RIDE `EM, DON’T HIDE `EM

May/June 2020

TWO OF A KIND:
A PAIR OF
PHIL READ
REPLICAS,
ORIGINAL
AND
RESTORED

$6.99 • Vol. 15 No. 5 • Display Until June 15

PLUS:
• YAMAHA'S LOST CAUSE: THE 0W60 RACER
• LAS VEGAS 2020 AUCTION REPORT
• END OF THE LINE: 1953 INDIAN CHIEF
 ROAD
MAP

MARK MOST
FEATURES
10 PHIL READ REPLICA HONDAS
Phil Read captured the TT Formula 1 title at
42 END OF THE LINE: 1953 INDIAN CHIEF
Only 350 or so 1953 Chiefs were ever built. This ON THE
the 1977 Isle of Man, and though the win was
controversial, a replica street bike soon followed.
49
one was restored by marque expert Matt Blake.

LAS VEGAS 2020 AUCTION REPORT

WEB!
18 SIGHT UNSEEN: Brough Superiors top the price charts. Defining the format
1966 MATCHLESS G80CS Doug Mitchel looks back to
Buying a bike on Craigslist without seeing it first is 54 YAMAHA’S LOST CAUSE, the early 1960s, when Moto
not for the faint of heart. THE 0W60 RACER Guzzi first started to work
Just as the square-four 0W60 racer was reaching
MAESTRO MADE: SURTEES out a V-twin for the Italian
24 perfection, Yamaha changed its course.
police. When U.S. importers
SPECIAL 7R RACER TEST
Alan Cathcart rides the race bike John Surtees built 60 BUILT LIKE A GUN? the Berliner brothers caught
for himself to race in British short circuit races. THE 1947 FN X111 ROAD TEST wind of the new V-twin,
FN first built armaments, and then motorcycles. they pushed Guzzi to put
32 1928/1974 BMW SIMILARIA it into production. Check it
Motorcycle builder and rider Bob Vail turns a 1974 68 1982 YAMAHA XJ550 SECA out at MotorcycleClassics
BMW R75/6 into a 1928 R52 “Similaria.” This low-mile, original 550 Seca will take you
back in time. .com/1971-Moto-Guzzi-
Ambassador

DEPARTMENTS
4 SHINY SIDE UP 80 BLACK SIDE DOWN 86 DESTINATIONS
Visit Road America. Sometimes we have to Visit the Aztec Ruins National
remember to start with Monument in Aztec, New
6 READERS AND RIDERS the basics. Mexico.
BSAs, gnomes and dwarfs.
82 KEITH’S GARAGE 87 CALENDAR
8 ON THE RADAR Tips, tricks and more. Where to go and what to do.
1984-1986 Honda VF500F.
84 TEST RIDE 96 PARTING SHOTS
74 HOW-TO Read Dain Gingerelli’s Fifty years ago, the first
Replace the clutch friction review of Don Emde’s new Harley-Davidson XR-750
discs on a 1968 Honda boardtrack history book, The debuted.
CL450. Speed Kings.

2 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

A bad day on the road
still beats a good one off it.
Stay out there with basic liability
insurance starting at $75 a year.
Add roadside assistance for less
than $1 a month.

1.800.PROGRESSIVE | PROGRESSIVE.COM
 SHINY
UP
Visit Road America
ne of our favorite trips every
O year is our trek to Elkhart Lake,
Wisconsin, home of the Road America
race track. This year we'll make our
trip in May to be a part of Vintage
MotoFest, May 30, 2020, in conjunc-
tion with the MotoAmerica Superbikes
Series (roadamerica.com).
We began attending the summer vin-
tage motorcycle races way back in 2010,
the first year AHRMA racing returned
there. For the first few years we ran our
own bike show, but since 2014 we've
joined forces with the fine staff from
Road America to judge the Saturday
ride-in bike show, and to give away our
own Motorcycle Classics Editor's Choice
award.
This year's Vintage MotoFest event
pairs with a busy weekend at the track,
as the MotoAmerica Superbike Series
comes to Road America, May 29-31, 2020.
There will be both modern Superbike
racing and Heritage Cup events, featur-
ing 1986 and older Superbikes, along
with other race classes.
Saturday will feature the Vintage
MotoFest ride-in bike show, with
awards for the Best Café Racer, Scooter,
Chopper, Race Bike and Restored Bike,
plus our Editor's Choice award and a
People's Choice award.
4 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
SIDE
In addition to the events taking place
at the track, Elkhart Lake is just a nice
place to visit. Though camping at the
track is available if you'd like be right in
the thick of the fun all weekend long, we
personally always look forward to stay-
ing in the old hotel at Siebkins Resort
— the basement bar is hallowed ground
for race car fans. Another yearly tradition
is taking a ride out to Schwarz's Supper
Club in New Holstein, Wisconsin, for
dinner. No trip to Wisconsin is complete
until you've had a meal at a supper club,
after all.
Before the track was opened in 1955,
races had been held on the local roads
as far back as 1950. Most of those public
roads still exist today, and with a little
research, you can ride the old course,
as many of the corners are marked with
historic signs. If you're coming to Road
America, read more about the old route
at bit.ly/el-road-course
Do you have a favorite annu-
al motorcycle event we need to
hear about? Tell me all about it at
lhall@motorcycleclassics.com
Cheers,
®
LANDON HALL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
lhall@motorcycleclassics.com
ARTHUR HUR, ASSOCIATE EDITOR/ONLINE
CHRISTINE STONER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
RICHARD BACKUS, FOUNDING EDITOR
KEITH FELLENSTEIN, TECH EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
JEFF BARGER • JOE BERK • ALAN CATHCART
NICK CEDAR • HAMISH COOPER • KEL EDGE
STEFANO GADDA • DAIN GINGERELLI
DAVID JOHNSON • MARK MOST • BILL PETRO
MARGIE SIEGAL • ROBERT SMITH • GREG WILLIAMS
ART DIRECTION AND PREPRESS
MATTHEW T. STALLBAUMER, ASST. GROUP ART DIRECTOR
TERRY PRICE, PREPRESS
CONVERGENT MEDIA
BRENDA ESCALANTE; bescalante@ogdenpubs.com
WEB AND DIGITAL CONTENT
TONYA OLSON, WEB CONTENT MANAGER
DISPLAY ADVERTISING
(800) 678-5779; adinfo@ogdenpubs.com
NEWSSTAND
MELISSA GEIKEN, (785) 274-4344
CUSTOMER CARE
(800) 880-7567
BILL UHLER, PUBLISHER
CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
CHERILYN OLMSTED,
CIRCULATION & MARKETING DIRECTOR
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NEWSSTAND & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
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ANDREW PERKINS
DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
TIM SWIETEK, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
ROSS HAMMOND, FINANCE & ACCOUNTING DIRECTOR
MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS (ISSN 1556-0880)
May/June 2020, Volume 15 Issue 5
is published bimonthly by Ogden Publications, Inc.,
1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609-1265.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Topeka, KS and additional
mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
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unless we receive a corrected address within two years.
©2020 Ogden Publications Inc. Printed in the U.S.A.
 READERS AND
RIDERS
“Unlike gnomes, dwarfs are miners
and can often re-open a clogged passage.”

The bike in question, from an old music video (left). We think it might be a BSA Starfire (right), but who knows for sure?

Identifying an old bike Lowell, The Desert Sled

I have rediscovered a music video
with a very cool-looking vintage motor-
cycle and I am curious if anyone at
Motorcycle Classics might be able to iden-
tify the bike. The video is Once in a Blue
Moon by Earl Thomas Conley. It might
also be a fun question to put out there
for the readers to try to answer. I sub-
scribe to your magazine and love it!
Lowell Miller/Fort Worth, Texas
It’s a BSA, but we’re still trying to iden-
tify what specific model. Tech Editor Keith
Fellenstein looked through some old BSA
manuals. Note the square barrel and the
conical front brake. It could be a Starfire 250,
Shooting Star 441 or a Victor Roadster, but
we’re having a hard time being sure. Readers,
can you help us verify which model this bike
might be? — Ed.
Margie Siegal, who wrote The Desert
Sled in the January/February issue of
Motorcycle Classics, has been around for
quite some time, so I was surprised by
her opening sentence in that article,
“No one quite knows how a bike set up
for racing in the arid badlands became
known as a Desert Sled, but the name
stuck.” Untrue — some of us actually
know the origin of the term and I’m

Yamaha R5 correction
I just picked up your March/April issue and found
the Yamaha R5 article of interest because I owned two
of them. Of note though, Mr. Gingerelli got one thing
wrong. He stated the engine cases on the R3 split verti-
cally. I picked up a complete 1969 R3 350 project last
year and I assure you that the cases are split horizon-
tally. Otherwise, great magazine as usual and I always
look forward to the latest issue. Thanks.
Jeff Carruthers/Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Reply from author Dain Gingerelli:

The R5 engine, with its horizontally split cases. Whoops!
“Jeff, nice catch. Sometimes I just can’t seem to dis-
tinguish up from down, and the day that I wrote the
R5 article must have been one of those days! I stand
corrected — Yamaha’s first 350cc twin, the YR series
(1967-1969), checked in with horizontally split cases. In
fact, my best friend and race tuner John Lassak owned
(and raced during his first year of competition) a 1967
example. Jeff, I’ll feast on crow (hopefully it will taste
like chicken).

6 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 Scott Dunlavey's 1967
Triumph TR6C Trophy.

surprised she didn’t. In the nascent

days of desert racing on the West Coast
(1950s, early 1960s), the riders pre-
pared their heavyweight leviathans with
skid plates made from the business
end of steel coal shovels, providing
bullet-proof protection from the rocks
and obstacles of the California deserts.
Running a 400-plus-pound bike along
those endless sand washes, they would
sometimes sink until the “skid plate” Scott Dunlavey asked Eddie Mulder anyone used a shovel as a skid plate.
was actually skimming the ground ... about the origin of the term “Desert The Bast Brothers had a welding shop
essentially, a “desert sled.” Make sense? Sled.” Mulder’s recollection of it is that and did all the fab skid plates as well
And there you go. Mystery solved. it was just a nickname everyone used as lengthened swing arms and folding
Dave Destler/Canoga Park, California for “those heavy pieces of s***”! He pegs, etc. Mulder also said, “unless
thinks it was just a generic nickname someone was around a campfire in
In response to questions about the prov- that was used because they were low Mojave in 1957 and heard someone
enance of the term, "Desert Sled,” we reached to the ground and skimmed some sand come up with the term and the shovel
out to those involved in the story. — Ed. washes like a sled. He said hardly idea, who knows?”

Basics of carburetor operation
The basic secret of carburetor function is that inside each car- fuel pump.
buretor are thousands of tiny gnomes, each with a small bucket.
As you open the throttle more of these gnomes are allowed out
of their house and into the float bowl, where they fill the buck-
ets and climb up the carburetor’s passages to the intake, where
they empty their buckets into the air
stream. But, if you don’t ride the bike for
a while, bad things can happen. Tiny bats
take up residence in the chambers of the
carburetor, and before long the passages
are plugged up with guano.
This creates a gnome traffic jam, and
so not enough bucketfuls of fuel can get
to the engine. If it gets bad enough, the
gnomes simply give up and go take a
nap. The engine won’t run at all at this
point. Sometimes you’ll have a single
dedicated gnome on the job, which is
why the bike will occasionally fire as
the gnome tosses his lone bucketload
down the intake. There has been some
research into using tiny dwarfs in modern
carburetors. The advantage is that unlike
gnomes, dwarfs are miners and can often
re-open a clogged passage.
Unfortunately, dwarfs have a natural
fear of earthquakes as many a miner
should. In recent tests, the engine vibra-
tions caused the dwarfs to evacuate the
Harley-Davidson test vehicle and made a
beeline for the nearest BMW dealership.
Sadly, BMWs are fuel injected and so the Caution: Gnomes live and work here.
poor dwarfs met an unfortunate end in the rollers of a Bosch
Other carburetor problems can also occur. If the level of fuel
in the float bowl rises too high, it will wipe out the Section 8
gnome housing in the lower parts of the carburetor. The more
affluent gnomes build their homes in the diaphragm chamber,
and so are unaffected. This is why the
bike is said to be “running rich.” If the
fuel level drops, then the gnomes have
to walk farther to get a bucketful of fuel.
This means less fuel gets to the engine.
Because the gnomes get quite a work-
out from this additional distance, this
condition is known as “running lean.”
The use of the device known only as
the “choke” has finally been banned by
PETG (People for the Ethical Treatment
of Gnomes) and replaced by a new car-
buretor circuit that simply allows more
gnomes to carry fuel at once when the
engine needs to start or warm up. In
the interests of decorum, I prefer not
to explain how the choke operated.
You would rather not know anyway. So
that is how a carburetor works. You
may wish to join us here next time for
Electricity 101, or how your bike creates
cold fusion, inside the stator, and why
the government doesn’t want you to
know about it.
Shared by Gordon Cansdale/
Round Corner, New South Wales,
Australia

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 7
 ON THE
RADAR

Vee for Victory: Honda VF500F

To enter a new capacity class, is
it better to scale up a smaller bike,
downsize a bigger one, or start from
scratch? Many bike makers over the
years have “stretched” a smaller
capacity engine to create a larger
one. While that may offer the best
return on investment, is it a sound
idea?
In creating the engine for the
VF500F of 1984, Honda went with
scaling up. The new 500 was based
on the Japanese/European market
VF400F, but used cylinder dimen-
sions and cylinder head design from
the V-twin VT250. The result was effec-
tively two side-by-side 90-degree 250s on
a common crankcase, but with a strength-
ened bottom end. More on that later … wrote Cycle Guide. “The 500 can be flicked through turns with
Inside the VF500F, duplex chains drove four overhead cam- almost no effort on virtually any line … that kind of perfor-
shafts acting on 16 valves via finger-type followers with thread- mance pumps up your confidence and urges you to go faster.
ed adjusters. The hydraulically operated clutch was geared to Nor was there any shortage of cornering clearance … the bike
the crankshaft and drove the 6-speed transmission. This fea- can be whipped over until the horizon approaches vertical, and
tured planetary gears, which gave a “crisp feel” and “encourages still nothing drags on the pavement.”
a light touch on the shift lever,” said Cycle World. The 60mm x However, that clearance and the VF’s compact dimensions
44mm V4 screamed all the way to 12,000rpm, but yet had useful affected its ergonomics: “A cramped riding position undercuts
power all across the rev range that made for relaxed around- the 500’s versatility somewhat,” wrote Cycle Guide. “ … too much
town riding. weight on wrists and hands for all day comfort, and doesn’t
But for the VF500F’s chassis, Honda effectively scaled down- provide much leg room, especially for tall riders.”
ward. It shared almost all the sophistication of its bigger broth- In terms of performance, the Honda VF500F aced most com-
er, the VF750F (including air-assist Pro-Link rear suspension paros with other half-liter bikes, turning a 12.4-second standing
and TRAC anti-dive fork) in a nimbler, more compact package. quarter-mile at 107mph. Using all the VF500’s power, though,
Testers universally praised the VF’s quick steering, attributing would push its fuel consumption well below 40mpg — and
much of that to the 16-inch front wheel; yet also admired its caused a problem with Cycle Guide’s test bike.
straight-line stability and powerful brakes. Said Cycle World, “… After a number of full-throttle drag starts, they took their
there’s nothing commonplace about the VF500F’s handling … bike to the dyno, where it developed an engine knock at
the chassis lives to bend its way round corners. The bike really 10,000rpm. The diagnosis: a spun rod bearing. Other bad news
shines on twisty backroads,” they wrote, and “could very well be followed: customer reports of crankshaft failures. Honda identi-
the quickest way to snake from Point A to Point B.” “The little fied a machining issue and initiated a major recall that involved
Interceptor is one of the finest handling motorcycles around,” replacing entire engines. This, combined with the well-known

ON THE MARKET
1985 Honda VF500F Interceptor/$3,888.88
We were happily surprised to find a current listing for a VF500F, as they’re
fairly thin on the ground these days. Found on eBay and located on Bainbridge
Island, Washington, this VF500F shows roughly 33,900 miles. The current
owner has had it for 16 years, and it looks to be a well-loved rider, not perfect,
but awfully close. The original paint is holding up well, but the finish of the
black-chrome mufflers shows some wear and the seat cover has a tear on the
right side. The seller notes that the fuel pump has been removed, and that
you currently can’t use the entire capacity of the tank due to this. So do your
research on finding a fuel pump if this is the bike for you!

8 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 HONDA VF500F
Years produced 1984-1986
camshaft issues in the VF750F did Claimed power 53hp (rear wheel) @ 11,000rpm fixed the problem, and Cycle maga-
nothing to help Honda’s prestige. Top speed 132mph (1984 model) zine concluded the changes made
Though not all Interceptors were Engine 498cc (60mm x 44mm) the Honda VF500F even better.
affected, Honda took the step of fit- liquid-cooled DOHC V4 Concluded Cycle World in 1984,
ted milder cams and smaller carbs “ … for straightening out the kinks
Transmission 6-speed
to 1986 VF500s. This moved the in a twisty piece of road, the 500
powerband down the rev range and Weight 419lb (dry) Interceptor is the best bike in its
trimmed a couple of ponies from its Price then/now $2,898 (1984)/$2,000-$5,000 class. Or, for that matter, maybe
top-end, but added mid-range pull. It even in any class.” MC

CONTENDERS Midsized sporting alternatives to the Honda VF500

Yamaha XJ550 Seca Kawasaki GPz550
Below Yamaha’s swirl-inducing YICS cylinder head design, the Seca’s The GPz was the bike to catch in the 550 class in the early
57mm pistons drove a 51.8mm stroke crankshaft and a hydraulically Eighties. Introduced in 1981 with air-charged front forks and
tensioned Hy-Vo chain to a jackshaft carrying the clutch and alter- a conventional twin-shock rear suspension, the 1982 model
nator. Gears connected the 6-speed transmission with a chain final featured Big Green’s single-shock Uni-Trak system, helping it
drive. A conventional steel tube frame and swingarm ran on cast alloy win Cycle World’s Bike of the Year in the 451cc-650cc class.
wheels fitted with a single front disc brake and rear drum. A conven- Based on the 1980 KZ550, the Kawasaki GPz550 offered
tional non-adjustable front fork was matched to dual shocks (adjust- a lot more go. Period tests on the dyno showed a power
able for preload) at the rear. boost from 43 horsepower to 54 horsepower (58 horsepower
Period tests achieved standing quarter-mile times below 13 seconds by 1984), accomplished by increasing compression from
and a top speed of 110mph. Power delivery was progressive, but with 9.5:1 to 10:1 and installing bigger valves and hotter cams.
a real rush over 6,000rpm and with power peaking at 10,000rpm. The However, the engine needed to be revved above 7,000rpm
engine liked to be revved, but it was also reported as docile in traffic. to get that extra boost, resulting in just 45mpg (eight fewer
The Seca was also well equipped, with self-canceling turn signals; a than the Yamaha XJ550 Seca) when ridden hard. Powerful
clutch/neutral electrical interlock, and adjustable front brake lever. dual front discs replaced the KZ’s single stopper, which had
On the road, the Seca 550 was smooth in operation with a large, been found lacking by testers. A single disc (8.9 inches, same
comfortable seat, light controls and the ability to spin along easily as the front) took care of the rear.
at highway speeds. It made a useful tourer, too: both the seat and A useful feature of the GPz, especially for newbies, was an
the gas tank were good for at least interlock preventing the shifter
150 miles. That said, the suspension moving from first to second
• 50.46hp (rear wheel) worked better for solo riding than two- • 54hp (rear wheel) @ with the bike at a standstill,
@ 10,000rpm (period 10,000rpm/116mph
up. Steering and handling were sporty making neutral selection a snap.
test)/110mph • 553cc air-cooled DOHC
• 528cc air-cooled DOHC rather than racy, but the undercarriage In 1982, along with the Uni-
inline four
inline four would ground well before tire traction • 6-speed transmission Trak rear, the Kawasaki GPz550
• 6-speed transmission ran out. The XJ550’s charm lay in its • Dual disc brakes front, gained an oil cooler, voltmeter
• 424lb (w/half-tank fuel) good-natured rideability and lively per- single disc rear and LCD gas gauge, while los-
• Price then/now: formance, said Rider, “The Seca 550 is an • 459lb (w/half-tank fuel) ing 5 pounds. In shootouts, the
$2,529/$1,500-$3,500 exciting motorcycle. It goes great, stops • Price then/now: GPz usually came out tops in
well, handles sensationally and is easy to $2,500/$2,000-$5,000 its class. That is, until Honda’s
live with day to day.” VF500F arrived in 1984 …

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 9
The story of the Honda CB750F2
Story by Greg Williams
Photos by Jeff Barger

P Phil Read captured the TT Formula 1 title at the 1977 Isle of Man
campaigning a factory-prepared Honda CB750. The win, however,
was somewhat controversial.
That’s because in 1972, Read was In a Common Tread story at Revzilla
one of several Grand Prix racers who .com, well-known TT enthusiast and
began boycotting the Isle of Man TT author Mark Gardiner writes, “The
course as too dangerous. Manx tourism industry and race orga-
In 1976, as a result of the boycott, nizers had a powerful incentive to con-
the FIM declared the Isle of Man was vince 60,000 race fans to keep attend-
no longer a part of the Grand Prix ing the TT, even though it was no lon-
circuit. ger the British Grand Prix, no longer

