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Saturday Jan. 28, 2023 AMCA Dania Beach FL
- Thread starter Fire-medic
- Start date
Help Support VMAX Forum:
A beautiful OSSA ISDT:
The owner is an acquaintance, another retired firefighter.
I have one of these, bought new:
I also have one of these:
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BHZ
Member
Sweet! That last one reminds me of my old '77 KE175... Wish I had somehow kept it.. 
Yamaha 360cc Rickman
Maico aluminum tank then Norton 99, the bodywork often referred to as 'bathtub.' The Norton 'Roadholder' forks were the best of the time.
Maico aluminum tank then Norton 99, the bodywork often referred to as 'bathtub.' The Norton 'Roadholder' forks were the best of the time.
Quite a variety of bikes.
A 1913 Indian V-Twin.
A Yamaha TZ750 4 cyl two-stroke, all the power of a VMax and half the weight. Kenny Roberts rode one as a mile course flat tracker, and won the Indianapolis final in a tremendous last lap, last turn come from behind charge across the finish line. The AMA promptly banned it.
Kenny takes a few laps years later to commemorate his 1975 Indianapolis AMA mile flat track victory.
This and other Kenny Roberts stories are found here:
https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1985/12/1/roberts-at-springfield-back-in-the-blue-groove
If you're good-enough, sometimes it isn't about the money, but the competition against other supremely-talented racers, and the machines purpose-built to do combat wherever the top echelon compete. You can be the best in the world, but a machine which falters, leaving the rider hors de combat, leaves you off the podium.
Here's a show attendee who dined at the same Mexican restaurant we did.
The 500cc Yamaha 4-cyl two-stroke bikes are much sought-after.
A 1913 Indian V-Twin.
A Yamaha TZ750 4 cyl two-stroke, all the power of a VMax and half the weight. Kenny Roberts rode one as a mile course flat tracker, and won the Indianapolis final in a tremendous last lap, last turn come from behind charge across the finish line. The AMA promptly banned it.
Kenny takes a few laps years later to commemorate his 1975 Indianapolis AMA mile flat track victory.
This and other Kenny Roberts stories are found here:
https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1985/12/1/roberts-at-springfield-back-in-the-blue-groove
If you're good-enough, sometimes it isn't about the money, but the competition against other supremely-talented racers, and the machines purpose-built to do combat wherever the top echelon compete. You can be the best in the world, but a machine which falters, leaving the rider hors de combat, leaves you off the podium.
Here's a show attendee who dined at the same Mexican restaurant we did.
The 500cc Yamaha 4-cyl two-stroke bikes are much sought-after.
How about some more?
The 305 Honda SOHC twins, and their 250cc little brothers, were largely responsible for Honda's reputation as rugged, high-performance motorcycles, available at reasonable prices, and capable of feats of endurance (the first Baja California record they set: In 1962 Bud Ekins' younger brother Dave and a Honda dealer, Bill Robertson Jr, Honda of Hollywood CA, rode two “early production” CL 250's from Tijuana to La Paz (Baja)-Honda's designation was CL72, while the later 305cc was the CL77. impressive on any displacement of off-road capable motorcycle. Be sure to read the articles, below, one is by everyone's favorite technical 'explainer' Cycle World's Kevin Cameron.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/motorcycles/honda-scrambler/
https://www.cycleworld.com/honda-cl...62-65-motorcycle-history-classics-remembered/
https://bajasafari.blogspot.com/2007/10/start-of-new-off-road-era-1964-ride.html
Note the 'ankle-breaker' fixed-position/non-folding footpegs, proof the 305 Scrambler was more of a dirt road 'off-road' cruiser than a true off-road competitor, given that and the less-generous front and rear suspension travel. That didn't stop riders treating them like they were true off-road weapons though.
Since every bike pic deserves supporting corroboration of its subject's capabilities and intent, here's a vintage shot of a particular 305 Scrambler being thoroughly caned:
Photo taken not in Baja California, but in MI. The rider was younger than either of those Honda Baja California desert pros.
