rubber_side_down

So now that I’ve sold my classic Japanese motorcycle, I think I will head up to the Classic Japanese Motorcycle Swap Meet and Show in Auburn this weekend.

The show runs Saturday and Sunday (July 26 and 27) at the Gold Country Fairgrounds.

I’m hoping to see a few Honda Superhawks and Scramblers, Suzuki Hustlers and Titans, Kawasaki H1s and Z1s, and Yamaha RD 350s and XS 650s.

The fact that I remember these bikes fondly is probably a sign of impending senility. I have in fact owned a few of them, including my recently departed Superhawk, a 305 Honda Scrambler, and an XS 650 Yamaha. I also owned at various points in my life a Honda CB100, a Honda CB500 Four, and a Honda CB750F. There was also a Honda VT500 Ascot, but I don’t think that one counts, because it never actually ran…

The Yamaha was my favorite of the bunch, because it felt and looked the most like my mental image of a motorcycle. The Honda fours were technically better bikes, but they were too refined.

 Yamaha XS650

The 650 Yamaha had a rastier exhaust note, and it vibrated, like a proper motorcycle should. I remember one afternoon riding around the outer fringes of the Chicago area, and deciding to open it up (this was in the late 1970s, and I believe the Statute of Limitations has run out on this particular infraction).

As the speed increased, so did the vibration, until at about 95 miles per hour, I felt my fingers being pulled apart – the handlebar ends were shaking that badly. The bike had more potential, but I wasn’t sure I could hold onto it if the vibration got any worse, so I backed off.

But the bike was entertaining at more reasonable speeds, and I did a lot of commuting around Northern Illinois on it.

The dealership I bought the bike from offered me a choice: for the same price, I could have a new Yamaha RD400, or the used XS650. The 650 was designed to look like a Triumph Bonneville, and it was a four stroke motor, so the choice was easy for me.

I sold it after a few years because I was moving to Seattle. It was purchased by a 17-year-old, who counted out the money in small bills and change he had earned or begged from relatives and friends.

He seemed very happy, but I was afraid to read the newspaper for several weeks after that. I don’t think I could handle seeing an accident report that I contributed to…

So now Triumph is making a retro Bonneville model, and it’s a beautiful bike. They are selling them over at Cycle Specialties in Modesto. I want one, but then, I want most of the new motorcycles I see. Maybe I’m just promiscuous.

I'll post some pictures of the motorcycle show when I get back.