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 11

“Before” photos of the Phil Read Replica found in England by David Burton. David
restored the bike and sold it to David Silver, before it found its way to the U.S.
part of the real World Championship,
and no longer attracting the biggest
stars of the day. In a bid to hold fan
interest, the organizers offered Phil
Read £10,000 in start money.”
This was the first TT Formula 1 race
and Read not only started — but fin-
ished at the top of the podium. While
some fans were displeased with Read’s
earlier attitude toward the Isle of Man
and his subsequent return for the start
money, others weren’t as obviously
upset.
12 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
That included Honda Britain. To
commemorate the win, they enlist-
ed Colin Seeley, a legendary British
frame builder and racer, to transform
standard CB750F2s into race replica
motorcycles. There were supposed to
be 400 built, but only 150 examples
of the Honda CB750 Phil Read Replica
were ever made. Such a low production
number means the motorcycle is a rar-
ity, and by some accounts, fewer than
40 are known to still exist.
Built in Britain, the replicas were
never officially sold in the United
States. However, a few of them have
found their way over. Possibly two
of the nicest examples are now in
the Throttlestop Museum collection
— one is all original with just over a
mile on the odometer, and the other is
a restored example that will be ridden
by Jim Balestrieri.
The Wisconsin collector says he’s
keen to mount a themed exhibit at
Throttlestop that celebrates motorcy-
cle racing history. Pursuing that goal,
he’s slowly acquiring unique and inter-
esting motorcycles that have race pedi-
gree or are somehow connected to the
riders who pilot machines in pitched
battles for supremacy.
“I’ve never raced a motorcycle in my
life,” Jim explains, “but I’ve raced cars,
and I know what it takes. These people
have courage, and to watch them rac-
ing, it’s a sight to behold. Racing helps
improve the breed, not only mechani-
cally, but there’s also the human ele-
ment to it and sometimes that’s even
more interesting.”
The man: Phil Read
It’s that “human element” that Phil
Read brings to this story. Born in 1939
in Luton, Befordshire, Read started
riding a 350cc Velocette KSS in 1955.
Soon, the Velo was replaced by a BSA
Gold Star and he began racing as an
amateur in 1958. He proved to be
quick, and on a 350cc Manx Norton in
1961 he won the Junior TT race on the
Isle of Man.
In 1962 and 1963, Read raced
Nortons, Gileras and Yamahas. While
racing a 250cc 2-stroke Yamaha in 1964,
Read managed to capture a world title
for the manufacturer, the tuning-fork
brand’s first, and he did the same in
1965, followed by the 125cc and 250cc
championships in 1968. He was at his
most prolific collecting trophies from
1965 to 1970, racing mainly Yamahas.
In the early 1970s, Read raced
4-stroke machines for MV Agusta and
also piloted a Norton for the John
Player & Sons team at Daytona in
1972. After 1975, Read no longer raced
Agustas.
In a story by Alan Seeley published
in 1998 at the Independent.com, Read
explains his reason for voicing concern
over racing at the Isle of Man. In the
article, Read says, “By the early 70s we
had a feeling that rider safety wasn’t
at the top of the race organizers’ pri-
orities, and the price for riders who
did come a cropper was far too high.
(Italian racer Gilberto) Parlotti’s death
(in June 1972) was the final straw.”
Having said that, he adds, “But the
Isle of Man is still the greatest and
most challenging circuit in the world.”
In 1977, Read was offered the ride
aboard the race-prepped 820cc Honda
CB750 during the first Formula 1 race
at the Isle of Man, where he also raced
a Suzuki and won the Senior event. He
couldn’t repeat his performance for
Honda in 1978, and his last competi-
tive race was at the Isle of Man in 1982.
Whether viewed as a hero or a villain of
TT racing, Read’s winning ways earned
him a tremendous amount of respect.
The Replica
Turning attention back to the Phil
Read Replica, Colin Seeley based the
model on Honda’s brand-new for 1977
Honda CB750F2. After its introduc-
tion in 1969, the CB750 was slowly
detuned to improve efficiency. The
736cc machine lost horsepower in the
process, but in 1975 Honda released
the CB750F Super Sport. The Super
Sport was an improved machine, com-
plete with a 4-into-1 header and muf-
fler system, revised frame geometry
featuring shorter trail and lengthened
www.MotorcycleClassics.com 13
 rear swingarm, a rear disc brake and
a longer gas tank with a new seat and
rear cowl. Honda returned some of
the lost horsepower, too, with various
internal improvements, including an
increased compression ratio (from 9:1
to 9.2:1) and revised cam timing, push-
ing output to 58 horsepower according
to a May 1975 Cycle magazine test.
When Honda released the CB750F2
in 1977, the bike featured numerous
new features, including the ComStar
5-spoke wheels and dual front disc
brakes. The 61mm by 63mm bore and
stroke engine was still a 736cc pow-
erplant, but there were larger cooling
fins on the crankcase. Where Honda
spent most of its development time
was on the cylinder head. Four Keihin
28mm carburetors were attached to
intake ports that expanded from 28mm
14 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
to 30mm in diameter, and the inlet
valves were also 2mm wider, up from
32mm to 34mm. On the other side of
the combustion chamber, where com-
pression had dropped from 9.2 to 9.0:1,
the exhaust valves went from 28mm to
31mm. Lobes on the single overhead
cam were changed, as was cam timing,
and stiffer valve springs were installed.
As a result of these cylinder head
changes, the redline increased from
8,500rpm to 9,500rpm.
Honda finished the crankcases, cyl-
inder, cylinder head, rear fender, fork
sliders and muffler tip in flat black.
Speaking of the muffler, the 4-into-1
header pipes were redesigned to bring
everything tighter to the frame, allow-
ing for greater cornering clearance.
To produce the Phil Read Replica,
Seeley removed the stock Honda head-
light and signal lights, handlebar, gas
tank, seat and rear seat cowl. In their
place, a twin Cibie headlight fair-
ing attached to the frame rails and a
clubman-style bar went atop the fork.
A 5-gallon hand-hammered alloy gas
tank (the first 15 replicas have the
petcock on the right side of the tank,
while the rest have the tap on the left
side) went on the frame, as did a set
of Seeley’s rear set footrests, a new
seat and rear cowl. It’s unclear whether
an entirely new exhaust system was
installed from the exhaust ports back
or if the headers remained and the
minimally baffled muffler with its dis-
tinctive upswept curve was the only
piece replaced.
The Phil Read Replicas were paint-
ed red, white and blue, the same as
the Honda Britain Racing Team, and

were released in the spring of 1978.
However, after building just 150 exam-
ples of the motorcycle, it’s reported
Phil Read got into a disagreement
with Honda Britain over royalties owed
him and he pulled his support for the
project. After that, in 1979, Honda
asked Colin Seeley to use the remain-
ing parts, including the gas tanks and
fairings, to convert approximately 300
more CB750F2s. Finished in white with
either a blue or a red stripe, they are
devoid of any of the race graphics or
Phil Read’s name and were simply
called the Honda Britain.
The pair
Both Phil Read Replicas owned by
Jim were purchased at Mecum Auctions,
the first in 2018 and the second in
2019. The first Phil Read Replica, the
one that’s in the bulk of the accom-
panying photographs on these pages,
came from the Bob Weaver collection.
Bob is a motorcycle retailer based in
North Tonawanda, New York, and he
has an affinity for rare and unique
machines. He says he originally bought
the Honda from another collector in
“What is it?” David
inquired. “He replied,
‘Oh some old Honda
with a fairing on it.’”
Louisiana, simply because it was dif-
ferent, and because it had zero miles
on the odometer. He never started the
bike, and only made sure it was pre-
pared for long-term storage.
When Bob decided to thin out his
collection, the Phil Read Replica went
to the 2018 Mecum auction in Las
Vegas, and that’s where Jim purchased
the bike.
“It’s got just over a mile on the
odometer, and that’s all from just
being pushed around,” he says, and
adds, “If I can find an example of a
certain model that’s not been restored,
then I’m happy.”
The second Phil Read Replica in
these photos is one of the 15 early
machines that have the petcock on the
right side of the tank, and it has an
interesting history. It was rescued and
restored by David Burton, proprietor of
JBS Motorcycle Painting in the town of
Yeovil in England. David says he found
the Phil Read Replica about four years
ago, when he sat next to his wife’s
uncle at a birthday party.
“He said, ‘Dave, I’ve got an old bike
in my garage, it’s my brother’s, he
wanted to put it there while he had a
new kitchen built. It was only going to
be for a few months, but it’s been there
for 12 years!” David explains.
“’What is it?’” David inquired. “He
replied, ‘Oh some old Honda with
a fairing on it, it’s red and called
a Phillip Read or something.’” That’s
when David, who’s been painting and
restoring motorcycles since the late
1980s, said it would be best if he took
a look at the machine.
“We met at his garage, and the bike
was buried under chairs and god knows
what other crap,” David recalls. “The
exhaust, carbs and lower fairing were
all taken off, it looked a right mess. We
dragged it out, then set about look-
ing for the rest of the parts around
the garage. We found everything apart
from the silencer. We haggled, agreed
on a price and set about loading it in
my van.”
David says he later learned the rea-
son the machine was taken off the
road. When the muffler rusted out in
1994, the original owner, whose second
son had just been born, couldn’t afford
to replace it. That’s when he stopped
www.MotorcycleClassics.com 15
 The near zero-mile Phil Read
Replica will be put on display in
the Throttlestop Museum
in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

using the Honda, stored it, and then

shifted it to his brother’s garage.
It took David 18 months to do a full
nut and bolt restoration. He had a
good friend, who he says is a CB750
guru, rebuild the engine. With only
15,000 miles from new, the internals
were in good shape, and the pistons
and rings were re-installed.
“Basically, the engine got rebuilt
just to be painted properly,” David
says. “I even told my upholstery chap fund other projects. example will likely never be start-
to re-use the seat cover — just put in “I have known David for years and ed, Jim says the restored Phil Read
new foam and clean it. I’ve seen many do bike painting for some of his proj- Replica will get used.
bikes restored and people feel the ects,” David says. “He told me from “I’ve had some work done on it and
need to go so over the top with stuff. when we did a deal that it was head- installed new tires and brake pads,
I really wanted to make it look honest ing over the pond, and I did find and we’ve had it running,” Jim says.
and genuine.” the YouTube link on his website and “I plan on using this one, because a
David says he never intended to watched the old girl go over the auc- Honda CB750 is always a really nice
keep the Phil Read Replica and when tion block.” bike to ride. Plus, there’s that interest-
he was finished, he sold it to David And it was Jim who bought it at ing human element to the bike, and
Silver of David Silver Spares to help the auction. While the near zero-mile that’s all about Phil Read.” MC
Z1R.COM
 SIGHT
UNSEEN

1966 Matchless G80CS

Story by Margie Siegal
Photos by Nick Cedar
Craigslist, in case you are unaware, is an online flea market.
Anything and everything may be found on Craigslist, from a
Santa outfit for a newborn baby to a John Deere tractor. The seller
writes their own description of the object, and buyer and seller
make their own arrangements as to payment and delivery. The
Craigslist website states, “Do not rent or purchase sight-unseen

I
18
It takes a special kind of bravery to buy a bike
advertised on Craigslist.

MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

— that amazing ‘deal’ may not exist.” Many sellers are honest,
others are not. The Wild West is alive and well on Craigslist.
John Anton bought this Matchless sight unseen from a Canadian
seller. It was supposed to be a runner, and appeared on delivery
assembled, but with some unoriginal parts. Unfortunately, the
description of the bike as a “runner” was a tad optimistic. “I could
get four or five pops out of it, and I somehow doubt the magneto
failed only during shipping.”
John is not only brave, but persistent. Faced with a less-than-
common 50-year-old motorcycle in much less than perfect condi-
tion, he rolled up his sleeves and set out to make it run.
History of the marque
Matchless was one of the oldest motorcycle companies in
England, or, for that matter, the world. The Collier family, own-
ers of Matchless, started as bicycle manufacturers. They built
their first motorcycle in 1899 and started production in 1901.
Matchless not only built complete motorcycles but also built
engines for Brough Superior and Morgan three-wheeler auto-
mobiles.
In the early 1930s, Matchless bought another well-known
www.MotorcycleClassics.com 19
By 1966, the G80CS wore steel
fenders instead of aluminum.
factory, AJS, and renamed itself Associated Motor Cycles, often
abbreviated to AMC. The company built well-regarded bikes with
telescopic forks for the British armed forces during World War II
and was one of the first to get back to civilian production after
the German army surrendered. After the war, AMC bought several
other brands that were teetering on insolvency. One of whom was
Norton. For several years, Norton was operated as a completely
separate concern, but eventually, AMC used some of the same
parts on both Matchless and Norton motorcycles.
The 500cc G80 Matchless single was first introduced in 1946.
Swingarm rear suspension debuted in 1949. In that same year,
Matchlesses started turning up in the U.S. in Indian dealers’
showrooms as part of a deal made by Indian president Ralph
Rogers with a British firm, Brockhouse. Americans found the
7-inch drum brakes front and rear
provide modest stopping power.
heavyweight Matchless singles to be very competitive offroad,
and quite a few went desert racing in western states.
The target Matchless customer in the United Kingdom used
their motorcycle to get to work, possibly heading out for a little
offroad fun on weekends. Sport riders bought a Triumph or BSA.
The road-going Matchlesses were not particularly fast, but had a
lot of bottom end torque and were, for the time, very reliable. The
company also built a well-regarded production racer, the G50,
which two-time AMA Grand National Champion Dick Mann rode
to first place finishes in 1960s U.S. national road-racing.
AMC and its Matchless subsidiary chugged along happily
during the 1950s, but as time went on, the company’s business
model became obsolete. Small, affordable automobiles became
available in Great Britain around 1959, and, at the same time,
Honda started exporting oil-tight motorcycles with bright lights
and electric starting to Western countries. Most get-to-work
riders opted for either a car or a small Japanese motorcycle.
Matchless sales to American offroad racers dropped once light-
weight 2-strokes became available during the 1960s. AMC’s sales
plummeted. The company declared bankruptcy in 1966, and was
reorganized by Dennis Poore of Manganese Bronze Holdings into
Norton-Matchless, and then re-reorganized as Norton Villiers.
Some Matchless motorcycles were built through 1967, then all
Matchless production stopped.
bearings, its abuse-proof clutch, the offroad-friendly air cleaner
and the smooth shifting. Points were subtracted for the heavy
flywheels, the “not outstanding” brakes, and the fold up foot-
pegs, which would fold at the worst possible times. Matchless
had replaced the G80CS’s aluminum alloy fenders with chrome-
plated steel fenders in 1963, and they were not protective in sand
or mud. Although the bike was “as heavy as a sackful of anvils,”
it was “a most impressive all-round performer on clay roads, up
sandy washes, over boulder-strewn creek beds and just about

The G80CS
The 500cc G80CS Matchless single — John
Anton’s bike — was an evolution of the G80,
intended to appeal to the dual-sport rider.
In 1956, AMC shortened the stroke on some
versions of the G80, including the G80CS
scrambler, to 86mm x 85.5mm bore and
stroke. The short-stroke engines were all
aluminum alloy and were built with an inte-
gral pushrod tunnel. Since a major reason
people bought G80CS Matchlesses was for
desert racing in the western United States,
AMC aimed to build a machine that would
be competitive with the single-carb Triumph
twins that made up much of the field.
AMC started building its own well-
designed 4-speed gearboxes in 1957, and
introduced a full cradle frame with double
downtubes in 1960. In 1964, AMC, then in
financial trouble, started using parts from
Norton motorcycles on the Matchlesses,
including the Roadholder front forks, full
width aluminum alloy hubs, and the oil
pump. The Roadholder forks were not used
on the G80CS.
Cycle World magazine did a road test of
a G80CS in 1963. The magazine liked the
Matchless’ reliability, its large bottom end Owner John Anton aboard his revived Matchless G80CS.

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 21
 The 497cc single has an 8.7:1 compression ratio, and makes an estimated 30 horsepower.
every place but on a paved road — and it seems likely that with
the right tires it would be pretty good there, too.”
The paved road test took place about 50 years later, and
was published in an English magazine,
RealClassic. An intrepid journalist, Martin
Peacock, purchased a 1961 machine and
took off on a tour of the English coun-
tryside. He reported, “From day one it
started and ran like a very loud watch.”
Although it was not particularly fast,
and the seating was reported as “firm,”
Peacock had a great time on the English
back roads.
Then and now
Pumped by all the good reports of this
bike, John Anton waded into his newly
purchased machine. Fixing a not very
common 50-year-old bike is more likely
to be successful if you locate others with
a similar case of old bike fever, and the
local Britbike community pointed him
to Jack Hurt, a nearby magneto guru.
Anton installed the rebuilt magneto, but
the Matchless refused to start. He took
the mag back to Jack, who tested it and
announced, “No continuity. I’ve never
seen this before.” Jack turned up a new
carrier for the contact breaker assembly
on the lathe. Still no start.
Next item for consideration was the
Amal Concentric, correct for late model
G80CSs. It turned out to have a plugged
pilot jet. Anton cleaned up the carbure-
tor and reinstalled it. Still no go ... but
what about the spark plug? He located
a replacement for the original, and now
unobtainable, Champion plug. Finally,
the Matchless started, and “thumped A lone 3/16-inch Amal Concentric
away like a good ’un.” carburetor feeds the big single.
22 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
Anton confesses that he “lacks the patience to fix one problem
at a time.” While he was trying to figure out why his thumper
would not thump, he started rebuilding the forks. “I only wanted
to swap one dented slider extension for
another that came in the bag” — the bag
of extra parts that came with the bike.
“First, the forks wouldn’t budge from
the triple clamps.” The correct tool and
advice on what to do with it was available
on the internet, and once it arrived, the
forks came off. By then, he had decided
to replace the fork seals as well. Deciding
to replace the fork seals led to deciding
to remove and repaint the triple clamps,
“which exposed a chamber of electrical
and mechanical horrors inside the head-
light shell.” The steering stem locknut
was terminally frozen, and Anton had to
rent an impact driver to remove it.
On and on
While the front end was coming
together, Anton started ordering replace-
ment parts. The AJS & Matchless Owners
North American Section sells a lot of
the cycle parts, and the majority of the
drivetrain parts for a G80CS are available
from Britbike oriented internet sellers.
Anton decided to build his own wiring
harness (he says he likes the process),
but rebuilding the harness with Lucas
bullet connectors and color coded wire
took months. A new and correct seat
and chain guard appeared in the mail,
but neither item quite fit, and took some
time to massage into place. Anton was
planning to ride the Matchless in the
big annual British Bike run, but with the
event around the corner, and the bike still
in pieces, Anton went on another bike.
 Additional unexpected problems arose with the side and cen-
terstands. The sidestand was bent (probably from prior owners
jumping on the kickstart with the bike on the sidestand) and had
to be straightened out. The bike should have had a centerstand,
but didn’t. The replacement that arrived via UPS fit only after sev-
eral trips to a welder and repeated disassembly and reassembly.
“Everything takes too much time on this bike!” Anton groused.
Finally, as a result of both bravery and persistence, the bike
ran consistently and stopped leaking like the Exxon Valdez.
Anton has replaced most of the incorrect parts with NOS parts or
accurate copies. Incorrect parts currently on his machine are the
Megura brake and clutch levers, the BSA taillight, the earlier year
air cleaner (“I like the way it looks,” Anton says), the alloy rims,
and the slightly different muffler.
With most of the mechanical issues finally dealt with, Anton
tackled the legal issues. Getting a bike imported from Canada —
even a vintage bike — registered in the States is not a walk in the
park. The key is to head for the DMV as soon as possible after the
bike crosses the border — which Anton did not do, to his cost.
The DMV considers a bike to be operational when it enters the
state where you want to register it unless you immediately run
down to the local office and fill out a “non-operational” affidavit,
and will hit you up for yearly registration fees, which if you don’t
pay immediately, increase with penalties and interest. Having
been run through the wringer by the DMV previously, Anton went
with a private registration service. Unfortunately, the paperwork
that came with the motorcycle disclosed the purchase price and
date of sale, and, even with the registration service, Anton had to
fork over $700-plus to get a license plate. “With clenched teeth, I
bolted on the new plate.”
“Now it was time for the first legal trip on the road. Gas, oil,
chain lube and tire pressure checked. Ease it over TDC and
stomp. Then stomp again. No go. Plug out, big spark, plug in,
more kicking. Finally, the staccato bark of a high compression
single. Of course, it died as I fastened my helmet. More kicking, a
helmet full of sweat, then — a glorious ride.”
Since finishing the restoration (and paying through the nose to
make the bike legal to ride on public roads) Anton has taken the
G80CS on rides with the local clubs and a few solo excursions.
Since the CS has magneto ignition, “it sits there until I want it,”
with no need to hook up a battery charger.
After some trial and error, Anton has figured out a starting
procedure that will reliably start the Matchless without the
equivalent of an intensive workout at the gym. “Since it has a
Norton clutch, you start with pulling in the clutch and working
the kickstart lever to free up the clutch. The Concentric carburetor
has a tickle button. It’s important not to give it too much gas —
just a little bit of tickle. You pull the compression lever and kick.
I’m getting a lot better at kicking it over!”
“It’s nice on the road and goes along at a good clip.” Anton
reports that although the Matchless takes some time to warm up,
it will chug away at idle once warm. The 4-speed gearbox is solid.
For a scrambler, the gearing is surprisingly high, but the gears are
widely spaced, and the engine will pull along a wide powerband.
Also surprising for a big single is that it doesn’t shake or vibrate
at normal rpm. Not surprisingly for a 1960s British machine, the
brakes are not the best. “The brake lever is too close in to really
get a good pull.”
John Anton’s bravery and persistence has paid off in a unique
and fun two-wheeler. “I’m happy with it. I never see another on
the road — it’s rarer than even a BSA Gold Star. I only know one
other Matchless rider. It keeps up with traffic and I like the way
it looks. It looks like a proper motorcycle. They got all that stuff
right. Aesthetically, it’s a winner.” MC
www.MotorcycleClassics.com 23
MAESTRO
MADE
Surtees Special 7R
racer test
 Story by Alan Cathcart
Photos by Stefano Gadda and Bill Petro

E Eight times a World champion — seven times

on 350/500cc MV Agusta motorcycles, once in
Formula 1 with Ferrari — John Surtees remains
the only man ever to have won World titles on
both two wheels and four.
But as well as an ace rider/driver, he was also a skilled
mechanic who, besides fabricating an auxiliary fuel tank for his F1
Ferrari in the Silverstone GP paddock, as the only team member
there able to wield a welding torch, also built a unique 350cc
AJS 7R-powered bike in his home workshop during the winter of
1959-1960, which he intended to race in British short circuit races
in between his MV Agusta GP commitments. Later known as the
Surtees Special, this bike is now owned by New York-based Team
Obsolete patron Robert Iannucci, and was ridden in the 2019
Classic TT Parade by Dave Roper, the first American to win an Isle
of Man TT race.
“John liked to race every weekend, not just for the money but
to keep himself sharp,” Robert says. “However, Count Agusta
stopped supplying him with bikes to do this with, so he decided
to build his own.” Choosing a Manx Norton for the 500cc cat-
egory, Surtees instead opted to build his own AJS-powered 350cc
class entry, on the grounds that the 7R engine was both lighter
than a Norton’s and by now its equal in performance, and also
had enclosed valve gear “to keep the oil in,” as he put it! He thus
obtained a works 7R engine from AMC’s development engineer
Jack Williams, then commissioned Reynolds Tubes’ welding wiz-
ard Ken Sprayson to fabricate a frame to John’s own design using
the firm’s legendary 531 chrome-moly tubing in 18-gauge, 1-1/4-
inch (32mm) diameter stock.
But Version 1 wasn’t to his satisfaction, so Sprayson produced
a modified Version 2 with the engine mounted further forward,
and the steering head better supported, and also lowered to per-
mit use of a cut-down Norton Roadholder fork. The entire rigid,
lightweight structure was based on the Manx Norton Featherbed
twin-loop frame which John had spent half a decade riding on
his way up the racing ladder, but with the upper and lower main
frame tube rails cross-braced via a pair of short tubes, and a fur-
ther pair of tubes extending from halfway along the upper rails to
the swingarm pivot. Lubrication for the primary chain oiler was
stored in the left-hand one of these.
Surtees built up the bike himself, then tested it at Brands
Hatch and Silverstone, where he broke his own lap record set
on the MV 350 four! When the mercurial Count heard this, he
enforced the exclusivity clause in Surtees’ contract forbidding
him to race any other make of bike. But this didn’t say anything
about cars, so in March 1960 John Surtees made his four-wheeled
racing debut by finishing second in a Formula Junior race at
Goodwood, driving a Cooper-BMC entered by his near neighbor
Ken Tyrrell (who later won two F1 World titles, with Jackie Stewart
driving his cars). Frustrated by Count Agusta’s refusal to allow
him to race other motorcycles in non-championship events,
especially his own, Surtees decided 1960 would be his final year
in bikes, in which he’d combine racing both motorcycles and cars.
The rest is history — and so constructing the Surtees Special was
thus the catalyst for John’s move into racing cars full time.

