Vintage Festival: 12th Annual

Volume 37 / Number 6
DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017 • $5
12th Annual
Vintage Festival
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Suzuki Colleda
David Silver Honda
Motorcycle Museum
Honda MR175
Restoration
VJMC Summer Fun
in Michigan
official publication of the vintage japanese motorcycle club of north america, inc.
IN THIS ISSUE
Features
EVENTS:
Bill Brown’s
Midwest Regional
6 Sidecar Event
PROECT BIKE: COV ER STORY

Conflicted Classic
12th Annual
15 Barber Vintage Festival 36
HISTORY:
Suzuki Colleda—
“This is the One”
18
COLLECTIONS:
David Silver Honda
Motorcycle Museum
24
EVENTS:
5th Annual
KCVJMC Picinic
26
PROJECT BIKE: Departments
Honda MR175
Restoration PRESIDENT’S LETTER:
30 Like Family Reunions............................................................................ 5
COLLECTIONS: BACK IN THE DAY:

Across the US Laconia Days / Joe Lachniet.............................................................. 10
Collecting Classics
40 FROM THE EDITOR:
Another Successful Year Thanks to Our Members....................... 11
HISTORY: CUSTOM CONNECTION:
Honda Redbooks
Ace Corner........................................................................................... 12
44 KICKSTANDS UP AT DAWN:
Do What You Love, Love What You Do:
EVENTS: Vintage Bike Repair and Patience ................................................... 23
VJMC Summer Fun
in Michigan!
ADVERTISER’S SPOTLIGHT:
46 Gasolina High Octane Boots............................................................. 53
TECH HELP:
On the Cover Tech Tip #17: Starting Problems.................................................55
Volume 37 / Number 6
DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017 • $5
VJMC members
12th Annual
get their turn EVENTS CORNER............................................................................. 57
Vintage Festival at riding the
WHAT’S INSIDE:
famous Barber CLASSIFIEDS..................................................................................... 59
track
Suzuki Colleda
David Silver Honda
Motorcycle Museum
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX.................................................................... 61
Honda MR175 cover photo:
Michael Fitterling
Restoration
VJMC Summer Fun
in Michigan
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 3

PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Like Family Reunions

Official Publication of the VJMC
DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017
Volume 37, Number 6
PRESIDENT
T he VJMC in 2016 has held many “family” reunions—ral-
lies, expos, festivals, and other gatherings. What always
impresses me is how hard-working volunteers and great
Tom Kolenko planning make these reunions so successful for our mem-
770-427-4820 bers. It is amazing that members that only see each other
president@vjmc.org
once or twice a year, once onsite, mobilize to get booth set-
EDITOR
Michael Fitterling up, registration, membership, and other tasks done in record
863-632-1981 time.
editor@vjmc.org Dedicated volunteers are the soul of this club. Others observe this standard of
DESIGN DIRECTOR behavior onsite and want to join in. Members create energy at our events and
Nadine G. Messier others notice. Nowhere was this more evident than at the Barber Vintage Fes-
design@vjmc.org
tival 2016. It was our largest ever bike show with 109 entries and 176 bike show
CLASSIFIED ADS
Gary Gadd ballots cast, and added 58 new members and 10 renewals.
817-284-8195 When I showed up at noon on Thursday for setup, there were already ten to
eulerckt@aol.com fifteen members assembled under our tent, ready to get to work. Many hands
MAGAZINE DISPLAY made setup quick work. Thanks to Keith, Barry, Marty, Claude, Bryan, Don,
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Bryan Bentley Brian, Randy, George, Barry, Warren, Norton, and others for your hard work.
864-923-0559 Special thanks to Randy Mayes, our volunteer coordinator, who made it all work
vjmcads@gmail.com all weekend, keeping us on task and schedule. Thank you for your leadership.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Thanking VJMC long time supporters is always a pleasure. Mr. Barber and
Bill Granade his team of Jeff Ray, Brian Slark, and Jennifer Moody made the world’s largest
813-961-3737
membership@vjmc.org motorcycle museum’s family reunion (BVF 2016) so much fun for our mem-
CHANGE OF ADDRESS bers. Yamaha’s team, headed by Steve Liberatore, with Guy Reynolds and Lisa
Please direct these requests to Hogue, support our club all year long. The VJMC Board of Directors continues
Bill Granade:
membership@vjmc.org to guide this club with their commitment of time, energy, and resources for
13309 Moran Drive, Tampa, FL 33618 which I thank you.
Membership check renewals: Some housekeeping comments are in order to better meet our members’
1 year - $30 / 2 years - $55 / 3 years - $80
Outside North America: 1 year - $50 needs. First, please include all your contact information: name, address, phone
number, and preferred email address in all correspondence with the club. Folks
ADDITIONAL COPIES
In order to minimize unnecessary expens- that say they haven’t gotten our magazine in months may not have updated
es to the club, VJMC prints a limited number their new address, but we try and solve issues ASAP on the phone or using the
of each issue of Vintage Japanese Motorcy-
cle Magazine. However, we would be glad to best channel possible. An email complaint without a full name, membership
accommodate any requests for additional copies number, address, or phone number takes too long to solve; become part of the
from members.
solution. Help out our Membership Chairman, Bill Granade!
These requests must be submitted before the Second, new VJMC Field Representatives have been approved by the BOD
15th of the month preceding each issue. For ex-
ample: for the Feb/Mar issue requests must be to help serve our members. Please welcome Duane Ash (central Idaho), Tony
received by January 15. Berry (central North Carolina), Jim Neuwirth (western Nebraska), and Craig
MISSION STATEMENT: Schneider (central Ohio) to the ranks of volunteers at the local level. If you are
The purpose of this organization is to promote interested in becoming a VJMC Field Representative, willing to sponsor, con-
the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of
vintage Japanese motorcycles (defined here as duct, or partner with local events in your area, please download the application
those 20 years old or older). The VJMC also will materials from our website and send them in.
promote the sport of motorcycling and camera-
derie of motorcyclists everywhere.
Other VJMC topics of interest must include our recently added YouTube
videos from George Martin. He has attempted to capture events, rides, etc.
© 2016 Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club of
North America, an IRS-approved Not-for-prof- using camera and video to share with all members. Check them out. Finally,
it 501(c)(7) corporation. All rights reserved. two passionate German members, Hans-Peter Engel and Volker Wolff, have
No part of this document may be reproduced
or transmitted without permission. All articles written a ninety-five page book on the 1960s’ Honda Cuby training motor for
copyright by their respective authors. the world to enjoy in English. So, if you are one of those Cuby fans, check it out.
Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine is pub- In the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, the VJMC BOD and I want to wish
lished six times per year, in February, April, June, everyone a joyous Holiday Season and bountiful New Year. Stay warm and
August, October, and December. The views and
opinions expressed in letters or other content think about all the great rides you will take in 2017 celebrating the VJMC’s
are those of the author and do not necessarily 40th Anniversary.
represent VJMC policy. The VJMC accepts no lia-
bility for any loss, damage, or claims occurring as Tom Kolenko
a result of advice given in this publication or for
claims made by advertisers of products or ser- VJMC President
vices in this publication. president@vjmc.org
6 DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017
events
Bill Brown’s
Midwest Regional Sidecar Event
by Mark Bayer, President KCVJMC, Kansas/Missouri Representative / nkcma@yahoo.com
I t’s great to have good friends, and

Bill Brown has been a good friend of
Kansas City’s VJMC. Bill is a commit-
ing over forty scooters and motorcy-
cles next door. A large concrete deck
in front of these areas is used to show
ted member who collects motorcycles, many of his machines. A large drive-
scooters, sidecars, and other interest- way and adjacent field are used for
ing artifacts related to these fields. bikes which are brought in to show.
He is also a Japanese motorcycle and Bill has an impressive scooter collec-
scooter enthusiast. Bill has worked as tion, which includes machines from
RIGHT:
a Porsche technician, exotic car tech- nearly every continent that produce
Our host nician, and has taught automotive and them. His collection of Japanese bikes
Bill Brown motorcycle repair and theory at sever- is impressive, as well as being heavy on
al local colleges, for General Motors, at small Honda mopeds, scooters, and
Pittsburg State College, and at numer- mini-bikes. He also has several micro
ous other educational institutions. His Japanese mini-bikes with actual mini
career has spanned thirty-six years, so sidecars—what fun!
he is no novice when it comes to the At the sidecar event you can see ev-
knowledge of mechanical things. Ev- erything from large traditional Amer-
ery year Bill sponsors a spring picnic ican V-twins with sidecars down to
and a fall sidecar event, which our club mini-bike sidecar set ups. Bill also has
strongly supports and attends. These several mini-bikes he allows people
events are fun and always include to ride, which includes a 1990s’ style
unique machines, which fascinate modified Honda monkey bike. It has a
those who attend. He calls his shop 90cc kit, racing exhaust system, front
and museum area “Scooter Lane.” disc brake, and a Yoshimura-styled ex-
His annual picnic began in 2002, and haust system. It is a virtual “wheelie”
the sidecar event was started in 2013. machine. It’s so much fun to ride!
The picnic was originally started to His regular Japanese collection in-
enable his students to see and experi- cludes a 1967 Honda 50 Cub in really
ence the broad range of ways in which nice, original condition; a Honda 160
people enjoy motorcycles, and the Scrambler in very good condition; sev-
sidecar event was done as the only re- eral Hodakas, including a late 100cc
gional sidecar event in our area. Before Road Toad; several Honda C110s; and a
2013, there was a fall picnic, which was bunch of Japanese mini and trail bikes.
replaced by the sidecar event in 2013. He also has some really rare bikes and
Sometime after the early years of these scooters from around the world. These
events, more and more people began are highlighted by a 1970s’ Spanish
to attend until they were visited by a Ducati 250, an early BMW 250 single,
much broader and larger crowd. His two really cool Playboy scooters (30cc
events typically include fifty to eighty models which we forever kid each oth-
motorcycles and, I’m sure, well over a er about adding a big bore kit to make
hundred people. The 2016 event was them 33 to 36cc bikes), a BSA Starfire,
held on September 11th. and a Sears Compact scooter. In all,
Bill has a large working shop area, my guess is that he has around 40-50
with a small connected museum hous- machines, mostly smaller machines
along with a few larger bikes. On a ta-
ble outside sat a cutaway engine, which
appeared to be a 1970s’ Honda 125; a
vintage sparkplug collection; and a
number of other interesting bits and
pieces. There is almost always an in-
teresting bike or two in his workshop
being worked on, which adds intrigue.
What’s so great about having Bill as
a friend is that he is active in nearly all
of our shows and is always bringing
something interesting to events. When
bikes are ridden in or transported to
one of our shows, we will see Bill’s car
and trailer and will immediately begin
guessing what machines he is bring-
ing. His entries are typically interest- it is that there is variety. From custom kcvjmc.org and for local and regional
ing, obscure, or educational. There is bike shows, café racer events, vintage events go to: www.markbayersmo-
nothing better than being surprised! bike shows, our All Vintage Japanese torcyclenews.mysite.com page 2 and
Our club members love to go to his Bike Show, our two-stroke only event, page 3. If you ride a bike with a sidecar,
events for the camaraderie and to see a huge regional scooter event (Hon- make sure to plan to attend the “Mid-
new and unique machines, and cer- da Grom dominant), along with Bill west Regional Sidecar” event next year,
tainly the food is no hindrance! Brown’s sidecar event, it’s all covered it is always in early September, and the
If you could say one thing about in our area. information will be posted on the sites
what goes on in our Kansas City area For KCVJMC events go to: www. noted above. l

BACK IN THE DAY
Laconia Days
by Joe Lachniet
I have collected some dealer photo collections

and come across some very early photos from
the Laconia motorcycle races circa 1961-63. I
am not sure of the exact year because the per-
son who took the pictures is no longer with us.
The yellow bike pictured is a very early TD1
Yamaha race bike. The second photo shows
a rider, Harry Kelley, making fun of an early
Honda race bike. If he had only been able to
see the future.
Harry Kelley was the founder of KK Motor-
cycle Supply in Dayton and also a past presi-
dent of the AMA—a very nice person and one
who did a lot of great things for the sport and
hobby! l

FROM THE EDITOR
Another Successful Year

Thanks to Our Members
by Michael Fitterling / editor@vjmc.org
A nother year is coming to an end,

and many of us are recuperat-
ing from the whirlwind of fall VJMC
link to that folder to all trophy recipi-
ents so they can download their photo
with Colin. If I missed anyone, please
and to ensure a good balance of types
of stories, so don’t be shy; send your
story in.
events before it all starts up again. It’s let me know and I will email you the I’d also like to thank George Martin
been a great year and I have met many link so you don’t get left out. for his help providing the club with
amazing members at our rallies and I want to thank everyone who recent- video of some of our exciting events
shows and have seen some amazing ly sent in articles. The “VJMC Maga- and for helping me by sending in
bikes. zine Needs You!” email blast yielded quality photos of events for use in the
One highlight of the year was at a number of very interesting articles magazine. George’s videos are posted
Barber Vintage Festival when Colin that will be featured in upcoming is- on YouTube.
Edwards, two time Superbike World sues. The response filled up our folder Finally, I want to apologize to one
Champion, was on hand to present of articles that had gotten pretty emp- of our members. Greg Golias, a key
trophies to our members at our bike ty. Just remember, as time goes on and member of the event team at Mid-Ohio
show. I’ve set up an online folder with more issues go out, that surplus will Vintage Days. Greg was mentioned in
the trophy photos in it. By the time be depleted. Articles are always need- the event recap, and during editing I
you read this, I will have sent out a ed to refill the folder for future issues mispelled his last name. Sorry Greg! l

LEFT:
This young lady
and her husband
came from St.
Louis to enjoy the BELOW:
festivities A fine Yamaha
triple looking
ready for the
street or the
track
ABOVE:
Jordan Stowe
picked up the Best
Japanese Café Racer
trophy for his race
inspired RD350
Yamaha.

