Small size, big fun: The Honda Dream 50.

Edited for size from Motorcycle usa.com

"It might be a bit hard to find a class to race Honda's Dream 50. Or is it an old 50? No matter, as Honda expects most Dream 50 owners will use the $5499 bikes for nostalgic or display purchases, not for race duty.

Too bad, as the Dream is is fun to ride even if its limits are a bit lower. Imagine taking a mountain bike with a narrow handlebar and shrinking it down one-third in size and you're pretty close to what a Dream ride feels like. Add in a double-overhead-cam, HRC-built 50cc screamer that revs to 14,500 rpm and you've got one fun mountain bike!

The Dream was built to commemorate Honda's early racing history that began in the 50cc class. The factory RC110 debuted in 1962, and it spawned the commercially available Cub Racing CR110. The single-cylinder CR featured gear-driven double-overhead cams, a dry clutch and an 8-speed gearbox. The new Dream uses lower-tech chains to drive its cams, yet it is able to rev 1000 rpm higher than the 13,500-rpm CR110 and directs power through a 6-speed gearbox.

The Dream has been offered for sale in Japan for several years, and an entire cottage industry has been built around it. HRC has built a huge list of go-fast parts for the Dream since Asian enthusiasts seem willing to throw everything they can get at their racebikes.

But even in stock condition, the Dream impresses with its pure racebike design and trick bits. A lovely oil catch tank created out of aluminum contains crankcase blow-by, and aluminum fenders are used front and rear. Despite the use of a period-spec steel frame, Honda claims the lithe Dream weighs just 157 pounds dry. The Dream is a product of HRC, and they've been kind enough to pre-drill the oil drain bolt to satisfy racing regulations for lockwiring critical fasteners.

You won't find a convenient kickstart lever on the Dream, let alone a wussy electric starter. Cranking it over is via the Hailwood method of bump-starting, usually quite easy on the Dream despite the big 11.7:1 compression ratio. Acceleration is as limp as a scuba diver's Kleenex until the revs climb into the five-digit range. It starts pulling at 12,500 rpm before falling off 2000 revs later. Honda claims 7 horsepower at 13,500 from the 49cc engine, but it sounds like much more when the giant open velocity stack ravenously sucks in air for the open 20mm carb as the 40mm piston goes up and down 240 times each second.

The beauty of racing a tiddler like the Dream is that the rate things happen for the rider is much easier to digest than on a more powerful bike. As a result, extracting the maximum from the bike, and especially the engine, is more gratifying in a way than something like turning the throttle to the stop of a CBR1000RR for a few seconds before having to frantically grab the brakes to scrub off the 100 mph you just piled on.

The Dream handles like nothing else I've ridden. Honda didn't provide rake and trail numbers, but it will suffice to say you've never ridden a motorcycle that turns with less effort. Genuine Showa suspension does a reasonably good job at damping wheel movement, and 2.50-18-inch Bridgestone Battlax BT39SS tires are used at both ends. With the seat's classic bum-stop coming up a few inches shorter than the Dream's 70.5-inch overall length, there's actually enough room for a full-scale adult to fit.

A combination of a strong front disc brake and a super-skinny tire is my excuse for testing the Dream's crash worthiness. Entering one of the corners at Apex and grabbing the brake lever with the finesse of a steroid-injected bodybuilder put me on the ground faster than you could say Ruben Xaus.

Thankfully, damage to our frail little bodies was limited to a bent triple clamp and bruised shoulder, and both of us were back in action in no time. A similar spill in, let's say, Turn 1 at Willow Springs, would've been much more painful to both steel and tissue, underlining the relative safety of mini racing.

The danger levels of mini racing may be reduced from full-sized racing, but not the fun factor. As is the case with racing 50cc dirt bikes, all you need for laugh-out-loud giggles is another rider on a similar bike."

Domination.

From MCM:

"Often, post-war British motorcycle factories were unedifying experiences. Squalid working conditions, management of appalling mediocrity, obsessively militant trade unions and chronic under-funding led to a reliance on existing designs and tooling which was suicidal. Yet, out of this mire, true motorcycling gems sometimes appeared.

Norton’s Bracebridge Street works in Birmingham was a near perfect example of how not to build motorcycles - but still the factory managed to produce one of the best big bikes of its era.