Note the red metalflake open-face helmet, the flat 'competition' faceshield, leather construction gloves and the tall leather above-the-ankle linesman's lace-up boots, what a rider wore back-then. This pic is more-than 50 years old.
Look carefully at the ends of the bike show's 305 exhaust pipes and you'll spot two silver barrel-shaped pieces. Those are one of the most de-rigeur pieces of accessory exhaust items of the 1960's: Snuff-R-Nots. The hill-climber in the previous pic most-definitely had his turned to the 'open' position.
They were simply spring-loaded washers that either allowed free-flow [and sound] from your exhausts, or turned 90 degrees via that knob, quiet your exhaust considerably so you could navigate your streets where the local constabulary takes a dim-view of straight-through pipes and the upper-half of the tachometer's range being utilized. Why? Because like a souffle collapsing because 'someone' slammed the oven door, the mayor's wife's new trip to the beauty parlor bouffant hair-do was displaced because she had the unfortunate experience to be next to your straight-pipes (and open Snuff-R-Nots) at the traffic light when you left the light with a prodigious display of aural report and acceleration, disturbing her ears and collapsing her bouffant.
Next is a 'giant-killer,' a 1960's Bultaco Metralla, a sweet-handling 250cc two-stroke, simple in design, with a high level of fit and finish, and capable of embarrassing twin-cyl English 500's and even 650's on a curving road. My friend Bill Boyce, a local Yamaha dealership mechanic, who was working back-to (and before) the introduction of the Gen. 1 VMax, has a Metralla with a Bultaco Astro engine in it, that was their high-output short track motor with the reputation of being the highest output engine by displacement in their line-up. Look at that graceful sweep of the non-blued exhaust, into the slim 'pickle' muffler. Simply gorgeous.
Next are a couple of RD 350-400's sporting the ubiquitous Yamaha dashed-line livery, proudly worn by so-many riders both on and off-road on Yamahas in the 1970's and beyond, including multiple-time 500 Grand Prix winner Kenny Roberts. The color scheme was created by a famous industrial designer, 'Molly,' who also did the colorful striping on the Kawasaki Z1-R Mr. Turbo bikes, the first of the factory turbos (Kawasaki dealership sold) bikes, which astonished the industry when they were released, two years duration only, before other manufacturers (all the Japanese) joined suit.
Those wanting maximum power had to run expansion chambers on the street, and the 'stingers' on the end were rebuildable canisters to quiet the two-stroke rasp. Note both bikes have a single intake filter with a two-tube manifold to the twin carburetor bellmouths, instead of using two 'pods' air filters. This design provides smoother power.
Speaking of which, here's another turbo bike sporting an aftermarket Mr. Turbo kit, with a bit more displacement, a GPZ1100. This was king of the air-cooled turbo bikes. The Yamaha XS-11 aftermarket turbo bikes would give them a good run for the money. One of the judges at the show yesterday, who is retired from operating a Snap-On route for years, I saw during his scoring the bikes, he has had an XS-11 turbo bike for decades, yellow and chrome, it goes as good as it looks.
The 305 Honda SOHC twins, and their 250cc little brothers, were largely responsible for Honda's reputation as rugged, high-performance motorcycles, available at reasonable prices, and capable of feats of endurance (the first Baja California record they set: In 1962 Bud Ekins' younger brother Dave and a Honda dealer, Bill Robertson Jr, Honda of Hollywood CA, rode two “early production” CL 250's from Tijuana to La Paz (Baja)-Honda's designation was CL72, while the later 305cc was the CL77. impressive on any displacement of off-road capable motorcycle. Be sure to read the articles, below, one is by everyone's favorite technical 'explainer' Cycle World's Kevin Cameron.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/motorcycles/honda-scrambler/
https://www.cycleworld.com/honda-cl...62-65-motorcycle-history-classics-remembered/
https://bajasafari.blogspot.com/2007/10/start-of-new-off-road-era-1964-ride.html
Note the 'ankle-breaker' fixed-position/non-folding footpegs, proof the 305 Scrambler was more of a dirt road 'off-road' cruiser than a true off-road competitor, given that and the less-generous front and rear suspension travel. That didn't stop riders treating them like they were true off-road weapons though.
