Better Living Brake Caliper - VJMCThe curse is gone. Pigs fly. Hell freezes over. So proclaimed the...

Celebrating over 25 years of vintage motorcycling

Better Living through Chemistry

Door County Ride

Restoration Tales

Brake Caliper Piston Removal

Better Living through Chemistry

Door County Ride

Restoration Tales

Brake Caliper Piston Removal

Volume 26, Number 12 December 2004 $4.50

2 www.vjmc.org

VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2004

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

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

Member Profile: Bill Granade . . . . 4

Better Living Through Chemistry . . 6

Tech Tip: Brake PistonCaliper Removal . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Joy of Reclamation . . . . . . . 8

Every Bike Has A Story. . . . . . . 10

A Grand Trip ForA Grand Prize . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . 15

2004 VJMC NationalRally Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Honda Trivia Game. . . . . . . 18

Door County Ride Fullof Fantastic Scenery . . . . . . . . 20

Suzuki T250 Restoration. . . . . . . 24

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

This issue’s web password is:mistletoeEffective December 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 President: End of the year reportby Pete Boody

VJMC has made many new and in-novative gains for its members dur-ing 2004. We have changed theVJMC logo to an all-new design thatis progressive and consistent with ouroutlook for the future. We now offeronline PayPal membership signupand renewal, which has netted usmore than 200 new members as ofOctober. In fact, since January 1, wehave added more than 800 new mem-bers to our rolls. This phenomenalgrowth is evidence of VJMC’s com-mitment to provide our members withquality information. The VJMC mag-azine rivals any periodical for infor-

mation, tech articles, advertising, andproduct evaluations. And with theAugust/September issue, the maga-zine began publication in full andbrilliant color. When you visitwww.vjmc.org, you are treated to amagnificent array of outstanding arti-cles and information designed to pro-vide members with superior contentand quality.

In the near future, VJMC is plan-ning to offer resources for affordableantique and/or vintage motorcycle in-surance that caters to the specialneeds of our members. After all thehundreds of hours and the expenseinvolved in restoring our treasures, itwould stand to reason that our invest-

ments should be protected withoutbreaking the bank.

Before the close of 2004, we willoffer additional member-protectedareas of the website. These pages willassist you in the pursuit of parts re-sources, “how-to” instructions, andwill even include model-specific sitesfor your cool Japanese bike.

The benefits of being a VJMCmember can and must continue togrow as we grow. You are seeingthese changes as a result of your in-put and your interest in helping todiscover ways to make this a clubthat is structured for each of you, aVintage Japanese Motorcycle Clubmember.

From the editor: Of baseballs and batteries–musings on a memorable October

by Karen McElhaney

The curse is gone. Pigs fly. Hellfreezes over. So proclaimed the Oc-tober 28, 2004 online edition of theBoston Globe. Ending 86 years ofmisery, the Boston Red Sox have fi-nally defeated their ghosts (not tomention the Angels, Yankees, andCardinals) and become the worldchampions. And I have become onevery happy, if not exhausted, Sox fan.Yep, October has been a long,heart-pounding emotional rollercoaster. Nearly a month of mid-night-and-later bedtimes and a sin-gle-minded focus on breaking alegendary losing streak have left littletime for sleep, motorcycles, lawns,and other activities (aka the paid job)that usually occupy your editor. Yep,I admit it. I have not touched, lookedat, thought about, or done anythingremotely related to any of mytwo-wheeled garage art this month.No doubt, this will not come withouta price. As I walked into BatteriesPlus to fetch a clock battery thismorning, I suddenly realized that I

had forgotten to plug in either of mytwo bike battery chargers in at least amonth. With his usual wry smile, themanager inquired if I had acquiredyet another old motorcycle and whatsize battery the dinosaur might need.I cringed. Crap. In my obsession withthe Fall Classic, I had forgotten that Ihad unplugged the chargers beforeleaving on vacation in September andhad neglected to plug them back inafter returning. The thought of re-placing any of a half dozen al-ready-neglected batteries was notvery appealing, especially the $80one in the Honda 919. So I made amental note to visit the garage mu-seum after work and beg for thebikes’ indulgence and forgiveness.The chargers are back on now. So aretheir red lights. Wish me luck.

In this Issue

Ellis Holman, our tech guru, beginsa two-part discussion of the variousand sundry commercially availablechemicals that can make our liveseasier and bikes happier. Pete Boody

shares his expertise with brake cali-per piston removal and also tells thestory of retrieving the National RallyGrand Prize giveaway from its bene-factor. We get to know a bit moreabout Bill Granade, VJMC Member-ship Chairman, from his memberprofile. John DeBeck takes us alongon an autumn ride through Wiscon-sin’s beautiful Door County. MikeMuetz and Michael Smegielski re-count their stories of resurrectingbikes otherwise left for dead, andMike Vachon begins a multi-part se-ries on his own special machines.And for those who didn’t get to at-tend, Mike Baker describes his expe-riences from the somewhat soggySeptember National Rally. So that’sit. Read on. Now I’m going to take anap!

Cover Photo

Mike Muetz’s fabulous 1970Suzuki T250 graces our cover thismonth. Read about its restoration inSuzuki T250 Resurrection in this is-sue.

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Member profile: Bill Granade

Editor's note: Bill Granade isVJMC’s Membership Chairman. Hecurrently lives in Tampa, Florida,with his wife of 35 years, Cathie. Billhas a daughter, Holly, and a Labra-dor Retriever, Docket.

Well, what does every 13-year-oldboy think about most of their wakinghours? Your second guess was cor-rect – his very first Whizzer motorbike! When I returned home in Julyof 1956 from a three week YMCAboys’ summer camp, there it was, sit-ting in the garage – the prettiest 1953black Whizzer Ambassador motorbike that I could have ever pictured.My folks had said that maybe I couldget a Whizzer if I worked in myAunt’s grocery store during that sum-mer. I did work in her store for twomonths that summer, but not muchwas ever mentioned about me reallygetting a Whizzer. So you can visual-ize my surprise when I walked in thefront door of our home and said “HiMom,” and continued on to the ga-rage to check and see if just bychance a Whizzer was there. And itwas! Life was good!

I had talked with some of myfriends at Y camp about how onestarted a Whizzer, just in case. Theywillingly gave me their best guesses.I found out later there were only sixWhizzer motor bikes in the wholetown. None of my Y camp friendsknew for sure the correct starting pro-cedure either, but they had olderbrothers or friends who had a won-derful Whizzer motor bike. That wasgood enough for me.

The first question from my fatherwas, “Do you know how to start oneof these?” Being an almost honor rolestudent – all As and one B – I knewthat any answer other than “Yes”would keep the bike parked in the ga-rage until the next day. So my replywas, “Yes Sir, I learned how at Ycamp.” This was pretty much thetruth; all that I thought I knew aboutstarting the Whizzer, I did pick up at

Y camp. So much for all that Chris-tian fellowship and sports teachingmy folks had paid for!

I pushed my new “motorcycle” –sorry, Whizzer, out of the drivewayand aimed it down the hilly paved

street next to our house. We lived ontop of a small hill in the North Geor-gia town of Athens. The roads aroundour newly built two bedroom homehad been paved for all of two years. Itwas raining a little at the time and my

Top: Bill enjoying his 1979 Kawasaki KZ650 SR. Bottom: Bill’s wife Cathie, daughterHolly, retriever Docket, and his 1979 Kawasaki.

www.vjmc.org 5


dad asked me if I thought it would bebetter to wait until it stopped rainingand the street was dry before I wentdown the hill. A real honor studentwould probably have considered allthe risks associated with wet streetsand decided that waiting until drierconditions prevailed would be theprudent thing to do. But my answerwas that I’d be careful. New bike, wetroads, no experience, no training, nosafety equipment, and presently rain-ing seemed to be no problem to me atthe time.

So down the hill I started, with theclutch lever in and the compressionrelease lever in. I was told by myfriends at camp that you do that untilyou are going fast enough. What’sfast enough? Then you let them bothout, clutch first, and the engine starts.Sure enough, half way down the hill Ilet go of both levers and a music I’dnever heard before began, that of myvery own motor bike engine running.For the first in my life I heard thatspecial combustion engine runningunder your BUTT music. I washooked. With less than 200 yards tothe bottom of the hill, I had to turn ei-ther left or right; I chose right andsafely meandered around the turn. I

was now motoring along the flat andlevel street, not pedaling, and goingfaster every second. It was truly un-forgettable, even forty years later, tobe cruising at better than 20 mph onmy new Whizzer. After about a mileor so, I decided I should turn aroundand go back home before my parentscame looking for me. What a wimpbiker I was back then!

Stopping was not a problem, butstarting was a big problem. I pulledthe clutch in and the engine kept run-ning, somewhat to my surprise, whileI walked the bike around to face inthe opposite direction. Then the funbegan, clutch out too fast, enginequit; nobody had told me about thisproblem. After a few desperate triesat kick starting the engine, somehow,I did manage to get it started and thebike began rolling again under itsown power. A short few minutes laterI remember safely arriving at home. Iwas greeted with two happy parentsshowing sincere concern on theirfaces. I’m sure when they saw myface sporting the biggest grin theyhad ever seen in my life they proba-bly knew they had opened my Pan-dora’s Box, otherwise known as theworld of motorcycling.

I rode my Whizzer to high schoolfor all the next five years, grades8-12. I was lucky enough to get myfirst car, a 1946 Ford deluxe con-vertible in January of my senioryear.

After High School it was off to theUniversity of Georgia where Iearned a BBA degree in 1965. Then Isigned up for navy pilot training inPensacola, Florida. I earned myWings of Gold in April 1967. I flewP2-V7 aircraft out of Jacksonvillefor the next three years. Then mywonderful new wife, Cathie, and Imoved back to Pensacola where Iworked as a flight instructor through1972.

We moved to Tampa, where Iworked for the next 25 years sellingmedical equipment for BaxterHealthcare. I took early retirement in1999.

One late afternoon on Sept 20,2002, I was driving in my car to getsome repair parts for my sprinklersystem. My route took me by a localmotorcycle shop. Oh a whim, Istopped in to see what kinds of bikesthey had. I saw a red KawasakiKZ650 SR that caught my eye. Ilooked it over and it looked brandnew, but the salesperson said it was a1979 model! I was instantly infectedby the motorcycle bug again. Thenext day I went back to the shop andbought the bike. The KZ650 was myfirst bike since the Whizzer. What adifference from 3 hp to 60 hp!

To learn more about the vintagebike world, I started exploring theVJMC web site and then joined theclub. A year later I saw in the clubmagazine that VJMC was looking fora membership chairman. The jobsounded like something I would en-joy and maybe would be a fast trackto learning more about our hobby. Iwas correct in both cases; the job isvery rewarding and my knowledge ofvintage motorcycles grows each day.Also, being on the VJMC staff has al-lowed me to meet and work withsome very talented and dedicatedpeople. My vintage motorcycle life isoutstanding.

