Bubba Shobert's flat-tracker

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Harley-Davidson has dominated the AMA’s Grand National Championship since the inception of the series in 1954. But there was a time in the mid-1980s when Honda took over as the series king—winning four championships in a row.

This is the bike that made it happen: the RS750.

This actually was Honda’s second attempt at building a flat-track bike. The first was the NS750, based on a bored-out version of Honda’s street-going CX500 motor. The company campaigned that bike in 1981 and ’82, and it managed to win one race.

Then Big Red used all it had learned to create the purpose-built RS750 for the next season. The new dirt-tracker made several shakedown runs in the 1983 Grand National Championship, even winning the Du Quoin Mile with rider Hank Scott at the controls.

By 1984, Honda was ready to go championship-hunting in earnest. The company hired ’82 champ Ricky Graham and Bubba Shobert to make a full assault on the title aboard RS750s... Read more

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For Sale : 1970 Honda SL350

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This SL350 has been restored, it has a rebuilt engine and a new clutch, all seals and gaskets replaced. The frame was bead blasted and painted and 99% of all rubber parts replaced. The fuel tank is new as is the fuel cap and shut off valve. New tires an all new control cables... Read more

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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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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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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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Luigi Taveri

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By Don Cox

Luigi Taveri was the antithesis of today’s teenaged tear-away 125 GP racers – technically savvy, immaculately presented and cool headed.


An Italian-Swiss, born near Zurich in 1929, Taveri won the first of his three world 125 championships on a four-cylinder Honda in 1962 at age 32. He won again in 1964, also on a 125-4, and in 1966 on the fantastic five-cylinder Honda RC149 which revved to 20,000rpm.


Luigi’s racing career began in the late 1940s, as sidecar passenger for his elder brother Hans. He recorded his first world championship points in the 1954 French GP, on a 500 Norton. He signed with MV-Agusta in 1955 and won the opening 125 GP of the season at Montjuic Parc, Barcelona.


From 1955 to 1960, Taveri rode for MV, Ducati, MZ and again with MV. And there his career might have ended. Frustrated with MV team politics, where Carlo Ubbiali was the favoured 125/250 rider, he retired.

Wife Tilde saved the day by approaching Honda on Luigi’s behalf. He was given second string bikes in 1961, but in 1962 he soon became the firm’s number one 125 racer.

By the end of 1966, Taveri had won three championships and 30 GPs — 22 in 125, six in 50s and two in 250s.


In retirement, he ran a spotless automotive panel shop. Underneath, he had a private museum with his collection, including a Honda 125-5.

In 1988, Taveri told the author that when he was at MV, he was never sure who received what equipment; there was a pecking order. At Honda, the equipment was the same for all the riders, but he could never figure out how Jim Redman had so much power in the team! ... Read more




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Marty Tripes

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Marty Tripes was a leading AMA motocross and Supercross rider of the 1970s and early 1980s. He will always be remembered for winning the Superbowl of Motocross at the Los Angeles Coliseum in July of 1972, just a few weeks after turning 16. That race was a seminal event in American motocross history and was considered the first true stadium Supercross race.


In all, Tripes won 11 AMA nationals during a career that spanned just over a decade. He also won the first United States 250cc Motocross Grand Prix at Unadilla in 1978 against Europe’s best. His riding was described by motocross buffs as one of the most fluid and stylish in the history of the sport. Tripes made racing a motocross bike look effortless with his stand-up riding technique and he’s often been described a one the sport’s true natural riders. It’s also notable that Tripes was perhaps the biggest rider to win AMA motocross and Supercross races, at 6’-1” tall and weighing over 200 pounds in his racing prime.


Tripes was born in San Diego on June 29, 1956. He grew up riding bicycles in what he described as the era that gave birth to BMX. As a kid, Tripes became a schoolyard legend for once launching himself and his bicycle and clearing 32 steps of the school’s front entrance.

He first began riding motorcycles when his dad borrowed a 90cc Honda step-through for a family camping trip.


"It took a year for our neighbor to get his motorcycle back," Tripes joked.

He was about 9 when he attended one of Edison Dye’s first motocross races in America in the San Diego area, featuring many of the best European motocross racers. That race made an indelible impression on Tripes.


"I thought those riders were Superman," Tripes remembers. Motocross World Champion Joel Robert was Tripes’ childhood idol. He tried to emulate Robert’s style on his mini-bike. Tripes’ younger brother, Mike, also took up the sport and later became a leading motocross rider in California... Read more





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1966 Honda CB450 Police Special

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If you saw one of these rare motorcycles on the road in the 1960s, you were either very lucky or very unlucky. It all depended upon whether that set of red lights was flashing in your rear-view mirror or someone else's.


Honda imported a mere 25 CB450 Police Specials to the United States in 1966 in an effort to crack into the law-enforcement market. So if you came into contact with one, you could certainly count it as one of the more unique bike sightings of your life.


