Innehållsförteckning för May - June 2019 från Motorcycle Classics

Not a lot of Visions were built and sold when they were new, so finding a nice one today can be a bit tricky. We found three 1982 models for sale, starting with a silver Vision at Cycle Therapy in New York City, New York (cycletherapynyc.com), listed at $1,750. It shows less than 19,000 miles, and while it appears to be all there, its cosmetics look a little worn. Palace MotoSports in Mitchell, South Dakota (palacemotosportsinc.com), has a Vision with just 5,287 miles, also in silver, which the shop pickled for display at some point. It’s for sale, but the price isn’t listed. The last one popped up on eBay in Phoenix, Arizona, and that’s the black bike seen here. Claimed to be a one-owner bike with less than 15,000…

Author’s note: The following story has all the drama of a Shakespeare play, highlighting the near-fall, yet ultimate success of a landmark motorcycle, the push and pull struggle between two of the motorcycle industry’s titans, the tragic death of a young man, and finally the recovery of an original 1973 Kawasaki Z-1 that registers only 9.8 miles on its odometer. This is the story of Z1E 00004. — DG No doubt, 1969 was a transitional, even pivotal, year for motorcycling. Foremost, two landmark models made their mark during that year when Honda crammed as many of its new CB750 Fours as its factory could produce into dealer showrooms, while Kawasaki crowded the drag strips of America with countless, and extremely potent, Mach III triples, aka The Rocket with a Sprocket.…

Most motorcycle stories don’t start with racing a 1957 Chevy with a Corvette engine, but Jim Noel’s story does. While going to school and racing his Chevy in his spare time, Jim bought a Triumph 650 to ride back and forth to school in Boston. He enjoyed riding it, and his girlfriend enjoyed going along for rides, too. But in 1970, “someone coaxed me into the woods,” Jim says. “Despite being the product of a small company, the Pioneer was quite advanced for its time.” Going offroad was an eye opener. Jim was immediately bit by the Offroad Bug, and has never really recovered. “I tried to follow an offroad bike with the Triumph. I realized I was out of my element.” Jim went to a dealership and traded the…

Designer Edward Turner’s Triumph Speed Twin caused a sensation when it entered production in 1938 after being unveiled at the London Motorcycle Show the previous year — yet few of its admirers could have guessed how influential the design would prove to be. But Triumph’s new design established a formula that would be adopted by all of Britain’s major motorcycle manufacturers in succeeding decades. Whereas previous British parallel-twins had suffered from excess bulk, Turner’s Triumph design was lighter and even narrower across the crankcase than the contemporary Tiger 90 single whose cycle parts it shared. This was exactly what conservatively minded British customers wanted, and the Speed Twin proved an enormous success for Triumph, lifting the company out of the economic doldrums, and setting it on the road to prosperity.…

The Sammy Miller Museum (sammymiller.co.uk) in New Milton, Hampshire, U.K., is crammed full of interesting machines — including factory prototypes and numerous ingenious designs from all over the world. It also counts one of the world’s largest collections of exotic racing bikes, all of them in running order and including the legendary Moto Guzzi 500 V8, the supercharged AJS 500 V4 and post-war Porcupine, and innumerable famous bikes from Triumph, Norton, AJS, Velocette and many more. There are also offroad enduro, motocross and trials icons. The museum is open to visitors daily from 10 a.m. year-round.…

Kitt Peak National Observatory is perched high above the Sonoran Desert floor on a 6,900-foot ridge in southwestern Arizona’s Quinlan Mountains, roughly 52 miles southwest of Tucson. Kitt Peak is one of the world’s great observatories, and much of what it does could be the plot of a good science fiction movie. It is home to 22 telescopes for a consortium of universities and others who study the heavens. Kitt Peak National Observatory has the largest and most diverse collection of telescopes in the northern hemisphere. In addition to its nighttime astronomy activities, Kitt Peak is one of the world’s premier locations for daytime observation and study of the sun. Part of the Kitt Peak mission is to scan the heavens for asteroids and predict the likelihood of an Earth…

Kawasaki H1 Intake Manifold Adapter Kit HVC Cycle has been providing parts and service to the 2-stroke community for more than a decade. Its latest new trick part is this Kawasaki H1 Intake Manifold Adapter Kit. Old carburetors wear out and the parts for them get harder to find. These adapters allow you to mount brand-new Mikuni VM round slide carbs to your classic H1. The original intake bores are oval, and the inside of this adapter tapers from the oval intake shape of the cylinder to the round shape of modern Mikunis intake boots. $175. More info: hvccycle.net Aerostich Compact Digital Voltmeter Knowing how your charging system is functioning is a vital piece of information, especially on classic machinery that may still be using some original electrical hardware. This…