CUSTOM CONNECTION
Ace Corner
by Toby Jones / abustedflush1455@yahoo.com
W hat can I say about the Barber

Vintage Festival that hasn’t al-
ready been said? I think those of us who
overwhelming, with over 12,000 rid-
ers in attendance. This led to Mark’s
reopening of the café at its original lo-
have attended have run out of superla- cation in 1997, and as of today, the café
tives when trying to describe the event has locations in Finland, China, Swit-
to others. With our own outstanding zerland, and is coming soon to the USA.
VJMC display, the wonderful museum, Ace Cafe London and Dime City Cy-
the Fan Zone, the swap meet, AHRMA cles sponsor the Ace Corner at Barber
racing on the track, and the many oth- and over the years it has become an
er places to visit and things to do, three event within an event. While entry does
days is hardly enough to take it all in. require an extra cost wrist band, we
One area my wife and I always make find what it has to offer is well worth the
it a point to spend some time in is Ace price.
Corner. The venue is actually staged on two
For those of you not familiar with the levels above Turn 17 of the track. There
Ace Cafe story, the Ace opened in 1938 is always plenty of motorcycle parking
on North Circular Road in London as a outside, but entry is through a tunnel
transit café, or what you and I would call running under the track. You can ei-
a “truck stop.” Because of the café’s loca- ther walk through or, if you happen
tion, the good, fast roads to ride in the to be riding a vintage or custom bike
area, and the new-fangled rock and roll (space permitting) the staff will motion
on the juke box, the Ace soon became you through the tunnel. As a side note,
popular with young motorcyclists. It I defy any red-blooded motorcyclist to
was the place for hanging out, listening ride through the tunnel without pull-
to music, and just being seen, not unlike ing in the clutch and revin’ it up just a
the drive-in restaurants in the good old little. The tunnel opens up to a limited
USA. For many youths of the era their parking area among the vendors and TOP:
Herm Narciso and
heroes were the professional motorcy- live band stage on the lower level. There one of the Dime
cle racers of the day, and they “souped are always plenty of beautiful machines City crew relaxing
and enjoying
up” their bikes to look like these race to look over in this area. Live bands are some fine Ace
bikes. Thruxton-style seats, clubman rockin’ all day long, and the vendors Corner food
bars, and rear set controls were all the have the latest in cool parts, accessories,
BOTTOM:
rage. Doing the ton (100 mph) was the and apparel to check out. There’s always Of course,
order of the day. Strangely, though, the something going on in this area. Dime City had
their booth set
term café racer was actually a deroga- Reaching the upper level requires a up and stocked
tory term used by the transit truckers steep climb up an asphalt drive, but they with cool riding
apparel.
to describe these bikes—“That ain’t no do provide golf cart shuttles if need be.
real racer, that’s just a bloody café racer.” This area provides a commanding view
The Ace remained popular throughout of the track, where the racing action is
the glory days of the British motorcycle hot and heavy all day long. With plenty
before closing in 1969. The café closed, of shade, cold beverages, food, and race
but the culture it and others like it had fans it is one of the best places at Barber
created remained alive. to take in the races. Mark Wilsmore was
In 1994 a regular of the old café, Mark in attendance checking out the racing
Wilsmore, arranged a reunion for the and talking bikes with fans.
old café crowd, and the response was On top of the hill is also where Dime
TOP: not as common as it once was. Many
Our little CB400F
café racer among the young, talented builders are finding the
beauties at the show more obscure Honda, Yamaha, and Ka-
wasaki models as a basis for their cre-
CENTER: ations. The café racer, like all custom
Shad Alexander’s
slick Kawasaki twin motorcycles, is evolving. Sometimes I
walked away with the question the direction some builders are
People’s Choice trophy.
taking, but there is no questioning the
City Cycles sponsors a fantastic ride- craftsmanship and quality that many of
in bike show. While I did enter our them exhibit.
CB400F café bike in the show, I was re- The show wraps up and awards are
ally humbled by the quality and crafts- handed out at 4pm on Saturday. Best
manship displayed in many of the en- Japanese café racer this year went to
tries. They seem to be raising the bar Jordan Stowe for his tasty competi-
higher each year. Herm Narciso and the tion-style RD350 Yamaha, and the Peo-
crew at Dime City do a fantastic job of ple’s Choice award went to Shad Alex-
organizing the show and handing out ander and his beautiful Kawasaki twin.
trophies to the class winners. One thing Good work guys!
that is very clear about this café/custom Our VJMC area will always be the first
show and many others I have attended and most important on my Barber Vin-
is the trend towards basing the bikes on tage Festival agenda, but Ace Corner at
Japanese motorcycles. Bikes built on the Barber will certainly be high on the list
traditional Triumph, BSA, and Norton as well. If you like beautiful Vintage Jap-
framework are few and far between. anese customs, be sure put it on your list
Even the old standby CB350 Honda is next year, and I’ll see you at the Ace! l

PROJECT BIKE
Conflicted Classic
by Jonathan Green / jgreen@greenandgreenpllc.com
I shot my mouth off. I told everyone on a

list-serve for my business (I’m an attor-
ney) that I will buy any old motorcycle
and don’t care if it works or not; I just
like the project.
A colleague I’ve known for years said
he had a bike that hadn’t been ridden in
thirty years, a 1973 Yamaha TX500. I’ve
known him for twenty years and had no
idea that he had a motorcycle. He said
he lost the keys years ago (it had an “ET”
key chain, so that gives you an idea of
when he last rode it), and he needed
the room in the garage, as his kid was
turning sixteen. Normally, when I bring
home a project bike, my wife says, “You
just made some other guy’s wife very
happy;” this time she said, “At least this
time I know the guy’s wife.” ly had thirty years of sitting in a garage expect, were a disaster. Caked with old
The TX500 was a technological won- all over it. But it had a full crankcase gas, all passages were plugged. They
der. It was the first Yamaha with four of oil, and the bike turned over. It was required a substantial amount of soak-
valves per cylinder. It had a counterbal- dirty, forgotten, and forlorn. It was not ing, scrubbing, ultrasonic cleaning, and
ancer, so that the vibrations that were what I was really looking for, but again, compressed air but, ultimately, they
typical with a twin-cylinder motor were I had shot my mouth off, and it’s put up came through. I’ll bet that what end-
quelled. There are a lot of other goodies or shut up. What the heck; it had most of ed up happening was that the petcocks
on this bike, but these are the two main the original tools and a Clymer manual. were not turned off, and eventually all
features. It supposedly had forty-eight Five hundred dollars later, it was in the gas ended up in the carbs. That’s
horsepower and was fairly expensive in my garage. I don’t know who said it, but why the tank was clean, and the carbs
its day. there is nothing more expensive than a and petcocks were so awful. New gas-
According to the Internet, it was also cheap motorcycle. I have learned that, kets between the petcocks and the tank,
wildly unpopular. The TX line of bikes at a minimum, in order to resurrect a as well as inside the petcocks, were
were expensive; why spend the mon- long-neglected motorcycle, it takes at clearly in order.
ey on a TX 500 when you could get an least five hundred dollars to make it I ended up putting in-line fuel filters
RD350 with almost as much power, less road-worthy. Between new tubes and from each petcock, just as a precaution,
complexity, and for less money? Sup- tires, new battery, new gaskets, plugs, but while the path for the fuel lines was
posedly, the 750 had problems with the fluids, and miscellaneous parts, it’s go- pretty direct from the petcock to each
counter-balancer frothing the oil, which ing to take five hundred. carb, there was no room to fit a filter.
starved the engine of oil, resulting in en- I did a tune-up on the engine and pres- Solution: cross the fuel lines so that the
gine failure. I didn’t see that this was an sure-washed the gas tank. Surprisingly, right petcock attaches to the left carb
issue with the 500, which is substantial- the tank was in great shape on the in- and vice versa. Longer fuel lines = room
ly different, but supposedly, the 500 had side. I replaced all fluids, made a tool to for a filter. However, after much fussing
an issue with the cylinder heads crack- take off the fork caps, and replaced the around, and after a few tanks of gas, I
ing. Everything I read about the bike left fork oil—I’ll bet it was probably factory. figured that the hassle wasn’t worth it,
me with the feeling of “Eh…” I found a gas cap, rear turn-signals, and and I ended up just running the lines as
When I saw it, it had brackets for a rear grab rail on eBay and got new keys nature and Yamaha intended, for rea-
windshield, rotten white plastic Buco from our friend, the Internet. sons that I’ll talk about in a minute.
saddle bags, a luggage rack, and basical- The carbs and petcocks, as you might The worst part, however, was the front
brake system. When I took the master what I thought was clean enough wasn’t. sically was pretty good. But it had brak-
cylinder apart, I saw that the brake fluid It took a fair amount of force to put the ing problems and carburetion issues. I
had crystallized. Again requiring soak- piston back into the caliper—too much. ended up putting in the old jet needles
ing, scrubbing, ultrasonic cleaning, and I ended up disassembling the caliper (remember, keep those old parts!), and
compressed air. A master cylinder re- again, and this time, I took a Dremel, that seemed to help solve the problem.
build kit was ordered, but for the life of put a soft wire attachment on it, and They looked pretty similar to the ones
me, I couldn’t see how the parts fit; they used it to clean out the grooves where that came in the rebuild kit, but perhaps
didn’t look the same, and there was stuff the seals set—huge difference. the profiles were a little different.
in the kit that wasn’t on the bike. I always The brake lines were something I’ve The braking, however, still was a head-
make a habit of keeping old parts, just in never seen before. Crystallized brake ache. The front brake worked, but not
case. Good thing too. The parts in the fluid had formed throughout. Soaking, well at all. I cleaned and cleaned the
master cylinder were actually in good ultrasonic cleaning, and compressed disc, but nothing. Then, it occurred to
shape, and I ended up reusing them. air were all used, with some success on me: new pads. Mental note: brake pads
The caliper was, as you can guess, the uppermost hose and the solid line should not be shiny and black. In ret-
seized. With a healthy combination of that leads to the caliper. But the middle, rospect, that’s a sure sign that they have
soaking, compressed air, and penetrat- flexible hose was still plugged. A quick absorbed something, like oil, grease, or
ing oil eventually the pistons came out. check on the Internet revealed the solu- brake fluid. I suppose this is as good a
This bike’s caliper has a twin-piston de- tion: use a guitar string to poke through time as any for my “Half A-- Motorcy-
sign, where each side of the caliper had a and clean out the brake line. That was cling Tip of the Day”: The easiest way to
piston that clamped onto the brake disc. fantastic! Worked like a charm. I used a bleed motorcycle brakes is to take a long
I lucked out again; the pistons were in low E, if it matters… (like 4 foot) piece of clear hose and put
pretty good shape. A bit of cleaning and I’ve fixed up old and neglected motor- it on the bleeder. Open it up and suck
they were good to go. New seals for the cycles enough times that I’m reasonably from the other end. Make sure that you
caliper were ordered, and a thorough confident that when I fix up a bike, it replace the brake fluid at the reservoir so
cleaning of the caliper was in order. But will work. This bike started up, and ba- you don’t suck in any air into the reser-

voir, and then, after a few pumps of the of miracles, the bike ran like a champ. motorcycle. It’s fast (or feels fast) and
brake lever, you’re good to go. Tighten The old air filter was original, and is un- certainly keeps up with modern traffic,
the bleeder, fold the end of the tube over obtainable. I ended up using Unifoam which on my older motorcycles is an
a few times or put your thumb over the around a core, and that’s what I’m run- achievement. The bike shifts smoothly
end to maintain that suction, and then ning now. (5-speed gearbox). It’s really growing on
remove the tube and drain the old fluid Unfortunately, it still requires some me. I’m even getting into the bronze col-
from the tube. additional sorting; if the cover for the or; it’s certainly “of its era.” My CB450
Remember the fuel filters? Well, I had a air filter is still on, it runs rich. For the wasn’t nearly as fast, and the GL500 Sil-
problem with the bike. It seemed to run time being, I have simply removed the ver Wing (naked) didn’t sound as nice,
fine, but between 3-5000 RPM, I wasn’t cover. I’m not ready to experiment with and for me, was very cramped and un-
getting any power. In fact, the bike jets and such. comfortable.
sounded and felt like it wasn’t getting Anyway, with a carb sync and tune- There are a few more things I’ll be do-
fuel. I knew the carbs were clean, with up, and a quick clean and polish, the ing. I have new fork seals, and that will
no blockages. I figured, “Aha! It’s the fuel bike is on the road. And here’s where it be a winter project. I’ll probably replace
filters!” I removed them, but no luck. gets really interesting. This isn’t a bike I the steering head bearings with caged
Now, remember, I’m an attorney; not have ever even heard of before. (I’m not units. I need either a new bulb or new
a mechanic. What I have learned, has a Yamaha guy.) I took it to Vintage Bike flasher unit (the right side indicators
been through both trial and error, read- Days at Mid-Ohio this year, and it was don’t flash, and intermittently light up;
ing, and the Internet. the only one there. the flasher unit was making a horrible
Just out of scientific curiosity, I re- What I read online about the bike buzzing before), and a few other things.
moved the air filter. You can read over wasn’t particularly flattering. But the Oil filters do not exist for this bike,
and over about “rich” and “lean” condi- bike really is a marvel. It’s smooth, and adapter kits have to be purchased.
tions, and they say that the test to see if quick, and the engine sounds and feels There’s always something, I suppose.
it is “rich” is to remove the air filter, ride wonderful. It starts all the time, is com- But I think that I’ll be holding onto
around, and see what happens. Miracle fortable, and really is a good looking this motorcycle for a while… l

