Five-Speed Favorites

Celebrating over 25 years of vintage motorcycling

Five-Speed Favorites

Z-1 Restoration

Escape from Cubeville: Lewis & Clark

Yamaha’s Timeless XS650

Five-Speed Favorites

Z-1 Restoration

Escape from Cubeville: Lewis & Clark

Yamaha’s Timeless XS650

Volume 26, Number 10 August 2004 - Collector’s Edition $4.50

2 www.vjmc.org

VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB MAGAZINE AUGUST 2004

CONTENTSPresident’s Column. . . . . . . . . . 3

Editor’s Column . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . 5

VJMC Officers and Field Reps . . . . 6

Daytona Bike Week . . . . . . . . . . 8

Member Profile: Pete Boody . . . . . 9

Tech Tip: Adding a Center Standto a 1980 Honda CT 110. . . . . . . 12

VJMC Massachusetts Picnic . . . . 13

VJMCers Experience "Ride toRemember" . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

When Vintage Is Not Vintage-theYamaha XS650 . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Road to Twinville. . . . . . . . 18

Five-Speed Faves: the HondaCB450 K1 and K2 . . . . . . . . . . 20

The Minister's Bike: Restorationof Z-1 No. 265 . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Escape from Cubeville Part 2 . . . 23

National Rally Agenda . . . . . . . 30

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

This issue’s web password is:scramblerEffective August 1stUse lower case

Mission Statement

The Purpose of this organization is to

promote the preservation, restoration

and enjoyment of Vintage Japanese

motorcycles (defined as those greater

than 15 years old) and to promote the

sport of motorcycling and camaraderie

of motorcyclists everywhere.

PresidentPete Boody

(865) 435-2112, [email protected]

Magazine EditorKaren McElhaney(865) 671-2628, [email protected]

Classified AdvertisingGary Gadd(817) 284-8195, [email protected]

Commercial Advertising Region ANorman Smith(941) 792-0003, [email protected]

Commercial Advertising Region BBrad Powell(678) 576-4258, [email protected]

MembershipBill Granade(813) 961-3737, [email protected]

WebmasterJason Bell(972) 245-0634, [email protected]

Cover LayoutAndre Okazaki

Magazine LayoutDarin Watson

2004 Vintage Japanese MotorcycleClub. All rights reserved. No part of thisdocument may be reproduced or transmit-ted in any form without permission.

www.vjmc.org 3


From the Presidentby Pete Boody

Color, Rally, And Paypal

Fellow VJMC members: I wouldhave given a lot to have seen the ex-pressions on your faces when you re-ceived this, our first VintageJapanese Motorcycle Club magazineprinted in brilliant color. Aftertwenty-seven years of courageous,hard work by past and present mem-bers, we have finally made it happen.I hope that you feel as I do about ourmagazine; it just keeps getting betterand better, and that a publication ofthis quality is a must in order to pro-vide the expert technical writings aswell as the great and interesting per-sonal articles that always appear onour pages. With your support, we will

continue printing in color and neverlook back. Remember, this first colormagazine will soon be a collector’sitem; this one is definitely a keeper,folks.

This September, we will provideour members with another greatVJMC National Rally in Oak Ridge,Tennessee. The Rally will begin onthe 7th of September with rides, sem-inars, day trips for ladies, fieldevents, bike show, campfires, storytelling, and workshops for those whoneed technical help with their VJMs.It will end on the 11th with an OldFashion Pig Roast and BluegrassHoedown on the Lake. I can safelysay that it will be fun for all who at-tend and we are hoping that all of youwill be able to be there. Admission tothe National Rally grounds is FREE

for all VJMC members and theirguests; however, we will be offeringthose folks who register for $45.00each, admission to the AwardsBreakfast, the Pig Roast/Hoedownon the Lake and a chance to win aYamaha AS2C 125cc twin-cylinderstreet scrambler. A fellow club mem-ber, Joseph Maida, presented thisbeautiful machine to us and to a verylucky registered member. We aremaking every effort to get Joe tocome to Tennessee and make the pre-sentation himself. It is not too late toregister, so fill out the form, send inthe $45.00, and come to East Tennes-see for the fun.

As you browse through this maga-zine, we hope that you will note the

From the Editor: Mid-Ohio meet coming upby Karen McElhaney

In This Issue

Color! The August 2004 issue rep-resents a significant change for thismagazine. We are finally able toshare with everyone the great colorphotos that members have been pro-viding! Hopefully, most of you havetaken advantage of recent web sitepostings to enjoy color versions ofsome of the photos that have ap-peared in the magazine, but now wehave a print version, too! Thanks tothe VJMC Board of Directors formaking the upgrade possible and tothe vendors who have provided colorads for this collector’s edition maga-zine. We are sure that you will all en-joy it.

This issue is packed with interest-ing stories on bike history, restora-tion, and recent events. Rick Darkebriefly chronicles the beginnings ofHonda’s CB450, Greg Walker takesus through the restoration of

Kawasaki Z-1 No. 265, and EricLewis and T.D. Bash extol the vir-tues of Yamaha’s XS650 twin. PaulEnz provides a VJMCer’s accountof the 2004 Daytona Bike Week andDave Richter shares the fun of a re-cent club picnic held in WesternMassachusetts. Alex Hamilton tellsus what he thinks of our new Presi-dent, Pete Boody, and RalphWalker explains how to add a sidestand to a Honda CT110.

This issue is also about friendship,the kind that can only evolve fromshared experience, like ridingcross-country (or nearly so) on a vin-tage motorcycle. In Escape fromCubeville, Part 2, Maria Montelloconcludes her account of her adven-ture along Lewis and Clark’s trailwith her friend Lisa. And finally,VJMC members Jim Townsend andKen Carlson record their meetingwith Mike Krzemian and Ed Abdo,who have just completed their“Ride to Remember” on two vin-tage Super Hawks.

New VJMC State MemberEvents Page

The VJMC web site now features apage dedicated to state-by-state events.You can sort by state name or by fieldrepresentative to find out what’s goingon near you. Visit this page often forthe latest updates on happenings inyour state. And if you want to add anevent or information of general inter-est, this is a great place to do it! Justclick on State Happenings from the

VJMC home page (www.VJMC.org).

Addition to Mike Baker’sArticle on Vintage Tires

VJMC member Nick Jordan saysthat he found Mike Baker’s article ontires in the April magazine to be veryinteresting. Nick reports that there’salso a way to determine the age of atire. According to Nick, this workswith any tire, be it motorcycle, car,truck or what-have-you:

See President, page 4

See Editor, page 33

4 www.vjmc.org


ads for the folks in Oak Ridge whowould love to have you come and seethem while you are at the Rally.These folks have quality productsand the restaurants have great food.

Early this year we added PayPal asour selected online payment methodfor becoming a VJMC member. Wenow have in place membership termoptions for our North Americanfolks. It is now possible to sign up for2 or 3 year memberships and at a sav-ings. It is also possible to add an addi-tional $15.00 (USD) to any regular orterm membership and your spouse orpartner can enjoy being a VJMCmember. Choose online payments orsend by postal service. Either way,come and join the fun. You can alsoregister for the National Rally in OakRidge and even buy VJMC regalia,all online at www.vjmc.org.

Yamaha AS2C 125cc twin-cylinder street scrambler to be given away at the 2004 VJMC

National Rally

President: Rally time is almost hereContinued from page 3

www.vjmc.org 5


Calendar of eventsAugust

20 - 2216th Annual Vintage Japanese Motorcycle ShowWhite Rose Motorcycle Club, Jefferson (York County),

PAInformation: 717-938-4753; [email protected]

223

rdAnnual VJMC Picnic & Ride, Auburn Hills, MI

Annual event held at Sheffield Park within theBloomfield Orchards Subdivision. The park has coveredpavilion, porta-pots, drinking fountain, and park equip-ment for the kids. There will be a BBQ lunch, bike show,and 40-mile ride. Members are encouraged to bring afriend who may be interested in the VJMC. A $5.00 dona-tion is requested.

Contact Scott Timoff for more information: (248)

338-9320 or [email protected]

September

7 - 114th Annual VJMC National Rally and Old Fash-

ioned Tennessee Pig Roast and Bluegrass Hoedown onthe Lake, Oak Ridge, TN

Events include seminars, bike rides, games, bike show,swap meet, vendors, and some of the best Tennesseebluegrass music and southern style food and “fixins”that you’ve ever had. The rally is free to all VJMC mem-bers and their guests. There is a $45 fee for the pigroast/bluegrass hoedown and Awards Banquet. Informa-tion: http://www.vjmcfirstvolunteers.orgor [email protected].

198

thAnnual Vintage Motorcycle Day, 5-K Service in

Downtown Hatley, Wisconsin (Between Green Bayand Wausau on Highway 29)

Japanese – European – BritishBig motorcycle show and swap meet. Always a good

display of vintage Japanese machines. Swap Space is $20.Also vintage tour ride

Contact Bill Kasten at (715) 446-2225

October

3Holly (Fall) Vintage Motorcycle Rally, Downtown

Holly, MIBritish, European, Japanese, and vintage motorcycles

will be on display from 9:30 am. to 4:00 pm. All VJMC

members are invited to attend and are encouraged to bringa bike for display.

Contact Scott Timoff for more information:[email protected] or (248) 338-9320

9-10Gotham Motorcycle Classic, NYCNew York City’s world-class, all-brands motorcycle

show, held on the decks and docks of the Intrepid aircraftcarrier, sponsored by RoadBike and American Iron Mag-azine. Four divisions and 32 classes of show bikes, ven-dors, and more. Pre-registration is recommended forshow bikes. Please join us and help spread the word to in-crease the turn out of vintage Japanese bikes for 2004.Magazine coverage and a chance to have your bike photo-graphed and featured in RoadBike, the industry’s onlyall-metric motorcycle magazine.

Visit www.GothamMC.com or www.RoadBikemag.com orwrite to [email protected] more informa-tion.

6 www.vjmc.org


VJMC officers and field reps

OFFICERS

PRESIDENTPete Boody102 Foxwood CircleOliver Springs TN 37840E-mail: [email protected]: 865-435-2112

VICE PRESIDENTEllis Holman9671 Troon CourtCarmel IN 46032E-mail: [email protected]: 317-876-0126

TREASURERTom Kolenko2445 Elmhurst BlvdKennesaw GA 30152E-mail:

[email protected]: 770-423-6079

SECRETARYScott Timoff2460 Hempstead RdAuburn Hills MI 48326E-mail: [email protected]: 248-338-9320

MEMBERSHIPBill Granade, Board member13309 Moran Dr.Tampa FL 33618-3011E-mail:

[email protected]:[email protected]

Phone: 813-961-3737

WEBMASTERJason Bell, Board member2903 SierraCarrollton TX 75007E-mail: [email protected]: 972-245-0634

MAGAZINE EDITORKaren McElhaney, Board member2206 Duck Cove DriveKnoxville TN 37922E-mail: [email protected]: 865-671-2628

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Pete Boody, PresidentEllis Holman, Vice PresidentTom Kolenko, TreasurerScott Timoff, SecretaryKaren McElhaney, Magazine EditorBill Granade, Membership ChairmanJason Bell, WebmasterJames L. Townsend, Senior Mem-

ber. E-mail: [email protected] Fralick, Member. E-mail:

[email protected]

STAFF

MAGAZINE LAYOUTDarin Watson9238 Newton, Apt 1AOverland Park KS 66212E-mail: [email protected]: 913-244-3450

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGGary Gadd3721 Holland StN. Richland Hills TX 76180E-mail: [email protected]: 817-284-8195

PUBLIC RELATIONSTBA

COMMERCIAL ADVERTISINGREGION “A” CHAIRMAN

Norman Smith7203 17th Avenue NWBradenton FL 34209E-mail [email protected]: 941-792-0003

COMMERCIAL ADVERTISINGREGION “B” CHAIRMAN

Brad Powell721 Cheatham Hill Trail SWMarietta GA 30064E-mail: [email protected]: 678-576-4258

COMMERCIAL ADVERTISINGREGION “C” CHAIRMAN

TBA

COMMERCIAL ADVERTISINGREGION “D” CHAIRMAN

TBA

CHAPTER COORDINATORPete Boody102 Foxwood CircleOliver Springs TN 37840E-mail: [email protected]: 865-435-2112

FIELDREPRESENTATIVES

as of June 16, 2004

UNITED STATES

ALABAMAJames Michael Baker4131 Cliff RoadBirmingham AL 35222E-mail: [email protected]: 205-592-4757

ALASKANone

ARIZONADave Odom (Region Supporter)Email: [email protected]_3_t

ARKANSASWayne BryanP.O. Box 2385West Helena AR 72390E-mail: [email protected]: 870-572-9067

CALIFORNIA (NORTHERN)Jeff Andersen8436 Windford WayAntelope, CA 95843E-mail: [email protected]: 916-725-8055

CALIFORNIA (SOUTHERN)Ben Price15356 Carfax AveBellflower CA 90706E-mail: [email protected]: 562-866-6645

www.vjmc.org 7


CALIFORNIA (SOUTHERN)Bob Billa23731 Via AcunaMission Viejo CA 92692E-mail: [email protected]: 949-588-6840

Jason Roberts13627 Avion Dr.La Mirada, CA 90638E-mail: [email protected]: 562-777-2565

John Legate4335 Kingsbury PlaceRiverside CA 92503E-mail:


Dale Martin844 Sandcastle DriveCardiff CA 92007E-mail: [email protected]: 760-753-4256

Ron Bennett10997 Westmore PlaceSan Diego CA 92126E-mail: [email protected]: 858-695-2787

COLORADORoger Burns1246 S. Tomichi DrFranktown CO 80116E-mail: [email protected]: 303-660-1268

Jeremy Ritz1230 Roslyn StreetDenver CO 80220Phone: 303-333-3249

CONNECTICUTNone

DELAWARENone

FLORIDAPaul Enz2620 Riviera DriveTitusville FL 32780E-mail: [email protected]: 321-268-5461

