When restoring or refurbishing our bikes, all the bits and pieces will need some degree of attention. A few months ago I repainted the rear fender extension on Project 41. This particular piece was just too weathered to be saved with plastic restorer or black dye, so a few coats of black and satin clear paint brought it very near its original look.

​Last week came time to reassemble the components, but a common issue with the Gen-2 license light assembly is that the rubber mounting grommets (arrows) are no longer supple enough to grab and hold it from twisting side-to-side. Tightening the rear mounting bolts won't help, as they bottom on a "step" on the mounting bolts. There's a few ways to address this, but my simple solution is to add an internal or external tooth lock washer to the back side of the light — the washer takes up the void and the teeth mechanically "grab" both the rubber washer and the fender itself. Tighten the bolts and the light assembly is locked in place. Works for me.
​(click on an image to enlarge)

(Below) To finish up, I install the little license plate bumpers, often missing in action, but still available from Honda. I also give a little love to the dulled reflector lens before bolting it in place. This fender is ready to take its place on this project.

There's no way around it…brake rotors live a hard life, so after a few decades they're due for some TLC.

Such is the case for Project 41, a 1987 VFR700 F2. First things first; I spin the wheel/rotor assembly on a static balancer to check for warpage and verify there's sufficient thickness (below). If everything checks out, I degrease the rotors and begin my refurbishment by orbital sanding the rotor face with aggressive 80 or 100-grit paper, then wire-brush each of the rotor holes, which are always dirty and/or rusty.

(Below) After a hot bath in Dawn detergent, I prepare for painting by masking off the rotor faces with overlapping 5-inch lengths of tape — when the painting is complete, these overlapped pieces will peel off as one piece. Using a fresh, sharp razor, I easily trim the outside edge, then score the small inside groove and peel off the excess. I use a fresh razor for each rotor, allowing a quick and clean edge.

Finally, I like to tape off the bolt surfaces front and back. Probably not necessary, but makes me feel better. For this I use 3/4" adhesive dots from the Dollar Store. A perfect fit.

In this case I'm painting the outer edge of the rim, but that edge can also be sanded to clean stainless steel and left natural.

Don't forget to restore or replace the 18 allen bolts!

Ready for paint!

What: 1987 VFR700 F2
Why: Good bones
Where: Manchester, Connecticut 
​Price: On auction, or BIN $2500

UPDATE: An internet friend and V4 Dreams reader purchased this bike after it was relisted with a lower buy-it-now. $1950.

Ken Kaplan has another VFR up for auction, but this one ​is a "kinda-sorta running" project bike. He acquired it almost two years ago but has decided to sell it as is and in need of, well, some attention.

The bike shows 35,884 miles so it's not a pristine garage queen, rather has the typical patina of a 37-year old used bike with some history. Looking over the photos, I notice that the rear wheel is incorrect white, the purple seat is from a R/W/B model (should be gray), there's mismatched tires and a missing chain guard. The Yoshimura slip-on is a nice touch, looks straight and would polish up beautifully. But, this will not be a quick "change the tires & light the fires" refurbishment — at minimum, the carbs, brakes and tires will need attention but the bike is mostly original and complete and will be a great classic rider when finished. Personally, I'd lose the boy-racer stickers first thing and then address the mismatched wheel issue by substituting a white wheel up front.

If you're someone who's been thinking about a V4 project, this would be a decent starting point. It's on auction with reserve and a buy-it-now of $2500, which seems a little high for a non-running project. Ken does a walk-around video, promises clear title and there should be some wiggle room in the price for a December sale.

This past week our sport lost a moto legend. Malcolm Smith was an amazingly successful rider, beloved and respected by the motorcycling world, considered by anyone who met him, even briefly, to be everyman's motorcyclist — genuine, kind, fun, enthusiastic, and North America's perfect motorcycling ambassador to the world. Probably best known for his on-screen contributions to the film, "On Any Sunday," he earned his fame by being one of the best off-road competitors around the world. Motorcycling was his life, and we're all the better because of that.

In his own words, "“Where it will end, no one knows. But you can be sure I’m going to enjoy every minute I have left, with a smile on my face, and my family nearby. Can’t ask for more than that.”

"Installation is the reverse of removal" — an oversimplification common to service manuals since the dawn of the industrial revolution. While completely accurate in an objective sense, there's often a few beneficial tips to help keep the gears meshing and that black gold inside the machine where it does the most good. This post shows my work on Project 41, a Gen-2 VFR, but it generally applies to all years.