The bike
The unraced Surtees 7R sat around Surtees’ father Jack’s bike

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 25
shop for a couple of years, until in to take the power from the engine
1962 it was sold to British short and put it to the ground better than
circuit specialist Rex Butcher. But the standard 7R, perhaps because
he had trouble setting the carbure- its greater chassis rigidity meant
tion, and at a 1963 Brands Hatch power wasn’t being wasted twisting
practice day allowed Canadian Mike a more flexible frame.”
Duff, sponsor Tom Arter’s rider, to In 1964, aboard the Surtees
cut some laps on it. “I hadn’t gone Special 7R tuned by Tom Arter,
100 yards, and I knew I had to buy Duff finished second in the Ulster
it, it was such a phenomenal motor- GP, and third in the Junior TT as
cycle,” recalls Duff, today rechris- well as both East German and
tened Michelle. “I came back into West German GPs — so with a
the pits and said, “Rex, don’t sell trio of fifth places elsewhere, the
this to anyone but me.” And he Canadian wound up third in the
said, “OK!” He was happy to get 350cc World Championship with
it off his hands, for the £1,000 we the bike. This led to Duff being
agreed. So I told Tom I was going to hired by Yamaha to race their RD56
buy the Surtees Special, and Tom in 250GPs in 1965, finishing runner-
said the exact same to me, “Don’t up in the points table to teammate
sell it to anybody, I want to buy Phil Read. Mike continued to ride
it.” I said, “OK, so long as I can ride it!” He laughed, and said of the Surtees Special periodically in U.K. Nationals, until Peter
course I could. Well, I absolutely fell in love with that bike, and I Williams, his replacement as Tom Arter’s rider, was given the bike
won many, many races with it. Everything was so good about it for the final part of the 1965 season, and immediately took to it
— the handling, the braking, everything. No matter which engine as well, scoring two end-of-season National victories at Mallory
you put in it, it was a rocket ship — both as a G50 and a 7R, but Park (in the pouring rain), and Brands Hatch. “The Surtees Special
we never did find out why. It somehow seemed to have an ability was one of the nicest bikes I have ever ridden,” says Williams
today, with a smile. “Pushing it to the start line was like pushing
a bicycle — the steering seemed so light and precise. It was very
nimble and easy handling. I loved riding it.”
But it wasn’t just a short circuit special, as Duff had proved so
ably on big GP circuits like Solitude, Monza and Sachsenring the
previous year. In 1966, on his TT debut, Williams finished second
on the Surtees 7R in the Junior TT to Agostini’s 3-cylinder MV, but
after continued success including many victories with the bike
in the U.K., he crashed it at Sachsenring in 1967, and injured his
ankle severely. Though he eventually recovered, he then focused
on riding the 500cc Arter G50 — which, be it noted, had a chas-
sis directly derived from the Surtees 7R’s. That’s because in 1964,
impressed by the performance of the Surtees Special, Arter had
purchased the discarded Version 1 chassis from Syd Mularney
who’d ended up with it, and fitted it with a G50 motor for the
500cc class. This was the basis of all future Arter G50s up until
the advent of the famous GP Metalcraft-framed Wagon Wheels.
The 349cc air-cooled single makes 42 horsepower at 8,250rpm. The bike weighs just 262 pounds dry, sans fairing.
In 1972 Arter’s new rider Dave Hughes rode the Surtees Special
7R to fourth place in the Junior Manx GP against all the Yamaha
2-strokes, but in the mid-1970s the bike was retired to the back
of the Arter brothers’ shed beside the A2 in Kent, although it did
make a brief return to the track for Hughes to demo it in the 1998
Assen Centennial TT. In April 2000, after Tom Arter’s death, it was
auctioned at Bonhams Stafford sale in complete but non-running
state, and was acquired by Robert Iannucci for a hammer price
of £10,120, including buyer’s premium, thus completing his set
of other Arter machines. Owing to other commitments it took
him till 2016 to restore the 7R, with advice and support in doing
so from John Surtees himself. Sadly, John passed away just three
months before the finished bike made its return to the race track
in a shakedown test at Team Obsolete’s local track, before making
its public debut in restored form at Mosport for the 50th anni-
versary celebration of the one and only Canadian GP held there
in 1967. Michelle Duff had finished third in that day’s 500cc GP
www.MotorcycleClassics.com 27
 This 6-speed Schafleitner
gearbox replaced the
works Norton 4-speed
box that Surtees
originally installed.

on an Arter G50 that Team to be routed around the

Obsolete brought for her
to ride at the commemora-
tion. But her eyes moist-
ened when she unexpectedly saw the Surtees Special there, and
after a couple of token laps on the Arter G50, she spent the restgearbox out first, as well as the gearbox plates,” Robert Iannucci
of the weekend on what she describes as “my favorite bike — the says. “This is not a user friendly thing like a standard 7R!”
best one I ever rode.”
In the details
The Surtees Special is much lower and more compact than a
standard 7R, with the dry-sump AJS SOHC 2-valve engine mount-
ed 1-1/8-inch (29mm) lower and an undisclosed amount farther
forward. The frame is wrapped very tightly around the engine, so as John Surtees put it in an interview about the bike when new.
that even removing the inspection covers to check valve clear-
ances requires great dexterity, and the front down tubes are
actually waisted inwards slightly, to allow the exhaust header
Restored in 2016, the 7R is now demonstrated at classic meets around the world.
right-hand one for a nar-
rower fit. “The frame is so
shrink-wrapped around the
motor that to get the engine out of the bike, you have to take the
The triangular oil tank is both smaller and lighter and mounted
lower down, and in scaling 262 pounds dry without bodywork,
the Surtees 7R is a massive 28 pounds lighter than the standard
AJS, as well as a more compact and rational overall design.
Footrests and exhaust are mounted higher up to permit “the
extreme cornering angles possible with the latest racing tires”
A single-sided 230mm Oldani twin-leading-shoe drum brake
was fitted up front, with a 178mm single-leading-shoe Norton
rear drum with a magnesium hub. Both of these remain with
the bike today, same as the skeletal
aluminum upper triple-clamp which
Surtees was proud to tell Iannucci
he’d machined himself, holding the
cut-down 3/4-inch (19mm) shorter
37mm Norton Roadholder fork with
modified damping. The tubular steel
Reynolds swingarm with twin Girling
shocks delivers a 55-inch (1,395mm)
wheelbase with 19-inch wheels front
and rear, same as on the standard 7R.
The 349cc works engine provided
for the bike by Jack Williams (father
of Peter!) has the same 75.5mm by
78mm dimensions as the custom-
er model, and has been rebuilt by
Team Obsolete using as many of the
original parts as possible, Iannucci
says. It originally carried lighter crank
webs off the Junior TT-winning works
3-valve 7R3, and these have been
replicated by NEB for the engine
today, which now has a titanium con-
necting rod, Nikasil cylinder and a
higher 12.5:1 compression ratio (for-
merly 10.2:1). Originally, dual ignition
with a Bosch magneto was fitted, but
there’s now just a single spark plug
and a Lucas mag. Power is up on
the 38 horsepower at 7,600rpm of a
standard 7R, with the same 42 horse-
power at 8,250rpm now produced as
when the engine was delivered to
Surtees, transmitted via the 6-speed
Schafleitner gearbox that appeared
in several different Arter bikes down
the years. This replaces the works

28 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 Norton 4-speed gearbox in a magnesium shell which Surtees
originally fitted, no doubt sourced via connections he made in
1955 during his year as a works rider for the British factory in its
final season of direct factory involvement in racing.
On the track
My chance to sample the restored Surtees Special was sup-
posed to come at the Mosport commemoration, but after a
couple of laps there during which I could immediately feel how
planted and stable the Surtees 7R was in the fast, flowing turns
which predominate at the B-I-G Canadian circuit, I pulled in and
handed the keys to an emotional Michelle Duff. Well, you’d have
done that, too, wouldn’t you — especially when Team Obsolete
let me ride the ex-Dick Mann Daytona 200-winning BSA 3 for the
rest of the day instead! But almost two years later the chance to
ride the Surtees 7R for a little longer came at the annual Varano
Historic meeting in Italy, on the 1.12-mile 11-turn Italian circuit
near Parma that’s the direct opposite of Mosport, and essentially
a busier version of Brands Hatch.
There, the Surtees 7R’s slim, svelte stance and fingertip steer-
ing immediately recalled the Aermacchi singles I spent a decade
racing back in the mists of time, which were equally at home on
big circuits like Spa or the Isle of Man, as at shorter, tighter tracks
— like Varano. But thanks to their horizontal cylinder engine
format the pushrod Italian singles never had as much weight on
the front wheel as I’d have liked to deliver optimum grip — an
issue which the Surtees 7R completely redresses. It feels just as
30 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
nimble as the ’Macchis without being nervous, but with a more
“normal” riding position which I inevitably contrasted with the
Matchless G50 I’ve been racing for the past 45 years. This is a
cubed-up clone of the standard AJS 7R, and the Surtees-framed
version was more agile and easier to steer, especially in the trio of
chicanes sadly afflicting Varano. Thanks to its considerably lighter
weight you can brake harder and later on the Surtees, which will
also allow you to keep squeezing the brake lever after you’ve
peeled off into the apex of the turn — aka trail-braking — without
the bike either freezing the fork and inducing chatter potentially
leading to a crash, or sitting up and heading for the hedges, as
bikes with flawed steering geometry will do. John Surtees knew all
about this — and he made sure it didn’t happen with this bike,
which he designed himself — for himself.
A key ingredient in achieving this was the light but effective
single-sided 230mm Oldani twin-leading-shoe front brake, which
worked well enough to panic-stop the 7R on my second lap at
Mosport from hard on in fourth gear when I, ahem, thought I
was somewhere else on the track I was riding on for the first time
since 1989! More rationally, at Varano it allowed me to gradu-
ally creep up on my mate Esteban Fullana, riding his Matchless
G50 with aplomb, until after a lap in his tire tracks I managed to
outbrake him into the final chicane. The way the lithe, lean single
flicked from side to side so easily made me understand why Mike
Duff and Peter Williams loved the bike so much. Esteban repaid
the compliment by powering past me again on the Pit straight,
but then I got him back again into Variante Uno (aka the first
 “The late, great John Surtees was a man of many talents.”
chicane!). The way the smaller, lighter 350 braked so capably
and with real stability, was definitely reassuring. What a sweet
little motorcycle — one whose tenor bark from the exhaust
coupled with the baritone growl from the G50 had musically
minded Italian fans seeking us both out in the paddock after-
wards to compliment us!
I even fitted aboard the Surtees 7R better than I thought I
would — though slim and low-set, it’s unexpectedly spacious,
even though John was 3 inches shorter than me, and would have
built it for himself. This allowed me to slide forward in the seat
to help load up the front wheel with my body weight in slower
bends to help maintain turn speed, before sliding back down
it again to more or less tuck away behind the screen on faster
stretches. And despite John’s stated desire to lift the footrests
to take full advantage of the grippier tires available back then,
they didn’t feel unduly high, though they are indeed well tucked
back.
As on my own G50 with a similar 1-up/5-down Schafleitner
gearbox, the Surtees 7R’s light, precise gearshift was flawless,
though Team Obsolete had geared it to only use fourth gear
down the straight at busy Varano. But running it up to the
permitted 7,800rpm rather than 8,200rpm normally used (Dave
Roper was riding it in the Classic TT, remember) allowed me to
keep the 7R engine revving above 5,500rpm, to keep it pulling
cleanly one gear lower, and thus avoid the patch of megaphoni-
tis below that. A couple of times I let it fall away below that mark
in a chicane, but a quick dab on the clutch lever had it back
in the powerband again — it was really noticeable even when
warming the engine up in the paddock how quickly it gained
revs, thanks to the lighter crank, and that was also evident
exiting any of the slow chicanes at Varano. Still, the 6-speed
gearbox would have been a real advantage on a fast track like
Mosport — or the TT Course.
The late, great John Surtees was a man of many talents. Not
only equally adept racing on two, three (he started his racing
career by passengering for his dad Jack in his sidecar!) and four
wheels, and as the owner of Team Surtees an astute but honor-
able member of the pool of sharks that is Formula 1, he was also
a fine engineer, a good welder, and — as this motorcycle shows
— an expert frame designer. The Surtees Special 7R is the ulti-
mate two-wheeled tribute to that expertise, arguably more than
the MV Agustas, whose uncertain handling he played a key role
in developing to the point that he could win seven World titles
aboard them. Vale, John — you did a fine job in creating this
bike, as the successes enjoyed by Mike Duff and Peter Williams
aboard it fully demonstrated! MC
MATCHING THE
FUTURE WITH
THE PAST IN
THE PRESENT
 1928/1974
BMW R52 Similaria
Story by Dain Gingerelli
Photos by Mark Most

B BMW enthusiasts who appreciate the purity

and performance of a bone-stock BMW might
want to skip the next few pages in this issue
of Motorcycle Classics; a 1974 R75/6 lost its
pedigree in the making of the accompanying
feature bike, what its builder describes as a
1928 BMW R52 Similaria.
But readers who forge onward with this narrative are
in for a treat because you’re about to get a glimpse
of how one man converted a mid-1970s Slash 6 BMW
into what visually replicates a 1928 BMW R52, an early
model that shared a similar silhouette with BMW’s
first-ever model, the iconic 1923 R32. Those early R
models set the stage for BMW’s prewar signature
slab-side gas tank enveloped by two upper frame
tubes that swooped from steering head to rear
axle. It was a classic formula defining the simplistic
yet graceful lines of practically every rigid-frame
BMW from that era.

What about Bob?

The man responsible for the R52 Similaria
is Bob Vail, who unabashedly describes
himself as someone who enjoys “build-
ing and riding motorcycles equally.” Bob
hails from Cleveland, Ohio, where, as
he’ll tell you, “the cold snowy winters
and beautiful summers are completely
conducive to that equality.”
Consequently, Bob spends a good
portion of those cold snowy winters
turning metal on his 1940s-era South
Bend lathe, plus shaping, filing, whit-
tling and welding pieces of metal into
bikes of his own creation — Similarias,
as he calls them. Among his stable
of retro-style bikes you’ll find a 1914
Harley-Davidson Similaria based on
a 1997 H-D XL883 platform, and two
Yamahas — a 1977 XS650 that he terms a
Yamaton and a 1981 XV920R he morphed
into a Yamacent. The remainder of his bike
fleet consists of original bikes including a
Ducati, a Laverda, a Moto Guzzi, a BMW, a
Harley-Davidson and a Triumph, plus two non-
Similaria retro-theme customs. And all his bikes
are runners; as the man says, he likes to build and
ride motorcycles.
Now, about that name “Similaria.” Bob explains it
as “a made-up word used to describe a motorcycle
with the similar look of an old original machine, but
made more practical and functional for riding … lots of

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 33
 The Kiwi Indian leaf spring front fork
(right). A battery box holds a modern
Odyssey AGM battery (far right).
riding!” Each Similaria is based on dis-
tinct features that tie it to the targeted
motorcycle’s design. Those features
include isolated parts such as engine,
frame, gas tank, front end, wheels and
tires, fenders, headlight, and so on of
the original model.
And with that, let’s focus on the
R52 Similaria. With two of his riding
buddies, Ray Shaw and Doug Horner cheering him on, Bob
decided that his 1974 R75/6 donor bike’s boxer engine was
suitable for the retro look. He figured that he could trim its
bulbous valve covers that conceal overhead valves to more
closely resemble those of the original R52’s slab-side flat-
heads. Mimicking those pre-war cylinder heads required some
creative engineering, though, so Bob turned to a group of
young and eager engineering students at The Gow School near
Buffalo, New York, for help. First they created CAD drawings
of each head, feeding their data into a 3D printer to set the
pattern for a large five-axis Haas CNC milling machine. Huge
chunks of billet aluminum were then tirelessly whittled into
their 1928 shapes. Bob then turned down the heads’ cooling
fins on his trusty milling machine to more precisely replicate
the R52’s classic features.
Bob also removed the R75/6 engine’s massive front and tim-
ing case covers, plus the two CV carbs
were trashed. As Bob put it, “The tim-
ing case cover and front engine cover
would have to be cut off,” to make way
for a flat cover that he fabricated. Bob
continues: “Yes, I see you purists in
the back row cringing at the thought
that I would actually cut these pieces
off.” Matching 32mm Mikuni carbs,
their round-slide bodies favoring the
R52’s more rudimentary mixers of old,
were attached to either side of the
otherwise stock engine, and to complete the engine’s breath-
ing circuit Bob fashioned an exhaust system using tubing with
J bends from automotive supplier Summit Racing’s inventory.
Naturally, creating the 1928-like mufflers required some
additional cutting and welding by our man. Although Bob
located a suitable shorty muffler, he “could not stand either
the look of the 1-3/4-inch-interior-diameter outlet pipe or the
thought that the baffle could not be adequately packed around
[with sound deadening material].” So he cut four shorty
2-1/2-inch-diameter mufflers in half, using only the halves with
1-1/2-inch-inner-diameter ends for the project. He next cre-
ated inner sleeves to join the anointed muffler halves together
before fabricating baffles from 1-1/4-inch-diameter stainless
steel tubing that he wrapped with 5/8-inch-thick packing.
The engine itself created another minor obstacle — BMW
originally positioned the R75/6’s boxer motor at a 6-degree
downward slant (front to rear) in its frame. Most certainly a frame. “My calculations told me the front downtubes had
no-no for this project because those 6 degrees would disrupt to be lengthened with spacers to accommodate the height
the classic flowing lines that the R52 offered, and so the of the leaf spring front end and the steering head had to be
engine needed to be elevated 6 degrees at its rear. tilted back to achieve the desired rake and trail.”
“I never realized this [6-degree drop] because the angled Regarding the frame’s top section, Bob said that he “cut
top of the R75/6 engine is hidden under the gas tank, the oil out the one large tube on the donor bike frame, replacing it
pan’s bottom is wedge-shaped making its bottom horizon- with two parallel tubes. These tubes would run on top of the
tal, and the engine badges are mounted level, at a 6-degree future gas tank to achieve one of those distinctive [R52] fea-
angle to the engine.” Those crafty Germans, concealing their tures.” Bob continued, focusing on the back (or rear) section:
Teutonic truth like that! “I also wanted the distinctive feature of the rear loop on the
Repositioning the engine should be a rather straightfor- frame. The real R52 had it on one side only because the rear
ward fix, you say. Well, yes, it should be but Bob also was drive was on the other side, but I chose to have this feature
going to change the frame’s on both sides.”
rake and trail to 30 degrees Sounding more like a
and 3.5 inches respec- math professor, not a typi-
tively, to better mimic the cal motorcycle enthusiast,
1928 BMW’s stance as well Bob explained how he
as accommodate a Kiwi engineered the rear sus-
Indian leaf-spring front fork pension: “Referring back to
matched to a cantilevered geometry class, physics and
Works Performance rear vector analysis, I’m sure
twin-shock assembly. “If you remember that side O
change was made on one is half the length of side H.”
item,” allowed Bob, “then Uh-huh. “This means two
something else was bound things: First, if you want
to change.” What to do? 3 inches of vertical axle
movement, the shock only
The hip bone’s con- moves approximately 1-1/2
nected to the thigh inches. Secondly, a 300-
bone … pound force vertically on
His solution was to divvy the axle transmits a 600-
the frame’s makeover into pound load on the shock.”
four sections — front, top, Of course. “This and the
back and lower sections. fact I now needed a 15-inch
The front section, he deter- length shock rather than
mined, established loca- the 13.5-inch stock shock,
tion of the steering head meant I had to find some-
relative to the rest of the Bob and the Similaria, ready for its maiden lap around the block. one to build a custom set

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 35
 The valve covers were made with the help of a CNC machine, before being finished on Bob’s mill. 32mm Mikunis provide fuel.

of shocks. Enter Works Performance. They built these with
the needed travel and stiffness, and added a very reason-
able engineering fee.” Problem solved. Next!
Next turned out to be sizing and welding the two replace-
ment backbone tubes to the steering head and rear portion
of the frame. “I needed to build some sort of a fixture to
hold the frame pieces in alignment while I cut the top sec-
tion out and while the front section was cut off awaiting
modification.” The solution was to use his trusty wooden
work table to hold a Unistrut base fixture with turnbuckles
and wire to secure the frame during surgery, and a digital
level/angle gauge to monitor vital signs to assure that
the entire, and somewhat chopped up, frame structure
remained in alignment during welding. He then placed a
tension wire as close to level as he could, to serve as the
centerline of the frame. All measurements were taken from
that line.
“The stock frame was then mounted to the fixture.” After
a brief sacrificial ceremony, Bob made the necessary cuts,
until all that remained in the fixture was a series of float-
ing frame sections. He then cut and welded in the two filler
pieces to the downtubes, followed by the two top tubes
that boasted the necessary bends to further replicate the
R52’s persona. Added Bob about this step: “This was by

The rear luggage rack and leather tiedown belts add to the vintage feel, and so does the wooden ball handshifter.

