Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2015 i Motorcycle Classics

Not long ago, I exchanged letters with a friend who had recently sold a BSA Victor. I had one many years ago that was being passed around. None of my friends ever got it running, myself included. We were newly married (broke) and living in a neat apartment within a converted barn that had a long, down-sloping lane and then went out to a long, downhill road. I can’t tell you how many times I pushed that thing, jumped on it and let the clutch out, then pushed it back up and did it all over again. Never once did it show a sign of firing. Looking back on it, maybe I should have checked out something I learned when I was about 15. A Sears moped (Puch) was selling…

It seems almost unthinkable now, but in the mid-1960s, BMW came close to abandoning motorcycle production altogether. Sales were in decline, with potential buyers questioning whether they should pay as much for a motorcycle as a small car. BMW was also focused on developing its automobile business, which meant its motorcycle range got somewhat neglected. The Bavarian maker enjoyed a reputation for expensive, solidly engineered and beautifully built bikes that were reliable, sedate tourers. The then-contemporary R50/2, R60/2 and R69S used a heavy, plunger-derived frame and Earles front fork (telescopic in the U.S. only), while featuring anachronisms like magneto ignition and a 6-volt electrical system powered by a DC dynamo. In 1964, BMW made the crucial decision to continue making motorcycles, recognizing in the process that a complete redesign of…

Paul Ritter: Racing the Gods — A Ducati Superbike Racer’s Autobiography Fans of Superbike racing well remember the names that made the new-for-1976 class the most dynamic of the race season calendar. Cook Neilson and Phil Schilling put Ducati on the U.S. map with the California Hot Rod, while Reg Pridmore and Steve McLaughlin did the same for BMW. Wes Cooley and Erik Buell contested the series, too, as did Mike Baldwin and Keith Code. But there’s another rider whose name often seems left out in the memories, Paul Ritter. That might be due to Ritter’s relatively short track career. He rode Ducatis from the beginning, starting with a single-cylinder Diana 250 in his first races in 1973. The 250 single gave way to a 350 Mark 3D desmo single…

Here’s a story that features plenty of BS. And before anyone gets huffy about our language, let’s set something straight: BS stands for Bridgestone, as in Bridgestone motorcycles. Early in its history, the Japanese manufacturer shortened its name to BS. Looking back, the decision to use those two simple initials seems a poorly considered marketing decision. Yet it didn’t seem to work against the company, which became known for its high quality, innovative, 2-stroke motorcycles. A little Bridgestone history Bridgestone’s roots go back to 1931, when Shojiro Ishibashi founded the Bridgestone Tire Company, so named because in English Ishibashi’s last name translated into stone (ishi) bridge (bashi). He reversed the order of the words to form Bridgestone, and the company produced tires and a number of other rubber goods. After…

Given the conditions in which they were used, early motorcycles were, by default, dirt bikes — pioneer motorcyclists didn’t have any choice in the matter. They rode and struggled over gravel tracks and clay ruts, and had to contend with dust when it was dry and gumbo when it was wet. As the motorcycle industry progressed and roads improved, though, machines became specialized for the specific task at hand, whether that was commuting, fast road racing or playing in the dirt. Offroad machines built by European companies such as Bultaco, CZ, Dot and Greeves dominated the dirt market in the 1950s and 1960s. By the late 1960s, however, Japanese manufacturers dropped a bombshell as they began introducing lightweight, easy-to-handle offroad bikes. Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha all built 2-stroke powered dirt…

Vintage motorcycle clubs abound, but the one I have belonged to for more than 20 years is the Airheads Beemer Club. Founded in 1991 for owners and riders of air-cooled BMW motorcycles, it follows a simple slogan, “Simple by Choice.” One of the attractions of older Beemers is that they are indeed simple machines; generally reliable, easy to work on and you can still get parts for them. BMW’s Mobile Tradition Parts Catalogue claims it’s possible to get “everything you need to restore a BMW motorcycle manufactured between 1948 and 1969.” For 1970 and later models, a Beemer dealer usually has or can get most parts, and as most Airhead club members tend to work on their own bikes, if any problems arise, be assured that a group of Airheads…