CX650 Turbo memories I replaced my Suzuki GS1000S with a Honda CX650 Turbo around 1984 or '85. Mine had OBRUT across the front. In the mirror of the vehicle ahead it would read TURBO of course. At the time, we got a lot of European models not available in the U.S. like Suzuki’s RG500 Gamma square four 2-stroke for instance. The Turbo had the hardest seat I’ve ever sat on and broke down every year I had it. Repairs were $600 to $800 three years running so I traded it in on a BMW R80. It was the right choice. I’m now riding a 2014 Moto Guzzi V7 special and a 1400 California Touring. George Smith/St. John, New Brunswick, Canada French Boxer Cher Monsieur Cathcart, I do not know how…

1978-1982 Honda CX500 If you had been a motorcycle courier in Britain in the 1980s, chances were better than even your mount would be a CX500. Riders loved the maintenance-free shaft drive, the easily adjustable valves, tubeless tires, (mostly) bulletproof reliability — and leg-warming heat blowing from the radiator in London’s winters! Designer Soichiro Irimajiri of CBX fame drew up a revolutionary but logical alternative to the UJM: a 500cc transverse, 80-degree V-twin with eight pushrod-operated valves, CV carbs, five gears and shaft drive. The drivetrain was an integral part of the backbone chassis, which ran on Comstar composite wheels with a single front disc and rear drum. The result was a bike that worked, Cycle magazine said. “It’s comfortable, inexpensive, peaceful, fast and capable, and it handles very well…

Backin the free spirit heyday of the 1960s and 1970s referring to something as “square” was a put-down. Square was a term used to denigrate the straight-edged conformist establishment, and if you were labeled square you certainly weren’t “with it.” When Wisconsin adopted a helmet law in 1968 many didn’t appreciate being told by those in power what they could and could not do. One of them was Bill Schertzl of Eagle River, Wisconsin. Bill was a long-haired free-spirited individual, and together with several of his like-minded friends, they protested the law. Eventually, on March 3, 1978, the Wisconsin helmet law was repealed and it was declared that only those under the age of 17 had to wear a lid. That meant Bill and his friends could ride with the…

Check out Triumph’s ever-growing Bonneville family of Modern Classics, and until now you’d have found 11 different versions available of the iconic paralleltwin range, which was resurrected back in 2000 by company owner John Bloor. Since then, some 313,994 examples of the born-again Bonneville have been produced, making up around 40 percent in any given year of Triumph’s production at its two factories in the U.K., and three in Thailand. That makes it a key ingredient in the modern day success story that Triumph Motorcycles represents. Triumph has now made it an even dozen different variants in its 2019 Bonneville lineup, with the unveiling of a new addition. To mark the 80th anniversary of the model, Triumph has revived the Speed Twin. While the original Speed Twin, initially produced in…

A record number of motorcycles flowed through the auction halls in Las Vegas, Nevada, this last January, as Mecum and Bonhams both held their annual sales. But in spite of the greater volume of motorcycles processed, prices were generally firm. Longtime enthusiasts and collectors Robert Smith and Somer Hooker share their observations, with Robert’s report first. Crockers top Vegas sales Excluding memorabilia and “road art,” Mecum offered 1,438 lots for sale, selling 1,276, or 89 percent, with a total value of close to $23 million without buyer’s premium. At just under $16,000, average price per lot was generally consistent with Mecum’s performance over the last decade. A 1939 Crocker “Big Tank” at Mecum took top price at $704,000 (including premium). Runner-up was another Crocker, this time a “Small Tank” from…

As we get older, it’s a fact that our desire to ride our classic bikes can be in conflict with our ability to kickstart them. For some of our classic bikes, there are aftermarket electric start options, (see our Alton starter How-To at bit.ly/alton-starter). Some of the very last Triumphs, twins and triples, had electric starters. Until now though, there’s never been an aftermarket kit to retrofit earlier Triumph twins with an assisted kickstart. Those of us with artificial joints (hips, knees, etc.) who still want to ride but don’t want to risk physical injury due to kickbacks can finally find some relief. The Classic Bike Experience in Essex, Vermont (classicbike experience.com), American importers of the Alton starter for Norton motorcycles, have developed an air-powered kickstart assist. Once installed, you…

THE ART OF BMW MOTORCYCLES The Art of BMW Motorcycles presents the rolling sculptures that are BMW motorcycles in studio portraits, each bike accompanied by a short history of the machine. From the first model to the latest, this book captures nearly a century of motorcycling excellence. SHIFTING GEARS AT 50 In Shifting Gears at 50, author Philip Buonpastoreemphasizes what older riders should be aware of and which factors can affect their rides. Split into two parts, the book first covers safety advice to consider and precautions to take while on your ride, followed by unique photographs and insights from five of the author’s favorite long-distance tours around the country. THE COMPREHENSIVE VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE PRICE GUIDE 2019-2020, 16TH EDITION Nearly 100 marques are covered in this updated guide, with more…