36 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

One of Bob’s custom-made shorty mufflers (left). Custom shocks from Works Performance handle the rear suspension.

far the most complex ‘fitting’ work of the whole project.” explanation describes just how intricate and elaborate the
Essentially he had to prevent the frame’s dangling rear sec- build time was: “After a bung for the fuel petcock and gas
tion from moving while he welded the top tubes at both cap neck were welded in place, hours of filing and sanding
ends, keeping them parallel in the process. “And at the front ensued to hide the welded seams.”
of the top tubes there is a complex compound connection He also fashioned fenders, using blanks from Wild Card’s
into the round steering neck,” Bob pointed out, which made Long Boy Front Fenders. Mounting them to the Kiwi leaf-
completing the weld especially critical, and difficult. “If any spring front end required additional engineering such that
one of these four joining surfaces were cut or filed 1/32 inch the fender attaches to bronze bushings on each side of the
too much, the top tubes would be out of alignment with axle, allowing the fender to travel vertically with the front
each other. Fortunately the process produced no profanity wheel/tire. “The rear fender had similar issues of traveling
… that I can remember,” Bob said, adding, “and have I men- with the rear wheel, so it’s attached to the swingarm in
tioned what a bad memory I have?” several places.”
That concluded much of the necessary engineering work While we’re examining the front end, check out the
to convert the R75/6’s frame and engine for the tribute R52. headlight. It was fashioned from a pair of cut-and-welded
The easy (?) part was next, that of replicating the 1928 bike’s 8-inch sauce pans that Bob sourced from the local Target
sheet metal and body work. No problem, and at this point department store’s housewares section. Bob cites the pans’
we see just how creative and clever Bob had to be. vertical sides and rounded bottoms as the key ingredients
needed to replicate the R52’s front headlight.
It’s all about style Just as amazing are those stylish footboards that resem-
First order of business was to fashion a prototype ble miniature toboggans. After making templates from
gas tank out of Styrofoam to visualize how the hand- corrugated cardboard, wood and copper tubing, Bob cut
formed aluminum tank would
fit. The prototype completed,
Bob’s questions began: “How will
it be supported? How can it be
removed? Oh, and look, the tank
can only be removed from one
side because the handshift will
be on the other.” Yeah, he also
had to engineer a handshifter.
And to counter engine vibration
(“Aluminum fatigues and cracks
over time when exposed to vibra-
tion,” Bob reminds us), he ulti-
mately positioned the tank on two
parallel inverted beams running
front to back, using 1/8-inch soft
silicone rubber at four points (two
on each beam) to isolate vibra-
tion. Gas tank fabrication was an
adventure in itself.
“Building the tank was a lot of
fun. Well, mostly,” Bob recalls.
After making his own wooden
buck, he cut and shaped sec-
tions of 3003 aluminum (.090
inch thick) into what eventual-
ly became a piece that close-
ly resembled the gas tank of an
original 1928 R52. Bob’s simple Bob at speed aboard his finished creation, the BMW R52 Similaria.

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 37
 a 6-foot section of 1/4-inch-thick aluminum angle (with
6-inch legs) into a pair of 14-inch pieces before fashioning
them into mirror images of each other. Careful thought and
measuring went into the footboards’ final placement on the
bike, allowing for the angle of the rider’s feet, clearance for
the carburetors and foot controls, and so on.
Indeed, on and on the planning and engineering went,
each part requiring its own special fabrication or modifica-
tion. For instance, the handlebar was bent to 1928 shape,
the handshifter also incorporated a “cheater foot shift lever
to allow for occasional need to shift quickly,” and Bob cre-
ated a multi-functional gauge (digital speedometer, analog
tachometer, plus 15 other functions) that he based on a
Motogadget instrument harvested at a motorcycle trade
show.
Ode to electrodes and diodes
I would be cutting this narrative short if I didn’t mention
the electrical system that Bob strung throughout the bike.
Bob describes a motorcycle’s electrical system as being
“like the nerve system in the human body,” so he takes this
part of the build rather seriously. Turns out that Bob is
somewhat of an electrical wizard who maps out his own wir-
ing looms for each bike he makes. So he started with a Euro
Motoelectrics unit that puts out 450 watts of juice from a
high-output alternator. Remember, Cleveland is home to
cold snowy winters, so Bob enjoys his electrically heated
vest and gloves.
Mounting the Odyssey AGM battery to the bike created
its own problems, not to mention that the battery’s mod-
ern plastic case just looked … modern; this was to be a
bike based on nearly a 100-year-old design, so he needed
to rethink this part of the build. While making coffee one
morning Bob noticed that the creamer’s cap in front of him
38 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
was the perfect size and shape for the R52 Similaria’s bat-
tery fill caps. His brain began to percolate: “My wife makes
art objects out of polymer clay, a soft malleable plastic-like
material that hardens when it’s heated in a toaster oven. It’s
available in a plethora of colors; I made a silicone mold of
the cap, filled it with red polymer clay, baked it, and voila,
my first of three faux battery caps.” Too much caffeine, Bob!
And did I mention that Bob produces his own complete and
color-coded electrical schematics for all his bikes?
Finally, the Similaria was ready for its maiden lap around
the block. One shakedown run led to another, and another,
until it was deemed suitable and ready for paint. As usual,
Bob delved into the home stretch with verve and enthusi-
asm. “Parts were coming off the motorcycle like clothes on
prom night,” he exclaimed, and before long those naked
parts returned fully dressed, clothed in shiny paint and rich
nickel plating.
The entire project took more than 2-1/2 years to com-
plete. This essay brushes on but a few of the many obsta-
cles and hurdles that Bob had to overcome that required
277 sketches and drawings that led to the fabrication of 257
pieces for the finished bike. No doubt an entire book could
be written to showcase how this one bike came into being.
But wait, there’s more! Bob Vail actually produced a book,
of sorts, about the making of his 1928 R52 Similaria, and
he launched a blog (boblikesbikes.com) that serializes the
bike’s construction process, including photos. Bob also is
taking the knowledge that he acquired from Similaria and
his other bike projects to share at seminars sponsored by
Skidmark Garage, a do-it-yourself shop hosted by Brian
Schaffran in Cleveland, Ohio. With Bob’s blog up and run-
ning you can bet that he’ll be elbow deep into future, and
interesting, Similaria projects — when he’s not riding one
of his many bikes. MC
TheCOMPREHENSIVE VINTAGE
MOTORCYCLE PRICE GUIDE
2020/2021 Edition
T he 17th annual Comprehensive Vintage Motorcycle Price Guide captures nearly 100
different marques and 120,000 prices in six different grades across 432 pages for the
2020/2021 season. Learn how to properly grade and apply the right condition to a motorcycle
through pricing that is determined by real-time sales data from auctions, sales, shows, swap
meets, dealer sales, and more. Plus, vintage motorcycle market analysis is included. Find out
how to properly grade and apply the right
condition to American, Japanese, European,
and Asian marques! Whether you’re looking
at buying an old bike or selling the one that’s
been sitting in your garage, this is the guide
you want to turn to.

$17. 95 ITEM #9929

Call (800) 880-7567

or order online at www.MotorcycleClassics.com/Store
Mention promo code MMCPAKZ3
 September 5 - 6, 2020
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Seven Springs, Pennsylvania

TRA DEM ARK REG IS TE RE D 1 9 1 5

gearhead gathering
After four years of the annual Ride ’Em, Don’t Hide ’Em Getaway at Seven
Springs Mountain Resort in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, we’re upping the ante
with a full-bore festival in 2020!

The Motorcycle Classics Gearhead Gathering will feature the same scenic,
guided rides in the region, but participants will now find so much more:

• Hill climb and woods races

• Bike show
• Mechanical and build workshops
• Swap meet
• Self-navigated ride recommendations and routes
• Family-friendly social and evening activities
• Vintage farm equipment displays and demonstrations presented by
Farm Collector and Gas Engine Magazine

Go online: www.GearheadGathering.com to order your tickets / apply to be a swap meet vendor

or call 1.800.880.7567 for more information.
Guest of Honor

Dennis Gage
Host of My Classic Car
Executive Producer of Trippin’ on Two Wheels

A My Classic Car pilot series, hosted by Dennis,

was developed for TNN and received strong
ratings when it aired in early 1996. Based on this
success, the show premiered as a weekly series on
TNN in January 1997. It hasn’t been off the air since.
In 2000 the show moved to the SPEED channel where
it ultimately reached over 85 million households and was
one of the highest rated programs on the network.
Now in production for its 25th season, My Classic Car is carried on
MotorTrend, MAVTV and Rev’n networks, as well as a number of
streaming services, reaching over 100 million households. In addition,
Dennis is the Executive Producer of the motorcycle television
programs, Trippin’ on Two Wheels and Corbin’s Ride On, and the reality
series, Texas Hardtails, as well as the independent film, Novem.

After you cruise the Laurel Highlands’ rolling hills

and deep river valleys, satisfy your cravings
with a wide variety of dining options at Seven
Springs Mountain Resort. Options range from
unique fine dining creations at Helen’s
Restaurant to the variety of delicious buffets
offered at the Slopeside Dining Room to
quick fix options including made-to-order
pizza and sandwiches. When the sun goes
down, grab your friends and celebrate your
adventures with libations at the Bavarian and
Matterhorn lounges.

TRASH CLASS woods and hill climb races!

TRASH (TRans-Allegheny Six Hundred ) riders will
race for the “Cow Bell” on the cheapest pre-1986
motorcycle they can register! The purchase price
of the motorcycle must be lower than $600.
END OF
THE LINE
1953 Indian Chief
 Story by Margie Siegal
Photos by David Johnson
M Matt Blake started learning about Indians when
he went to work for Sammy Pierce, known to
many as “Mr. Indian.”
At the time, Sammy was managing the Steve McQueen estate’s
motorcycles. “During that time, I got hooked on Indians.” That
was a while back, but Matt has stayed hooked. His aim in life is
to keep classic Indians on the road. At this point, it looks like he
is succeeding.
After the job with the McQueen estate ended, Matt started
a business manufacturing tanks, fenders and other sheet metal
pieces for Indians. He also does restorations and repairs. In order
to advertise his business, he goes to a lot of classic bike events
(well, at least that’s why he says he goes to all those events). Matt
was at the big Davenport, Iowa, show and swap meet when he
met Mike Oddo, the third owner of the 1953 Chief you see here.
They started talking, and Oddo hired Matt to restore it.
Indian’s past
This Chief represents both an end and a begin-
ning. When this bike was built in 1953, the
Springfield, Massachusetts, Indian factory was
about to close, the victim of bad management and a severe
downturn in the motorcycle market. The year after the Springfield
plant closed, some of Indian’s former employees formed the
Antique Motorcycle Club of America Inc., marking the begin-
ning of the classic bike movement. The AMCA started as a small
regional organization, but started forming chapters outside of
New England in 1970. Enthusiasm for old bikes really took off in
the 1980s and has never slowed down.
www.MotorcycleClassics.com 43

While 1953 was the last year the original Indian company made
motorcycles in the United States, the end of Indian sparked the
old-bike movement that ensured that this 1953 Chief — the end
of the line — would be preserved and appreciated. The old-bike
movement also helped create the conditions that would lead to
the return of Indian as a brand.
The rise, fall and return of Indian reads like a novel. Indian was
once the largest motorcycle company in the world. Around World
War I, Hendee and Hedstrom, the two men who had been respon-
sible for Indian’s success, retired. Management went to a group of
financiers who had little understanding of how to make a go of a
motorcycle company. In the 1920s, some people in management
were literally stealing from the company treasury.
At this point, E. Paul DuPont, a member of the DuPont paint
family, bought stock in the Indian company. He soon learned
of the underhanded dealings, and used his knowledge to buy
out the prior owners and put his own people in. With DuPont’s
competent manager running the business, Indian looked ahead
to a bright future.
Then the Depression hit. Sales dropped like a rock. DuPont was
forced to use his own money to prop Indian up. By 1935, the com-
pany had gotten back to its feet, but still had to make payments
on back debt, some of which was owed from the time when the
thieves were in control. As the 1930s struggled to an end, it was
becoming obvious that the United States would soon become
involved in World War II, and Indian started exploring contracts
with the U.S. Army and Allied armies in other countries. Sales to
France ended when that country was overrun by the Nazis. After
the main U.S. Army contract was awarded to Harley-Davidson
and his long-term manager died, DuPont decided to throw in the
towel and find a buyer.
44 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
The buyer he found was Ralph Rogers, who
took over the Indian company right after World
War II ended. Ralph Rogers wanted to build
lightweight motorcycles, similar to the bikes
then being built in England. It was a good
idea, but the vertical single and twins Indian
ended up building were not well designed and
suffered from lack of quality control. While Rogers was trying to
overcome these problems, Indian continued to build 74-cubic-
inch V-twin Chiefs. They were fast bikes, but the engine design
was somewhat outdated. Rogers also tried to relocate Indian to
a new factory while he was working out the problems with the
verticals, and, with too much going on at the same time, 1948
production of Chiefs was cut to 3,000 bikes. In retrospect, this
was not a good move.
Motorcycle choices
Many GIs had encountered motorcycles in Europe, and liked
what they saw. Indian sold thousands of motorcycles to return-
ing veterans, and probably could have sold thousands more if
they had produced the bikes that buyers wanted. In the 1940s,
American motorcycle buyers had a choice — they could buy an
Indian Chief, with a sidevalve engine, one of the new, unproven
Indian verticals, a Harley-Davidson with overhead valves, or one
of the newly imported foot shift English motorcycles, which were
much lighter and easier to ride. The English bikes were also
proven designs, and much more reliable than the Indian vertical
twins. With Indian behind on deliveries to dealers, many Indian
dealers opted to sell Triumphs and BSAs.
The final blow came when the British government devalued
the pound in September 1948. Britbikes were now not only easier
to ride and more reliable, they were also cheaper. With bank-
ruptcy staring him in the face, Rodgers worked out a deal with J.
Brockhouse and Co., an English conglomerate. In return for a $1.5
million loan, Brockhouse got the right to supply Indian dealers
with motorcycles, some made in the Indian factory in Springfield,
Massachusetts, but also AJS, Matchless, Norton, Royal Enfield
and Vincent bikes made in England. Production of 1949 Chiefs
Matt Blake aboard the Chief (far left, facing page). The single Amal Type 6 carb and its shiny Indian air cleaner (above).
was halted in order to concentrate on problems with the verti-
cals — another bad move. Brockhouse became unhappy with
the continued losses, and started a campaign to force Rogers
out. He resigned in January 1950, and Brockhouse management
took over.
Chiefs hold on
Production of Chiefs was resumed for the 1950 model year,
with the telescopic forks that had been designed for the 1949
Chiefs. The front fender had smaller skirts than those on previous
Chiefs. Matt Blake explains that Indian reused the same sheet
metal “crown” form for many years, simply making changes in
the sides of the fenders. “By 1953, the crown form was basically
worn out. We used a stock fender to make our form, and had to
carefully adjust our form because the stock fender crown was not
straight.”
The biggest change for the 1950 Chief was a longer piston
stroke, which bumped the cubic capacity of the engine to 80 cubic
inches. Compression was increased, and these engine changes
resulted in 50 horsepower, 10 more horses than the previous
model. A compensator sprocket smoothed out power. A 3-speed
transmission was standard, with a 4-speed (or a 3-speed with
reverse, for sidecars) optional. Hand shift was standard, although
the few Indians built in 1949 had foot shift and hand clutch. For
the past 48 years, Indian had built bikes with a left hand throttle
and right hand spark advance. The 1950 version had right hand
throttle as standard — the same as Harley and the Britbikes.
By 1951, Indian had largely given up on the verticals, and was
building only the Warrior and Warrior TT versions of the design
that Rogers had championed. The 1950 version of the Chief was
continued with a few cosmetic changes.
In 1952, the Chiefs used the same muffler that had previously
been used on the Warrior vertical twin. The fender skirts were
shortened again, and a bench seat was an option. The Linkert
carburetor company, which had made all the carburetors used
on Indians since 1941, refused to manufacture carburetors for
Indian for this model run. There are two stories: Either Indian was
not paying its suppliers, or the model run was too small (Indian
planned to build around 500 Chiefs) for Linkert to make special
carburetors. So Indian went to British-built Amals. Most Indian
aficionados hated the Amals — they had no experience with
them, and they were more tricky to tune than the tried and true
Linkert — and at least some 1952-1953 Chiefs either came with ments. At this point in time, there is no way to tell for sure wheth-
a leftover Linkert from 1951 or were retrofitted with a Linkert by er or not the bike was originally meant to be a NYPD mount.
the first owner. 1953 Indian Chiefs are rare — about 350 were built during the
The 1953 Chiefs were very similar to the 1952 Chiefs with some model run. The bike is also unusual in that it came with much
minor changes to the kickstart and the fender tabs. About 350 of the original bodywork and other parts in useable condition,
were built before the Springfield, Massachusetts. Indian factory including the tank, front fender, Amal carburetor, most of the
closed for good. Brockhouse badged several different English engine, and front forks.
motorcycles as “Indians” for several years, then sold Indian to Mike sent Matt the bike in crates. The owner has started restor-
another English firm, AMC. After AMC went bankrupt in the mid- ing the bike before he decided that it would be better if a profes-
Sixties, the Indian name and trademarks went through a murky sional took over. Matt started by making a careful list of what
period, which finally got cleared up in court years later. he had — and calling the owner to look for more parts. Like a
With expanding interest in all things vintage, several under- jigsaw puzzle, it is very easy to misplace parts once a bike is apart.
capitalized companies started motorcycle manufacture using Almost everything that was missing showed up in another box.
the Indian name in the 1990s. In 2011, the On Matt’s recommendation, Mike sent
Indian name and trademarks were sold to the engine to Burnett Motors in Merced,
Polaris, which had the deep pockets neces-
sary to develop the brand. Today, Indian is
“1953 Indian Chiefs California, a specialist in classic Indian
engines. Matt started by rebuilding the
charging ahead, racking up flat track cham- are rare — about forks. “One of the nice things about working
pionships and enjoying skyrocketing sales. with Mike was that he wanted the bike to
350 were built during look good, but not over-restored,” Matt says.
Mike’s Chief “You have to remember that these bikes
Mike Oddo is the third owner of this bike, the model run.” were built as everyday transportation. The
which has a serial number indicating that it paint wasn’t perfect and the chrome wasn’t
was built in the middle of the 1953 produc- perfect. The biggest problem I had was get-
tion run. The first owner bought it new from a dealer in New York. ting the Amal carburetor to not leak,” Matt says. “The jet block
The factory may have built it partially to New York City Police was not mating properly, and I had to make special cables and
Department specs — the NYPD mostly used Indians for patrol rebuild the carburetor a second time. Indian used two separate
purposes until the Springfield factory closed — but Matt believes wiring looms on the ’52-’53’s, which is unusual. One harness goes
that the bike left the factory in civilian clothes. to a button on a footboard.” Wiring looms are available aftermar-
It has the solo saddle, while most non-police ’53’s had bench ket and Matt installed new ones. He continues, “The ’53’s used a
seats. Police rear fenders had a special hole for the siren drive, 6-volt system and a generator, with a mechanical regulator, and it
but the original fender on this bike was bobbed, with the part works, as long as you use a big enough battery.” Matt points out
with the hole missing. However, many police bikes had Linkert that the ’53 had English-style lever controls. “The right lever is for
carburetors, instead of Amal, and the bike has the stock generator the choke. You push it forward for the choke to be on, and you
instead of the high output generator requested by police depart- have to set the lever tension.”

46 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 Motorcycle maestro
Matt Blake restored the
Chief, which won first
place in the American
category at the 2019
Quail Motorcycle
Gathering.