Luck had a huge part to play in the launch of the Dominator. First, the factory owned the coveted “Featherbed” duplex frame. This design had been gifted to the factory by the McCandless brothers and had kept Norton’s Grand Prix aspirations alive ten years after Norton’s race bikes should have been obsolete.

Not only did the “Featherbed” set the standard of handling for the whole of the motorcycling world but its great benefit to Norton, and many other manufacturers, was that the duplex design allowed almost any engine to be housed within the widely splayed frame tubes.

The Dominator also had a very reasonable engine. Designer Bert Hopwood was an obsessive self-publicist but had worked alongside both Val Page and Edward Turner at Ariel in the 1930s when all three became interested in the concept of neat, cheap to produce, parallel twins. Page penned the elegant Ariel KH, Turner the legendary Speed Twin and Hopwood the Dominator. Naturally, he claimed the Dominator to be far superior to the other two!

The resultant bike was a nice motorcycle by any standards. It handled extremely well, had a sweet, reliable engine which provided a genuine 90mph performance and possessed the best brakes of any contemporary British bike. Only in terms of a leak prone primary chain-case was the Dommi inferior to Triumph’s world-beating range.

Finished in Norton’s classic polychromatic grey colour scheme, the Dominator also looked every part as elegant as its Triumph contemporary and was far more elegant than either Ariels or BMWs of the day.

But it wasn’t oil leaks which constantly forced the Dommi into second place in the sales race. The Triumph factory was modern, well equipped and profitable. By contrast, the Norton works was a model of inefficiency and squalor and suffered from chronic under-funding. At best, the Bracebridge Street works could produce only 200 bikes a week - and that was a rare occurrence.

That Hopwood’s first design proved to be right is shown in the way that the basic motor was bored and stroked first to 600cc and then to 750cc with the Atlas and eventually, although much modified, all the way to the 828cc Commando.

Today, the Dominator still does not fetch such a premium price as its Triumph rivals which makes it one of best buys in the classic bike market."

Your first Cafe Racer: the Honda Dream Kids Dokitto.

From: totalmotorcycle.com

"Offering the satisfying feel of a do-it-yourself kit, these kid-oriented machines serve up heaps of good times by offering a variety of fun styles. Powered by modularly designed small-displacement engines, the Dream Kids' specially designed parts can be combined to create either the Dream Kids "Dokitto" bike or the "Wakuccho" kart and expand a child's imagination.

Engine type / Air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder OHV
Displacement / 31.0cm3"

Motorbikes today review of the W650.

From motorbikestoday.com by: Adrian Percival

"Tucked away in my collection of old photographs is a picture of my Mum & Dad leaving to go on holiday on their 650 ‘Bonnie’. Now this was taken about 40 yrs ago and I could swear that it’s the same bike that I currently have on test! We all remember countless hours spent in dimly lit garages crawling around on dirty floors or looking under workbenches. We just had to find that c-clip that just flew off the piston pin, it was all that we needed (we thought) to get some old "fixer-upper" back together again. Well anyway I do, and I also remember my Dad doing it almost every weekend in order to keep that ‘Bonnie’ in working order.Now 40 years ago women could easily fall for a man on this bike. It looks just like the Triumph’s, Norton’s and BSA‘s of that period which demanded such attention after the likes of Marlon Brando and the infamous movie. But times have changed, nowadays it's a little harder to convince the girls that you're cool when you ride past on the W650. Still, it's not impossible to turn their heads as I found out to my surprise!

Times have definitely changed and in some ways it’s for the better. If it weren’t for bikes like this then we probably wouldn’t have the fabulous machinery we have today. So where does that leave this one? It's not race-rep or a sports tourer, it isn’t a big-bore cruiser or a commuter, and it certainly isn’t a beginner's bike, even though it could be with its low seat height and classically simple design. It's a retro classic that gets its looks and design from the famous bikes of the past and then adds a lot of modern flair and technology in all the right places. If my Dad had had this bike all those years ago he would have been over the Moon, it really is everything you ever wanted your old Triumph, Norton or BSA to be. Reliable, no oil leaks, powerful (ish!), smooth and good brakes! It’s a bike to be proud of and to keep for another 40 yrs, and I’m sure it will last that long as the build quality and finish is probably the best I’ve ever seen on any Japanese bike.