In the late 1970s, every Asian bike maker built air-cooled, inline 4-cylinder bikes — lots of them, from 350cc to 1,100cc. They were the sliced white bread of their day. The problem? They all tasted alike. The Big Four found themselves in a standing-quarter-mile shoot-out every year. So why not try something different? Kawasaki and Suzuki pretty much stayed the course with their UJMs, while Honda and Yamaha tried new ideas. Among the options considered was a 90-degree V-twin, employed to such success by Italian manufacturers. But packaging an L-twin wasn’t easy. Why not try a narrow-angle twin — in spite of their association with heavyweight cruisers? Honda came first with the 80-degree transverse CX500. Yamaha fired back with the 75-degree Virago 750 and XVR920; then in 1982 came the…

As it continues its ride along the comeback trail, MV Agusta has been acquired by Russian investor Timur Sardarov, after his successive cash injections allowed the famed Italian brand to survive yet another brush with bankruptcy. His rescue mission will allow MV to continue offering the ever more tantalizing array of new models combining leading-edge engineering with arresting-looking design that it’s become famous for around the world since its revival by the Castiglioni family exactly 20 years ago, with the debut of the F4. But 20 miles farther south of MV’s Varese base, the traditions of this marque have continued uninterruptedly to be showcased in a modern context. For in the Moto Magni factory at Samarate, Giovanni Magni, 59, is now producing the latest in a series of traditional-looking bikes…

Now that I’m as old as my father was when I used to think that he was old, I’m even beginning to sound like my old man when he’d share sage advice with me. Moreover, now that I’m on the dole, so to speak, recouping some of my investments, so to speak, via monthly Social Security checks, I find myself perpetuating a tradition that probably has its origins when Adam told Cain to quit picking on his brother Abel. So what do I have to say to young motorcyclists today? To paraphrase my old man: “Things were a lot different when I was your age.” That’s not an exaggeration, either, and Cain, put down that knife, you might hurt somebody. I was recently reminded of how things have changed over…

Triumph has delivered a pair of crossover models which seek to combine retro cool with modern functionality in a dual-purpose motorcycle. Wood & Co.’s design brief was to develop a pair of crossover bikes with the Bonneville family’s twin-shock neoclassic styling, which were just as adept both on and offroad as the company’s modern 800XR/XC dual-purpose triples. The HP Bonneville 1200 engine in dedicated Scrambler tune runs the same 11:1 compression ratio as in its Thruxton format, now delivering 88.7 horsepower at 7,400rpm. The spin-off spec from the Thruxton is confined to the engine, because the modular format chassis used by the Scrambler 1200 duo are brand-new, with a tubular steel duplex cradle frame mated to aluminum engine plates. But each version has a subtly different geometry, with a shorter…

The early days of BMW more than a century ago saw the company born of a struggle for survival, after the 1918 Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War 1, banned the manufacture of aircraft in Germany. BMW (as in Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) had been founded two years earlier in a reorganization of Rapp Motorenwerke, a Munichbased aircraft engine manufacturer, so to stay alive it was forced to turn to making industrial engines, agricultural machinery, toolboxes, office furniture and then finally, in 1923 — motorcycles. BMW’s successful struggle to survive was largely funded by Italo-Austrian banker Camillo Castiglioni (no relation to the former owner of MV Agusta!), who was acclaimed as the wealthiest man and most influential financier in Central Europe during World War I, and who was President…

Commando question Q: After letting my 1974 Norton 850 Commando sit for around four years I began to fit some new parts and upgrades. Among them is a Yamaha 650 reed valve which has been installed on the breather hose which exits at the right rear area of the engine. The bike now seems harder to kick over than it did a few years ago. Could this be caused by the valve? I also replaced the oil seal on the left side of the crankcase which required the removal of the primary but it seems doubtful that this could be the cause of the starting problem. It is as if the bike has more compression than before. Thanks. Pete Morland/via email A: The only way I can think that valve…

5/4 Attend the 11th Annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering at The Quail Lodge in Carmel, California. This year’s show will feature Off Road Wonders Through the 1990s, and the 50th Anniversary of the Honda CB750, plus eight more categories. The $85 ticket includes a barbecue lunch. On the web at signatureevents.peninsula.com 5/11 Legendary motorcyclist Gloria Struck will be the Grand Marshal for the 20th Annual Riding into History Motorcycle Concours at the World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida. RIH begins on Friday, May 10, with a lunch ride and the Grand Marshal’s Dinner, followed on Saturday by the Concours d’Elegance, featuring “The Great American Motorcycle” for 2019. On the web at ridingintohistory.org 5/17 Head to the 51st Annual Hanford Vintage Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet, May 17-18, at the Kings…

One of the all-time great Grand Prix road racers never won a world championship. Randy Mamola, winner of 13 GP races, placed second in the 500cc championship four times — 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1987 — and was among the top 10 in points for 11 of his 14 seasons (his stint with Cagiva left him out of the top 10 in 1988-1990). But Mamola never won the grand prize, the 500cc World Championship. Practically from the get-go, Mamola seemed destined for motorcycling greatness when he was groomed as a teenager by the same man — Jim Doyle — who helped launch Kenny Roberts’ career. By 1975 Doyle had the 15-year-old Mamola signed to race Yamaha’s spunky TA125 production road racer in AFM (American Federation of Motorcyclists) club races. Soon…