The engine came back manual, and copies for

from Burnett Motors.
Matt installed it in the
frame and mounted the
Amal carburetor, which
he had finally beaten
into submission. An Iron
Horse Corral rear fender,
correct for the year, replaced the sawed-up original. Mike gave
Matt permission to take it to a few shows before shipping it to
him in the Midwest. The bike won first place in the American
motorcycle category at the 2019 Quail Motorcycle Gathering in
Carmel, California.
On the road
A 1953 Indian Chief, like any mid-1930s and later Indian, is very
rideable today, provided a little care is taken, and Indians regular-
ly turn up on vintage runs. Matt emphasizes that the best way to
keep an Indian Chief running is to follow the advice in the rider’s
manual that Indian provided with every new machine. The manu-
al was very complete, almost the equivalent of a modern service
most years are available
from people who sell
Indian parts. “The break-
in instructions are impor-
tant. You can’t go over
50mph for the first 500
miles, and you need to
vary the speed.” One chore that the manual emphasizes is the
greasing schedule. Chiefs have numerous Zerk fittings, and it
is important to go over the bike with a grease gun on a regular
basis. Another essential chore is changing the oil. Matt likes to
use 40 weight oil, but goes up to 50 weight if the temperature is
over 80F. The ’53’s have a separate transmission, which uses 80
weight gear oil.
Matt likes all Indians, but he is partial to the telescopic fork
80-inch models. “The front end is far superior to the girders, and
comparable to a modern bike. The telescopic forks are the best
front end for a Chief. The engine, with the anti-chatter sprocket,
is smooth as silk, even though it’s still a flathead. It’s the most
refined, comfortable bike.” MC

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 47
LAS VEGAS 2020
Brough Superiors top price charts at Las Vegas
Story and photos by Robert Smith
I In recent years, American motorcycle auction
goers have seen a speed-record Vincent Black
Lightning and a Crocker “Big Tank” both edge
toward the million-dollar mark. There were no
such stratospheric prices achieved at the annual
Mecum and Bonhams motorcycle auctions in Las
Vegas, Jan. 21-26, 2020.
But after six years in which American iron mostly topped the
big money charts, Broughs are back. A super-rare 1922 Brough
Superior Mark 1 with a JAP “90 bore” engine gained the top
price of $308,000 at Mecum, including buyer’s premium, while
the number two spot went to a 1930 SS100 at $239,250.
Meanwhile at Bonhams, the top price seller wasn’t a com-
plete motorcycle at all, but a Brough project, which, when
re-assembled, would be a 1929 680 with a JAP overhead-valve
engine — essentially a scaled-down SS100. The project sold
for $126,500.
Most of the top values, though, were achieved at Mecums,
with a 1940 Harley-Davidson EL bringing $220,000, the same
amount gained by the late Indian Larry’s Grease Monkey cus-
tom. A 4-cylinder Militaire, which, despite its French-sounding
name was one of around 200 made in Buffalo, New York,
achieved $214,500. Four green-frame Ducati 750SS’s were
offered at Mecum, with one selling for $198,000 (and another
passed on at $195,000), while a Vincent “C” Black Shadow
fetched $143,000.
Minibikes at Mecum
A notable feature of the Mecum auction was the number of
minibikes on offer. In all, more than 100 went across the block
with a total value of close to half a million dollars, and an aver-
age price of $4,855 including premium. Many of the minibikes
were from the Northwest 100 Honda collection. There may
have been a “halo” effect operating here. Minibike values have
been rising in recent years, and that may have encouraged
sellers to liquidate. The halo effect may also explain why five
Honda RC30s were on offer in Vegas this year after one (with
zero miles) sold for a record price of over $100,000 in 2019.
None of the five came close to six figures this year.
Several other collections were being sold, which included a
number of rare Italian motorcycles from the Musee L’Epopee
www.MotorcycleClassics.com 49
A Moto Guzzi Centauro, just $3,000 at Bonhams. The Craig Vetter Mystery Ship, one of only two with a turbo, brought $55,200.

de la Moto in Quebec, Canada. Among the lots offered were
1980s Bimotas, Moto Guzzis and Laverdas — still in their deliv-
ery crates!
In total, the 26 collections offered at Mecum yielded 704 lots,
or 41% of the total number of bikes across the block. Bonhams
also offered two significant motorcycle collections for sale: Ten
from the MotoDoffo Collection in California; and 15 from leg-
endary racer and publisher Buzz Kanter. Perhaps most intriguing
was Marcelo Doffo’s 2006 Ducati Paul Smart replica still in its
delivery crate that failed to sell at $22,000. Also at Bonhams, a
pair of 1938 Triumph Speed Twins were offered: one restored,
the other with original patina — and a Bud Ekins provenance.
Neither sold — but the Bud Ekins connection added $17,000 to
the high bid.
On the subject of provenance … while most auction buyers
do their own fastidious research before bidding, a couple of
motorcycles were offered — one Mecum, one Bonhams — that
according to marque specialists, may not have been quite what

1974 “green frame” Ducati 750SS sold for $198,000 w/premium at Mecum. 1939 Series A Vincent Rapide was bid to
$250,000. No sale. 1952 Vincent Series C Black Shadow sold for $143,000 w/premium. 1940 H-D EL, $220,000 w/premium.

50 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

1913 “NUT” (Newcastle Upon Tyne) sold for $28,750 at Bonhams. 1952 Moto Guzzi Falcone Sport was bid to $21,000.

they claimed (though neither sold). The problem with prov-
enance is that, if it’s fundamental to the value of the item, the
incentive to fake it is especially strong. Caveat emptor!
Bellwethers and Bonhams
In the latter part of the 2010s, the biggest ticket motorcycle
make at auction has been Crocker. In 2019, a 1939 “Big Tank”
sold for over $700,000, and others have sold in recent years for
more than half a million. Only one was on offer this year, at
Bonhams. It was bid up to $380,000 but failed to meet reserve.
Vincent prices can be indicative of market stability. Typically,
Rapides expect to sell in the $50,000 range and Shadows around
$100,000. Four Rapides (of six offered) sold at Mecum for an
average of $50,600 including premium, while five Shadows (four
at Mecum, one at Bonhams) sold for an average $106,700.
In the “volume” market, Honda sales are a good bellwether,
simply because of the numbers offered. With 406 Hondas for
sale at Mecum (208 in 2018 and 225 in 2019), more than 91%

This Militaire sold for $214,000. One of 100-plus minibikes at Mecum, this gold edition Honda Monkey made $13,200. Xmas
edition Honda Z50 made $11,550 w/premium. Unique 1924 Barcelona-built Patria/Ace-Henderson brought $137,500 at Mecum.

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 51
 1930 Brough Superior SS100 sold for $239,250 at Mecum (top left). The late Indian Larry’s “Grease Monkey” fetched
$220,000 at Mecum. Top seller of the 2020 Las Vegas auctions was the 1922 Brough Superior Mk1 “90 bore.” $308,000
at Bonhams (bottom left). Top selling RC30 was this 1990 model at $53,500 at Mecum.
were sold for an average value of around $7,000 (even includ-
ing the large number of minibikes), a figure that has remained
steady over the last three years.
Similarly, the high volume of Harley-Davidsons offered at
Mecum (296 in 2020, up from 167 in 2019 and 203 in 2018)
should also be a fair indicator. This year, 86% of H-D lots offered
were sold, for an average of $21,500 each (versus $23,900 in
2019, and $18,800 in 2018). And 109 Indians were for sale at
Mecum with 81% sold for an average of almost $26,000 each
52 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
(versus 2019, which saw 70 Indians across the block with 93%
sold for an average of $31,900, and 2018 sold 83% of the 48
Indians offered at an average of $32,000).
Motorcycle maverick Craig Vetter created just 10 Kawasaki-
powered Mystery Ships before a hang-gliding accident called a
halt to production. Only two were fitted with the RC Engineering
Z1-TC turbocharged engine: one for Russ Collins of RC; and the
other offered for sale at Bonhams. It sold for $55,200 including
premium. MC
By the numbers
Mecum
• Mecum offered 1,758 motorcycles for sale in 2020 at Las
Vegas, of which 1,515 were sold, or 86%. (In 2019, 1,276
of 1,438 were sold for 89%.)
• The total value of lots sold was $19,663,000 without premi-
um, or $21,629,000 with premium. ($22,790,000 without
premium in 2019.)
• Average price per lot sold was $12,979 without premium, a
27% drop over 2019, but 13% up on 2018.
Bonhams
• Bonhams offered 110 bikes, of which 52 were sold.
• Total value sold was $1,259,600 with premium, or
$833,750 without.
• Average price per lot sold was $16,034 without premium.
(Information is provided in good faith but may be subject to
recording or calculation errors. E&OE. Your results may vary.)
 Azusa, CA
Your source for Excel, Borrani and Sun Rims
YAMAHA’S
LOST
CAUSE The 0W60
Story by Hamish Cooper
Photos by Phil Aynsley

J Just when Yamaha’s square-four

0W60 racer was nearing perfection
in 1982, the company changed
direction entirely, putting its star
rider onto an untried V4. It would
be another two years before Yamaha
won the 500cc Grand Prix world
championship. Here we look at the
motorcycle that could have been a
world-beater.
The 1982 season was a watershed moment
in the 500cc Grand Prix world championship.
This was the final year all four Japanese manu-
facturers went head-to-head in the champion-
ship, pushing the envelope with new or revised
designs. Yamaha was perhaps the most com-
mitted, and perhaps also the one with the
most to lose. Its star rider, Kenny Roberts, had
rewritten the history books way back in 1978
by becoming the first American to win the
ultimate motorcycle title, as well as delivering
Yamaha its first world crown since Giacomo
Agostini’s amazing effort in 1975.
Proving he and Yamaha were no one-hit
wonder, Roberts had repeated the effort in
1979 and 1980. For 1981, Yamaha had intro-
duced what some observers cynically describe
as a copy of Suzuki’s RG500, the bike that Barry
Sheene had taken to victory in 1976 and 1977.
But it was surely no surprise that Yamaha
would build a square-four replacement for
its aging piston-port, inline four-cylinder as
the similar RG500 was the equivalent of the
1950s-1960s Manx Norton. Although getting
long in the tooth by racing standards, it filled

54 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 most of the grid and even privateers
were still winning rounds on it.
Despite the change of engine config-
uration, Yamaha’s rotary-valve, square-
four 0W54 still lost out to Suzuki’s
revised and lighter 1981 RG500, so the
The square-section alloy tube frame.
56 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
factory went all-out for the 1982 season.
It was determined to make amends for
Roberts’ disappointing third place in
the points table behind Suzuki riders
Randy Mamola and season champion
Marco Lucchinelli.
Suzuki was defending its title with
Franco Uncini, who had taken over from
Lucchinelli, who was now riding for
Honda. Yamaha’s Roberts and team-
mate Sheene (who had finished fourth
and two points behind Roberts) were
now on an uprated version of the 0W54,
called the 0W60. This was some 13
pounds lighter than the 0W54, which
had matched the RG500 in performance
but had a weak frame that had been
continually modified by teams through-
out the season.
A completely new and much stronger
chassis for 1982 saw the square-section
alloy tubing reinforced with welded-
in bottom frame rails and swingarm.
A network of struts and plates added
strength to the steering head area. The
most noticeable feature was the use
of Yamaha’s “mono-cross” suspension,
which dated back to its revolutionary
motocross racers of the early 1970s.
The rear suspension unit was laid along
the length of the main frame’s top rails
operated via a bell crank arrangement
with adjustment by threaded rods.
The engine, which still had its cylin-
ders inclined at 45 degrees, ran through
four separate crankshafts that counter-
rotated in opposed pairs. YPVS power
valves gave a broader spread of power
 The 499cc 2-stroke V4
engine is fed by four
separate carburetors, two
mounted on each side.

while teflon-coated steel rotary discs

and housings were aimed at improv-
ing reliability. Power output had been
increased. Now 156 horsepower arrived
at 10,600rpm while a wet weight of less
than 290 pounds ensured a top speed of
more than 180mph
Yamaha supplied eight of the 0W60
for the 1982 season. Two each went
to Roberts, Sheene, Graeme Crosby
(who had moved over from Suzuki)
and Frenchman Marc Fontan (Sonauto
Yamaha). Katayama. Kawasaki soldiered on in However, Yamaha had what it consid-
Facing Yamaha were around 20 its final season of 500cc racing with its ered an ace up its sleeve. This was the
Suzuki RG500s. Honda, which had failed KR500, changing from a monocoque to world’s first 2-stroke V4. Untried and
in its previous brave attempts with a an aluminum “spine” frame, but still a unproven apart from the normal factory
4-stroke GP racer, had built a radical monocoque design. test riding regime, it was waiting in the
V-three-cylinder 2-stroke for 1982. It wings.
also had enlisted another American Ready to go Roberts’ 0W60 failed in the pre-sea-
hotshot, youngster Freddie Spencer, to All in all, 1982 was shaping up to be a son Daytona 200 race, which Crosby
join Lucchinelli and veteran Takazumi memorable season. won on a YZR750 0W31. Yamaha then
 Another view of the square-section alloy tube frame from above (right). The monoshock rear suspension is also visible.
started the 500cc world championship
in the best possible way, with Roberts
setting pole and winning the race in
Argentina while fellow 0W60 riders
Sheene finished second and Fontan
seventh. It seemed to be an omen that
Yamaha had finally gotten its rotary-
valve square-four sorted. Inexplicably,
Roberts was then pulled off the 0W60
and put on the V4 0W61.
Adding to the completely new experi-
ence was the fact that Roberts’ usual tire
supplier Goodyear had quit motorcycle
racing and he was running Dunlops for
the first time.
Nevertheless Roberts dug deep to
finish third at the next round in Austria
behind Sheene but ahead of Crosby.
He actually won the Spanish round in
a classic duel with Sheene, who was
still on the square four, but podiums
became harder and harder to achieve
as the season wore on. This became a
double whammy as the more develop-
ment Yamaha poured into the V4, the
more it ignored the square four 0W60.
Meanwhile Suzuki’s Uncini quietly
went about collecting wins, podiums
58 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
and championship points to win the
title with three rounds to spare. Crosby
proved the continued worth of the
square-four 0W60: No wins but a series
of consistent podiums had him finish-
ing second overall.
In a portent of the future, Spencer
nabbed third overall and along the
way gave Honda its first 500cc win
since 1967. Honda’s new star had
adapted quickly to the NS500. Sadly,
despite his best efforts Roberts finished
another frustrating season fourth, but
more importantly for Yamaha techni-
cal pride, ahead of teammate Sheene.
The Cockney hero, world GP’s first
mainstream superstar, then publicly
complained about not having had the
chance to race the V4 all season.
Both Crosby and Sheene had raced
the 0W61 late in the season. Crosby
rode it twice but preferred the 0W60
while Sheene’s first outing on the V4
came at the ill-fated British round at
Silverstone. During free practice he rode
into the unsighted wreckage of an ear-
lier crash at 160mph and was lucky to
survive extensive injuries.
It had been an emotional season for
all the Yamaha riders perhaps summed
up by a disillusioned Crosby quitting
GP racing while Sheene was never the
same championship contender after
Silverstone. Even Roberts was hinting
at impending retirement.
King Kenny
In a long interview with U.K. journal-
ist Ted Macauley during the 1983 sea-
son, Roberts’ longtime mentor and crew
chief Kel Carruthers gave an insight in
the stress and strain of the previous
two years.
“Kenny was angry a lot in 1981 and
1982 because he was having to try
and compensate with guts and skill for
machines that were just not up to the
job,” he said. “The V4 was just wrong.
It was out a year too early but we were
stuck with it.
“The one before it, the square four,
was simply too heavy. Kenny fell off one
in Austria (0W54 in 1981) and it broke in
half. I spent all my time doing modifica-
tions. I was up to my knees in shavings
in the tent working on Barry Sheene’s
Just the essential gauges, water temperature and tachometer (left). King Kenny’s name, hand-painted on the fairing (right).
and Kenny’s bikes.
“It was hard work. I used to machine
the cylinders, heads and regrind the
ports. I was nearly dizzy with all the
effort.”
This period of GP 500cc racing also
saw increased power putting a whole
new focus on the role of racing slicks.
“On top of it all, we had the added
problem of difficulties with the tires,”
Carruthers told Macauley. “That sud-
denly jumped into being a whole new
technology on its own. And by the time
you had fiddled around with them,
changing them, trying to work out what
compound to use, there was less time
to spend on the engine or suspension.”
The 1980s, where technicians had
free rein over a complete factory GP
motorcycle and all its workings, meant a
vortex of changes between practice and
qualifying sessions. There was always
a risk of something potentially deadly
being overlooked, such as brake pads
incorrectly fitted or a gearbox with false
neutrals. Pre-race stress was a strange
form of adrenalin that affected everyone
in pit lane. Some rose above it all. Some
didn’t.
“It’s a tremendous testimony to
Kenny’s total professionalism that
he did as well as he did (in 1981-
82) considering the overwhelming dif-
ficulties he was facing,” Carruthers told
Macauley. “But then nobody could ever
question his dedication.”
The 1982 season ended with more
questions asked than could be
answered. What if Yamaha had stuck
with the 0W60 for another year? How
much longer would Roberts want to
race? Could he beat Spencer in 1983?
The answers lie in another story, but
one hint of how things unfolded is the
fact that from 1983 until 1994 the only
non-American to win the 500cc title
was Australian Wayne Gardner in 1987.
In those 10 seasons, Yamaha won the
championship six times. And Roberts
won both the 1983 and 1984 Daytona
200 on a bored and stroked 695cc ver-
sion of the 0W60, called the 0W69.
If only Yamaha had stuck with this
configuration for its 500cc world cham-
pionship attempt in 1982 another chap-
ter could have been written in its rich
history. MC
BUILT LIKE
A GUN? 1947 FN X111
350 road test
Story by Alan Cathcart
Photos by Kel Edge

S Several motorcycle companies around the world

started out as manufacturers of guns and other
armaments before going on to arguably better and
certainly safer things.
Alongside BSA, Royal Enfield, CZ, Husqvarna and Benelli,
the one which started it all was FN. The Belgian national ord-
nance factory established in 1889 at Herstal, just outside
Liège, made arms and ammunition, and from 1901 to
1967 also built motorcycles. FN — standing for
Fabrique Nationale (d’Armes de Guerre) —
manufactured the world’s first production
4-cylinder motorcycle. FN was also noted
for the use of shaft final drive on the major-
ity of its models built from 1903 to 1923
(rather than the cheaper and less effective belts), and
achieved some success in Grand Prix road racing and
especially Motocross with a range of often idiosyn-
cratically developed machines. Today it still produces
a wide range of well-respected armaments — but
nothing anymore with wheels and an engine.

