price: $4200
Custom painted bikes are always a tough call. Manufacturers expend mucho effort to style vehicles with a wide appeal that will hopefully maximize sales. But when an individual exercises his or her own vision the result will often end up appealing to a smaller slice of the market. That's not a bad thing, it's just reality. 

Here's a case in point. This 2002 Interceptor has been treated to a professional custom repaint and the builder has obviously put a lot of thought into the design. The muted body colors contrast with the bold and creative wheels, and the layout works well with the bike's angles. Even the saddlebags are integrated nicely. Under the lipstick beats the heart of a VFR800 Vtec with a Delkavic exhaust. Maintenance is said to be up to date, and the bike shows just north of 30,000 miles. The asking price is a little over the average for a 2002 model, so our buyer will need to see the custom treatment as above average...which would be easy to do in this case. Nicely done.

After many hours of finalizing the bodywork repairs to Project 13, I spent the afternoon fitting the pieces to one another. One would hope this wouldn't take half a day, but it did.

The only real issue is that the reupholstered seat was given a little extra padding which resulted in the passenger seat cowl being a snug fit. I'll leave everything in place for a few days in hopes that all the plastic will acclimate to its new reality, but overall everything is fitting nicely.

Invariably, the most difficult point to refit is the mid-fairing's middle frame mount. In this case, the right side required such extensive reconstruction that I'm able to simply mark the contact point and drill it out — a perfect fit.

On the left side, much tweaking of the various mounting points was required to line up this mount, as it's not adjustable.

The next step is to give everything a final inspection, fine tune any Bondo repairs, clean everything and get it all off to the hydrographic shop for film dipping.

While that's happening I can finish up lots of details — wiring, heated grips, shock install, GPS mount, brake lines.......Stay tuned.

I wisely left the fuel tank repair to a professional. Both of these tanks were in pretty rough cosmetic shape — dents, scrapes and surface rust. The interiors are fine, so they're worth saving.

My painter, Bill, brought these tanks to the primer stage, and I'll choose one for Project 13. The other will go on the shelf for a future project. The dipper will begin the process by applying black paint to all the body parts as a base for the film.

(Below) A major repair required for this project is to fill in the large turn signal holes in the OEM headlight fairing. I'll be using flush mount turn signals in place of the original stalk-type signals. To begin, I trace a template on stiff paper, then transfer that to some scrap ABS plastic from my stash. The patch is then cut out with the Dremel and carefully fitted to the hole by grinding and filing the edge. I also heat the patch and gently bend it to approximate the slight curvature of the fairing. (click on an image to enlarge)

(Below) Next comes the welding. After beveling all the edges, front & back, I weld the entire seam, front & back. The white colored seam indicates the ABS filler weld. An initial sanding with some rough paper prepares the patch for body filler. (click on an image to enlarge)

Here's a look at the backside of the patch. This is not visible when mounted so I won't put much effort into finishing the repair.

Here the filler is being finish sanded on the left side. The orange filler is Bondo base filler and the blue is a finishing putty called Icing. Two of the three mounting holes also needed welded repairs to their lower edges, where the plastic had been cracked away.

This headlight fairing required a few more spot repairs, including to the rearmost windscreen mounting holes, shown here. 

(Below) All the body pieces needed some degree of repair. Here, the mid-fairings show off their welding repairs and are ready for body filler. I'm not as fast as an experienced professional, so to get these parts finished to an acceptable level takes a considerable time investment. But, in the end, I'll have a set of body panels that I know were repaired the right way and will be around for a few more decades.

The final step will be to test fit the fuel tank and all the panels to the bike. Then it's off to the dipper!

First up is this pristine 1991 model with only 17,000 miles, located near Atlanta, Georgia. In original condition and tastefully updated with a Corbin seat and Yoshimura slip-on. Our seller will also include an Ohlins shock at his price of $4000. He indicates exceptional maintenance and care, owned by one family since new.

I might take exception to his claims of "VERY rare" and "the most desirable VFR model and quickly becoming a collectors item," but to each his own. In any event this is a great-looking third-gen VFR with the seller's asking price reflecting that.

From western North Carolina comes this 1994 model with 20K miles. The ad doesn't shower us with useful details, but the bike appears to be nearly 100% original, and features bar risers and upgraded alternator, though a solo seat cowl isn't pictured. "Amazing condition" and "looks and performs like new," says our seller.

The photos agree, but I'd want some more details and better photos. But, judging by the muffler and seat condition, and general cleanliness, this might be a winner. And the clincher is the $2700 asking price. 

I never jumped onto the Plasti Dip wagon — spraying and dipping everything from wheels to tool handles. But I've finally found a practical use for the gooey stuff.

I don't care for the polished cast wheel spokes on my new Bonneville. As a visual experiment I decided to black out the spokes to see what the effect would be. With the wheels on the bench I began by cleaning the surface and applying the first of two coats with a wide artists brush. The finish is a bit lumpy but it will serve its purpose. When the bike is back together I'll see what I think of the new look. And if I don't like it, It'll peel right off.

What: 1998 VFR800FI
Where: Rockville, Maryland
Why: Low miles, desirable model
Price: No reserve auction

The fifth-generation Interceptor is a "tweener"  model; still employing the trademark gear-driven cams, but pre-VTEC. Produced from 1998-2001, some consider this to be the best of both worlds. With a slight bump in bore and stroke, displacement went from 748cc to 781cc. Power went up a tiny bit, but the big news for 1998 was the addition of fuel injection. This brought the VFR series into the modern era and could now comply with tightening emissions worldwide while allowing tuning options never available with the old carburetors. Add in the new, lighter "Tune-Flex" chassis and linked brakes, and it was obvious that Honda's sport touring platform had just taken a leap forward.