Bill’s 1953 Whizzer motorbike.

6 www.vjmc.org


by Ellis Holman

Editor’s note: This is the first of atwo-part discussion of various chem-icals useful in vintage bike restora-tion and preservation.

Let’s face it, when it comes to mo-torcycles, Mother Nature’s got it infor them. Leave your favoritescooter outside for even a short pe-riod of time, say overnight, and ruststarts to form. We’ve all seen the re-sults of long-term exposure to theelements: faded paint, rustychrome, dull plastic parts, andcrumbling rubber bits. We knowthese sights all too well. It’s thedownhill slide from shiny new biketo scrapyard dregs. It is depressingknowing that Mother Nature is outthere waiting for your bike. Thegood news is that there are manychemical weapons that we can em-ploy to blunt nature’s onslaught. Inthis installment of our treatise onthe subject, we’ll take a look atsome of the chemicals that havebeen around for awhile.

Let’s begin by talking about wax.Carnauba wax is a resin produced bythe wax palm tree CoperniciaCerifera. This tree grows in variousparts of South America. Carnaubahas a very strong grain structure andis the hardest wax known to man. Inaddition to being incredibly durable,carnauba dries to a deep, naturalshine (in contrast, beeswax, paraffin,and many synthetic waxes tend tocloud and occlude). Carnauba wax isproduced by the leaves of the tropicalcarnauba tree as protection from theincredibly harsh conditions of thetropical rain forest: intense heat,harsh equatorial sun, and constantmoisture and humidity. Any surfacecoated with carnauba wax will besimilarly protected. Coral Blue, andmore recently, the products producedby Mother, are examples of this highquality type of wax. Coating tanks,side covers, and virtually any painted

surface with a wax of this type willpreserve their shine and finish as wellas protect from corrosion. Do not usethis on matte finishes such as handle-bar switch housings and the like; thematte finish will be damaged. Also,when storing a bike for the winter, acoating of wax on chrome parts willhelp keep that rust patina from ap-pearing when you revive the bike inthe spring. Just wipe the wax on in aheavy coat and don’t wipe or polishit.

Another old standard is Blue Away,which is a mild abrasive that removesthe discoloration caused by heat fromexhaust systems and other chromeditems exposed to heat. This is verygood for older single-wall exhaustpipes. Use care with the product, be-cause it is an abrasive; it can dullchrome if overused.

Here’s one that has been aroundover 40 years, but not by this samename. Know what it is? It is wellknown for protecting rubber, plas-tic, and vinyl surfaces from UV ra-diation and ozone. Back in 1962, a21-year-old polymer chemistnamed Joe Palcher invented amilky-white “miracle” formula thatwe know today as ArmorAll. In1966, a local auto shop owner con-vinced Joe to bottle and sell his for-mula. Back then it was calledTridon (“no dirt” spelled back-wards). The product quickly grewin popularity across the U.S. By1971, the product, then renamedRT-10, was in great demand. In1972, Alan Rypinski, a marketingspecialist, bought the rights and de-cided to call it ArmorAll. Regularuse of this protectant will preventthe cracking, crumbling, and de-grading of the rubber parts on ourbikes. A word of caution here,though: Do not use ArmorAll on thetread portions of tires unless you’renot planning on riding the bike. Thetires will be as slippery as greasedglass. Tire sidewalls are okay,

though. Same goes for seats.ArmorAll will make seats slippery ifyou try to the ride the bike immedi-ately after applying it. Use cautionand let it dry before you ride. Butany of the rubber parts, includingintake manifolds, fork boots, tankmounts, etc. will benefit from atten-tion from ArmorAll.

Polishing compounds are a goodway to remove oxidation or the leadpaint that we find so often on olderbikes. 3M Perfect It II RubbingCompound 39002 is a good exampleof a product that can help paint lookbetter. This particular formulation isexcellent for hand rubbing. It safelyand effectively removes grade 1200or finer sand scratches, other finescratches, medium oxidation, coarseswirl marks, or water spots, andleaves a fine finish. To use it, pourout a small quantity on a soft rag andthen work it gently onto the paintedsurface, using a circular motion. Letthe compound dry to a slight haze.Take a clean, dry, soft rag and beginremoving the compound, again us-ing a circular motion. Although it’smild, take care to not work over anysingle spot. Older lacquer-basedpaints are relatively soft and can beremoved. You’ll notice that the paintwill color the rag you’re using to re-move the compound. This is the oldoxidized or lead paint. After usingthe polishing compound, don’t for-get to use a good wax to seal thepaint.

Another old school tool is WD40.This lightweight lubrication hasmany uses around our motorcycles.One of its nicest attributes is that itdisplaces water, so you can spray itonto wet surfaces and it will push thewater off. When putting a bike intostorage in a humid environment,WD40 sprayed on chrome and othermetal surfaces will adhere to themand keep them from rusting. If youstore your tank without fuel in it,spraying WD40 into the tank will

Better living through chemistry

www.vjmc.org 7


by Pete Boody

NOTE: This method can be used ifthe caliper pistons are sticking butthe remainder of the system is func-tional.

Loosen all fasteners that join thecaliper body halves together as wellas the brake line fitting that termi-nates at the caliper body. All shouldbe loosened just enough to ease re-moval later at disassembly but notenough to leak fluid.

If accessible, remove all parts thathold the inspection cover and/or padsupport fasteners.

Remove the caliper body from themotorcycle with the hose attached.This may require the wheel assemblyto be removed.

Remove the brake pads, pistonboots, and clips.

Open the master cylinder reservoirand top off the fluid, making sure touse the correct fluid type.

If the caliper body has more thanone piston, clamp all but one piston inits current position using a small “C”clamp or suitable alternative.

Depress the brake lever until the re-maining piston moves out about¼-in. Then change positions with the“C” clamp on each piston until allhave been pushed out about ¼-in.Note: Check fluid to prevent a dryreservoir and ingesting air into thelines.

Repeat the clamp/unclamp proce-dure until each piston is near thestroke limit; it should begin leakingsome fluid around the piston seal(s).

Repeat steps (1) through (8) foreach caliper assembly to be servicedand before progressing to step (10).

Remove the caliper body from thehose (being careful to protect sur-faces from brake fluid spills!) andsuspend the hoses as high as possi-ble to prevent fluid spillage. Sepa-rate caliper halves by removingfasteners that were previously loos-ened.

The pistons should now be able tobe easily twisted from their bores us-ing suitable means.

Using a water-soluble greasecleaner, clean any remaining brakefluid from the caliper body parts toprevent degradation of the surfacepaint. Clean the body parts in prepa-ration for reassembly. Pay particularattention to the inside of the pistonseal groove. Use 500 grit wet/drysandpaper to lightly restore the pistonbore finish without removing basemetal.

Tech Tip: Brake caliper piston removal

keep rust away and when you do putfuel back in, there’s no need toworry; the WD40 will mix with thefuel and no harm will be done.WD40 is also good to use onthreaded fasteners. A little sprayedinto the threads of nuts and bolts willhelp them resist corrosion. WD40,along with another old standby,Marvel Mystery Oil, can be used tohelp unstick those engines thatwe’ve let sit too long.

Speaking of Marvel Mystery Oil(MMO), this is another one of ourold standbys. MMO can be used incombination with WD40 as men-tioned above. It can also be added toengine oil (IN SMALLQUANITIES!!!) to help unstick pis-ton rings and help clean out sludgefrom neglected engines. Just put inthe MMO and let the engine run tocirculate it, then stop the engine andreplace the oil/MMO mixture withfresh oil. Though not exactly a mo-torcycle-related use, MMO can alsobe used to lubricate air tools for youfolks lucky enough to have them inyour shop. Chicago Pneumatics calls

out MMO specifically for their tools.It also a good parts cleaner whenyou’ve torn everything down for res-toration.

Plain old White Lithium Grease isalso handy to have around for ourbikes. White Lithium Grease is a12-hydroxy lithium-based lubri-cant with an outstanding resistanceto water. It performs well inhigh-speed, heavy-load condi-tions, and also contains oxidationand corrosion inhibitors. WhiteLithium Grease is perfect for use inapplications such as hinge andlatch lubrication, gasket dressing,and for lubricating the workingsurfaces of drum brakes. The an-chor points, pivot points, and camfaces of the brake mechanisms allbenefit from small amounts ofWhite Lithium Grease. But, DONOT grease the FRICTIONSURFACES!!!

Happich Semichrome Polish is asoft, paste polish that is pink incolor and can be used on chrome,silver, aluminum, brass–virtuallyany metal. This stuff cleans to a

brilliant shine and leaves a protec-tive film. Made in Germany, itsmain ingredient is ammoniumoleate. Semichrome Polish has beenwith us for a long time. Most of thepolished aluminum parts on ourbikes are coated with a clear coatingwhich initially protects the finish.Over time, the clear coat comesaway from the aluminum and thealuminum becomes a dull blackcolor. After removing the clearcoat, Semichrome can be used to re-turn the aluminum to a bright shinystate. Because it leaves behind aprotective film, you don’t have toconstantly polish the surface tokeep it from turning black. While itwon’t clean up corroded surfacestoo well, it is a good follow-up onceyou’ve gotten the corrosion off thealuminum surfaces.

In the next installment of BetterLiving through Chemistry, we’ll lookat some of the newer wonder prod-ucts such as S100, HondaBond,Yamaha Carb Cleaner, and more.Stay tuned.

8 www.vjmc.org


The joy of reclamation

by Michael Smegielski

“What the hell are you going to dowith that piece of crap?” my friendRon asked as my brother Walter and Iunloaded the old Honda from theback of his pickup. “We are going totry and get it running and who knows,maybe I’ll ride it back and forth towork when the weather gets warm,” Ireplied. Ron mumbled somethingabout the only thing worse than Japcrap is old Jap crap and headed downthe driveway to his Harley and droveoff.

I stepped back for a moment totake a look at what I had gotten my-self into. It was a 1979 HondaCB650 that a paramedic that I workwith had given me for free. He hadpurchased it to learn to ride and hadgotten a scare on his first attemptand parked it behind his garage andforgot it. It was complete but thebike had been sitting outside for atleast five years; thankfully, though,it had been under a waterproofcover. Unfortunately, the cover hadleaked in spots. It was in pretty poorshape but to my brother and me, ithad “potential.” It was close to theend of the riding season here inConnecticut and it looked like agood winter project.

We decided that the “workday”would be Thursday night. We wouldspend each Thursday evening work-ing together on the Honda in his ga-rage, and while Walter provided themechanical expertise, I would pro-vide the money, be his helper (readgrunt and gofer) and hunt down therequired parts. We got the bike run-ning before Thanksgiving but itsmoked very badly. We decided topull the head, and then decided on acomplete top end rebuild. Thethoughts of a cheap refurbish werebeginning to fade. The days turnedto weeks and the weeks to monthsover the very long New Englandwinter.