(Below) ​The very first step is to prepare the gasket surfaces to ensure a leak-free mating. The covers' were done before powdercoating but the engine surfaces are more of a challenge. There's a lot of interior crevices where bits of dirt and old gasket can disappear, and we don't want that stuff circulating around our engine internals. I position paper towel around the perimeter and carefully scrape the surfaces with whatever I can make work. My favorite gasket scraper is the excellent Bahco pull tool shown here, but I also use a traditional scraper and small bits of crocus/emery cloth (sandpaper for metal). The surface needn't be virgin aluminum, but it does need to be smooth. Be careful to avoid gouging the soft aluminum surface, but if you do, fill the gouge with gasket cement during installation.
Bahco #625 gasket scraper is available on eBay: $21

Finally, I vacuum the area and go after any leftover debris with a thin cloth on a screwdriver tip wetted with a bit of grease — the debris will stick to the grease. When everything is clean, I proceed to the gasket and cover.

(Below) But first I complete any cleaning around the area, including detailing the fasteners (previous post), blowing out the threaded holes and shining up the nearby wiring and hoses, like the starter cable shown here. Check for chafing on the pulse generator wire harness where it touches the sharp edge of the gasket surface (yellow arrow).

(Below) Moving to the clutch cover, note the location of the two dowels, which are also the location of the two longer bolts — all the clutch and alternator bolts are the same length except for these two.

(Below) Before installation, make certain that the bushing holding the primary drive gear assembly is firmly seated (arrow). This is the same bushing that you hoped would not pull free when you removed the cover from the engine — if it did, you'll have a 3-handed puzzle getting those gears meshing together correctly. That bushing locates in the cover's recess shown in the second photo. I give it a light coat of oil to help the bushing slide easily in place.

I slide the dry gasket onto the engine, locating it onto the dowels; it will want to droop along the top so I add a few dabs of gasket cement along that area to hold it during assembly. Before I snug the bolts I visually verify that the gasket is in place around the entire circumference (third photo). Bottom all the bolts in a crosswise pattern and tighten incrementally. Finally, install the oil filler cap and dipstick, ensuring that their o-rings are in place. If needed, the o-rings are still available from Honda.

Valve Covers: (Below) Pretty straightforward, but first I do a final check for debris using a bright light. I've been asked many times the secret to removal/installation of the rear cover on the Gen-2 — there doesn't seem to be enough side-to-side room between the subframe rails. There is not, so the trick is to fully raise the wire harness above the frame rail, then hold the left side higher as you remove or install the cover. Finally, visually check that the rubber gasket is correctly seated all the way round. 

(Below) The front cover sets in place easily from the front side (this is one reason I remove the radiator during valve service). The bolts are seated with their gaskets then torqued sequentially to about 9 Lb/Ft, or 108 inch-pounds. Ensure that those bolt gaskets are installed right-side up; Honda thoughtfully stamped "UP" on the upward-facing side.

​At this point I blow out the spark plug holes with compressed air (spark plugs in place). Note that there's water drain holes for these cavities 90° to the outside of the engine casting, which should also be cleared with compressed air or a long wire, if clogged. I do this along with swabbing the spark plug holes clean before valve cover removal.

Finally, I refill the crankcase with oil, and with the engine buttoned up, I'll move on to the cooling system install.

In an earlier post I detailed how I assembled some Gen-2 engine & valve covers in preparation for installation. With all that pretty powdercoating you'll want the various fasteners to look their best, and here's how I approach that detailing.

I find fasteners and brackets in all manner of condition; most are salvageable and some are just too far gone, but many are specific, non-generic fasteners so you don't always have the luxury (or budget) to replace with new. The first photo shows how the 6mm clutch/alternator cover bolts looked — corroded, dirty with a generally "dry" metal appearance. After cleaning, I gently buff the fasteners with a soft rotary brass or steel brush on a medium speed and see how well that works. I also wire brush the threads. Resist the urge to use a bench grinder-style wire brush, you will remove any paint or plating and end up with rusted bolts. I then wipe them with a metal protectant, like Corrosion X or ACF-50 which will help bring back the dark color. There's about 25 of these bolts for just the engine and valve covers, so you'll need a bit of time. Alternatively, these bolts are still available from Honda; about $40 would cover all the clutch and alternator bolts. Small brackets also benefit from this effort — the fuel pump holder is pictured with some finished bolts.

The number of bits and bobs needing detailing seem endless on these projects. Here's a small selection showing how I keep them separated and labeled. Clear sandwich bags are a popular alternative, but I like to have the parts out where I can see them so I just use various size containers. This also makes it obvious which fasteners and brackets are in still in need of a cleanup.

Yes, it a labor-intensive chore but, yes, it takes your project to the next level.

What: 1986 VFR700 F2
Why: A great rider
Where: Naperville, Illinois
Price: No reserve auction ends Nov 25

​For a few more details, please refer to my earlier post (10/13) when this former project was offered on FB Marketplace.

Project 27 is now live on Bring-a-Trailer with no reserve. The seller now notes an oil leak, which he reckons is from the rear cylinder valve cover which should be easily addressed. Good luck to seller & buyer.