Cruising around in town or out on meandering country roads is what this bike is all about. Dressed in my black leather jacket, jeans, boots and open face helmet together with the obligatory shades, I did my best to pay homage to days gone by and ended up on the receiving end of many a thumbs-up. Not bad, I thought. Ok so you may well feel a little out of place when you're sitting at the lights and the latest and greatest 600/1000 race-rep pulls up alongside. But, with those twin burbling exhausts and the sheer presence of that totally open, and beautiful motor just ticking over beneath you soon forget about any other bikes and carry on with your mission. To prove your point at green the motor revs up in a flash, you drop the clutch and this bike just storms away from the race rep (well at least for the first few yards until he realises just what has happened!). You can’t hear anyone else because the now burbling exhaust has turned into that unmistakable throb of a British twin on song. It’s just magic!

Kawasaki designed the W650 to capture a sizable portion of the Japanese niche retro market. They are currently falling over themselves trying to acquire the originals, like the old Kawasaki W1 from the early 60’s. The W650 was never intended to be sold in Europe but demand forced Kawasaki to import the bike to our shores. Good for us, and right on Kawasaki for being a bit different! The W650 thrives in speeds from five mph up to 80 mph, after that be prepared for the most wind blast you can experience on any bike! There is a bit of vibration at higher speeds but only in the bars, and it’s acceptable. In between those speeds the 650 delivers you with sufficient oomph to propel you out of corners with flair and you will definitely run out of ground clearance before you run out of tyre. The W650 has what look to be vintage style tyres fitted, even the sizes are vintage in comparison to today’s bikes, but there's no reason to worry about vintage-style traction levels. Fitted with a ribbed front section 100/90-19 and a rear 130/80-18 it certainly looks the part but these Bridgestone’s certainly do a good job of keeping this bike on the road.

One of the main focal points on the W650 is the engine with its long chrome tube housing the bevel drive on the right hand side of the 676cc parallel twin. This shaft drives a single overhead camshaft and 8 valves through hypoid bevel gears thus eliminating the need for a cam chain, cam chain tensioner and its guides. The crank has been designed to allow the pistons to rise and fall in unison, one is on the intake/compression cycle and the other is on the power/exhaust cycle, this gives the original exhaust sound. The engine is definitely pleasing to the eye, with little touches all over it reminiscent of the Triumphs, Nortons & BSA’s of the day. Four valves feed each cylinder the fuel/air mixture via a pair of 34mm carbs. This function has been somewhat updated and is monitored via Kawasaki’s Throttle Responsive Ignition Control system (K-TRIC) and is then used by the said digital ignition to instantly work out the engine load and adjust the ignition for maximum power (trick eh on a 60’s bike!)

Everything on this bike is mounted in an old-style tube-steel cradle frame that's painted black (black is bad!). To compliment all of this it has spoked aluminium rims, black rubber gaitered 39mm conventional forks, and five-way preload adjust dual shocks on the rear. Yes it has that authentic nostalgic harshness but it’s well damped although a bit soft when you first get on it. Surprisingly when you are on the go, the suspension isn't that bad, which is good. It's nimble enough to chuck around with ease but yet seems to have a long forgotten British bike trait commonly referred to as "hinge-in-the-middle" when ridden hard! The W650 has been produced as close as possible to the original so it even has ‘that’ special feeling built in. Still, its predictable, grips well and is far superior to anything from the 60’s.

More nostalgia gets added to the braking department here. The W650 gets a 160mm drum rear brake and, even though the front brake is only a single 300mm disk and a four-piston caliper they work well in bringing this bike down from speed. Performance is pretty good for a bike designed as a true retro but it’s not even close to that of a current naked 600 Honda Hornet or similar. With around 50bhp and 43ft-lb of torque to propel it’s 195kg it’s no street racer. Interestingly enough this the W650 is about 15kg heavier and about 15% larger overall than it’s 60’s counterparts, still it has enough power to send the ‘oldest’ model Kawasaki up to around 115mph, not that you’d want to do it for long though!!

Verdict.

