2023 Bikes of the Month
January
1960 Harley-Davidson FLH
By Dave Mull
This bike was built from parts that had never met each other before as the late, great, Dale Walksler would say. The matching motor and 6-volt frame came from a good friend who was unemployed and was willing to sell. It came with a bar napkin bill of sale and a Texas registration showing it had been a highway patrol bike in the 1960's.
In the years after the purchase I was able to find all the rest of the bike in lots of different places. The fuel tanks came from a guy who needed shocks for his truck. The fenders came from a guy who had sold a truck to a guy about 80 miles away with the comment don't ask where they came from. The front fender was an Electra Glide with the word Police above the emblem and the rear fender still had the 4 digit police bike number on it. The oil tank came from a friend who was heading to a swap meet with it. The bars came from another swap meet and the mufflers came off my late friend, Marvin Long's 1967 FLH. The frame was repaired by the late Charlie Craig. The tanks were painted by another late old pal, Bob Olson, who I asked to make them look vintage, He said, "You want me to scratch them up"? The motor was built by Painter Joe of Williams Motors and is a real runner.
This year alone it has been ridden to 4 major events, the AMCA Anza Borrego Run, Virginia City Round Up, Lake Tahoe AMCA road run and the Death Valley AMCA run. She's a real pleasure to ride!
February
1974 Harley-Davidson FLH
Electra Glide
By Rodd Lighthouse
As a young boy growing up, Dad was into British bikes, BSA, Triumph, Matchless, AJS and even a Vincent. For some reason he did not seem to give a crap about American made motorcycles, and being his son, I liked what Dad liked, British motorcycles. In fact, I despised Harley-Davidsons, so when he purchased a new H-D XLX Sportster in 1983, I was thoroughly disappointed.
Since 1983, Dad would own several Harley-Davidsons. Initially he owned Sportsters, XLX, XLH and XR 1000, but eventually graduated to the big twins, low riders, super glides, a sport touring FXRT, and an electra glide, his favorite. He told me on several occasions that if he could only have one motorcycle, it would be his 2001 electra glide.
Over the years of riding Dad’s Harleys, I became a fan of the marque as well. Approximately 2015, Dad started to appreciate the mid-70’s shovelhead electra glides. His initial big twins were shovels and I knew that he had good luck with them and liked them. Dad liked to reminisce and during a reminiscing episode, he decided that he needed a shovelhead. He ended up finding a couple of 1974 electra glides. The first one he found was an original paint motorcycle with a lot of patina that had some inappropriate ape hangars installed on it with a piss poor wiring job. He later found another that was cleaner and more original, but it had a custom paint job. Dad preferred the cleaner shovel so he gave me the original paint bike in 2019.
Shortly after Dad gave me the bike, Mark Lobsinger, then a teacher at Carson High School in Carson City, asked if I had any projects for his students. After hearing Mark’s spiel and approach to the project, I decided to let his students rebuild the Electra Glide.
The Electra Glide was delivered to Carson High School in the summer of 2019. Mark requested that I make a list of what I wanted the students to do. In preparation for the refurbishment, I purchased a wiring harness, tune up kit, tires, inner tubes, battery, handlebars, chain, countershaft sprocket, brake pads, master cylinder rebuild kits, wheel bearings, swing arm bearings, steering head bearings, fork seals, and cables.
Early in the 2019/2020 school year, the Electra Glide was stripped to the frame. Components were cleaned and parts to be changed were removed and replaced. Once cleaned up and new parts fitted to the subassemblies, reassembly began. Everything was moving along smoothly and on track for completion when COVID hit, and the world stopped. The bike sat for the remainder of the year in a state of partial completion. The following school year with the world still on hold, there was minimal progress on the bike. The 2021/2022 school year proved to be better, but the bike was not completed.
At the end of the 2021/2022 school year, Mark informed me that he had accepted a teaching job in Oklahoma and that he would be leaving town. Arrangements were made to retrieve the bike. Local shovelhead mechanic, David Funk, offered shop space and help to get the Electra Glide back on the road. After several weeks of going through the bike and inspecting what the students had done, completing the work that remained (wiring harness and terminal blocks, master cylinder rebuild kits, head light assembly, cables, and seat) and dealing with a few set backs (pulled clutch hub stud, leaking fuel tank shut off valve, dragging clutch), the mission was completed.
I have ridden the Electra Glide a few times and although it could use some fine tuning, it seems to run well. It could also leak less oil. As of now, it leaks more oil than my ’34 Harley which has a hole in the bottom of the primary cover. I’ll see if I can’t get some of the club’s oil leak experts to help me figure out how to seal her up in due time. I am going to have fun touring on my new ride.
Thanks, Dad, I love my new bike.
