Motorcycle Classics

I grew up outside a small town in Ohio, and my dad was my first influence in mechanics. Except for maybe a tech for our fuel oil furnace or the well pump, Dad fixed everything. He set the ignition dwell on his Pontiacs, adjusted the carburetor, and taught me bicycle and lawnmower repair, carpentry, and even how to work with aerosol paint. However, when I got a taste of go-karts, mini-bikes, and motorcycles, I had to look for others in the know. At 13, while riding my go-kart illegally on my road, I crossed paths with someone on his bicycle who was as ready for “powered personal transportation” as I was. He saw my 3hp Briggs & Stratton-powered go-kart, and we talked about it, bonded. Then he bought an old…

Going through changes I was more than a little surprised to see in the March-April issue, a photo of my Yamaha R5 taken in 2012, referencing the Grand Marshal Ride at Riding into History. I still have the R5, initially I built the bike in 2009-10 and have updated it over the years. This shot, from 2018, shows the DG heads among other changes. Shortly after, it suffered a failure of the home brewed electronic system. There followed a couple of failed experiments and a lengthy time in the doghouse while other projects took over. Recently, I picked up a Powerdyne system; once fitted she burned both pistons, so a top end refresh is currently underway. But the important thing is that the R5 is still alive and will soon…

With the end of WWII in 1945, BMW lost its aircraft engine and automobile business, and like many European manufacturers, the company focused on the need for two-wheeled transportation. But European motorcycle sales peaked in 1954, as small cars like the VW Beetle and the new Fiat 500 became more affordable. BMW entered this market with a license built Isetta bubble car, but with limited success: more affluent customers wanted a “real” car. Then in 1960, BMW made a radical strategic decision to focus its automobile division on sports sedans, introducing the “neue klasse” range in 1962. The 1602 and 2002 models followed. Meanwhile, BMW motorcycle sales tanked from 30,000 a year in 1954 to 5,500 in 1957. Development had more or less stalled too, with relatively minor changes. There…

1974-76 R75/6 For 1974, the 750 received a front disc brake (with dual discs an option), a five-speed gearbox, and electrics upgraded with a 280-watt alternator. But the big news was the introduction of the Hans Muth-designed 900cc R90S and a 900cc R90/6, so the R75 was no longer the biggest capacity in the range. And while the crankcases were strengthened to accommodate bigger cylinder barrels, it’s worth noting that all the “airhead” BMWs from 500cc R50/5 to the eventual 1000cc R100 retained the same stroke of 70.6mm. On the cosmetic side, the /6 inherited a new fuel tank and seat, with an instrument binnacle replacing the headlight nacelle. In fact there were many engine internal upgrades to increase strength and durability (such as needle roller rockers) to accommodate larger…

A fully enclosed Vincent sport touring motorcycle such as this 1955 Black Prince was a harbinger of the future. So much so, that when the BBC produced a 1950s film adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian and rather prescient novel “1984,” they chose to mount the Thought Police on a phalanx of the ominous-looking Vincents. Although decades ahead of its time, the storied British manufacturer never got to enjoy the fruits of its labors with its enclosed models. After launching the Black Prince and its stablemate the Black Knight at the Earls Court show in 1954, the cash-strapped company was forced to close its doors just a year later, in December of ‘55. Now, the futuristic, fully clad Vincents are sought after machines and when new, not many made their way…

The 2024 Quail Motorcycle Gathering, held May 4 in Carmel, California, was one for the record books. But this wasn’t due to the spectator turnout, the bikes, or other historic factors we’ve become accustomed to seeing at the annual springtime event. It was purely and simply the weather. After a long and soggy winter, spring delivered an unexpected wet slap on the face to The Quail, arguably America’s best motorcycle show. If one had followed the forecast, they’d have been amazed that a spring squall would arrive exactly at the beginning of the event and depart right after. Nature’s perfect spoiler. The aggregate result was attendance of just over 1,000 and a more modest field of bikes (both for understandable reasons), with many machines shielded by either covers or E-Z…