I bought this bike in 1985 from Reg Pridmore’s RPM BMW shop in Ventura, California, completely stock and with about 47,000 miles on it. Its unique fairing came from Reg’s counterman, Jeff. It had been crashed and considerably scratched up, so I took it to a fiberglass expert for repair. I sent the broken bubble-style windscreen to plastic windscreen expert Leif Gustafsson (bikescreen.com), who fabricated a new one. I later learned the fairing is a rare DBV from the Netherlands. I got the 8-gallon Heinrich gas tank through a classified ad, and had it and the fairing painted to match the bike. A friend of mine nicknamed the fairing “The Flying Tit.” RaceTech in Corona, California, rebuilt the forks and I also installed a set of their G3-S IFP Custom…

The Panhandle. The Redneck Riviera. LA (as in Lower Alabama). The Emerald Coast. Of all the names for this exotic region, in my opinion the Emerald Coast captures it best. It’s the Gulf, a brilliant green and sparkling body of water that contrasts with and is sharply accented by the area’s sugary white beaches. The beaches are amazing; the sand is so fine and so clean it actually squeaks when you walk on it. Florida’s Emerald Coast is not so much a single destination as it is a region, stretching from Pensacola on the western end to Panama City to the east, with lots of little towns dotting the coast in between. Of all the little towns, Fort Walton Beach and Destin are the Emerald Coast’s crown jewels. Destin is…

Motorcycle buyers — including, apparently, BMW motorcycle fans — weren’t very interested in the littlest /5. Solid numbers are hard to come by, but anecdotal evidence suggests less than a quarter of the total production of 7,865 R50/5s came to the U.S., which means fewer than 2,000 were ever on the U.S. market when new. Today, that translates into one of the hardest BMW /5 models to find. This 1972 example was sold by European vintage motorcycle specialist Moto Borgotaro in New York City. Advertised as fully serviced, it had been treated to a comprehensive tune up, completely rebuilt suspension with new front springs and YSS rear shocks, new tires, new battery and rebuilt carbs. The vendor also replaced the throttle cables and spark plug leads. “Needs nothing, runs great,…

Was this the bike that killed Indian? Some enthusiasts say that when Indian brought out its still-controversial “upside-down” 4-cylinder design in 1936, the Springfield, Massachusetts, firm started down the slippery slope to failure. 1936 was the same year Harley-Davidson introduced its iconic Knucklehead, a stylish motorcycle with a look that still resonates today, while the “upside-down” Four faded from view. The idea that the redesigned Four hurt Indian is held by no less than the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, which, in its summation of the model, said, “It was the answer to a question no one had asked: What was wrong with the Indian Four of the 1930s? As it turned out, very little. But that didn’t stop Indian engineers from ‘improving’ the design in 1936. And in the…

When Bridgestone dropped motorcycle manufacturing from its product portfolio after the 1971 model run, rumor had it that Bridgestone’s rivals — led by Honda — were pressuring the company to decide if it wanted to be a tire manufacturer or a motorcycle manufacturer. Keep making motorcycles, the rumor said, and Honda and the rest would shop elsewhere for tires. According to a history of Bridgestone motorcycles written by Graham Weeks and published in the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club Newsletter in 1996, the real reason hinged on the tire and motorcycle divisions’ shared manufacturing space. Motorcycles were basically a sideline for Bridgestone; when the tire division needed room to grow, the axe fell on motorcycles. After closing its motorcycle division, Bridgestone sold the manufacturing rights and all tooling for its 60cc…

The ultimate racing British single: There can only be one, and this special-framed Arter Matchless G50, ridden by legendary rider and engineer Peter Williams and sporting the world’s first cast wheels — designed by Williams himself — must surely be a contender. Built for the 1970 season, it was the first bike ever to wear cast magnesium alloy wheels, and coupled with its equally ground-breaking use of disc brakes and unique wind-cheating bodywork, Williams’ Arter G50 was a truly avant garde machine whose creation prolonged the competitive life of the 4-stroke single well beyond the advent of the 2-stroke era. Williams rode the bike to three second-place wins in the Isle of Man Senior TT in 1970, 1971 and 1973, and his 102.74mph singe-cylinder lap record in the 1973 Senior…