HISTORY
Suzuki Colleda—“This is the One”

by Geoffrey Ellis
A s time moves on we seem to be

losing the very early Japanese mo-
torcycles and their history in the USA.
This is partly due to the naive Japanese
marketing and distribution used at the
time and the lack of monthly motorcy-
cle magazines that existed. Both Suzuki
and Yamaha are suffering this fate, and
when researching the featured bike, a
1960 Suzuki Colleda TA250, I found
that many later publications fail to ac-
knowledge its existence or say it was not
imported.
Colleda is a Japanese word translating
to “This is the one,” and what better
brand name for a range of motorcycles
launched into the Japanese market by
SJK. SJK had started to produce cars in
1937 but were disrupted by the Japanese
military. In the 1950s, SJK had changed name was well-established and still ex- Honda’s leading link suspension. Metal
to manufacturing mopeds and small ca- isted in Japan, the Suzuki name was in- covers enclosed the handlebars and the
pacity motorcycles. In 1955, SJK decided troduced with Colleda as a model name horseshoe shaped headlight, with the
to move into the very competitive 250cc to link the bike with its heritage. It was front fender being a large semi-valanced
market, with the Colleda TT reputedly interesting that when Suzuki celebrated unit. All of these features were deleted
being the first 250cc two-stroke twin to their fifty year anniversary of entering on the next model (TB), with Suzuki
be manufactured in Japan. SJK was, of the UK’s Isle of Man race, controversy recognising the advantage of telescopic
course, Suzuki Jidosha Kogyo (Suzuki surrounded the anniversary, because in forks and promoting them as a feature,
Automotive Manufacturing) who, not the first two years the motorcycles were but possibly at the expense of a balanced
sure of their future, branded their mo- entered as Colleda and not Suzuki. design.
torbikes as “Colleda” (not Suzuki) with The Suzuki Colleda TA250 is the ul- As the Colleda TA250 was the first ex-
“SJK” embossed into engine castings. timate example of the unique and dis- port model, Suzuki wished to show the
They had already incorporated the distinctive styling of Japanese motorcycles world that they were innovators and fit-
tinctive horseshoe shaped headlight, of the late 1950s, which was heavily in- ted various features that appeared only
and in 1958 with a clearer corporate fluenced by Honda. Construction of the on this model, such as linked hydrauli-
path and branding strategy, the Suzuki TA was typical, having a pressed-metal cally-operated single leading shoe drum
Motor Company came into existence, frame and body work, with the engine brakes. The fluid reservoir was located
and the now familiar “S” was born, an attachment. Large brackets were cast under the left-hand side cover and the
along with the “Suzuki” brand. into the cylinders to become the upper master cylinder just behind the swing-
To promote Suzuki’s new marketing engine mounts. Sixteen inch wheels ing arm pivot on the right-hand side
strategy and export business that com- were used and fitted with the obligato- behind the foot brake, which activated
menced in 1960, an outstanding model ry white wall tyres. Honda was using both front and rear brakes. A bias was
bearing the Suzuki name was required. pressed metal forks with leading link used with 60% to the front and 40% to
An innovative team designed the Suzu- suspension, and so great was Honda’s in- the rear. Should the rider require more
ki Colleda 250 TA (Twin Ace) to show- fluence that Suzuki enclosed their tele- front wheel braking, they could do so
case innovation and the distinctive Jap- scopic forks within stylish pressed-met- via an independent cable-operated hand
anese style. Because the Colleda brand al shrouds to create the illusion of brake. A small lever was fitted to the
rear brake, which could be adjusted as Being a touring model, a plush the summer months since its purchase,
the brake linings wore to reduce free white-sided seat was fitted along with a and as the Riders Manual states, “the
play. Linked brakes are a common fea- small rear luggage carrier. Rider refine- TA250 is your lifelong companion.” As
ture on many of today’s motorcycles, but ments befitting a touring motorcycle motorcyclists had never heard of Suzuki
remember the TA250 was 1960. Whilst were installed such as when the indi- it was only the courageous buyers who
the system was effective, the buying cators were used, a buzzer sounded to were prepared to purchase them, and
public was not ready for such a concept, alert the rider of their operation and the consequently, not many were sold.
so the TA was the only model to use it, tool kit included an optional extra of a Manufacture of the Suzuki TA250
with later models (TB, TC, T10) using a “repair” light, being a flashlight-like de- lasted for two years (1960/61), but this
cable-operated front brake and hydrau- vice attached to two metres of cable that model had a very significant place in
lic rear brake. plugged into a socket located under the motorcycling history, as it launched Su-
A twin-cylinder two-stroke engine was tool kit cover. A fuel gauge, consisting of zuki to the world and was the first 250
another example of Suzuki’s production a clear tube at the front of the petrol tank, Suzuki and the last 250 Colleda.
casting and machining technologies, as indicated how much fuel remained, a The TB (next model) had a different
the crankcases were split horizontally, feature carried over into many Suzuki petrol tank, which was painted and not
thus requiring a less complex crank- models. Options included leg guards chromed, and with the deletion of the
shaft centre seal. Most other brands had and a windscreen, which could be fitted pressed metal fork covers and large front
the crankcase splitting vertically, with into holes in the handlebar. The igni- fender, it was not as stylish or sophisti-
complex centre seals. As the Colleda tion switch was in the left-hand side of cated in appearance as the TA model.
was marketed as a touring motorcycle, a the headlight cover and incorporated As motorcycle magazines were scare,
52mm x 58mm bore and stroke was used a dubious key position, where only the the only advertisements were by Ken
to produce torque and little vibration, starter motor could be operated. Per the Kay Distributing Co. in California, al-
making it a comfortable motorcycle to owner’s manual this could be used to though members may know others. The
ride. To add to the technology, an elec- turn the engine over to prime the cylin- Suzuki TA250 was primarily export-
tric starter was fitted. Twin 20mm car- ders with fuel, although its usefulness is ed to the USA and Australia, although
buretors fed pre-mix fuel to the engine questionable, as the Colleda starts easily twelve were sent to Belgium, but were
and were enclosed under a die-cast cov- just using the choke. Carburetor ticklers difficult to sell. Today, the Suzuki Colle-
er for aesthetics. In the 1950s, Mikuni can also be used. da TA250 is very rare, and a couple have
had a number of manufacturing licenc- Both body side covers had Colleda been exported to other countries in the
es with British companies, including badges attached, and the Suzuki “S” was last five years, taking with them part of
Amal, and the Colleda carburetors are branded into bolts, covers, rubber parts, American motorcycling history.
listed in the owner’s manual as Villiers and even the horn. Suzuki was try- Japanese manuals have a very quaint
Mikuni and designated as VM20. How- ing to make a statement. A large chain way of providing information with
ever, in a short period of time, Mikuni case was used, and to accommodate it, some examples following.
had developed their own superior units. the lower mounting point of the rear “The 18 PS engine…enables 120 km/h
The electrical system was new and pow- suspension units was raised a distance (75 mph) when the driver rides in a
erful, necessitating the fitment of spark- from the swinging arm, requiring the slouching posture and 130 km/h (80
plug caps with high frequency “noise” top mounting points to be moved high- mph) when riding in a flying posture.”
arrestors to suppress any radio and TV er with cast brackets that protruded up How many motorcyclists ride in a flying
interference the bike may cause, which into the seat. posture?
was a first. As the Riders Manual states, Quality and finish were of the highest “The winker lamps are provided as on
“The Suzuki TA250 neither disturbs the standard, and the engine proved to be four wheel cars. When they flicker, the
spectacles on the screen of television nor very robust. One was only recently re- buzzer vibrates and gives alarm at cross-
produces noises on the radio.” tired, having been used consistently in ings.” How loud was the buzzer? l
The gearbox was four-speed and used
the standard Japanese-design rotational SPECIFICATIONS
gear selector, meaning a rider could just
Engine Twin-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke
keep depressing the heel-toe gear lever Capacity 246cc (2.05 in. bore x 2.28 in. stroke)
in one direction to keep changing gears. Starting System Electric start or kick-start
Carburettor 2 x 20mm Villiers Mikuni
This allowed a rider to change from Lubrication Premix; 1 oil:15 petrol
fourth gear to neutral to first gear, and Tire size 3.25 x 16 front and back
although beneficial in traffic, it could Dry Weight 326 lbs.
Max HP 18 @ 7,000 rpm
inadvertently cause a difficult situation Fuel Consumption 130 miles/gallon (claimed)
if travelling at speed.
KICKSTANDS UP AT DAWN
Do What You Love, Love What You Do:

Vintage Bike Repair and Patience
That feeling just before the ride begins or just after the bike starts up at the end of a
long day in the shop is why we continue to do what we do. This column is an attempt
to put into words the magic and mystery of life with a vintage Japanese motorcycle.
by Marsha Heck / heckmarsha@yahoo.com
T he day is a beautiful, sunny, au-

tumn one with colored leaves in
full splendor; the weather perfect for a
above story. What this, the second in
VJMM’s newest column, is about is
what happens after lunch. Specifically,
whole; the smell of fuel, oil, and carb
cleaner; the beauty of the parts and the
power; doing—this—now is all that
ride. Morning is to be spent rebuilding this journey of thoughts and ideas sug- matters. To the uninitiated, watching
carbs—all four—followed by an after- gests that tedious, frustrating, discour- or hesitantly participating, the fact
noon ride. Today might be the last day aging, and annoying fruitless hours in that an experienced mechanic does not
this season for a leisurely and sunlit ad- the shop eventually become not only miss a beat when yet another petcock is
venture. bearable but ultimately as natural as filled with rust flakes can be puzzling
Rebuilding carbs is fun, easy enough, breathing—neither good nor bad. That or even unsettling.
and fulfilling. Things go smoothly, ev- development seems to build one’s ca- Ultimately, however, if the novice
erything is back in place, and the shop pacity to be patient and persist well stays and is smitten by the love affair
even tidied up a bit. Then, a quick start outside the shop door, even when pesky that is the privilege of vintage Japanese
just to hear the engine and feel the work or household tasks go awry. motorcycle repair and restoration, he
love before heading in for lunch, but… Somehow, patience and calm take or she will reach that point at which all
nothing. Again. And, again. The bike over when a fix does not work, when a is well in the shop. Do what you love.
ran just fine yesterday, excepting the fix works but something else goes bad, Love what you do. For this writer, this
sputtering carbs. Something has ob- or when complications multiply expo- has been a life-changing love affair.
viously changed, but what? The tradi- nentially. The planned two hours in the Although patience does not come as
tional once-over: plug wires, battery, shop become two days, or a week. But readily outside the shop as in, calm and
etc.; everything checks out. Now what? with each passing day, the experience is persistence are infinitely more accessi-
The open road awaits. All was going ac- not one of resistance, or frustration, or ble than in pre-VJMC days.
cording to plan. Insert stomach growl delay. The fully present mechanic loves My response to things not working in
here—and walk away for lunch. the process even if frustrated by a key the shop has become more childlike. I
Eating is almost an afterthought turning in silence, a torn carb gasket am curious, inquisitive, eager to learn
as the bike gets a detailed mental as- (the last one), or a bent main pilot jet something new, ready to do whatever
sessment interrupted by checking the needle. With each successive challenge, is next. Remembering that suffering
manual (when in doubt…). What could persistence becomes as natural as lean- is a choice, and that persistence—try-
it be? Any mechanic with more than ing into a curve. ing again—is just part of the process
one bike repair, knows the answer to The popular cliché of a Buddhist of vintage bike care and repair, makes
this question might be an immediately notion, “it is what it is,” sets the tone a less frustrating work and home life
apparent quick fix, or more often, the when wrench is in hand. Seasoned me- more possible. In other words, because
vexes of vintage assure a problem diffi- chanics might say that at some point, I move playfully through the chal-
cult to discern and even more difficult despite ruined plans for that last ride lenges and frustrations of rebuilding
to repair quickly. of the season, something shifted for carbs—doing what I love and loving
If this happens to be a Saturday, of them. At some point, the next broken what I do—it is possible that I can re-
course, the absolutely necessary, one- bolt, the missing filter or fork seal, the spond to work and home challenges in
of-a-kind, teeny, threaded twenty dol- impossible acrobatics required to get the same way. And, if I don’t love what
lar bolt will not be shipped until Mon- four carbs out and back in go unno- I am doing enough to stay calm and pa-
day. But rain is expected Monday. ticed. Judgment disappears and there tient when things go wrong, maybe it is
Many readers of this magazine have is only “is,” neither good nor bad. The time to do something else…or get back
their own particular versions of the love of tools in hand; pieces forming a in the shop. l
collections
David Silver Honda Motorcycle Museum
by Mel Watkins / cbx6meluk@aol.com
I have known David Silver since the late 1980s, when I bought my first CBX1000.
I am sure many of you who own vintage Honda motorcycles have also been
thankful for his help with those hard-to-find parts to restore or maintain your
pride and joy at a cost well under the Honda price. David mentioned to me at the
Stafford show a while ago that he was proposing to set up a museum, once he had
sufficient numbers of motorcycles to make the project worthwhile. A few weeks
ago, I was very pleased to receive an invitation to one of the museum’s pre-public
launch days to see the completed museum at his UK headquarters in Leiston, Suf-
folk, UK. As US members are aware, David also has a separate US warehouse and
sales department at Hanover, Pennsylvania, which means he is frequently visiting
the USA. He does, of course, advertise in this magazine.
David founded his company in 1986 and began supplying new-old-stock parts
to Honda owners around the world. The museum collection is made up of one
hundred and fifty classic Hondas acquired by David over the years, with some
coming from a collector in Holland and most from the USA. The machines cov-
er the period starting in 1951 with the Dream E-type right through to the 1991
CBR900RR Fireblade. The museum is housed in a purpose-built two-story build-
ing with the spares and sales department in a single-story building alongside it
and opposite David’s large spares storage facility, so parts are close to hand.
I found the early exhibits of most interest, as I had not seen machines such as the
1953 89cc Benly J-type before. A point of interest of this model is that the engine
is mounted to the swinging-arm so vibration does not reach the rider. However,
every time the machine hits a bump, the carburettor stopped working!
The museum is superbly laid out, and as you enter you find a sand-cast CB750
on a circular display base together with Honda’s most successful product, the
C100 step-through, of which close to one hundred million have been sold around
the world. David advised me the VIN number of the CB750 is 750!
Roger Etcell, a former director of Honda UK motorcycle sales, who I have
known for a number of years, helped put together the informative displays with
audio-visual screens and early videos of Honda motorcycles. Roger has produced
an illustrated timeline around the museum walls, which enables visitors to follow
the history of Honda from the early days. The timeline runs to over one hundred
metres around the museum and provides a year-by-year history of Honda motor-
cycles alongside the bikes from each decade. Each machine has a detailed descrip-
tion on a lectern for visitors to check details of each motorcycle. Having owned
many Hondas over the last fifty years, I was surprised at the number of models I
have never come across, so my visit was an education into Hondas of yesteryear
contact info
which I had never seen or heard of before. Well done, David, for setting up this The David Silver Honda Collection
superb venture, which I thoroughly recommend to all Honda enthusiasts. Unit 14, Masterlord Industrial Estate
Station Road, Leiston, Sufflok IP16 4JD
If you are in the UK and a Honda enthusiast on vacation, I would set aside a day United Kingdom
to visit the museum, as it is well-worth the modest $13 entrance fee ($6 for seniors
over 65). Children under 16 accompanied by an adult go free. If you go to www. Telephone +44(0)1728833020
Facebook www.facebook.com/
davidsilverhondacollection.co.uk you can view an interesting video of the muse- SilverSpares
um opening day, which includes Freddie Spencer. Twitter twitter.com/D_Silver_Spares
There is vehicle parking, toilets (including disabled), and a chairlift to the first www.davidsilverhondacollection.co.uk
floor. l
events
5th Annual KCVJMC Picnic

by Mark Bayer, President KCVJMC, Kansas/Missouri Representative / nkcma@yahoo.com
A ll of our club picnics have been at

