July/August 2022

Motorcycle Classics

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Motorcycle Classics1 min read
On The Web!
Motorcycle Classics Aerostich Giveaway Enter for your chance to win a Cousin Jeremy jacket valued at $837. A classic waxed cotton jacket with modern design, the CJ provides all weather performance matched with breathable technology from another centu
Motorcycle Classics2 min read
Adventures Large And Small
Hello, and welcome to the July/August issue. I hope that summer is treating you well and that a motorcycle trip is in your near future. This issue we have two travel stories aboard classic iron, one a trip completed in a day, and one that took just a
Motorcycle Classics1 min read
Motorcycle Classics
LANDON HALL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF lhall@motorcycleclassics.com CHRISTINE STONER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR KEITH FELLENSTEIN, TECH EDITOR RICHARD BACKUS, FOUNDING EDITOR ALAN CATHCART • NICK CEDAR • SETH DEDOES KEL EDGE • DAIN GINGERELLI • PAT JONES MARGIE SIEGAL
Motorcycle Classics3 min read
“They Graciously SOLD Me A New Cable.”
I purchased my Fireflake Blue 1971 Commando Roadster new through a “fly & drive” program from Taylor-Matterson Ltd, London. I rode to the factory at Andover for a tour and to replace the clutch cable which broke shortly after heading off from the dea
Motorcycle Classics3 min read
Bigger Banger: 1990-1996 Suzuki DR650S
Motorcycles that straddle the line between street and dirt riding have been variously described as dual purpose, dual sport, adventure, and more recently street scrambler. Back in the day, most evolved from dirt bikes, though now they’re more likely
Motorcycle Classics2 min read
Contenders
The 1992 XR650L combined what was essentially the chassis and running gear of the earlier XR600 with the electric start 650cc powertrain from the competent but unloved NX650 Dominator, with the suspension uprated to cope with the extra 40 pounds. Hon
Motorcycle Classics13 min read
Improving On Excellence
There have been several landmark models in Ducati’s often roller-coaster rise from manufacturing 2-speed 50cc Cucciolo pull-rod engines that could be clipped on to bicycle frames to becoming the German-owned powerhouse it is today. One of those stagi
Motorcycle Classics8 min read
Half And Half
Most enthusiasts would associate the name of Italjet with either quirky mini-bikes or some feisty off-roaders and possibly overlook the impressive 650cc 4-stroke twin that for four years in the late 1960s and early 1970s rolled off the Bolognese fact
Motorcycle Classics8 min read
Ready For Anything
The twenty first century is the age of specialization. It’s not enough to be a computer engineer, you have to specialize in a particular branch of computer engineering. Doctors have certificates in one subspecialty of gastroenterology, not just gastr
Motorcycle Classics14 min read
You Can’t Wear Out An Indian Scout
Covid-19 sadly killed off Indian’s plans for the 2020 centenary of its iconic Scout model’s birth to be celebrated with a series of global parties, with the result that the anniversary passed almost unnoticed. Still, the ongoing showroom success of t
Motorcycle Classics12 min read
In Search Of The Ace Cafe
Somewhere above Ojai, California, soon after the route changed from state highway to country lane to ranch road, the vibration in the 1964 Yamaha YDS2 began. Halfway between a frame judder and a handlebar shake, it grew stronger with time and speed,
Motorcycle Classics9 min read
Bigger, But Better?
Yamaha’s first-ever liter-class sport bike, the 1983 XJ900 Seca, was an anomaly for its time. On one hand the burgundy red bike, with its sleek handlebar fairing, reflected styling trends to come. But many sport bike aficionados contend that the 900
Motorcycle Classics7 min read
Dreams On The Trail
Most vintage motorcycle enthusiasts wouldn’t dream of riding a mid-1960s Honda Dream some 2,933 miles across the United States on the rough and tough TransAmerica Trail. But a group of intrepid riders from Mississippi did just that, and it was an adv
Motorcycle Classics1 min read
Rebuilding A Triumph Front Brake Master Cylinder
If you feel like we’re overdoing the brake work here, you might be right. Brakes are boring, but efficient stopping is probably more important than fast acceleration, especially on a vintage motorcycle. Early versions of disc brakes on British bikes
Motorcycle Classics4 min read
Cafe Racer Essentials
“Suffering is hard,” opined a recent social-media post. “But so is “Suffering being brave. You may as well be brave.” My first thought upon reading this was, “Whoa, that’s deep” — followed momentarily by, “Wait, that sounds a lot like owning a classi
Motorcycle Classics7 min read
Mister Dress-up
Racing improves the breed, goes the old saying. And though well overused, it certainly applied to a small motorcycle manufacturer from Breganze in the foothills of the Italian alps. It was Massimo Laverda’s visit to the U.S. in 1964 that determined a
Motorcycle Classics4 min read
“There’s At Least Two Ways You Can Try To Turn The Engine Over Without A Kickstarter.”
Q: I read the Q&A on the MC website about Honda CX500 ignition problems. I am rebuilding a 1980 Honda CX500C, with the 3-piece stator you discuss. My problem is the bike starts beautifully when cold, and runs well even when fully warmed up to running
Motorcycle Classics8 min read
Recommended Products
MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRT This Motorcycle Classics T-shirt will quickly become an old favorite! Made of super-soft material, this shirt is perfect for wearing on your rides or when you’re working on your bike. Emblazoned with an outlin
Motorcycle Classics2 min read
Ground Control To Major John
They called him Rocket Man, and for good reason — he rode a rocket-powered drag bike through the measured quarter-mile with the relaxed calm of someone making a simple cross-town milk run. His real name was John Dixon, and he was the first person to
Motorcycle Classics2 min read
Don’t Miss These Upcoming Events!
7/2 Head to the Barber Motorsports Park outside Birmingham, Alabama, for the fourth edition of the Concours de Competition, with famed AMA and World Superbike Champion Scott Russell serving as Grand Marshal. WERA will conduct the event on the track a

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