I have always enjoyed mybrother’s company but we had re-gained something while working onthat old Honda that we hadn’t feltsince long before we both had lefthome in 1968—me to college, Wal-ter to the Army. We got together of-ten enough over the years, but workand family had their priorities. TheHonda had given us a reason to betogether again, alone for hours at atime, and we spent the hours work-ing and talking and rekindling thecloseness that only brothers canshare. We talked of things past andpresent, remembered shared experi-ences that were long forgotten, andfound things we never knew abouteach other. We laughed and yelledand swore and argued with recklessabandon. We found that we actuallyliked working together and we alsodiscovered that the Honda lookedlike it might actually run.

In 37 years of riding, I have had myshare of motorcycles and have spentsome time doing the maintenance onthese machines, but through this pro-ject, I discovered the joy of resurrect-ing a piece of the past – not a true

collectible but what some might con-sider a throwaway motorcycle. Ifound that I enjoyed getting dirtyagain, and the smell of oil and gaso-line and grease and cleaners. I dis-covered the fun of the hunt for oldparts. I found internet sites that arenot only brand-specific butmodel-specific andI found dealerswho had a cache of old stock anddealers who would find and order justabout anything. I found new friendsas close as my hometown and as faraway as Australia. I enjoyed everymoment.

After all the hunting and searching,cleaning and polishing, swappingand buying, and many hours in mybrother’s garage, the Honda wasready. I hit the starter button andthere is nothing like the feeling youget when it actually runs! After mak-ing a few last minute adjustments,Walter and I took turns riding thebike up and down his snow-linedstreet, each time returning with amile-wide grin.

The 1979 Honda CB650 is now reg-istered and insured and is ridden everyweek. The experience with the Honda

The 1979 Honda CB650 painstakingly restored by Michael and Walter Smegielski.

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Western Hills Honda / YamahaWestern Hills Honda / YamahaWestern Hills Honda / YamahaWestern Hills Honda / Yamaha3110 Harrison Avenue

Cincinnati, OH 45211 USAPhone: 1 513 662-7759Fax: 1 513 662-7912

Vintage N.O.S. Honda PartsVintage N.O.S. Honda PartsVintage N.O.S. Honda PartsVintage N.O.S. Honda Parts

www.westernhillshonda.comwww.westernhillshonda.comwww.westernhillshonda.comwww.westernhillshonda.come-mail: [email protected]

Herschel Benkert, OwnerSince March 1962

Offering Domestic and Internationaldealers' parts inventories with shipments

arriving on a regular basis

Our inventory is always changing

has led to the “acquisition” of a “few”more old bikes and Walter and I havemade it our mission to reclaim asmany of these great old machines aswe can afford. Our current reclama-tion projects include an XL250 Hondastreet/trail bike, a neglected YamahaXJ1100J Maxim that was found in asnow bank, and a CB750AHondamatic and a KZ400 that wereleft at a junk yard. We have passed theword around that we are interested inold Japanese bikes that have been sit-ting in garages and sheds and peopleactually call us to come “get this oldjunk” out of their garage.

As an avid motorcycle rider, I havemy very dependable 2001Harley-Davidson ElectraGlide as myprimary touring bike. Walter also

owns an ElectraGlide Classic and wemake our annual pilgrimage toAmericade each year with our wives;in the course of a riding season wewill add about 15,000 miles or moreto the odometer. But along with thepleasure of riding the new bikes wehave rediscovered the fun of workingon and riding the bikes we grew upwith – the bikes that marked specifictimes in our lives. These are not thecollectible bikes but the riding bikes.And for just a few dollars these bikesare out there just waiting for afriendly pair of hands to get themback on the road.

In working on the old Japanesebikes there are some dealers andgroups that I have found invaluableas resources of information and

sources of old parts: Zanotti Motorsin Butler, PA, a Yamaha, Honda andHarley-Davison dealer; Libby’sMotorworld in New Haven, CT, aYamaha, Honda, Ducati, and Tri-umph dealer. Both have gone out oftheir way to help find parts at fairprices when other dealers sometimesrefused to answer any inquiries aboutold Japanese bikes.

The XS11 Owners Association(www.xs11.com), the Honda SingleOverhead Cam Owners Club(www.sohc4.net), and of course,VJMC (http://vjmc.org), are exam-ples of internet groups that provideand exchange information aboutmany of the older bikes. They also

See Reclamation, page 26

10 www.vjmc.org


Every bike has a story

by Mike Vachon

Editor’s note: This is the first of athree-part narrative.

Having sprouted my literary wingswith a couple of recent submissionsto the VJMC magazine, I have de-cided that I really like the idea ofcombining my passion for vintagebikes and my enjoyment of writing.The tough part is coming up withideas for articles. The notion for thisone came to me as I was jockeyingsome of the two-wheelers in and outof the garage the other day. At anygiven time there are usually six toeight bikes in the Vachon garage –most of them mine – but usually an-other bike or two that has beendropped off for some wrenching.Nothing like having friends who areall too ready to help me keep my me-chanical skills sharp. As I was pullingout my somewhat modified 1970SL350, I mused for the umpteenthtime over this little ride’s personalhistory. I enjoy this bike so much thatI wanted to share its story.

As I looked over the herd in the ga-rage, the realization hit me that each ofthese bikes has a story – some historythat makes it special and unique. Sure,for most of these motorcycles, therewere thousands of copies made; butit’s each bike’s particular history thatseparates it from similar bikes. A vin-tage bike can be a standout because ofits pristine condition or remarkablemodifications, but the presence of aback-story or special circumstancecan elevate it above being just an ordi-nary machine. VJMC President PeteBoody’s recent story on the 1976Gold Wing LTD still in the originalcrate [VJMC – June ‘04] is an excel-lent example. With an amazing talelike this one, that bike’s value and in-terest are increased considerably. I’mnot saying that my SL350 is anywherenear as nice as that ’76 Wing; I’m justtrying to make a point. I’m sure manyVJMC members own a bike that has

some special history that makes itmuch dearer to them than if it werejust another motorcycle.

The problem with describing thisparticular bike was that I could notfigure out how to narrow it down tojust a simple “I found this cool bike,bought it, and brought it home” typenarrative. So to solve the problem, Ihave created a three-part article thatwill hopefully add to your anticipa-tion of each of the next two issues ofthe magazine. This installment is abackground primer that sets the stagefor the next two segments. So, with

your indulgence, let’s begin by head-ing back to the year 1969.

The motorcycle world in the late1960s was about to see some of thebiggest changes among players andmodel offerings that anyone couldimagine. No longer would Harleyand Brit bikes be the only major play-ers in the U.S. motorcycle market. Inparticular, Honda had already begunto firmly establish itself in the U.S.and had gained some amount of re-spect with its then largest displace-ment offering of the 450 BlackBomber. Introduction of this bikewas quickly followed by thejaw-dropping debut of the CB750;and we all know that story! Honda

was also finally being recognized forits quality and reliability.

At this point, Honda was expandingnot only product breadth (from themini 50cc to the mighty 750cc four),but also increasing its model depth.By 1975, Honda listed no fewer than23 different models for sale in theU.S. market. Since the early 1960s,Honda had flirted with multi-purposebikes by offering a scrambler versionof some their models. These weresimply the same machines fitted withexhausts that ran high along the sidesof the bike and gave marginal addi-tional ground clearance for off-roadtype conditions. Throw in somesemi-knobbed tires and a larger rearsprocket – instant trail bike! To behonest, these bikes were never con-sidered serious off-road machines,but Honda seemed anxious to changethat.

Early in 1969, Honda submitted itsfirst serious candidate into the trailbike foray – the SL90. (Note: theCT90 trail bike had debuted twoyears earlier, but it is one of only twosimilar bikes, the CT70 being theother. The SL line became muchbroader and was of a more conven-tional off-road design.) Within a cou-ple of years of that introduction,Honda had launched a series of mod-els that covered a variety of uses. TheCB was the street model, the CL wasstill the scrambler, and the SL was thenew, real off-road machine. Thebuyer had the choice of displacementand style in the 350cc and smallerrange. Even the 450 Honda wasavailable as a CB and CL model, al-though it was not offered in the SLguise.

The first reviews of the earliest SLtrail bikes were fairly critical when itcame to issues such as weight andpower; too much of the former and alack of the latter. To be fair, thesebikes were being compared to othermodels of the day that were producedby companies specializing in

“The first reviewsof the earliest SLtrail bikes were

fairly critical whenit came to issues

such as weight andpower; too much of

the former and alack of the latter.”

www.vjmc.org 11


off-road machines. What Honda ini-tially brought to the table, though,was its reputation for quality and reli-ability. Honda also stuck with itsfour-stroke engines (initially), whilemost other serious off-road bikes hadtwo-stroke power plants. At the time,Honda and other Japanese manufac-turers were updating their own offer-ings at a pace never before seen in themotorcycle industry. Addressing thenoted shortcomings of the first SLmodels was sure to follow in short or-der.

The first SL350 K0 introduced inlate 1969 was built directly on thesame platform as the CB and CLmodels. The frame and engine cas-ings were identical, with the excep-tion of a welded-on loop across theback of the frame that acted as therear fender support. Visually, itwas significantly different than itsCB and CL brethren. The gas tankwas slim in profile. The front

fender was mounted directly to thelower triple clamp to increaseground clearance. The saddle, al-though just long enough to suppos-edly support two-up riding, wasrather minimal compared to theother 350s. The exhaust consistedof twin upsweeps finished in amatte black. Factory knobby tiresand motocross style handlebarscompleted the livery for theoff-road thrill seekers.

Because of this direct parentage, thefirst SL350 suffered many of thesame criticisms that the SL90 had re-ceived. Sporting a frame that wasidentical to the CB and CL models,sans the center stand, and an all-toosimilar engine did not inspire the be-lief that this machine was speciallybuilt for off-road riding. But Hondamoved quickly and revamped theSL350 for the following years (K1and later for those keeping track).Subsequent models got a pur-

pose-built frame (now with twodowntubes in place of the single) thatwas also lighter. The electric starterwas removed and the SL350 enginecases became unique to this model,which also contributed to overallweight reduction. Additional changesto cam and carburetion addressed thelack of grunt in the low end of theRPM range. By now, Honda had real-ized and acted on a number of issuesand applied these across the board inthe SL models. This was definitely awork in progress.

