Tabla de contenidos para March/April 2021 en Motorcycle Classics

1985-1987 Cagiva Alazzurra 650 If Alejandro deTomaso was Guzzi’s white knight, Ducati had two: Cagiva’s Castiglioni brothers. The biggest bikemaker in Italy at the time, Cagiva bought Ducati in 1985 to consolidate its engine supply. One of their first Ducati-engined models was the 1985 Alazzurra. Developed from Ducati’s 1983 650 Pantah, the Alazzurra used the same SOHC Desmo L-twin engine and Dell’Orto PHF36 carbs, but with revised cams and a new dry clutch. Ignition was Bosch electronic. The power unit fitted into a similar Verlicchi fame with less radical bodywork, connected to a 35mm Marzocchi fork, adjustable rear shocks and 18-inch Oscam alloy wheels with triple 260mm disc brakes. Rider magazine noted that “The new Cagiva 650 Alazzurra is better and less expensive than either of its Ducati predecessors.” Testers…

Some people are left money, farms or houses by their parents, but Robert Freeman inherited something far more valuable — a passion for motorcycles. And not just any motorcycle. His pride and joy is the BMW R50S that he has owned from new. Robert’s father, Cyril, was a personal butler to Sir Norman Watson, who headed up the Heston Aircraft Company and developed ski resorts in Canada. Being a gentleman’s gentleman obviously paid well because in early 1938, Cyril bought a new R5 from AFN Limited of Isleworth, Middlesex, England, the BMW importer who also sold the German manufacturer’s cars under the Frazer Nash-BMW brand. One of the best motorcycles money could buy, the 490cc overhead-valve R5 was based on the supercharged OHC 500 used by Ernst Henne in 1936…

Fifty years ago this July, motorcycling experienced a rebirth in America, if not the world. That midsummer month is when, in 1971, Bruce Brown’s movie On Any Sunday premiered on the big screen, in the process changing the sport — and industry — of motorcycling forever. After years of suffering Hollywood’s steady stream of low-budget, B-grade biker flicks that depicted motorcycles and motorcyclists in a dark and dreary light, Brown’s documentary lit up the silver screen in a refreshing, even magical, way. Gone were those brawny brawling bikers, replaced by real people with a genuine affection for motorcycling. The movie’s ensemble of characters included the entire Class C brigade of professional Expert-class warriors who chased the Number One plate every year in pursuit of the AMA’s coveted Grand National Championship;…

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Croz, up close and personal in practice for the 1979 Isle of Man Formula 1 TT. After my fifth place the year before in the Formula 3 TT, I’d stepped up a league to a one-liter P&M Kawasaki, and was grappling with riding round the TT Course on something three times more powerful than ever before. Nearing the end of an evening practice lap, I was outbraked into Signpost Corner by this guy with a big Bel-Ray panel on the back of his leathers aboard a blue and yellow Formula 1 bike, who then proceeded to showboat to the assembled spectators by standing it on its back wheel practically all the way down to Bedstead Corner. “Bloody cowboy!” I remember muttering to…

3/5 This year marks the 80th Anniversary of Daytona Bike Week, which runs March 5-14, in Daytona Beach, Florida. The racing kicks off on Saturday night, March 6, with the Daytona Supercross. The2020 Daytona 200 takes place on Saturday, March 13. For more info, schedules and specific locations of activities visittthe Bike Week site. On the web at officialbikeweek.com 4/9 Join in the fun at The Possum Motorcycle Gathering show and swap meet, open to all motorcycles and parts 35 years and older, April 9-10, at the Sevier County fairgrounds, Sevierville, Tenn., in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. There will be six judged classes, free admission and show entry. Plenty of restaurants, motels, entertainment, and some of the best motorcycling roads in the U.S. are all here._Limited on site…

By and large, motorcycle racers are a likable lot. As a former racer myself I know that racers generally have many friends, even in low places. One such place is The Wreck, a lovable dive bar with a colorful history in Lake Elsinore, California, also home to the legendary Elsinore Grand Prix. Stand curbside at 120 W. Graham Avenue in Lake Elsinore and when you gaze across the street at The Wreck you’ll also catch an eyeful of what’s officially known as the Elsinore Grand Prix Tribute Mural. The mural, painted by muralist Robin Golden, stretches about 80 feet across The Wreck’s front wall. As the name suggests, the mural celebrates the race that gained notoriety in the movie On Any Sunday 50 years ago. The nonprofit organization Studio 395,…