Based on Honda's "Black Bomber" CB450, introduced in 1965, the Police Special was entirely normal in its engine and running gear. But it incorporated some nifty anti-crime devices.


The large speedometer, for instance, was calibrated in 1-mile-per-hour increments. And with a flip of a switch, Mr. Policeman could lock the speedo reading to preserve the evidence of your illegality.

copyright the Vintagent

Then he'd switch on the lights and pull a lever on the left handlebar that worked the unusual siren-activation system. The lever brought a rotating steel drum into contact with the rear wheel, much like those old electrical generators on bicycles. The only difference was that this drum drove a flexible steel cable that snaked forward to spin the siren.

The Police Special also came with a solo seat backed by a small metal box for carrying an officer's ticket book.


Honda's Police Special took on Harley-Davidson for a place in America's law-enforcement community…and lost badly. Even though Honda billed it as "a big bike with a big ride," the 450 couldn't make a dent in a market that had been dominated for decades by American V-twins. So the initial U.S. shipment of 25 was also the last... Text via the Motorcycle museum hall of fame




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Honda NX650 Dominator

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Via :

Eighteen years ago this bike left Honda’s factory as a chunky dual-sport thumper—a less sophisticated version of the Transalp, if you like. Today it’s a sleek, lightweight street tracker burning up the roads of Wales. Andrew Greenland bought his 1992 NX650 in Swansea for a mere £300 (US$450), with the intention of just restoring it as a winter project.

“I thought I would maybe change a few bits and bobs,” he says. “One night, when the bike was stripped down to the rolling chassis, I placed a Honda CG125 (1976) tank on it for a laugh—and that was it! Retro dirtbike was the theme.” Greenland cut the rear subframe uprights down by three inches and added a loop at the back, leaving the rest of the structure original.

He rebuilt the motor with a bigger bore and piston and new valves and guides, and swapped out the stock 21” front wheel for a 19” Honda SLR650 wheel. The exhaust system came from Jemco in Texas, with Trail Tech supplying the headlight and speedometer. Greenland then built a new tail unit using fiberglass (“took bloody ages!”) and did all the painting himself with rattle tins.


The project took six months, and the bike rolled out of the shed a few days ago—owing Greenland less than £2,000 (US$3,000) in total build costs. “I’ve been tinkering with my own bikes since I was 12,” says Greenland, “but I’ve never altered a bike from its original form before and it was a pain in the ass! But when I go out on it, and see the looks it gets, it makes it all worth it.” Home building at its best, don’t you think?



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The Honda Dream 50R

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Back in 1962, Honda had let loose with their first four-stroke, 50cc racebike – the RC110. Its single-cylinder, DOHC engine revved to 14,000rpm and produced 9.5 horsepower. Soon after that, Honda came out with the RC111, which was designed specifically for the Isle of Man TT races. With its 8-speed gearbox (9- and 10-speed gearboxes were optional…), this mighty mite revved all the way to 16,000rpm and could hit speeds of up to 145km/h!


Then, as now, enthusiasts lusted after racing exotica from Japan. But while the RC110 and 111 were definitely not for sale, you could buy the CR110 Cub Racing – a street-legal RC110 for all intents and purposes. The bike was fitted with a dry clutch, 8-speed gearbox and a DOHC, 4-valve, 50cc engine that revved to 13,500 rpm.



In 2004, Honda decided to commemorate their racing history and released the Dream 50R, which was styled like the company’s racebikes from the 1960s. A high-tech piece of machinery, the 50R was fitted with a six-speed gearbox, four-stroke, 50cc engine that made 7bhp@13,500rpm, and various HRC parts including valve springs, low-friction cam chain, crankshaft and lightweight AC generator.


In the chassis department, the Dream 50R got a tubular steel frame, and preload adjustable Showa suspension units at both ends. Aluminium fenders were fitted for weight reduction (the bike weighs a mere 70 kilos…), and the bike’s exhaust system featured a one-piece expansion chamber and muffler. Finally, unlike the 1960s racebikes, the Dream 50R – which rides on 18-inch wheels – was fitted with disc brakes, front and rear.


So what does one do with a Dream 50R? Even if it were street legal (which it isn’t), it won’t keep up with modern 125s, let alone anything bigger. And if you’re riding one on a trackday, anyone and everyone – unless they’re riding an electric scooter – will blow you into the weeds. But still, we reckon the 50R probably offers a rare peek into the fascinating world of 1960s HRC racebike exotica. For some, we suppose that would be enough... Text by www.fasterandfaster.net




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Honda Super Cub

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Honda Super Cub, (originally the Honda C100 or Honda 50) also known as the Honda Cub, is a 49 cc 4-stroke underbone motorbike first manufactured by the Honda Motor Co. Ltd. in 1958. With more than 60 million sold worldwide, it is the best selling powered vehicle of all time. The Honda 50 is still produced today, 50 years after its inception. The variant Honda C90 with a larger engine displacement is also still produced. Today, the Honda Super Cub's primary market is in Asia. In the European Union, the Honda Cub has been replaced by the more powerful Honda Wave series.