Within a few more years, the SLmodels would become obsolete andbe replaced by the even more aggres-sive XL series off-road bikes. Theearlier twin cylinder SL350 enginegave way to an all-new, purpose builtengine. The newer XL engine sporteda single piston jug and an increaseddisplacement of 348 cc (the earlier350cc Honda models were actuallyonly 325cc). Honda would also dab-ble with two-stroke designs to en-hance their offerings (any MT modelowners still out there?). Other famedmodels of this era included the firstversions of the Honda ATV (All Ter-rain Vehicles) with a three-wheelconfiguration instead of today’s stan-dardized four-wheelers. The practiceof offering a specific engine size invarious purpose-type platforms(think the CB, CL, SL configura-tions) would also disappear as Hondabegan to independently developmodels based on purpose rather thanavailable parts.

It was in this era of the late ‘60s andearly ‘70s that I first got intomotorcycling and the memory ofthese and other models first appear-ing on showroom floors back then isstill strong. I had not done muchoff-road riding since those days (withthe exception of a brief fling noted inmy previous article Big Horn Re-born, VJMC, April 2004), but now itwas 1997 and I was beginning to itchfor some off-the-pavement adventureonce again. The only problem was

An SL90 Honda, Honda’s first attempt at a serious off-road bike was made available inearly 1969. It bears absolutely no resemblance to any of the other 90cc Hondas availablethen.

See Story, page 12

12 www.vjmc.org


that I didn’t really have an appropri-ate bike for the task. (I once at-tempted a fairly well-maintained fireroad on my 1981 GL1100, only tohave it bog down in a soft spot; thebike sank right up to the exhaust. Infact, I was able to step off of it and itremained upright without any assis-tance! I managed to get it out of thereby leaning the bike a bit and walkingalongside the Gold Wing while feath-ering the clutch when the rear tirewould grab at all. Lesson learned –touring bikes do not belong in thewoods!).

Because my only other bike at thetime was my ’71 CB750, it lookedlike I was going to have to find a realtrail bike. My ultimate goal was adual-purpose type machine – some-thing I could ride to the point wherethe wheels would actually leave thepavement. There are a number offine bikes currently being offeredthat would have fit the bill quitenicely; however, my first instinct isalways to buy used – especially for abike that I had every intention ofsubjecting to various abuses. Havingmany fond memories of these earlyHonda trail bikes, I thought it wouldbe fitting (and cool) to locate anearly- to mid-model machine, per-haps either the SL or XL flavor, butspecifically a Honda. My experiencehad been that spare parts are morereadily available for older Hondamodels, and being more familiarwith the mechanical workings ofthose early ‘70s bikes, I thought thiswould be my best choice. So beganthe hunt!

The 350 Bunch - Top to bottom: ACB350-K2, released in early 1970; aCL350-K2, made available in mid-1969;and the SL350-K0 which was released latein 1969. This is an example of Honda’smulti-styled, single platform approach in1969. Other models such as the 100 and175 were also made available as CB, CL,and SL versions.

Story: A 1970 Honda SL350'sContinued from page 11

www.vjmc.org 13


A grand trip for a grand prize

by Pete Boody

Ready for a fuel stop, I pulled off in-terstate 81 at exit 19, Abingdon, Vir-ginia. Thus far my trip fromTennessee to Maryland had beenquite smooth. I had decided severalweeks ago that retrieving the Na-tional Rally Grand Prize offering di-rectly from its benefactor was a chorethat I should not ask anyone else todo. Mr. Joe Maida had unselfishlydonated a wonderful little 1969Yamaha AS2C street/trail motorcy-cle as a gift to VJMC. It was also hisexpressed wish that it be the GrandPrize at the Fourth Annual VintageJapanese Motorcycle Club NationalRally in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I feltthat I should meet this fellow and of-fer my heartfelt thanks on behalf ofthe officers and members of VJMC.So after a fill up and a quick snack, Ipulled out onto the interstate andonce again headed north.

“You are sure to get a lot of stares asyou ride,” said my wife Venita, as shelooked at the way I was finishing mypreparations to travel the 1000 milesround trip to pick up the bike. “Areyou sure that you will be able to man-age it okay?” she finished. “I don’tbelieve that the Yamaha weighsmuch and the ’02 is strong enough topull the both of them,” I said in re-turn. I had prepared the hitch on theGL1800 to accept the 1-7/8-in. balland the final finishing touches werecomplete. Nearly every year since1977 I have ridden a trip called an“Iron Butt” ride. The simple rules arethat you ride 1000 miles in a 24-hourtime period. Since I had not been ableto do this yet for 2004, I figured thatthis would be a great opportunity todo just that and to have a great desti-nation as well.

When I left home that morning thetemperature was a warm 70 degrees.Now as I traveled further towards the

Top: Ready for the 2:30 a.m. ride. Bottom: Joe Maida preparing to unload the AS2C. See Grand, page 14

14 www.vjmc.org


Shenandoah Valley it was cooling quickly and the dewpoint was also lowering. What was a clear sky just a min-ute ago had now become a thick silky wet fog. Travelingslower now and still in the dark, I realized just how peace-ful and quiet it was. This part of the trip was the most en-joyable as it seemed like I was all alone on the highway.About 6:00 a.m. the fog began to lighten with the dawnbut it wasn’t until 9 a.m. or so did it give way to the sunand I was able to see the beautiful Appalachian Moun-tains. After another fuel stop near Stuarts Draft, Virginia,and I turned east onto interstate 64 toward Charlottesville.

My plan was to meet Joe and transfer the bike somewhereon highway 301 south of the Potomac River. I was to callhim when I was within 70 miles or so in order to give himenough time to meet me at a suitable spot, so I called himfrom the town of Louisa. We agreed to meet at a truck stopdiner near the hamlet of Port Royal about noon. At 12:20p.m., 495 miles after I left home, I turned into the diner. Itwas quite small and as I had not met Joe before, I did thenext best thing. I said loudly enough for all to hear “Areyou Joe Maida?” and a perfect stranger looked at me and

shook his head “no.” Joe, who was sitting behind him,smiled my way and waved a friendly hello.

Joe had with him a friend whom I was introduced to asMike Provenzano. The three of us had lunch and a lot ofgreat conversation. Mike is an avid rider and he had manytales to offer along with an invitation for me to return and toride the Maryland roads with him and his friends. Soundsgood, Mike; I am looking forward to doing just that.

After getting the bike off of the truck we loaded it ontothe bike trailer and it was then that we began to draw asmall crowd. It was great to see the interest in the neat lit-tle bike that was now attached to the trailer that extendedfrom the back end of my Goldwing. One little boy cameup to us and asked if the AS2C was for little kids and saidthat it was “cool.” Little did he know or even care that itwas made 35 years ago and yes, it surely was cool.

At 1:30 p.m. I pulled out of the parking lot of that speciallittle diner to begin my return trip to Tennessee. Shortlythereafter it began to rain lightly and I hoped that it wouldnot continue all the way home. Twenty or so miles furtherit did stop and the remainder of the journey was clear andwarm. Venita, was surely right when she mentioned thatheads would turn and as I traveled back down the high-ways, I not only received lots of double takes but therewere also many smiles, thumbs up, OK signs, pointed fin-gers, and stares from little old ladies who had “never seenanything like that before in their lives.” “Me neither,Ma’am, and thank you for enjoying the view,” I chuckled.

At the Rally, all the attendees noted that it was such agreat bike and told me to thank Joe for his kind offering. Areally nice guy from Washington, Illinois, by the name ofRonald Brinker wants to thank him as well because he isnow the proud new owner of this little orange machine. SoJoe, all of us from VJMC wish to once again thank youvery much for allowing this great gift into our lives. It wasa generous thing for you to do, and please say hello to

Mike for me.

Attention all members: If youmove, change addresses or changee-mail addresses, please notify the

membership chair as soon aspossible. This is important.

Grand: Bringing home the prize

A break on Interstate 81.

Continued from page 13

www.vjmc.org 15


Calendar of events

December 2004

124

thAnnual Central Florida Ride, Clermont, Florida

Florida chapter of VJMC is hosting its 4th annual centralFlorida ride. 50-mile ride through the most beautiful roll-ing hills of West Central Florida. Join us for lunch and agreat day of vintage bike grip twisting.

Citrus Tower 141 N. Hwy 27, Clermont, FL. 10 a.m.start time.

Info.: Paul Enz (321) 268-5461; [email protected]

April 2005

3018

thAnnual Motorcycle Swap Meet, Hatley, Wisc.

Japanese & European motorcycles, scooters, and mo-peds. Largest swap meet of its kind in the area. Held atS-K Service in downtown Hatley, WI (between GreenBay and Wausau on Hwy 29).

Info.: Bill or Steve at (715)446-2225

August 2005

13-14Motorcycle Rally, Lancaster, Ohio2nd annual bike rally. VJMC members and vendors are

invited to attend. Event will be held at the Lancaster Fair-grounds.

Info.: Sam Phillips, [email protected];www.mtpleasantbikers.com

13-142

ndAnnual Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club of

Wisconsin 2005 State Meet, Vintage MotorcycleShow, Swap Meet, Auction, and Charity Ride,DePere, Wisc.

Sat. 8AM-8PM; Sun. 8AM-5PMPresented by Nick’s BMW, VJMC-Wisconsin & North

American Youth Sports.On the grounds of Nick’s BMW, 2246 Mid Valley Rd.

(West Frontage Road of US Hwy 41) DePere, WI 54115.All makes and models welcome at the show. Free food and

drink for all charity riders after the ride at Nick’s BMW.Proceeds from all events benefit the North American

Youth Sports Women’s Athletics College ScholarshipFund and the Nicholas Eng Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Live entertainment * Clinics * In-house specials andpromotions * Motorcycle riding games * Door prizes

For more details, ride registration, swap meet spaces, oran events schedule, contact NAYS at 1-800-787-3265 orNick’s BMW at 920-347-9144.

Check out the classifieds section of

this issue for dozens of bikes, parts,

and miscellaneous items wanted and

for sale.

Quick Tip ofthe Month

“‘Tinking’ sounds emanating from a wheel spokeare usually indicative of loose or over- tightenedspokes.”

16 www.vjmc.org


by Mike Baker

Well, despite Mother Nature’s wrath,the Fourth Annual VJMC NationalRally came to a successful conclusionon a lovely Tennessee September Sat-urday afternoon. I am happy to say thatI could not make it to the first few daysof this year’s Rally. Had to finish anXR50 up for a customer or disappointhis little boy for that weekend’splanned thrashing of said bike. I’msure the Rally’s first days of stormy de-luge were pretty miserable.

But, by the time I got to Oak Ridgefor the Awards Breakfast on Fridaymorning, things seemed to havesorted themselves out and there werea lot of smiling faces around theDoubletree’s conference hall tables.The proud owners of beautiful andnot-so-beautiful (the “barn fresh”class) classic Japanese bikes wereawarded their trophies and the foodwas great! There was lots of goodweather and great rides still to comeon Friday, plus the pig roast to attendand Yamaha 125 winner to be an-nounced on Saturday.

