Classic motorcycle owners here?

Well, motorcycles are basically cars with a few missing wheels, right? And maybe a few other dividing characteristics...

Anyway, here's mine, a 1975 Yamaha RD350. A bit before my time, but I automatically appreciated the styling, compact size (by today's standards), and old patina.

Here's how it looked when I first bought it Sep '06:

Still with a lot left to do, here's how she sits now:

I have a few...

1966 Suzuki S32-2 150cc

1968 Kawasaki W2SS 650cc

1971 Suzuki MT50 Trailhopper minibike

1974 Suzuki RL250 trials bike

1975 Suzuki GT750

1979 Suzuki GS1000S

1982 Suzuki Katana

and my modern bike, a 2000 Kawasaki W650.

I posted some pictures of them not long ago, over on the GRM board someplace.

GT750? Nice to see a stroker in there.

I had go google the w650. That's a neat looking bike. I really like the late-60's style gas tank, for some reason the depressions with the rubber just look good to me.

I've got a 1980 Yamaha XS650 Special sitting in the corner of the garage...........waiting.

We had a little extra helping of classic bikes in the magazine a few issues ago. (Mostly in the auction section.) Did anyone like that? Yes? No?

A classic bike article would be nice once in a while. Let classic car owners learn a little about them for when they show up to shows. Maybe even invite them to classic shows.

We had a Vincent Black Shadow show up at our show once, seemed that I was the only one that knew what it was and it's racing legacy. The first superbike? And a fellow club member has a nice collection of classic bikes, mainly Hercules included the air-cooled rotary engine bike they put out along with a Suzuki Rotary.

A Vincent Black Shadow?! Those things are legendary...

David, I wish I saw the bike article, but I missed that issue.

I used to ride a "sort of classic" bike - a Honda CX500. I still miss it, and I've been thinking of getting a 1970s era Goldwing (which I probably couldn't have easily controlled back then, but now with more experience...) as a sequel if I can find a really good one and the money to buy it at the same time.

I have a 77 Honda CB550F Super Sport and I'm currently restoring a 71 Honda CT 70 Mini Trail.

I'm always looking for CT70 stuff, if anyone has one for sale, let me know.

Yeah, I was in awe as it was the first one I've ever seen up close. I had to explain the the legendary history to a couple of my friends and one understood. He used to ride, the others don't ride and weren't that interested in the bikes.

Yeah, this is pretty much what the badass or the supervillian should ride in pretty much any movie.

Everyone else, we need pictures!

Here's one I worked on a few years ago. It's a 360cc 1968 Benelli Mojave, they sold these things out of the Montgomery Ward catalog back then.

It's a project bike for my motorcycle club; various people took on different tasks during the rebuild by supplying parts, welding, etc. I did the paint, polish and assembly, along with some parts fabrication.

The paint job was real grassroots...I went down to the auto body supply store and had them pack up some automotive paint in spray cans, and then painted it in my basement.

I'd like to see a small feature on a classic bike in each issue, would be cool. As for me, I have a '65 Honda CL72 and '59 AJS Model 31 waiting for love.

My '82 Honda FT500 Ascot "thumper (below). Owned for 20+ years. They'll probably bury me with it. It has skinny bars and modest rear-sets. I'm an AMA earned Life Member and have owned about a zillion bikes...Bultaco, Montessa, Can-Am, Italian Harley 125, Puch "Twingle", Honda 305 Scrambler, etc...

Ascot

I have a 1971 Hodaka Super Rat. It's a rideable restoration, meaning it's not so perfect you'd be scared to ride it a bit.

Now with installed exhaust (sorry for the quality; it's a cell phone picture).

I have a few classic bikes these days:

1966 Honda S65

1964 Yamaha YJ1

1964 Yamaha YG-1T

1964 Hodaka ACE 90

1970 Suzuki AC50

1964 Bridgestone 90 Racer

And about half a dozen other project bikes in the works, including a 1963 Honda CA100, 1963 Bridgestone BS7 Surfrider, and a 1965 Suzuki M15, and a couple Honda S90s.

Many of these bikes have been, or will be featured in Motorcycle Classics Magazine.

Chris H.

Chris, neat collection! I subscribe to Motorcycle Classics as well, and have admired the bikes they've featured.

Most of my old bikes are Suzukis; I'd like to track down an AC50 parts bike to see if the engine will fit in one of my Trailhoppers. They have a semi-automatic transmission with a centrifugal clutch, which isn't very satisfying.

I had a GS1000S for about two weeks. A friend of mine owned it until it dropped a valve. I gave him $50 for it. It was serial number 0000003, and had a Cycle Magazine test sticker under the seat.

A drag racer knew I had bought it and gave me $500 for it. I never touched a wrench to it. My wife never even SAW it. That was the fastest $450 profit ever.

I have a couple of weird bikes: A '66 Ducati single. It has all of the racing stuff--glass tank, solo seat, high comp piston, rearsets--but it really needs to be sorted. Gotta get around to that. My brother got the swingarm nickel plated for me for my last birthday. It looks pretty sweet.

I also have an '83 Kawasaki GPz305. It (like all of them) needs a cam. They had oiling problems. But I love this thing. It's my second one. I rode it from Baltimore to Indy for the F1 race in 2005 and had a great time. Oh, the best part is I paid $130 for it on eBay.

Both of my kids (4 and 11) have been trained since birth to give the thumbs-up and say "Bultaco" at the same time. Dad is sick.

I have a 1969 Honda CT90 sitting in my garage awaiting restoration and a few more parts bikes sitting in the back yard.

For some strange reason I now find myself lusting after a Triumph Bonneville 650 that parks across the street from my office every day. I never have owned a British Bike before.