March
Rob North Special
Triumph T150
By Robert Jordan
I was first exposed to Rob North triples in my early Triumph riding days when living in Los Angeles. Around 1984 I visited a shop that had a couple of Rob's frames in various stages of build and vowed to myself that one day I would own one of these beautiful machines. Nearly 30 years later, Jerry Liggett, renowned builder of Triumph and BSA triples and proprietor of Triple Tecs, had just finished building me an authentic replica of Slippery Sam. Jerry mentioned that he was in contact with Rob North, and offered me an introduction.
Meeting Rob, I explained how I had lusted after one of his bikes for half of my life, and of my desire to replicate his early works bikes documented in the many Triumph books in my library. The brief to build the bike was to make it virtually indistinguishable from the originals built for the factory race team in the early 1970’s. Rob agreed to replicate one of his original builds for me, as well as reviewing the hardware and fitment of components to ensure that all parts were period correct.
Jerry offered to provide a fast road/race engine and was well poised to construct such a machine. He had built and supported the racing Triumph triple campaigned by Gary Nixon in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA)in the 2000’s
The frame arrived from North, who now resides in Los Angeles, in October of 2017 as a roller ready to receive the engine. Jerry fitted the T150 engine, race ready, which he had spent the prior year building. The components are listed below and with the benefit of 5 decades of engineering progress the engine is probably more powerful and durable than the originals and certain to produce the unique howl of a racing triple in full cry.
Engine Components
-
750 cc capacity
-
Johnson J280 camshafts
-
Lightened and re-radiused cam followers
-
Heavy duty pushrods
-
Carrillo connecting rods
-
Lightened and balanced crankshaft
-
Lightened clutch and primary drive
-
Lightened rocker arms, cam and idler gears
-
High-capacity oil pump
-
30 mm Amal carburetors
-
Electronic ignition
Considering the Rob North Special was going to be ridden on the roadways of northern Nevada and California, concessions had to be made accordingly: A side stand was fitted and the fairing modified to accommodate it; electrics were added to support a lighting system with a remote, contactless key fob secreted from view and the ignition timing moderated to permit the use of pump gas.
The original 19” wheels were used and the exacting Rob North frame geometry was evident in the stability of the machine at speed during testing.
This bike is much more modern in its handling and overall feel when compared to my other 60's and 70's motorcycles. It certainly has a lot more power, requires one to be focused at all times, and is best enjoyed pushing the limits on twisty mountain roads, rather than a casual ride.
The bike was exhibited at the May 2018 Quail Motorcycle Gathering to great acclaim.
April
1934 Harley-Davidson VLD
By Bob Lopes
The VLD was the ultimate Harley Davidson flathead Big Twin produced in the mid 1930’s. The VLD used a 74 CI side valve motor giving a sport performance. This 1934 Harley Davidson VLD had the top of the line twin with low expansion aluminum alloy pistons, a Y shaped intake manifold and a 5:1 compression made the engine good for 36 HP at 4500 RPM giving a top speed of 90 MPH.
The art deco style was all the rage and Harley Davidson used graceful sweeping lines, all flowing harmoniously on its sheet metal introducing a two-tone paint scheme. The 1934 VLD is an absolute classic in its streamlined design and Harley Davidson’s most beautiful era of styling. It is an honor to be the steward of this iconic beauty.
May
1920 Indian Scout
By Robert Conn
Once upon a time at the turn of the last century, the American populace was in transition from horse and buggy to a more simple and less costly means; enter the bicycle craze of the 1890’s that still seems to rage on into our current century.
Not long after the bicycle craze began around the early 1900’s, engineering and brainstorming of small engine designs resulted in installing these engines in a bicycle frame. Most were rear wheel drive but some were experimentally driven with little success from the front wheel. As far back as 1896, Roy C. Marks of San Francisco formed the California Motorcycle Company and produced the first motorcycle made in the USA. The California Motor Company motorcycle had a 1/2 hp motor with patent & also a carb patent, weighing in at 90 lbs.
In 1903, George Wyman left San Francisco on one of these moto bicycles and completed a trans continental road trip in 50 days! Primitive though it was, it is my personal opinion that this was the beginning of the era for motorcycles, morphing from bicycle frames to the sturdy motorcycle frames used in the 1920’s. This is supported by the fact that the California Motor Company frame rights were later sold to Yale, who made quality motorcycles in the early part of the 1900’s.
We all need to be reminded that the early “Pioneer Moto Cycles” had to make their own way down mostly wagon ruts and paths as “improved” roads only existed in larger towns and cities They had to be made to be rugged and durable, as simple as possible, as well as easy to repair. After all, who wants to pedal if you don’t need to and still go fast. This was the dawning of the motorcycle enthusiast! Free to roam, free from horse and buggy.
