Innehållsförteckning för November/December 2022 från Motorcycle Classics

Reminiscing about old motorcycles and times past happens a lot in these pages. After all, most of us ride, collect and work on old bikes because we have a tie to them from yesteryear. Whether you grew up riding hand-me-down bikes, or ones that belonged to family or friends, memories of times long gone often tug at the heartstrings (and bank accounts), cajoling us into reviving old iron and old memories, sometimes simultaneously. Kim Williams had memories of a long-lost 250cc Ducati Monza, which he rode to high school when he was younger, after growing up riding mini bikes and a small Honda. It was eventually sold to buy a bigger bike (a 750 Norton Commando, not a bad trade up), but years later a chance meeting of a fellow…

1975-1977 Norton Commando 850 Mk3 The 850 Mk3 Commando Roadster and Interstate were Norton-Villiers-Triumph’s last kick at the can before owner Dennis Poore pulled the plug in 1977. The Commando finally got electric start, but still had only four gears, while brakes were upgraded to disc front and rear. The Isolastic drivetrain mounts were now vernier adjustable replacing the awkward shim system, and the right-shift, left brake foot controls were reversed. The engine got a stronger bottom end and larger intake ports for more mid- to high-end power. A larger airbox and “black cap” mufflers helped meet U.S. noise regulations, and a new dash and handlebar controls completed the makeover. The package was available in Interstate (touring) and Roadster versions: just the gas tank, seat and side panels were different.…

For many years, Dino Ricci’s 1977 Kawasaki KZ1000 was tucked away first in the corner of a garage, then dismantled and stored high on a shelf. Make no mistake, though, the Kawasaki was an important piece of Dino’s past — he’s owned the bike since the early 1980s and was responsible for adding thousands of miles to the odometer. Born and raised in northeast Ohio, Dino was blessed with 250 acres of land he could explore. And explore it he did, at the age of nine, aboard a Honda Mini Trail. “I remember being with my mom when she bought it for me, and the bike being lifted into the trunk of her car to bring it home,” he says. “I rode that Honda really hard, and it was bulletproof.”…

Much is being made about Suzuki’s sudden withdrawal from MotoGP. But back in 1982 Kawasaki took the same option, which involved future multiple world champion Eddie Lawson. To compete at the highest level of motorcycle road racing, you need to take on the ultimate challenge — the Senior class of Grand Prix racing, once called the 500cc World Championship, now called MotoGP. This cauldron of competition mixes the rare talent of riders with the calculated and methodical approach of the technicians involved. To survive just one season the riders and technicians need to believe in their project. To win, they need the unwavering support of the factory providing the machinery. This may take several seasons as a prototype is developed into a race winner that then has a chance of…

We’re starting a series to document the revival of this CB175. It’s not exactly a barn find, more of a garage re-discovery. We’ll show you the steps taken to get it back on the road. I’m at the owner’s garage for this job and he doesn’t have a lift, so some of this will be slightly awkward. First off, we have to get the fuel system clean. That entails cleaning the rust out of the gas tank and cleaning and rebuilding the carburetors. We’ll also inspect the throttle cables and twist grip to assure smooth operation.…

11/6 Join the Southern California Norton Owners Club for “the best ride by a dam site,” the Hansen Dam Ride. Now in its 43rd year, the ride is a great way to spend a day enjoying classic motorcycles. Recent years have seen more than 500 bikes of all makes show up, making it the largest classic motorcycle event of the year in Southern California. A 75-mile-plus route is mapped out for the day. Show up as early as 8 a.m. for coffee and donuts, and after the ride the grill will be fired up with lunch served. Meet at the lower lot of Hansen Dam on Dronfield (off Osborne). Riders on British Iron will receive free Hansen Dam ride pins! The ride departs at 10 a.m. sharp. On the web at…