“I made a big mistake after reading the article on restoring a CL350.” Rebuilding the CL350 I have been meaning to write since I received the September/October issue of MC with the BMW on the cover. That was a particularly good issue. The indepth history of the Ducati 750 and the article on the Honda CL350 were my favorites. Bob Sheehan/Nederland, Colorado More CL350 love I made a big mistake a few days ago after reading the article on restoring a Honda CL350 in your September/October issue: I told my 16 year old son about it!_Now he’s combing Facebook Marketplace for derelicts, and I’m getting very willingly sucked in to it!_Problem is, an old beater in his price range is next to impossible to find._ Any pointers on where I…

Since this magazine’s inception, its motto has been Ride ’Em, Don’t Hide ’Em. It’s right there, over the Motorcycle Classics title on the cover of every issue. Jeff Thompson of British Columbia, Canada, subscribes to that theory, as the machines in his collection get routine use. But, in the case of his 1968 Honda CB160 seen here, that motto could be changed to Flog ’Em, Don’t Hide ’Em. While he’ll ride the CB160 on the winding roads around his Kelowna property, it’s a bike he enjoys using annually at the Rocky Mountain MotoGiro. Designed for motorcycles 1969 and older and 250cc and less, this MotoGiro consists of a 186-mile endurance ride and a timed 6.8-mile hill climb. According to Thompson, “The MotoGiro is a real test for machines, and for…

In 1811, explorer David Thompson of the Northwest Company set out to map the Columbia River from its source in the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean. No doubt, at the end of a hard day’s travel, he and his party would have welcomed soaking in an outdoor hot tub.. And while I have no evidence that Thompson actually visited any of the region’s hot springs, it seems pretty likely his party would have taken advantage of those they found. British Columbia’s interior is dotted with mineral springs heated by subterranean magma, and I plan to try a few. Southern British Columbia shares much of its history and geography with the Pacific Northwest U.S. The Coast Range extends north into British Columbia, as do the Cascade Mountains, while the Rockies form…

To visit the official MV Agusta museum, you don’t head towards this famous motorcycle manufacturer’s current factory in Varese, Italy. After you get off the plane at Milan’s Malpensa airport, you only need to travel a few miles east to the town of Cascina Costa di Samarate. There an elegant estate hosts a range of significant and rare MV Agustas that shares space with the business that financed the racing and bike building, Agusta helicopters. With more than 3,000 international race wins, 38 world rider’s titles and 37 manufacturer’s championships, MV Agusta was a powerhouse of Grand Prix racing for three decades. Unlike its rivals from across Europe and Japan, MV existed primarily to go racing. It regarded the production of road motorcycles a distraction. It could do this because…

In the 1960s, you could get old American motorcycles for next to nothing. The few eccentrics who were interested in these twowheelers amassed huge parts stashes for less than the rent on a warehouse to store them. By the late 1970’s, enough people were collecting American bikes to start prices climbing, but older British and European motorcycles, and parts for them, could be picked up by enthusiasts for cheap. Time went on, and by the turn of the millennium, prices for classic American motorcycles were often five and six figures, with British bikes not that far behind. At which point, collectors discovered Japanese classics — that is, some Japanese classics. Looking back Somehow, while older Hondas have acquired a following, Yamaha 650 twins from the 1970s can still be bought…

“Brass drain tubes crack when water in the gasoline freezes and splits the tube.” Gauge rebuilders Q: I have a 1981 Suzuki GS750L that I’m rebuilding for the 3rd time. I need to get the tachometer and speedometer rebuilt. Could you suggest a company here in the U.S.? Steven Rondeau/via email A: I didn’t know of any offhand so I had to search a bit and found this fellow who specializes in Suzuki speedometers. Contact him and see what he has to offer. I hope this helps: gaugerestore.webs.com Help this reader Q: Hello Keith, I have a Rumi Formichino scooter that needs a crankshaft rebuild (seals and bearings). Do you know anyone in the U.S. who can do this? Thanks in advance. Joe Mensch/via email A: While I have seen…

Northern California’s San Francisco Peninsula separates San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean, with San Francisco at the northern tip and the Santa Cruz mountains extending south. Think giant redwoods, beautiful scenery, great roads, a rich history, tremendous wealth and awesome riding. This magnificent destination is but a short hop south from San Francisco. It is an amazing loop through the Santa Cruz Mountains and along the Pacific Coast. The area is surprisingly rural for a location so close to San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Take I-280 south from San Francisco for 30 miles and exit at the sign for Woodside. The loop consists of SR 84 west to Woodside, SR 35 north, SR 92 west, SR 1 south (the Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH), and then SR 84 east…

