Like a nervous parent watching their five year-old board the school bus for the first time, owner Rich and I loaded up his 1986 VFR750 for its trip home. Rich is the original owner of the Interceptor, and after a full spa treatment this stunner has a new lease on life. I wished him well and urged him to get this bike out on the back roads where it belongs. I also asked (pleaded?) to be first in line should it ever come up for sale, which isn't likely. It was a pleasure helping to bring this one back.

In 2013 Consumer Reports began evaluating motorcycles...well, at least those manufacturers with the highest market share — Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW and Harley Davidson. I recently came across this interesting reliability chart published by CR. The findings are not exactly surprising to those of us who spend way too much time playing with bikes. Much like the car world, Japanese brands fair better than European or German. Statistically, Yamaha motorcycles are six times more reliable than BMW. The world of consumerism is a strange place, however, and the reports goes on to say that the most loyal owners are those with the least reliable brands — BMW and Harley (H-D being the most brand-loyal of all motorcycle owners).

What goes wrong? Electrical repairs top the list with major drivetrain issues at the bottom. The report notes that most repairs are under $200. Gone are the days of grenading Norton engines and broken Triumph frames. Which is a good thing.

This past weekend Patti & I took a riding break to explore the Nashville, TN area and a northern portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway (https://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm).

We based ourselves at a great bed & breakfast in Columbia TN and spent three days with our "other" V4 (ST1300) in perfect weather, riding the area and sampling many miles of the Trace along with an exceptional afternoon of horseback trail riding along Lick Creek in western Maury County (http://www.nashvillehorsebackriding.com).

If you're the type of rider who can Zen-out on the perfect road, then this is a place you need to get to. I think it's an exceptional testament to the greatness of this country that our leaders had the foresight and vision to recognize the importance of what was, essentially, a working-man's path, build a 444-mile scenic roadway to commemorate its historical significance and then bestow it national park status to preserve and showcase it for everyone to enjoy.

Back in 2007 I toured the entire 469-mile length of the Blue Ridge Parkway at this same time of the year. One stop sign in 469 miles. There are those who say that these Parkways get a bit boring after some time — I say they're missing the point. With no commercial vehicles, light traffic, no billboards, no towns; just unending curves and natural beauty. How is that tiring? I wish they'd build one from east to west, ocean to ocean. I'd ride the entire length...and turn around and do it again.

For an idea of what it's like to ride the Trace, here's a YouTube sample (not mine):

What: 1993 ST1100
Where: Omaha, Nebraska
Why: Low cost road-eater
Price: $2500

Looking to put some miles under you? Riding on a budget? Don't want to worry about the occasional scuff or scrape? Here's your next bike.

It sports a Sargent seat, short and tall windscreens, recent tires and regular maintenance. The 32,000 showing on the odometer is considered low mileage for these bikes. The C-L price shows $2800 but it's also advertised on VFRdiscussion.com for $2500. You'll have to fetch it from Omaha, but it's not too cold for a fly-n-ride...yet.

What: 2014 VFR800
Where: Swansea MA
Why: A lot of bike for the money
Price: $6000 opening bid, no reserve

A Triumph/Suzuki dealer in Swansea, MA is offering this slightly used 2014 VFR800. With only 4700 miles it features an aftermarket windscreen, centerstand and seat cowl. This is the base model so no ABS, heated grips, etc.

Auction ends Halloween morning.

A year ago I sold Project 12, aka The Blues Project, to a local buyer. After a full season of trouble-free enjoyment Sean's priorities have shifted so he asked if I'd like the bike back in the shop. In that same week that he decided to part ways with his '87 VFR700, he took a spill right in his own neighborhood and managed to scuff up the right side pretty thoroughly. Of course, I had to take her back.

The damage starts with the mid-fairing and extends to the front fender, headlight cowl, Yosh slip-on and engine clutch cover. The headlight cowl mount is also tweaked. Where to go from here? I'm thinking of a change to Pearl White while leaving the grey wheels in place. I should be able to massage the aluminum Yosh pipe back into shape and repair/repaint the clutch cover.

Yesterday I took advantage of an Indian Summer day here in the upper Midwest and enjoyed a day of corner strafing in the Wisconsin hill country aboard this bike. These roads are made for VFR fun and I had the perfect day. With the Yosh pipe, a K&N air filter and jetted carbs this thing really earns the Interceptor title when the tach gets into the upper reaches. Great ride.

Welcome back to The Blues Project.

Previously I had experimented with a set of Japanese-market CBR400 rear turn signals fitted to the '86-87 VFR 700/750. Those were clear lens LEDs and I fitted them to the OEM signal mount tabs.

Here, I wanted to try installing a set of amber lens reproductions to an aftermarket fender eliminator bracket. I could see it would be tight but turns out they actually fit nice and snug to the fairing and license plate. In fact, I had to notch out the plate just a bit to squeeze it into place.

A side benefit of these particular eBay signals is that they use incandescent bulbs so no resistors are necessary, as is the case with LED lights.

I think the amber color is more suited to the classic character of the VFR. And the streamlined mounting position is surely better looking than the gangly monsters mandated by the DOT back in the day.

Owner Rich has done me the honor of putting his pride and joy back on the road. He is the original owner of this exceptional 1986 VFR750F showing only 5300 miles. His brief was simple: keep it original. We had to ditch the showroom tires but that's just about all. Fork seals and fuel lines are updated but everything else is Honda OEM.

This Interceptor was a pleasure to bring back to life and it embodies everything I think these great bikes were, and still are. They were designed and built by people who cared about the product and it shows everywhere from the mechanicals to cosmetics. Here's a link to my photo gallery of this bike.

Project 20 has reached completion. Time to rearrange the shop, so these two presented themselves for a nice driveway portrait. I'll be putting together a small photo gallery for Project 20 — it's a very original 1986 VFR750F. Here we have our 2003 ST1300 ABS sharing some kickstand time with the VFR.

Here's something I'm sure I've never seen in my years of messing with old Hondas — the elusive complete tool kit.

I don't know where owner's manuals and pieces of tool kits go to get lost over the years, but they're rarely complete, and just as likely to be missing completely.

Project 20 is a rare exception. Not only is the kit all together, the tools are actually in excellent condition.

Compare the kit to the parts diagram below.