I’m quite certain that just the sound of this echoing twin mentally adds a good ten horsepower to it, that sound as you cruise along just goes straight through you. Add to that the way people stare at you on this bike and the plain fact of its uniqueness and here’s a package not to be missed. How good do you feel when people (bikes or non-bikers) wave or signal their approval at you, it's all emotion, let this bike take you back to your forgotten youth or an era when motorcycling was still an adventure - at any price. Life’s too short so why not relax a bit and get away from the ultra fast and ultra powerful license losers on today’s market. This bike oozes cool, its certainly a bike I would have in my garage for riding out on those sunny days down leafy lanes to a country pub where it would more than likely be the centre of attention (again!). And on your departure you just get on it, swing out that kick-starter and fire it up first time in true old-school style – now how cool is that!

The Image of the beast.

From diseno-art.com:

"The stripped down 2001 Sachs Beast concept motorbike from 2001 is a radical, unusual and extreme concept, which goes back to the basics of motorcycle design for influence, evidently displayed by the fact the minimalist Beast keeps luxurys and fairings to the bare minimum.

The exposed 998 cc Swedish Folen engine was selected for the bike because of its comlicated although pleasant design. However, if the Beast goes into production the limited edition run of 1000 would probably be powered by a more reliable Japanese engine."

Tangerine Dream: The 1981 Laverda 1000 Jota.

Edited for size From Road Runner touring and travel:

"Any color as long as it's black." Not surprisingly, it was in the psychedelic seventies when motorcycle manufacturers first broke with the tradition of black-painted frames. First came BSA's "dove grey," intended, it's said, to reprise the company's titanium-tubed, motocross bike frames. Then came Ducati's teal-framed silver 750SS. But perhaps the most successful color combo was Laverda's pairing of the company's racing orange with the sleek silver tubes of its mighty muscle bike, the Jota.

The Bikes from Breganze
Pietro Laverda founded the eponymous Breganze, Italy company in 1873 to manufacture farm machinery. In 1948 his grandson Francesco built the first Laverda motorcycle, a 75cc four-stroke intended for his own use. Devastated by war but fired with renewed vitality, Italy was undergoing its reconstruzione, and demanded cheap, economical transportation. Soon, Francesco's neighbors wanted his sturdy little bikes. Incorporating motorcycles in the company's output was not a great stretch, and an initial batch of 500 bikes was produced in 1951.

Now committed to motorcycle production, Laverda needed sales, and selling motorcycles in Italy means going racing; so Laverda entered a 75cc machine in the 1951 Milano-Taranto race, and though carburetion problems forced its retirement, the bike proved competitive. In the same race two years later, Laverdas filled the first 14 places in their class! More success followed for Laverda in the 100cc class until 1956, when overhead camshaft Ceccatos and Ducati Mariannas (both Fabio Taglioni designs) began to dominate the class...."

Not for U.S. consumption: The Honda CB 400ss.

From the 35th Tokyo Motorshow

"Lightweight Handling and Thumping Big-single Torque.

The CB400SS is a sporting single in the finest tradition. Wearing new colors, it now projects a new image. A new electric starter added to the traditional kick-starter make this middleweight thumper easy to start, and the buffed pedals and kick-starter are quality details that every enthusiast can appreciate. Now equipped with HISS*(Lightweight Handling and Thumping Big-single Torque.

This customized model dresses out the CB400SS in the image of a more stylish classic café racer using off-the-shelf parts combined with a distinctive rocket cowling, aluminum tank, solo seat, and reverse cone muffler- a new direction in the café racer genre, and a sure hit on the street bike scene."

From the Return of the Cafe Racers blog: The Yamaha SR 400/500.

I recently saw this great write up of the Yamaha SR500/400 on the terrific Cafe Racer Blog: The Return of the Cafe Racers. So I will let our friend from down under describe this great little bike in his own choice words:

pretty cool right out of the box: The SR500

"Originally modeled off Yamaha's first true "big thumper", the XT500 which gained popularity through it's success in the Paris Dakar, the SR400 set up has been around since 1978. The earlier SR 500 became a legend as one of most reliable and easy-to-maintain motorcycles ever built. I was sold till 1999 and Yamaha enjoyed huge demands in Germany and Japan, until new noise and emission regulations signalled the end of the big air-cooled single. The SR400's being produced and sold in Japan today differ slightly from the earlier SR500 versions of the bike with a shorter stroke and heavier muffler to comply with tight emission laws. Powered by a 400CC four stroke single producing 27Hp (19.73kW) @ 7000RPM the bike is not what you would call an amazing performer but all up it's a solid set up and a good performer.