Along with these new modes of personal transport came WW1 and soon the two major American motorcycle companies were allotted war contracts which started the serious rivalry between Harley-Davidson and Indian. The theme seemed set after the war ended for a race for speed, durability, style, looks and popularity! Other companies like Henderson, Excelsior, and Brough all joined in.
In 1919, a design by Charles B. Franklin was introduced as the 1920 Indian Scout. The first year Scout had a 37 cubic inch displacement (596 cc), 42 degree v-twin side valve engine that produced approximately 10 hp. It had a 3-speed hand actuated gearbox affectionately called a “crash box” bolted directly to the engine. It came with a front leaf spring and rigid rear for “suspension”. Estimated top speed was 55 mph. It weighed a rugged and hefty 340 lbs wet, which is almost identical with the selling price!! Hmm, a dollar a pound!
The new solo Indian was quickly accepted by the motorcycle segment of the U.S. as well as others around the world. But with any first year production vehicle, there would be a few bugs and gremlins to work out. The factory Indian engineers were quick to correct the issues.
The base Scout model ran from 1920-27 then continued on as a 45 cubic inch Scout and then to the more famous Scout 101 that was used in the “Globe of Death '' that we saw at all the circuses as impressionable kids. Each year from 1920 on, the Scout received upgrades and performance improvements. Some of these factory upgrades included changing from barrel pogo and spring seat to a twin spring floating seat. Different front spring brackets, bearing upgrades in gearbox, overheating problems were cured by orienting fins on cylinder head from side to side to fore and aft for better cooling. Rocket science! The magneto was upgraded to a Splitdorff 5, and the charging dynamo was upgraded for lighting.
The Scouts have some idiosyncrasies. First off, you have to give them time to train you properly on how they like to be handled and manipulated. Kind of like my first girlfriend, there is a cadence of sequences that they adhere to! To start with, you have to readjust your mindset. Why? Well, let’s start with the right hand jockey shift, not so bad, right? Ok, what about the throttle you let go of to shift? Oh, that’s right, the throttle is on the left. No problem, but I can’t get my right hand to stop throttling – force of habit, I guess. The throttle I’m used to is now a spark advance. Slapping the back of my right hand has not stopped my involuntary right hand crank! About that left hand throttle – don’t turn left too sharply or the end of the either bar hits the point or forward part of the seat and suddenly changes your voice to a much higher octave. It’s a real gonad getter, steering stop. Yes, but only once!!
On to less significant issues – braking, don’t grab for that hydraulic front brake lever - no use, it doesn’t have one - much less a big disc up front – none. So back to the brake – yes it’s a gnarly 1” wide asbestos band brake – like the old emergency brake on a 1948 Dodge that is around the drive shaft. Rear brake has a minimal contact area on the brake hub. I’m afraid it’s very minimal and I’m not sure I can even lock it up.
Brake pedal is on the right floorboard adjacent to the exhaust header pipe. How convenient. Heat up your soles in case the brake doesn’t stop you, maybe the hot sticky boot bottom will. Never give up hope! Meanwhile back at the controls – clutch, yep right again, no lever on bars, so down to left floorboard clutch pedal – forward to disengage clutch (out of gear) – backward to engage clutch. Toe to go – heel to peel! Exactly the opposite of Harley-Davidson (coincidence, I think not). Fortunately, the starting sequence is not that difficult to figure out once you realize the planets have to line up, hold your mouth just right, engage that ratchet gear and kick it over. In reality, my little Indian starts 1st or 2nd kick if I do the right sequence which I will not disclose here (sacred knowledge). Anyway, all bikes start differently.
So why bother, you might ponder? So did I. But after a little over two years of restoration, parts hunting, many wampum, and encouragement from others, I can now ride a 103 year old motorcycle that will outlast me and live for another 100 years as a rider, not a museum exhibit. And also, when I ride to the bar, it keeps me within my half beer limit so I can still concentrate on safe operation and lower my risk factor! It’s a very busy bike to operate.
I purchased the Indian at an auction in Las Vegas. As auctioned, it was a “pig with lipstick”. I took it down to bare metal, checked all welds, and bead blasted. Reassembling, I used modern rims not clinch rims for my rider. Elsewhere, I used NOS parts when available. I had the motor, gearbox, original carb, magneto, and generator rebuilt. The project was completed with all metal finished with nickel and chrome as appropriate.
Parts were sourced from Springfield, Mass, Pacific northwest, Sweden, Poland, El Mira, California and Iowa, among other sources. Paint consisted of two-part poly paint, hand painted logo script and double pinstriping. The Scout was rebuilt with most factory upgrades from ’20 –’27 for better performance and reliability.
Oh, by the way, don’t forget where the steering stops are located!
