Follow along as Walter Barlow continues his series of stories from this year’s Modern Classics show – this time we’re going inside to see the featured bikes!
Ok, time for the big one!
As regular site visitors know, in late March I went to the Modern Classics MC show hosted by Martin Moto in Boyertown, PA. We already posted articles on bikes that were for sale, as well as some bikes seen in the parking lot. This is the main article on pretty much all the bikes there.
I’ll provide a link to a gallery with all the bikes towards the end. What I want to do here is list a baker’s dozen bikes that were at the show that are significant to me for reasons personal, industry effect, or whimsical.
To start off – the Honda VF1000F.
Cycle Magazine likened it to an Olympian decathlete – very capable across multiple disciplines. Between that writeup, all the new tech it sported, and the killer looks, I was hooked. Over the past 40 years I’ve owned 5 of them- only persistent neck issues made me sell the last one I had. That was a couple years ago, but recently I find myself checking classifieds. Paraphrasing Pacino in Godfather 3 “everytime I think I’m out, they pull me back in” lol.
I’m not saying it was the best bike at the show, but I’ll say this – if someone offered me any bike at the show with the stipulation that I could keep it as long as I rode it 5,000 miles a year- I’d pick the big VF.
A close 2nd would be the 750 Ducati GT.
A good friend bought one when they came out. Actually my best friend at the time – he lent me the bike (less than a year old at the time) to go to the Loudon, NH roadrace one year from Staten Island. It was a memorable ride on a memorable bike, to memorable races: Gary “Go Fast” Fisher did the double. And though somewhat tamed down, Rt. 106 camping/freak show was still going on. I eventually got my own GT (a pretty well modified 860): they were both terrific at the time, and remain fun and viable bikes to this day.
Honda CBX.
I know I mentioned the first year CBX as the lead in to the Parking Lot article, but I’m obviously still blown away by the absolute rightness of it. And at a time when things like this just weren’t done much by manufacturers- there was a matching Hondaline helmet.
Royal Enfield Interceptor.
No little bikes for me to get started – I jumped in the deep end at around 20 with a 700 RE being my first motorcycle: for which I traded something that is still pretty embarrassing. My own slice of Jolly Ole England – it was not only a boneheaded trade, but proved to have a problem that I just couldn’t fix in any permanent way. I did keep it (pretty much apart) for over 15 years though, before eventually gifting it to a friend, who in turn gifted it to another friend, who finally got it on the road. Last I heard (around the low aughts) it was still being ridden by that person in North Carolina. Call if it’s you
BTW: the RE did have a couple of neat features uncommon on large Brit bikes at the time: a neutral finder (that lever between the kickstarter and shifter), and an honest-to-God oil filtration system. There was a 3rd thing that was kind of rare, but I forget what it was.
BTW2: for a short time around 1965 the dual carb Interceptor briefly held the unofficial title of fastest street legal production bike you could buy.
BTW3: The chrome tank Interceptor is a killer good looking classic Brit bike. Not to mention the Indian Enfield Interceptor.
Kawasaki 250 Samurai.
The Brit & HD boys might have had an inkling that things were going to be changing soon – a 250 that would destroy 500s and give 650s and Sportsters a run for the money. Sure, they sounded funny, looked different, were sometimes smokey, and the ethnic jokes/slurs abounded: but they didn’t leak, were reliable, and went like hell. This is when Kawasaki apparently decided that they would be the performance company. Things didn’t improve for the others when the 350 A7 Avenger was released; and things got really silly with the bonkers Mach III.
Hard to talk performance and Kawasaki without mentioning the Mach IV.
Like the Mach III when it was introduced, it was the performance bike bargain of its decade. It set acceleration records when it came out; and was a fantastic stopper, but not known for its handling – well, not in a good way anyhow lol. My favorite version of it was the blue one.
But time gives perspective- the Mach IV developed about 74 hp: which is about what a recent I4 600cc sportbike makes – with a plug wire removed. Amazing how design, engine characteristics, tires, and suspension improvements can tame things.
They got “softer” as the years went by, but they’re all still remembered (indeed, celebrated) as widow makers- just like the Mach III.
Velocette Venom
I’m not, and never have been, much of a singles guy. But there are 3 exceptions: the very rare Seeley-Condor, the KTM 620 Duke, and the Velo Venom (tied with the Indian Velo Thruxton).
Like the others, the Velo speaks to me in a language that I don’t quite understand – but is alluring nonetheless. Killer looks with excellent backroad performance. Once sorted (like many Brit bikes, it usually takes some effort to get “right”) they’re pretty reliable. Their one remaining weakness is usually recalcitrant starting.
Two semi-famous notes re this:
1) if you’re a Velo owner and someone asks you if they can take it for a ride the proper response is something like “sure, if you can start in within 5 kicks” and,
2) NEVER gear up before trying to start a Velo; ALWAYS get geared up after it’s running. This last one was repeated to me at the show by the owner.
BTW – in 1961, a factory-prepared Venom set the FIM 24-hour world record at a speed of 100.05 mph (161.01 km/h). It was the first motorcycle to average over 100 mph continuously for 24 hours: just as impressively afaik no 500cc or single-cylinder motorcycle has broken that record.
BTW2: one very slick feature the Velo has is the adjustable rear suspension – using a frame cutout to allow the angle of the shock to be adjusted.