Martin Landry510 N Winter DriveCasselberry FL 32707E-mail: [email protected]

Paul Franchina6682 Hawksmoor DrOrlando FL 32818E-mail: [email protected]: 407-880-1213

Norman Smith7203 17th Ave NWBradenton FL 34209E-mail: [email protected]: 941-792-0003

GEORGIATom Kolenko2445 Elmhurst BlvdKennesaw GA 30152E-mail:


HAWAIIBill SilverP.O. Box 2083Kailua-Kona HI 96745E-mail: [email protected]: 808-325-1655

IDAHOBret SammsP.O. Box 1638Couer d’Alene ID 83816E-mail: [email protected]: 208-664-4462

ILLINOISRobin Barfield2265 GalileeZion IL 60099E-mail: [email protected]: 847-872-8069

INDIANAJim Townsend6331 S 300 EWarsaw IN 46580E-mail: [email protected]: 260-839-5203

Kirk McKillip35 Doe Ct.Terre Haute IN 47802E-mail: [email protected]: 812-299-9312

IOWANone

KANSASBen Bacon8131 Renner Road, Apartment 3Lenexa, Kansas 66219E-mail: [email protected]: 913-894-6612

KENTUCKYKenny and Sylvia Thomas900 Stratford DriveMurray KY 42071E-mail: [email protected]: 270-753-1205

Jim Turner615 Jarvis LaneLouisville KY 40207E-mail: [email protected] 502-899-7419

LOUISIANANone

MAINEJohn McCollum650 Island AveLong Island ME 04050E-mail: [email protected]: 207-766-2388

MARYLANDTim McDowell11788 Stonegate LaneColumbia MD 21044E-mail: [email protected]: 410-730-2406

MASSACHUSETTSDave Richter (Region Supporter)E-mail: [email protected]

Jack Delaney (Region Supporter)E-mail: [email protected]

MICHIGANScott Timoff, Secretary2460 HempsteadAuburn Hills, MI 48326E-mail: [email protected]: 248-338-9320

See Officers, page 10

8 www.vjmc.org


by Paul Enz

This year’s bike week was biggerand better than ever with 32 bikesregistered for the show. The day be-gan with wonderful Florida weather(though just a bit cool for this Florid-ian) but perfect for a vintage motor-cycle ride. As hundreds of folkspoured in for the Jerry Woods Auc-tion, many stopped to admire ourbikes and talk of good old days ridingtheir vintage Japanese bikes. I was re-ally surprised at the number of photosbeing taken; there were cameras ev-erywhere. Sales of VJMC T-shirts,hats, stickers and stuff went fast,some even went to folks who had noassociation with the club and whojust wanted something as a mementoI guess. Thanks to the BSA clubheaded up by Harris Turner, who waskind enough to let us join in on an-other great ride through Deland andsurrounding townships.

The show judging started a bit latebut everyone was kind enough towait for the results. Three very nicetrophies were provided by FloridaField Rep Marty Landry of Orlando.Third Best of Show went to MarkVonMandel of Ocala, Florida, withhis Honda CBX. Second place wentto Floyd Webb of Ponte Verde,Florida, for his Suzuki GS1000E.Best of Show went to StevePasswater from Anderson, Indianafor his Honda CB400F.

A special tribute for 25 years ofdedicated service to VJMC wasawarded to Hayden Shepley. Thisaward had an interesting adventuretrying to catch up with its recipient!We put this award together forHayden for Bikeweek 2003, butHayden didn’t make the event. Be-cause rumor had it that Hayden wasalways at the White Rose MotorcycleClub Show, Robin Markey offered topresent the award to him at the WhiteRose meet. So I shipped it out. ButHayden slipped away early from the

meet, and we missed him again! Fi-nally, Robin brought the award withhim to Daytona, and we presented itto Hayden here in Florida as origi-nally planned, albeit a year late. Theaward recognized Hayden for his 25years of dedication to promoting theclub. I am sure that many of us re-member Hayden passing out infor-mation at many motorcycle eventsover the years.

If you have never been to Floridafor Bike Week and have heard all thecrazy stories, take it from us that theyare probably true. So start planning

now for Bikeweek 2005 and let thelocal VJMC folks show you whymotorcycling in Florida is hard tobeat.

Thanks first of all to all those whoparticipated in the show and specialthanks to Marty Landry for the tro-phies, to Paul Franchina for judgingactivities, to Norm Smith forHayden’s Service award, to JerryWood and company for sharing hisauction venue, and to Harris Turnerand the good folks of the Ohio BSAclub.

See you all at the Rally!

VJMC Daytona Bike Week 2004

Top left: Steve Passwater’s 1975 Honda CB400F won Best of Show. Top right: Secondplace went to Floyd Webb for his 1980 Suzuki GS1000E. Bottom left: Third Best ofShow went to Mark VonMandel for a 1979 Honda CBX. Bottom right: Hayden Shepleyfinally gets his VJMC service award

www.vjmc.org 9


Member profile: Pete Boody

by Alex Hamilton

I first met (Pistol) Pete Boody at the Classic WingClub’s Mall Show in Maryville, Tennessee, in 1999.Pete was the local Classic Winger that sponsored theevent to showcase the bikes that are very near and dearto his heart, and is probably one of the most knowledge-able authorities on this classic machine. In fact, in De-cember of 1999, Pete published an article in the ClassicWing Club’s newsletter on the 1975 GL1000, whichdrew attention to the specifics of this revolutionary ma-chine.

Since our first meeting, Pete and I have worked to-gether on several projects and we both joined the Vin-tage Japanese Motorcycle Club at about the same time. I

guess that it was at the VJMC’s National Rally inAsheville that I began to understand and appreciatePete’s love and knowledge of all of the older Japanesemotorcycles. Unlike myself, Pete has a sincere apprecia-tion for the detail that goes into restoration and he has aknack for finding parts that are almost impossible tofind.

In 2002, together we found a 1975 GL1000 with only13,000 miles on the clock, and I was fortunate enough tobe able to purchase it (with the approval of Pete and on theunderstanding that he would restore the bike to “original”condition). This restoration is now complete and if youwere at the 2003 VJMC Rally, you would have seen abeautiful restored candy apple green 1975 GL1000 ondisplay.

Pete’s love of motorcycles as well as his desire to seeVJMC expand has led him to its presidency in 2004. I’venever known Pete to be able to turn down a challenge, ei-ther with a restoration or with VJMC. And I sincerely be-lieve that this was the way in which Jim Townsendviewed Pete’s nomination for the Presidency. This wasJim’s opportunity to vacate the position and hand it overto a very dedicated, knowledgeable, and enthusiasticVJMCer, knowing that he was putting the club in goodhands whilst being able to be on the board to guide Pete asneeded.

Pete and his lovely wife Venita were responsible for theformation and were the backbone of the first chapter ofVJMC in the USA, the VJMC First Volunteers of Tennes-see, Chapter One. And it was Pete that envisioned the con-cept for the VJMC rally in Oak Ridge in September of2003, which turned out to be very successful. So movingon up to take the helm of VJMC was a natural progressionfor Pete.

Pete values the knowledge and experience of othermembers of the board and in the club, and of those respon-sible for the growth of VJMC in past years. I’m confidentthat he’ll want to draw on their experience to help VJMCNorth America to grow and prosper. Not necessarily theeasiest person to work with, Pete has always been avail-able to listen and learn! And Pete has always been there tooffer advice, suggestions, and help to those working on aproject. Pete can be tenacious and self-determined, but inmy opinion, without these qualities there is no way inwhich he could have undertaken this job with VJMC. Petehas a vision for VJMC; he wants this to be the best andmost enjoyable motorcycle club in North America, wheremember input is paramount to success, where memberswill be prepared to share knowledge, enjoy and promotesafe riding, and gather once a year to appreciate our trea-sures, spin yarns, swap motorcycles and parts, and partyheartily.

"Pistol" Pete Boody pauses from restoration work on abike.

10 www.vjmc.org


VJMC officers and field reps

MINNESOTACharles “Chip” Miller4119 Wentworth Ave S.Minneapolis MN 55409E-mail: [email protected]: 612-822-5176

MISSISSIPPIRodney Langford6009 Cowden RdAmory MS 38822Email:

[email protected];[email protected]

Phone: 662-256-8754

MISSOURIFred Reynolds Jr.P.O. Box 222, 205 St. BernardMissouri City MO 64072E-mail: [email protected]: 816-750-4544

MONTANANone

NEBRASKAKim Herald1322 First AveKearney NE 68847E-mail: [email protected]: 308-234-1587

NEVADANone

NEW HAMPSHIREChristine Tebbetts162 Morrill StGilford NH 03249E-mail: [email protected]: 603-528-7723

Ron Burton24 Cathy StMerrimack NH 03054E-mail:[email protected]: 603-429-2436

NEW JERSEYSteve Sutton1145 Martine AvePlainfiled NJ 07060E-mail: [email protected]: 908-753-7497

NEW MEXICONone

NEW YORKRocco Liuzzi4637 S Onandaga RoadNedrow NY 13120E-mail: [email protected]: 315-469-5830

Joe Gavin5684 DaCola ShoresConesus NY 14435E-mail: [email protected]: 515-346-3103

NORTH CAROLINABen Kirk4112 Landover LaneRaleigh NC 27616E-mail: [email protected]: 919-266-9879

NORTH DAKOTANone

OHIOKen Carlson16344 SR 309Kenton OH 43326E-mail:[email protected]: 419-675-2995

David Hellard2741 Orders Rd.Grove City, OH 43123E-mail: [email protected]: 614-871-1154

OKLAHOMATerry SandersonP.O. Box 15178Del City, OK 73155E-mail: [email protected]: 405-670-2590

OREGONBill Roberson2215 NW Irving #22Portland, OR 97210E-mail: [email protected]: 503-819-7894

PENNSYLVANIA (EASTERN)Bob Pryor1323 Zook RoadAtglen PA 19310E-mail: [email protected]: 610-593-5576

PENNSYLVANIA (WESTERN)Dave Kukulski1674 Sunny RoadLickingville PA 16332E-mail: [email protected]: 814-744-9246

RHODE ISLANDMike Muessel14 Beacon Hill RoadNewport RI 02840E-mail: [email protected]: 401-846-1594

SOUTH CAROLINADon Smith3470 Kel Sam DriveDalzell SC 29040E-mail: [email protected]: 803-499-9544

SOUTH DAKOTANone

TENNESSEE (EASTERN)Pete Boody102 Foxwood CircleOliver Springs TN 37840E-mail: [email protected]: 865-435-2112

TENNESSEE (WESTERN)Mark Casillas3504 Glyn Carroll CoveBartlett TN 37917E-mail: [email protected]: 865-546-5309

Continued from page 7

www.vjmc.org 11


TEXASDoug Gregory15410 Rue Saint Honore Dr.Tomball, TX 77375E-mail: [email protected]: 281-379-2256

Curby Keith2312 Southridge Dr.Sachse, TX 75048E-mail: [email protected]: 972-530-5853

UTAHNone

VERMONTKris M. McCabe2475 Rte. 44Brownsville, MI 05037E-mail: [email protected]: 802-674-6032

VIRGINIALou Demmel113 Wendy St.

Stafford VA 22554E-mail: [email protected]: 540-659-6255

WASHINGTONRalph NobleP.O. Box 295Keyport WA 98345E-mail: [email protected]: 360-779-5922

Jeff and Connie Payne9412 W. Trails RoadSpokane WA 99224E-mail: [email protected]: 509 838-1396

WEST VIRGINIADonald BerryP.O. Box 544Barboursville WV 25504E-mail: [email protected]: 304-733-6594

WISCONSINNone

WYOMINGNone

CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIAJames Hawkins7 Buckhorn PlacePort Moody BC V3H 4M2E-mail: [email protected]: 604-719-3473

ONTARIOAndre Okazaki1745 Dufferin STToronto ONT M6E 3N9E-mail: [email protected]: 416-654-5421

QUEBECMarcel Lachapelle12015 Ste GertrudeMontreal-Nord QUE H1G 5 R3E-mail: [email protected]: 514-322-5451

WWW.TIMSCBX.COMWe Specialize in Japanese Bikes

•RESTORATION•ENGINE OVERHAUL

•CARBURETOR REBUILD

World’s No. 1 Supplier of•NOS•OEM•AFTERMARKET PARTS

FOR THE HONDA CBX

TIMS International Motorcycle SupplyToll Free (877) 846-7229

Interested in Old Motorcycles?Join the Antique Motorcycle Club of America! The largestorganization in the country devoted to antique motorcycles.Membership includes an 88 page full-color quarterly magazineloaded with feature articles, and a free Want Ad section.Sign me up!Name ____________________________________Address __________________________________City ____________________ State ____ Zip______

Dues: U.S. Residents ......$20.00 Canada ......$30.00

Mail to:Antique Motorcycle Club of America Inc.P.O. Box 310V, Sweetser, IN 469871 800 782-AMCA (2622)

To participate in club events and place want ads bikes must be 35 years old.

Join theClub!

Or join on-line at:www.antiquemotorcycle.org

Special Introductory OfferFor New Members

12 www.vjmc.org


Tech tip: Adding a center stand to a 1980Honda CT 110

by Ralph Walker

I’m a new owner of a Trail 110,and one of the first things I noticedwas that it has no center stand. Per-haps Honda did not think it wouldlast long enough to need the oilchecked or a tire changed. Or per-haps they really needed the $2 theysaved by omitting the stand. In anycase, it’s a design error that is easilycorrected. This procedure may alsoapply to other models that lost fea-tures which had been standard inearlier years.

Examination of my CT110 showedthat none of the fittings associatedwith the stand had been altered forthe 1980 model year. Used stands areavailable on eBay, but I found that allfour parts that I needed were stillavailable from Honda. I bought theparts from BikeBandit.com, but theymay also be available fromPowerSportsPro.com, and their illus-trations are better.