June
1955 Triumph TR5
By Jerry Meadows
I acquired this motorcycle in 2009 while helping the late Phil Anderson’s widow try to liquidate a widow’s nightmare, a multitude of motorcycles in various forms, complete motorcycles, partial motorcycles, wrecked motorcycles, junk motorcycles, and any other kind of motorcycle you can think of. In addition to the motorcycles, there were tons of motorcycle parts, vehicles, large construction equipment, tons of slot machine parts and other assorted treasures that were left when he passed. If you knew Phil and had been to the ranch, you are familiar with what was left.
The Triumph TR5 was one of the lucky motorcycles to be stored in his large barn rather than a “weed” bike that was stored outside. It was basically all there. I had not restored a Triumph before and thought it may be fun to try, so I did. Phil had been in the process of restoring it and many parts were in boxes, but the bike was fairly complete.
It is a very unique machine because it has aluminum cylinders with closely spaced fins. The original motor design was used as an auxiliary power unit for the Lancaster bombers during World War II. The first auxiliary power motors were square finned motors until they ran out and switched to round cylinders.
I took the bike down to the frame and did a ground up restoration. The frame was powder coated by Altizer Powder Coating. Alan Mathers at Accent Auto Body performed the metal repairs and Larry Walker did the paint. Chrome was done by Meclec.
Being it was my first Triumph restoration, I was unfamiliar with the wicked push rod tubes. I figured out that there are about 18 points that can leak on the Triumph top end as compared to 3 on a BSA A65. I believe I solved most of the leaks but the push rod tubes were a pain.
It is an awesome ride and the push rod tubes are not currently leaking.
July
1963 BSA Rocket Gold Star
By Sam Whiteside
Hi, everyone. This may turn out to be a read about 2 or 3 BSAs, not 1 as requested, but they are connected in my riding history, so it’s all here. This is more about the last 20 years of my bike ownership than an analysis of the machines themselves.
I remember visiting friends in the UK somewhere around the late 1980’s and buying a classic motorcycle magazine at Heathrow Airport for the return journey. The front cover had a great picture of a BSA RGS and a Goldstar on it and that took me back to my teen years when we all had motorcycles as daily transport. No cars! I was a year or two too young for the end years of the British Twins, but all the older-brother aged kids had them. My introduction to bikes was an 80cc Suzuki!.
That magazine reminded me that some day I would need to own a BSA twin and a Goldstar. A lot of years later, that has happened – several times! In 2002 I decided that it was time to buy a Classic. I had not ridden for a lot of years, but was ready to return, especially with the great riding roads around Carson Valley and the Sierra. I needed a birthday present. A chance conversation by the photocopier in my office, in reply to a question from one of the staff asking what I was doing for my birthday and hearing “buy a motorcycle”, immediately got the answer “my husband has a lovely BSA for sale”. I bought it the same day as an A10 finished to look like an RGS. I still have it and it turned out to be a great bike. The usual ongoing repairs etc., but altogether a real marvelous machine.
The same year, 2002, I heard about the sale in Portland of the Sandy Bandit business assets. Several hundred British Classics and many truckloads of parts. I investigated, heard that there were several Goldstars, bought a plane ticket, rented a car and arrived at the warehouse where it was all being held and bought a hard-used Catalina Scrambler. Flew home, borrowed a p/u truck and drove back to get it. I didn’t plan to ride in the dirt, so it slowly became a Clubman with the help of all the experts I could find, as I had no idea how to do the mechanical work. So, it turned into the question of how much I had to spend. Looking back the 20 years it all was a real bargain!
A brief aside – I had unloaded the GS in my driveway at home and was giving it a look-over. A neighbor from 4 homes away drove by, stopped and said” I have one of those in my shop. Do you want to buy it?“ Of course, that became my 2nd GS. A story for another time.
So, dismantling the GS was like you all have done with your projects. Clean, assess, replace, repair. Easier said than done. The frame went to a frame expert, who took out/filled the dings, added tabs and brackets and returned it ready for powder coat as a Clubman-type frame. That was easy for me! A friend introduced me to Dick Mann, who conveniently had a large GS tank, a TLS front wheel on a Borrani rim, both of which I bought and he volunteered to change the scrambler gear box ratios which he could use for his off-road bike builds, for street ones. A good deal! The tank went to Ross Thompson in Canada for dent removal, rechroming and internal sealing. The rim, brake and another Borrani rear went to Buchanan’s for building.
The engine was in rough shape. I had heard/read about Phil Pearson in England, he being one of the best GS people around. So, I got a carpenter friend to build a big box and the whole thing went on a long UK vacation returning a year later with a Pearson crank and all Phil’s expertise for a 100% rebuild including mag/dyno service, cosmetic treatment and accessories. Also bought one of his Suzuki clutch conversions – a great idea. By the end of the project, it had a new GP carb, Mega cycle cams and a real nice deep blue tank – not the usual GS silver. I just preferred the blue. Since then, I have 11,400 miles on it and it was my usual ride until I was lucky enough to find the Vincent project that has since been my main bike.