FN history
FN began motorcycle manufacture in the early
1900s, and this flourished in the balmy days of
the pre-World War I era, then again in the pacifist
Twenties, before taking a back seat in favor of arma-
ment manufacture as the war clouds gathered in
the 1930s. The 1940s and 1950s were a rerun of the
1920s, but like so many other makes, FN’s range of
bikes was ultimately unable to compete against the
Japanese onslaught in the 1960s, and died a lingering
death, culminating in burial of the corpse in 1967.
In 1899, FN had begun building shaft- and chain-driv-
en bicycles as a sideline, and in 1900 experimented with
a clip-on 4-stroke engine to produce its first powered two-
wheeler. In December 1901, the first 133cc single-cylinder
FN motorcycle appeared, followed in 1903 by a 188cc model
with shaft final drive. After the success of these debut singles,
FN took a giant step forward late in 1904 with the introduction
of what was undoubtedly for its time the most avant-garde and
sophisticated motorcycle yet built anywhere. This was the world’s
first 4-cylinder two-wheeler to be manufactured for sale, with an

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 61
 air-cooled inline 362cc engine placed lengthways in the frame. It
was designed by FN engineer Paul Kelecom, featuring automatic
inlet and mechanically controlled exhaust valves, again with shaft
drive but only a single speed. However, in 1907 his 244cc FN sin-
gle appeared with an optional 2-speed belt drive transmission,
the first bike to offer such a multiple-ratio system by means of a
variable-length engine pulley not dissimilar to the Zenith Gradua
system being developed concurrently in the U.K. But by 1908,
the FN four had a 2-speed transmission with a foot-operated
single-plate clutch and shaft final drive, while in 1910 Kelecom
redesigned the 4-cylinder engine, which
he enlarged to 498cc.
The FN fours were now being exported
all over the world, especially to the U.S.
from 1908 onwards. There, they pro-
vided the direct inspiration for the first
American Four built by Pierce, which
entered production in 1909, followed
soon after by the Henderson Four. The
FN four’s bicycle pedals featured hitherto
for ease of starting, and to provide assis-
tance in climbing hills, were replaced
with footrests from 1913 on. For 1914 the
748cc FN Type 700 Four was introduced,
with the gearbox and clutch now at the
rear of the engine. The onset of war later
that year saw the Herstal factory swiftly
taken over by German troops, as it was
just 25 miles from the border. Although
motorcycle production did continue, it
was only for its occupiers.
After the war
It took time for FN’s factories to recom-
mence volume manufacture post-World
War I, especially with the disappearance
of many of its suppliers in the war-rav-
aged Ardennes region. From 1921 things
got underway again, with a 3-speed
transmission now adopted on the new
Type 700T Four with its 570cc engine.
62 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
This was arguably the most luxurious series production motor-
cycle yet built in Europe, which continued in production until
1926, when the last shaft-drive 4-cylinder model was delivered.
For in spite of FN’s well-earned reputation for solid workmanship
and quality of engineering, postwar Europe demanded lighter,
easier-handling and more affordable machines. FN responded
with a new range of singles debuting in 1922 with the Type 285TT,
featuring overhead valves and — principally on grounds of cost
— chain final drive. This feature continued on all FN singles
— both sidevalve and OHV — ranging in capacity from 348cc
and 498cc to 596cc from 1924 onwards,
when a unit construction format was also
adopted across the range.
FN survived the Depression for
the simple reason that it was a state-
financed company producing the means
with which Belgium could attempt
to defend itself against its increasing
militant German neighbor. Motorcycle
production continued alongside arma-
ments, albeit in diminished form and
with an accent on affordability. In 1931
a 198cc Villiers-powered 2-stroke FN
model appeared, followed by a range of
500/600cc sidevalve singles, and then in
1938, the M.12 992cc air-cooled sidevalve
flat-twin — all of them with an eye on
military use. Then in 1939 World War II
intervened, and FN motorcycle produc-
tion shut down for the duration.
Until the 1930s competition had
not figured prominently on the FN
firm’s horizon, and its only major rac-
ing involvement had been through its
British importers, for whom R.O. Clark
had ridden a 5-horsepower FN 4-cylinder
machine to a gallant third place in the
multi-cylinder class of the second ever
Isle of Man TT race in 1908. Undoubtedly,
the Belgian machine’s sprung front fork
and smooth, though not particularly
powerful, engine would have been of considerable advantage erally across the road from them in Herstal. In 1937 a Marchant-
over the appalling road surface of the St. Johns circuit, which was designed supercharged 498cc parallel-twin OHC 6-valve (twin
then little more than a cart track in many places. Clark returned inlets, but a single exhaust) racer appeared with a 5-speed gear-
the following year but did not finish, though he also campaigned box, which was ridden in the 1938 European 500cc Championship
his FN four with success in the London-Edinburgh long distance by Ginger Wood. But road racing success continued to elude the
trial, and on the track at Brooklands. factory, so this bike was put away and FN — by now preoccupied
with the gathering clouds of war — withdrew from competition.
Factory racing Post-World War II Belgium became the cradle of Motocross
The FN factory’s entrance to competitive sport was heralded as we know it today (“scrambles” as it was, in the U.K.), and
in 1927 by a most daring and suc- FN developed a range of offroad
cessful stunt, when a team of three 4-stroke thumpers ideally suited to
riders on 350cc machines succeed- this branch of the sport. A works
ed in crossing the Sahara Desert team was formed and compet-
from north to south. The favor- ed with copious success all over
able publicity this generated led Western Europe in the early 1950s,
to the formation of a factory team with FN rider Victor Leloup win-
for road racing, as the firm’s direc- ning the inaugural 1952 European
tors strove to combat the effects 500cc Motocross Championship.
of the Depression with publicity The following year Auguste Mingels
gained from their competition suc- swapped his Saroléa for an FN to
cesses. In 1930 the British designer win the title, retaining his crown in
Dougal Marchant was recruited the following year’s eight-race series
from Motosacoche in Switzerland, ahead of Britain’s future star, Jeff
for whom his designs had won two Smith (BSA). In 1957 the series got
European Championships in the World championship status, with
hands of British rider Wal Handley. nine races held all over Western
Marchant produced a brace of com- Europe, and in 1958 FN-mounted
pact, unit-construction, 4-speed René Baeten took the World title
overhead-cam singles in 350cc and for Belgium. Sadly, he was killed
500cc capacities, which immediately towards the end of the 1960 season,
made their mark by setting no less after which FN retired from compe-
than 33 new World speed records tition in the face of declining street
for FN at Arpajon and Montlhéry bike sales.
later that year.
But in spite of contracting top Moving on
riders of the day, only a little success After the war, FN had initially
was obtained internationally. But focused on motorcycle production
in local Belgian events the works at the expense of armaments, in an
FNs frequently swept the board, attempt to provide a means of per-
troubled only by their close rivals sonal transportation in the war-rav-
from the Saroléa factory almost lit- A period FN poster featuring the X111 350. aged country. Manufacture restarted

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 63
A single Amal carb feeds the 344cc air-cooled sidevalve single (left). A small tire pump clips to the front of the frame (above).

with a line of 2-strokes ranging from 49cc singles to 248cc twins,road bikes seen at Classic events across Europe shows that
supplemented by the XIII sidevalve and OHV range designed by they were soundly constructed and built to last — just like a
FN engineer Henri Van Hout in 249cc, 344cc, 444cc and 498cc gun, indeed! But they’re a comparatively rare sighting in the
capacities, which debuted in 1947. These were originally avail- U.K., which makes the two bikes on display at the Sammy Miller
able using Nieman rubber-band rear suspension, and an unusual Museum (sammymiller.co.uk) on Britain’s South Coast all the
patented Swiss-designed coil-sprung trailing-link girder fork. In more worthy of inspection. One of these is an early Four, but the
1951 a telescopic fork option was introduced, with a more conven- other is one of the decidedly curious-looking postwar XIII range,
tional twin-shock swinging-arm frame following in 1954. In 1955, a sidevalve 350 which was FN’s best-selling postwar model, with
FN introduced a line of outsourced mopeds, built at the nearby 3,509 examples built between its debut in June 1947, and the
Royal Nord factory and powered end of production in 1958, along-
by German JLO engines, while side another 1,183 units bearing
sourcing 100cc and 200cc 2-stroke a more expensive (but higher per-
engines for its Type-S range from formance) overhead-valve engine
Saroléa. In 1959 FN mopeds entire- in the same cycle parts. The 1947
ly made in-house appeared, the bike in the Museum carries FN’s
Utilitaire, Luxe, Fabrina, Princess design of trailing-link front sus-
and a sport model, the so-called pension, which was also employed
Rocket. on Leloup’s and Mingels’ champi-
But in 1965 the XIII range ceased onship-winning FN motocrossers,
production, as FN Motos became so it was evidently successful in
another of Europe’s many casu- offering greater wheel travel and
alties of the Japanese onslaught, improved damping compared to a
unable (or unwilling — they prewar girder fork.
exported very little in their post- This barn-find bike was pur-
war production period) to change chased by Sammy Miller in
to meet the new demands of the February 2001 in shabby but com-
marketplace. In May 1967 the last plete condition, even down to the
FN moped left the factory. FN perished rubber belts compris-
then focused exclusively on mak- ing the rear suspension on this
ing guns and ammo, as it does swingarm model. But after a typi-
today as part of the Herstal Group cally comprehensive restoration
owned by the regional government by him and his right-hand man
of Wallonia (the French-speaking Bob Stanley, the Miller Museum’s
province of southern Belgium), mechanical magician, the FN went
together with its wholly owned on display later that year, and con-
American subsidiaries manufactur- tinues to attract the attention of
ing Winchester rifles and Browning visitors thanks to its frankly weird-
pistols. FN Herstal is currently the looking trailing-link front end.
largest exporter of military small This consists of two forward-
arms in Europe. pointing tubular steel triangles
attached top and bottom to each
On the road other via horizontal struts, which
The considerable number of FN Another view of the unusual leading-link front fork. are joined together vertically via

64 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

The wild leading-link fork (left). Bob Stanley shows us where the rubber belts in the rear suspension once went.

a third strut which pivots in the steering head to turn the wheel ver. Bottom gear is good for no more than 20kmh (12mph) on the
from left to right. Suspension is provided by a pair of rods operat- Smiths reverse-sweep speedometer, so it’s just used to get you
ing the coil springs mounted either side of the assembly via a link- off the mark, but then it runs out of breath at just over 40kmh
age, in extension. This delivers quite substantial wheel travel for (25mph) in second. The FN’s sidevalve engine starts to gather its
the era, especially compared to a more conventional girder fork. legs up in third gear, before you feel the power levelling off again
However, rather than employ bearings, the pivot points are all at around 65kmh (40mph) when it is time to hit top gear. Roughly
made of steel, ground down and then electrolytically coated with 80kmh (50mph) is its maximum comfortable cruising speed, but
copper. This is intended to deliver a more rigid structure, with the that’s quite ample for this child of its times, when even Belgium’s
copper coating acting as an anti-friction lining, which in theory long, fast Routes Nationales were pock-marked by the ravages of
ensures a longer life. It should be war. But you must at all times be
noted that these pivot links are aware of the FN’s quite pathetic
only guides, keeping the wheel in braking, even by the standards of
alignment — but a key issue is one the time. The tiny 5.5-inch front
of cleanliness, making it important and 7.1-inch rear single-leading-
to keep the links free of mud and shoe drum brakes have very little
dirt which might score the copper effect in reducing momentum on a
coating, and stiffen up the action bike scaling 297 pounds dry, so you
of the links. Presumably this was must be ready to use that sweet-
especially difficult in dirt bike use, shifting gearbox to access heaps of
when the works FN team must engine braking in slowing from any
have had to constantly replace the kind of speed.
different elements in the front sus- Those pock marks induced by
pension, so as to keep the copper- the products of FN’s sister fac-
coated faces clean and functioning tory and other similar munitions
properly. manufacturers on both sides of
The XIII FN’s humble 344cc side- the conflict, would have been the
valve engine measuring 74mm x motive behind the development
80mm produces just 14 horsepower of the FN single’s trailing-link front
at 4,000rpm at the rear wheel, and end. I went looking for road rash
can be easily coaxed into life with on my afternoon ride on the XIII
your right leg thanks to the low 6:1 350 through the sunny Hampshire
compression ratio needed to run countryside around the Miller
on the rubbish fuel available in the Museum, but didn’t really succeed
immediate postwar era. Its 4-speed in finding a proper pothole to test
gearbox works well via the light it on. But there were enough mini-
clutch and 1-down/3-up right-foot ridges in the tarmac to show that
gearchange — it’s very smooth and the FN’s front end design worked
easy to shift gear. Which you have pretty well by the standards of 1947
to do quite frequently if you come in absorbing road shock, but with a
to any kind of gradient, because corresponding sense of instability,
with just 14 horsepower available especially at low speeds. There,
at the rear wheel at 4,000 rpm, this the steering felt very strange — it
is a mini-slugger rather than a rev- The Belgian sprung saddle provides a bit of cushion. seemed to have a pendulum effect,

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 65
perhaps thanks to the plentiful high-up weight. So entering a turn
the handlebar would flap lazily from side to side in my hands,
and there was the constant sense that the steering would col-
lapse on you, folding the front wheel as you leaned into the apex.
By remaining attentive and ensuring this didn’t happen I began
to get used to it, but I can’t say it felt very confidence inspiring,
and I can’t imagine how Auguste Mingels won two European MX
titles on a bike using this device. I suppose his portly physique
which earned him the affectionate nickname of Le Gros would
have helped him tame the instability, while allowing him to take
advantage of the extra wheel travel the system delivered.
Sammy Miller describes the purported advantages of this
system very succinctly. “Imagine the bike is a wheelbarrow,” he
says. “With the FN’s trailing link front end, it’s the same as pull-
ing the wheelbarrow’s single wheel up and over a kerb behind
you, whereas if you try to
push it forward over the
kerb in front of you, the
wheel just jams, and
won’t move forward. It’s
been well thought out — but the question is, do the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages?”
I’d been looking forward to sampling the FN’s rubber-band rear
suspension, but sadly the pair of them fitted to the X111 from new
had perished badly by the time Sammy acquired the bike, and
it’s been impossible to find replacements, So to make the bike
rideable Bob Stanley had welded up the rear end to turn it into
a rigid-framed bike. But at least the original Belgian saddle fitted
was nice and springy, and was surely better than having the spe-
cial Neiman natural rubber bands collapse beneath you at speed!
Today, FN’s motorcycle production is best remembered for the
firm’s innovative and sophisticated early fours, and for its postwar
thumper dirt bikes. FN always regarded motorcycle manufacture
as a sideline — unlike BSA for example, or even Royal Enfield
— so the shutdown of their bike production in 1967 was a storm
the company easily rode out. But during its 66 years of motor-
cycle production, the Belgian company wasn’t afraid to think
outside the box — and the post-World War II sidevalve single in
the Sammy Miller Museum is a fine example of that alternative
thought. MC

The Sammy Miller Museum

The Sammy Miller Museum (sammymiller.co.uk) in New Milton, Hampshire, U.K., is
crammed full of interesting machines — including factory prototypes and numerous inge-
nious designs from all over the world. It also counts as one of the world’s largest collections
of exotic racing bikes, all of them in running order and including the legendary Moto Guzzi
500 V8, the supercharged AJS 500 V4 and post-war Porcupine, and innumerable famous
bikes from Triumph, Norton, AJS, Velocette and many more. There are also offroad enduro,
motocross and trials icons. The museum is open to visitors daily from 10 a.m. year-round.

66 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 Whether you’re a lifelong motorcycle
enthusiast, a collector or a first-time rider
with a taste for the greatest motorcycles ever
made, this is exactly where you belong.

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE:
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www.MotorcycleClassics.com/special
 STEVE’S
STUNNING
SECA
1982 Yamaha XJ550 Seca
Story and photos by Joe Berk

Y Yamaha had the café racer set in mind when it

designed the new-for-1981 Yamaha XJ550 Seca.
Steve Seidner, a motorcycle industry trendsetter and classic
bike collector who has appeared on these pages before (The
Magnificent Mustangs, Motorcycle Classics, January/February 2013),
designs, manufactures, imports and sells motorcycles for a liv-
ing, and he occasionally encounters interesting vintage bikes
for sale. One such motorcycle is the brilliant red 1982 Yamaha
Seca featured here. With only 1,776 miles on the odometer, as
Steve tells it he couldn’t get his wallet out fast enough when
this opportunity appeared.
Yamaha introduced the XJ550 Seca in 1981, with technology,
performance and aesthetics that went way beyond the bike’s
$2,529 sticker price. Before diving into the specifics of Steve’s
Seca, it might be useful to understand the U.S. motorcycle
market’s evolution in the years leading up to the 1980s.
Business schools focus on the beer, aviation and auto-
motive industries, but the great motorcycle marketing
wars of the last century are far more interesting.

Way back
In the early 1900s there were more than 100
motorcycle manufacturers in the United States.
To make a long story a little less long, the
Depression and the marketplace shook things
out, and going into World War II only two were
left: Harley-Davidson and Indian. When the War
Department told both to devote their full pro-
duction to the war effort, Indian did as the Army
directed and Harley told the War Department
to pound sand. When the war ended, Harley
picked up where they left off in the civilian
marketplace and Indian went bankrupt a few
years later. Tastes had evolved, too. Returning
U.S. servicemen wanted lighter, better performing
motorcycles and the British invasion began. Not
the Beatles (they would come later), but marques
like Triumph, BSA, Norton and Royal Enfield.
Across the Pacific, Japan needed cheap transporta-
tion. A guy named Soichiro Honda had an idea, and
you know the rest. Honda brought small bikes to the U.S.

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 69
in the early 1960s, and we met a lot of
the nicest people riding them. Three
more Japanese companies (Kawasaki,
Suzuki and Yamaha) piled on to form
what would become the Big Four and
the race (both literally and figurative-
ly) was on. At first, it was all small
bikes. Harley and the Brits (that almost
sounds like a rock band) dismissed
the Asian imports, a classic marketing
blunder if ever there was one. Then,
in 1969, Honda unleashed the nuclear
option (the 750 Four) and the world
hasn’t been the same since. The Honda
750 was a technology tour de force: A
hydraulic disc brake, four cylinders, four
carburetors, an overhead cam, electric
starting, five speeds, a performance
paradigm shift, and a sound more Offenhauser than John Deere.
It was the beginning of the end for the British motorcycle indus-
try as we knew it, and nearly the end of Harley-Davidson.
The path to market was changing, too. Before Honda,
motorcycle dealerships were dingy, greasy outlets staffed by
the kind of people Mom advised avoiding. The Big Four broke
that mold. Hondas were sold by folks
in clean, tidy and friendly stores. The
other Japanese importers tried different
approaches, including selling through
bicycle shops. One of those was Bert’s
in Azusa, California, a tiny bicycle and
toy store owned by a visionary guy
named Ed Seidner (we’ll come back to
that in a bit).
Big business
The Big Four dealers thrived, with
many evolving into megastores fea-
turing all four Japanese brands (and
more) under one roof. In those years, a
young Steve Seidner worked for his dad,
Ed Seidner, at Bert’s, moving through
service, sales, parts and accessories,
and on into general management. Brother Ron took the helm
at Bert’s and it became one of the world’s largest motorcycle
dealers, while Steve moved on to open successful businesses
in custom VW parts, custom vans, big V-twin customs (the Pro-
One line), motorcycle accessories, and finally, CSC Motorcycles,
the North American importer of Zongshen motorcycles.
 As Steve Seidner grew a business empire, the Japanese Midsized marvel
became masters of motorcycle engineering, manufacturing and Like other Big Four folks, Yamaha sensed an unmet need in
marketing, defining and developing market niches at a dizzying the midsized 4-cylinder niche, and in 1980 they introduced a
pace. Harley screamed for protection as Milwaukee quality and shaft-drive 650 cruiser. It was an immediate success. In a rapid
pricing went in opposite directions. Ronald Reagan responded display of engineering and manufacturing excellence, Yamaha
with tariffs on Japanese imports over 750cc; the Japanese introduced cruisers and standards in parallel-twin, 3-cylinder,
flexed their manufacturing muscle and instantly responded 4-cylinder and V-twin models, and even larger standards and
with 700cc tariff busters. It was a rich tapestry, our market was. touring models, all while continuing to offer dirt bikes in both
The industry and the market have continued to
evolve, but never at the pace of that era, and
going beyond the early 1980s would take us past
the topic of this story, Steve’s 1982 Yamaha XJ550
Seca.
Yamaha’s first motorcycles in the U.S. were
2-strokes ranging from 50cc to a beautiful 305cc
road bike. When Yamaha made their initial
4-stroke play in 1970, they entered the market
with what would become a long-lived 650cc
parallel twin (the beautifully named and Brit-like
XS-1). Yamaha read the tea leaves well; the future
in 2-stroke road burners was dim (although the
tuning fork folks continued with 2-stroke singles
and twins until emissions regulations dictated
otherwise). With a second delightful nod to
British inspiration, Yamaha introduced a big
thumper, their 1976 TT 500. Yamaha knew they
would need something with more than just one
or two vertical cylinders to run with the big dogs,
though, and that led to the XS Eleven in 1978. It
was the horsepower king back then, with shaft
drive and an engine so smooth you could stand a
nickel on it at idle. Across the board, the Japanese
motorcycle industry continued to offer stunning
advances, with styling, engineering, marketing
and manufacturing excellence that would be
impressive in any industry. Steve Seidner and his original, low-mileage 1982 Yamaha XJ550 Seca.

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 71
 Clocking in at 528cc, the inline 4-cylinder makes 50 horsepower at 10,000rpm. The single front disc provides adequate braking.

2-stroke and 4-stroke flavors. It was a dizzying display of tal- roost in the 1960s, and the Seca’s numbers rivaled 750cc and
ent, the likes of which have been seen in few other industries. 900cc Japanese bikes of the prior decade.
In 1981, one of these motorcycles was the XJ550 Seca, a
motorcycle with a decidedly café-racer, sport bike flair. Named On the road
for the Laguna Seca racetrack in northern California (laguna I rode Steve’s Seca in Southern California on the magnificent
seca means dry lake bed in Spanish), the bike, to borrow a roads of the San Gabriel Mountains on a beautiful, sunny day, and
phrase, looks fast standing still. With a gorgeous quarter fair- it was a trip through time for me. Having come of age in that era,
ing, a snappy taillight cowl and brilliant colors (white with the motorcycle felt about as I remembered bikes from the 1980s.
red accents or red with silver accents), the bike commands Handling was good, but not great, and certainly not as planted as
attention. Steve’s bike is a bright today’s motorcycles. Part of that was
red that has to be seen in person 40-year-old frame and suspension
(trust me on this, the photos don’t technology (conventional steel tub-
do it justice). ing, nonadjustable front forks, twin
Compared to their 650 4-cylin- rear shocks adjustable for preload
der model introduced only one only, and a 424-pound curb weight),
year earlier, Yamaha’s 550 was and part of it was the bike’s old-
lighter and incorporated numer- school shoes (3 x 19-inch front and
ous improvements. The new Seca 110/90 x 18-inch rear tires). The bike
550 had a 6-speed transmission, didn’t feel heavy in the corners, but
hydraulically tensioned Hy-Vo it didn’t track like a modern motor-
chain primary drive, a jackshaft cycle, either. Brakes (single hydraulic
that provided power to both the disc front and a drum rear) were
alternator and the clutch, and a good for the day, but only adequate
lighter and better-performing chain compared to modern motorcycles.
final drive. There were many new- The controls were easy to operate
in-the-1980s touches: self-cancel- and familiar. Clutch action was light,
ling turn signals, a sidestand shifting was smooth, carburetion
interlock, an adjustable-reach was spot on, and the gears felt per-
front brake lever, and an oil level fectly spaced for my brisk mountain
(rather than pressure) warning ride. Ergonomics (seating, reach to
light. The new 550 engine had the the bars, and peg position) were
Yamaha Induction Control System perfect, as were the instruments (a
designed to increase combustion dual pod analog tachometer and
chamber swirl for increased power. speedometer with big, easy-to-read
Notwithstanding the Seca’s flair numbers). In preparation for my
for displacement hyperbole (the ride, Steve had his CSC motorcycle
engine’s 57mm bore and 51.8mm maestros make sure everything was
stroke actually produced 528cc), adjusted, aligned and synched, and
the YICS concept worked and the motorcycle (with its 1,776 miles)
the Seca was a runner. The little literally felt like a new motorcycle.
550 produced over 50 rear-wheel The Seca was comfortable and it felt
horsepower, and that was good profoundly right. Riding the Seca
for quarter-mile times in the high through the twisties on a sunny
12s and a top speed of 110 miles Southern California morning was
per hour. That kind of motorcycle everything a motorcycle ride is sup-
performance was unheard of when posed to be. All was well with the
Harley and the Brits ruled the world that morning.