After leaving the breakfast, full ofgood food and coffee, I was grinningas I walked down the rows of greatlooking Japanese motorcycles scat-tered about the hotel grounds and lin-ing the road in front of the Oak RidgeCommons, where the city so gener-ously allows us to set up our rallytents, vendor exhibits, and bike show.The vendors (myself included) hadcrawled out from under their tarpsand trailers to display a fine assort-ment of “trash and treasures.” De-spite the weather, we had morevendors this year and there wereplenty of bargains to be found.

Throughout Friday, entertainingevents continued to unfold for mem-bers and their significant others.There was the mini-Dragon ride andthe ever-popular full-on Dragon ride.Groups of motorcycles and riderscame and went from the rally grounds

throughout the day. There were tripsto historical sights and jewelryshows. By dinner, despite a couple ofunfortunate “wrong side up” inci-dents on the rides, everyone but theinjured and their care-giving relativesseemed to have had a great day. I sin-cerely hope that the injured memberis recovering well and will be backnext year to conquer the offendingstrip of pavement.

Many of us had a great meal and tra-ditional libation at the Mexican res-taurant just across the street from therally grounds and Doubletree hotel:best chili rellenos I have had in a long

time! My dinner companions and Ihad some lively discussions about thatand the previous days’ events, motor-cycles, and life in general. Some of usclosed the restaurant and then shuffledoff to bed around midnight.

The next day was another easternTennessee beauty and the rally ridesand events continued to progressthroughout the morning. At noonabout forty bikes and their riders de-parted the rally grounds for a veryscenic and entertaining ride to the siteof the pig roast. We all got there safeand sound with the assistance of ourchaperones. Soon we were digging in

Top: Machines lined up for the bike show. Bottom: Rally-goers enjoy a rain-free day

2004 VJMC National Rally report

www.vjmc.org 17


to some great barbequed pig, turkey,and other fine vittles to the accompa-niment of a first class bluegrass band.The outing’s location was a scenicfloating restaurant and bar on WattsBar Lake. To add to the already verypleasant visual surroundings therewere some lovely young ladies serv-ing up the cold drinks. Difficultthough it may have been with thesecharming distractions about, every-one behaved themselves and did notrubber-neck too much. So, none ofthe better halves in attendance had to“accidentally” nudge an errant com-panion into the river for a cooling offperiod.

Club President and ride guide, PeteBoody announced the Yamaha 125Scrambler’s winner. He was overjoyedand responded to his good fortune byannouncing to the gathered members,“This is the luckiest day of my life! It isthe first time I have ever won anythingand it is my thirty–fifth wedding anni-versary, too!” This was really special,because his wife had ridden out to thepig roast and hoedown with him. Shewas able to be there to hear this lovingstatement and share in his added happi-ness. Soon it was time to return andvarious groups began to peel off andfind their way back to the rally groundsto finish out the event.

By late Saturday afternoon, mostfolks had packed up and were hittingthe road. Like me, I’m sure they werelooking forward to next year’s Na-tional Rally. Despite a stormy begin-ning, the great old Japanese bikes,fantastic rides, bike show, specialevents, swap meet, great location, andcamaraderie with those who share alove of these classic Japanese ma-chines had made this year’s NationalRally another successful VJMC event.Thanks so much to those, always toofew, VJMC members whose longhours of hard work make this andother VJMC events a reality. I hope tosee everyone who was in Oak Ridgefor the Rally this year, and a lot morenew faces, at the 2005 National Rally!Come join us for great vintagemotorcycling friendship and fun, youwon’t be disappointed!

Top: One gorgeous Yamaha XS650. Middle: An impressive array of show bikes. Bot-tom: The awards breakfast.

18 www.vjmc.org


The Honda trivia game (answers on page 26)

by Bill “Mr. Honda” Silver

1. What is the all-time best-selling series of Hondamotorcycles?

2. What was Honda’s first “complete motorcycle”named?

3. What was Honda’s first 4-stroke engine release?4. What was the first Honda-built moped called?5. What type of engine do the C100, C102, C110, C200,

and CT200s have in common?6. What was Honda’s first OHC (overhead camshaft)

engine?7. When was Honda’s first 250cc twin produced?8. What years were the C100 and C90 Benly released?9. Name the single cylinder Benly-series.

10. What type of engine was in the D Dream series?11. What type of engine was in the E Dream Series?12. What type of rear suspension did the Benly J model

have?13. What type of rear suspension did the Benly JA model

have?14. What type of front suspension did the Benly J-JB

model have?15. What type of front suspension did the Benly JC

model have?16. What was Honda’s first scooter called?17. What size was the engine in the 4E Dream?18. What series came after the SA and SB models?19. What year was the CB92-95 first released?20. When was the CB72 first produced?21. What new 50cc bikes were released in 1960?22. What year was the 55cc Cubs produced?23. Name the single-carb, Type 2 version of the 250cc

Hawk.24. What was the name of the 1962 C240?25. Which production road racers were released in 1962?26. When was the C200 released?27. What new singles and twins were released in 1964?28. What all-new bike was released in 1965?29. The 1964 CP77 had what size wheels?30. The 1965 CP450 had what size wheels?31. What was the name of the 1966 P25-50?32. What was the name of the 1968 PC50?33. What was the racing version of the CB350?34. Name the U.S. variations of machines with OHC 90

engines.35. Name all of the CT-series machines sold in the U.S.36. Name all of the OHV 50 machines sold in the U.S.37. Name all of the OHV 90 machines sold in the U.S.38. Name at least three 70cc machines sold in the U.S.39. Name three all-new machines sold in the U.S. in

1973.

40. What year or version of the CB350 twins had a frontdisc brake?

41. What year was the CB350Four sold in the U.S.?42. How many years was the CB350F sold in the U.S.?43. What year was the CB500F first sold in the U.S.?44. How many sandcast engines were produced for the

CB750?45. What year did Honda first produce Super Sport

machines with 4:1 exhaust systems?46. What were those machines?47. What was the claimed horsepower for a CB92?48. What does the word “Benly” mean in Japanese?49. What was shown on the tank badges of the dry sump

twins from 1957-60?50. What was generally seen on the tank badges for the

250-305 twins prior to 1964?51. What was changed in 1964 for the 250-305 tank

badges?52. What was shown on the early C110 tank badges?53. What other model used the same tank badges?54. What kinds of emblems were displayed on the first

1959 CB92 fuel tanks?55. What was shown on early model Honda CB92 plastic

tank badges?56. What was changed for the later tank badges?

www.vjmc.org 19


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_______________

20 www.vjmc.org


Door County ride full of fantastic scenery

by John DeBeck

As the fall colors begin to shim-mer in their finest hues, I have al-ways made it a point to take one ofmy last rides of the year to a destina-tion in northern Wisconsin. Thisyear, however, I chose to make a re-turn visit to Door County, which forthose unfamiliar with our fine state,is the peninsula that juts out fromthe east side of the state between thewaters of Green Bay and LakeMichigan, and is also affectionatelyknown as the “thumb,” if you envi-sion the state as being shaped like agiant glove. This tourist area is rem-iniscent of Cape Cod, with a lots oflittle seaside towns, bed and break-fasts, resorts, art galleries, and an-tique shops. Perhaps it is the idealplace for a vintage motorcycle ride,as life tends to slow down a lot inthis picturesque area.

My partner for this journey was mytrusty 1975 Kawasaki Z1, which Iprocured from the collection of DaleHornung of Hornung Cycle in Hub-bard, Iowa, back in 2000. Mr.Hornung, I understand, has passedaway since then, but had amassed awonderful collection of vintagebikes. The “Zed” now in my posses-sion was in pretty decent shape, butwas in need of original mufflers andsome TLC. She has since received anew top end and now runs like adream, and has accumulated nearly48,000 miles. But she seems to haverecently acquired an appetite for bat-teries! The night before our VJMCvintage show and ride last August, Iput the key to her and she groaned asshe turned over in agony, her heart inher throat (and mine in my throat aswell!). So off I trotted to Fleet Farm,where I bought a new battery,charged it that night, and installed itthe next morning before heading offto the show. Considering that thedead cell was about four years old, itwas probably due for replacement.

Top: John DeBeck’s 1975 Kawasaki Z1. Bottom: Fall foliage creates a canopy along theroad in northern Wisconsin.

www.vjmc.org 21


The new battery ran great for fourdays, but on the fifth day, the Zedonce again emanated a groan thatmade it sound as if she was about tomove on to bike heaven. Concernedthat my problem might be caused by acharging system defect, I drove overto see the hosts of our state meet,John Eng and Peter Beyer at Nick’sBMW, for a thorough test of thecharging system. Thankfully, thisconfirmed that I had managed to getstuck with yet another skunky bat-tery! So we exchanged the one frommy ‘73 Z1 to the ‘75, and lo and be-hold, nary a problem since!

The Zed happily roared to life earlyon a brisk Sunday morning as severalfriends and colleagues and I headedout on our trek. My significant other,Mina, commented that it seemed as ifthe other bikes in the garage all hadtheir “tires raised” as if to say “Pickme! Pick me!” hoping to be the one totake me on my trip. Mind you, I haveto rotate bikes to keep them all happy,as the collection now numbers about50, and in the garage at home, cur-rently 16 of them sit at the wait. Butas the warmth from the heated garageescaped into the 40 degree weather, Idid not doubt that a few of them werelikely happy to stay in their cozyshed!

We headed out of Oneida (just westof Green Bay), across the Fox River,and up interstate 43 to state highway57, which would carry us right to thetip of the peninsula. The first 45 min-utes of the trip up to Sturgeon Baywas uneventful, and after passingover the ship canal that divides the“thumb” from the rest of the state, wemade a brief stop for gas and dough-nuts. I always recommend fueling upin Sturgeon Bay, because as one goesfurther north, the prices tend to goway up.

Our first scenic stop was atWhitefish Dunes State Park, just afew miles off the main road on theshore of Lake Michigan. State parkstickers are $5 per day in Wisconsin,which is the best way to go if you

Top: The Cana Island lighthouse. Bottom: Whitefish Dunes along Lake Michigan. See Door County, page 22

22 www.vjmc.org


wish to visit any of the state parks inDoor County on the same day. Be-cause of bacteria that floats up thelake from Gary, Chicago, and Mil-waukee, some of the beaches havebeen closed along this side of thepeninsula for the last two years. Butthere are plenty of places to swim andrecreate in the water all around DoorCounty, and this is one of them. Thetallest dune is called Old Baldy,which rises 93 feet above the shore.Wooden boardwalks help visitorswho wish to hike to the top of thedune.

