A BSA Built for the Island | Catalina Special

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From the April, 2011 issue of Motorcyclist
By Thad Wolff
Photography by Andrea Wilson, Joe Neric

This whole Catalina Grand Prix thing started when I was a kid, riding dirtbikes north of Los Angeles. I heard they used to race motorcycles over on that island that I could see from my favorite riding spots. Those racers must have had the time of their lives back in the ’50s, loading their bikes on a barge, hopping on the old Catalina Steamer and rolling into the little town of Avalon to race through the streets and off into the hills. The whole idea always seemed so cool to me.

Now fast forward to 2010. BSA built a Gold Star 500 single in ’59 and named it after the race in honor of Chuck Feets Minert’s win in ’56. The logo is really neat, with BSA Catalina Scrambler printed across an outline of the island. Having never been into old English bikes, I decided to turn a ’58 BSA A10 Super Rocket 650 into something similar. My twin would wear the Catalina Scrambler logo on top of its fuel tank, along with the words Twin Special... Read more

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1961 AJS 7R

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Via the great : www.vintagebike.co.uk

This ’61 7R, engine/frame number 4732, formerly raced by me and last seen in early 1972 when fitted with an Oldani brake and Kirby tank/fairing, was a lovely bike and I would very much like to trace its history and present whereabouts. Please do get in touch with any info.
Thanks.

* Manufacturer: AJS
* Model: 7R
* Engine: 350cc
* Year: 1961
* Decade: 1960s
* Machine Type: Race

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Kawasaki G4TR

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99cc. The G4TR was the evolution of the first rotary valve single cylinder Kawasaki's,starting with the little J1 85cc street bike in the early 1960's imported into the USA.It's roots are more akin to the GA and G3 series that came a bit later although.

 This was the first of the small singles (to the best of my knowledge) to use the aluminum cylinder with cast iron liner for superior cooling like it's bigger counterparts,the F3 "Bushwacker",F7 175,F8 250 "Bison", F5 350 "Bighorn" and it's racing brother the mighty-mite G31M (chrome bore).

 1970 was the first model year for the "Trail Boss" 100cc, 10 speed.The high/low ranges of the main 5 speed gearbox are selected by a lever on the left hand engine cover,eliminating the task of switching rear sprockets as was more common on earlier street-trail and enduro machines.

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Classic motorcycles roll into Caldwell this weekend

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More than 150 classic motorcycles and bicycles will be showcased at Sunday’s 35th annual Idaho Vintage Motorcycle Club Rally and Show. The rally takes place Saturday afternoon and the show runs from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at O’Connor Field House in Caldwell.

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Bonita Applebum

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Via the very cool site : www.pipeburn.com

Here's another bike from one of the new friends we made at the Deus Build-off. Please meet the very lovely Bonita Applebum and her old man, Pepe Luque.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born in Bolivia and migrated to Australia at the age of 2. I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney in a family of 7 in a small housing commission home (aka 'housos' to us westies). As you could imagine, I spent most of my time on the streets getting away from a cramped up houso, where we were fighting over every little thing.

Meanwhile, I had taken up skateboarding which till this day I still do and love. The rest of the time was spent modifying cars in my mother’s backyard, poor Mum! These mods were basically pulling out the piston motor and dropping in a rotary. Some of the cars were Gemini's 12a and 12a turbo, Datsun 1000 coupe 12a, 13b turbo, and a Ford Anglia (Harry Potter's car) 12a and so on...

In the meantime, while skating, I managed to pick up a few sponsors and a few speeding fines! I eventually moved out of the western 'burbs and I am currently working for a large private hospital on Sydney's North Shore as the Operating Theatre Prosthetic Inventory Co-ordinator.

Still skating biatches! I also love snowboarding, wakeskating, PS3 and anything to do with Apple Inc. I love building things and Bonita Applebum is my first ever bike build... Read more


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Just dreaming before the week-end

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all pictures copyright : Doug Klassen

and dont forget to visit his great blog : www.40on2.blogspot.com

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Honda 500 four : The Legend

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The Honda CB500 four, introduced early in the 1970s, was similarly styled to the CB750, but smaller and lighter, with an output of 48 bhp and a manufacturer's specified top speed of 102 mph.

Like the earlier CB750 it sported a single front hydraulic disc brake, rear drum brake, electric starter, and single overhead camshaft (SOHC) 8 valve engine. The 4 into 4 exhaust pipes made it easy to identify. It was thought to be a better handling bike than the larger model, although it weighed in at 420 lb (dry).