All this time, the A10 RGS look-alike got regular use and turned out to be very comfortable, reliable and a treat to ride, with the exception of the 10:1 pistons the previous owner had installed and its need for high octane gas. I suppose I could change them for something softer. The previous owner had sold it because he became tired of the mosquito fogger smoke he left behind him following a rebore by a local expert, that didn’t work out. It was reassembled using the original piston rings that didn’t really seal. No surprise. I found that out by measuring and replacing the rings and it has been well ever since.
The A10 has the large GS tank and Siamese exhaust. It’s a great looking and riding bike and rarely has let me down, with the exception of a few magneto overheats requiring rebuild and one very messy event where the timing side crankshaft bush failed while I was riding in Markleeville. This is a common problem. The SoCal Norton Club ride was going through there at the time and one rider pointed to the large puddle under the A10. It had pumped all the engine oil out the breather during my ice cream break. The Markleeville store had 3 quarts of oil for sale, so I took them. Put 2 in the engine and started for home in Minden followed by the same Norton rider. The 3rd quart went in about 15 miles later on the 25 mile ride. The other rider went ahead and bought me 2 more quarts, which more or less was all gone by the time we reached my driveway. Most of the oil was on my legs and in my boots and the rear tire was dripping. A rebuild with a new bush was done and all has been well since.
For the past 20 years, my winter vacation has been 3 or 4 days at the Mid America and Mecum Auctions in Las Vegas. I bid on a few bikes over the years but didn’t make high bid on any of them. In 2019, there was a very nice Rocket Gold Star that I talked myself into buying. I didn’t quite get there though. I was high bid, but there must have been a reserve - don’t remember, but there was no sale. I checked with the No Sale corral, but heard the price the seller wanted and was not willing to go there.
Went back in 2020 with my friend Bob, who managed to buy a couple of his bikes. The same RGS was there on sale. I guess the auction must have warehoused it for a year and brought it back with lower expectations. With Bob and another friend’s encouragement/peer pressure I made high bid on the RGS for about $3000 less that previously and it got delivered a few days later. At the auction, one of the classic world’s true experts declared it a “good one”, all correct and proper. Peer pressure made the other friend buy a GS!
Unbelievable or not, in front of Bob and 2 other witnesses, the bike started immediately on 1 kick after priming the carb and since has been 100% reliable (except for the primary chain breaking while I left the Walker BBQ in a hurry last year). Not often the story on auction bikes that are cosmetically perfect, but seriously lacking mechanically.
My previous home before Minden NV, was Toronto in Canada. The RGS was sold at McBride Cycle in Toronto when new. I had visited that shop several times, but not during the classic years. They had an upstairs riders lounge where you could hang out and watch the TT and other racing on their TV. A great, old-time dealership that unfortunately closed shop about 15 years ago. I’m pleased to have their sticker on the RGS fender.
The RGS rides smoothly, is easy to start with the manual advance/retard lever and a not too strenuous kick. It has the RRT2 gearbox with a very high first gear, then 3 close ratio ones. It takes a long clutch release to get started and you will probably be doing 20mph or so before its all the way out. If you want, you could get close to 50+ mph in 1st, but that’s not too kind. The other 3 ratios are really nice to use. With regular BSA touring type bars, the riding position is comfortable compared to the GS clip ons. There is about 2” rise to them. The A10 has flat Vincent type bars. So, I have choices of how much wrist strain I want for the day!
I think all of these BSAs are OK up to about 60mph for highway riding. You need that speed on the GS to take some of the weight off your wrists. Beyond 60 I get anxious about long distance, steady speed riding. The early UK days was short distance riding, town to town or to work and school. I don’t like planning much more than 50 miles on the highway if I can avoid it. The highways are boring anyway and I prefer Monitor pass and other Sierra roads which these bikes are perfect for, although performance suffers above 8000 feet. No surprise there. I have Avon Speedmaster and GP tires on all the bikes. The GS may handle a little easier – probably lower engine weight, I’m not sure why. But they all deliver a big fun ride. I have probably been over Monitor 20 or more times a year for the past 20 years – many of those on a BSA. Not this year, though.
In closing, I have no regrets about any of these great bikes. They are exactly what I wanted all those years ago and do not disappoint in any way. If someone offers you a ride on one, add it to your experiences!
Some of you may be familiar with Mike Tyler’s great Mighty Garage YouTube channel. I recommend his 4 NV Road trip videos which show the 3 BSAs in action with really good videography and commentary.