Just a mile or so up the road is CavePoint County Park. This is a wonder-ful stop to view where Lake Michi-gan has eroded the limestone cliffs toform natural caves into the shoreline.All along this drive (listed as countyroad WD on the map) the trees enve-lope the roadway like a canopy.Many curves fill these roads, andmake them great for motorcycle rid-ing as well as color-seeking duringthe fall. Though only two main roads,state highways 57 and 42, circle theDoor Peninsula, I strongly recom-mend getting off them, as scenic asthey may be, and taking the road lesstraveled. As more people flock to thisvacation paradise, the main roads asthey pass through some of the littletowns are often clogged and nearlyimpassable, considering the festivalsand parties that go on almost everyweekend.

We passed through the town ofJacksonport and then made a quickstop in Bailey’s Harbor at the YumYum Tree, where a candy and icecream stop is almost mandatory!Taking a right turn on County Q outof Bailey’s Harbor took us to CanaIsland, where our intent was to tourthe Cana Island Lighthouse. I hadbeen here as a kid, and recalledwalking through the lake with waterover my knees, on the causeway

that had been naturally deposited bythe lake between the mainland andthe island. Well, no longer did Ihave to worry about pulling off myboots, rolling up my jeans, and hav-ing to put on hip waders! The waterlevels on the lake are nearly eightfeet lower at this stage, and we wereable to navigate the causeway with-out the need for a towel. A $3.50 feeis charged by the Door County Mar-itime Museum and Preservation So-ciety, and though the lighthouseitself is only open to tours on se-lected dates during the year becauseof Coast Guard regulations, thekeeper’s house is open and containsnumerous interesting exhibits andartifacts. Perhaps the island is mostwell known for two famous ship-wrecks. In 1919, the Frank O’Connor, a wooden steamer, caughtfire and burned just a few miles offshore. Today, it is a well-knowndiving site. In 1928, the steelsteamer Michael Bartleme becamelost in the fog, and despite the lightand the horn, rammed into the is-land’s rocky shore. The keeper hadno knowledge of the wreck until thefog lifted. Imagine his surprise!Steel from the Bartleme still can befound on the shore and some of theship’s artifacts are preserved in dis-plays on the island.

After navigating the causeway onour return, we found a group ofHarley riders admiring our collectionof old bikes. “I used to have a Z1 likethat,” commented one. No less thanfour people on the trip gave me athumbs up about my Zed, includingone 80-year-old man who lamentedhow he wished he would have boughtone years ago!

We decided to make a run for thevery tip of the peninsula, atNorthport, to see if we could makethe ferry to Washington Island, foundjust a few miles offshore. During thesummer season, ferries run back andforth nearly every half hour. The is-

land holds little shops, restaurants,museums, and a number of fine bik-ing roads. But having already spenthalf of our day, we decided to forgothe ferry ride for another visit, and re-turned down highway 42 for a stop inSister Bay. Leaving Northport, theroad twists and turns rapidly. Thoughthe speed limit is listed at 20 mph, wetook the liberty to go a tad faster! Ibelieve one section of the road has 17curves in just one-half of a mile, but Iwas having so much fun, I may havelost count!

Sister Bay is best known for AlJohnson’s Swedish Restaurant. Planahead, as it is always busy. Our waitwas nearly an hour, but it was wellworth it! The restaurant is notable forits grass roof, not to mention thegoats that graze on it! After our latelunch, we were determined to find anorchard and procure some apples forpie-making. Door County is justfilled with apple and cherry orchards.Cherries are usually ripe for pickingin mid to late July, while the applesappear in September. Spring is also agreat time to plan a trip to DoorCounty, when the cherry trees are infull bloom.

Navigating through the scenic Pen-insula State Park, and then through thetowns of Fish Creek and Egg Harbor(which got its name because of a hugeegg fight in the bay!), we decided toget off the beaten path and ride theeast shore of Green Bay on our wayback to Sturgeon Bay. County roads Gand B are a far more scenic ride, withthe scenery alternating between beau-tiful trees and limestone cliffs. Theroad also has some good curves, andafter puttering through some of the lit-tle towns at a crawl, it was nice to feelthe autumn breeze in our faces onceagain. Sturgeon Bay is the largest cityin Door County, and is home to someof the largest shipyards in the world. Itis here where many of the 1,000 footlong lake boats were built, and wheremany of them “winter up” after the

Door County: Perfect end-of-season ride


www.vjmc.org 23


shipping season closes and the lakesfreeze over. Wintertime is mainte-nance time, and last year, nearly 20ships were docked bow to stern andport to starboard, awaiting repairs orroutine work. The recently retired Ed-ward L Ryerson was in port on thisday, and has been so for about a year.Several times each year, it is open forpublic tours, and having been throughthe ship when it first docked, I can saythe experience is quite worthwhile.The Door County Maritime Museum,just across the ship canal from theshipyard, is also a worthwhile stop forthe history buff. Personally, I have al-ways been interested in shipwrecks onthe Great Lakes, so I try to stop herewhenever possible.

A trip to Door County would not becomplete without a stop at JoeRauer’s Bar in Duval, just two milesoff the highway, north ofDyckesville. The original “Eat atJoe’s” burned to the ground a whileback, but was quickly rebuilt.Known for their famous hamburg-ers, they come on a soft roll accom-panied by a stack of napkins.Extremely juicy and tasty, they slidedown the hungry biker’s gullet withease. A bowl of Joe’s chili with on-ions, cheese, and sour cream is alsoan excellent choice. During our stop,no less than two dozen other ridersstopped for sustenance, and the baris well-known for being bikerfriendly.

Soon the sun will set on anothermotorcycling season in Wisconsin. Icouldn’t help but feeling a little melan-choly watching the sun set over the bayas we made the final leg of the journeyhome. It will soon be time to drain thecarbs, trickle charge the batteries, andput all of our bikes away for a long win-ter’s nap. Thank goodness that when Iget cabin fever, I have a friend who runsa bike rental agency in Las Vegas, andcan get out of the cold in the middle ofJanuary to get my motorcycling fix! Inthe meantime, the winter gives me achance to plan for our 2005 VJMC statemeet (August 13-14), and make somenew acquaintances as I plan for our up-coming excursions during the next greatriding season!

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!

24 www.vjmc.org


Suzuki T250 restorationby Michael Muetz

When a fellow Grange memberasked if I wanted an old motorcycle,I wasn’t sure that I did at first. Mylast bike, a 1968 Honda 250 Scram-bler, had been sold to a friend backin 1982. My job as a Park Rangerhad afforded me plenty of ridingtime on the job on Honda andYamaha singles, so I didn’t need tohave a bike of my own. When I re-tired from the Park Service, I didn’tthink that the wheels of my youthwould re-appear in this lifetime.

But I became curious. When asked,Harry wasn’t sure what model theSuzuki was. He had bought it at ayard sale back in 1992 and thought atthe time that he would make a trailbike out of it. He had put it in his barngarage and there it had stayed. By theend of 2003, though, he was tired ofmoving the bike around to get toother things, and wanted it to leavethe barn. So at a Grange meeting heasked me if I wanted it. The ideafloated around in my head for amonth before I finally decided that Iwould take it home and see what Icould do with it.

Since Harry lives on the other sideof the hill from me, it was a shortdrive with the car trailer to his house.He had the bike ready, outside of thebarn and standing upright. I had notseen one of these on the road for avery long time. The two-stroke twincylinder model was definitely from atime gone by. From the VIN plate onthe frame I could see that the bike wasa Suzuki T250 manufactured inMarch of 1970. Along with the bikecame four exhaust pipes that Harrysaid had come with the bike when hebought it. So the T250 and extra pipeswere tied down on the car trailer andhauled to their new home.

The Suzuki was, in Model A Ford lan-guage, “barn fresh.” The speedometershowed 16,191 miles and the tachome-ter was ruined. The engine would notturn over. Oil was leaking from the front

fork seals. The seat had been recoveredat least once, but most of that materialwas gone. The exhaust pipes were miss-ing and the nuts on the carbs had beenremoved but the carbs were still inplace. The T250 had been green origi-nally but the paint had faded over theyears. The inside of the gas tank lookedlike it had been full of water at one timeand the petcock was missing; I supposeit had been taken off so that the waterwould just work its way through thetank. The chain had morphed into alength of rusty links. There was a4.00-18 knobby tire on the rear wheel,and the license plate had last been regis-tered in 1988. The chrome and alumi-num parts were well aged with a coatingof “vintage oxidation.”

Now that the Suzuki was parked inthe shop, it was time to do some re-search. From the closet I retrieved a1966 Cycle World road test of theX-6. Fortunately, I had kept a numberof motorcycle ads that I had acquiredback in the 60s just for the heck of it.Now they might come in handy.

There are no Suzuki dealerships inEl Dorado County, California, sointo the yellow pages I went. And

off to the internet I went as well. Ihad not paid much attention to eBayuntil now, but that was about tochange. For the next seven months Ichased parts from all over the worldand found out just how many peopleenjoy the vintage motorcyclinghobby. I also joined the VJMC tomeet others who were drawn to re-vive the wheels of times past.

As parts began to arrive at my door-step, the tired Suzuki dissolved in theshop. Everything came off or apartand cried out for attention. The leftcylinder on the engine was seized, sonew pistons, rings, etc. had to be or-dered. The lower seal on the oil injec-tor pump had to be replaced. Thelocal cycle machine shop was kindawilling to work on the crankshaft, buttheir heart really wasn’t in it, so Imade a jig, used my own press, andreplaced all the seals and the bearingsmyself.

One of the best findings on theinternet was a T250 that was beingdismantled. It had been put awaywith 2,450 miles on it. I acquired itsengine, brake assemblies, instru-ments, cables, and best of all – a set of

www.vjmc.org 25


exhaust pipes. Remember the fourspare pipes that had come with thebike? It turned out that they were offa CB750! My T250 had originallybeen a high-pipe model. When themotor seized, someone had taken offthe pipes to begin disassembly, andthey had somehow parted companywith the bike and were never seenagain. So when I found out that therewere exhaust pipes with the partsbike, a major hurdle was overcome.The pipes would have been thrownaway, along with the engine. I hate tothink of all the good parts that areburied in landfills!

By early July, the project was fin-ished. The painting, cleaning, replac-ing, and parts hunting had paid off.The sad little twin from January wasready to go back on the road and bringback memories for some of the peoplethat would see it. Its first test was onthe Sacramento Sheriffs MemorialRide. I’m positive that the T250 wasthe smallest bike in the event.

I have joined a motorcycle touringclub, and although at the moment I havethe smallest bike in the group, they arehappy to have me along. The Suzuki isquite different from the Honda 305 andthe 250 Scrambler that I had years agoand from the four-stroke singles that Irode at work. The T250 loves to rev.Under 3,000 rpm it puts up with me, butho-hum, says wake me up when youwant to get going. Wind me up to 6,000,7,000 and 8,000 rpm, and I’ll take youdown the road!