A number were raced in the Production TT races on the Isle of Man in the early 1970s. Bill Smith won the 1973 500cc TT Production race (4 laps) riding one, by only 8.2 seconds from second place Stan Woods mounted on a Suzuki T500 two stroke twin.

Unlike the earlier dry sump Honda CB750, the smaller bike has a wet sump engine. Also, the primary drives were different. The CB500 was the inspiration for the Benelli Sei, a 750cc six-cylinder motorcycle whose engine is clearly derived from this Honda.

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Classic Motocross

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Winterpick Farm, Horsham, West Sussex

Past Master Classic Motocross

Nikon D200 ,Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom

1/250s f/5.6 at 70.0mm iso200 full exif 

Winterpick Farm, Horsham, West Sussex

Past Master Classic Motocross

Nikon D200 ,Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom
1/250s f/5.6 at 65.0mm iso200 full exif

Winterpick Farm, Horsham, West Sussex

Past Master Classic Motocross

Nikon D200 ,Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom
1/80s f/5.6 at 38.0mm iso200 full exif 

All Images Copyright of Alex Winser Photography

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Staying in shape key for motocross riders

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By John Marshall, AP Sports Writer

Kick start the bike, twist the throttle, lean and lift. That's it. Actually, it's not.
Motocross and its indoor cousin Supercross are far more demanding than most people outside the sport can possibly imagine.
How difficult?

"If anyone goes to a track and runs as hard as they can for 20 minutes, that's what it's like," says Aldon Baker, a certified trainer who specializes in working with motorcycle athletes.
That leads to another misnomer: Motocross riders simply put down their beer and cigarettes, jump on the bike and ride... Read more


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1974 Yamaha OW13

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Sand cast magnesium inner and outer cases..titanium hardware including the kickstarter.

Front forks are works Kayaba. Lower legs are machined out of billet aluminum

Yamaha took great care to save weight where ever possible. A true "works" bike...

via : www.vintageworksbikes.com


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NORRA Mexican 1000

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Chilly White

2010 marked the beginning of a new era in Baja racing with the inaugural running of the "new" NORRA Mexican 1000 race for vintage vehicles. As the original organizers of the first Baja race back in the late 60's, NORRA set out to recapture both the look and feel of those groundbreaking days.

Racing the entire Baja peninsula with vintage motorcycles requires a special kind of competitor and attitude. The three-day stage format gave participants a chance to regroup each evening and prepare for the following day. Everyone involved lauded the rally format and inaugural event as a complete success.

For 2011, the Mexican 1000 is back again. This year's running will take place May 4-8, starting in Mexicali, racing the entire peninsula and finishing again in LaPaz. There are categories to accommodate both early and late model vintage motorcycles. These are further divided into large and small displacement classes.

NORRA is excited to announce the new "evolution" classes that will give even more people an easy way to participate. For over twenty years, the Honda XR line of motorcycles has been a staple of Baja riding and racing... Read more


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Dick Mann CB750 Race Replica

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Via : Deus Ex Machina

By 1970, Dick Mann had piloted a race-prepped Honda CB750 motorcycle into the winner's circle at Daytona, and the world of aftermarket hop-up equipment came alive.

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Vintage Road racing

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copyright Frank Tuttle : from tuttleimages.com 

Photo taken on July 30-2006, Ohio, États-Unis, camera : Canon EOS 20D.

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Retromobile Auction

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Via : http://mec-mecaniqueetconvictions.blogspot.com

At Retromobile, Porte de Versailles from 2 to 6 February, on the afternoon of Friday is traditionally dedicated to auctions. This year MEC and Brooklands Classic ARTCURIAL involved in the sale offering some motorcycles character from the usual tide of exceptional cars.

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Steve McQueen's California ranch for sale

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The "King of Cool" apparently found a measure of peace in Santa Paula, Calif., where he could stash his collection of cars, planes, and motorcycles, and the locals didn't seem to think it was such a big deal that a legendary movie star was living in their midst.

Steve McQueen had largely turned away from Hollywood when he settled in the town, about 75 miles northwest of Los Angeles, in 1979. Drawn there, according to biographers, by the town's reputation as the vintage-plane capital of America, the tough-boy icon purchased a nearby 15.5-acre ranch (see slide show below) with an 1892 cottage and a 4,500-square-foot hangar that he stuffed with dirt bikes, Indian motorcycles and rare sports cars. Via : www.themovechannel.com

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