August
1981 Suzuki TS 185
By Rick James
Approximately 5 years ago there was a sale at a house off of Pyramid Highway where there were dozens of bikes all piled up on top of each other in the dirt. The condition of most of them would be described as terrible at best. This bike caught my eye. I grabbed it and paid Jerry Meadows $20 for it, as he was in charge of the sale. I had never heard of or seen this model, but I've always liked the factory "enduros", so I brought it home and added it to my collection. I learned that there aren't many of these around and some parts were discontinued, not available. After a little searching around I came across an online dealer who would order parts for you from the factory and ship it to you. Apparently, this bike was chosen for the home market and Suzuki was still producing parts for it, 42 years later! For example, I was able to purchase a new carburetor directly from the factory! I went through my usual restoration process of sandblasting the frame and painting it in PPG gloss black acrylic enamel, then the body parts were painted PPG base coat clear coat light blue. All of the hardware was bead blasted and zinc plated, new cables and levers, tires, chroming, etc. The stripes are not what the USA bikes came with, these are for European models. I liked them better, and they would still be correct for this model, so I used them instead of what came on the bike originally. The bike had a broken piston so I rebuilt the engine and transmission. It came standard with oil injection, so I made sure it was working correctly, no premix! Finally, the day came to start it up and ride it! It ran great and there were only minor adjustments needed. It runs better than I anticipated! It's fairly quiet with the stock exhaust and I was surprised at the power! I was told that because this is a "reed valve" model, it runs more like a 250. I've ridden it for 35 miles now, breaking it in slowly. Lots of fun!
September
1949 Cushman Series 60
By Robert Conn
So, there it was, stuffed into and hanging out of the trunk of my dad’s 62 Pontiac Bonneville, the one that thrust me into the realm of motorcycle madness, my first powered vehicle on two wheels. All in all it wasn’t much different from my push scooter, but it had a seat and the brake worked with about the same efficiency.
I must have been a good boy and behaved well that dark and stormy day I became the proud 14 year old owner of a 1949 Cushman Series 60 step through scooter. It was most likely bright red but certainly not apparent as the corrosive Gulf Coast air had long since eaten the paint completely away and had eaten various other metal parts as well. But I have to say the “patina” matched well with the brown primer that was still on it. We unloaded it as I realized that my life was changed forever.
After many trials and tribulations expanding my mechanical knowledge, I finally got the cast iron, 2 piece, 4HP motor to stomp start and run. It continued to run bulletproof until a couple of years later when I spun the keyway on the crankshaft. I didn’t have money to repair it, so back to where it came from, full circle to the junk yard for scrap. Dad had bought it for the price of scrap metal and I sold it for the same. I don’t remember the amounts but I’ll never forget my self-taught, learning curve crash tests. It’s dirt bike capabilities honed by running across the veggie garden, racing my next door neighbor against his 7HP Cushman Pacer. We had a rural road straight as an arrow for almost a 1/2 mile, dead man’s curve on the end and a T-intersection on the other. It took all of it to wind up the centrifugal clutch to be all it could be, about 51mph, me lying stretched out over the turtle deck (Rollie Free) style. Clad In blue jean cutoffs, bare feet, shirtless with head down between the handlebars. Of course, there was no helmet law back then!
After I had “honed” my racing skills, I would head out into the pasture nearby with my trusty steed and hunt for rabbits, rats, and critters with my single-shot 22 caliber rifle which rested quite nicely in the crossbar.
I rode that scooter a few times to high school in 68-69, about 12 miles away, but parked in the back of the student lot. I’d run past the bike parking lot (Triumph, BSA, Ducati) past the muscle cars (Mustang, Firebird, Camaros) out to my scooter, with 1 or 2 kickstomps ---- I was on my way on my not so manly machine--- but then again I was only a boy having the thrill of my life … (before sex). How blessed I was to have my eyes opened by that little scooter!!
Here's a few stats and company data for a Series 60 Cushman step through 1949
Weight - 210lbs
Engine - 4HP 2 piece cast iron
Lubrication - oil slinger
Rear Suspension - rigid
Front Suspension - telescopic with springs
Brake - rear only, drum with expanding shoes
Lighting - generator, high/low switch
Top Speed - 51mph
Clutch - single speed centrifugal
Tire size – 12 in. with steel rims.
Made from 1936 – 65.
Cusham started building engines in 1901 then built scooters as a new product for the engine. In WW2, they supplied the military with designs for parachute drops. 1949 was first year Series 60 Step Through. Later on, they developed the Eagle series. In 1950 it evolved into a 9HP aluminum OHC engine. Cushman also built Trucksters and Golf Carts.
Rumors are, the Club President and VP (George with Cushman and Rodd with Powell) have been challenged by this offer to a full on lag race at a future date TBA – others welcome. That’s right ladies and gents ... step right up and place your bets!!
October
1981 Laverda 3C
By Yoram Bronicki
I have a list and I am working through it. The Laverda 3C made the list in the summer of ’85.