I rode the Suzuki over to Harry’splace after it was running again so hecould see it. He couldn’t believe thechange. We enjoyed some iced teaand talked about our motorcyclingadventures over the years.

My next adventure involves acquir-ing a Honda Goldwing 1100. It is oldenough to be vintage, good sized fortouring, and opens a whole newrealm of machinery to learn about.Happy trails!

Top: The Suzuki T250 arrives at its newhome. Middle: Dissassembly begins onthe Suzuki. Bottom: The T250, restoredand ready for the road.

26 www.vjmc.org


The Honda trivia game answers

by Bill “Mr. Honda” Silver

1. Honda Cub – over 40 million sold worldwide!2. Honda D Dream3. 1953 J-Series Benly 90cc and 1951 150cc E Dream4. 1952 F-Cub5. 4-cycle OHV, pushrod engine.6. 1955 SA 250cc single.7. 1957 C70 dry sump engine.8. 19589. J, JA, JB, JC56, JC57, JC58

10. 100cc 2-stroke single.11. 1951 146cc 4-stroke single.12. Cantilever type with single spring (engine and rear

fork pivoted as one unit).13. Dual-shock rear swingarm14. Telescopic15. Leading link16. 1954 K Scooter 200cc17. 1954 4E 220cc18. 1956 ME/MF 250/350cc OHC singles19. 195920. November 196021. C110, CZ50 Monkey Bike22. 1961 C10523. 1961 CM7224. Port A Cub25. CR110, 93, 72, 77 were all produced in 1962, includ-

ing street bike derivatives of the CR110 and CR9326. 196327. CB160, CB125, CS65, CS90

28. CB450K029. 17”30. 18”31. LITTLE HONDA32. LITTLE HONDA33. 1968 CYB35034. CM91 (C90M), S90, SL90, CL90, CL90L, CT90,

ST9035. CT70, CT200, CT90, CT110, CT12536. C(A)100, C(A)102, C(A)100T, C105T, C11037. C(A)200, CT20038. CT70, C70, CL70, SL70, XL7039. XR75, CR250M, XL250K040. 1973 CB350G41. 05/01/7242. THREE 1972-7443. 197144. 741445. 197546. CB400F, CB550F, CB750F47. 15hp48. Convenient49. Honda Dream50. Honda Dream 250 and Honda Dream 30051. Honda 250 and Honda 300, the “Dream” portion was

eliminated.52. Honda Sports Cub53. CR110 street bike.54. Decals55. BENLY (only)

56. Benly 125

The VJMC magazine staff wishes allour readers a happy holiday season!

provide strong technical assistance ingetting these bikes running. All threegroups and many of their membersprovided expertise when we got stuckor provided obscure or obsolete partswhen new ones were not available.eBay is also a great resource for locat-ing some very difficult-to-find parts.

In a world where only the newest,fastest, most powerful, and biggestseem to be the norm inmotorcycling, there is a quiet satis-faction in seeing a pile of whatsomeone considered to be scrap takeshape into a living, breathing motor-cycle. The gratification increasesstanding in line at the local motor ve-hicle department to get the beast reg-

istered. And there is nothing like thepride you feel when someone comesover to admire your unique old mo-torcycle. I have only one problem–Ijust can’t seem to part with any ofthe bikes I find and my garage is be-ginning to fill up very quickly. I dobelieve my wife is going to kill mewhen the next one enters my drive-way!

Reclamation: Brothers reconnect over bike


www.vjmc.org 27


ClassifiedsRemember that a “Vintage Japa-

nese” motorcycle is 15 years or older(cutoff 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 magazine is issuedfor the NEXT magazine. For exam-ple, ads for the February magazinewill be due to the editor by December20th.

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

For Sale

Honda

For 1959/69 Honda 50-305cc: 30year collection of parts and projects.Lots of NOS and used stuff, projectbikes, parts and dealer paraphernalia.Approx $30,000 worth of parts at re-tail value; like to sell it in one lot for$10,000 or trade for Kawasaki 1500Drifter.

Greg Carson, (403) 748-3000,Bently, Alberta, [email protected]

For Honda 250/305: Restorationand Engine Repair guides onCDROM for all 1960-67 250-305ccHonda twins. Also have Honda car-buretor catalogs, C71-76 Dream

owner’s manual available.Bill Silver, (808) 325-1655, Kailua

Kona, Hawaii, sterling.silver@tur-

quoise.net

1969 Honda CA 160 Dream. Red, ex-cellent original condition - 9 on 10scale. Everything works, electric start-ing, runs extremely smooth. Ohio title.$1499. See this and others at:www.classicjapanesemotorcycles.com/

David Hellard, (614) 871-1154,Grove City, Ohio

1970 Honda CB750 Project Bike.Top end needs to be rebuilt. Candyruby red. Gas tank and exhaust arelike new. Broken frame mount onmotor casting. Excellent seat and sidecovers, 6368 miles, clear title. $2500obo. Information and photos avail-able.

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

For 1973 Honda CB750: NOSbrown gas tank. Still in the originalbox from Honda. PERFECT. $500plus shipping or trade for BlackBomber parts - tank, air filter covers,fenders, exhaust, etc.

Anthony Lucas, (917) 450-5212,[email protected]

1976 Honda Elsinore MT 250 K0Enduro. First year model. Silver/Or-ange Stripe. 2900 miles, excellentcondition, 8.5 on 10 scale, all lightingand street equipment intact. Runsstrong. $1799. See this and others at:www.classicjapanesemotorcycles.com/


1977 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing.Blue, very original and correct, unre-stored but mechanically refreshed.Very beautiful, must see to appreci-ate, flawless reliability. 48k miles,fresh tires, recent major service, rideanywhere. Needs nothing. $3600obo.

Kenneth Browde, (517) 927-8023),Grand Ledge, Michigan,[email protected]

1982 Honda CBX. Excellent condi-tion. 2450 original miles. Has op-tional clock and temp gage, alloriginal labels, tool kit, tire gage andhas no discoloration on header pipes.$6250. Can snail mail pictures.

Wally Gilman, (970) 882-3160, Do-lores, Colorado, [email protected]

Kawasaki

1969 Kawasaki F-21MGreenstreak, 250cc. All original, ex-tremely clean, none better. Notcheap, serious inquiries only. Cane-mail pictures.

Paul, [email protected]

1967 Kawasaki F2 175cc. Com-plete original with 4600 miles, needsrestoration. Ohio title. $1000 obo.May help deliver?

Mark Judd, (513) 464-0008, Hamil-ton, Ohio, [email protected]

1973 Kawasaki W3. Two W3s - onerestored and running, one in parts butcomplete. Incorrect graphics, but allpieces are there. Other W3 takenapart for restoration, but is complete.$6,000 for all. Collection of W parts;ignitions, rubber parts, pushrods, ev-erything but body parts available.Photos available.

Mike Vaughan, (678) 416-2258,Oceanside, California,[email protected]

1974 Kawasaki F7 175 Enduro. 1700miles, Green, all original, as close tonew as you can get, runs great. Ohio ti-tle. $1599. See this and others at:www.classicjapanesemotorcycles.com/


1976 Kawasaki KZ900. Darkgreen, 21,000 miles. Runs very good,all original, clean. Can send pictures.$1995.

Steve Kasten, (715) 446-2225, 100

Clark St, Hatley, Wisconsin, 54440

28 www.vjmc.org


Suzuki

Early 70s Suzuki T500. Done asroad racer. Great for vintage racing.Has the original light blue and whiteSuzuki fairing, gas tank, and tail sec-tion. The windshield will need to bereplaced. Has expansion chamberswith detachable silencers. Not run-ning, but lots of compression andspark. $1,800 Canadian.

George Van Dyk, (705-326-5941),[email protected]

1971 Suzuki T125. Good condition,1320 miles. Imported from Canada.$850. You pick up. Also looking forshowroom mint YL1, CB160, T125 orolder small displacement road racers.

Paul, (941) 726-7109, Sarasota,Florida, [email protected]

1974 Suzuki GT 550. Runs great,new tires, chain and sprockets. Plus1972/1974 parts bikes. $1,000 for all.

Ed, (734) 483-7710,[email protected]

Yamaha

1960 Yamaha Campus 60cc. It is inrestorable condition, engine turnsover, 7735 miles, title and key. Picsavailable. Best offer.

Chris Schaible, (586) 598-4655,Detroit, Mich., [email protected]

1971 Yamaha XS1B. 8K miles. Allthere, turns over. Pics on request.Best offer.

Michael F. Shinners, (716)884-6832 (nights 4-8pm), 61 Ashland

Ave., Buffalo, New York, 14222

1977 Yamaha RD400. Fresh topend, mostly stock, strong runner.Bronze swing arm bushings and ta-pered roller bearings in steering head.Clean, unmolested example with 17Kmiles. French blue. $1575, negotiable.

Paul Cook, (517) 339-2922, Haslett,

Mich., [email protected].

1986 Yamaha IT200. Parts bike,needs motor rebuild; it rolls. Cheap.

Michael F. Shinners, (716)884-6832 (nights 4-8pm), 61 AshlandAve., Buffalo, New York, 14222

1978 Yamaha RD400. Silver, withblue/white graphics. Stock motor andexhaust, 27K mi. Handling upgrades,braided stainless steel brake lines,superbike bars, Bridgestone BT45tires. Professionally reupholsteredseat. Runs great. $1500.

Paul Cook, (517) 339-2922, Haslett,Mich., [email protected].

Miscellaneous Items

Video Tapes. #1: 1966 Honda Fac-tory Tour, 1964 Suzuki Factory Tour,plus 1970 Honda’s 1st Daytona 200miler win, $20. #2: 1959 GreenhornEnduro and 1964 Jackpine Enduroplus 2 indoor short tracks on concretefrom the 1970’s, $20. #3: 1954 Tri-umph Factory Tour and 1958 BSAFactory Tour, $20. Tapes are 1 houror longer. Price includes shipping.

Jim Minnis, 210 S. Madison St.Princeton, Indiana, 47670

For Early 1960s and up Japanesebikes: Keys. Thousands of OEMHonda and Suzuki keys. $8 each,which includes shipping. Thousandsof NOS parts for those old bikes instock. Just send us what part you needwith the bike model and year, or pref-erably a part number, and we justmay be able to help you out.

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

1970/85 Japanese 100/1100cc.Complete salvage and parts businesswith more than 700 bikes and toomany parts to even start a list. All in40-ft storage trailers that can also bebought. Reasonable offers.