Here are the Honda part numbersneeded. These are not the same as theonline ordering numbers:

50500-102-700 Stand . . . . . $27.8550523-102-700 Hook . . . . . . $2.5395011-62000 Rubber B. . . . . . $.9895014-71102 Spring A . . . . . $1.80Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.00

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.16

Installation

This is your only chance to properlypaint the center stand. I sprayed minewith clear epoxy, let it dry, and bakedit in an oven at 150°F for a couple ofhours.

The stand and brake pedal share thesame shaft. Remove the cotter pin onthe left side of this shaft. Remove the12mm nut and washer securing theright side of the shaft to the frame.Clean the mud off the shaft andgrease it now. Drive the shaft out

from the left side, stopping as soon asthere is room to insert the centerstand.

Put the rubber bumper into the holeat the top of the stand (so your standdoesn’t bang into the frame). Attachthe hook to the stub on the shaftbracket. Drive the shaft back where

it belongs. Reinstall the cotter pin,12mm nut, and washer. Attach thesmall pigtail of the spring to thehook, from the rear. Finally, usingyour automobile brake spring tool orsimilar, stretch the spring over thelug on the stand. That’s it! You are

finished.

Ralph Walker’s 1980 Honda C110 with new sidestand attached.

Attention all members: If you move, changeaddresses or change e-mail addresses, please

notify the membership chair as soon aspossible. This is important.

www.vjmc.org 13


VJMC Massachusetts picnic

by Dave Richter

The first annual VJMC picnic inMassachusetts, in my opinion, was asmashing success. The Northamptonweather looked grim right up untilmid morning and surely scared offmost of the folks from Vermont, NewHampshire, and Maine. Unfortu-nately, the storm was passing thatway and didn’t clear up there untilmidday, which was by then too latefor them to attend. We in Mass, how-ever, had perfect, dry weather in themid 70s with puffy white clouds andblue sky, but this came only after asomewhat dubious early morningsky.

Paul Teehan and his twosons-in-law met at my house to rideto Look Park with me and my sonTim, who is visiting from Tennessee.Paul was riding his freshly restored,beautiful blue CB160. He had ar-ranged for his sons-in-law Doug andScott to ride his restored CB77Dream and Honda 350 Four. My sonTim chose to ride my red Dream ofVJMC picnic flyer fame, and I rode acleaned up CB160 Honda Sport thatPaul had helped me prep out of thebarn only days before the meet.

Our arrival at the park was met byJack Delaney, who was setting up theVJMC table. Jack had prepared sev-eral notebooks for registration, bikesfor sale, parts for sale, and partswanted. He also erected the greatVJMC banner that Jim Townsendhad loaned us for the event. On theVJMC table we also displayed a fewphoto albums and membership appli-cations and also had VJMC calendarsfor sale. Iced soda and snacks occu-pied another table.

Most of the attendees arrived early,around 11a.m., and Jack and I greetedthem as they arrived. There werefolks that Jack had invited and folksthat I had invited – both people thatwe knew from the club and peoplethat we had never met! We had not

limited our invitations to VJMCmembers since we wanted all of ourfriends to share the fun. Because ofthis, there was a great variety of bikeson display, including Harleys,Ducatis, BMWs, Triumphs, Hondas,all kinds of vintage Japanese bikes,and possibly others. We were strate-gically situated in an area where parkgoers had to drive by the bikes and ta-

bles, and we actually flagged down afew riders who looked interested asthey passed by.

There were about 40 to 50 attendeesand probably a dozen fairly old Japa-nese bikes. We all had a great timemingling with different groups, andJack and I made every effort to intro-

Top: Chuck Miller’s Original 1975 Kawasaki H1. Bottom: (left to right): Paul Teehan,Dave Richter, Jack Delaney (seated) and two picnic guests.

See Massachusetts, page x

14 www.vjmc.org


VJMCers experience "Ride to Remember"

Thank You, Peter Egan

by Ken Carlson

Saturday morning somewhere inrural Indiana; most of it is that way. Iam huddled in a rickety barn withhalf a roof and no doors, my cyclewedged in on one side of a very oldNew Holland something-or-other.

Outside, the rain is flying by thebarn almost horizontally and lightingis hitting on all sides. Me, I am sittingon a log stump reading Peter Egan’sLeanings, a great story about fixingup an old Honda Benly and taking atour on it. I have a Benly myself andcan agree with everything Peter saysabout the mighty little touring bike.The motivation for getting into thiswet situation came from the initialchapters of Peter’s book. I have onlyread the first part of it, because thebook is so good that I want to savor it:sort of like eating a cheese-cake—small bites to enjoy for as longas possible. The overwhelming les-son that I have been learning is a vari-ation of that old saying, “It’s thejourney and not the destination thatmatters.” I think the point that the au-thor is trying to get across is that youdon’t need a meaningful, justifiableexcuse to take a bike trip. Any reasonis good enough.

I had seen advertisements forEgan’s book, but it looked like all theother over-promoted works (did youever see a book advertised as “secondrate—buy at a garage sale fordime?”). But a couple of fellow bik-ers, Mike Krzemian and Ed Abdo,who are on a cross country trip ridingvintage Honda Super Hawks to pro-mote an upcoming Honda anniver-sary, have a web site dedicated totheir adventure and how it began(http://mysite.verizon.net/hondacub). It is in the web site that Ed refers toPeter’s book as the seed that grewinto their journey. I became intriguedby that reference and bought a copy

of the book. And Peter’s stories havebolstered my confidence to take myown trip for no particular reason.Since Ed and Mike were passingthrough Indiana and making a pro-motional stop in Indianapolis, itseemed to be a perfect reason to rideover and meet them. Perhaps I might

get Ed to sign my copy of the booksince he encouraged me to buy it, Ithought. And that’s how I ended up inthe barn during the rain storm.

Before long, the rain stopped andmy barn-mate swallow and I partedways. I ran into more rain that day butdid finally make the meeting with Ed

Top: Cross-country Travelers Mike Krzemien and Ed Abdo and their Honda SuperHawks. Bottom: Attendees at the Dreyer Honda Stop in Indianapolis during MikeKrzemien and Ed Abdo’s “Ride to Remember”

www.vjmc.org 15


and Mike. They were both nice guysand had some very nice bikes. Edsigned my book and we had a pleas-ant chat. The local VJMC membersput on a nice bike show and it was re-assuring to meet others with the same“vintage affliction.” At the end of theday, I’d logged some 300 miles inOhio and Indiana. All my travelingwas on secondary roads where onecan see and appreciate the prettycountryside. (From what I saw, Indi-ana should make rice their state cropand use all those flooded fields!)

My suggestion to you is to go outand buy Peter Egan’s Leanings. Ev-

erything else will take care of itself.

VJMCers Meet Up withMike and Ed in Indianapolis

by Jim Townsend

Talk about a storm! We had overthree inches of rain and the sky was inthe process of looking like we were infor more when I was getting ready toleave for Indianapolis to meet EdAbdo and Mike Krzemien who areriding across the USA on a pair ofHonda CB77 Super Hawks. The planwas to meet at The Dreyer Hondamotorcycle shop, one of the oldest

Honda dealerships in the country,have a motorcycle show, and meet Edand Mike. But even though the bikeswere loaded on the open trailer andready to go, I felt it best to just drivethe car and leave the bikes in the ga-rage rather than drive for two hourseach way in the rain.

I got there about an hour early andwas met by Don Mores from Whit-ing, Indiana. We spent the hour look-ing at all the new bikes. Dreyer wasjust opening a new building for a ser-vice shop and we were able to usepart of the building to bring the showinside, out of any possible continuedrain.

At a bit before the 11:00am startingtime, guys began drifting in out ofthe weather and the show bikesstarted to accumulate. Eventually,there were about 25 bikes there forthe show. Brian Capps, fromDreyer’s parts department and longtime VJMC member who was run-ning the show, was getting a bit wor-ried that it would be a rainout.Everything turned out well, though,as there were 40 or so VJMC mem-bers and a lot of others that stoppedby. We had grilled hot dogs, cake,and plenty of soft drinks, courtesy ofDreyer.

The guests of honor, MikeKrzemien and Ed Abdo, both em-ployees of American Honda in Cali-fornia, rode in on two of the nicestrestored Honda Super Hawks that Ihave ever seen. They had just man-aged to make it between showerswithout getting soaked!

We all had a great time discussingthe different bikes and we asked Edand Mike if they had a chase car fol-lowing them. Ed said he was Mike’sand Mike was his support vehicle.They are doing this ride without anyother support on the road. This isquite a feat on two 35 year old motor-cycles!

Some of the VJMC officers therewere Vice President Ellis Holman,Secretary Scott Timoff, Ohio FieldRepresentative Ken Carlson, IndianaField Representative Kirk McKillip,and Senior Director Jim Townsend.The event was hosted by BrianCapps.

The First prize in the bike showwas won by Ellis Holman with hisimmaculately perfect Honda

CL175.

Some of the entries in the Dreyer bike show.

Quick Tip ofthe Month

“Minor surface blemishes onchrome plated parts may besafely removed with a liberalapplication of toothpaste andwater, using a new plasticscouring pad.”

Check out the classifieds

section of this issue for

dozens of bikes, parts,

and miscellaneous items

wanted and for sale.

16 www.vjmc.org


When vintage is not vintage-the Yamaha XS650

by Eric Lewis

When is vintage not really vintage? Why, when it in-volves the Yamaha XS650 motorcycle series.

The XS650 was sold from late 1969 (1970 model year)through 1983 in the US, through 1984 in Canada, andthrough 1985/86 in other world markets. Total productionwas about 500,000 of the marque.

Taken as a whole, the Yamaha XS650-engined motorcy-cle has been configured for just about any type of 2-, 3-,and even 4-wheeled use (plus a couple of other applicationsthat no one had considered). To this day, this wonderful se-ries of motorcycles continues to be sought after and used invarious capacities and configurations, including:

Universal Japanese motorcycle: Standard, Roadster,XS1, XS1b, XS2, TX650, TX650A, XS650B, XS650C,

XS650D, XS650E, XS650F, XS650OEM factory custom: Special, Special II, Heritage

Special, US Custom, XS650SE, XS650SF, XS650-2F,XS650SG, XS650G, XS650SH, XS650H, XS650SJ,XS650SK, XS650SL, XS650S

Standard use: commuting, touring, sport touring, cou-rier, cruiser, new rider trainer, stock show motorcycle,collectible show motorcycle

Custom: chopper, bobber, stutted & lowered custom,American-style custom (read HD or Indian style), Brit-ish-style custom (read Tri/BSA/ Nor style), street fighterstyle-custom, beater motorcycle, museum art work, gui-tar-bodied custom, repowering vintage chassis (Nortonfeather bed, Triumph Twin), repowering modern chassis

(Kawasaki KZ750 Twin, FJ600, FZ600, TDM900)Specialty: street tracker, off-road style, cafe racer,

sleeper street drag racer, exhibition stunt bike, police mo-

torcycle (Japan: 1971,1972?)Competition: flat track racer, tourist trophy racer,

enduro racer, hill climber, ice racer, road racer, (as newand vintage), Sprint Racer (UK)/Drag Racer(US), Speed-way Oval Racer(Japan), Bonneville Salt Flats racer, sand

drag racer, dual-engined for sprint/drag racingSidecar: standard US-right, standard UK-left, off-road

side car racer, handicapped wheelchair sidecarOther cycles: ATV trike, sand dragster trike, street trikeOther applications: homemade go-cart engine, Honda

Odyssey dune buggy engine conversion, competitionswamp buggy engine, small paddle wheel boat engine,dugout canoe engine, rough cut sawmill table saw motor

Overbored: 700cc, 750cc, 840cc, 960cc, 1040ccSleeved down: 500/550cc (hill climb class)Induction: two standard carburetors; one carburetor;

turbo chargedThe Yamaha 650 Society is flourishing today mostly be-

cause of interest in the XS650 twin via several avenues. The

street tracker or flat track style has helped rescue a largenumber of beat-up old 650s from the scrap heap by the con-scious subtraction of parts to make the road-going equiva-lent of a dirt track sprint car. Plus, surprisingly enough, theuse of the XS650 as a jump-off point for a hard tail chopperor lowered custom chopper is once again becoming increas-ingly popular. It happened in the ‘70s when everyone wasbuilding them, and it is apparent that the XS650 as a chopperor custom is appealing to the consumer who cannot affordthe entry pricing of modern V-twin cruisers (whether Amer-ican-made or metric). A running, beat-up XS650 with titlecan be had for about $500-$700, if not less at times (evenfree); contrast this with the pricing of some chrome accesso-ries for major brand V-twin cruisers. There is no worryabout cutting apart a valuable bike from altering a beat-up or

Top: A 1971 XS2 650 sales brochure cover. Bottom: A 1972XS650.

www.vjmc.org 17


weather-worn XS650 into a custom-framed motorcycle, andoften the owners get more admiring stares and questions byvirtue of designing and building their own custom creationversus paying for a professionally-built one with a $100,000limit platinum credit card. So for about $500 for the bike andanywhere from $500 to $3000 more for customization, abuilder can have a neat custom machine with loud thumperpipes that draws stares from other riders, and may only cost$100 per year to tag and insure in some localities.

Of course, there is also interest in the restoration and reno-vation of these bikes, with some riders renovating the 650swith modern running gear (e.g., new swingarms fromKawasaki Ninja 250s and Yamaha Radians), rebuilt wirewheels, modernized wiring and fuse boxes, Mikuni VMcarbs, other model wheels, other model forks, etc. Otherowners concentrate on pure restoration, which is now mucheasier with the appearance of several dedicated vendors tothe Yamaha 650 motorcycle enthusiast. The mechanicalsimplicity of the engine (two cylinders, exhaust valves, in-take valves, and carburetors) and the straightforwardframe/chassis helps the new and learning rider/mechanicwork into progressively bigger jobs on the cycle. Plus, theease of access for maintenance to the motor and chassis is abig benefit — no scraping gaskets and buying shims for thevalve adjustment — just use hand tools and feeler gaugesand then pop the valve spring covers back on. This simplic-ity so appeals to the consumer who is willing to invest sometime in learning about the bike as a substitute for money thathe/she may not have to purchase a “modern” cycle. But mostYamaha 650 owners do have other cycles in their garages,divided about 60/40 between older models and newer onesas the “other” motorcycle. And most have more than oneXS650, whether running or for donor parts.