72 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

The way-cool bikini fairing incorporates horns on each side of the headlight. The original owner’s manual lives under the seat.
The condition of Steve’s Seca can only be described as stun-
ning, and the styling and colors work for me. In giving the bike a
closer examination while I was photographing it, I unlatched the
hinged rear seat and was more than a little surprised to find the
original owner’s manual and toolkit tucked underneath. It just
doesn’t get any more original than this. I asked Steve to trace
where the bike was originally sold, hoping that the original dealer
might have been Bert’s back in 1982 (it’s possible, as Bert’s is
a huge dealership). That would have completed an interesting
Seidner circle, but it was not to be. This peach of a motorcycle
first sold in Georgia.
The XJ550 Seca retailed for $2,529 when first introduced in
1981; adjusted for inflation that becomes $7,530 today. A quick
online check shows that used ’82 XJ550 Secas go for asking prices
of $1,800 to $3,500, but it’s not likely you’d find one like Steve’s
with only 1,776 miles on the clock. I asked several times, but
Steve is keeping the Seca in his personal collection. It’s not for
sale. But if it were ... MC
 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS
HOW-TO

A 1969 Honda CL450, up on the bench and ready for service. The clutch slips, so it is time for new friction plates.

Replacing the clutch friction discs on a CL450

F
or this How-To we’re going to replace the clutch friction discs
in a 1969 Honda CL450, but this procedure would work
for CB450s too, and is similar on the 350s. We undertook
this project because the motorcycle had been stored so long
that the petcock leaked gasoline into the sump, and after fixing
that problem the clutch slips. You will
need clutch plates and possibly clutch SPONSORED BY
springs, though those are rarely bad.
A new gasket for the right side case
would be useful, and a new seal for
the kickstart shaft, if needed. If the oil
sump plug O-ring is flat you’ll need to
replace it too. Dime City Cycles will have some or all of these
parts. You’ll need oil of the correct weight and amount also, in
this case 1.8 liters of 10w40. A good set of metric sockets and
wrenches, particularly 10, 12, 14, 17 and 19mm sizes. Start by
draining the oil through the sump plug on the bottom of the
engine. You’ll need a 19mm wrench,
preferably a socket. Most of the sump
plugs have been mangled over the years
from people using SAE or adjustable
wrenches in the place of metric. They
also suffer from overtightening.
— Keith Fellenstein

Using needle-nose pliers, remove the
1 spring that actuates the rear brake light
switch. This spring looks suspiciously like
something found in the previous owner’s
junk drawer, but it works.
Slacken off the brake adjuster nut at
2 the rear wheel. A deep 14mm socket
works to get it started, but you should
be able to remove it by hand once the
spring tension is reduced.
Remove the right footpeg. One bolt
3 is the lower motor mount stud and
the other is a through bolt. You’ll need a
14mm wrench and a 17mm wrench for
this step.

74 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 MOTORCYCLE
Prop the brake lever down against
4 its spring using a suitable flat piece.
We used a wood scrap, but a metal piece
would work too. You’ll need it out of the
way to easily remove the right engine
cover.
With a rubber mallet, tap around
7 the case until the gasket breaks free
and remove the right-side engine cover.
You will have a small oil spill even
though you already drained the sump,
so be prepared. If you’re lucky, you can
reuse the case gasket, but best practice
is to use a new one.
We used a scrap of nylon as
10 a backing plate to apply even
pressure to the seal, then pressed it
in place with the palm of my hand. I
tapped it home the final millimeter or so
with an appropriately sized socket and
rubber mallet.
CLASSICS
HOW-TO
Remove the 12mm bolt holding
5 the kickstarter and carefully lever off
the kickstarter. The seal was worn out Remove the screws holding the right
and will be replaced. It’s a 17 x 20 x 7
available from many sources, including
6 case cover. There are two different
lengths of screw, the longer ones are for
Dime City. the two case holes with hollow dowels.
Clean out the seal cavity with
With the cover removed you can pry
9 brake cleaner and a rag to remove
any oil that has leaked in. Put the new
8 out the old kickstart seal; ours was so
brittle it came out in two pieces.
seal squarely in place in the opening of
the case.
11 Moving back to the clutch. Using
a 10mm socket (assuming you can
find one), back off the clutch spring
bolts. Do them evenly until you have Remove the springs, then pull the
released most of the spring pressure,
then remove them completely.
12 pressure plate off of the clutch
pack. See anything odd about the clutch?
www.MotorcycleClassics.com 75
 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS
HOW-TO

Pull the clutch pack, steel plates

13 and friction plates out as a unit.
Separate the friction plates and the steel
plates and inspect the steel plates for
bluing and warping. Replace any that
show either sign.
Here’s something unexpected,
14 a de-laminated friction plate.
Perhaps sitting in a bath of oil and
gasoline as this one did had bad effects.
Briefly dip the new friction plates
15 in oil. Soaking them for long isn’t
necessary, you’re just trying to get a
thin film on the surface.

Place the pressure plate over the

16 Start to reassemble the clutch

pack one plate at a time. We start
with the special metal plate that nests in
the bottom of the basket, followed by
alternating friction and plain plates until
we have a complete stack.
17 stack, making sure it completely
engages the stack. On this bike it would
be possible to install it incorrectly and Here’s the correct position, 90
never pressurize the clutch pack. This
first photo shows the pressure plate in
18 degrees rotated from the first
photo. Notice the pressure plate comes
the wrong position. in contact with the clutch pack.

Place the clutch springs in their places

19 and start the screws that bolt them in
place. Snug the 10mm bolts down. They’re
small bolts so don’t overtorque them. A
short handled 1/4-inch socket wrench will
remind you to take it easy.
20 Before replacing the right side
engine cover, wrap electrical
tape around the kickstarter shaft to
prevent the splines from nicking the new
kickstart shaft seal.
21 Push the engine case back
into position, making sure
the dowels are in place and seated.
Remove the tape protecting the
kickstart shaft seal.

76 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 MOTORCYCLE
22 Reinstall the screws that hold
the case in place, remembering
where the two longer screws go.
Reattach the footpeg, brake switch spring
and brake control rod.
Next, loosen the locknut at
25 the cable adjuster just outside
the left cover over the clutch release
mechanism. Turn the cable adjuster to
provide more slack in the cable again.
You have now taken all the
28 play out of the clutch pushrod.
Since we don’t really want any pressure
on the pushrod unless we are pulling in
the clutch, turn the adjuster back a small
distance counterclockwise and relock the
adjuster with the 10mm bolt.
78 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
CLASSICS
HOW-TO
With the cover back on, refill
23 the crankcase with the proper
weight and amount of oil.
With a 10mm wrench, unlock
26 the large slotted adjuster that
tensions the clutch pushrod.
Take most of the slack out of
29 the cable using the adjuster we
loosened in step 25. Tighten the 12mm
nut and lock that adjuster.
There are a few more steps to
24 complete the job, these are not
strictly necessary but are good practice
since you’re already working on the
clutch. First slacken the clutch cable at
the handlebar adjuster.
27 Using a suitable tool, screwdriver,
or as here, a washer that fits the
slot, turn the adjuster clockwise until you
feel it stop.
30 Final adjustment of slack is at
the handlebar control. Up to
1/4 inch of play is about right. Now
go out and ride, checking to make
sure the clutch releases and engages
as you want it to.
 BLACK SIDE
DOWN
(re) Learning the basics
n a sunny Saturday morning

O this February, I busied myself

getting the 1974 Laverda
750SF ready for the first Wheelsport
Vintage Motorcycle Club ride of the
new year. Championed by Tech Editor
Keith Fellenstein, the club meets on the
third Saturday of the month at Gaslight
Gardens, a bar housed in an impos-
sibly tiny, cottage-like structure at the
north end of the bridge over the Kansas
River to downtown Lawrence, Kansas.
Along with regular “club” members (it’s
an open question if we’re really a club;
there are no rules for membership and
we don’t do much besides our regular
meetup — but we do have T-shirts),
we’re regularly joined by members of
the local Moped Army, who buzz in on
little scoots that sound like chain saws
and are capable of some serious speed.
Well, for a moped.
The weather was perfect, and while
I typically ride the ’73 BMW R75/5 to
these gigs, I thought the SF could use
some exercise. Rolling it out in the Laverda aficionados will no doubt recognize the many incorrect parts on my
sun it looked fantastic, its red paint bitsa 1974 750SF, none of which stop it from being a hugely rewarding bike to
gleaming, what little good surviving ride — I just need to ride it more often.
chrome reflecting the bright sun. I spun
it over a few times to get the oil mov- fuel and ignition. And you know what the answer was literally a sniff away.
ing, opened the fuel taps, waited a few they say about fuel and ignition: Ninety In my defense, I’ll note that I’d been
breaths, turned the ignition on, pulled percent of all fuel problems are ignition congested and my olfactory senses were
the choke, and thumbed the starter — related, and 90 percent of all ignition not particularly acute, but once I caught
and it caught immediately. Awesome. problems are fuel related. The spark that unmistakable stench of bad gaso-
It’d been too long since I’d ridden the plugs weren’t fouled, but looked odd, line there was no question what was
SF, and I was stoked. That “too long” bit dirty, like there wasn’t complete com- wrong. The fix was simple. Drain the
would become important. bustion. I dropped the float bowls and tank and carb float bowls, refill with
Warming it up, it ran beautifully — checked the float, main and low-speed alcohol-free 91 octane fuel, and start
as long as the choke was half on. But jets; clean as a whistle. I pulled the fuel/ her up. It took a few moments before the
as soon as I parked the choke lever on air mixture screws and blew out the cir- SF cleared its throat, and with a little
its stop it sputtered and fagged, like cuits, then buttoned it up to see if it ran fine-tuning of the fuel/air screws it was
it wasn’t getting enough gas. Pull the any better. It didn’t. soon running as I remembered, settling
choke on at idle and it ran OK, if maybe The ignition is a new Sachse electron- into a solid idle and emitting a healthy
a bit fast. Roll the revs up and shut off ic setup, so I was hard-pressed to think bark when I snapped the throttle.
the choke and it fell on its face, sputter- there was an issue there, but I checked Frankly, it was an interesting exercise
ing and gasping. Crap. I really wanted just the same. And then I started think- and a reminder of how easy it is to head
to ride the SF. A few minutes tamper- ing; when was the last time I’d ridden down a path to nowhere. Although I
ing with the fuel/air mixture screws the SF? I realized it’d easily been 18 know better, when a bike starts running
didn’t return any positive results, and months. Really? That seemed impos- poorly I too often find myself looking for
if anything it seemed like it was getting sible, but checking the date stamps on the most complicated answer to what is
worse, so I rolled the SF back in the a few pics proved me right. Was it a sim- often a simple problem. It’s a reminder
garage and fired up the trusty /5, which ple case of bad gasoline? Taking a long, of something I know too well, but too
while slower to catch, ran perfectly once hard draw of the odor of the gas in the often forget: Start with the basics and
it did. tank, it was clear the fuel had gone sour. work from there. Ride safe.
A few days later I set myself to sorting I’d been running down the wrong path
out the SF, checking the usual suspects: trying to suss out the SF’s issue, when Richard Backus/Founding Editor

80 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

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“That’s when I discovered
it was actually a BSA lever.”
Oil-in-frame BSA
Q: A friend has an oil-in-frame 1970
BSA. Are there issues related to this
design? It hasn’t run in 20 years.
Jerry Gere/via email
A: The only mechanical issues I’ve
run into with oil-in-frame (OIF)
Triumphs or BSAs were caused by
careless sandblasting, leaving sand
in the frame oil tank. Having sat that
long, the oil left, if any, will be sludgy
at the bottom. Best practice would
be to first drain the oil, then remove
the four bolts holding the bottom
cover on the downtube. Thoroughly
clean the filter screen, looking for any
telltale metal parts, then reassemble
with new gaskets.
Fueling issues
Q: Keith, I enjoy your column very much.
I know you are a fan of British motor-
cycles, so here are a couple of questions for you.
I have a 1967 BSA Spitfire and a 1966 BSA
A65 Lightning Rocket. Both have around 8,000
miles on them. They always start first kick, every
time. Both have Boyer electronic ignitions. Both
are stock. They both run and accelerate fine when
cold. After they warm up, they both sputter and
hesitate on acceleration. They also have engine
“rattle,” as if low octane fuel. I use premium in
both of them. I don’t think the advance is stuck
or the engines have too much advance because
they start so easily. I remember reading articles
about British bikes that say they suffer from
carbonization and need periodic decarbonizing.
Could this be a possible cause of these issues? I
really don’t know the history of these bikes, but
they seem to have been well maintained and the
engines don’t appear to have ever been apart.
Please give me your thoughts on this. Thanks in
advance for the help.
John Botts/Ponca City, Oklahoma
A: I have a couple of old BSA posters
that explain decarbonization and
I have to say I’ve never seen a engine
that looked as bad as their examples.
Maybe unleaded gasoline with modern
detergents helps. The hesitation when
warm, coupled with ease of starting and
good cold running would lead me to
believe the idle and off idle mixture is
82 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
KEITH’S
GARAGE
Ready to take your classic queries: Tech Editor vainly to force the headers and muf-
Keith Fellenstein.
a little rich. Let it idle a minute when
warm, shut off and check the plugs. Are
they black and sooty? Try leaning out the
idle mixture by a quarter turn and see
if there is any improvement in off idle
response. Regarding the “rattle,” does it
occur when accelerating from low rpms
in the higher gears? Pinging is usually
heard when “lugging” an engine up to
higher rpms under a heavy load. You
Q:
could mark the current timing setting
and retard it a few degrees to see if that
eliminates the rattle. If the rattle is most
noticeable when the engine is cold and
disappears when warmed up, it could be
piston slap.
Kickstarter scars
Q: Hi, Keith, I really enjoy your column.
It’s the first thing I read in the magazine.
I have a question regarding the kickstart levers
on Triumphs, both 1960s and 1970s models. I
have owned many Triumphs (a total of eight over
the years) and have found all of them to have
the same problem. The kickstart lever contacts
the muffler when kicking through the starting
A:
motion. I have tried repositioning the muffler, the
exhaust header pipe, and moving the kick lever
as far out as the shaft would allow. ln most all
of the older Triumphs that I have seen they have
a scar on the right muffler where the lever has
contacted it. I recently purchased a 1965 T120R
that had been completely restored. I received the
old original set of mufflers with the purchase. The
right muffler, too, had been scarred by the kick
lever. I called the shop that did the restoration and
asked about this problem. The mechanic said,
“That’s just what they do!” Surely there is a
solution to this problem, but unfortunately I
don’t know what it is. Could the bolt that goes
through the lever be ground down to allow
the lever to move farther out? I hate having
restored bikes with a scarred right muffler. It’s
easy to see what’s happening and why, but I
don’t know the fix. Any ideas?
John Botts/via email
A: I certainly know your frustration
with this problem, having suf-
fered it myself with my 1968 Triumph
Bonneville. In my case, after trying
fler out of the way, I finally paid more
attention to the kickstart lever itself.
That’s when I discovered it was actually a
BSA lever that would fit the shaft but not
clear the mufflers. I ordered a Triumph
lever and that took care of the problem. I
hope your situation is as easily resolved.
Spark plugs
I’m trying to finish my rebuild of a
Bultaco Alpina M116. I have sev-
eral manuals and they all reference out-
dated spark plugs. And I have replaced
the ignition with an electronic model,
going from 6 volts to 12 volts. Even if I
hadn’t replaced the ignition, I still am
unable to find any cross-reference for a
current plug. One reference I have lists
a Champion N-3 or Bosch W260-T2 and
I can’t find any cross-reference for either
plug. Do you have a suggestion of where
to look for information, or a suggestion
on what plug to use? Thanks.
Richard Barrett/via email
I generally start
sparkplug-crossreference.com but
searching for these plug numbers didn’t
at
initially provide any results. I had to type
into the advanced search and then there
were several results. The easiest one
to find will probably be the NGK B8ES,
while the Bosch cross-referenced to a
NGK B9ES. I searched for Champion N3
and Bosch W260T2.
Email questions to keithsgarage@
motorcycleclassics.com
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 TEST
RIDE
Book review: The Speed Kings
The Speed Kings,
by Don Emde
Publisher, author, motorcycle his-
torian and 1972 Daytona 200 winner
Don Emde’s most recent book The
Speed Kings is a history of boardtrack
racing that’s long overdue. It’s per-
haps the most complete history of the
sport to date, one that includes hun-
dreds of period photos supported by
commentary, facts, quotes and news-
paper clippings to tell the story about
motorcycling racing’s early pioneers
who rode their brakeless motorcy-
cles to speeds in excess of 100mph
through the high-banked turns of
motordromes constructed of wood.
Perhaps the book is summed up
best in its foreword penned by leg-
endary racer Kenny Roberts. KR’s
opening sentence pretty much says
it all: “After reading The Speed Kings
I’d like to say that those guys racing
around the wooden tracks were really
nuts.” This from the man who won
the 1975 Indianapolis Mile riding a
pieced-together, spindly frame flat-
tracker powered by Yamaha’s vaunted
TZ750 road race engine, a combina-
tion that should have put Roberts
squarely into Indy’s Turn 1 wall, not into Victory Circle. authenticity to the narrative that’s displayed in sepia-tone
But, in truth, King Kenny (a moniker earned after winning spreads to further underscore events that took place more
his first of three consecutive 500cc World Championships) is than a century ago. We learn, too, that the term “Speed Kings”
right on track about The Speed Kings — those boardtrack racers was coined by the mainstream media of the time. Remember,
were nuts. It even says so, not necessarily in The Speed Kings’ boardtrack racing’s heyday took place about the time Henry
text, but in its context, delivered with clear and concise prose Ford gave America the Model T.
(“I used the Ken Burns style of story telling,” cites Emde, Indeed, The Speed Kings is perhaps the most complete history
referencing the famed television producer known for his of boardtrack racing yet. So complete that Emde’s yarn begins
award-winning documentaries) accompanied by what, in many during the late 1800s when bicycle racing was king, and he
cases, appear to be larger-than-life photos Emde accumulated walks us through the evolution of motor-pacers (early motor-
during the past 40 or so years. That includes photographs cycles that paced the bicycles on the velodromes) that even-
from noted motorcycle histo- tually crowded the bicycles off
rians and racers such as the the boardtracks, making way
late Steve Wright, A.F. Van The Speed Kings for the heady 100mph motor-
Order, Paul Derkum and one 372 pages, 12-inch x 10-inch coffee-table format cycles themselves to take over.
of my personal heroes, Ralph $75 ($90 personally signed, plus fold-out poster package) Above all, though, this is a
Hepburn. Available from EmdeBooks.com history book citing facts and
Emde, along with art direc- figures gleaned from dusty dog-
tor Nancy Wegrowski, did a eared documents and records.
masterful job of placing text and photos in proper sequence, Each chapter segues to the next, such that by Page 372 you’ll
too. Brief, easy-to-read sidebars are also found throughout, feel like a boardtrack racing authority. You’ll also understand
offering colorful and pertinent vignettes that free the main text why The Speed Kings earned one of Motor Press Guild’s coveted
and story line from clutter. Dean Batchelor Excellence in Automotive Journalism awards,
Copies of period posters, newspaper clippings, brochures taking home the 2019 Best of the Year Book category, the only
and flyers, even correspondence from the actual players, lend motorcycle book to ever gain that honor. — Dain Gingerelli

84 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

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AZTEC RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT, AZTEC, NEW MEXICO

ur trip was to be a Destinations con- city built into what was essentially a thou- the area. The Ruins were rediscovered by

O tent safari for points of interest

between Southern California and
our turnaround point in Colorado. It was
a success, with articles appearing in these
pages on Organ Pipe Cactus National
Monument (November/December 2019),
Kitt Peak National Observatory (May/
June 2019), the Petrified Forest National
Park (September/October 2019) and Mesa
Verde National Park (March/April 2019).
The best part for us, though, were visits
to friends, riding through New Mexico,
and a discovery: The Aztec Ruins National
Monument. It’s the surprises that make
any trip an adventure, and after a day of
enjoying New Mexico’s US 54 through
dazzling White Sands Missile Range, the
Lincoln National Forest, and Cloudcroft,
Ruidoso and more, we passed through
Farmington and spotted a small sign
along US 550 pointing west to the Aztec
Ruins National Monument. We had never
heard of the place, and that made it a
must-see stop.
The monument is what remains of an
ancient walled community with approxi-
mately 400 dwellings built into a single
structure. It is a breathtaking and expan-
sive structure, the remnants of an entire
sand-year-old condominium. There are
several “kivas” (circular areas believed to
be ceremonial locations), with one large
“Great Kiva” forming the community’s
physical and spiritual center. Most of the
dwellings are not accessible to the pub-
lic, but several are and the National Park
Service provided a map for a self-guided
walking tour. Many parts of the Aztec
Ruins are undergoing restoration and the
young people doing the work are descen-
dants of Navajo ancestry. Although it was
a hot summer day, they told me repair-
ing structures their ancestors might have
inhabited made the work exciting and
inspirational.
The Aztec Ruins were originally set-
tled by the Puebloan Native Americans
around A.D. 1100 for a period lasting
approximately 200 years. Then it was
deserted, most likely due to drought.
Archeologists believe the ancients
moved to areas now settled by Hopi and
Navajo Native Americans in neighbor-
ing Colorado and Arizona. Although the
Animas River runs nearby, the area is
essentially a desert, and the Aztec Ruins
structures disappeared for seven centu-
ries as wind-swept desert sands covered
19th century U.S. settlers who mistakenly
thought prior inhabitants were the Aztecs
of central Mexico, but the Aztecs lived too
far south to have settled this area. The
Aztec descriptor stuck, though, both for
what became the current nearby town of
Aztec and the ancient Ruins. Recognizing
the cultural significance of the find, the
area was declared the Aztec Ruin National
Monument in 1923, and then as more
structures were found, the name changed
to the Aztec Ruins National Monument.
We visited the West Ruins; there are
four more dwellings to the east that are
likely to remain unexcavated. In 1987, the
United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization designated this
spot as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As the opening paragraph of this article
states, this is a culturally rich and scenic
part of the country with great destina-
tions and roads. Mesa Verde National
Park in southwestern Colorado, the Four
Corners Monument (where Utah, Arizona,
Colorado and New Mexico meet) and
majestic Monument Valley are all nearby.
We advise allowing a half day on any trip
through this region for a stop at the Aztec
Ruins National Monument. — Joe Berk

THE SKINNY
What: Aztec Ruins National Monument, 725 Ruins Road, Aztec,
NM, 87410, (505) 334-6174. Admission is free.
How to Get There: From the north or south, pick up US 550 (a
magnificent road). From the east or west, it’s US 64 to either US
550 or New Mexico SR 516 north. Upon entering the town of
Aztec, watch for the sign to Aztec Ruins National Monument.
Best Kept Secret: Perhaps the Aztec Ruins National Monument
itself. We had never heard of it. For grand dining, try Rubia’s
Fine Mexican Dining in Aztec (we had chile rellenos and sopap-
illa el grande con pollo and they were superb).
Avoid: Leaving without checking the weather (the area can expe-
rience snow and freezing temperatures in the winter).
More Photos: bit.ly/aztec-ruins
More Info: nps.gov/azru/index.htm A kiva, a large multipurpose room.

