November - December 2018

Motorcycle Classics

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Motorcycle Classics3 min read
Learning Curves
There was a time when I thought I was getting pretty good at wrenching. Pull apart a Norton? No problem. After you get a couple under your belt, they’re pretty easy to work on. Ditto old BMW airheads, which, while technically more complex than a Nort
Motorcycle Classics2 min readAutomotive
Riders
Rider: Lee Buffenmyer, Lititz, Pennsylvania Age: 67 Occupation: Offset pressman (retired) Rides: Lee has four street-legal bikes in his 20-strong collection, including a 1970 Suzuki TC90, a 1976 Suzuki Gopher, a 1975 Penton Enduro 100 and his Penton
Motorcycle Classics5 min readAutomotive
“Could You Find Him A Suzuki RE5 Please?”
I loved the TWALD article in the July/August issue and think that MC should have a running "Tales of the Road" section in the magazine. Reading interesting stories about barn finds, lost loves and frame-off restorations are great, but rides like TWAL
Motorcycle Classics2 min readAutomotive
Contenders
“The Hawk is the most creative reinterpretation of the standard motorcycle anyone has dared to try, ever,” wrote Cycle magazine in its review of the Hawk GT. But was it worthy of sharing the name of Honda’s groundbreaking early twins? The GT combined
Motorcycle Classics2 min readAutomotive
Vee Two USA debuts Hailwood Replica at the 2018 Isle of Man Classic TT
The Vee Two Hailwood Replica made its public debut at last August’s Isle of Man Classic TT, displayed alongside the original Ducati 900F1 the legendary Mike “The Bike” Hailwood rode to victory in his famous TT comeback 40 years ago, in 1978. Powered
Motorcycle Classics3 min readAutomotive
Galluzzi’s Big Gamble: 1993-1999 Ducati M900 Monster
Until 1993, streetfighters were the province of impoverished riders who had low-sided their sport bikes and couldn’t afford to fix the busted bodywork, so they made a feature of the naked look. Things might have stayed that way without the inspiratio
Motorcycle Classics10 min readAutomotive
Duke Of Oil
Yamaha’s plan to update its popular 1975 RD350B model was simple: For model year 1976 they committed to building an even better version of America’s favorite 2-stroke motorcycle. The solution was found in upping the little oil-burner’s capacity, whic
Motorcycle Classics8 min readAutomotive
Stylish Simplicity
“When I was growing up near Milan, Italy, scooters were everywhere.” — Gianluca Baldo, owner, Bello Moto vintage scooter center The story goes that at the close of World War II, Italian businessman Ferdinando Innocenti looked at the ruins of his bomb
Motorcycle Classics12 min read
Record Breaker!
When two young friends approached Triumph boss Edward Turner in 1937 and suggested supercharging a Triumph Speed Twin to break the Brooklands lap record, Turner dismissed them with a wave of the hand. They did it anyhow. When Ivan Wicksteed and Mariu
Motorcycle Classics10 min read
Tempting Fate
Fourteen years ago, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman gave adventure riding its biggest boost when they rode from London across Northern Europe to New York on BMW R1150GS motorcycles. BMW supplied the bikes, which became a best-seller after McGregor
Motorcycle Classics8 min readAutomotive
Power Trip
When Suzuki launched the GS1150ES in 1984, a single word succinctly summarized the machine — horsepower. There were 100 ponies chomping at the bit in the engine department, and Cycle World magazine pushed its test bike through the quarter-mile in 10.
Motorcycle Classics3 min readAutomotive
Getaway 2018
When we held our first Ride ’Em, Don’t Hide ’Em Getaway at Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania in 2016, we thought it’d be pretty amazing if even 20 readers thought it would be cool to join us for a weekend riding old bikes on back roads. Eighty-thr
Motorcycle Classics9 min readAutomotive
Interstellar Overdrive
Long before space became the final frontier, it inspired some of the most powerful imagery of the mid-20th century. The V-2 rockets of World War II ushered in the space age. Then, in 1951, the Soviet Union launched two dogs, Dezik and Tsygan, into sp
Motorcycle Classics1 min readAutomotive
Indian Summer: American Indian Enfields
After Indian went bust in 1953, Britain’s Brockhouse Engineering bought the rights to the name and started supplying English motorcycles to the Indian dealer network. What would be more logical than to turn them into Indians to take advantage of the
Motorcycle Classics9 min readAutomotive
Deviant Desmo
Originality of design is at least as much a gift as a science, especially when it comes to concocting a new kind of motorcycle that nobody else has done before. The problem is that you never really know if it’s all going to work out right until you’v
Motorcycle Classics9 min readAutomotive
Well-heeled
In 2015, the legendary Brough Superior marque was reborn, with production commencing in France of the first new high-performance street bike in 75 years to carry the iconic British badge on its tank. This came after Austrian-based Brit Mark Upham, ow
Motorcycle Classics4 min readAutomotive
“I Always Advise People To Not Tune Their Bikes So They Idle Well Cold.”
Q: I have a 1988 Honda VT1100 with a hydraulic clutch. Since I got it last year, the clutch engages as soon as the clutch lever comes off the grip. The previous owner said that’s the way it always was. I’m used to my 1972 Honda CB750 cable-operated c
Motorcycle Classics3 min read
Joe Rocket Phoenix Ion Summit Textile Jacket And Motion Pro V3 Cable Luber
After suffering through triple-digit heat in my armored textile jacket, I was eager to experience the cool flow of a mesh alternative. It took me a bit to get used to the fit and feel of mesh, but the Phoenix Ion Summit proved to be downright comfort
Motorcycle Classics3 min readAutomotive
Vmd 2018
The Barber Vintage Festival may have eclipsed Vintage Motorcycle Days as the largest vintage motorcycle event in the U.S., but don’t think that VMD's lost its shine, because as this year's July 6-8 show proved, it’s still a crown jewel in U.S. motorc
Motorcycle Classics3 min readAutomotive
Rides And Destinations
Whatever you’re doing, stop. Get off your computer, quit playing with your cellphone, and get on your motorcycle. Your destination is the Nethercutt Museum and Collection in Sylmar, California. It’s outstanding, and you need to experience it. The Net
Motorcycle Classics3 min readAutomotive
Don’t Miss These Upcoming Events!
10/27 Visit Norcross, Georgia, for the 28th Annual Blue Moon Cycle Euro Bike Swap Meet on Saturday, Oct. 27. The swap meet is open to all parts, accessories and apparel for European motorcycles. Display your late model, used or classic bike for sale
Motorcycle Classics2 min readAutomotive
New Stuff for Old Bikes
Founded in 1981 by Donn Rickard and Jim Dour of Megacycle Cams, California-based R/D Valve Springs has valve spring kits for vintage British, Italian and Japanese motorcycles, and also supplies individual springs and valve guides, valve guide seals,
Motorcycle Classics2 min read
Steel Shoes Steal The Show
Before Maldwyn Jones joined the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Hall of Fame in 1998, he already had firmly planted one foot into history during a flat track race in 1910. That was the year he’s credited with being the first motorcycle racer

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