Another avenue that some riders/builders are exploring isrephasing the engine from 360° to 277° or 270°. Again, be-cause of the number of XS650s still available even in 2004,riders have taken extra engines from dead chassis, reconfig-ured the crank, and reground the cam to create a smootherrunning version of the engine. So many have done this that I

believe a major cam maker is now offering a cam specificallyground for this application, and an aftermarket electronic igni-tion company is offering an ignition conversion kit for the en-gine. The validity of this engine configuration was recentlyproven with the new Triumph twin with the model year 2003790cc Speedmaster with a 270° twin engine. Unfortunately,the wealth of used XS650s (plus the typical owner profile)makes the prospect of a modern reissue near negligible; refer-ence the Kawasaki W650 sales for the obvious issues relatedto that decision by Yamaha management.

The XS650 Society was started in December 1978, and Iam its fourth and current Director (since May 2003). TheSociety was started when the XS650 motorcycles werenew, endured through the Japanese motorcycle glut yearsof the early to mid 1980s, was around when the cycles werejust old motorcycles, and has raised the banner higher asfolks come back around to the cycle they had during theiryouth and as new riders discover an inexpensive bike tolearn on and own that won’t embarrass them in group rides.

So when is vintage not vintage? When owners use thecycle as originally intended or rebuild it into an expres-

sion of their own talents and psyches.Editor’s note: Mr. Lewis is Director of the Yamaha 650

Society. He can be reached at: Yamaha 650 Society, P.O.

BOX 218841, Nashville, TN, 37221-8841.

A 1977 XS650D sales brochure.

18 www.vjmc.org


The Road to Twinvilleby T.D. Bash

It was 1977 when I had last strad-dled the seat of an infamous vintageJapanese twin produced by a makerof musical instruments. Somehow, itseemed fitting that a motorcycle thatwas already “aged” in design couldbe analogous to a violin that only getsbetter with the passing of time. Beingthe bearer of the tuning fork logobore with it the responsibility to up-hold this image, and so far Yamahahad done well in this area with bothits musical instruments and motorcy-cles, particularly with the 650 twin. Iknew back in 1977 when I first pur-chased my used ‘75 XS650B that thisbike, like one of the many guitars thatI had collected of the same brand,was destined to show its age well, im-prove while retaining its vintageroots, and find itself in classic statusone day. Indeed, years later it wouldfind its way into the first Americanedition (1995) of Hugo Wilson’s“The Encyclopedia of the Motorcy-cle,” the book of all books to own forany motorcycle enthusiast and collec-tor. Even back in ‘77 the bike drewattention from enthusiasts of alltastes, as rumors abounded of its rep-utation as the “650 Twin that Tri-umph never built.” This was perhapsthe only bike from the Big Four in Ja-pan that could live up to a title likethat. Kawasaki had tried in 1965 withits W1-650 BSA knockoff, but it wasshort lived because of either beingahead of its time for the Americanmarket or more likely because its en-gine was a near clone of the BSA, andsome folks did not take kindly to that.Consumers also may not have beenable to find trust in a lone four strokeproduced by a company with a stableof two strokes. In any event, despitethe fact that Yamaha’s new-for-’69four stroke twin very much resem-bled a 1962 Norton 650SS Domina-tor vertical twin power plant, thecompany was able to successfullypull off the two stroke to four stroke

transition beyond all logic, and carvea niche cult-like market with its out-dated two cylinder model at a timewhen the multi-cylinder Super Bikerace had captivated most buyers.

Yes, even back in ‘77, I was part ofthat niche. I suppose this was becauseI had already logged many miles onmy college cronies’ ‘69 TriumphBonneville and ‘67 BSA Rocketyears earlier and had fallen in lovewith the graceful styling and trumpet-ing sound of the British twins. But Iwas somehow never enamored withthese bikes’ gratuitous pitfalls ofleaky transmissions, electrics thatwould fail always at night, and vibra-tion that was not akin to that “good”type that the Beach Boys sang about,although admittedly, my ears did ringfrom the throaty sounds of Twinville.

So by the time I purchased my firstXS650B, I had followed its develop-ment and reputation for a good eightyears since Yamaha’s introduction ofthe original ‘69 XS-1. This was a“tried” motorcycle by many, includ-ing the likes of Kenny Roberts, whotook his flat track XS650 to the

American Championships in both1973 and 1974. And its maker hadstayed true to “tuning fork” form.Previous models had already adaptedstandard upgrades like electric startand front disc brake. With the intro-duction of the ‘75 B came an im-proved handling frame, aluminumrims, a neat safety feature dash lightthat lit when the brake was engagedand would not light if the rear taillight burned out, and a new paintscheme that included a black basecoat with gold metal flake clear coatand unique intertwining gold andwhite stripes that set it apart from allother XS650 models. This bike hadcome of age to not only meet the styl-ing mark of its Brit rivals, but by1975 had indeed surpassed them indesign, reliability, performance, andhandling. No longer could the failingBritish manufacturers hold a claim onthat Twinville mystique. TheYamaha twin had superior paint andgraphics (the Brits still used oldschool paint types and methods), andwith engineered counter balancers, itwas not plagued by the Brit problems

The Sales Brochure for the 1975 650B Model highlighted the Instrumentation, Front DiscBrake, Suspension, and Engine Design.

www.vjmc.org 19


of parts vibrating off and unusablerear view mirrors. The electrics werenever an issue, it was oil tight, youdidn’t have to tickle finicky leakycarbs, and with advent of the newframe and lighter rims, it handledbetter than a Triumph Bonneville. Isit any wonder this bike was so popu-lar for those long desiring to own aBrit twin but shied away from the UKmodels because of their unresolvedproblems?

I was sold on the XS650B and setout with a vengeance to find a niceunmolested, low mileage model,scouring the newspaper ads daily forseveral months. This was not, I re-mind you, the days of multiple “ForSale” publications and internet ac-cess where multitudes of bikes are in-stantly available for your finger tipsto do the walking and peruse literallythousands of models at a glance. Iwas also young and on a budget,which limited my acquisitionchoices. The mighty Yamaha XS650twin had expanded its reputation as afine reliable commuter bike, so find-ing even a two-year-old model withfewer than 20K miles in Houston,Texas (where bikes are driven yearround and “rode to death”), with lim-ited resources and funds was likefinding a needle in the proverbial

haystack. Months passed and I wason the verge of giving up on mysearch when a friend told me about abike that he had seen sitting along thehighway near the Astrodome that hada For Sale sign on it. Buford espousedthat although he was no expert onbike makes, he could have sworn itwas a Triumph with some other nameemblazoned across its tank. I wastedno time in coaxing the location out ofhim and reamed him a newyou-know-what for not stopping andgetting a phone number off the sign! Iat least had succeeded in guilting himinto giving me a lift to see this “un-known Triumph in disguise,” figur-ing I was due for a break. It wasFriday and I had just cashed my $650paycheck that was burnin’ a bike holein my pocket! Besides, if it turned outto be my dream bike, it would not bethe first time a strange synchronicitylike this had happened to me.

As I verbally psyched us both up forthe find of a lifetime, chalking it up tomy good karma, my buddy remindedme that I was behind in a bill or twoand owed him a $20 spot, and maybehe was not doing me such a favor byleading me blindly down the road toTwinville! “The heck with BILLS,” Isnipped, “just get in the damn truckand drive, fool!” It was only a 10 mile

haul across Houston from theWestheimer apartment to the dome,and we arrived in its vicinity in shortorder.

My buddy Buford was by now stonedon Mexican reefer and Lone Star beerand was rubbernecking at literally ev-erything in glassy eyed “Wow man,”Tommy Chong amazement. Even withthe windows down, the truck was filledwith cumulus clouds and I was won-dering if his lucky spotting was nothingmore than a hallucination. “I coulda’sworn it was right around here some-where man,” he proclaimed in slowmotion as he tried to pass me his liba-tion, knowing full well that I was notpartaking. “Just find the damn bike,” Ibarked back, further losing my coolwith each passing moment. As we satperched along the side of the road, myeyes wandered along the arc of theCamel butt that I had just flipped outthe window and down at the macadam.Following its trail, I spotted a small pa-per sign with tire track imprints thathad half ground it into the pavement.There, embedded with limestone parti-cles, inscribed in barely readablechicken scratching, the sign read:“FOR SALE - 1975 Yamaha 650$1000 OBO.” As I jumped out ofBuford’s ‘70 Cheyenne and lunged forthe paper, a tiny Texas twister pickedup and threatened to sweep the visionof a sale right out from under me. Butwith my heart racing at what felt like athousand beats per minute, a bramblebush came out of nowhere and brushedpast me, as if a sign of destiny. Fromthe crackling speaker of the oldChevy’s AM radio, the sounds of ClintEastwood’s The Good, the Bad, andthe Ugly wafted across the wind, and Icame to my senses and screamed,“Where the hell is this bike?” At thatpoint, I was at the driver’s windowwith my hand “affectionately” aroundBuford’s neck, threatening to hide hisgoodies forever if I lost out on this mo-torcycle, waving the sign in his face,and hoping that he would inhale somefresh air that might bring him backdown to Earth.

A sales brochure for the 1975 XS650B.

See Twinville, page 28

20 www.vjmc.org


Five-speed faves: the Honda CB450 K1 and K2by Rick Darke

Summer’s here and the time is rightfor taking those venerable DOHCtwins out on the street. Thirty-sixyears after their introduction, Honda’s5-speed CB450s still offer a power-fully good-looking ride. Quickenough for the highway, yet comfort-able on curvy country roads, these de-pendable twins are durably versatile.

Increasingly collectible, the four-speed Bomber (CB450K0) seems tohave at last overcome its mid-Six-ties-era critics, and is rightly reveredfor the technological precedent it set.But learning to love that whale of atank and the military-style fenders(and I do) won’t correct the carbure-tion, vibration, and transmission defi-ciencies that marred the K0. Honda’sresponse to the critics resulted in adramatically improved motorcycle,the 5-speed CB450K1, introduced tothe U.S. market in 1968. So thor-oughly redesigned that the cases arenot interchangeable, the new en-gine/transmission’s better balance andsmartly spaced five speeds make aworld of difference to the rider. Cou-pled with improved carburetion, theK1 behaves like an entirely differentmachine. Dramatically altered cos-metically, the new 5-speed modelswere more similar to the then-popularTriumph Bonneville in profile, whileretaining the chrome-sided “toaster”tank that was a Honda tradition.

I divide my 450 time between a K1and a K2, both candy red. The K1,originally titled in California in 1968,was in storage more than twenty yearsbefore I acquired it. A year of elbowgrease and NOS-parts hunting has putit back to near-new condition. Al-though only one year older than my1969 K2, the K1 seems to belong to adifferent era, and I’m especially fondof the way the tank panels mirror thepassing landscape. The K2’s tanklacks chrome panels but shares thedistinctive gold-striped paint schemeof the first SOHC 750. In other ways,

it still belongs squarely to the Sixties,being the last CB450 with ascrew-type gas cap, front drum brake,black forks and headlight shell, andaluminum (non-anodized) handlebarfittings. I’m lucky to live near a lot of

still-open country, where the roads dipand turn through field and forest, thesummer scent of honeysuckle fills thehollows, and the distinctive note of a450 twin draws friendly waves from

country kids on bicycles.

The CB450K2 in late June against a Pennsylvania field of ripening winter wheat. Gastank, seat, and air cleaner covers are the only significant differences between theCB450K2 (foreground) and the CB450K1 (background).

www.vjmc.org 21


The minister's bike: restoration of Z-1 No. 265by Greg Walker

I purchased Z-1 number 265 from aTexas minister in October, 2000. I paid$1000 for the bike, which seemed likea bargain until it arrived. My first reac-tion upon its arrival, some 30 days afterpurchase, was, “Yuk – this bike is go-ing to need a complete restoration.”Somewhat embarrassed by the condi-tion of the bike, I began complete dis-assembly immediately. Within a weekor so all the parts were ready to start therefinishing process. But I rememberthinking as I disassembled the bike thatthis motorcycle had once been some-one’s pride and joy. The original ownerof the 1973 Kawasaki Z-1 number 265was one of the first owners of a newZ-1 in the world. Unfortunately for thebike, though, it was forgotten by itssubsequent owners a long time ago.

I choose to restore number 265 be-cause of the uniqueness of the earlyZ-1s. The first few thousand bikeshad lots of little differences that makethem the most collectable:

• The first 2200 bikes had the car-buretor synchronization nipples inthe head.

• The carburetor bodies had thefront casting seam removed.

• Various chassis bolts hadstrength numbers.

• There was a star pattern insidethe caliper Allen head bolts.

• The exhaust pipes had no serialnumbers or stainless steel bands overthe weld connection.

• The paint color on the CandyBrown model was lighter.

• Bronze valves were subject toearly wear.

• There was no date code on theswing arm or brake torque link.

• The engine number was larger insize and had one less digit.

• There was no shift pattern on thechain cover.

• The valve cover ribs had a differ-ent shape.

• The fork legs had an embossmentnear the fender attachment points.

• The engine cylinder had a differ-ent text for the 903 marking.

• The DOT label on the steeringneck had several misspelled words.

• The bikes sported the early H2style horn, which was screwed to-gether, not riveted.

The differences that lasted throughall or most of the 1973 model year are:

• The engine was painted black.• The fuel tank emblems were

smaller.• There was no brake wear indica-

tor on the rear brake drum.• The chrome headlight brackets

were seamless.• The first 14,500 or so engines

used a one-piece head gasket.• The camtensioner body was longer.• The rectifier was painted black.• Warning light panel was different.• Master cylinder cover was differ-

ent.• The chain adjusters were chrome.• The carburetor choke lever was

different.• The owner’s manual was white

vinyl.• The tool kit had a Velcro strip in-

stead of snaps.• The 1973 speedometer has a space

between the ND and mph marking.• The 1973 tachometer has a space

between the ND and x1000rpmmarking.