Wyandotte County Lake, approx-
imately fifteen miles west of Kansas
City. This year, we moved to a new
clubhouse, giving us more space than
the locations used in previous years.
The event was held on September 18,
2016. The picnic has grown each year,
largely because we have always had
good weather and people have enjoyed
the event in years past.
This is a collaborative event, head-
ed up by club members John Bender,
Bill Bowring, and Bill’s wife, Sandy.
We honored them this year for their
dedication and consistent efforts in
planning and organizing the event
since its inception. We also recognized
several other members for their ef-
forts and hard work—Claude Chafin
for being the club “ride coordinator,”
Jim Boughn for his oversight over the
VJMC Regional, Frank Sereno for his
efforts as club vice-president, and Kelly
Bailey as club T-shirt coordinator. Kelly
is the design coordinator, orders stock,
stores the shirts, collects money, and
maintains records and is responsible
for raising over $5000 for our desig-
nated charity, the Muscular Dystrophy
Association (MDA).
At the end of the awards segment, we
but have never been able to attend one
of our events because of their sched-
If you are in our
took time to recognize Robert Blakes- ules. We really love to see those mem- area and are not
ley. Robert joined the VJMC in the
club’s first year, making him one of
bers who often remain in the shadows
because of work schedules or family
able to attend many
the oldest continuous VJMC members. responsibilities. We function in a large meetings or events,
What a claim to fame! We have had so metropolitan area and actively seek out we want to find
many members help in so many ways ways in which we can reach our entire
over the years, and we always want to VJMC family. If you are in our area ways in which we
recognize those who have served in any and are not able to attend many meet- can make you feel
capacity, so to anyone active in KCV- ings or events, we want to find ways in
JMC, we appreciate your efforts. which we can make you feel welcome. If welcome.
This year, we had quite a number of you are a VJMC member who has not
new guests attend. We also had a num- been an active part of our yearly events,
ber of active VJMC members in our re- please make yourself known. We will
gion show up who follow our activities, do everything in our power to make
you feel welcome and not feel as though I visited with old friends who intro- I will contact Jerry. There were several
you are an outsider. We are here for you duced me to a number of guests. We Yamaha XS650 café racers, several mid-
and offer our club as a place where you always enjoy meeting new people and 1960s Honda Dreams of several sizes,
can become involved. There were sev- enjoy hearing about their latest projects. Honda CB 550s, and an interesting mix-
eral people who approached me at the There was a variety of bikes: vintage, ture of various other newer and vintage
picnic and thanked our club for creat- custom, and many newer bikes as well. Japanese bikes. It was a great day for
ing such an inclusive environment in People would come, visit, eat, and with- the motorcycle enthusiast. We even had
which no one feels slighted, left out, or in minutes, a new batch would arrive. a really cool 1949 Diamond T pickup
as though they were not appreciated. Even though this new clubhouse ap- show up with a 1929 JD Harley-David-
As we love old Japanese bikes, we also peared to be a bit larger than the ones son in the back.
love to be as welcoming as we can to used in the past, the place was packed. I have had several people comment to
VJMC members who cannot partici- Someone mentioned that we had over me long after the event that they real-
pate in club activities as much as they a hundred people at one point. It was, ly enjoyed themselves. What could be
would like. without question, a significant crowd. better—long rows of interesting mo-
I arrived at the clubhouse a little before Several people brought bikes in the torcycles, lots of friendly people, plen-
11am, and there was already a crowd in back of pickup trucks. Others brought ty of food, a positive atmosphere, and
the parking lot. Bikes were lined up in bikes on trailers. One trailer held a beau- great weather. Furthermore, there is a
long rows, and people were gathering to tifully restored Honda 250 Elsinore, and great curvy road going around the lake,
get their food. Frank was cooking the Jerry Juenemann had several unrestored which is a fun ride. A number of people
hot dogs, and there were also potato bikes in the back of his pickup. Of par- ended the picnic by riding this road.
chips, cookies, cheese, and other food ticular interest was an unrestored Black This event ended another successful
items on the tables. There were four tubs Bomber with a very rare 1967 CB450D year for KCVJMC. Follow KCVJMC
holding iced beverages, and all the ta- scrambler tank (CL450K0 Super Sport), at www.kcvjmc.org or regional events
bles were literally filled with people. At which appears to be undamaged. If you at www.markbayersmotorcyclenews.
times there was barely standing room. need this rare tank, let me know, and mysite.com, page 2 or 3. l

Honda MR175 Restoration
by Chuck Mostert
I t’s funny thinking back to the time

this article begins. The only two-cycle
engines my dad liked at the time were
Detroit diesels. He liked the idea of his
green Suzuki RV125, but sure wished
it had a four-stroke in it. Mom rode all
over the Daytona Beach area, the Smok-
ies, Colorado Rockies, and part of the
Tetons on the back of that big ol’ seat,
but it was finally time to get something
better for two-up riding. The solution
presented itself in the form of a brand
new 1974 XL250. I don’t remember if
that bike was actually much different
from the earlier silver XLs, but it did
have “Bold New Graphics & Paint.”
Mom seemed to tolerate it, but missed
the RV’s seat. Dad liked the four-stroke
engine and larger displacement, but de-
spised the increased weight.
The Ocala National Forest had a lot of
sand-track hunting roads and a handful
of old clay pits that were regular haunts
back in the day. After getting spit off
three or four times in the first few solo So the MR175 was used around the
trips there, the XL had to go. Back down property, and Dad rode it solo upon
to Cocoa Cycle Center to see Jay… occasion. Mostly, it sat a lot. I was rid-
Turns out, MR175s were new for ’75, ing my new-for-1974 XL125 and would
and Jay had his first one on the show- take the MR out occasionally with my
room floor. Comparing the XL to the friends, who had XL125s and XL175s.
MR: Too heavy? Check! Ill handling? As time marched on, the MR endured
Check! Torquey four-stroke power? being second or third string behind yet
Uhh…well, you liked the Suzuki, right? another RV125 (The yellow one gone,
(sorta kinda) Check! The deal was made. now it was red and silver with the dual- , ,
transmissions, a 72 or 73 SL70, two
If the service department could make it range transmission.) and then a second first-year XR75s, an MT125, and then
,
street legal in Florida, then that first MR XL250, this time an 81 with better the RVs. Fortunately, I was the benefi-
had a new home. And, so it did. suspension and more BNG & P along ciary of a number of those bikes. Too
The MR was a great lightweight han- with some other real improvements, but bad Dad had ever sold any of them—
dler, pretty torquey down low, but pre- still heavy and not that comfortable for who knew? He had asked me to bring
mix. The lack of agreeable passenger Mom. home a new 1979 CT70 when I bought a
,
accommodations and a handful of oth- Dad finally passed in 85, and the first-year 1979 XR500. He promptly put
er deficiencies doomed it in the mind only bike we kept between the RV, the the CT70 in the front bedroom where it
of my dad. He found a new, leftover XL250, and a CM450 was the MR. stayed for about three years before final-
,
RV125, and that year it was yellow. The Starting in the early 70s, Dad had ly being sold to a neighbor for his son to
, ,
green bike in the garage now had Honda a 1971 Z50, a number of 71, 72, and ride. I eventually bought it back—a story
,
wings on the tank. 73 CT70s with both manual and auto for another day. I think between the two
PROJECT BIKE
of us, we have owned from about forty

to fifty motorcycles since 1971, and he
was only around for the first fourteen
years of that!
The poor MR sat most of the time
in the open-front crane shop, absorb-
ing dust and Florida coastal humidity.
By the time 1995 rolled around, I had
moved west. About seven years years
later, I brought the neglected MR to
Arizona, where it sat in my crane shop
and absorbed more dust, but very lit-
tle humidity. Finally, I decided enough
damage had been endured by the little
,
enduro. in my shop and painted black. At the slist and scooped them up, one 75 and
,
The bike ran, although my brother and same time, I blasted and painted the one 76. They had little or no rust and
,
I had carved the intake side of the pis- spokes because I had not found a good the 75 had the correct headlight guard
ton skirt enough to move the power up a source for spokes without exceeding my and nice special chrome front fender
few thousand rpm. The whole bike was self-imposed budget. I was a little ner- mud-flap screws. I also got a hard-to-
rough outside, but pretty good inside. I vous about relacing the wheels, but all find OEM kill switch, although I didn’t
decided to fix what was necessary and went well. Did those guys I used to read need it.
refinish everything. about in the bike magazines really lace I had a nice set of XL or MT 125 forks.
The first order of business was strip- wheels in three to four minutes? More The major difference appeared to be the
ping the bike to the bare frame. The practice needed…NOT! top caps, held in by snap rings on the
frame parts and some of the attach- Major problems were rust-pitted forks MR and threaded caps on the others.
ments—swing arm, tool box, muffler and first-year headlight guard and han- Try as I might, I could not get the fork
heat guards, etc.—were taken to the dlebars, all chrome originals, were in caps out of the parts bike forks. I didn’t
local powder coater and spiffed up. poor shape. I was lucky enough to find want to pump the forks full of grease, so
Wheels were stripped and hubs blasted two MR175 parts bikes locally on Craig- I ended up resealing the XL/MT forks
and used them. ed, but I couldn’t do anything with it— More stripping, sanding, and re-prep-
Handlebars became an issue, as one three local paint shops could not make ping for paint followed, essentially refin-
parts bike had non-OEM bars and the head or tails of it. Instead, one shop ishing the tank from scratch, minus the
other ones were bent beyond repair. Re- found a standard color chip that was sand-blasting. As you may know, paint-
placement aluminum bars took over the about a half-shade off—close enough for ing outside has its own challenges and
job. All other original controls were in my eyes. Too bad, I later found out the limitations, but I was lucky. There was
reasonably good shape. The perches got hard way, that the paint guy didn’t unno wind, and wetting down the whole
blasted and painted with the hubs. Orig- derstand that I assumed “paint to match area made for nearly perfect green fin-
inal levers were brushed up and reused. this green motorcycle gas tank” would ish with a clear follow-up coat. Even the
Notice the custom bend in the front mean the paint would be resistant to nosy little gnats and bugs stayed away!
brake lever, compliments of my dad. gas and whatever other compounds gas While blowing the green paint, I
This is the only aluminum lever I have contains. thought of my dad somehow sticking
ever seen bent so far without breaking; The body work on the tank was not his palm print in the middle of the driv-
I couldn’t bear to remove it. In the time too bad—a few dents and a lot of exter- er’s door (“Oh, that’s still wet!”) on a 142
since, I was told I lost some points with nal surface rust and small pits. Blasting Volvo I once painted for my sister. I was
the judge at a bike show due to that le- showed what damage needed massag- about eighteen at the time and cleaning
ver—well worth it for the memory it ing, and I set to work and made it hap- out the spray gun when he did it. Upon
represents in my estimation. pen. Sandable primer and more body realizing my consternation, he immedi-
New air filter foam was sourced from work followed. I wanted the tank to ately thought the grass was too long and
New Zealand, where apparently a num- gleam! told me he would start mowing in the
ber of MRs were sold and are still being Unfortunately, the green paint was front yard! Better idea, Dad. Go have a
used, according to the supplier. I took damaged by some spilled gas upon com- beer and bring one out for me! Much
two—they’re small! Plus, I found one of pletion. The paint supplier promised like the MR’s front brake lever, I left the
the parts bikes will run…uh, oh! some clear would fix it, if I recoated the palm print there. My sister appreciated
A Glare Green paint code was locat- green and followed it with the new clear. the story too. Dad was usually not that

helpful when it came to painting. Most- seals and fresh oil. Thirty-odd years of Finally, the forks, swing arm, shocks,
ly, he didn’t have the patience to sit still hydraulic cylinder repair experience fi- and wheels were put back on. That of-
and watch paint dry, even a little bit. nally paid some real dividends. Yay for fered a little more motivation. The
The rear shocks on the MR were pretty me! engine went in, the nice clean carb in-
rough. I completely disassembled and Since I didn’t intend to disassemble stalled, the airbox with new filter, rear
sand-blasted the bodies, springs, and re- the engine, it was protected at every fender, skid plate, wire harness, lights,
tainers. I found some silver paint with a possible location that sand could enter exhaust guards assembled, pipe in-
hardener that was a good match for the or damage components and then sand/ stalled… Geez, this thing was getting
original color and refinished the bod- soda-blasted. Yeah, I used a giant Bag- close!
ies and retainers, as well as the fenders O-Soda from the local warehouse club. The excitement started setting in, but
and headlight shell. They needed quite a Nobody was around to tell me I couldn’t, those pesky cranes kept interrupting. I
bit of body massage, but came out pret- so what the hey? High-temp satin black can honestly tell you that using metric
ty well, but the shell has since cracked paint finished the engine very close to wrenches sometimes does wonders for
again. The springs had been finished at original. my attitude at the end of the day, com-
the same time as the hubs and a few oth- It turns out owning and running a pared to using SAE fractional sizes.
er miscellaneous black pieces, including crane business doesn’t lend itself to mo- Quick poll: would you rather use tools
the left side panel. Black shows every- torcycle restoration beyond using a lot marked 10, 12, 14, 17 and 19 or 1, 1 ¼,
thing when not properly prepped and of the same tools and equipment. Every- 1 ½, 2 or (gulp!) 2 ½? Yeah, me too! My
sprayed. I was very happy with the re- thing takes a back seat to the business. toe seemed much happier deflecting a
sults; sometimes I surprise myself! Dad A lot of regular service and mainte- 12 on the way to the ground than some
must have been looking the other way nance of the equipment takes place on of those other prehistoric monsters.
(wet paint drew him like the gnats), and weekends, along with anything else that So, finally the tank, side cover, and seat
I’m surprised it didn’t start raining from needs attention. The point being, the went on, then new rear tail light lens.
the heavens for twenty seconds or so. MR sat disassembled and ready to be Things were looking good.
The shocks were reassembled with new put back together for a while. I am missing some of the original

warning decals, and the aftermarket yellow tank wings and
side cover decals aren’t perfect, but they don’t look bad. I
really wish I had a new “Cocoa Cycle Center” decal, too. I
have been told repeatedly to lose the fluorescent yellow Ty-
gon fuel line, as it’s not OEM, but I do like the contrast be-
tween Glare Green and Glare Green!
The end result was certainly worth the effort. The MR still
sits around a lot, sometimes in the shop and sometimes in
a shipping container. My significant other has significant
issues with some of the places I suggest keeping it. “In the
house” seems to be a mighty touchy suggestion. Well, I
guess I don’t blame her; she never asked about keeping her
stuff at the crane shop.
I like the rather spartan and all-business look of the MR.
Rather than just putting up with neglect, it has endured—
something it was meant to do all along.
Now, one of my sons has the bug. I’m not sure if that’s good
or bad, but let’s just say he’s a VJMC member, too. A once
neglected Yamaha triple and an AT1 co-exist with a bunch
of Lionel Trains that he buys and repairs.
A forty-five-year friend of mine made a recent reference to
my Japanese motorcycle “emporium.” I think it’s more of a
menagerie. My most recent find is a green CT1. Oh, my, was
that their version of Glare Green? Keep your hands out of
the wet paint! l