Rumi Junior Gentleman Racer. A whimsy pick – gotta love that name!
Honda CB750 (K0)
I wish I had a better picture of “The Motorcycle Of The Century”, as selected by Motorcyclist Magazine. I think it would be hard to argue with that since it was revolutionary in so many ways – maybe chief of which was to show people what was possible for the mass market. Honda set the stage for this starting in the early 60s – gradually producing bikes of increasing size; but all sharing qualities that buyers kept finding irresistible: pricing that undercut the traditional competition, remarkable reliability, and lots of dealers.
As Honda was literally selling boatloads of their small bikes in many markets, there’s a semi-famous quote attributed to either an English or American motorcycle executive that goes something like this: “it’s great that Honda is selling lots of motorcycles and creating customers for us when they (the customers) are ready to buy a real bike.” That quote didn’t age well.
Suzuki GS750 E
The original GS750 of 1977 is an unheralded but very significant motorcycle. Other than essentially being Suzuki’s first 4 stroke motorcycle since the mid 50’s, it was remarkable because it was considered the first large displacement multi cylinder Japanese bike that handled very well (aka up to European standards). But not the first large bike – that honor went to the Suzuki RE5 Rotary. So it might not come as a surprise that the man responsible for the RE5s good handling was the same fellow who developed the same winning formula (good steering, suspension, frame geometry, and good ground clearance) to the GS line of bikes.
Suzuki’s GS line of bikes of various displacements and styles, enjoyed a long and successful life: in street and racing use. And it all started with the GS750.
Suzuki RG500 Gamma and Yamaha RZ500
I’m going to do a double here, in my mind they are inseparable because of the similar time they were offered, the legacy they traded on, and what they represented to their manufacturers. I don’t think they were officially imported to the US, but most other major markets received them in various states of tune ranging from “slightly detuned” to almost “why bother?”, and a number have made their way into US hands. I’ve been fortunate to ride several versions of each of them. Like other older race replicas, in a modern context the new stuff is worlds better in almost every way: but their killer looks, legacy, and ringdinginess will remain timelessly precious.
Triumph Bonneville
From the time it was introduced in 1959 (commemorating Triumph’s Land Speed Record setting at the Bonneville Salt Flats during the 50’s) the Bonneville was, along with Harley’s Sportster, recognized as one of motorcycling’s two “big dogs” until the mid-late 60’s seismic change in the industry. A redesign (the infamous, though still good looking in a non-traditional way, oil in frame bikes) was not enough to stem the tide. After that, it languished (along with BSA, which went bust in 1972) as a virtual dead man walking for several years. Attempts by the government (a merger with Norton to create NVT, and then by a workers cooperative proved ultimately futile. That version of the Triumph company finally closed its doors in 1983.
But enough dreary history. The classic Bonneville should be celebrated for what it was- a really good sporting motorcycle of its time; and what it is today a beautiful piece of machinery that, when sorted with well known fixes, is a pretty satisfying ride, and universally admired for it’s looks and sound. We should all be so lucky as we age out of our primes lol.
Two additional notes:
As you probably know, the latest version of Triumph is an undisputed success. John Bloor bought the rights in the 80’s and launched the new Triumphs in the early 90’s. The company has shown good health with unit sales, sales growth, and profits over the years. I think they occupy a niche that is “maybe not the ultimate performer in their class, but pretty damn good, with a uniquely British value proposition”: and owners seem to be very satisfied with their bikes’ performance, reliability, and that unique value proposition. I’ve put many miles on Triumphs in the past almost 30 years and can completely understand their sentiments.
Although Rollie Free stars in the most famous photo of its type, Triumph’s Jack Dale did his own bathing suit Bonneville run:
OK, gotta wrap this up. So here’s a bonus whimsical one with a very short story.
Yamaha YSR50
In the 90’s I was pretty heavily involved in Italian motorcycling; and one of the things I did was host some dinners for Italian motorcycle owners. This was pre-social media (aka the good ole days), except for mailing lists and word of mouth. Nonetheless, they were decently attended – usually between 25-35 people. Other bike owners weren’t excluded, but word was spread with an Italian focus.
One dinner towards the end was at an Italian restaurant (of course) down the shore (as we say in NJ): something like Casa Mama, maybe in Belmar. Anyway, as was normal, there were a bunch of us hanging around outside before dinner doing the normal bench-racing/lie swapping ritual, when a guy on a YSR50, complete in King Kenny leathers and Hawk helmet motif pulls up and dismounts. Amiable guy, he made quite an entrance and asked if he could come to the dinner. Sure, we said and started to introduce ourselves. He said his name was Ken Roberts! Quite frankly, most of us didn’t know how to respond to that – it was a time that people with severe personality disorders like Parasocial Relationships generally stayed indoors lol. But it turned out it was really his name! Nice guy, we enjoyed his company and I believe he had a good time. At the end of dinner, we said our goodbyes and we never saw him again. True story.
And, Ken (or others who may have been at that dinner) – if you’re out there, back me up
Ok, picture time:
Here’s my gallery link. Most of the bikes have info card pictures after them; others have some text info shown on the bottom the the picture.
Here’s a link to the pictures my friend Brian Martin took. Some of which I used separately. He got there a bit earlier than I did and less people were there.