Although this 1941 BMW R12 isn’t painted in traditional military colors, owner John Covington, Fullerton, California, assures it is indeed a military model, pointing to a Wehrmacht logo, a stylized war bird gripping a swastika, adorning the bike. The R12 has a stamped-steel frame, single carburetor and is also the first production motorcycle with a hydraulically damped fork. After 10 years of searching, Covington found the bike on eBay in late 2001 for $5,000; it was largely stock except for its reproduction fenders. He’s had the crank rechromed and the cylinders Nikasil plated, installed new pistons, replaced the connecting rods and rebuilt the transmission, hubs and final drive. He also replaced the seals and relined the brakes. “Most BMWs of this era have bullet holes,” Covington tells me, as any…

If you’ve replaced carburetor throttle cables on a vintage 4-stroke engine, you know that the basic process is relatively simple. The complicating factor for anything other than a single-cylinder engine is making sure the carburetor slides are synchronized to each other so they pull off idle evenly. If your carbs are adjusted properly before you replace the cables, getting the slides synchronized isn’t that difficult, as we describe. Vintage Yamaha 2-strokes equipped with Yamaha Autolube oil injection have one more component. These bikes have a cable working in conjunction with the throttle cables, operating an oil injection pump and increasing oil pump flow as throttle is applied. As a result, a 2-cylinder Yamaha 2-stroke such as our subject 1973 RD350 has four cables — two carburetor slide cables, one Autolube…

What: The Emerald Coast, a stretch along the Florida Panhandle’s coast running from Pensacola to Panama City. How to Get There: Drop south from anywhere along I-10 until you hit US 98. Best Kept Secrets: The cuisine: grilled amberjack, hush puppies, cole slaw with raw horseradish and a draft beer (life just doesn’t get any better). Don’t miss the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum; it’s definitely worth a visit. Avoid: Leaving home without rain gear. Also avoid spring break, as the Emerald Coast is a favored destination for testosterone-and-tequila-fueled college students. More Info: emeraldcoastfl.com…

In 1979 Cycle Guide magazine’s masthead listed me as Associate Editor, which was another term for “road test guy.” In those days my throttle hand was responsible for most, if not all, of the test figures for motorcycles we featured. I was responsible for quarter-mile times, brake testing, fuel mileage data, track lap times, as well as posing at speed on the bikes for photos. Yeah, it was a tough job ... In November 1979, I joined executive editor Michael Jordan (no, not that Michael Jordan) for a two-week foray to Japan, visiting motorcycling’s Big Four — Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki — on a fact-finding tour. I served as Michael’s wingman, and while we both were invited to ride key motorcycles during our visit, I would be the one…

Rider: Jon Neuburger, Holliston, Massachusetts Age: 59 Occupation: Editor for television documentaries Rides: 1965 Honda S65, 1966 Honda S90, 1961 Honda CB72 Jon’s story: “Six years ago, as my kids became teens and I had more free time, I decided to try my hand at restoring a motorcycle. I always loved bikes, but I had a serious accident at age 17 on a friend’s minibike, so I had put riding on the back burner after that. Scanning Craigslist, I spotted an ad for two 1965 Honda S65s for $400, with a sketchy photo included. “I borrowed a friend’s pickup and drove to the address. The bikes were in the basement of an apartment building. The seller was anxious to get rid of them — his landlord was on his case.…

1965-1974 Honda CB450K/SS Though the CB750 is widely considered the nail in the British motorcycle industry’s coffin, the CB450 was arguably the shroud. With performance comparable to Triumph’s Bonneville, the CB450 also boasted top-drawer features like double overhead camshafts, a twin-leading-shoe front brake (single disc from 1970-on) and, importantly, electric start. Perhaps even more important, unlike earlier pressed-steel-frame Hondas, with a tubular steel frame, it looked the part. Available only in black, the CB450K was built around a shortstroke, 180-degree, 4-main-bearing crankshaft (360-degree for the Japanese market) driving two overhead camshafts by chain. Valves were closed by torsion bar springs with eccentric adjusters. Drive to the 4-speed gearbox was by wet multiplate clutch with chain final drive. The drivetrain fitted into a single-tube cradle frame with conventional telescopic fork and…