LEFT:
Steve Liberatore, long
time VJMC supporter,
addresses the club
BELOW:
Bryan Bentley
demonstrates
electronic ignition
installation
LEFT:
Member Molly Miller fires up her
Honda CB350F during the Sounds
of Japanese Horsepower contest.
LEFT:
No one goes
hungry at
VJMC events!
BELOW
RIGHT:
Japanese
“Harley-
Davidson”
BELOW
LEFT:
Young VJMC
volunteer
pulls winning
tickets
Honda Benley
Dream 4E
NEAR LEFT:
VJMC supporters, Ikon Suspension
FAR LEFT:
Lee Mitzel picks up his raffle prize
from racing legends Jimmy James
and Colin Edwards
cover story
12th Annual
by Michael Fitterling / editor@vjmc.org

Vintage Festival
T he weather couldn’t have been more cooperative for this year’s premier vintage motorcycle event.
Cool nights and sunny, warm afternoons made for a pleasant setting for this year’s festivities.
2016 marked the twelth year for this iconic event, with the VJMC having been there since the begin-
VOLUNTEERS
Brett Baldi
ning. Attendance was around 73,000, up from the 65,000+ the year before, making for a lively and Bryan Bentley
Dennis Bradley
bustling festival. Bo Bradshaw
The VJMC was once again at the huge grassy area just inside Gate Ten, with a beautiful view of the Russell Briney
Al Brotz
museum across the road at the exit of Turn 9. The expansive area hosted the bike show, consisting of Sean Carrigan
109 examples of showroom quality, stock vintage Japanese motorcycles from all the major manufac- Kerry Carsley
turers, with a very large contingent of Hondas on hand this year. Ursulina Creel
Floyd Finch
On Friday the club area came alive with the Sounds of Japanese Horsepower contest. For a while Glen French
the sound of AHRMA racing was drowned out by fine examples of singles, twins, triples, and fours, Steve Gaulding
Chet Glisson
while the view of the museum was temporarily obscured by the cloud emanating from the two- Greg Golias
stroke contestants’ bikes. Bill Granade
Cathie Granade
During the bike show awards ceremony on Saturday, members were surprised by special trophy Holly Granade
presenter, Colin Edwards—two time Superbike World Champion, sponsored by Yamaha. Also in David Groeller
Robert Groeller
attendance was famed racer and four time AMA National Champion Jamie James along with Steve Mike Hall
Liberatore, Yamaha’s South East Regional Business Manager, who has been a generous supporter of Larry Hein
our club for years. Yamaha provided numerous prizes for our lucky raffle winners, picked from a hat Ellis Holman
Mike Jamison
by one of our youngest vintage motorcycle enthusiasts. Following the awards, members and support- Bob Kelly
ers sat down to a sold-out delicious dinner BBQ. No one walked away hungry. Lloyd Kneller
Marty Kolenko
Throughout the festival, visitors and club members flowed into and out of the VJMC’s gathering Aaron Leonovich
Eric Long
Don Lycan
Jaqueline Lycan
Jay Mancin
Murray Milne
Buck Mitchell
Lee Mitzel
Sheryl Moshinskie
Greg Murray
Norton Muzzone
James Neill
Tim North
Brian Olson
David Paryzek
Keith Perry
Bob Pickering
Greg Pitt
Butch Pownell
Barry Schonberger
Steve Searles
Rob Shearer
Scott Stees
Richard Stevens
Dave Swigler
Michael Thomas
Claude Vaughn
Greg Weston
Steve York

LEFT:
Museum
expansion
RIGHT: ABOVE: ABOVE:

VJMC volunteers Trophy winners Sweet CB160
hard at work at the event café racer in
the VJMC area
BELOW:
While Hondas
dominated in
the bike show,
Yamahas also
made a strong
showing.
RIGHT:
Yamaha’s donation to
Barber Museum of
R1M revealed by Colin
Edwards & Jamie James
photo by George Martin
of vintage Japanese iron and walked or year, with the museum revealing the al-
rode the tram around the huge motor- most finished 85,000 square foot expan-
sports park. From the museum and the sion being added to the existing 144,000
huge swap meet area to Ace Corner and square feet. With the completion of the
the café racer bike show, many of which addition, the number of bikes that will
fit the club’s vintage Japanese criteria, be displayed from among the 1400 in
to the Fan Zone below Gate 2, where the collection will be substantially more
new offerings from manufacturers were than the current 650 which are current- and ten renewed their memberships.
highlighted, to hillside seats above the ly displayed. Thanks to all the volunteers who gave
racetrack there was something for ev- Each day, the VJMC field, hospitality up part of their weekend to serve their
eryone at the event. Meanwhile, the tent, and information tables were abuzz club.
sounds of AHRMA racing provided with activity. Randy Mayes did a fan- Next year the thirteenth festival is
the appropriate background “music” all tastic job of organizing the many vol- scheduled for October 6th through the
weekend. unteers, making bike show registration, 8th. Mark your calendars now and start
The Barber Motorsports Museum has membership information, and memo- making plans to join us again, as the
to be one of the highlights of anyone’s rabilia sales run like clockwork. During event is only expected to grow and ac-
visit to the festival, being the largest of the weekend fifty-eight new people commodations fill up early. I hope to see
its kind in the world. This was a special joined the ranks of our membership, you there in 2017! l
VJMC BARBER VINTAGE FESTIVAL
BIKE SHOW TROPY WINNERS 2016
People’s Choice Tiddler under 100cc

1st Place Bob Pickering 1969 Suzuki AS50
2nd Place Chris Hayslip 1969 Honda Z50
3rd Place Mike Appleton 1971 Honda SL70
Special Merit Jack Pranzarone 1972 Honda CT70
People’s Choice 1950s-1980s Yamaha

1st Place Lee Mitzel 1970 XS1
2nd Place Buck Mitchell 1967 YDS - 3C
3rd Place Brett Baldi 1975 RD350B
Special Merit Mike Thomas 1977 XS650D
People’s Choice 1950S-1960s Honda

1st Place Lee Mitzel 1955 4E Dream
2nd Place Lloyd Kneller 1968 CL350
3rd Place Tim Miller 1963 CL72
Special Merit Billy Aldrich 1958 C75 Dream
People’s Choice 1970s Honda under 500cc

1st Place Jay Mancin 1974 CB350F
2nd Place Lloyd Kneller 1973 CL350
3rd Place Steve York 1972 CL450
Special Merit Mike Jamison 1978 XL350
People’s Choice 1970s Honda over 500cc

1st Place Bobby Pack 1979 CBX1000
2nd Place Wes Anderson 1975 GL1000
3rd Place Robert Groeller 1973 CB750K
Special Merit Greg Murray 1978 CB550K
People’s Choice 1980s-1990s Honda

1st Place Russ Briney 1984 VF1000F
People’s Choice Best Suzuki

1st Place David Paryzek 1968 TC305
2nd Place Brian James 1972 GT750
3rd Place Charles Gerard 1972 GT750
People’s Choice Best Kawasaki

1st Place Eric Long 1975 Z1
2nd Place Leroy Mitzel 1973 H2 750
Orphan Class
1st Place Brian James 1970 Bridgestone
GTR350
Competition Class
1st Place Richard Burleigh 1982 Yamaha
TZ250J
Special Award Trophies:
Award of Show Merit

Michael Hall 1988 Yamaha TDR250
Warren Mayes 1983 Honda MVX250R
Kerry Carsley 1971 Yamaha GT80
Rob Shearer 1971 Honda SL350
Outstanding Volunteers
Steve Adams
Sean Carrigan
Greg Golias
Longest Volunteers Granade Family
VJMC Spirit Awards Bryan Bentley, Ellis Holman, Randy Mayes
Sweet Sounds of Japanese Horsepower Contest

Sweetest Sounding Single Michael York Honda XL600R
Sweetest Sounding Twin David Swigler Honda CB92
weetest Sounding Triple Sean Eviston Suzuki GT750
Sweetest Sounding 4-cyl Tom Knighten Yamaha VMax

LEFT:
Tim McDowell,
and CBXers
in Baltimore
RIGHT: BELOW:
‘Mystery Ship’ at Wayne Rainey’s bike
the AMA Museum, at the AMA Museum
in Columbus, Ohio in Columbus, Ohio
RIGHT:
Buying the
Seeley frame
and bodywork
ABOVE:
Rich Chase with
his bikes that
are for sale
RIGHT:
GPZ1100 and
a lot of cool
spare parts
collections
Across the US Collecting Classics