86 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020

 CALENDAR
MAY/JUNE
Don’t miss these
upcoming events!
4/25 Join Grand Marshal Wayne Carini, host of Chasing
Classic Cars, at the 21st Annual Riding into History
Motorcycle Concours at the World Golf Village near St. Augustine,
Florida. RIH begins on Friday, April 24, with a lunch ride and the
Grand Marshal’s Dinner, followed on Saturday by the Concours
d’Elegance. On the web at ridingintohistory.org

5/15 Head to the 52nd Annual Hanford Vintage

Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet, May 15-16, at
the Kings Fairground in Hanford, California. Enjoy the classic
Join the fun at Riding into History, April 25.

motorcycle show with awards in a dozen-plus categories, more Oxford, Massachusetts. Loads of bikes, vendors, field events,
than 150 vendors, a parts exchange and sale corral, RV hookups, food and fun! Trophy classes for all British and Classic bikes, 1985
food and more. On the web at classiccycleevents.com and older. On the web at massbia.com

5/16 Attend the 12th Annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering

at The Quail Lodge in Carmel, California. This
year’s show will feature the 50th anniversaries of the Harley-
Davidson XR-750, the MV Agusta 750S, and the BMW Slash 5,
plus 11 more categories. Tickets start at $55. On the web at
signatureevents.peninsula.com
5/29 Head to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin,
for the MotoAmerica Superbike Series & Vintage
Motofest, May 29-31. In addition to modern Superbike racing,
MotoAmerica will be hosting its Heritage Cup events featuring
1986 and older superbikes and GP and Production machines. On
Saturday, May 30, the Vintage Motofest ride-in bike show returns.
On the web at roadamerica.com

5/22 Head to Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka,

Kansas, for the AHRMA Classic MotoFest, Friday,
May 22 through Sunday, May 24. There will be road racing, flat
track, motocross, cross country, trials and drag racing, and special
guests will include AMA Hall of Fame member David Aldana. On
the web at ahrma.org
6/7 Visit the Friends of Steve McQueen car and motorcycle
show in support of Boys Republic, a private, nonprofit
school dedicated to troubled teens, in Chino Hills, California. On
the web at stevemcqueencarshow.com

5/24 Attend the 30th Annual British & Classic Motorcycle

Show and Swap Meet put on by the Massachusetts
British Iron Association at the Singletary Rod & Gun Club in
6/27 Visit the 10th Annual Vintage Rally at the National
Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa. Enter your pre-
1988 motorcycle or bicycle in the Vintage Bike Show and visit the
swap meet. On the web at nationalmcmuseum.org

May 2 — Carolina Classic Motorcycle
Show at the NC Transportation Museum.
Spencer, NC. nctrans.org
May 15-16 — 11th Annual AMCA
Southern National Meet. Denton, NC.
amcasouthernnationalmeet.com
May 16-17 — OVM May Ride, Show and
Swap Meet. Corvallis, OR.
oregonvintage.org
May 16-17 — 11th Annual Antique
Motorcycle Swap Meet and Show.
Centreville, MI. wolverineamca.com
May 17 — Classic Motorcycle Day. Mount
Airy, MD. classicmotorcycleday.org
May 30 — KCVJMC 10th Annual
Spring Show at Donnell’s Motorcycles.
Independence, MO. kcvjmc.com
June 2-6 — 38th Annual Americade. Lake
George, NY. americade.com
June 6 — Cars & Motorcycles of England.
Hope Lodge, Ft. Washington, PA. dvtr.org
June 6 — 12th Annual Western Colorado
“Unknown Motorcycle Show.” Montrose,
CO. westerncovintage.com
June 7 — 42nd Annual BSAOCNE British
Motorcycle Meet. Lancaster, MA.
bsaocne.org
June 12-13 — AMCA Viking Chapter
Annual Meet. St. Paul, MN. vikingmc.org
June 12-14 — Lake Erie Loop. Wellington,
OH. lakeerieloop.com
June 19-20 — 20th Annual Fort Sutter
AMCA National Motorcycle Show and
Swap Meet. Dixon, CA. fortsutteramca.org
June 19-21 — Cold Trailers presents
Ice Cream Social Rally. Slow Ride
Roadhouse, Lawrence, KS. facebook.com/
events/628767341272324/
June 19-21 — 48th Annual Canadian
Vintage Motorcycle Group Paris National
Rally. Paris, Ontario, Canada. cvmg.ca
June 19-21 — 8th Annual AHRMA
Vintage Motorcycle Festival & Swap Meet.
New Jersey Motorsports Park. Millville, NJ.
njmp.com
June 25-27 — 2020 VJMC National Rally.
Mitchell, TN. vjmc.org
June 25-28 — Jampot Rally at the
Blackthorne Resort, East Durham,
NY. Celebrating Matchless, AJS and
other British bikes, all riders welcome.
jampotrallye.org
June 25-28 — Motoblot Urban
Motorcycle & Hot Rod Street Rally.
Chicago, IL. motoblot.com
June 26-28 — 27th Annual
Triumph National Rally. Oley, PA.
triumphnationalrally.com

www.MotorcycleClassics.com 87
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Sales & Tech (814) 592-7003

 KICKSTAND
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from the classic motorcycle scene and
Motorcycle Classics. Every installment
of Shop Talk provides exciting
insights about the incredible
world of classic motorcycles.

Sign up at www.MotorcycleClassics.com/Newsletter
STREET BIKES FOR THE AGES COLLECTION
Take a trip down memory lane with the Motorcycle
Classics Street Bikes For the Ages Collection. This
collection includes Motorcycle Classics Prewar
Perfection, Street Bikes of the ’50s, Street Bikes of the
’60s, Street Bikes of the ‘70s, Vol. II, and Street Bikes
of the ’80s. Whether you’re a collector, rider, or
enthusiast, you’ll treasure this set for years to come.

THE BOOK OF THE DUCATI 750 SS ART OF THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON

Although manufactured for only one
year, 1974, the Ducati 750 Super Sport
was immediately touted as a future
classic. It was a pioneer motorcycle –
expensive and rare, and produced by
Ducati’s race department to celebrate
victory in the 1972 Imola 200 Formula
750 race. Learn all about this magnificent
bike from author, Ian Falloon in The Book
of the Ducati 750 SS! While supplies last!
MOTORCYCLE
Art of the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle pulls
together the best of David Blattel’s Harley-
Davidson portraiture–over 100 stunning
machines–resulting in a breathtaking review
of Harley-Davidson’s greatest hits from
the early 1900s to today. Harley-Davidson
expert Dain Gingerelli puts each machine
in historical and technical context with
informed profiles. While Supplies Last!
LEANINGS 3
Leanings 3 contains stories and observations from
one of America’s best motorcycle journalists. Peter
Egan’s writing invites you to pull up a chair, pour a little
scotch, and relax while he shares with you his tales from
the road, his motorcycling philosophy, and his keen
observations about the two-wheeled life. This is an
unforgettable collection of the works of a master writer
whose simple adventures of life remind us all why we
love to ride.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON CLASSICS WHY WE RIDE

No other motorcycle matches
the style or sound of a Harley-
Davidson, with its rumbling
V-twin engines. Harley-Davidson
Classics zooms in on more than
50 of the company’s greatest
creations, giving a close-up
portrait of each machine.
Superb double-page photos
and close-up shots highlight
every aspect of each motorcycle.
Why We Ride serves as an
anthem for those who do and an
explanation for those who don’t.
The book presents the insights
of Mark Barnes, a motorcycling
clinical psychologist, as he
articulates the elusive physical,
emotional, and interpersonal
elements that make the world
of the motorcyclist such a rich
and exciting place.
 DANIEL PEIRCE
ART MAGNETS
Daniel Pierce Art Magnets are the
prints you love from Daniel Pierce,
on a magnet! Put this magnet on
a refrigerator or filing cabinet so
you can see your favorite prints
every day.

This 4-by-5-inch print-on-demand

metallic magnet was created
by professional motorsports
photographer Daniel Peirce. Each
magnet is signed on the back by
the author. THE MOTO GUZZI SPORT & LE
MANS BIBLE
Do you remember some of the first
Superbikes to combine Italian style,
handling, and performance? The
Moto Guzzi V7 Sport and Le Mans are
absolutely iconic sporting motorcycles
from the 1970s and 1980s. All of your
favorite models are included in this
book: V7 Sport, 750S, 750S3, 850 Le
Mans, 850 Le Mans II, 850 Le Mans III,
1000 Le Mans IV, and 1000 Le Mans V!
Including year by year descriptions of
model development, full production
data, and 150 photos, you’ll be up
late into the night reading about
Moto Guzzi in this high quality book
covering the years 1971-1993!

MCQUEEN’S MOTORCYCLES MASTERING THE RIDE,

Even 30 years after his death,
Steve McQueen remains a
cultural icon. This book focuses
on the bikes that the King of
Cool raced and collected, from
the first Harley McQueen bought
when he was an acting student
in New York to the Triumph
“desert sleds” and Huskys he
desert raced all over California,
Mexico, and Nevada. McQueen’s
Motorcycles reveals these highly
sought-after machines in
gorgeous photography and full
historical context.
2ND EDITION
Mastering the Ride provides
an exhilarating course in
skills, safety, and common
sense. With instructional
color photographs and
drawings, the book covers
everything from improving
a rider’s skills of speed and
passing to anticipating and
handling street and road
hazards, to executing quick
stops, and more.

DESTINATIONS
To order, call toll-free
Destinations is a collection of motorcycle
rides and destinations culled from the
800-880-7567
pages of Motorcycle Classics magazine.
Joe Berk is a regular contributor to
(outside the United States and for
Motorcycle Classics, and this book
encompasses his travel stories going customer service, call 785-274-4360),
back as far as 2006: great motorcycle
hangouts, mountain roads, national or go to
parks, best kept secrets, things to avoid,
the best restaurants, and more for great MotorcycleClassics.com/RecommendedProducts
rides in both the United States and parts
of Baja. It’s all here, inviting you to ride Mention promo code: MMCPAKZ8
the best roads and the most exciting
destinations in North America! Sale ends: 06/15/20
MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS 2020 CALENDAR
Enjoy stunning, classic motorcycles all
year long with our 2020 calendar! This
Motorcycle Classics calendar features
glossy photographs of your favorite bikes.
Whether hanging in your man cave, at your desk, or in the garage, this
calendar will have everyone raring to get out on the road. Featuring classic brands
such as Ducati, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson, and more, this calendar is perfect for a classic
motorcycle enthusiast!

HOW TO RESTORE HONDA
CX500 & CX650
You don’t need expert knowledge
or a fully fitted workshop for a
restoration project with How to
Restore Honda CX500 & CX650.
Packed with photographs and
detailed instructions, this book is
your perfect guide from start to
HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT, REPAIR
AND MODIFY MOTORCYCLE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Motorcycle expert Tracy Martin provides
crystal-clear, fully illustrated, step-by-step
instructions for every electrical repair imaginable
on a bike: from the nuts-and-bolts basics to
fuel-injection systems, onboard computers,
repair and installation of factory and aftermarket
accessories, and everything else in between.
HONDA 70 ENTHUSIAST’S GUIDE
Author of Honda Mini Trail: Enthusiast’s
Guide, Jeremy Polson has put together
another vintage Honda guide. It covers
the third-best-selling Honda in American
Honda history, the long-running Mini
Trail CT-70, along with the CL, SL, and
XL 72cc motorcycles manufactured
from 1969 to 1994. In addition to the
hard facts, this book is filled with many
rare photos that track the evolution of
Honda’s 72cc motorcycles and unravels
their mystery.
DUCATI 916
The 916 spearheaded the Ducati
revival of the 1990s. Introduced
at the end of 1993, this product
took the water-cooled four-valve
engine of the 851 and placed it
in an evolutionary chassis with
revolutionary styling. The 916
immediately set new standards
of performance for twin-cylinder
machines. This book traces the
development of the four-valve
Ducati from its first appearance at
the Bol d’Or in 1986. Along with
the factory racers, all the related
four-valve models are covered in
depth. All the variants, including the
Sport Production series, are detailed, along with the rare Supermono. This
book is your definitive guide to these legendary Ducati models.
CLASSIC SUPERBIKES
Superbikes are at
the pinnacle of two-
wheeled production
engineering. Designed
for adrenaline-inducing
speed, breathtaking
handling, and head-
turning good looks,
these superb machines
are the most glamorous and
desirable bikes on the road. Classic Superbikes presents 75 of the best models,
from renowned manufacturers including Aprilia, Bimota, BMW, Buell, Cagiva,
Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Moto Guzzi, Suzuki, Triumph, and
Yamaha. Each bike gets four pages with cutout photography from a variety of
angles (and detailed annotations describing special features), while lively text
explores the bike’s history and aspects of its design. For the real enthusiast,
there’s a comprehensive specification box that covers everything from engine
size and tire measurements to top speed, weight, power output, and gearbox.
 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS
SHORT-SLEEVE BLACK T-SHIRT
Enjoy our classic black T-shirt,
exclusively available through
Motorcycle Classics! This black short
sleeve T-shirt is emblazoned with
the Motorcycles Classics logo on
the front of the shirt and the
slogan “Ride ‘Em, Don’t Hide ‘Em”
in white and red lettering on the
back of the shirt, along with a
great-looking bike.
XS-650 PRINT
Proudly hang this unique print of a Yamaha XS
650 on your wall or in your garage. This Endura
Metallic print is photographically printed by
professional motorsports photographer Daniel
Peirce. This 16” x 20” print-on-demand metallic
print is signed and numbered by the artist.
Print longevity is an impressive 100 years.
Please allow two weeks for delivery
YALE MODEL 25 PRINT
Display your love of motorcycles with this
Yale Model 25 print. This Endura Metallic
print is photographically printed by
professional motorsports photographer
Daniel Peirce. This 16” x 20” print-on-demand
metallic print is signed and numbered by
the artist. Print longevity is an impressive
100 years. Please allow two weeks for delivery.
XR 750 UNS PRINT
Proudly hang this unique print of a XR
750 UNS Engine on your wall or in your
garage. This Endura Metallic print is
photographically printed by professional
motorsports photographer Daniel Peirce.
This 16” x 20” print-on-demand metallic
print is signed and numbered by the artist.
Print longevity is an impressive 100 years.
Please allow two weeks for delivery.
THE DUCATI MONSTER BIBLE
The Ducati Monster Bible provides a
fascinating guide through the maze
of Monsters produced during the past
21 years. In this book, you’ll see a full
description of development model
by model, an analysis of the Monster
by each model year, complete
appendices of technical specifications
and more!
MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS HAT
Great for any classic motorcycle
enthusiast! This adjustable baseball-
type hat is embroidered with the
Motorcycle Classics logo. Show
off your favorite magazine
with this classic black hat.
While supplies last.
MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS
SHOP TOWEL
Ideal for any cleaning needs, our
industrial-strength shop towels are
clean and absorbent. Made from
100 percent cotton, these 14-inch-
long by 14-inch-wide towels are
great for use in the automotive
and industrial industry.
MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS
STAINLESS STEEL TUMBLER
Upgrade your old mug with our Motorcycle
Classics brand insulated tumbler! The
20-oz. black stainless steel tumbler features
a double wall that keeps your drink hot for
5 ½ hours or cold for 24 hours. With the
Motorcycle Classics logo, this tumbler is just
as distinctive as it is handy. Whether you’re
at home or on-the-go, this tumbler will
keep your drink just as fresh as when you
first poured it. While supplies last.
LONE RIDER Best Seller!
In 1982, at the age of 23, Elspeth
Beard left her family and friends in
London and set off on a 35,000-
mile solo adventure around the
world on her 1974 BMW R60/6.
From riding through deserts
and mountain ranges to faking
documents and surviving crashes,
Beard tells the whole story of
her ride with honesty and wit.
You don’t want to miss this
extraordinary and moving story
of a unique and life-changing
adventure.
To order, call toll-free
800-880-7567
(outside the United States and for
customer service, call 785-274-4360),
or go to
MotorcycleClassics.com/RecommendedProducts
Mention promo code: MMCPAKZ8
Sale ends: 06/15/20
 PARTING
SHOTS
Stop-Gap Racer
F
lathead race engines finally became extinct November
1968, when the AMA Class C rules committee legalized
overhead-valve 750cc engines for Nationals competition.
Previously, overhead-valve engines were limited to 500cc
displacement, while sidevalves could be 750cc. The new rules
caught Harley-Davidson race team with its valves down, and
Milwaukee’s juggernaut team entered the 1969 race season
outgunned. Or so it seemed.
Despite running essentially obsolete equipment, H-D team
rider Mert Lawwill answered the call with his trusty sidevalve
KR-750 to win the coveted Number One plate. But 1969 was
the KR’s swan song. Gene Romero, riding new Triumph OHV
twins and triples, won The Plate for 1970.
Meanwhile Harley’s engineers
readied their own overhead-valve
engine for racing. Their imme-
diate response was the XR-750,
an engine with iron cylinders
and heads — a distinctly differ-
ent engine than the alloy-based
XR-750 that was scheduled for
1972. The all-new alloy engine
was intended for one purpose only
— to crush the competition on
the flat tracks of America, which
it ultimately did, dominating dirt
track ovals across America for the
coming decades. Cal Rayborn aboard the first-gen XRTT-750.
But the fascinating story is found
in that first-generation XR-750 using an engine essentially jerry- to the Match Series in England. There he won three of the
rigged for racing based on Harley’s XLR, itself a 13-year-old
design originally developed for customer 883cc Sportsters.
No surprise, Harley scrambled to make the XLR legal for
Class C racing. New and lighter flywheels shortened the stroke
from 82mm to 79.5mm, ratcheting down displacement to
750cc. A multitude of other modifications followed, including
beefing up the right-side main bearing, replacing camshaft
needle bearings with ball bearings, and so on.
96 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS May/June 2020
The first XR-750 bowed in
1970. Initially the Ironhead
engine used a single carburetor
and straight pipe exhausts.
PHOTOS COURTESY HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM ARCHIVES
Harley speed guru C.R. Axtell was tasked with reconfigur-
ing the cylinder head ports for racing, and larger valves and
an oversize carburetor improved breathing. That combination
proved sorrowful, though, so a second carb joined the party.
To do that Axtell rotated the rear cylinder to face the intake
port forward on the engine’s left side, then designed two
equal-length runners for both carbs.
As the new iron engine was readied for the 1971 race sea-
son, lessons learned were applied towards the alloy engine
being developed simultaneously. As reported in Motorcycle
Sport Quarterly magazine, “Whenever possible the ‘iron’ XR
would serve as a test bed for the alloy version, but not at the
expense of the [ironhead’s] development time. The first phase
had to be completed on schedule,
the second phase could wait.” By
mid-1971 the phase-one XR-750
was competitive — to a point —
but it looked like an abomination.
Those iron heads retained insur-
mountable heat, causing detona-
tion, so four oil coolers sprouted
beneath the fiberglass gas tank.
The stop-gap engine won a few
flat track races, but no champi-
onship. However, the XRTT road
racer variant enjoyed historical
success in the hands of pavement
specialist Cal Rayborn, when, in
1972 he took his ironhead racer
six races, creating a legacy for an otherwise dark moment in
Harley racing history. The following year he helped christen
the new alloy XR-750, winning AMA National road races at
Indianapolis and Laguna Seca.
No doubt, the iron-clad XR-750 was only a stop-gap model.
But given the enduring success of the legendary alloy XR-750
that followed, the patchwork model proved to be a great
investment by The Motor Company. — Dain Gingerelli
 SAVE THE DATE!
1 Annual

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• Motorcycle FOR SALE Corral EA PRE-REGISTER
RLY!
NEW THIS YEAR
BRAAAP Mini Bike Races with $500 purse, presented by

$10 SPECIAL ADMISSION TO MUSEUM SATURDAY!!

CHILDREN 12 & UNDER FREE WITH A PARENT

COMPLETE DETAILS & REGISTRATION FORMS AT:

102 CHAMBER DRIVE ANAMOSA, IA 52205 • 319-462-3925 • MUSEUM@NATIONALMCMUSEUM.ORG
THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM IS A NON-PROFIT 501 (C)(3) ORGANIZATION

SPONSORED BY:
THERE’S NOT AN APP FOR THIS
INSURANCE. DRIVERS CLUB. BIKE VALUES. ENTERTAINMENT. THE SHOP. DRIVESHARE.
Ride with us. 888-216-2398 | Local Agent | Hagerty.com