Motorcycle Classics

plan that trip

With winter nearing and the end of seasonable riding weather coming soon for some of us, I’ve turned my thoughts to planning future trips. In the course of putting together this issue, a few interesting motorcycle experiences came to light. Prompted by the release of Aaron Frank’s new book The Harley-Davidson Story: Tales from the Archives, motojournalist Dain Gingerelli shares his story of a trip to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for a Behind The Scenes Tour. This tour takes you into the Harley-Davidson Archives, a rarely visited collection featuring racks upon racks of special motorcycles, memorabilia, a chance to see parts of the Core Collection and more. To read Dain’s story turn to Page 54, and read his review of the Tales from the Archives book on Page 58.…

four-play: 1977-1979 suzuki gs750

When Suzuki launched its first 4-cylinder, 4-stroke motorcycle, the company knew it had to build a winner. There was no going back: the days of 2-stroke motorcycles on U.S. roads were coming to an end, and the new bike was running dangerously late against the competition. Honda’s 750 Four, which created the inline quad category, was already seven years old: the hot-rod Kawasaki Z1 had been on the market three years; Yamaha had its DOHC 750 triple — and the mighty XS1100 was waiting in the wings. Spotting a gap in the market, Suzuki created a machine that was more technically advanced than the class-defining CB750 (by featuring double overhead camshafts) in a more popular capacity class than the Z1/KZ (750cc vs 900cc), and sportier than the shaft-drive Yamaha. As early as…

contenders

1975-1979 Honda SOHC 750F/750F2 Honda’s 750 Four K0 of 1969 defined the air-cooled inline four motorcycle for a decade. But by 1975, the DOHC Kawasaki Z1 featured newer technology. Honda’s response was the updated 750F Super Sports, identified by a new 4-into-1 exhaust. At the rear wheel, a disc replaced the mediocre drum. Reduced trail and a longer swingarm preserved straight-line stability, while a stiffer frame and suspension changes improved handling. The engine was claimed to be unchanged, though Cycle magazine recorded 58 horsepower at the back wheel (49 for the 750K), which gave a standing quarter in the high 12s. On the road, the drivetrain and handling improvements together with longer suspension travel made for a comfortable ride and precise steering. The downside: a weight increase of 12 pounds. New for…

the cub that could

Once upon a time, an enterprising kid could get a paper route. This was, of course, back when everyone read newspapers. The impetus for the paper route was, for many kids, the opportunity to acquire enough money to purchase something that was beyond the family budget. For a lot of kids, the dream was a special baseball mitt. For Bob Gott, age 13, it was a 199cc Triumph T20S Tiger Cub. Bob grew up in a motorcycling family. One of his early memories is of his father, riding him around on the tank of his Harley 45. Bob had older brothers, and all of them had Triumphs. One brother bought a T110 from a Harley dealership (don’t tell anyone). Bob, of course, wanted a Triumph just like his brothers had. Terrier, then Tiger…

moto guzzi falcone sport

Sometimes when you ride a motorcycle for the first time, you feel underwhelmed by the indifferent engine performance, so-so handling, ordinary brakes and flat-as-a-fart exhaust. But sometimes it feels just right. The 1957 Falcone Sport is one of those motorcycles. It might not be as fast as a BSA Gold Star or handle as sweetly as a Featherbed Norton, but when it comes to travelling in style this Moto Guzzi is in a class of its own. The flaming scarlet and flashing chrome Falcone Sport must have been designed to fly over long, gently winding roads with the needle hovering above the 70mph mark. At that speed the 500cc flat-single is uncannily smooth, with engine and chassis in perfect harmony. This is a motorcycle that feels like it will keep on going…

the dondolino that won milan-taranto

When the Milan-Taranto long-distance race was re-introduced in May 1950, most spectators thought that a Gilera Saturno was sure to win the event — and there were enough of them in the field to make a bet almost certainty. But although the faster and more powerful Gilera singles easily led the 870-mile (1,400km) race during the early stages, by the time the pack had reached Rome, some 360 miles (580km) away, Dondolino riders were carving their way through the pack. On the long straight roads that define the Puglia region the Gileras simply couldn’t maintain their pace and started to fade, but the Guzzis just kept on going. Guido Leoni held the twistgrip of his Dondolino wide open all the way to the heel of Italy and won the event with…