Stephen Horton, (717) 532-6147,Roxbury, Penn., [email protected]

Keys. We supply hard to find keyblanks for classic vehicles! We stockkeys for cars, trucks, buses, motorcy-cles and even some airplanes. Visitour web site to browse our catalogand order online, or to request helpfinding the key you need:http://www.key-men.com

Key Men - Keys for Classics, Mon-roe, New York, [email protected]

Manuals & Books. Manuals for1977/83 Suzuki 400 & 450,$15+ship. Service and repair manualfor Honda Twinstar, $15 +ship. NewShop Manual for 1984/85 HondaV30 Magna, $30 + ship. Honda PartsCatalog for 1973 E300-300 K1,new, $15 + ship. Clymer service andrepair manual for 1980/83 HondaCB 900-1100 Fours, new, $30 +ship. Tuning for Speed book, 1960by Phil Irving, $15 + ship. 1946/59BSA maintenance and repair SmallBook (D.W, Munro), $15 + ship.Owners’ manuals for 1978 HondaHawk and Honda CB 750F, $10each. $5 discount to all VJMC mem-bers.

Jack Delaney, (413) 586-0564,Florence, Massachusetts,[email protected]

Parts/Project Bikes. Mostly com-plete. 1966 Suzuki X6 250cc, $150.1966 Suzuki T10 250cc, $150. 1969Suzuki T200, $180. 1963 YamahaYA5 125cc, $100. 1965/66 YamahaYA6 125cc, $100 each. 1969 YA6,$250. (2) 1967 Yamaha YM1305cc, $300 and $250. 1967Yamaha YR1 350cc, $700. 1967/68Honda CA77, $400 for all. 1967Honda CB77, $700. (2) 1967 Sears250 and 1966 125 plus more in verygood condition, $700 for all.Bridgestone DT175, missing en-gine, $150. 1968 Benelli 60ccminitrail, $100. (2) 1967 YamahaJT1 60cc, $250 for all.

Phil Powell, 204 W. Main St.,Morristown, Tennessee, 37814 (east-ern TN), [email protected]

Classifieds

www.vjmc.org 29


1970 to 1985 Hondas, 175cc to750cc; 1980 to 1986 Suzukis, 450cc:completely running bikes, parts bikes,and spare parts available. View atwebsite:www.freewebs.com/detroitcyclesales.

Dan Foukes, (586) 777-6992, SaintClair Shores, Michigan,[email protected]

Wanted

Bridgestone

For 1966 Bridgestone Sport 50:looking for parts. Consider wholebike, engine, misc.

Grant, North Dakota, [email protected]

Honda

For 1960/63 Honda Dream Sport305cc: need high pipes and heatshields.

Bob Archer, (606) 875-3286,Somerset, Kentucky,[email protected]

For 1964/69 Honda S65: I am goingto restore three bikes, and need acarb, intake, intake boot, tank withpads etc., seat pan at least, muffler(s)and probably a bunch of little thingstoo. If you have anything for thesebikes please email me with the de-tails.

Brian Weir, (613) 531-7810,[email protected]

Collector seeking the followingperfect original or restored bikes:1968-1969 CB350, 1967-1970CB450, 1965-1969 CL77, 1973350-Four, 1982 CX650T, 1979 CBX.

Randy Martin, (972) 931-9353,Dallas, Texas,

[email protected]

For 1964/65 Honda CB92 Benly125cc: looking for seat, exhaust,headlight, gear change pedal andlinkage, tank badges, front fender,etc.

Bill Carmichael, 01780 752425,Lincolnshire, UK, [email protected]

For 1965 Honda CB77: needmounting hardware for Vetter series1000 fairing. Hardware can be seenon the Craig Vetter website(http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/Vetter_Fairings/Series1000.html).Was also made to fit the 305ccYamahas.

Jim Hawkins, Vancouver, BC, Can-ada, [email protected]

1965/67Honda CB450 K0: lookingfor a Black Bomber. Does not have tobe in great shape. It does need allparts in place; ie. - correct badges,working speedo/tach, engine moves,etc.

Anthony Lucas, (917) 450-5212,[email protected]

For 1966 Honda CB450 K0: I needplastic gas tank badges, front foot pegrubbers, foot shift lever, rear brakepedal and bare handlebars. Also needappropriate starter for frame #CB450-1002607.

Tom Laing, (574) 753-2294,Logansport, Indiana,[email protected]

For Honda CT90: Help!! Can any-one assist me in putting a date to anearly CT90? Engine #CT90E-101345. Frame # 101254.

Bob Hall, (205) 792-2256, 1514Skyland Blvd, E. #108, Tuscaloosa,Alabama, 35405

1968/69 Honda CL175: looking forbike in good to excellent condition(slant motor w/ 5-speed). Running,complete bike preferred but will en-

tertain all offers.Ron A Smith, (619) 977-3805,

[email protected]

For 1970 Honda SL350: beginningto restore and need parts, NOS orused.

Chaz Lord, (541) 659-1044,Applegate, Oregon,[email protected]

1965/69 Honda CA77 Dream.Looking for museum quality originalor restored, color choices: first-white,second-red, third-black.

Matt Capriotti, (360) 385-1246,[email protected]

Kawasaki

For 1967/71 Kawasaki A1/A7:looking for bikes, motors, or motorparts (barrels, heads, etc.).

Jim Marhan, (603) 464-5218,[email protected]

Suzuki

1968 Suzuki KT120 118cc. Pur-chased one new and motored toAlaska for 3 months and 10k miles.Would like to locate another.

Tim Orr, (317) 850-8399, Indiana,[email protected]

Tohatsu

For 1962 Tohatsu Runpet SportCA2: need megaphone style twopiece muffler, complete turn signalset (four lenses and bases). Also needa side cover, rear chain case cover,etc. for a 1963 Tohatsu 125 Arrowsingle. Please email if you have any-thing else for Tohatsu.

Ed Wilcox, (810) 629-8876, Michi-gan, [email protected]

Yamaha

1965/66 Yamaha YJ2. Would like ared bike.

Craig, (205) 979-4113, Birming-ham, Alabama, [email protected]

Classifieds

30 www.vjmc.org


For 1966/67 Yamaha 50cc U-E:looking for a front fairing or anyother parts, tools, knowledge, manu-als.

Mark Avery, (805) 492-5156,Thousand Oaks, California,

[email protected]

For 196? Yamaha YDS2 250cc:need rear fender, any condition, onetank badge, complete engine orWHY. Any info appreciated. Partsappreciated even more!

Malc Bates, (423) 578-6887, 405Tilthammer Drive, Kingsport, Ten-nessee, 37660, [email protected]

1966/70 Yamaha YM1-2: lookingfor Scrambler or low piper.

Jeff Holzer, (410) 521-4714,[email protected]

1966 Yamaha YDS3C 250cc. Pre-fer Candy Apple Red, but could livewith blue.

Rick Matzko, (941) 575-4479,Punta Gorda, Florida,[email protected]

For Yamaha DT/RT: looking for asource for the silver/grey wire cover-ing that was use on many of the Japa-nese bikes. Any ideas?

Dennis DeGonia, St. Peters, Mis-souri, [email protected]

For Yamaha YDS5: need chromeparts. Fenders, tank side covers,forks, and gas cap. Any help greatlyappreciated.

Peter Dean, [email protected]

For 1986 Yamaha 200cc 2T BlackMid-Nite scooter: need headlightrim, front fender, right front lowerfender, trim, top plastic handlebarcover (covers speedo). Any color for1986-88 will work.

Michael F. Shinners, (716)884-6832 (nights 4-8pm)/(716)852-0093 (fax), 61 Ashland Ave.,Buffalo, New York, 14222

Miscellaneous Items

Motorcycle Jacket. I’m looking fora men’s jacket from the 1940s-1960speriod. Small to medium size desiredbut will consider large for the rightjacket.

Richard Trautwein, (906)635-0356, 437 Dawson St., Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan, 49783

Looking for old minibikes, parts orcomplete bikes for project. Lookingfor most any make bike with full sus-pensions.

Grant, North Dakota, [email protected]

Looking for my license plate collec-tion: Florida “antique” and “horse-less carriage” motorcycle licenseplates. I have some Florida cycleplates to offer in trade or I will buythem.

Lou, (630) 375-0006 after 6 pm.,[email protected]

Many 1968/85 350cc-1000cc streetbike engines to sell. Yamaha, Honda,Kawasaki, and Suzuki. I will sellthem complete or I can sell parts fromthem. Please email me for a list, or letme know what you need. Prices willbe reasonable.

Kevin Rodgers, (352) 344-8820,Inverness, Florida,[email protected]

Looking for complete set or singleissues of “Motorcycles in Retro-spect” magazines, published circa2000-2003 (before bankruptcy ofpublisher Celtic Moon Publishing,Inc.).

Philip Thompson, Unit 3111, APOAA 34023-3111,[email protected]

Classifieds

HONDA ~ HONDA ~ HONDA ~ HONDA

DAVID SILVER SPARES “The Worlds Largest ‘Independent’ Stockist

Of New Old Stock Motorcycle Spares”

GENUINE HONDA PARTS

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ALL AT DISCOUNTED PRICES

• WE KEEP IN STOCK MOST OF THE PARTS REQUIRED FOR BOTH ENGINE REBUILDS AND COMPLETE RESTORATION PROJECTS

• WE STOCK MANY LARGE COMPONENTS:CYLINDERS, BARRELS, CRANKCASES, WHEELS, TANKS, EXHAUSTS, FAIRING PANELS, SEATS, FRAMES, ETC

AFTERMARKET MUFFLERS:CB77 SUPERHAWK EXACT REPLICA MUFFLERS WITH WELDED BRACKET. BAFFLES AND DOWNPIPES ALSO IN STOCK CB750K0-K6 4:2 CHROME JAPANESE MCA COMPLETE EXHAUST CB500F AND CB550K 4:2 CHROME JAPANESE MCA COMPLETE EXHAUST

PARTS FOR ALL 1960’S TO 2005 MODELS ARRIVING ALL THE TIME

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WANTED: Large stocks of N.O.S. Honda parts

CASH: $$$ PAID We receive huge deliveries of old and obsolete Honda parts through out the year. So phone, fax, write or email for our free latest price list.

DAVID SILVER SPARES Unit 14, Masterlord Industrial Estate,

Station road, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4JD, United Kingdom Web: www.davidsilverspares.com

Email: [email protected] Phone: 011441728833020 Fax: 011441728832197

DAILY UPS SHIPPING TO THE USA HONDA ~ HONDA ~ HONDA ~ HONDA

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ORIGINAL MUFFLER SPECIALS:CB750K0/K1 ‘300 TYPE’ SET OF 4 EXAUSTS CB750K2-K6 (72-76) ‘341 TYPE’ SET OF 4 EXHAUSTS CB500F/550K/K1/K76 ‘323, 374 TYPE’ SET OF 4 EXHAUSTS

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ORDER ON-LINE:VAST COMPREHENSIVE AND EASY TO USE, SECURE ONLINE STORE. THOUSANDS OF GENUINE HONDA AND AFTERMARKET SPARE PARTS LISTED FOR HUNDREDS OF MODELS

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