by Ian Foster / ian@netvigator.com
I n February 2016, I flew from Hong

Kong over to Baltimore, Maryland, to
do drive a sixteen-foot Penske hire truck RIGHT:
across the USA, visiting friends and col- Loading up
in the snow!
lecting classic bikes that I had recently
purchased. I do this trip every couple
BELOW:
of years on my own as my “de-stressing Bob’s Breakers
holiday” to relax, think about life, and to Yard in Phoenix,
Arizona
get away from telephones and the office.
I come from Northern Ireland but live money (after I have sent it to him) in ex-
in Hong Kong and work as an architect change for the bike. Being in a club like
all over China, so usually life is pretty the CBX community helps immensely
hectic and stressful. The long Chinese with this—it is obviously a case of you
New Year holidays in February (like our scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours—
Christmas/New Year break) gives me so many Yanks have enjoyed using my
the opportunity to be away from the of- bikes in Ireland and Europe.
fice for a while. Starting this year’s trip, I met up with
This year, I covered a 3912 mile route a buddy, Tim McDowell, in Baltimore.
from Baltimore to Los Angeles, picking I have known Tim for many years
up Japanese classics for my collection as through our shared interest in CBXs
I went. For a Brit like myself, driving in and bought a CB900F from him a few
the USA is a very interesting experience. years ago. He picked me up at the air- visit if you are in the area.
Initially I have to get used to driving port, showed me around his bike shop Then it was on to Indianapolis, where I
on the “wrong” side of the road, with (specialising in CBX, CX Turbos, and collected a 1976 Kawasaki KZ650 (with
a steering wheel on the “wrong” side of 1960s’ CA/CBs, see www.classichond- Tracy bodywork) from David Burrows,
the vehicle. Then the distances between arestoration.com), took me to meet the who I’ve known for a few years, having
cities are huge, so one needs to be care- local CBXers for lunch, and then gave bought stuff from him before. From
ful not to fall asleep at the wheel. I am me a bed for the night—real pleasant there, I drove north to Fort Wayne, In-
always delighted to see how incredibly hospitable folks! The next morning, diana, and collected three bikes from a
cheap your petrol is (here in Hong Kong Tim helped me get the pre-booked Pen- friend’s house. I had bought two CBXs
we pay US$12/gallon), and there are ske truck, and I drove off west from from Larry over the previous couple of
many points of interest along the way Baltimore through Pennsylvania and years. One was an immaculate low-mile
for classic bikers! into Ohio, where I met Jan Ringnalda, 1980 Honda CBX1000-A I bought as a
The bikes I was collecting were all the president of the International CBX fiftieth birthday present to myself and
found and bought before I started my Owners Association (a Dutch fellow the other a CBX-streetfighter-style that
trip. Some were purchased from friends who used to live in UK, and now re- he was having difficulty selling in the
who know the type of bikes I like from sides in US, see www.cbxclub.com). He USA. He had also helped pick up a 1983
1975 to 1985. Some were purchased on- is helping me enormously by distribut- Kawasaki GPZ1100 A1 that I bought on
line from CraigsList.com. I tend to keep ing my CBX Book II in the USA. I got CraigsList.com. It transpired that this
away from eBay as there always seems to to see Jan’s extensive collection of CBXs, would be a very sad pick-up from his
be problems. If I do buy something on CB1100Rs, RC30s, Blackbirds, and CX wife, as my buddy had fallen backwards
the Internet, I will usually make contact Turbos—he likes his toys! While in Co- off a ladder a few months previous-
with the seller by telephone to make sure lumbus, Ohio, I got to visit the AMA ly and didn’t come out of the coma. It
he is real—there are too many scams National Motorcycle Museum and got was a sad loss and a timely reminder to
out there now! I also try to have a local to see some cool Japanese bikes. It is not all his friends who had seen him at the
friend look at the bike and hand over the a huge museum, but definitely worth a Irish CBX Euro Rally in late-2015, that
we should live life to the full! (RIP Larry
Conlin—a classic bike fanatic and good
friend.)
From Indiana, I headed northwest
past Chicago and stopped with some
RIGHT:
relatives on a grain farm in Traer, Frames at
Iowa—being Northern Irish I have rel- Bob’s Breakers
Yard
atives all over USA! Their place is in the
flat prairies and was covered in snow. BELOW:
It was beautiful, but maybe not if you Unloading
the Penske
are stranded there! The next morning, rental truck
I drove west and met up with Alan Ro- in Los Angeles
denborn, who I had met on the CB-F fore they closed on Saturday afternoon.
Facebook Forum. He has a Kawasaki I drove all night through the semi-des-
shop and fabricates parts for race bikes, ert, not seeing too many other folk in
a cool set-up. There I checked out his this sparsely populated region of your
NOS mid-1970s Colin Seeley frame and great country. On Saturday morning, I
bodykit for a CB750-4 which had never neared Flagstaff in Arizona and headed
been built. I bought it and loaded it in south to Phoenix through some beau-
the van. That will be a cool project back tiful countryside, getting to the shop
in Northern Ireland. about mid-day. This must be the biggest
Proceeding westwards, I arrived in bike breakers’ yard on Planet Earth; it
Omaha and called a guy, Rich Chase, covered about five acres of open stor-
I met online through the GSX-R and age. Frames and engines lay under the area at my cousin’s airport in Murietta,
CB-F Facebook pages. He invited me baking sun, while all the tanks, body- where I kept my other bikes and spare
out to see his collection of about a thou- work plastics, and rubber had been parts. I unloaded the truck and took it
sand Japanese classics. He has a shed stripped off them and stored inside. I to its drop-off depot. The whole rental
full of his own bikes “Not for Sale” saw numerous carcasses of Gold Wings, for ten days and 3900 miles, includ-
and a second shed packed to the brim CB750/900F, XL250S, CX500, KZ1300, ing insurance, had only cost $1400. In
with bikes that he is happy to move GPZ750, XS1100, RD350B, GS1000E, the following days, I got a forty-foot
on. In fact, he regularly fills forty-foot DT250, etc. I found a clean, late-model container organised and had my bikes
containers and sends them to the UK, CB900F front and rear suspension and shipped back home to Northern Ire-
Japan, and Australia. I thought I was wheels that I reckoned could be used on land. My apologies for removing these
a “magpie” collecting stuff, but Rich my Seeley CB750-4 project and bought from the USA, but rest assured they are
“takes the biscuit!” We had a great chat them, along with an early CBX Corbin going to a good home, a small museum
over a lunch of local fish and chips, the saddle, all for just US$360.00—not a I have back at my folks’ Farmhouse B&B
best in the USA! Rich is a character, and bad deal at all! That night, I stayed with (Bed and Breakfast). There they are seen
I look forward to meeting him again relatives in Scottsdale in northeast- and enjoyed by guests at the B&B…and
and seeing his museum when opened. ern Phoenix. On Sunday morning, the enjoyed by me on the road and when I
Onwards towards the west was a long breakers’ yard guys had invited me to am back home.
drive to get to Denver, in Colorado, see them clear out a yard they had just I look back very fondly on my trip as
where I had arranged to meet a CBX-C bought, saying there were 700 Japanese I flick through the photos I took. I had
and CB900F owner by the name of An- classic bikes there. It was an amazing the chance to meet many good friends
dreo Ratiez. He was looking at buying sight, with row after row of 1970s’ and again, guys that are as crazy about clas-
a 1982 Honda CB1100RC in Europe or 1980s’ classics. These had sat out in the sic Japanese motorcycles as myself. I got
the UK and wanted advice about them, semi-desert environment for over thirty to experience a relaxing seven-day drive
so we chatted over coffee for about an years but had not rusted, albeit the plas- across your beautiful and diverse coun-
hour. Leaving Denver, I drove south to tics had turned brittle. These were now try. I got to see some fantastic collec-
Pueblo West and visited with a cousin, going to restock “Bobs” in Phoenix. I tions of bikes, the scale of which is only
then on south through New Mexico. will send the VJMM editor a more de- ever seen in the USA, and I got to relax
At this point, I was just chewing up tailed account of this encounter—it was enjoying my passion for classic bikes. I
miles to get to Phoenix, Arizona, as really like being a “kid in a candy store!” am now back in Hong Kong at the of-
soon as possible, as I wanted to get to The following day, I set off westwards fice and looking forward to my next trip
“Bob’s Used Motorcycle Breakers” be- for Los Angeles and got to my storage across the USA! l
HISTORY
Honda Redbooks
by Robert Kelly / superhawk65@gmail.com
A while back I won an eBay auction for a Honda repair manual. The guy I bought
the book from emailed and asked if he could mail me all the motorcycle books
he had if I paid the postage. I like surprises so I agreed, and a few days later I re-
ceived the repair manual, plus a bunch of other books. A cool item included in
the lot was an original 1947 Harley-Davidson repair manual. The Harley manual
went back up on eBay, and I made all my money back and a few extra bucks. The
remaining books were Honda Redbooks. I noticed he had tried to sell these on eBay
a few times and no one bought them. So, what are these books and why were there
no interest in them?
The Honda Redbook is an introduction to the new models coming out each year.
These books were produced for Honda dealers only. The earliest Redbook I could
find was for model year 1980 (published in 1979), and that year was American Hon-
da’s twentieth anniversary. A quote from the 1980 Honda Redbook reads, “This
book has been prepared to assist you in the familiarization of the features, concepts,
and technology incorporated in these outstanding machines. Knowledge of the in-
formation contained herein will help you to realize why in 1980 Follow the Leader
is more than just a phrase.” To drive the point home, Honda placed the beautiful
CBX six-cylinder engine on the cover.
The 1982 Redbook offered a whopping five different 450cc models: Hawk CB450T,
Nighthawk 450, CM450 Custom, CM450A Semi-Automatic Transmission, and TOP:
CM450E Classic for the economy-minded rider. The Hawk CB450T was a one year Honda Pacific Coast PC800
only bike. If you are really into Honda 450s, then 1982 was your year. BOTTOM:
1998 was an interesting Redbook year; Honda Japan celebrated their fiftieth year. Vincent 1955 Black Prince
The celebration included an early-release VTR1000 Super Hawk, a Smokin’ Joe’s
replica CBR600F3, and the all new “show stopping” Interceptor VFR800FI. The What do you think?
book featured a forgettable Honda, for me anyway, the Pacific Coast PC800. The These two bikes look
an awful lot alike.
Pacific Coast reminds me of the modern version of the 1955 Vincent Black Prince.
In addition to the technical specifications, the pictures in each Redbook are out-
standing. A buddy and I went to look at a 1989 Honda Hawk GT. I brought the
Redbook along to compare the used bike to the picture. Sometimes a bike may be
missing expensive parts, and you may not notice it until your prize is in the garage.
Jay Leno says that if you collect the bike, you should consider collecting the paper.
OPPPOSITE PAGE:
Who am I to disagree? I have original sales brochures, manuals, and magazine arti- ROW 1:
cles for all my bikes, and for bikes I would like to own one day. The Redbooks pres- 1980 Honda Redbook cover
1985 Honda Nighthawk S CB700SC
ent an excellent history of each motorcycle American Honda offered. Over the past 1983 Honda Redbook cover
year, I collected the Redbooks I wanted before I wrote this article. After all, once the
ROW 2:
“Flying Dragon Tank Set” article was published in this magazine, the sets jumped 1988 Honda Hawk Gt NT650
in price from $700 to well over $2,000. Once people learn about the Redbooks, the 1998 Honda Smokin’ Joe CBR600F3
demand will rise along with the price. ROW 3:
Some Redbooks are soft bound, while the later books are in three-ring binders. A 1988 Honda Redbook cover
word of caution: some pages may be missing from the three-ring binder, especially 2002 Honda Super Hawk—the 1961
CB77 Super Hawk reached classic status;
if the bike was a popular model. So buyers beware. will the 2002 version repeat?
I think quite a few 1980 through 2005 Hondas will become classics. The CBX,
ROW 4:
GB500, and RC30 have already reached that mark. Soon, bikes such as the 1985 1998 Honda Redbook cover
Nighthawk CB700SC, 1983 CB1100F, 1988 Hawk GT, and the 2001 Super Hawk 1990 Honda GB500
may be crowned as well. On average, I have paid about thirty dollars per book. So ROW 5:
start your collection of Honda Redbooks before they become too expensive. l 1990 Honda RC30
events
VJMC Summer Fun in Michigan!

by Norm Smith, Florida Field Representative and Michigan Field Rep Helper / gatoradio@yahoo.com
W ith summer coming to an end, It

is time to reflect on the activities
of the Michigan VJMC group this sea-
and most interesting. There were more
than one hundred bikes in the vintage
Japanese area.
son. It was a very active and fun time for The Michigan field rep, along with
all who participated. several other members, set up the VJMC
tent early in the day. We had many in-
Gilmore Vintage Motorcycle Ride terested people along with fellow VJMC
and Show members come by and visit throughout
the day. We signed up many new mem-
Vintage Bike Ride bers and renewed many others. The day
The season began in earnest on Sat- of conversation and sharing of stories
urday, June 11, 2016 with a great two- was very enjoyable for the members who
day event at the Gilmore Car Museum, spent part of the day in our area.
which is located in Hickory Corners, The swap meet area was directly ad-
Michigan. We assembled two groups jacent to the show area and was filled
of riders for a nice ride of about nine- with many motorcycles for sale or swap,
ty miles through the quiet back roads as well as parts and other items of inter-
of west-central Michigan. There were est to the motorcycle enthusiast. There
two different routes, which were nicely were many cool things to catch your eye
designed to accommodate a fun ride as you walked around the swap meet.
for the “fast” group and the “less fast” As the day came to a close, we made
group of riders. With slightly different plans for a VJMC ride over to the west
departure times and the difference in coast and down part of the Lake Mich-
the routes, we all arrived at The Sand- igan coastline. It was decided that Sun-
bar and Grille on the north end of day, August 21, would be the day for the
Gun Lake within minutes of each oth- ride. We then wrapped up the show and
er. Great food and exceptionally quick headed for home after having an abso-
service greeted the nearly one hundred lutely delightful VJMC weekend.
riders for a really nice lunch, providing and we started our ride down some nice
time to have interesting conversation West Coast Whirlwind Tour back roads for about forty miles past
with the other riders. The ride back After an unusually stormy Saturday, many lakes and other great scenery on
down some hilly and curvy roads with we were fortunate to have a very nice our way to Deano’s 50s Diner, in Alle-
many lakes and forested areas was a day on Sunday, August 21st, for our gan. We enjoyed a nice lunch with excel-
nice way to wrap up the riding day at “West Coast Whirlwind Tour.” The day lent food and service. There were many
Gilmore, where we made plans for the before had been filled with strong thun- conversations between members as we
Sunday show and swap meet. derstorms and a series of tornadoes, enjoyed our meal.
which roared across western Michigan. We then proceeded on the next leg of
Vintage Bike Show and Swap Meet We all met at Checkered Past Motor- our tour with a ride to the Lake Mich-
Another bright, sunny day greeted cycles in Galesburg. We enjoyed a tour igan beaches. Along the way, we passed
us on Sunday, June 12th. The field was of the shop, were treated to seeing some through the tornado ravaged area near
quickly filled with many excellent ex- nice vintage motorcycles, and were Round Lake in Allegan County. For-
amples of motorcycling’s wide variety greeted by a very friendly cat while in tunately, the affected area is sparsely
of interesting machines. There were the shop. There were about twenty rid- populated, and only a small number of
beautifully restored motorcycles from ers, and some came from as far away as homes were damaged. Best of all, there
many parts of the world, but the vintage Illinois. were no serious injuries. We continued
Japanese display was by far the largest It was kickstands up at about 10am, down the road to the lakeshore at Pier
Cove. We really enjoyed our stop at the cle club, which is based in Grand Rap- bers and renewed many others. There
wild beach area along the Lake Michi- ids. We enjoyed a nice breakfast at The was much interest in the vintage Jap-
gan shoreline and then proceeded along Gathering Place restaurant in Cascade. anese machines on display and lots of
the coast to North Beach, at South Hav- The ride was all on very enjoyable back fun conversation among the members
en. This is a city public beach, and it has roads, which wound through about a who stopped in.
a large parking area. We had to exercise hundred miles of beautiful Michigan This wrapped up the VJMC events for
great caution as we rode through this lot forest and farmland. It was a real plea- the Michigan summer season. We are
because of the sand drifts left by Satur- sure to ride and have breakfast with looking forward to another fun sum-
day’s storms. the Rice Burners club. I hope that the mer next year.
We wrapped up the ride with a stop at VJMC and that group of nice riders can
the very famous Sherman’s Ice Cream come together for many more activities P.S.
Shop in South Haven. It was a fun way together. I really enjoyed the time that I While in Michigan over the summer,
to complete our “West Coast Whirlwind spent with them! I was frequently asked, “Why is Flori-
Tour.” Upon arrival in Stockbridge, we were da always covered in the magazine, but
delighted to see a great variety of mo- never Michigan?” The answer, in my
Stockbridge All Clubs Meet torcyclists enjoying a perfect fall day. opinion, is that you have to take the
On September 18th, we put the frost- The Town Square Park was filled with initiative to plan and organize events in
ing on the Michigan riding season cake some really unusual and rare motorcy- your area. You do not have to be a field
with a ride to the Stockbridge All Clubs cles. They had areas designated for the rep to organize and hold an event. This
Meet. Stockbridge is located near Jack- various clubs to gather and devoted the summer proves that there is fun to be
son, in southeastern Michigan. We were entire downtown to this event. had as a VJMC member wherever you
pleased to have another day with excel- Our Michigan field rep had set up our live. Try to get together with members
lent weather. tent in a nice part of the park, and we in your area and have some fun!
I met up with a group of about twenty had many visitors throughout the day. Special thanks to all who made this
riders from The Rice Burners motorcy- We again signed up many new mem- summer in Michigan a real blast! l
CyCle House PerformanCe