As early as 1908, Norton had adopted the famous “Unapproachable” tag line to describes its motorcycles; the slogan took on renewed meaning in 1927, when Norton’s Walter Moore designed a new overhead camshaft engine called the CS1 — for Camshaft Model One. Based on the bottom half of Norton’s Model 18 overhead valve 500cc single, an engine first seen in 1922, the rest of the CS1 was completely different, with a vertical bevel-shaft drive to an overhead camshaft. The bevel tunnel and the paddle-shaped timing chest and cover on the right side of the crankcase gave the appearance of a cricket bat, a reference used by British enthusiasts to this day. Placed in a new frame complete with a Webb girder fork, a purposeful-looking gas tank and 8-inch drum brakes…

The United States can surely have no more dedicated an Anglophile motorcyclist than collector Jeff Craig. Craig has an enviable collection of British bikes, kept in the picturesque setting of an 18th-century house in the beautiful Bucks County scenery north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And they’re not museum pieces: Craig regularly exercises his bikes on local roads and at rallies as far afield as Canada and Virginia. Back when I first met Craig, he was a fellow bike freak I had teamed up with to share a flat when he moved to London at the end of the Swinging Sixties. Craig toured Europe several times on a BMW R69S, and became a fan of German reliability and shaft drive, despite once being pulled over by a traffic cop in Lisbon who…

It may not be the longest running current production motorcycle in history — that honor goes to Harley-Davidson’s Sportster — but if you went to your Honda dealer today and peeled the plastic off a 2015 VFR800, it wouldn’t be that much different from the VFR750F that first went to market in 1986. Along the way, the VFR750 won Cycle World’s Best Sportbike award six times, while its basic design was extrapolated into the World Superbike winning VFR750R/RC30 and RC45. The VFR750 was born of disaster, yet went on to salvage Honda’s reputation as a builder of reliable, high-quality motorcycles. How come? Rising tide At the end of the 1970s, Honda’s technical prowess was unchallenged. The company had created such extravagant engineering exercises as the flat-four GL1000, the 6-cylinder, 24-valve,…

In 1970, Ulrich “Rick” Huemmerich came to the U.S. from Germany on a sixmonth assignment to install machinery in a Detroit factory. Forty-some years later, he’s still here. Rick was an engineer with Cadillac for 35 years, and now lives in Las Vegas. He’s had this 1959 Earles fork BMW R50 for years, but got it running only recently. The engine runs valves from an R69S (which had to be shortened) and an aluminum flywheel, and Rick modified the transmission to eliminate the common BMW “clunk” during shifting. The seat and exhaust system are aftermarket, and it has a front fender from an early Honda Gold Wing while the tank is from a BMW /6, which required cutting and welding in a deeper tunnel to fit. He made the small…

Synchronizing carburetors Q: I have a question regarding “syncing” carburetors. Some gurus can synchronize them by ear, and I’ve met mechanics who are just incredible and use all their senses to accomplish the extraordinary. How does syncing contribute to performance? Usually, I measure the slides with the carbs on the bench with drill bits, selecting a size that just fits between the horn and the slide, and average the two (or three or four). Are there unique factors with individual cylinders that require a “power on” vacuum test, or am I good to go? I suggest to your readers to start a scrapbook, as I have with your articles. I look through the table of contents when I’m stumped and lo and behold, you’ve already done the work for me.…

7/10 Visit the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, July 10-12, for the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. Watch the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships, check out the world’s largest motorcycle swap meet, and enjoy demo rides, seminars, the American Motor Drome Wall of Death and more. More info: amavintagemotorcycledays.com 7/10 Head to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, for the 3rd Annual AHRMA Vintage Motorcycle Festival, July 10-12. The event kicks of Friday night with the monthly NJMP Bike Night and will feature AHRMA road racing, a swap meet and more. Saturday and Sunday will also feature the South Jersey Wine Festival from 12-5 p.m. More info: njmp.com 7/23 The All Brands Motorcycle Event at McKee’s Sky Ranch in Terra Alta, West Virginia, takes place July…