“It is this feeling of confidence inspired by the Ducati in the middle of corners that makes it so popular as a sport cycle.”—Cycle World In 1958, Ducati was a producer of well-made and fast small single-cylinder motorcycles, mostly for the Italian market. Race fans knew Ducati from its wins in the lightweight GP racing classes, but the marque was not yet world famous. At that point, Joe Berliner approached the factory and pitched a deal. Joe Berliner was the American importer for Zundapp and was looking to expand. Ducati liked the thought of the large American market and signed on. This was the start of a collaboration that lasted until the early 1980s. The Berliner Motor Corporation was good at marketing and quickly put a network of U.S. dealers…

The years spanning 1959 through 1968 in motorcycle Grand Prix road racing became known as the Golden Age. That unforgettable era actually dawned June of 1959 when Honda’s fledging GP road racing team, consisting of a small squadron of twin-cylinder 4-stroke 125cc RC142 racers, competed at the Isle of Man TT. While the Honda racers hadn’t reached the same competitive level as their European counter-parts, the Honda team was successful enough to earn the Manufacturer’s Team Award, placing bikes in 6th, 7th, 8th and 11th finishing positions. The Golden Age was underway, and soon enough Honda was joined by Japanese motorcycle makers Suzuki, Yamaha, and finally Kawasaki. Together they ruled the roost for nine years alongside MV Agusta and several other established European marques such as MZ, Benelli, Morini, Kreidler…

The cavalry had long been a dominant force in the fighting field by the time of World War I. But things were about to change, and rapidly. The mounted soldier was going to get a new mount. Anyone who has seen the movie or theater productions of War Horse can’t fail to have been moved by the wholesale slaughter of cavalry horses on the battlefields of France and Belgium — not that their riders fared any better. With the arrival of more accurate artillery, armored cars, machine guns and tanks, cavalry was suddenly obsolete. But there were other roles undertaken by mounted soldiers that a new invention — the motorcycle — could perform better, faster and more safely. Not in the traditional cavalry charge, obviously, because of the need to…

One of my goals when recommissioning my 1988 Paso was to put it back stock running the original-spec Weber 44DCNF 2-barrel carburetor, the selfsame carburetor largely responsible for the Paso’s over-blown reputation as a wretchedly poor performing, unreliable machine. By the time it got to me, my Paso was wearing a pair of Mikuni flat slide carbs, a common replacement for the Weber. Yet a few stubborn, diehard Pasophiles worked out the Weber’s issues, solved almost entirely with jetting and auxiliary venturi changes. A notable plus in retaining the Weber is the benefit of the factory airbox and its huge panel air filter; the twin Mikuni or alternative DelOrto swap leaves little option beyond small, stubby pod filters. I spent hours diligently prepping the Weber, stripping it bare and rebuilding…

TWO-STROKE MOTORCYCLE ENGINE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR With over 450 color photos, Two-Stroke Motorcycle Engine Maintenance and Repair covers the chronological development of two-stroke engines and workshop procedures for each era. It is a guide to the stripping-down of engines, examining each major engine component in turn, including cylinder head, piston, piston rings, crankcase, flywheel, bearings, inlet manifold, clutch, gearbox and primary drive, etc. Racing motorcycles and tuning engines for best performance are covered, along with diagnosing problems, tips, tricks and workshop safety. #10837 $44.95 Members: $40.46 Best Seller! NORTON COMMANDO RESTORATION MANUAL With more than 700 color photographs, Norton Commando Restoration Manual provides step-by-step guides to restoring every component of this classic bike. Topics covered include how to find a worthy restoration project; setting up a workshop with key tools…

No designer ever got hired to keep things as they were. But some makeovers are more successful than others. And hiring an auto specialist to re-envision a motorcycle has rarely gone well. Just ask BSA-Triumph about the 1969 Rocket 3 and Trident with their shoebox gas tanks and ray-gun mufflers — a product of Ogle Design, the style house that also penned the Reliant Robin three-wheeler! Georgetto Giugiaro’s restyling of Ducati’s graceful 750 GT to create the angular, origami-inspired square-case 860 GT was also one of those “what were they thinking” moments. For some years, it was tough to give away an 860 GT, and even the square-case 900 Super Sports struggled for acceptance; while the earlier round-case 750 GT, S and SS soared in popularity — and value. And…