We have over
• NOT ENOUGH VINTAGE RIDES in your area?
80 years’ of
• NOT ENOUGH VINTAGE BIKE SHOWS in your area?
combined shop
• NOT ENOUGH VINTAGE TECHNICAL EVENTS in your area?
experience.
• MISSING OUT ON International Motorcycle Show Customer
participation and other major events in your area?
service is our
• MISSING OUT ON weekly or monthly
“Vintage Bike Nights” in your area? #1 goal. We
• NOT SURE OF the VJMC members in your area or proudly stand
how many are missing the same things? behind any and
all work that
YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU! leaves our shop.
STEP UP AND BECOME A
VJMC FIELD REPRESENTATIVE TODAY!
Specializing in:
• ultrasonic
carb cleaning
• vintage
restoration
• complete
. org engine rebuilds
• powder coating
• vapor honing
Our experienced team will provide you with membership listings and • dyno tuning
MENTORING to get you started. We’ll HELP you with that first invitation all the way
though planning and holding your member events. CONTACT any of our Directors
and let them know that you want more from your VJMC.
Not the Biggest, Just the Best
One of our board members will answer your questions and start the process. 314-270-3312
www.vjmc.org/officers.shtml www.cyclehouseperformance.com
Crestwood, MO

ADVERTISER’S SPOTLIGHT
Gasolina High Octane Boots

by Bryan Bentley, Display Ad Director / vjmcads@gmail.com
I must start this off by asking you to

please not laugh at me! After breaking
several small bones in the bottom of my
left foot while kicking an early 1960s’
Sears Allstate 175 Twingle, I decided it
was time to buy a pair of boots. I know,
if I had done this sooner, I probably
would not have injured my foot. I know
as well that it will feel much better when
this four-month sentence to a custom
orthopedic, five-pound device ends. But
I also know I now have two different size
feet and will be very difficult to fit.
With regular shoes, I can just wait for
a buy-one get-one sale, buy two differ-
ent sizes, and I’ll be ready to go. I was
searching for answers about my boots
until I emailed info@gasolinaboots.
com. I found all the answers to my fit-
ment problems there.
Family-owned Gasolina High Octane
Boots creates modern boots inspired by
vintage-style. Although the owners of
the company are from New Orleans, the
LEFT:
company is now based in Guanajuato Inside the
City, Mexico. They chose this location Gasolina shop
to be near the leather working capital of BELOW:
North America, Leon, Guanajuato. A selection of
Gasolina Boots are custom-made for leather cutting
tools
each order. Although they do stock a
few standard sizes for those who just torcycle, and you’ll look good as well.
can’t wait, a pair of good-fitting, made- Perhaps the biggest question is how
to-order boots can be yours in as little do the folks at Gasolina know what
as three weeks. These boots are made makes a good motorcycle boot? They
of 1.8-2.0mm top-grain, natural leath- are riders themselves, own a number of
er that is vat-dyed, so the color per- vintage bikes, and design and test the
meates the leather to resist scuffs and boots. Todd Fell, the head of the family,
wear. They are completely sewn and is a former racer who continues to test
use Goodyear welt construction. In case the boots today, demanding the family
you ever need the sole replaced, it can produce boots with a classic look and
be. Different length boots are available, quality that he is used to from his racing
from the short (9”) style to the longer days. contact info
(15”), so you can be sure that your Gas- Check out all the boots at www.gaso-
olina Boots will be the ones you need. linaboots.com, and while you are there, Gasolina Boots
Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
They are strong enough to give you the take a look at all those leather jackets info@gasolinaboots.com
protection you need and should have they also offer. You know it’s not too late www.GasolinaBoots.com
any time you ride (or kick-start) a mo- to ask Santa for one if you act fast! l
tech help
Tech Tip #17:

Starting Problems
by Jim Townsend / jimvjmc@gmail.com & Ellis Holman / buddy.holman@gmail.com
Ellis: I had a club member stop by yes- to be addressed before doing that.
terday with a SL100 that wouldn’t run.
I went through the usual list of things Jim: In addition to those three things, Another culprit can
to get it running. The basic physics
and chemistry of getting an engine to
I guess we could almost say those are
the main items, and each item has sec-
be that the kill switch
run is pretty simple: ondary items too. For instance, a dead on the handlebar has
• Fuel in the right mixture
battery or one that is almost dead will
stop the ignition. That is very easy to
been turned off,
• Sufficient compression to check if you just turn on the lights or either accidentally
compress the fuel mixture
• Spark at the correct moment
try to blow the horn. Another possi-
bility is that the starter solenoid will
or by a friend pulling
barely click and the electric starter a prank on you.
A lot of people will just jump in and won’t work. Another culprit can be
start fiddling with the points. I find that the kill switch on the handlebar
that there are other things that need has been turned off, either acciden-

tally or by a friend pulling a prank on Plug caps also can be a source of possibly rebuilding. This is especially
you. problems. They have a resistor in them true if the bike has not been run in a
It also makes a difference if the bike to reduce interference with TVs and long time.
has been sitting for a long time, and radios. That resistor can fail and cause
there is dirt, oil, or corrosion between erratic running. Ellis: More and more I’m also adding
the points. I just purchased a motor- In addition to needing a battery a small, flat fuel filter—the ones from
cycle that has been sitting since 1975, at full charge and a kill switch not Briggs and Stratton for their mowers
and I fully expect problems and will turned off, there’s some mechanical without fuel pumps. I see a lot of fuel
go over the entire ignition system. items to check as well. While cold, with sand and grit in it. That’s bad for
One very easy thing that is proba- the four-stroke engines need to have all those small channels in a motorcy-
bly the first item to check is the main valve clearances checked to be sure cle’s carb.
fuse. If your bike stops for no visible the valves have proper clearance. For Speaking of fuel, the current pump
reason, it may be the main fuse. Some- you two-stroke lovers, you’ll need to fuels we get these days can begin to
times those little glass tube fuses look make sure the crankcase seals are do- degrade in as little as two weeks. Also
good but are blown in the end under ing their job correctly. the ethanol (alcohol) attracts water
the cap. I recommend checking your from the air that can cause corrosion
fuse as the first thing. I notice on Jim: One item that rarely causes prob- in the tank and other parts of the fuel
many of my old Hondas that under the lems is the coil. I’ve seen a lot of guys system. Where possible, I’ve been rec-
side cover there is a little rubber fuse that assume that because there is no ommending to people to seek out un-
holder, and I always carry a couple of spark that the coil is bad. That can leaded fuel that has no ethanol. You
spare fuses there. When in doubt, just be a problem, but rarely is the main can check here: http://www.pure-gas.
replace your main fuse. cause. They can easily be checked for org/ to see if a station nearby carries
continuity with an ohmmeter. alcohol-free fuel.
Ellis: One other thing on batteries and Dirty carburetors are sometimes a Typically, you’ll pay a bit more, but
ignitions: The systems that fire two cause of not starting or hard starting. the fuel tends to be better quality. In
plugs at once, which are on most fours This can go back to a dirty gas tank or addition to that, if you don’t mind
and smaller twins, like the CB175 plugged petcock. If the fuel supply is paying for high quality fuel, VP Fuels
Honda, take a bit more voltage to fire, suspect, you might as well remove the sells unleaded fuel in higher octanes.
because one of the plugs jumps the petcock and start at the source. Make For example, their MS109 has a R+M/2
spark from the side terminal to cen- sure the tank is clean and remove the octane rating of 105. You’ll find some
ter electrode. With a marginal battery, petcock and clean or rebuild it as well. places that will dispense this fuel from
that can mean an engine that will start I like clear gas line, as it allows you to conventional pumps, but you’ll pay
but run erratically. On bikes like the see if there is dirt in the fuel. Dirt may around $6 to $8 per gallon. The up-
XL350 Honda that uses a magneto to easily be seen in the crossover tube side is that this fuel will store well and
fire the ignition, points are especially under some tanks. Draining the carbs doesn’t attract water like the conven-
critical. Dirty or miss-adjusted points by removing the screw plug in the bot- tional pump fuels.
will keep the engine from running. tom of the float bowls is another thing If you have a topic you want to see
If things are just right (or wrong) the to do. If there is a lot of dirt or water covered, just email us: jimvjmc@
kick back from a big single will get in the float bowls, then it may be time gmail.com or buddy.holman@gmail.
your attention. for a carb removal and cleaning, or com. l

events
Events Corner
by Peter Slatcoff, Vice President, Events Coordinator / events@vjmc.org
D ecember is always my favorite time of year. It is the

time we reflect on the past year and begin our plan-
ning for the coming one.
UPCOMING EVENTS (see VJMC calendar for details)
DECEMBER 4
Briefly reflecting on 2016, we no doubt had a fantas- 18th Annual Florida VJMC Christmas Ride
tic event year. I say that because of the addition of new Brooksville, FL
events outside of Florida. I am sure many of you are say- DECEMBER 17
ing, “Finally.” That is mainly attributed to new Field Reps Florida Panhandle Christmas Ride
in California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and many other loca- Panama City, FL
tions. The energy and desire to have activities close to DECEMBER 18
home is a primary driver of many of these new leaders. In Southern California Christmas Lights Cruise
South Pasadena, CA
fact, one of them made a comment that they were afraid
we were going to change the name of the magazine to
Florida VJMC! (LOL)
All joking aside, the VJMC is a multi-national club and
is a member-centric organization. As a member, you have
the ability to determine what activities happen when
and where in your geographic area. As I have said many
times, any member can do an event and we will be more
than happy to assist. But if you expect a group to come to
a given area and put on an event so you can just partici-
pate, well, that will most likely not happen.
Look at our magazine and you will see numerous ac-
tivities going on. Take the time and contact one or more
of these individuals and ask them what it took to put on
their event. Ask them to help guide you in putting on
something similar at a location near you.
Moving on, planning for 2017 has already begun. Our
major focus for 2017 is celebrating our 40th Anniversary
and this year’s National Rally will be all about celebrating
our fortieth year. The rally is scheduled for June 22-24,
2017, at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center in Pi-
geon Forge, Tennessee. This will be a true celebration,
complete with evening meal socials, scenic rides, a pre-
sentation by Barber Museum’s Brian Slark, and Tennes-
see Bluegrass entertainment. Make your plans to attend
now—Save the Date: June 22-24, 2017. Online Registra-
tion for the 40th Anniversary Rally will be available the
first week of November.
Additionally, in the planning are Eustis Vintage Motor-
cycle Show and Swap Meet, Riding into History, regional
rallies for the West Coast, Mid-West, Mid-Ohio, Barber
Vintage Festival, AIMExpo, and a number of more local-
ized events.
The VJMC Event Team would like to wish you all a very
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. l
CLASSIFIEDS A “Vintage Japanese” motorcycle is 20 years old or older and, of course,
Japanese. Please be aware that ads may/will be edited to conserve space.
12 lines of print will be free to club members.
PLEASE NOTE: Please be aware of publication deadlines. For an upcoming issue, ads
Ads will be run for one issue only. Please are due by the 20th of the month of the preceeding issue’s release. For ex-
ample, ads for the February/March 2017 issue are due December 20.
resubmit via the VJMC website or email if If you have business related ads, please consider taking out a commercial
you wish an ad to run longer. Also, contact our display ad. Contact Bryan Bentley (vjmcads@gmail.com) or me for details
and rate information.
Classified Ads Editor, Gary Gadd, if your post We can include color photos with your ad. Cost is a minimal $10 per pho-
has been fulfilled, again via the VJMC website to per issue. Payment via Paypal is available on the VJMC website. For
payment by personal check or money order, please address payment
or email (eulerckt@aol.com). This will help keep to “VJMC” and send to the address below. Photo ads will appear in the
magazine issue following payment.
our classified ads as current as possible.
GARY GADD • 3721 HOLLAND ST. • FORT WORTH, TX • 76180 / 817.284.8195
build at 21000 miles. 4000 miles runs fantastic. K&N air filter.
ridden since. All internals were About 10,000 original miles. Top
FOR SALE replaced or upgraded. Original speed is around 145 mph. Ask-
paint is rough. Runs perfect. ing $4500. See at https://www.
Aftermarket Mac 4-into-2 ex- youtube.comwatch?v=RQ1X-
BRIDGESTONE haust. NOS seat. Have some
original parts, except wheels
iX4cBMA John Glidewell, 850-
499-9117, Shalimar, Florida,
and pipes. Rebuild document- cbxjohn@cox.net
1965 Bridgestone BS90/T trail ed on Vinmoto.com/Goddfreys
bike. Starts and drives. New Garage/Marks CB750. $7500
tires, chain, battery, intake
For 1969 Honda S90, front and invested, asking $4850. Mark MARUSHO
boot, tail light. Carb cleaned, Pasin, 224-436-4292, Antioch,
tuned up. Runs good, no title. rear wheel assemblies, fuel
tank, front fender, front fork Illinois, markpasin@att.net
$895. Contact me for more info.
Randy Johnson, 608-689-2675, assemblies, bench seat. $100
Genoa, Wisconsin, jsscycle@ plus shipping. Mike Knight, 435-
hotmail.com 513-9490, Salt Lake City, Utah,
mike@kilergrovewines.com
HONDA
1966 Honda CL77. Original
paint. Engine rebuilt with new 1966 Marusho Magnum. A
clutch. New sprockets, chain beautiful example of a com-
and tires. Runs good. $4000. plete original Magnum. Never
1982 Honda FT500 Ascot. restored or molested. I am the
Mike Weets, 563-503-0373, 15,700 miles, excellent condi-
Eastern Iowa, mikeritaweets@ third owner of this conversation
tion, runs great, took 2nd place piece. Comes with a complete
mchsi.com in local motorcycle show. New history, tools (missing a few
NAPA AGM battery in 2015 and pieces), and original owners
1971 Honda CB750. Titled as Honda factory shop manual. manual. Bike looks like it just
a 1971, manufacture date is $2800 cash in person only. Will came off the showroom floor.
05/70. 36000 miles. Recent top not ship—must pick up. Phone Starts, runs, new tires, two keys,
end refresh. Lower end has nev- calls only as I don’t have email all lights and horn in good work-
er been apart, runs well. Has or text. Rick Snyder 574-269- ing order. Speedo drive is bro-
had carbs cleaned a few years 3782, Warsaw, Indiana ken, but a good machinist will
ago and stored dry since. New
clutch discs, brake system re- be able to reproduce it. Only
built, newer seals, and hoses. 1600 miles. Very rare motorcy-
$2100. Pete Haburt, phaburt@ cle. Ruben Gayon, Washington
gmail.com DC, rgayon73@gmail.com
1968 Honda CB160. Runs, has
spare motor, tool kit, manual.
In fair shape. Mufflers have no SUZUKI
holes; pipes are rusty. Needs a
good cleaning. Battery won’t
stay charged. $1100. Call for
photos. Bob Loucks, 561-801-
9083, Tequesta, Florida Honda VFRF2. Pristine, original.
Bike has no damage, except for
Visit us online! very small blemishes that are
not noteworthy. Perfect paint,
Join or renew @ 1973 Honda CB750 K3. Mild
new Metzler tire,s and recent-
ly rebuilt/cleaned carbs with
www.vjmc.org updating but mostly stock. Re- all O-rings replaced. Starts and
classifieds
1971 Suzuki TC90R. Beautiful
one-owner bike with only 574
YAMAHA Honda Memorabilia. After 56
years of collecting Honda mem-
1965 Bridgestone BS90/T trail
bike. Starts and drives. New
miles. Runs perfectly. Driven orabilia, I’m selling everything. tires, chain, battery, intake
to mailbox ¼ mile every day 1973 Yamaha LT3 Enduro To list it all would take many boot, tail light. Carb cleaned,
and short drives to keep every- 100cc. Less than 2000 miles. pages in this publication. Let tuned up. Runs good, no title.
thing working. Fell over once Has not run since late 1974. your imagination run wild with $895. Contact me for more info.
and scratched the front fend- Titled 9/21/1973. Purchased items you’re wanting: service Randy Johnson, 608-689-2675,
er, headlight ring, and right with zero miles. No phone calls; manuals, owners manuals, ad- Genoa, Wisconsin, jsscycle@
foot peg rubber, also slight emails only, please. Bernard vertising material, brochures, hotmail.com
bend of handlebars. No paint Heit, 913-402-6843, Overland photos, slides, videos, post-
damage. Have all original doc- Park, Kansas, bheit@kc.rr.com ers, and other Honda printed
umentation, including original material. Clothing, tote bags, HONDA
bill of sale. Pictures available keys, service awards, special
on request. Bike is orange and tools, test equipment. Some For 1955/57 Honda Dream
black with chrome fenders and parts mostly NOS CB92. Also Models SA/ME250 and SB/
luggage rack. Adrian Appel- some N600, S600 and S800 MF350, information. I am com-
hans, 970-209-2337, Colorado, automobile manuals and N600 piling an international register
ashade104@gmail.com parts. E-mail me with what you for these early Dream models.
would like, and I’ll respond with Looking for the whereabouts of
availability and price. George
1972 Suzuki GT550. Runs great, any of these models and own-
G Grauwels, 715-533-1999,
9k miles, street tracker. All origi- er contact details (preferably
ggrauwels@live.com
nal parts can be reinstalled if de- email addresses) that I can then
sired. This bike won the sweet 1973 Yamaha RD250. 1637 add to the register. Please con-
sound of Japanese horsepower original miles. $3000 obo. Tom tact me for all further informa-
Decker, 845-564-2054, Wallkill, Keys for Honda and Yama- tion. Tony Sculpher, Australia,
contest at Barber’s Vintage Fes- ha. Contact me via email for
tival in 2015. Frank Hartman, New York, deltadelta134@aol. asculphe@bigpond.net.au
com a list of keys and other items
434-665-5502, Roanoke, Virgin- I have. Keys are $12 with
ia, fehartman@msn.com free shipping. Joe Lachniet, For 1964 Honda C110, I need
1978 Yamaha IT175. Excel- joe@lachniet.com a plastic headlight housing for
lent mechanical condition, my restoration project. Red
good looking. Has new piston/ preferred but will take any col-
ring, first over. For more infor- or and try for a color match.
mation, text 7three4 6one2 Please, no broken units, as the
2one63. Richard Leonard, 517- plastic doesn’t repair well. Chal
542-4283, Albion, Michigan, De Cecco, Grass Valley, Califor-
rlrleonard@gmail.com nia, chal@sbbmail.com
1987 Yamaha SRX250. Rare,