Our example today is a first-year 800 and shows only 15,263 miles. The photos show the addition of a Two Brothers Racing slip-on muffler and Corbin leather seat. The seller indicates normal wear & tear plus some rash on the left-side headlight fairing. Checking Partsfish.com, I see that the fairing is still available ($405) in Italian Red. Considering the low miles and otherwise great-looking condition, this might be worth the $$ to replace with new. With some basic detailing this bike could be an exceptional rider. Bidding is at only $1525 with no reserve and ends on Monday. Some buyer might get lucky on this one.

What: 1986 VFR750F RC24
Where: Monticello, Indiana
Why: Clean & original
Price: $3500

Ten years ago, nice, original second-gen VFRs were more available, at least in my experience. As time goes by the supply of good ones sleeping in barns and garages just waiting to be rescued seems to be diminishing. And good examples that have been loved and kept on the road aren't so common either. But here's one.

With the ad indicating 30,000 miles but the odometer showing 34,867 (if my eyes don't deceive) the bike appears to be a very complete and very original example. Sporting a great-looking shorty Yoshimura single-muffler slip-on and no other apparent mods, the bike presents itself very well in the photos. The seller indicates that he has the original mufflers in like-new condition and the passenger seat cowl is in place. No crash damage is evident from the pics, and the wheels are nearly spotless, indicating a well cared for Interceptor. The fuel tank also appears to be in excellent condition. The seller indicates that the bike has newer tires, regular maintenance and is in "immaculate original condition."

The $3500 asking price seems to reflect the higher miles, and if that's not a deal breaker this one would make a great rider and should never lose any value.

This weekend Chicago hosts the International Motorcycle Show. Patti and I make the show every year for a winter bike fix. This year we braved a 10-inch snowfall to make the 45-minute drive, but the experienced Chicago area snow crews had managed to clear a path just for us. We take in the Friday afternoon show for lesser crowds and this year the snow kept more folks safe at home. Even though it's a lot of "more of the same" each year, we still like to make the rounds to see what's new and collect our Progressive Insurance T-shirt and coffee mug. On the way home we make a traditional stop at nearby Rex's Italian Deli for some epic take-out lasagna to be enjoyed at home with some red wine. Makes for a great day, despite the Chi-town weather.

Honda had their large and impressive space set up to highlight the new Gold Wing. The A/V backdrop wall is a non-stop ride video and really adds to the ambiance. Three Gold Wings were on display and there was lots of interest from paunchy grey-hairs (like myself).

My showroom impression is that the new bike looks sleeker and lighter, has a very comfortable rider/passenger perch but is still a massive motorcycle. Still, it seems to fit me pretty well....

The sole V4 in attendance was this red VFR1200X set up for ADV duty. No sign of an Interceptor.

Royal Enfield stepped up their game this year, what with the introduction of the new 650 twins and announcing that the Himalayan ADV bike will be available in the U.S this year. The twins will come in a cafe-racer style (Continental GT) and a standard street version, using the Interceptor name. Not sure how they get away with that, though in all fairness Royal Enfield was using the Interceptor moniker long before Honda. I was very impressed with the twins; the build quality looks great and they nailed the "heritage" styling. And that chrome tank never gets old.

Allstate Insurance hosted a kid's riding area again this year. I thought that this little girl who chose the Ducati over the pink ATV shows a lot of future promise.

There's a very tasteful display of vintage bikes hosted by a couple of local Chicago vintage clubs. Lots of nice British, German and Japanese oldies.

Customs are not my cup of tea, as a rule, but they line the aisles at the show, and I guess you can vote for your favorite. They're mostly garish, unrideable examples of excess, in my humble opinion, but the craftsmanship and creativity can't be denied.

I thought this rat-style build was cooler than the never-ending lineup of S&S-engined choppers with 40-inch front wheels (?). It's based upon, of all things, a '92 Kawasaki Ninja ZX750. It would fit right in on the set of The Walking Dead, what with its rebar crash bars and a crossbow mounted on the swingarm.

All in all, a great mid-winter respite.

What: 2012 VFR1200F Interceptor
Where: Chicago, Illinois
Why: Rare '12 model in blue, good value
Price: $6800

Honda had high sales expectations when it introduced the VFR1200F in 2010. Too many of the ubiquitous red beasts were produced that year so that, to my knowledge, none were titled as 2011 models in the U.S.

For 2012 the DCT transmission was tweaked for improved drivability and traction control was added (good idea). And the color for that year is this distinctive Glint Wave Blue Metallic. The equally rare 2013 came in Darkness Black — who comes up with those names?

This example shows only 5000 miles and includes some nice-to-have extras. From the seller:
"Looking to sell my Honda VFR1200F which is in beautiful condition with many tasteful mods done by myself. The bike is in exceptional condition and has been very well maintained. I have added a few additional thing to make a great bike better. I have added the Brazzaz Z Bomb, Servo Eliminator, Power commander 5, Dam Exhaust, Pazzo Levers, Throttle Meister Lock and SW Motech Tank Bag. All of which go with the bike when sold. The bike has a little over 5k on the ODO and has been ridden by an older experienced rider. I am selling it for $6800."

The VFRdiscussion.com listing may require registration to view, but here's a video clip of the exhaust music: