Joe contacted me in Spring of 2020 about bringing his old friend back to the road. The issues were common to bikes which sit idle for too long — locked up brakes, clogged carburetors, stale gas, aged tires, etc. I set about a cosmetic and mechanical refurbishment and two months later he had his baby back. This 1987 VFR700 F2 shows only 12,346 miles and is all original including mufflers, bodywork and rear seat cowl with upgraded stainless brake lines.

​For information contact Joe at jmarelli@aol.com

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I've never seen one of these cool VF1000R dust covers. It turns out they were a limited edition made at the request of the VF1000R Facebook group, and are still available from Tyga for $63, plus shipping, presumably.

I came across this one on my local C-list, the seller asking $75. Pretty cool.

Yesterday I completed the long-awaited test ride of Project 31, a 1986 VFR700 F2. The test went well; the engine is smooth, carburetion is spot-on and it handles great. But, as I sat at a stoplight with the clutch lever held in, I could feel that the clutch was creeping ever so slightly toward engaging. I knew I had a clutch hydraulic issue.

I rarely break my personal rule of inspecting every component, but I made an exception with Project 31's clutch hydraulics. While cleaning and inspecting the master and slave cylinders I could see that fresh overhaul kits had been installed sometime in the not-to-distant past, so I let them pass. My mistake, as disassembly of the clutch master revealed a ring of corrosion in the bore (pink arrow in this photo). The rubber seal can't hold an effective seal at this point in its travel, hence the leakback causing the creeping clutch engagement. I can't hone or otherwise repair this tiny aluminum bore, so a replacement master is required.

​I had a feeling that I should open up the clutch slave for a closer inspection as well. Good thing I did. The assembly was clean and there was, in fact, fresh seals installed…but the main seal was installed backwards! Amazingly, it functioned that way, but come on…even the Factory Service Manual clearly pictures the correct orientation. I can't trust the used seal, so a fresh one was fitted.

Yet another reminder to always verify someone else's prior work.

TIP: When servicing the clutch slave cylinder, here's a way to remove the piston without the mess of disturbing the hydraulic line. I unbolt the assembly and hold it over a small bucket while slowly pumping the clutch lever, forcing the piston (and fluid) out of its bore. The fluid empties into the bucket, avoiding the inevitable leakage onto the engine if the line is disconnected in situ. If you need the line removed for a more thorough service, an impact driver will easily remove its bolt.

In this case I was able to simply wipe clean the empty bore, refit the piston with its new seals, and bolt the assembly back onto the engine. Quick and clean.

What: 2007 VFR800
Where: Charlotte, N. Carolina
Why: Low miles, unmolested
Price: $5000

If you were shopping for a new Interceptor in 2007 your color choices were two: the r/w/b Anniversary Edition or this more Honda-like Candy Glory Red.

Today's example is a one-owner, purchased new in 2010 and ridden only 5500 miles. The seller claims the bike is unmodified, never down and "not a scratch on it," excepting some scuffs on the matching OEM saddlebags. The title is clean and the price firm. If you're in the market for a new-looking sixth-generation Interceptor, your search could easily end here.

Back in June a very special Interceptor was off-loaded from the transporter after its long trek from south Florida. This example is unique for a few reasons, the most significant being the 1112 miles showing on the odometer. The bike is a one-owner 1986 VFR700F in red/white/blue with original everything, right down to the tires and battery (drained and bagged). 

Some history: Seller Jim purchased his new Interceptor as a showroom "left-over" from Gables Honda, Miami Florida, on November 28, 1988 (now Gables Motorsports & Marine). The selling price was $3979 plus fees and tax, giving an out-the-door total of $4257, according to the original sales contract provided with the sale. Jim also provided the second key, still with its protective plastic sheath, tool kit, owners manual, an unused Factory Service Manual and the optional center stand in its factory wrapper.

Jim managed to put a few miles on his new bike before hurricane Andrew hit south Florida in 1992, the most destructive U.S. hurricane of record. Jim was then busied rebuilding BP facilities throughout south Florida for the next few years. When the VFR eventually failed to come back to life, weeks turned into months and months into years. It would be three decades before Jim decided to finally resurrect his "new" bike. He completed a thorough brake system rebuild before contacting me about some carburetor parts. After some discussion the possibility of a sale came up…and it became my project…Project 35.