Aesthetically the bike hasn't changed much since it's conception and as such oozes retro classic appeal in todays market. The original SR500 look was designed to have a "strong family image and a strong link to our (Yamaha's) first four stroke, the XS 650 twin, which was also inspired by British design at first." Like the W650 the SR400's classic Brit bike looks have gained it a huge popularity in Japan and as such you can find parts for almost any type of custom conversion you may desire. Searching online will return examples of SR400 based Cafe Racers, Boppers and Street Trackers that will make any motorcycle lover drool. Here a few examples of beautifully customised SR400's I found online...

Here's a few links for those wanting more...
Yamaha Papercraft Oragami SR400
Super cool Official Yamaha SR400 website - The aptly named SR Cafe (Japanese only)
Yamaha Japana's line up of custom parts - Y's Gear
Deus Ex Machina SR400 Grievous Angle Cafe Racer
Deus Ex Machina SR400 Manx
Deus Ex Machina Sr400 TT

If you're looking to get your hands on a Yamaha SR400 in Australia, once again the guys at Deus are importing them so get your orders in now!"

Official of Japan brilliant SR500 cafe

Honda's future cafe racers ?

Honda is ready for the 40th Tokyo Motor Show, which will be held from the 27th of October till the 11th of November 2007. And right now, they're giving you a sneak preview of what you can perhaps expect from Honda in 2008! The prototypes you see above CB1100F and the CB1100R - stand a good chance of going into production next year.

The two bikes are powered by 1100cc inline-fours and while the CB1100F (above) seems to be a modern interpretation of a traditional 1980s UJM("universal japanese motorcycle"), the CB1100R (below) which looks totally brilliant- It has that 1980s, Freddie Spencer era Japanese cafe racer cool and we so love this bike. Awesome!

More details will follow as they become available. In the meanwhile, you can visit the Honda website here.

From Faster and Faster:

Vintage 1999: The Laverda Black Strike 668 Cafe Racer.

From the Laverda factory web site: March 1999.

"As any true Cafè Racer, the Laverda Black Strike 668 has a 650/668 has a non-conventional look. It is all black and the only other colours are the white background of the instruments and the silver grey. An elegant and sporty combination that highlights the uniqueness of the Laverda Black Strike 668 Cafè Racer. They were manufactured in an exclusive series of 50 numbered-distinguished by a special plate and certificate of originality, and was very well received and sold extremely quickly.

"The air and oil cooled Laverda 668 engine delivers 70 HP and has been submitted to a large variety of upgrading and improvements. It has a new engine head, the cylinder liners have a new grinding, the pistons and the piston rings are new as well, the oil circulation circuit has been redesigned to improve cooling and lubrication at the same time, the oil pump has a larger flow and the crankcases are the same of the 750 c.c. versions."

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar: The NSU Hammock.

From the amazing and really interesting FFMCC (feet first motorcycle club)

"NSU produced a couple of prototypes from 1954 to 1956 as part of a speed record breaking project designed and ridden by Gustav Baumm This was so succesfful that they started an exercise to turn it into both a road bike and a GP racer. Unfortunately, the FIM introduced some very restrictive fairing rules for racing and the progress of M/C deisgn took a very different turn. It's amazing to think that if this had not happened, we might all be riding this sort of thing today."

Ah, Italy in the spring: The Italjet Amarcord.

From Azzurrimoto.co.uk

"Gracefully retro: This is the best definition for the new incredible creation of Leopoldo Tartarini, founder, president, as well as inexhaustible source of creativity and innovation at the company.

Amarcord leaves you speechless right at first sight, thanks to its retro styling, its futuristic and timeless look, and its brand new technical solutions (rear suspension system).

Its intriguing look is paired up by its driving style: You drive an Amarcord as if you were in the 1920`s, but with the addition of excellent comfort and the guarantees of a state of the art 150cc 4T engine.