• There is no brake indicator lightin the 1973 tachometer.

Kawasaki Z-1 Number 265: The BeforePicture.

Nipples in the head

The early paint color is shown on the left.

Early fork leg

Early DOT sticker

Early H2 style horn

See Minister, page 22

22 www.vjmc.org


I decided to restore the bike in theEuro Candy Green and Yellow paintscheme as a US model, the rarest ofthe Z-1s. I have only seen one authen-tic U.S. model in the Euro Colors, andthat was in a photo of a prototype Z-1taken in Japan at the introduction ofthe Z-1 to the major U.S. motorcyclemagazine journalists in May of 1972.

The fuel tank, side covers, and tailsection were sent to Klasmo Cycles inHamburg, Germany to be repainted inthe Euro Candy Green and Yellowpaint scheme. The Klasmo guys havethe process down. They achieve thecorrect color and metal flake size withan outstanding paint finish.

The frame was then sent to thepainter. Powder coating is better thanpaint, but to preserve the DOT stickeron the steering head, the frame mustbe repainted. The frame was beadblasted, painted with an epoxy primer,and then painted with 95% gloss blacklacquer paint. No clear coat was usedas with the original Kawasaki framepaint jobs. The headlight shell, tripletree top, and taillight bracket werepainted satin black.

The gages were sent to Bob Har-rington in Atlanta Georgia. Thespokes and all the zinc nuts and boltswere sent to Superior Metal Finishersin San Jose, CA. I must admit thatzinc plating is one of my favorite res-toration processes. I drop off a bunchof old nuts and bolts and in return Iget brand new hardware!

I was able to clean and reuse therims and hubs for the wheels withnewly plated spokes.

The chrome parts were sent to BestChrome in San Martin, CA. The U.S.chrome always turns out a little nicerthat the original Japanese chrome.

I refinished the aluminum enginecovers, fork legs, and rear wheel hubat home. The process is quite simple.I removed any severe oxidation withgrade 600 sandpaper. I then polishedthe aluminum with 0000 fine steelwool and semichrome polish. Thefork legs require an additional clean-ing and clear coat step. I used theEastwood diamond clear for the coat-ing. I was able to reuse most of theoriginal parts by cleaning them or byrefinishing them. In the cases when Icould not refinish or when parts weremissing, I replaced those parts withNOS Kawasaki parts. The seat, mas-ter cylinder, handle bar switches, andhorn and main wiring harnesses werereplaced with NOS parts.

The frame and all the parts were re-assembled. The rolling chassis wasnow ready for the engine.

The engine was disassembled andsent to Accurate Powder Coating inSan Carlos, CA. I wanted a ruggedengine paint, and APC powder coatsengines for many applications. Wewere able to match the original colorby referencing NOS engine parts.

Japanese Bike Restorations in SanFrancisco, CA rebuilt the carbure-tors. Jason does great work.

One of the reasons I disassembledthe engine was to confirm that all theinternal parts were in good workingorder. The other reason was to refin-ish the black paint. Upon disassem-bly, we were able to determine thatthe engine really did not have toomany miles logged. The cylinderwear indicated that there were ap-proximately 15,000 miles on the en-gine. The newly powder coatedengine was cleaned and delivered toGreg Spears of Spears Enterprises inCampbell, CA. Greg is one of the bestengine builders on the west coast andis especially good with vintageKawasaki motors.

The engine bottom end was checkedto confirm that the crankshaft was ingood working order. The transmissionwas checked. A new NOS oil pumpwas installed and the bottom was reas-sembled. The piston rings were in-stalled. The barrel was honed and thetop end was rebuilt.

The cam bearing and camshaftswere installed. The engine was reas-sembled and ready for installation.

Bob does good work

New zinc parts

What a difference a little paint, newchrome, and zinc make

Minister: Restoring a Kawasaki Z-1

The restored engine after reassembly


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The engine was installed and manyhours later, after making all the elec-trical connections, the pipes, carbs,and the fuel tank were installed andthe bike was ready to start. Luckilyfor me, it started within a few min-utes. Over the next few weeks Istarted and ran the bike for five to tenminutes at a time to heat cycle thenew engine. I then returned the biketo Greg Spears for fine-tuning. I rodethe bike home, and have been happilyriding the bike ever since!

Under the seat

Ready for the show room

The Texas minister’s bike reborn

Escape from Cubeville Part 2:Lewis & Clark

by Maria Montello

Part 1 appeared in the June issue ofthis magazine.

When you reconnect with your highschool sweetheart after a decade, oneof two things can happen, both ofwhich result in the same exclamation:“What was I thinking?!” In one case,you wonder why you ever hungaround them and in the other, whyyou ever stopped. I must admit thatwhile I was leaning toward the latter,I imagine Bobby was firmly set in theformer. I had come well over 4,000miles on my 1975 Honda 400/4 SuperSport and I looked a bit rough aroundthe edges. My jeans were in tatters,my hind quarters were permanentlydeformed, I stank, and I’m certainthat a small mammal had made itsquarters in the matted mop that wasonce my hair. Regardless, Bob tookme in, gave me a couch, and listenedto my road tales.

After leaving Los Angeles, I waspoised for a romantic ride up coastalRoute 1 with gorgeous ocean viewsand a windy two-laner to keep me en-tertained. Unfortunately, I could onlycatch quick side glimpses at the whitecaps as I was focused on keeping themachine on the road in a battle with awind that seemed to constantlychange direction. Coming around acorner, I was actually blown intoon-coming traffic and fought to pullthe bike back before becoming thenext grease spot. Despite wearing in alayered mass nearly all the clothes Ihad packed, the cold coastal gusts cutthrough me and the damp coolnesssettled into my bones. Rolling intoSan Luis Obispo, my tightened mus-cles relaxed long enough for me to re-alize that the obnoxiously loudguttural cacophony I now heard wasnot a nearby Harley. It was me, littleme, and my otherwise timid 400/4.Having been beaten and bruised bythe cruel California gusts, had the

Super Sport now come into its ownand unearthed its true, animal identityas revealed in this new auditory ex-pression? Hardly. It had blown twonice-sized holes in the underside ofits muffler.

It is no surprise that a stock muffleron a twenty-five year old bike shouldblow out a hole or two. However,with little time to hunt down an af-ter-market muffler and thanks to a tipfrom the guys at a nearby shop, a pitstop at the local hardware store anddumpster dive at the youth hostel ren-dered everything I needed to remedythe situation. Cutting rectangularstrips from Pepsi and Budweiser cansgave me a 3-ply patch that was heldfast to the muffler with a couple ofhose clamps. This MacGyver-esquefix was second in the realm of “folkmechanics” to the twist-tie repair Iwould later perform to hold a shift le-ver on.

My time in San Francisco waswell-spent recovering from the buf-fets of coastal winds, buying a re-placement pair of pants for my nowSwiss cheese-like jeans, and sendingletters. I was sure to send a postcardof the Golden Gate Bridge to the bikeshop folks in Alton, Illinois who hadgiven me a less-than-reassuring peptalk insinuating that I’d most likelymake it to the west coast “on a Grey-hound.” The postcard read simply: “Imade it,” but it was all I could do toleave off “Eat your heart out, baby.”

I passed through Eureka, a Greekphrase meaning “I have found it,”hoping for enlightenment, but dis-covered nothing more than a townshrouded in a cold mist sheddingquite a different light on its name.Passing through a forest of redwoodsalong the “Avenue of the Giants,” Iwished someone had discovered away to bottle a smell. After an eve-ning of olfactory indulgence, I bid

See Cubeville, page 24

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farewell to my leafy friends and wassoon greeted with a different scent –that of the salty sea. The sun had fi-nally made its debut and I spent agood part of a day tickling anemones,looking for starfish, and watching thebursts of sea water that spewed outover the rock outcroppings of CapePerpetua.

For my last night on the coast I de-cided to treat myself to a bed andbreakfast in Newport, Oregon. Thewind was taken out of my sails thenext morning when I discovered thatmy tank bag that I had carelessly lefton the bike was gone. Despite havinglife insurance, health insurance, den-tal insurance, car insurance, motorcy-cle insurance, and being a member ofthe Honda Riders Club, I knew noone would or could replace the rollsof film of the coast I had lost, mymaintenance log, or my original toolkit. I cursed the woman who hadborne the little thief and hoped themold on my half-eaten French loafgave him volcanic indigestion. Luck-ily, my friend Lisa would bring me amajority of the items needed tocomplete the trip. All would be well.

It is rare in one’s life to make a truefriend. Rarer yet is one such friendwho is willing to join you on ridicu-lous excursions riding ancient ma-chinery across the country. Rarest,however, is convincing her dad,owner of said machinery, to ready,transport, and entrust to his daughter,Lisa, what is perhaps a bit of his soul.It was not until I made it to Arizonathat Rick bought into the idea – per-haps because his doubts that I wouldactually make it to Oregon (or out ofthe state of Iowa for that matter) haddiminished or, more likely, becausehe wanted to be able to brag about hisown daughter to “the boys.” None-theless, Rick squeezed into his vanhis own ‘75 Honda 400/4 Super Sportnext to a ‘48 Vincent he was alreadytaking to Oregon for a road rally.

Meeting up in Portland with Lisaand friend, Tony, I anticipated a rest-ful weekend catching up and sleepingon a bed. They had other plans –namely, hiking up a 10,300 ft moun-tain called South Sister. From thesummit, the views of Jefferson, SaintHelens, Hood, Adams, and the othertwo Sisters were extraordinary. How-ever, after dragging my body up anddown that mountain for eight hours, Iwas happy to have never had sistersof my own.

Although it was Lewis and Clark’smission to “find the shortest & mostconvenient route of communicationbetween the U.S. & the Pacific ocean,within the temperate latitudes,” Lisaand I had less noble objectives: not tolose our skins on 25-year old bikesand to experience as much of thebeauty of the land that Lewis andClark’s 200-year-old adventureopened to young America. What wewould travel in three weeks tookthem months to conquer. They

Cubeville: Tracing Lewis & Clark's footsteps


Top: Lisa by the mighty Columbia River. This was the final stretch before Lewis and Clarkcould exalt “Great joy in camp we are in View of the Ocian, this great Pacific Octean whichwe been So long anxious to See.” River riding, not spelling, was their forte. Bottom: Withendless, shower-less days, our hair soon bore a striking resemblance to the shape of ourhelmets.

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dragged boats upstream, portagedhundreds of pounds of gear and ca-noes, traveled with horses over whatmust have seemed like endless moun-tain ranges, and ran rapids even themost skilled rafter today would notconsider.

The mighty Columbia River, whereLewis and Clark struggled to portagearound several falls, was now tamedby a series of dams. With just a twistof the wrist, we rolled lazily alongWashington’s 14 which hugged thenorthern bank under the watchful eyeof Mount Hood. Settling into a stag-gered riding pattern, what we wouldcome to call the “dueling 400/4s” be-came quick friends. In fact, withLisa’s yellow ‘77 tank and side cov-ers and my red ones, we later chris-tened the duo “Ketchup andMustard.”

We had a brief cultural pit stop atthe Meryhill Museum in Goldendale,a town seemingly in the middle of no-where. A wealthy entrepreneur, SamHill, bought a swath of land along theColumbia and built on it a museumwhich seemed to serve as ahigh-brow “bonus room” into whichhe dumped not the unused rowingmachine or yellowed high schoolyearbooks, but the most bizarre jum-ble of travel souvenirs I have seenthrown together in a single space.There were thrones and crowns of theQueen of Roumania juxtaposed witha Rodin sculpture exhibit. NativeAmerican baskets, tools, and clothesshared quarters with Andy Warholprints. Even more odd were the chil-dren’s chess sets next to the “Theatrede la Mode,” a French fashion exhibitwith 1-ft tall Parisian women strikingposes in a diorama-type streetscape.Although I was certain this odd char-acter had to be the source for the ex-pression, the employee at themuseum insisted that “What in theSam Hill?!” predates this Sammy.Regardless, as I readied my bike inthe parking lot, I could not help butmarvel at people and the weird, oldthings they collect.

Top: Ketchup and Mustard, as we called them, “Going to the Sun.” Middle: Al from Cali-fornia with homemade wastepaper basket saddlebags and signature smile. Bottom:Maria floating down the Missouri Lewis and Clark style. See Cubeville, page 26

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That night we camped at the Lewisand Clark State Park located on theoverland route they took on their re-turn to the Missouri. A local mantipped them off that there was a goodroute from the Columbia to theClearwater River, land of the NezPercé. As the sun set, we heard drumbeats and chanting coming from thewoods of a nearby mountain. Theranger explained that they wereblessing a choke cherry tree beforecutting it down for the annual sundance. It is used as part of the vi-sion-seeking ritual through whichmen become warriors. Once cutdown, the trunk of the tree is buriedand at the top of it a wheel mecha-nism is fixed to which ropes are tied.Two cuts are made in the chest ofeach man and, with a bone throughtheir flesh, they are tied to the ropes.The men dance in circles for hours,days. They do not eat. They do notdrink. They do not have relationswith women. They dance.

With archaeological evidence dat-ing their existence on this land backthirteen thousand years, it is no mys-tery why the Nez Percé believe theyhave been there since the beginningof human habitation. While otherswould later use everything from mus-kets to missionaries to lay their claim,these strong, intelligent, spiritualpeople saw the earth as something tobe revered, not owned, as the sourceof all life. Two-hundred years aftertheir encounter with the Nez Percé,we drifted into sleep with quite possi-bly the same lullaby as that of Lewisand Clark – the rhythmic drummingof the Nez Percé celebrating motherearth, the supreme provider.