Since every bike pic deserves supporting corroboration of its subject's capabilities and intent, here's a vintage shot of a particular 305 Scrambler being thoroughly caned:
Photo taken not in Baja California, but in MI. The rider was younger than either of those Honda Baja California desert pros.
Note the red metalflake open-face helmet, the flat 'competition' faceshield, leather construction gloves and the tall leather above-the-ankle linesman's lace-up boots, what a rider wore back-then. This pic is more-than 50 years old.
Look carefully at the ends of the bike show's 305 exhaust pipes and you'll spot two silver barrel-shaped pieces. Those are one of the most de-rigeur pieces of accessory exhaust items of the 1960's: Snuff-R-Nots. The hill-climber in the previous pic most-definitely had his turned to the 'open' position.
They were simply spring-loaded washers that either allowed free-flow [and sound] from your exhausts, or turned 90 degrees via that knob, quiet your exhaust considerably so you could navigate your streets where the local constabulary takes a dim-view of straight-through pipes and the upper-half of the tachometer's range being utilized. Why? Because like a souffle collapsing because 'someone' slammed the oven door, the mayor's wife's new trip to the beauty parlor bouffant hair-do was displaced because she had the unfortunate experience to be next to your straight-pipes (and open Snuff-R-Nots) at the traffic light when you left the light with a prodigious display of aural report and acceleration, disturbing her ears and collapsing her bouffant.
Next is a 'giant-killer,' a 1960's Bultaco Metralla, a sweet-handling 250cc two-stroke, simple in design, with a high level of fit and finish, and capable of embarrassing twin-cyl English 500's and even 650's on a curving road. My friend Bill Boyce, a local Yamaha dealership mechanic, who was working back-to (and before) the introduction of the Gen. 1 VMax, has a Metralla with a Bultaco Astro engine in it, that was their high-output short track motor with the reputation of being the highest output engine by displacement in their line-up. Look at that graceful sweep of the non-blued exhaust, into the slim 'pickle' muffler. Simply gorgeous.
Next are a couple of RD 350-400's sporting the ubiquitous Yamaha dashed-line livery, proudly worn by so-many riders both on and off-road on Yamahas in the 1970's and beyond, including multiple-time 500 Grand Prix winner Kenny Roberts. The color scheme was created by a famous industrial designer, 'Molly,' who also did the colorful striping on the Kawasaki Z1-R Mr. Turbo bikes, the first of the factory turbos (Kawasaki dealership sold) bikes, which astonished the industry when they were released, two years duration only, before other manufacturers (all the Japanese) joined suit.
Those wanting maximum power had to run expansion chambers on the street, and the 'stingers' on the end were rebuildable canisters to quiet the two-stroke rasp. Note both bikes have a single intake filter with a two-tube manifold to the twin carburetor bellmouths, instead of using two 'pods' air filters. This design provides smoother power.
Speaking of which, here's another turbo bike sporting an aftermarket Mr. Turbo kit, with a bit more displacement, a GPZ1100. This was king of the air-cooled turbo bikes. The Yamaha XS-11 aftermarket turbo bikes would give them a good run for the money. One of the judges at the show yesterday, who is retired from operating a Snap-On route for years, I saw during his scoring the bikes, he has had an XS-11 turbo bike for decades, yellow and chrome, it goes as good as it looks.
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- Joined
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Hey, I was there,
saw 2 gen 1 in the parking lot.
I didn't see any on the show grounds. As the pics show, many other worthy bikes though. The newest bikes allowed into the show grounds is 1988 model year, so the VMax qualifies.
- Joined
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definitely, lots of cool bikes loved the wes cooley Suzuki's
and the ed Lawson Kawasaki's
all th old dirt bikes bring back memories too.
I have a video of the H2 750cc Kawasaki triple 2 stroke starting
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