Scootering Nov 2001 said: "This motorcycle was styled to look like a single cylinder Italian motorcycle of the 1920's..." This machine is in the final stages of development at the Italjet factory and will be available in the spring.

Carpy on the history of the Seeley 750.

Carpy's 78 Seeley 750 Honda

Carpy of 750 Cafe writes of the Seeley history:

"Between 1975 and 1978 The English company Colin Seeley International was
responsible for 300 neatly crafted SEELEY HONDA'S with CB750 engines
and other running gear. The majority of the Seeleys were supplied as chassis kits,
to which engines were added. But a number were commisioned asComplete Motorcycles, using brand new Honda's as Donor bikes.

Former Sidecar GP racer Colin Seeley had founded his own marque in the
1960's to build road racers around single-cylinder OHC 350cc AJS and 500cc
Matchless engines, to which he had aquired manufacturing rights. After the British Single cylinder machines became outpaced by the New japanese two-strokes, Seeley decided to embark on a CB750-based project in the winter of 1974-75.

He purchased a K2 which was brand new and set about re-working it with the
aim of creating a top-quality road-legal motorcycle that was better looking
and easier to work on than the standard CB750.

A tailor made frame was designed, to be made by Seeley's welder Jack Wren,
in the same light guage reynolds 531 tubing as the Seeley racers. Of duplex cradle layout, it was well braced at the steering head, which contained taper roller bearings and was set at 28 degree's. The rear swingarm featured the simple and precise chaine tensioning system
devised by Seeley racers and substantial sheet-metal gusseting supported its pivots.

The earliest of the series of these cafe racer motorcycles retained many
original Honda parts and components, including the instruments, front forks,
brakes, exhaust system and sometimes even the seat. However, Seeley subsequently produced racer-style single and dual seats to match his handsome 20 and 25 litre aluminium petrol tanks, and used various proprietary parts. Kits were added to covert F1 and F2 models, as well as the K series of Honda's.


Cast alloy wheels were sourced from Campbray in the UK and later from the US
company Lester, when Seeley became it's UK agent. Other American components used on some machines were Hunt plasma-coated aluminium brake discs, Jardine exhaust systems and S&W rear suspension units.

Seeley also devised his own four-into-two exhaust system and his frames were
usually finished with nickel-plate, although an F2 powered limited edition sported an unusual but eye catching White enamel frame.

Some of the Seeley Hondas sold as complete bikes, and had US US-sourced
big-bore kits giving capabilities of 810 and 1,000cc.

Although some UK dealers, Including Read-Titan, were distibutors for the
costly Seeley honda, most examples were exported to a total of 12 countires.
For the German market, where a significant number of kits and machines were
sold, the necessary TUV approval was obtained.
Seeley also negotiated imports to Spain, despite the countries embargo on
fully Japanese motorcycles.

Like Seeleys Racing machines, the re-framed Hondas were well noted for their
superlative roadholding, elegance and exclusivity."

The alternative: The Yamaha XS650.

From Bikernet. and originaly reprinted from "Cycle World" magazine March, 1979

"A lot has been said about tradition, about how the Yamaha XS650 sounds and feels like the British vertical Twins that dominated motorcycling in the 1950s and 1960s. Present-day cynics weaned on multi-cylinder bikes say that the Yamaha vibrates and runs rough. Compared to a Four or Six, that’s right. But within the context of being a vertical Twin without dynamic balancers to offset the natural vibration of two large pistons pumping up and down, the Yamaha is remarkably smooth. Not only is the Yamaha far smoother than the old British Twins, but it is in every way a modern motorcycle.
So while it can be argued that much of the Yamaha’s appeal lies in the traditions of its powerplant, it is also true that the XS650 is a big seller for reasons unrelated to fond memories of the past. Reasons like low initial price, easy maintenance, handling, styling.
And more esoteric reasons.
It’s the sound, as much as anything. Hit the starter button and the engine growls to life with a subdued roar, then settles into the loping gait of a large vertical Twin, the sound of an even series of cylinder explosions separated by flashes of silence.
It doesn’t purr or whine or mumble. It idles, the handlebars and front end moving with the engine pulsations, trembling in anticipation of the ride to come. It sounds like a motorcycle, not a two-wheeled Porsche; and feels like a motorcycle, not an electric golf cart. You can hear and feel the source of power, gasoline explosions encased in iron and aluminum and steel. The rider, like it or not, is involved in the reality of the machinery.
That reality starts with the 653cc SOHC engine, which is slightly oversquare with bore and stroke of 75 x 74mm. The 360° crankshaft uses three roller bearings and a ball bearing, and drives the clutch via spur-cut gear. Rod big ends have needle roller bearings, while bushings are used in the small ends. The camshaft rides on two pairs of single-row ball bearings and is driven at half crankshaft speed via a roller cam chain. Combination cam follower/rocker arms open the valves: valve lash is maintained by conventional adjustable tappets. Ignition points are driven off one side of the camshaft. Transmission is five speed. Two 38mm Mikuni constant vacuum carburetors feed the beast. The rider has his choice of starting methods, kick or electric. Weight with a half-tank of fuel is 481 lb.
Because the Yamaha 650 is a traditional sort of engine there has long been talk of its heritage.
The engine does have a heritage, but it's not the one most often mentioned, the Triumph 650 Twin. That engine was extremely undersquare (71 x 82 mm) and had two camshafts operating pushrods and rocker arms plus many more detail and conceptual differences. The only real connection is that both were vertical 650 Twins.