The fires that plagued the West thatsummer were thought to be the worstin a hundred years. Although a nastyone burned at Lolo Pass, we heardthey were piloting cars through so wedecided to give it a try. The smokebecame thicker with each of the beau-

tiful 70 miles of the meanderingstretch along the Lochsa River. Myasthmatic Super Sport puttered along,but the power loss was noticeablewith the increasing altitude and steepslope. After a 40 minute wait at thetop, we learned that the fire hadjumped the road at the pass and theywere closing it. Despite telling theauthorities that we were part of the400/4 fire brigade, we had to call itquits and head down to camp atWhitehouse. We would try again thenext day.

There is an interesting phenomenonat work when strangers are throwntogether in a situation out of theircontrol, be it tragic or annoying. Per-haps because they know they arestuck together and share at least thisone human experience, they talk.Outside the small store, three mensucked down beer to pass the timecatcalling women and chucklingamongst themselves. Liz, a Brit cy-cling across the States, shared hertales of woe battling road hogs whoshould probably not be trusted be-hind a shopping cart, let alone the

wheel of a behemoth RV. Then therewas Thomas, a retired school teacher,who for twenty-three years had kept ajournal on a monthly calendar. In mi-croscopic writing which was hardlylegible, he wrote the day’s doings andmusings in a 3-in x 3-in space. Iimagined him in his eighties, bentover his calendars with a magnifyingglass, reliving each year square bysquare.

Much to our surprise, flames did notlick at our heels when we were finallylead over Lolo Pass. However, thesmoke followed us through Missoulaand even into Glacier National Park.Originally inhabited by the Black-feet, Glacier is now host to all sortswho seek it out for its soaring moun-tains and crystalline waters. Withnames for Glacier’s natural featureslike McDonald, Howe, Rogers, andBrown, one might not recognize therich history of this land’s native peo-ples. A Kootenai spoke about how hispeople for thousands of generationshave danced each winter by what isnow called McDonald Lake. In re-sponse to the park board’s invitation

Cubeville: Exploring the Great Northwest

Relieved to make it back to Minnesota for the Antique Motorcycle Club’s annual chickenBBQ, we gloried in our good fortune.


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to open the park so that they may continue the sacreddance, they reflected, “Well... it gets pretty cold up there.”He spoke about what has possibly become a thin-ner-skinned generation, and recalled Mark Twain’s solu-tion to the “Indian problem: soap and education.” Thatwas when I realized the irony of the contents of my rightpocket: a Sacagawea dollar which had made the trip withme from Minneapolis and a flattened Mark Twain souve-nir penny picked up in Hannibal. Twain was resettled.

Most interesting was the man’s telling of the origins ofpeoples, the world of spirits, and the Native world view.Everything that you see has a spirit, he said. In order tohelp people, the spirits took the form of natural things liketrees, water, animals, or immaterial things like anger,laughter. Each spirit has a song. The most powerful one,then, is the one who knows the most songs.

We spent three days in Glacier strolling through wild-flower meadows, hiking trails to cascading waterfalls, andleaning through the curves that those mountain roads af-forded. The “Going to the Sun” road over Logan Passteased us with incredible views which beckoned andswitchbacks that demanded our attention. As we waitedour turn at a single-lane section under construction, one ofthe workers mentioned that he had heard about us. While Ithought it odd, I suppose news about anything other thanthe last bear sighting spreads like gossip about adultery ina one-blink town.

We continued down to Great Falls (aptly named since ittook the Corps eight days to portage), stopped in an excel-lent museum, and then headed northeast to Fort Benton.This stretch of the Missouri is the longest preserved in itsnatural state. If we were going to truly experience Lewisand Clark’s adventure, we figured we’d have to get off thebikes and onto the water. We arranged for a canoe rentaland found our way to the city park to camp.

Pitching the tent on the bank of the river, we were flankedby two interesting characters. Al was from California andwas riding to Lake Erie via Route 2 on his Suzuki single-cyl-inder 650 equipped with homemade saddle bags. Irritated athaving to pay fifty bucks for motorcycle bags, he fashionedhis own out of two waste paper baskets held fast by ahand-built wood frame. Except for his Salvador Dali triceps,you’d never guess that Al was eighty-three years old. Hehummed out loud. With anyone who would take them, heshared his witticisms and butterscotch candy. On the otherside was a Harley rider who introduced himself simply as“Road Dog,” explaining, “They say I never know when tocome home.” We must have looked extremely pathetic withour dirty nails and Medusa hair because this Floridian chiro-practor, seemingly floored at seeing two “ladies” ridingcross-country on little, old bikes, took out a wad of fiftiesand offered one to each of us! We did accept his cantaloupe,grapes, and cherries the next morning for breakfast. I willnever forget this gun-toting vegetarian’s self-reflective com-ment: “If you’re dumb, you gotta be tough.”

Somewhere between the Theodore Roosevelt NationalPark and Camp Mandan (where Lewis and Clark addedSacagawea to their band), the strangest thing happened.For nearly 5000 miles I had been plagued with a powerproblem that caused my gas mileage to fall from 50 to aslow as 35 mpg. While I was holding the throttle at 65, thebike suddenly accelerated 7-8 mph – a miraculousself-healing. From then on, my fuel efficiency was com-parable to that of Lisa’s and all was right in my smallworld.

I conclude this story with my final journal entry: “Wecalled and arranged to meet Rick, Lisa’s dad, at noon forlunch in Gaylord, MN. The final stretch would be just 75miles on 19 and a beautiful up and down country road, 89.We were a bit late meeting Rick because we kept takingroads that were closed. First, the road out of Granite Fallsalong the river, then 212, then 1. I stopped followingmarked detours, which took us out of the way, and justmade sure we were basically going east toward the sun.And I suppose that’s how life’s road goes – winding,closed off, gravel, road kill – but you just make sureyou’re heading toward the sun.”

Maria Montello lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota whereshe dreams of her next road trip from the confines of hercubicle. She would like to offer special thanks to RickSchunk who found the gem of a bike, helped get it ready,and provided remote roadside assistance, and to Lisawho showed the depth of her friendship in tolerating bothMaria and a calloused caboose.

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I was nearly convinced that I had lostout on the deal to another buyer andthat my dream bike was long gonewhen my ears perked up and pointedinto the wind as the faint rumbling of amotorcycle could be heard in the dis-tance. It was definitely moving in ourdirection. Raising my hand to my browto visor the blinding Texas setting sun,I looked down the road a way to spy anindiscernible vision of a dark silhouetteof a bike and rider against a bright au-burn horizon littered with road signs,power poles, and redneck saloons. Theinfamous whistle theme from East-wood’s film chimed in as the figure fi-nally slowed down and pulled right upin front of us. I was standing theredumbstruck, holding the sign againstmy chest like a hitch hiker clutching hisdestination placard. “You boys lookin’to buy a motorsicle?” an old codger in-quired as he parked the gleaming me-tallic black and gold 650B next toBuford’s pick-up, leaving its motorrunning. Without hesitation, I blurtedout, “Sir…your sign says ‘Or Best Of-fer.’ Now I happen to have a week’shard-earned wages rolled up hare inmy pocket...would ya’ accept a littleless for this beautiful motorcycle?” Isuggested with beggin’ dog eyes.“Well,” he said, lifting his cap toscratch his head, “this bike was to bemy son’s comin’ home present...but henever made it out of Nam...he turnedup MIA right after I bought the biketwo years ago. I was gonna hang onto itbut his mother says it’s just a sore re-minder and we need to get rid of it. Ionly rode it around a few times to keepit goin’...jump on it and take her for aride...she’s a right fine filly."

I lifted a leg over and peered down atthe odometer that read 02105.3 miles.Now that would not seem like a partic-ularly interesting number under mostcircumstances, but I proceeded withlittle haste to pull my wallet out of myback jeans pocket to withdraw myTexas Drivers License from it. I held

out the license with one arm stretchedwide, offering it up for the old man toevaluate while pointing to the odome-ter with the other. “Can ya make outmy date of birth?” I asked pensively.He took notice of the mileage out ofthe corner of one eye then peered witha squint at my license. “Well I’ll behorse whipped,” he replied with anexpression of astonishment. “It’s Feb-

ruary 10th, 1953! I guess this bike wasmeant to be yours, son...so give mewhat ya got and take her away!” Ipulled out my wad of cash and handedit to him, thinking what could be anymore appropriate to top off this dealthan $650 for a 650 twin? He tookwhat I had and never bothered tocount it. Feeling exceptionally grate-ful, I inferred, “I thank you sir, and I

Top: T.D. Bash’s 1975 Yamaha XS650B. Bottom: The XS650B sported a paint schemethat included a black base coat with gold metal flake clear coat and unique intertwininggold and white stripes.

Twinville: It was meant to beContinued from page 19

www.vjmc.org 29


Membership ApplicationNew _______________ Renewal ______________********************************************Name: ______________________________________

Address: ____________________________________

_____________________________________

City: _____________________ State: ____________

Zip/Postal Code: ___________ Country: __________

Phone: ______________________________________

E-mail address: _______________________________

Preferred Make(s): ____________________________

Preferred Model (s): _________________________

Signature: _________________________________

Date: _____________________________________

Membership options:1) Multi-year membership–$45 for two years; $65

for three years.2) Spousal membership–$15 per year with no discount

for multi-year applications. This type of member-ship can be completed at any time. The membershipmust be for the spouse or partner of a current mem-ber or can be included with a sign up of a regularmember. One magazine will be delivered to thathousehold with both names on the mailing label.Spousal members will have a membership card witha unique number such as 5226A.

Yearly dues: $25 (USD) for North America; $41(USD) outside of North America. Please send yourcheck or money order made out to VJMC along withthis application to:Bill Granade13309 Moran Dr.Tampa FL 33618-3011Thank you!

will take good care of her...just con-sider that I am borrowing her just incase your son ever makes it home.” Hepulled the title from his shirt pocketand handed it over. The purring motorthat had sat idling while we cinchedthe deal came to life as I revved her afew times before popping her intogear, the twin cylinder exhaust notesounding like music to my ears. I rode

off into the Texas sunset with mixedfeelings of happiness for my owngood karma and sadness for the oldman’s loss and the circumstances un-der which my new acquisition hadcome.

In many ways, this deal was aboutas illogical as Yamaha offering anoutdated motorcycle at a time thatothers were making radical cut-

ting-edge design changes to competein the race for power and perfor-mance. In other ways, the deal was asclassically dramatic and emotional asthe sound of dual Yamaha violinsplaying a sonnet from J.S. Bach’s“Double Concerto for Two Violins.”The tuning fork was true to its prom-ise. I had found Twinville at last. Andit was music to my ears.

2004 VJMC NATIONAL RALLY AGENDA

September 7 - 11, 2004 Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club National Rally and VJMC Tennessee Chapter I Rally Dinner featuring an Old Fashion Tennessee Pig Roast and Bluegrass Hoedown on

the Lake

This year’s Grand Prize is a 1969 AS2C Yamaha twin-cylinder 125cc Street Scrambler!

Sept. 7, Tuesday: All members and guests welcome with special welcome to our Tennessee friends. 1) 7:00 a.m. Grounds preparation, vendor setup, swap meet setup. 2) 10:00 a.m. Rally begins for all VJMC members. 3) 10:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. Rides, games, fun. 4) Sundown Campfire for all, bring your weenies and marshmallows. We will feature a Storytelling time at the campfire, so dust off the ol' brain and tell us a good clean story or two. 5) Chapter and VJMC members will provide some daily security after hours of the Rally. Sept. 8, Wednesday: Rally officially opens. 1) 8:00 a.m. (all day) Member sign in at the Chapter/VJMC booth. 2) 8:00 a.m. (all day) Vendor swap meet setup. 3) 9:00 a.m. Official 2004 VJMC National Rally opening ceremony. 4) 10:00 a.m. Long ride to the Dragon at Deals Gap. On return, all riders who complete the Dragon will get a stick-on Dragon patch. 5) 10:00 a.m. Women's outing: Local area shops and lunch. 6) 10:00 a.m. Field events. 7) 11:00 a.m. Short ride: Come ride with us on the Mini-Dragon. All bikes large and small are welcome. 8) 1:00 p.m. Vendor swap meet continues. 9) 1:30 p.m. Seminar - TBA 10) 2:00 p.m. Field events. Sept. 9, Thursday: 1) 8:00 a.m. Vendor swap meet opens. 2) 9:00 a.m. Rally opens with ceremony and daily events. 3) 9:15 a.m. Bike show rules discussion. 4) 9:30 a.m. Set up for bike show 5) 10:00 a.m. Bike show begins. 6) 10:00 a.m. Field events 7) 10:00 a.m. Ladies’ choice of outing. 8) 11:15 a.m. Bike ride for all (Two groups to ride on some nice twisties) 9) 12:00 a.m. Bike show judging concluded. 10) 1:00 p.m. Vendor swap meet continues. 11) 1:30 p.m. Short ride - Cave exploration ride. Nice easy ride to a neat cave that will be enjoyable and fun for all. 12) 3:45 p.m. Field events. 13) Sundown. Campfire for all; bring your weenies and marshmallows. We will feature a Storytelling time at the campfire, so dust off the ol' brain and tell us a good clean story or two. Sept. 10, Friday: 1) 8:00 a.m. Awards breakfast for registered folks in the banquet room of the Doubletree Hotel/Inn. Door prizes, food, and fun. 2) 8:00 a.m. Rally opens with vendor swap meet 3) 10:00 a.m. Long ride to Ozone Falls. Two groups will leave together; smaller bikes 350cc and under and larger bikes 400cc and up. 4) 10:00 a.m. Field events. 5) 10:00 a.m. Women's outing. Museum of the Appalachia and Craft shops.