By the mid-1970s, new owner Alejandro de Tomaso had consolidated Moto Guzzi’s finances and market position with solid sales of 750cc/850cc street standard and sport bikes. But seeing opportunities in the mid-size ket, he also planned a new mar-motorcycle series starting with a tax-friendly 350cc c bike for Italy, within a range that could be grown to 750cc. deTomaso turned to designer The Lino Tonti to create a lighter, more brou modern, and less expensive motorcycle while retaining the familiar longitudinal V-twin layout. Tonti responded with a new design that echoed existing full-size Guzzis, but was much better suited to mass-production. And with the Mandello plant already at full capacity, frames would be made at Maserati in Modena, powertrains at the old Innocenti plant in Milan, with final assembly at…

The Rocky Mountain MotoGiro pays homage to the Motogiro d’Italia, an event that began in Italy in 1914 and reached its peak of popularity in the mid-1950s before it was halted in 1957 due to safety concerns. There are now several Motogiro-style events around the world that highlight the use of small-bore vintage machines, but current Rocky Mountain MotoGiro organizer Jim Kelsall says this western Canadian example offers some of the best motorcycling roads available — just about anywhere. “These are interesting roads with many twists and turns, interesting elevation changes and simply drop-dead gorgeous scenery,” Jim explains. Working closely with the Village of Nakusp in western British Columbia, the Rocky Mountain MotoGiro is hosted by the Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group’s Rocky Mountain Section. The event can loosely trace its…

Few motocross bikes enjoy as colorful a history as Husqvarna’s 400 Cross. The production-based motocross racer, powered by its all-new 396cc 2-stroke single-cylinder engine, began life in 1969, winning the first of two consecutive 500cc World Championships in the capable hands of Swedish legend Bengt Aberg. Success also followed Malcolm Smith and Gunnar Nilsson who shared riding duties aboard a specially prepped 400 Cross to win the 1971 Baja 1000, and that same year a 400 Cross propelled Mark Blackwell to become America’s first official motocross Open-class national champion when he edged Brad Lackey by one point as top American in the Trans-AMA Series. The 400 Cross legend expanded that same year when two 400s were among the marquee stars of a full-length feature film that summer; most recently one…

It’s been just more than 40 years since 24-year-old New Zealander Graeme Crosby entered 500GP racing as a member of the factory Suzuki team run by their British importers, Heron Suzuki. His arrival on the U.K. racing scene in 1979 had caused a sensation — as much because of the bike he was riding, the unfaired, upright Kawasaki Z1B Superbike with hi-rise bars, prepared by Japan’s small and then unknown Moriwaki handle-concern. Remember, major league Superbike racing had only just been invented in the U.S. three years earlier, with the running of the first ever Daytona Superbike race in 1976, so there had been no time for the concept of high-‘barred naked-but-unashamed monster 4-strokes to migrate to Europe. Anyway, Britain’s ACU had invented TT Formula 1 in 1977, with tuned…

This is a short story of a motorcycle that is not exactly what it appears to be. Indeed what is pictured is Red Eliason (more on that name later), an American bitsa (a custom). It is a collection of parts, gathered together with imagination and a sense of adventure, to create a modern street-legal, period-type dirt tracker. The purists can take a deep breath and relax, knowing that no collectible was butchered to gain the end result. The bones of this custom form an amalgam of sorts: A rigid frame from a 1937 Indian Sport Scout married to 1942 (?) Indian Sport Scout mechanicals. An ideal candidate for a custom is a nonmatching frame and mechanicals. But here’s the winter twist, an even better reason for building this custom red…

We’re deep into winter here in the Midwest, a stage in the annual cycle (no pun intended) of things where I typically find myself knuckling down on pressing two-wheeled projects to get them done by spring. “Pressing” being something of a generous term, because if I just wanted to go riding there are plenty of competent, modern machines I could buy to carry me with ease from wherever I am to wherever I desire to go. Desire, of course, is the motivating force in old bike ownership, and clearly I enjoy the process of getting whatever bike I’m focused on up and going as much as I enjoy actually going down the road. It’s a trip of its own kind and something of a habit, as well, as the projects…

MOTORCYCLE JOURNEYS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA Whether considering an ocean-to-ocean cross-country journey, a vacation ride through the Canadian Rockies, a full-length tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway, or an ambitious Four-Corners ride, Motorcycle Journeys Through North America provides the “bigidea” guidance every rider needs to plan fun-filled motorcycle tours throughout the continental United States and Canada. #10368 $32.99 Members: $29.69 THE BOOK OF DUCATI 750 SS: ‘ROUND CASE’ 1974 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…