only one year of produc- For 1967 Honda Super Hawk
1981 Suzuki GS750ES. This bike tion. Bike runs solid, original 305, need an excellent, orig-
has been my restoration project paint, brand new tires and inal left-hand side muffler.
and is in beautiful condition. It 1968/81 Hondas. 50 Japanese
battery. Very nice bike and bikes, mostly Hondas, $100 Must be excellent rider quality
is in perfect working order. En- well taken care of 4-stroke en- or show condition. Also need
gine, lights, and indicators all each or will part out. Includes
gine. Andrew, 262-224-9190, 1978 Gold Wing engine, front chain guard. Thanks! Gary Pi-
function as they should. 30,400 klopfead@tjsl.edu etraniec, 313-680-1110, Mich-
original miles on it. Also: newly wheel and fender, carb set,
and manifold, cooling fans, and igan, captkcode@comcast.net
painted and striped profession-
ally, new tires, new rear shocks,
seat reupholstered, carbs pro-
misc. FOR SALE other GW parts. Deal on whole
lot. Also 2 Yamaha Big Bear 1972 Honda Z50 K3. Looking for
fessionally cleaned and bal- scramblers and Yam and Honda excellent original bike in candy
anced by local dealer, cam chain mopeds. Lots of seats and side gold color. Would like to find an
tensioner replaced, new fuel covers. For CB750. gas tanks. original paint bike. Sean Mor-
petcock and lines, new rectifier, For Bridgestone 100/150 seat, phew, 562-698-7484, Whittier,
lots of other bits and pieces re- very nice, $100. Dream and Su- California, vintage1948house@
placed. Have a shop manual and per Hawk frames with attached yahoo.com
a few of the original parts that fenders, electrics, wheels, etc.
will go with the sale. Clean title 1965 Honda dream engine
in my possession. $3200. Please 150 cc, $100. Ask for prices. For 1979/80 Honda CBX, look-
call for additional information. Make offer on the whole lot. ing for a new or used fuel tank.
Brian, 540-341-0933/540-287- Ken Krauer, 845-266-3363, Salt Will pay reasonable price.
8984, tdhunsley@aol.com For 1979 Honda Gold Wing Point, New York, joankrauer@ James Gower, 601-307-4078,
touring parts. The front cowling yahoo.com Hattiesburg, Mississippi
has radio and speakers and is
1982 Suzuki GS1100L. Small
damage from accident. Carbs
Vetter. I think the pod is Vetter
also, with three suitcases and WANTED
recently cleaned. Fairly new the rack to hold them. Asking SUZUKI
rear tire. Greg Stotts, 256-468- $250 for all. Rick, 574-742-
8712, Prospect, Tennessee,
1957slw1957@gmail.com
9057, rickmeister64@aol.com BRIDGESTONE For 1967 Suzuki T20 Hus-

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
tler, looking for someone who bikes. Manny Athans, 480- ADVERTISERS APPEARING IN THIS ISSUE:
can rebuild my speedometer/ 252-5898, Gilbert, Arizona,
tach. Speedometer and odom- athans85233@cox.net Acme Zoom (Mule Pack Panniers)................................................28
eter work fine. Tach needle
was swinging the wrong way AHRMA..........................................................................................34
and flew off. Any advice would MISC. WANTED Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.........................................42
be welcomed. Alan, 702-308-
8603, Las Vegas, Nevada,
ukguy@cox.net Dealer memorabilia. Collector Buchanan’s Spoke and Rim...........................................................55
seeks 1950s’-1980s’ Japanese
dealership items including ban- Buzzzzz Rag...................................................................................35
For 1967 Suzuki X6 Hustler, ners, signs, ashtrays, lighters,
hats, clocks, promos, etc. Rare, CMSNL...........................................................................................64
would like UK spec handlebars.
Just recently purchased a Hus- weird, and old is good. Tom Ko-
lenko, 770-427-4820, Atlanta, Charlie’s Place...............................................................................33
tler, which is in stock condition,
but would like to install the low Georgia Corazzo..........................................................................................22
bars plus appropriate length
brake and clutch cables. Alan, Cycle House Performance.............................................................49
702-308-8603, Las Vegas, Neva- Honda CBX 1000cc 6-cyl memo-
da, ukguy@cox.net rabilia for museum and the CBX David Silver Spares........................................................................63
book I am presently writing.
Any brochures, adverts, post- Diamond Gusset Company...........................................................35
1967/68 Suzuki T500 Cobra ers, owner’s manual, workshop
and 1967 T200/X5 in good manual, set-up manual, toys/ Festivals of Speed............................................................................ 8
running or restored condi- models, old photos, etc. related Gasolina Boots..............................................................................34
tion. What do you have?Sam to the 1979-1972 CBX. Also pe-
Whiteside, 775-721-5958, riod aftermarket fairings/body- Hagon Shocks................................................................................10
Sam@carsonvalleyhomes.com work. Let me know what you
have and how much you need!
Thanks. Ian, 626-444-9358, Cal- Honda Restoration........................................................................56
ifornia, ian@netvigator.com l JDV Products/Vessel....................................................................... 9
TOHATSU
Jess Bikes.......................................................................................35
For 1964 Tohatsu Aero www.vjmc.org Johnny’s Vintage Motorcycles......................................................29
125cc, any parts or whole
KSM-Hagerty................................................................................52
Marbles Motors............................................................................33
Hey members! Mecum Auctions............................................................................. 4
Tell us YOUR story! MikeXS, Inc. .................................................................................. 11
The best way this magazine can accurately reflect what
our members are up to is if you tell us what you’re doing! Motorcycle Yamiya 750................................................................58
The VJMC magazine is only possible through member interaction, Moto-Services............................................................................... 17
and we’ll pay you for it! We pay $100 for feature stories
(typically at least two full pages with four or more photos). National Motorcycle Museum......................................................14
If your story is selected for publication, you will receive extra Nor’Easter Blastworx....................................................................54
copies of the issue in which it appears.
NOS Parts Now.............................................................................39
Send your stories and high res photos to: editor@vjmc.org
Precision Motorcycle Painting......................................................29
Rick’s Motorsport Electrics, Inc....................................................16
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: RJ Cycle..........................................................................................56
TEXT: • .pdf, .rtf or .doc file formats
• include your byline, photocaptions, and
credit for the photographer
Spacecoast Plating........................................................................29
PHOTOS: • high-resolution color pictures (300dpi) Speed and Sport Yamaha..............................................................32
• typical file size of a .jpg will be at least 500kb
• 1mb - 3mb per image is preferred
Vapor Honing Technologies.................................................... 50-51
Vintage Suspension (Race Tech)...................................................28
Western Hills Honda.....................................................................39
Workshop Hero............................................................................... 2
Yamaha Powersports Division......................................................48
VJMC REGALIA ORDER FORM
You can also order online: VJMC.ORG/STORE

SHORT SLEEVE T SHIRTS:
• White 100% cotton, printed front & back, Available in sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL .................................................................... $15
• Gray 100% cotton, 35th Anniversary shirts, Available in sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL................................................................. $15
POLO SHIRTS:
• Black, red, or white embroidered with club name & logo on left chest in 100% cotton
• Available in M, L, XL, 2XL......................................................................................................................................................... $25
HATS
• Black or Gray, cotton, baseball style with embroidered club name & logo................................................................................. $15
• Red cotton “TEAM VJMC” embroidered baseball style ............................................................................................................ $15
CLUB MEDALLIONS:
• White/black or Black/Gold metal with 1/4” top tab mounting hole ............................................................................................ $10
DRINK KOZEE:
• Red foam with white club name & logo screenprinted .......................................................................................................... $1.50
KEYCHAIN:
• White soft vinyl with club name & logo screenprinted fastened to chrome ring ......................................................................... $1
VJMC PIN .................................................................................................................................................................................... $7
NEW VJMC CIRCLE DECALS
• Available in 4”, 8” 12” .......................................................................................................................................................4” $3
.......................................................................................................................................................8” $7
.....................................................................................................................................................12” $20
Quantity Item Description Size Price Total
Shipping Charges $
Add shipping and handling costs to your order:

Enclosed is my check or money order made out to “VJMC” for the total of $
• All items sent U.S. Priority Mail with Ship to:
item and $4 each for additional
items for USA only.
Name:
• Canadian orders multiply U.S.
Mail rate by 1.5 to determine S&H Address:
charges.
City, State, Zip Code:
SEND YOUR ORDER TO: Tom Kolenko • 2445 Elmhurst Blvd. • Kennesaw, GA 30152 Questions?: regalia@vjmc.org

Vintage Festival: 12th Annual

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Volume 37 / Number 6

DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017 • $5

PROECT BIKE: COV ER STORY

COLLECTIONS: BACK IN THE DAY:

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 3

Like Family Reunions

I t’s great to have good friends, and

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 9

I have collected some dealer photo collections

10 DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

Another Successful Year

A nother year is coming to an end,

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 11

12 DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

W hat can I say about the Barber

14 DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

I shot my mouth off. I told everyone on a

16 DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 17

Suzuki Colleda­—“This is the One”

A s time moves on we seem to be

Do What You Love, Love What You Do:

by Marsha Heck / heckmarsha@yahoo.com

T he day is a beautiful, sunny, au-

David Silver Honda Motorcycle Museum

by Mel Watkins / cbx6meluk@aol.com

5th Annual KCVJMC Picnic

A ll of our club picnics have been at

28 DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

I t’s funny thinking back to the time

of us, we have owned from about forty

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 33

34 DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 35

by Michael Fitterling / editor@vjmc.org

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 37

RIGHT: ABOVE: ABOVE:

photo by George Martin

People’s Choice Tiddler under 100cc

People’s Choice 1950s-1980s Yamaha

People’s Choice 1950S-1960s Honda

People’s Choice 1970s Honda under 500cc

People’s Choice 1970s Honda over 500cc

People’s Choice 1980s-1990s Honda

People’s Choice Best Suzuki

People’s Choice Best Kawasaki

Special Award Trophies:

Award of Show Merit

Longest Volunteers Granade Family

VJMC Spirit Awards Bryan Bentley, Ellis Holman, Randy Mayes

Sweet Sounds of Japanese Horsepower Contest

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 39

Across the US Collecting Classics

I n February 2016, I flew from Hong

VJMC Summer Fun in Michigan!

W ith summer coming to an end, It

CyCle House PerformanCe

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine 49

Suzuki Colleda—“This is the One”