The Yamaha’s line of descent actually reaches back to 1955 and the Hosk SOHC 500 Twin, which in its day was the only Japanese motorcycle capable of running with the fast British machines of the period. Along its path into the motorcycle business Yamaha acquired Hosk, so that’s where they got the basics for the XS650, introduced in 1970.
The days when Twins were the fastest motorcycles are long past, but the XS650 turns in a respectable performance in class, with a standing-start quarter-mile of 13.86 sec. at 96.05 mph. That elapsed time is the same as the best recorded by the 1978 Triumph Bonneville 750, which turned 13.86 sec.; and better than the 14.14 sec. turned by the Kawasaki DOHC KZ750 Twin. The XS650 is also quicker than the Harley-Davidson 1000cc V-twin Sportster (14.22 sec.) and the 1979 BMW R65 flat-Twin (14.31 sec.).


Taken within the context of a motorcycle marketplace dominated by multi-cylinder motorcycles, the XS650’s performance doesn’t fare as well. But even though it isn’t quicker than the Fours in the same size category, the XS650 Twin does hold a few aces. The Yamaha weighs more than the GS550, 481 lb. versus 466 lb., but is far narrower in engine case width, 15 in. for the Yamaha compared to 21 in. for the Suzuki. In the case of the Kawasaki KZ650, the Yamaha is both lighter and narrower than the Kawasaki’s 493 lb. and 21 in. of case width. The Yamaha actually weighs 7 lb. more than the Honda CB650’s 474 lb. with half a tank of gas, but is narrower than the Honda, which measures 20 ¼ in. at the cases.
Besides being narrower than competing multis, the Yamaha also carries its engine weight lower. That lower center of gravity means that the XS650 can be flicked from side to side and can change direction more easily and quickly than the Fours. It means that the Yamaha feels lighter in traffic and at speed, and steers faster. The difference a lower center of gravity makes shows up dramatically when the rider is cutting through traffic, a time when the ability to make quick lane changes is desirable. The narrowness of the engine also makes riding between lanes of a traffic jam (in states where that’s legal) less nerve-wracking-the Yamaha can fit through a tighter space with more clearance.
More than drag strip times and numerical comparisons of engine width and motorcycle weight, it is such actual riding experiences that reveal the most about a motorcycle’s character.
The XS650 has a broad powerband and runs easily at low rpm. Starting at 2000 rpm and shifting up at 4000 rpm feels natural and is enough to run away from traffic. Below 4000 rpm. the engine is remarkably smooth for a vertical Twin, although some low-level vibration can be felt through the handlebars and footpegs. Even so, the mirror image is reasonably clear. The bike makes its best power above 5000 rpm, but low-frequency vibration increases dramatically above that engine speed and can be felt through the seat as well as through the rubber-mounted bars and pegs. In spite of the fact that the KZ750 Twin has dynamic balancers to theoretically reduce engine vibration, the XS650 actually vibrates less at higher rpm than the Kawasaki. The Yamaha is also smoother than Triumphs we’ve ridden.
An indicated 65 mph requires about 4200 rpm, and at that engine speed the machine is smooth enough that our riders could stand a long day in the saddle without discomfort.
A long day wouldn’t make the rider’s arm or wrist sore from holding the twist grip open, because the Yamaha doesn’t have excessively strong carburetor return springs. Besides making life a little easier for the rider’s throttle arm, the butterfly-throttle, vacuum-piston Mikunis also have a lot to do with the Yamaha’s excellent gas mileage. The bike averaged 51.4 mpg on the Cycle World test loop, a mixture of city and highway riding and did marginally better (51.6 mpg) in constant-speed high- way riding; That means an XS650 ridden at an indicated 65 or 70 mph on the highway can travel about 200 miles before the fuel tank runs dry. Even during the hardest highway running, the Yamaha delivered 46.8 mpg, a figure some multis couldn’t reach at a constant 40 mph.