I just finished a high school that made a military school seem like kindergarten, and lived the next three months in Paris, spending my mornings in French school for adults, playing tennis in the afternoon and doing some BASIC programming for a retired French electrical engineer in between. With a draft date in Nov of 85, there were some clouds on the horizon, but they were a few months away and I did my best to enjoy life in the vibrant metropolis called Paris. I also fell in love, twice, once in school and once on the way to school.
As a friend commented a few years later, Paris was the “city of motorcycles”, they were everywhere, in all sizes and from all brands and were used daily, certainly compared to where I came from. Being a densely built city, many people didn’t have access to a garage, so motorcycles were parked in the streets and very visible.
On my walk from my grandfather’s condo, just past the bakery where I would buy my baguette or croissant, was parked a 3-cylinder Laverda. It has been so long ago that the image that was etched in my mind was still in B&W, but every morning I would stop for a few minutes and admire the bike with its muscular cylinder barrels and the low handlebars that to me just meant business. Sometimes I would even see the owner in shorts and open-heeled sandals (it was summer in Paris, after all) get on his bike and, I think, fire it up.
I have never seen such a bike, and it will be many years before I saw one again but there was something about it, a certain presence, that I found irresistible. Some vehicles seem to “shrink” over time and look smaller today, yet to me the Laverda retained its captivating, almost intimidating, stance throughout the years.
I decided to try and rekindle that love in the fall of 2016 but it took me another three years to buy one. My concerns were mostly around spare part availability and finding someone who is able and willing to work within a reasonable radius of Reno. In the end desire took hold and despite all the potential red flags and advice from other riders who told me that the bike isn’t that great, I went ahead and bought one off eBay.
To the best of my knowledge the bike started life as a 1981 3C which was the standard model but has been converted to Jota (the high-performance version) specs mostly through the all-important 4C cams that alter the character of the engine. It had one owner for 18 years who made most of the modifications and rode it for 69,000 miles but then it changed hands twice between owners who only rode only a few hundred miles between them.
My Laverda is one of the last 180-degree engines which means that two of the three pistons fire together and the third fires at 180 degree rotation. Those who can hear it (not me), say that at idle the engine sounds like an out of tune inline four, as you rev it up there is nothing wrong with its howl. The 180-degree models, started as right foot shifter but were later converted using a factory crossover kit to left foot shifting to allow them to be sold in the US. Many owners, including one of the previous owners of my bike, converted them back to right foot shift. I prefer a left foot shift and sourced a factory kit from Wolfgang Haerter whose shop was visited by our president a few years ago. Other than that the ignition system was changed to a more modern version and basic maintenance (fluids, valve clearance and tires) was made.
With the travel restrictions of 2020 and 2021 it took me a year and a half to take my first ride on it. First rides are often exciting and not always in a good way, as sometimes I am the test rider that finds items yet to be completed and sometimes, I am the one that causes additional work to be done. As I was riding to get my customary photograph at the Geiger Summit I noticed that the gear change was occasionally binding especially between 1st and 2nd gear. Not having ridden one before, I ascribed it to yet another Italian idiosyncrasy and decided to soldier on. I made it home alright, but fiddled with it some and took it on another test ride. Downshifting before the last light I managed to break the end of the linkage, fortunately, while sill stuck in second gear and on a descending slope to my house. Once home it became clearer to me why it was binding, and the repair wasn’t too difficult. It shifts well now.
Since that first ride, I have done a few hundred miles on it (an embarrassment, I know) and found a few more things that had to be addressed.
What is it like? It is a big bike, both heavy and top heavy so at very low speed the rider needs to be very focused. I am not always that rider! and sometimes I go slow when I need to go fast, like when I was backing off the U-Haul trailer after the DMV’s VIN inspection. I got off balance coming down the ramp and cracked the nose fairing on the trailer’s railing. Another comical moment was pushing it up a slope in my street shoes, I lost momentum trying to push it uphill and as I was trying to “put some mustard on it” my foot came out of my shoe. Fortunately, John saw me and came to my help.
The bike came without a side stand which is an accident waiting to happen. I sourced an aftermarket side stand that works with the right shifting bike but with Jerry Liggett’s help I was able to modify it to work with the crossover mechanism as well.
But when it gets going… maybe you can’t tell that this was once the fastest bike in serial production, and I probably don’t want to take it there, but it is a pleasure to ride. It is a joy to ride it on the VC highway or coming down from the Yuba Pass on CA 49, the brakes are reasonable (for that period), the clutch pull is manageable, the travel on left foot shift may be on the long side, but the gearbox is precise and smooth. I am a relatively tall rider, so the riding position is very comfortable for me.