I immediately took to checking the mechanical basics of valve checks (a few intakes and all exhaust valves were tight), compression check and visual inspection of electrical, fuel line replacements, etc. The gooey carburetors were tended to, installed, and the old engine came to life without hesitation. After a carb syncing, the bike was running well, so as a final check I ventured out on a short test ride to verify that the suspension, clutch and transmission were correct — it was a tentative outing due to the 35 year-old rubber, but everything checked out and the bike felt tight, together…basically what a new 1986 Honda VFR would feel like. This was a very special experience for a VFR geek like myself.

I've developed a plan to keep this bike in its original state while bringing the mechanical systems up to snuff. It will be a running, riding time capsule. And it may well be on the podium at the 2022 Las Vegas auctions. It's a bittersweet reality that rare, original finds like this one have reached the collectability stage in their life where further miles and risk of damage are counter-productive to the bike's monetary and aesthetic appeal. But, that will be up to its next caretaker.
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What: 2005 VFR800
Where: Cottage Grove, WI
Why: Low miles, unmolested
Price: $4195

Offered in the Madison, WI area is this clean, unmodified, one-owner 6th-gen non-ABS Interceptor showing only 7400 miles. Our seller is of few words but notes that the bike has a fresh battery and oil, with no mention of extras like luggage. The photos show a missing battery cover and the rear fender may have been eliminated, but otherwise looks complete and original. His asking price reflects the bike's low miles and clean condition.

A reader from the UK sent along some photos and his story with this beautiful silver 4th-gen VFR. Marco found his bike as a non-running project on the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. It had been inactive since 2010 and was being offered for £700. Marco and the seller settled on £550 ($749), figuring he's not out much if things didn't work out. But they did. With lots of carburetor work, fuel system flushed, tires, full brake service, filters, etc., the Honda fired up, ran and rode well.

I think the 4th-gen looks great in silver with black. Congratulations to Marco and his exceptional rescue.

"One is apt to overestimate beauty when it is rare," wrote Mark Twain. This observation holds true in our sport more times than I'd care to admit — the Munch Mammoth of 1969 comes to mind. Obviously, I'm biased toward the Interceptors when it comes to classic sport bikes, but there's one period comparison that I've never quite understood, and that's the visual attraction of the original Suzuki GSX-R750.

Compare the GSX-R to the same year Honda Interceptor.

Lines, angles, shapes, color. These design elements blend into a cohesive style; lithe, light and sexy. I don't know what style Suzuki was chasing — Steampunk Endurance Racer? — but they missed the mark.

And don't get me started on engineering and build quality....

Yes, you're seeing that correctly…the bike pictured below sold for $11,550 at Mecum's Las Vegas auction, held this year at the end of April. This example represents an above average 1986 VFR750F showing 18,665 miles and coming out of the Northern California Superbike Collection.

Mecum gives very sparse details (which aren't always accurate) on their auction bikes, in this case stating, "factory stock condition with no modifications." Well, there's the Yoshimura 4-into-1 slip-on, braided brake lines, aftermarket rear turn signals, missing passenger pegs and incorrect black painted radiator screen…but caveat emptor, right?

As for condition, this is a very nice rider with below average miles (~25,000 is average for the 2d-gen bikes in my experience) and several touched-up spots on the paintwork, notably the left side fairings, which obviously met the ground at some point.

All I can say is, WOW, well-sold. The real significance of this sale, I hope, is that it signals a long-overdue value increase for second-gen Interceptors.

What: 1985 VF1000R (project)
Where: Pepperell, Massachusetts
Why: Nice example, but….
Price: eBay auction

Up for a project? No, not the Swamp Thing, or someone's freshly crashed "streetfighter." This one is a nicely presented square-headlight 1985 model (with a round-light '86 paint job) showing only 16,020 miles and several desirable upgrades already accomplished, including suspension, exhaust, paint and brake lines. The elephant in the room is the oil dripping out of the head gasket area of #2 cylinder. Not being a VF guy, I'm not sure if this requires an engine removal, but it will be an involved repair in any case. If you're up for it you'll be rewarded with a very pretty big-block V4 with lots of miles in its future. Bidding is at $1763, reserve not met, with four days left in the auction.