The Honda Super Cub debuted in 1958, 10 years after the establishment of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (The original Honda Cub had been a clip-on bicycle engine). It was decided to keep the name but add the prefix 'Super' for the all-new lightweight machine.



Honda had discovered how to increase the power and efficiency of 4-stroke engines by increasing engine speed (RPM), and the company set about breaking into a market sector totally dominated by the 2-stroke models of other manufacturers. The Honda Cub became the most successful motorcycle model in history, and made huge contributions to Honda's sales and profit. Honda used the slogan You meet the nicest people on a Honda as they broke into the English-speaking world, until then dominated by British motorcycles.



In 1964, two larger-engined versions were offered, the CM90 (OHV 87cc) and C65 (OHC 63cc) with slight alterations to frame and styling. It was during this time that the Cub gained popularity when Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote the song "Little Honda," which was a reference to the Cub model. The song was released by The Hondells in 1964, followed by the original recording by The Beach Boys. Around 1967, the whole motorcycle was uprated, the 50cc engine going from pushrod 4.5bhp to SOHC 4.9bhp (a bored-down C65 engine)called the C50, and similarly the 90cc was redesigned with an OHC engine called the C90. Though the basic design of Cub remained unchanged, slightly new styling features and improvements were integrated, most visible being the enclosed front forks. In the 1980s, Honda fitted a new capacitor discharge ignition system (CDI) to replace the earlier contact points ignition, thereby helping to meet increasingly strict emission standards in markets such as the US. However, many experts on the Cub testify to the fact that Honda used the CDI system for better reliability and fuel efficiency, with the emissions improvements being an appealing by-product of these goals.



In the 1980s, a larger 100 cc GN-5 engine model was introduced especially for Asian markets. The newer 100 cc model branched off from the Honda Cub model design, with new features such as a telescopic front suspension to replace the older leading link suspension, and a 4-speed transmission to replace the older 3-speed transmission used in Honda Cubs. These changes were not incorporated into the Honda Cub lineup, not interfering with the timeless and dependable design of the Cub, but rather, were integrated into new models such as Honda Dream in Thailand and Honda EX5 in Malaysia. These bikes were never intended to compete or replace the Cub in the very strong Japanese domestic market, but were more suited for the lucrative Asian export market.



In the late 1990s, Honda introduced their newer NF series motorcycles, known as Honda Wave series (Honda Innova in some markets) which use steel tube frames, front disc brake and plastic cover sets in various displacement options: 100 cc, 110 cc and 125 cc. Though not Cubs, these bikes sold consistently well particularly in European countries, where the production of Honda Cub models had been previously discontinued. However, the production of Honda Cubs in Asia, Africa and South America still continues today even though the newer Honda Wave Series and other designs have been introduced alongside the Cub.



In 2007, Honda began installing their PGM-FI fuel injection system for the Honda Cubs in the Japanese market for even cleaner emission and better fuel efficiency.





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1973 Honda RC250 Works Bike

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By the 1970s, two-strokes reigned as the kings of motocross racing. And Honda wanted the crown.
Trouble was, the company, which had built its U.S. reputation on four-stroke streetbikes, didn’t have anything to compete against the light and powerful oil-burners of its competitors.

So Honda built a two-stroke, breaking with 14 years of U.S. four-stroke tradition to produce the now-legendary Elsinore motocross bike. And aimed right at the heart of the AMA National Motocross Championship was the trickest one of them all, this works RC250 racer, now on display in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.
Besides the state-of-the-art, 249cc two-stroke motor that delivered the explosive power that motocross demanded, the bike was loaded with unobtainium parts, including magnesium hubs, electronic ignition and reed-valve induction.





The only thing missing was the rider, so Honda hired defending AMA 250cc Champion Gary Jones away from Yamaha and headed to the track. By the third race of the season, in Florida, Jones had won on the new machine. He went on to win five more races, including the last three of the season, to collect Honda’s first-ever MX championship.
Still, riding such a new machine did have its challenges.



The main one was all those trick factory race bits. When the ’73 motocross season began, Jones’ works bike was full of them. But as the season wore on, many of those parts couldn’t handle the strain. So Jones, working with his father and tuner, Don, wound up putting more and more production parts into the works bike to make it more reliable.



But the result was clear: Honda won the championship. And that did much to cement the image of the Elsinore as a thoroughbred, helping to sell countless versions of the production bike to amateur racers—and jump-starting the brand’s motocross racing reputation.

© 2009, Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum