Honda VF and VFR Interceptor (Whiteorse Press Collectors)

Clement Salvadori has a relaxed writing style, and readers of _Rider_ magazine will immediately feel comfortable getting into Salvadori's sometimes twisty paragraph structure, with a few non sequiturs thrown in. It's a lot like riding a familiar backroad with plenty of sweepers and wildlife: refreshing and exciting.

One has to love Honda V-4s to call this book exciting, per se. Owners of Interceptors will enjoy the quick but thorough history of the V-4, not just Honda's versions, all within 11 pages. This is vintage Salvadori, an easy read, so I could have my mother read it, and, after a good scolding about the dangers of motorcycle riding, even she could tell me the difference between longitudinal and transverse mounting.

I enjoyed the photography because there was plenty of color pictures, but, as a photographer, I'm not as impressed by the quality of the photos as a whole; the pictures are more "tourist snapshot" than "Ansel Adams." Readers will probably see a little of Salvadori in a couple of frames.

I had been riding my 1998 VFR 800 fi for about a year when I came across this text, and I found myself nodding my head and uttering an "Uh huh" for every page of the section on this model. Salvadori honestly addresses and assesses the VFR model line. His inclusion of interesting trivia makes this history complete. Who knew that Honda backed off from badging the 1990 VFR as an "Interceptor" because of pressure from insurance companies? Great, if unimportant, stuff.

The biggest disappointment I found in this text was the last section on the latest iteration of the VFR. The Honda press photos are there, but, since this text was published before the release of the actual motorcycle, there shouldn't be any commentary on the bike; it would have been better if the publication of the text could have been delayed by about six months, so Salvadori could have written a better examination of the model and actually ridden the bike. Instead, readers get, basically, a rehash of the Honda press release.

There is little mention of the aftermarket, but Salvadori is probably more interested in officialdom than the endless variety beyond the corporate scene. Also, there is a *sparse* index. I hope readers like thumbing through the pages to find the right spot.

Overall, VFR owners and interested individuals should be nicely satisfied by this short text. I'd advise others to read it in the morning before the ride, so they will appreciate their rides that much more. Ride safe!