6) 10:00 a.m. Seminar - Discussion and Q & A about the Goldwing GL1000 in the lobby of the Double Tree Hotel. Jerry Boody will give a talk on this unique find and Honda's reasoning for introducing the 1976 Goldwing Limited Edition. 7) 1:00 p.m. Vendor swap meet continues. 8) 1:15 p.m. All-bike parade through Oak Ridge led by Oak Ridge motor policeman. This year’s parade will be longer and will cover some of Oak Ridge’s unique streets and shopping areas. We will end at the Museum of Science and Energy for a tour. 9) 2:45 p.m. Field events. 10) 2:45 p.m. Seminar - Because of the great response for this seminar last year, Mike Baker will once again have the seminar on fuel tank cleaning. This is a great discussion on the restoration of the inside of most fuel tanks and is quite involved. Mike will hold this session for a period of three hours with ample breaks for stretching and getting the kinks out. This seminar is extremely informative and you will not want to miss it. 11) Sundown. Campfire for all. Bring a chair. Be prepared to roast weenies and to tell good stories. Sept. 11, Saturday: 1) 8:00 a.m. Rally opens with vendor swap meet 2) 10:00 a.m. Long ride. - TBA 3) 10:00 a.m. Ladies’ day - TBA 4) 11:00 a.m. Short ride - TBA 5) 1:00 p.m. Ride to the Old Fashion Tennessee Pig Roast and Bluegrass Hoedown on the Lake [For registered members and registered guests]. AS2C Yamaha to be given away to a very lucky individual as a Grand Prize. 6) After-meal speaker (open). 7) 4:30 p.m. Rally forum and critique. 8) 5:00 p.m. Ending ceremony. 9) 6:30 p.m. until? Chapter/VJMC grounds cleanup.

2004 RALLY REGISTRATION FORM Please PRINT when filling out this form Name ____________________________________ Address___________________________________ City _________________________ State/ Zip ____________ Member # ____________ Phone _____________________ Bus./other ________________Arrival date__________ I will have Qty.___ entrant(s) in the Motorcycle Show - I will__ will not__ stay at the Doubletree hotel

Registration Fee: (No registrations accepted after August 15, 2004) VJMC Members and Guests - $45.00 USD each until August 15, 2004 Check here_________ the number of people who registered last year (including you) who will be coming back in 2004. Number of registrants ______ Names other than self____________________________, ____________________________ Total enclosed $ _______ Check or M/O number ____________ The Fee will cover the costs of the Old Fashion Tennessee Pig Roast and Bluegrass/Hoedown on the Lake and the Awards Breakfast at the Doubletree Hotel. Your name __________________________ Signed ___________________________ Signature Required Make Checks payable to: VJMC E-mail address if you wish confirmation of registration: ________________________________________ Mail to: Venita Boody, 2004 Rally 102 Foxwood Circle Oliver Springs, TN 37840 or email [email protected]

32 www.vjmc.org


duce the folks to each other so thateveryone felt welcome. ChristineTebbetts, the New Hampshire repre-sentative, traveled down from thatstate along with Eric Nachbaur. Theirtrip began in a raging thunderstorm,but they arrived towing a trailer con-taining Christine’s super and rareCB750 police bike. They alsobrought Christine’s pretty blueHonda 90 and an early scrambler thatEric had for sale.

So the day passed with friends talk-ing and having a good time in thegreat weather in the very nice parkthat Jack had chosen. I actually got achance to swap rides with a few guysfor a 15 mph lap of the park and tookmy first Gold Wing ride on StuartCovington’s pretty blue bike. Later inthe afternoon, many of the attendeeschose to enjoy a ride in the superweather.

As our families arrived, Paul and Ifired up the grill and invited everyoneto share hotdogs and hamburgerswith us. Finally, we put candles inKaren McElhaney’s birthday cakeand tried singing “Happy Birthday,”but Karen, unfortunately, was still inTennessee! Afterwards, we prettywell called it a very good day. Wesaid goodbyes to those remaining,and Tim and I headed home on theCB160 and Dream via a few backroads.

I think we all had a very goodVJMC picnic. We all had fun seeingthe variety of machines – new and old– of various makes and talking totheir owners. Everyone seemed tomake new friends and agreed thatthey were interested in doing some-thing similar again next year. Alsovery evident was the fact that manyfolks wanted to get together againsoon for another event. More than afew membership applications left thetable, so we are hopeful that VJMCwill acquire a few new members.

I would encourage anyone who hasthe desire to get together with otherfolks interested in vintage motorcy-cles to “Just Do It.” It’s that simple!Just find a place – a public park,someone’s back yard – or arrange tomeet at another organized meet. Justname the spot and they will come! Ialso suggest that if you are planningor dreaming of sponsoring an event,get a good buddy to help. It goes somuch better with two or more peopleworking on it. You will both findthings you like to do and can do thatare suited to your particular talents,time constraints, or just plain old in-terest in a particular task. Further-more, working together stimulatesideas and generates enthusiasm.Don’t be afraid to ask for help fromthe VJMC or from friends, public of-ficials, dealers, or whoever you thinkmay offer assistance. Honestly, thiswas a perfectly easy and inexpensivething for Jack and me to plan and exe-

cute. It is something that needs to bedone, is wanted by members, and isvery satisfying to do. If anyone needshelp with a project like a picnic, Jackor I would be happy to relate our ex-perience. We learned some thingsand had a good time while providinga quality experience for our friendsand VJMC members at little expenseof either time or money.

Jack and I would like to offer manythanks for the continuous support andadvice along the way from PeteBoody, VJMC President, from JimTownsend, former President, andfrom Karen McElhaney, magazineeditor. Their support and encourage-ment gave us the confidence to carryon throughout the planning process.Thanks also to Bill Granade for pro-viding membership lists and for theoffer of mailing labels.

Editor’s note: Thanks for the cake!Wish I could have been there to enjoy

it!

Massachusetts: Picnic helps promote club


www.vjmc.org 33


Editor: Where do these stories come from?

Look for the letters DOT moldedinto the sidewall on one side of thetire. To the right of these letters thereshould be what appears to be amolded-in plate. In the plate will besome numbers and perhaps some let-ters; the last three or four digits are ofinterest. If the last two digits are 00,01, 02, 03 or 04, then it is the last fourdigits are significant. If the last digitis not preceded by a 0 then it is thelast three digits that are significant.The first two digits of the three or fourat the end of the plaque represent theweek of the year that the tire wasmade, so the highest number for thesetwo digits will be 52. The last digit/srepresent the year of manufacture.

For example: DOT ...........296means that the tire was made in the29th week of 1996.

DOT ..........4800 means that the tire

was made in the 48th week of 2000.DOT ...........013 means that the tire

was made in the first week of 1993.But how do you know if the tire was

made in 1996 or 1986? Some tire man-ufacturers also molded a little triangleinto the tire adjacent to the DOT plate,with one of the points facing to theright or left. The direction of the trian-gle gave the decade of manufacture.(Nick says that he cannot rememberwhich way was which!) Since not ev-ery manufacturer did this, it is easiest tohave a close look at the tire and makean educated guess as to the decade ofmanufacture by the condition of therubber (e.g., does it looks dry andcrazed with lots of tiny cracks?). Ofcourse, if the bike still has the originaltires on it and it was made in 1968, thenthe dating is already done for you!

How Do We GetSuch Great Stuff?!

Many of you have sent your kindcomments about the excellent materialthat we’re getting for the magazine,

and they are certainly appreciated! BillGranade, our Membership Chairman,recently asked me how all of this co-mes about. I shared the following ex-planation with Bill, and he suggestedthat perhaps the membership at largewould be interested in it also. This wasmy response to Bill’s question:

Well, partly by luck (I had bought a‘68 CL350 from Rick Darke a coupleof years ago, and discovered that hewas a VJMC member not too long afterI became editor. Rick is a writer, pho-tographer, and all around good guy,and I asked him to send something forthe magazine sometime. Little did Iknow that we would get a Honda in Ja-pan story out of it!), partly by search-ing the internet for experts onparticular bikes, etc., and partly bybegging good writers to submit theirarticles! Rich Sulik put me in touchwith Rick Shunk, who is editor of theAntique Motorcycle Club magazine.Rick was looking for a good source fora photo of a particular Kawasaki andwe started chatting about a possiblecollaboration on some sort of project

or article. Rick mentioned that a friendof his daughter had accomplished a7000 mile ride on a Honda CB400Fand told me that he might be able topersuade her to write the story for us ifI was interested. Of course I was inter-ested, and that’s how Maria Montellocame to us. In fact, Maria and Rick puttogether the wonderful cover art for theJune issue. I wish I knew how to dothat! I guess now I will have to figure itout, because that’s going to be a hardcover to beat! The other thing is thatwe also have wonderful members whosend wonderful stories and tech tipsand event reports—without even being

harassed to do it!

So basically, all this fantastic materialis the result of not only being in the rightplace at the right time, but also from en-couraging you guys to write about yourinterests and your experiences with vin-tage Japanese motorcycling. Thanks toeveryone who has taken the time to con-tribute something to the magazine. Asyou can see, it is evolving, and VJMCwants every member to be a part of it.

Keep sending your great stuff!

Cover photo: Rick Darke’s CB450K1 in Maryland countryside in mid-June. The last 450with the classic chrome-sided tank, the K1 represents the final example of a great Hondatradition while introducing a superb new 5-speed transmission.


34 www.vjmc.org


ORDER FORM FOR REGALIA ITEMS

Show your colors. Let other riders know you are a member of the VJMC!

T-shirts - White 100%cotton printed front & back available in sizes M, L, XL and XXL, 3XL....................... $15.00T-shirts - Black 100% cotton printed front & back available in sizes M, L, XL................................................ $15.00

Hats - Red all-fabric ball caps, one size fits all, logo screened on front............................................................ $15.00Nylon Stuff bags (black 14” x 12” zippered w/hand strap & screened-on logo, nice, seen at rally.................. $9.00

Stickers, Large Logo, 3-3/8 x 3-3/4, vinyl ......................................................................................................... $0.75Stickers, Small Logo, 2-3/8 x 2-3/4, vinyl......................................................................................................... $0.50

2002 VJMC Calendars (nice photos, classic quality)........................................................................................ $5.00

Quantity Description Size Cost Tot al

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Add Shipping & Handling: All items sent Priority Mailing with delivery confirmation $4.50 first item and $2.00each additional item (except stickers which are mailed at $0.37) USA only. Canadian orders multiply US mail rate by1.5

Shipping Charges $ _______________

Enclosed is my check or money order for the total of....................................$________________

Ship to: Send your order to:

Name___________________________________________ Tom Kolenko, Regalia Chmn.2445 Elmhurst Blvd

Address_________________________________________ Kennesaw GA 30152

City____________________________________________ State _____ ZIP_______________

36 www.vjmc.org


ClassifiedsRemember that a ‘Vintage Japa-

nese’ motorcycle is 15 years or older(cut-off for this year is 1989) and, ofcourse, Japanese. Please be awarethat ads may be edited to conservespace. For large business ads, pleaseconsider a commercial ad. Don’t feelreluctant to use punctuation andproper case on emailed ads.

Be mindful of publication dead-lines. Ads are due by the 20th of themonth in which a newsletter is issuedfor the NEXT newsletter. For exam-ple, ads for the October Newsletterwill be due to the editor by August20th.

Send all ads to:Gary Gadd3721 Holland St.Ft. Worth, TX., 76180(817) 284-8195or e-mail: [email protected]

For Sale

Honda

1965 Honda Super 90.Black/Chrome, 9200 miles originalcondition with turn signals added.Tank is in very good condition, seatgood with two holes in it, exhaust issolid. Engine turns with excellentcompression. Titled.

$699 obo.David Hellard, (614) 871-1154,

Grove City, Ohio, [email protected]

1966 Honda CL160. Restored,safety inspected and licensed. Idahotitle. Can deliver to Spokane/Couerd’Alene area. $1950 US, $2800 Cdn.Email photos avail.

Al Onia, (403) 232-7789, Calgary,Alberta, [email protected]

For Honda CB160, lots of partsNEW and USED. CA-95 (150cc) en-gine with tach drive, wheels, frame.NOS S65 speedo, fenders, frame.CA160 dream front fenders, handlebars, levers etc. 1983 Z50R exhaust.Lots of CB and CL160 also. Call oremail.

Paul Enz, (321) 268-5461,Titusville, Florida, [email protected]

1968 Honda P50 “Little Honda”Moped. Paint, decals plastic, body,seat, in very good original condition.Missing battery cover. Unique modelEngine/Wheel unit is one unit. It islocked up. $399 obo.

David Hellard, (614) 871-1154,Grove City, Ohio, [email protected]

1968 Honda CL 90. Grey tank, redpaint, 2600 miles, original conditionexcept for non standard forks andfront wheel. Seat and exhaust in ex-cellent condition, rest is very good.Engine turns with great compressionand good spark, but will not start.Ohio title. $599 obo. Pictures can beseen on http://www.vintage-motor-

cycles.com.David Hellard, (614) 871-1154,

Grove City, Ohio, [email protected]

1968 Honda CL450. Late 1968model K1. DOT mandated frontfender reflector badge and squaretaillight. Bike has low miles, (cur-rently under 6500) and runs verywell. It has been painted black andhas a newly reupholstered seat,chrome is good and exhaust is solid.Call or email for pictures and moreinfo. Asking $1700.

Reade Whitwell, (206) 935-9183,Seattle, [email protected]

1969/72 Honda 450. Police, streetand scrambler 450 Hondas. All for$1100. CP has mechanic lien papers,others titled. Can e-mail pictures.

Marvin Gardens, (503) 703-8511,Portland, Oregon, [email protected]

1970 Honda CB750 K0. Un-re-stored, 5200 original miles. CandyRuby Red. 3rd owner. $6,500 obo.

Chris, (203) 966-1299, Norwalk,Connecticut, [email protected]

1971/72/78 Honda CB750. Partingout 4 bikes. Also 1979 YamahaDaytona and 1979 Yamaha 650.

Jim Hayes, (201) 863-2372

For Honda 360cc, I have many usedparts available. Please email me forinquires.

Jeff Kann, (920) 730-3898,Appleton, [email protected]

For Honda TL/XL250 Thru 1977,Mugen Big Bore pistons (2) with ringsets (4). NOS still in the boxes. Pistondiameter is 79.5/80mm. Also, Art74mm piston (1). Reasonable offertakes it all.