As with other classic Italian sport bikes, the design brief called for the riders to adjust themselves to the bike, and not the other way around (see the Cycle World review of the Moto Guzzi Le Mans) but other than the size issue, I find the Laverda an easier and more enjoyable ride than the Moto Guzzi Le Mans 3 and to me it exudes design and build quality. The fact that it was loved and cared for by its long-term owner helps as well, and I hope to do the same.
p.s. The 180-degree 3C was replaced in 1982 by the 120-degree 3C that after a very short production run was replaced by the RGS. I rode about 2000 miles on an RGS in the past few months and I am anxious to get reacquainted with my 3C and see how the two compare. My money is on the 3C.
November
1974 Kawasaki KX 125
By Rodd Lighthouse
My father was a Honda and Yamaha dealer in Winnemucca from 1968 to 1972. During those years, Honda and Yamaha did not offer a full-blown motocross bike. Yamaha made a 125 MX, AT-1 MX, one year, but it was basically an enduro model with a few performance parts added. Motocross was still a fairly new sport in the US during that period and competitors basically modified their street legal machines to compete in MX.
By 1974, all the major Japanese manufacturers (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha) were producing motorcycles made for MX competition in the 125cc displacement category, including several European firms such as Bultaco, CZ, and Husqvarna to name a few. It was this same year that a small automotive repair shop in Winnemucca, Ron’s Auto Clinic, began selling Kawasaki motorcycles including the Kawasaki KX motocrossers. I remember all the scuttle about how fast the new Kawasaki’s were when they first arrived in town, it was an exciting time.
During this era, MX technology was taking place at a rapid rate. As time went on, I started racing motorcycles and you had to purchase a new bike every year or two just to keep up with your competitors. The old bikes were sold to help fund the new bikes and they were never to be found again. That is unless you did not race.
This KX was originally purchased by a friend of mine, Jim Ayer, who was a grade ahead of me. Jim was not a racer and consequently did not need to sell the KX to purchase a new bike to keep up with his competitors. He could have fun on his little bike without worrying about the competition which he continued to do until it finally quit running. When the little KX finally took its last breath, Jim parked it outside and left it to the elements.
Around 2014, I was thinking about my time growing up in Winnemucca and all the fun we had racing around the nearby hills and trails and wondered if Jim still had the KX. A quick drive through the Winnemucca Indian Colony with Dad confirmed that he did, the KX was spotted leaning against the side of a barn. At that time, I decided to knock on Jim’s door and the rest is history. I purchased the weather beaten, original and complete KX for $200.
After sitting in my backyard for another five years, in 2019 I decided to restore the KX to its former glory. The bike was completely dismantled, cleaned, repaired, polished, painted, plated and reassembled with the exception of the gas tank. Many NOS and aftermarket parts were sourced from eBay (seals, gaskets, bearings, connecting rod kit, piston and rings, cables, levers, sprockets, fuel cock, chain tensioner, gas cap, brake shoes, hardware and other odds and ends). Tires and tubes were purchased locally from Dynareno. Shock were sourced from Noleen, stainless steel spokes from Buchanan, and fenders and number plates from Nightmare Racing. Cylinder plating was performed by U.S. Chrome of Wisconsin, chrome plating by ABC Plating, zinc plating by All Metals Processing, powder coating by Altizer Powder Coating, pipe dent removal by Reno KTM, and upholstery by Audie’s Quality Upholstery.
To date, the KX has not been started, but I am hopeful to make it to a vintage race in the upcoming year to get the KX on the track where it should have been from the beginning. I am looking forward to seeing her compete in her first race.
December
1958 BSA A10 Golden Flash
By Jerry Meadows
I acquired this beautiful A10 in 1982 (earliest paperwork I can find) from my brother Jim who purchased it from the original owner’s widow including the paper-wrapped spare tire, all his original parts books, sales flyers, manuals and decoke factory gasket kits. I think the mileage was about 6,000. It was first registered in Nevada in 1959 for $2.50. At that time, we took photos of our baby, Tad, on the BSA.
I took it to a couple shows, rode around with “baby” Tad and did a few BSA rides and the Clubman show. I did nothing to it but change the oil and tires.
As I started riding more bikes I had restored, the A10 was relegated to the storage barn. I was recently talked into bringing it out of storage to show it again at the Ironstone Concours d’Elegance show in Murphys, California this last September. I entered the BSA in the original/unrestored class and took Best of Class. It is stunning with the blue tank badges which I have not seen on any other bike.
We recently, took photos of our little granddaughter, Maddison, to restage the original photo with Tad which was fun.
I kick myself for letting it be in the barn for 20 years. After pulling it out of the barn, the Golden Flash started up and purred like a kitten making me feel even more guilty. It has ALWAYS been an amazing ride and is now in the garage to be ridden on a more regular basis. The A10 currently has a bit over 13,000 miles on it.
I am currently restoring a 1960 A10 and if is half as good as the Golden Flash, I will be one happy guy.
