VFR750F-K

Today I rode home on my "new" old bike and it felt great. I've been riding for a little more than four years now and in that time have owned three modern Hondas. Given my total lack of competence in the mechanical department, I'd never considered an old bike. Key in, push button and ride was all I was really interested in doing.

In the August of 2021 the East Midlands branch were staging their annual rally. Camping in an adjacent field was 36 year old Katie Newton from Nottinghamshire. Katie saw the Honda flags and motorbikes so decided to walk over and say, "hello". Katie had sadly lost her father Colin in the previous March. Colin had owned a VFR750F K from brand new. The bike had been stood for around nine years and she explained that her mother Carol would like to sell the bike to someone who would put it back on the road. Well Barbara Gray of the East Midlands branch kindly offered to post the bikes details on the HOC facebook sites and suggested a price.

I do recall seeing the post, one owner from new, just 19,682 miles on the clock, but for me it was the HRC colour scheme made it stand out.

Initially I did not pursue any interest. It must have been at least six weeks later that I decided to contact the owner and ask whether they had been successful in finding it a new home. The bike was still in the garage. Quite quickly afterwards and with a little negotiation I made the "leap of faith" and bought it without so much as "kicking the tyres".

Pick was arranged for the final Saturday in October. With the fantastic support of Jude Browne and Jon Stone, I coupled up a car trailer to my motorhome and drove to Gillingham in Kent where the bike was stored. The first glance at the bike and it was clear that the front and rear fairings needed a bit more attention than I'd hoped. The brakes unsurprisingly were locked solid and it took the three of us to push it up the ramp and into the wheel choc I'd secured on the loading deck. I made a commitment to Carol that I'd make it look like new in memory of her husband Colin Boorman.

After a little searching I found just the place to restore the bike mechanically. The Motorcycle Workshop in Bolney, Sussex is run by husband and wife team Jeanette and Tony Masters. I walked in to find Tony restoring a 1913 Royal Enfield. He has a fantastic reputation and he agreed to do it in his quieter period between Christmas and New Year. Again the bike had to be shifted onto my trailer, but with the gradient on my drive I now had to bring in close friend and HOC branch secretary Dan Walton. The brakes seemed even harder set than previously but when Dan put his back into shifting it, up it went.

Mechanically the obvious things needed sorting, new battery, tyres, carburettors restored, brakes re-built, fork seals and oil replaced.  The bike had a full service which included all fluids and the valve clearances checked. The bike was awarded its first MOT certified in over nine years and it was good for the road.

Now for the bodywork. The overall look wasn't too bad, but the front fairings had taken a bit of punishment and the rear fairing was in two parts, there had been attempts at repairs but original decals were lost and some of the paint was peeling back. Finding someone to do this work wasn't easy but when I did find the right one I hit the jackpot. Tony Pereira has a paint shop right in the Surrey Hills between two of the foremost biking cafes. He trades as Probike Custom Cycles. His work is stunning. He had the bike for nearly five weeks. His brief was to make it look like it did in a photo I gave him of the bike in 1990. I can't thank him enough for what he's achieved.

So I'm now the proud owner of a Classic VFR and I'm delighted to say, "I just insert the key, press the button and ride". Well it is a Honda.

None of this would have been achieved without my membership of the HOC and my wonderful friends in the West London branch.