Britain’s illustrious Métisse motorcycle marque was founded in the 1950s by brothers Derek and Don Rickman — off road aces and household names in Britain back then, thanks to BBC-TV showing the Scrambles racing in which they excelled every Saturday afternoon in winter. After achieving dirt bike dominance with their stiff, well-handling frames powered by British twin and single engines, they then did something comparable with road bikes. Rickman went on to briefly become Britain’s largest street bike manufacturer after the demise of Norton the first time around, and before John Bloor resurrected Triumph. The Rickmans’ creations not only represented a key stage in the evolution of the modern off road bike, they also played a role in helping the Japanese manufacturers discover the black art of frame design for…

Well a poor boy took his father’s bread and started down the roadStarted down the roadTook all he had and started down the roadGoin’ out in this world, where God only knowsAnd that’ll be the way to get along Lyrics by Rev Robert Wilkins/Rolling Stones – Prodigal Son In 1930, the Depression was just starting to take hold in America, and a lot of poor boys started down the road, looking for something better, going West. One was Sammy Pierce. Born in 1913 in Kansas, he became motorcycle conscious early. Sammy worked with Rollie Free (who later set a speed record on a Vincent wearing a bathing suit) at a motorcycle shop in Kansas, and owned a 1926 Indian Scout. His mother had moved to East Los Angeles, and Sammy…

Any motorcycle museum that includes “turn where you see the dinosaurs” in its directions should grab your attention, and in the case of Bill’s Old Bike Barn your undivided attention is warranted. Bill’s Old Bike Barn is literally a hidden treasure. You can’t see it from the highway; you have to spot the dinosaurs (just like the directions say), turn, and then head uphill. You’ll go by a couple of bison (no kidding) and a Harley fuel tank tower, and there it is. Bill’s Old Bike Barn looks deceptively small from the outside; inside, you could spend weeks and not see everything. Bill grew up right where I met him: Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. He started working at age 11 on the family farm and never stopped. Bill is 83 now (he…

Dear Readers: Knowing when to stop is as important as knowing when to start. After 11 years, I think it’s time for me to hang up my wrenches. In that 11 years, the idea of a classic motorcycle has moved forward. Unfortunately, my limited knowledge has not moved forward with it. My whole world is the ’60s and ’70s bikes, and I know little about the ’80s onward. I’ve enjoyed my time writing for you all, and it has been a pleasure to meet some of you at events. I have truly enjoyed my years of association with the magazine, Richard, Landon, and all the folks at Motorcycle Classics who have helped me with material and information along the way. — Keith Fellenstein Tire balance issues Q: I have a…

The Estrella Warbird Museum in Paso Robles is an awesome destination made even better by its surroundings and the road to it: U.S. Route 101 (also known as Highway 101). Highway 101 is El Camino Real (the Royal Road). It was the trail used by Spain’s Franciscan missionaries in the 1700s and 1800s to spread the gospel (or enslave the Native Americans, depending on your perspective). Salinan Native Americans inhabited the region for thousands of years before the Franciscans. The settlement that became Paso Robles was built to a master plan created in 1868 by Drury James, the outlaw Jesse James’ uncle. The region’s water supply, fertile soil, hot springs, and mild climate were and still are ideal for agriculture (almonds, vineyards, and olives). The riding through this region is…

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company, affectionately known as The Motor Company by many of its family members (that is, Harley owners), is big on numbers. It’s big on dates, too, especially ordinal-date anniversaries spaced five years apart. These Harley-Davidson anniversary celebrations, known as Homecomings, recognize the company’s origins, dating back to 1903. Certainly, the 100th anniversary, celebrated in 2003, produced the largest Homecoming gathering ever imagined for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Harley’s birthplace and home town since 1903. Sticking with the five-year formula, plans have materialized for the 120th Homecoming, scheduled for July 13-16, 2023. It most certainly will be a good time to be in Brew Town if you’re a Harley owner of any vintage. And speaking of vintage, the Sportster model line has an interesting story to tell for 2023, too.…