Karl, (707) 974-5735, NorthernCalifornia, [email protected]

Hondas. I have about 60 Hondas inthe 175 cc to 400 cc range that I’mparting out. I will be at MID-OHIOthis year so if anyone needs a part orparts bike just e-mail me. I am locatedin south central PA just belowCarlisle, PA.

Stephen Horton, (717) 532-6147,Roxbury, Pennsylvania, Email ad-dress: [email protected]

1970 Honda 750 Four. All originalexcept bars and shocks. Has original4-into-4 exhaust, but lower left isrusted out on bottom. Runs and ridesgreat. Original red color with golddecals with good side covers withemblems. $1,000.00

Lou Demmel 113 Wendy StStafford, Va 22554 540-659-6255 ore-mail [email protected]

www.vjmc.org 37


ClassifiedsKawasaki

1967 Kawasaki 350 Avenger. Blueand chrome. Needs only a seat to becomplete. Never down, very straight,little corrosion. Good compression,$875.

Bruce Franzen, (602) 316-5610, POBox 52, Peoria, Arizona, 85380

1968 Kawasaki Bushwacker 175cc.Two original bikes. One runs andlooks great; the other is complete butis in a box. Asking $1500 for both.Will not separate. Jpegs available.Please put ‘Bushwacher’ in subjectline. I have a spam blocker installed.

Thomas Curran, (802) 388-4376,Middlebury, Vermont, [email protected]

1984 Kawasaki GPZ550. 19Kmiles, silver paint faded, tank cover,Targa lower fairing, Supertrapp 4into 1. Also have luggage rackw/back rest & 2nd set of wheelsw/tires. Best offer.

Larry Daquioag, (919) 624-0479,Chapel Hill, North Carolina,[email protected]

1973 Kawasaki H1:D. Green; 7,000original miles. Stock pistons, paint,exhaust, air box, seat, bars, owner’smanual, tool kit. New tires, taperedsteering head bearings, fork seals,brakes. Bike is in very good condi-tion. $ 2,100.00. Contact Andrew at(603) 525-3830.

Suzuki

1964 Suzuki T10. All original, hy-draulic drum rear brake, good condi-tion, very rare, $1200. Two 1966TC250s, will make one nice bike,$600. 1972 RS400, good compres-sion, no corrosion, 70% complete,$500. 1974 TS250L, excellent en-gine, frame, shocks and triple clamps,no corrosion, $300.


1969 Suzuki TS250. 3 bikes, all arestock and not running but very, verycomplete. Very little corrosion. Ingood condition. Hard to find and rare,$1200 each


1969 Suzuki AC100 Wolf. 100ccrotary valve two-stroke withPosiforce oil injection. Four speed,1100 miles. Near showroom condi-tion. Excellent original burnt orangemetallic paint, excellent vinyl andrubber. $895. Can crate and deliver tolocal Forward Air facility for $90, orwill cooperate in arranging alternateshipping.

Denis Hitchcock, 505) 255-8078,Albuquerque, New Mexico,[email protected]

1971 Suzuki TS250R. 3 bikes, allare stock and not running but very,very complete. Very little corrosion.In good condition. Hard to find andrare. Two green, one red, $975 each.


1974/76 Suzuki GT380 and GT550.5 GT380s and 4 GT550s with lots ofextra parts. All the GT380s have ti-tles but none of the GT550s have ti-tles. One of the GT380s is licensedand titled. Most are complete. Wantto sell all as a group to one buyer forone price. Have well over $4000 in-vested in the bikes and parts but willtake the best offer. Call me for moredetails and photos.

Randy Spicher, (281) 794-5454,Houston, Texas,[email protected]

1974 Suzuki GT750L. RunningGT750 with Velorex sidecar. Plusparts and Bassanni chambers. Needsa good home. Both together for $750.

Joe Frey, (917) 763-3473, Queens,New York, [email protected]

1975 Suzuki GT185. Very goodoriginal street bike. Laredo red incolor. Runs sweet. Ride anywhere.Can email pictures. $1300 which in-cludes a good parts bike. Will sellwithout parts bike if you want.

Buddy Cartee, (864) 415-0434,Spartanburg, South Carolina,[email protected]

For 1982 Suzuki GS 650. I have aset of stock handlebars, front crashbar, carb parts, gages, stators in goodcondition.

Tom Parks, (410) 939-2495 eve-nings, Havre de Grace, Maryland,Roadwarriorparks @msn.com.

Yamaha

For Yamaha, NOS Yamaha precutkeys. $5 each and $1 shipping in theUSA. Please email me the numbersthat you need.

Mark Anthony, (336) 788-7528,North Carolina, [email protected]

1965 Yamaha YDS3C. RestoredBig Bear, correct red & pearl paintjob done by a professional, somepieces have been re-chromed, origi-nal seat & pipes, early front fender,have all the hard to find bits, airpump, gas gage, tank badges etc.Email for pictures & more info.

Rick Seto, (905) 847-9838, To-ronto, Canada,[email protected]

For 1967 Yamaha YL2CTrailmaster 100cc, parts. Tail light,seat, harness, brake switch rubbercarb joint, carb cap, air cleaner, brakepedal, carb cap, cables, headlight,speedometer housing and I also havea parts bike with some good thingsstill on it. Would like to sell all inpackage deal. Call or write for de-tails.

38 www.vjmc.org


ClassifiedsJeff, (509) 838-1396, Spokane,

Washington, [email protected]

1967 Yamaha YR-1 350cc. Blackchrome tank street model. Not-show-room, but quite exceptional originalcondition. All original with no dam-age. NOS fuel tank badges. 11kmiles. $1395. Can crate and deliver tolocal Forward Air facility for $90.

Denis Hitchcock, (505) 255-8078,Albuquerque, New Mexico,[email protected]

1968 Yamaha YDS5 250cc. Forrestoration. Rolling chassis. Com-plete with Owners Manual. Many ad-ditional new spares. Basically comeswith a spare engine. £1200 obo.

Rodger V Harper, 07624 490 690,Onchan. Isle of Man, [email protected]

For 1972 Yamaha XS650, lots ofmisc. parts. Fuel tank, cylinder head,clutch, starter, motor, etc. Make offeron lot.

Bill Farrell, (503) 873-3567, Salem,Oregon, [email protected]

1973 Yamaha SC500. Restored,$1650. Another 1973, not restoredbut complete, $750. 1973 360MX,nice and complete, $725. 1966 YD-1180cc twin, $200.


1974 Yamaha TY80 Trials. Re-stored. All new NOS parts used .Please call or write for details.

Jeff, (509) 838-1396, Spokane,Washington, [email protected]

Miscellaneous

Need a vintage part for your Honda,Kawasaki, Suzuki or Yamaha? Wemay have what you’re looking for.We’re a motorcycle salvage yard thathas been in business for well over 25years, which means we have a hugeinventory of NOS and used parts. Ihave many, many parts in stock....just

give us a call toll free or emailus....give us a stock number if youcan, if not, we should have a micro-fiche to look up the number for you.Call, email or stop by.

Queen City Motorcycle, (877)648-4355, Clarksville, Tennessee,[email protected]

VJMC club newsletters from 1993to present. All in nice condition. Willpack and ship all in the USA for $25.

Curt Krause, (773) 585-8351, Chi-cago, Illinois,[email protected]

Wanted

Honda

For Honda CYB 72/77, searchingthe following rare Honda parts whichI cannot get in Europe: Tachometercable 37260-268-xxx, silver orblack), Cock Assy. 1x16950-268-000, Tensioner primarychain 1x 23170-259-000, Pin 2x14612-250-000, Washer 4x90451-258-010, Washer old stockonly Copper 16x 90441-259-000,Speedo/tachometer Assy. km/h 1x37200-268-010 / 020 (against eachother), Packing 2x 37242-268-000early version for CYB fork bridge,Tank Emblem l/r “HONDA 250Dream”, Lever right and left steeringhandle, small ball right in the middleno CA or CS, Screws old stock93500-050xx02 (chrome plated;Length 16 to 30mm only Japanesethread), Nut castle 10 x 1,5; 8x90357-205-000, Nut old stock 4x90311-254-000, Screw 6 x 40, 4x90157-268-000 chrome plated, headspherical. CYB parts: Rings frontfork “steel fork” 2x 51619-268-810,Arm step left / right , see page 265racing kit 50630-268-820,50640-268-820, Stay rear numberplate 50365-268-810, Thank You inadvance.

Uwe Scharpfenecker, 0049 7231680420, Pforzheim, Germany,[email protected]

1960s Honda CA95/CA72/CA77.I’m looking for the following 1960sera bikes: CA95 Benly 150 Dream,250cc CA72 or 305cc CA77. Colorpreference, in order: Red, Black,White, Blue. Prefer they be NOT bebasket cases or nearly so!! Prefer wetalk via email at first.

David Odom, (520) 723-7663,[email protected]

Honda CB72 Type 1. Complete andin good-to-excellent condition.

Leonard Mellgren, (800) 729-2174,Carlsbad, California,[email protected]

1960/69 Honda CB77 Super Hawk.Richard E Labadie, (972)

132-5589, [email protected]

1966/68 Honda CB450. Lookingfor the classic Black Bomber. It doesnot have to be show quality as long asthe engine and electrics work. I havealways loved this bike and now wantone.

Amavong Panya, (312) 371-5513,Chicago, Illinois,[email protected]

For 1967 Honda CB450 K0, needspeedo/tach unit.

Richard E Labadie, (972)431-5589, [email protected]

1968/69 Honda CL175. This bikeonly comes in candy orange, candyblue, and silver. Single headlampwith gages in top of headlamp. Rub-ber pads on both sides of tank. Wouldbe nice to have one in fair / good con-dition but will consider one to restoreas well.

Bennie Trent, (812) 985-0064, Ev-ansville, Indiana,[email protected]

www.vjmc.org 39


ClassifiedsFor 1968 Honda CL350 K0, look-

ing for good seat or seat cover andpair of good headlight ears (black).Blue over white. All replies will beanswered.

John Bergener, (505) 624-9596,Roswell, New Mexico,[email protected]

For 1968 Honda CB450 K0, needfor Black bomber: Alternator stator,alternator dynamo, alternator recti-fier.

Richard E Labadie, (972)431-5589, [email protected]

For 1968/69 Honda CB450 K1,specifically, NOS or very goodused handlebars, front turn signals,NOS throttle, clutch, brake, speedoand tach cables. Generally, anyother good quality parts for thismodel.

Jon Coltune, (305) 937-0660, Mi-ami, Florida, [email protected]

For 1969 Honda CD175, both lowerpainted fork covers (prefer candyred) in nice condition , the chromefork covers that mount under thelower painted fork covers, rear turnsignals with brackets that mount onthe rear fender (not on the tail lightbracket), anything else that you mighthave for this bike. I am also lookingfor a nice speedo in KPH for a 1967Honda C201.

Mark Patterson, Oklahoma City,Oklahoma, [email protected]

For 1969 Honda CB750, I need anAir Box (air cleaner case) for a sandcast model.

Vince Ciotti, (505) 466-4958,[email protected]

For 1971 Honda CB750, I’m seek-ing painted bodywork in PolynesianBlue Metallic, Honda Paint CodeEG. NOS or excellent used condi-tion. Please contact me with any of-fers or information regardingprocurement.

Reade Whitwell, (206) 935-9183,Seattle, Washington,[email protected]

Honda CB500/ CB550F. Lookingfor a CLEAN, low mileage, Honda 4.

Rick, (925) 586-7134, Concord,California, [email protected]

1975/77 Honda CB400F. Lookingfor showroom condition bike.

J R, Walnut Creek, California,[email protected]

For 1975 Honda CB400F, need theright side handlebar switch, or justthe complete starter button mecha-nism. Also need the plastic side coverfor the right side (battery) and a com-plete seat with good foam and cover,airbox and point set cover.

Charles Sims, (806) 878-2807 eve-nings, Stinnett, Texas

For 1979/82 Honda CBX, lookingto purchase any CBX parts that youmay have. Fair price paid.

Carl Caemmerer,[email protected]

For 1984 Honda 700S NightHawk,looking for any accessories, espe-cially Hondaline bags, etc.

Larry Daquioag, (919) 624-0479,[email protected]

Kawasaki

For 1972 Kawasaki H2 750cc, needalternator stator. Reasonable pricepaid.

Dick Jamieson, (607) 739-8985Work M-F, 7AM-4PM (ET)/(607)937-2526 phone, (607) 937-2591 fax

[email protected] [email protected]

For 1974 Kawasaki H2, need com-plete right side front brake assembly,caliper, pistons and pads.

Dominique Bovard, Tel0033622508341, 17, rue Georges

Sand, 47300 Villeneuve sur Lot,France, email [email protected]

For 1970s Kawasaki Z1/Z900, en-gine for my Rickman CR. Lookingfor an engine that has been recentlyrebuilt or is in superb condition thatsomeone has lost interest in andneeds to be sold to a new home. Whatis out there? I have a 1980 MkII en-gine if anyone is interested.

James Hutchison, (617) 497-7474,Cambridge, Massachusetts,[email protected]

Suzuki

For Suzuki FA50, interested in en-gine or bottom end.

John G, (214) 339-0489, Dallas,Texas, [email protected]

For 1970/71 Suzuki, looking fororiginal sales brochures for all mod-els.


Yamaha

Yamaha, interested in finding topend for RD350 or RD 250, R5 orDS7. Also period cafe racing parts,and safety bars.


For Yamaha LB50/LB85 Chappy,looking for seat or cover, and head-light, also interested in Chappy pro-ject bikes or basket cases.


For 1981 Yamaha YZ465H, needcylinder with piston kit and crank-shaft. Prefer 85-86mm bore, eng code3R5. Any ideas on swing arm bear-ings, after market, NOS??

Rtossco, 9351 8473, Perth, WesternAustralia, [email protected]

Documents

Five-Speed Favorites