But back in town the carburetors contribute to an annoying amount of driveline snatch, especially when creeping along in first or second gear with traffic. It is impossible to accurately control engine speed at very low rpm in the lower gears and the bike won't stay at a steady speed. Instead, the machine wants to constantly accelerate or decelerate - a constant state isn’t attainable.
Accumulated transmission gear engagement dog tolerances combine with the low-speed carburetion inaccuracies to cause the Yamaha to jerk back and forth as throttle is applied or released. The trait can be compensated for by careful use of the throttle and clutch, but idling smoothly along-in gear and with the clutch out isn't possible.
The transmission which has proven itself during the XS650’s lifetime requires a firm foot on the shift lever. It doesn’t clunk, but is a bit hesitant to slide from gear to gear. The transmission works, but won’t earn praise for effortless or slick shifting.
The only time the clutch demands notice is immediately after a cold start. The clutch squeals and squalls at the engagement point, grabbing and making smooth starts difficult or impossible. The noise is caused by inadequate initial lubrication of the clutch basket bushing, which is only stressed when the clutch is disengaged. After a few minutes of running, oil reaches the bushing and the squall disappears. A Yamaha spokesman said that XS650s have always had that peculiarity, but that it isn’t harmful.
The bike starts easily even on cold mornings if the correct procedure is followed. The “choke” lever actually activates enrichening circuits in the carburetors. With the “choke” on and the throttle left closed, the XS650 starts quickly. But the motorcycle won’t start if the throttle is opened at all.
By removing the passenger grab strap and substituting a grab rail behind the seat, Yamaha engineers improved the XS650’s seat a great deal. Seat grab straps have a nasty habit of being positioned just where the solo rider wants to sit, making the seat less comfortable at best and often numbing the rider’s butt during long rides. The 1979 version of the 650, thanks to that simple change and also the suspension, is the most comfortable XS650 so far. Fork compliance is good. With a 140-lb. rider and no baggage, the rear shocks are too stiff, but that’s a matter of personal preference. Suspension action on both large and small bumps is above average. The only chassis flaw encountered during highway testing was a tendency for the Bridgestone Super Speed tires to follow freeway rain grooves and produce a slight front end oscillation noticeable through the handlebars.
In sporting use the XS650 acquitted itself well, largely because of its low center of gravity and ability to turn quickly without requiring a lot of rider force. Instead of having to lift the bike up - as is the case with many street bikes - from one side and throw it down on the other side to make fast left-right transitions (as in ess curves) the rider can accomplish the same thing with far less effort. Simply put, the Yamaha Twin responds to rider input quickly and easily. Only the fastest, quickest - entry turns produced the barest hint of a wallow with the shocks at the lowest preload setting. At the highest speeds it is capable of attaining, the XS650 handles almost perfectly. Ground clearance is excellent, and only the hardest riding is likely to drag parts. On the left side, the side stand scrapes. On the right side the footpeg and muffler bracket mount bolt will scrape, but only at the point at which the tires slide and lose traction. When the bracket bolt touches down, the rider better be ready to try a flat-track-style slide or else abandon ship. It takes an extreme lean angle to get into that kind of trouble.
The single front disc feels strong and is controllable, but we had problems keeping the rear drum from locking during panic stops (for braking distance tests). Rear brake control under normal conditions wasn’t a problem. Front brake effectiveness is limited by tire adhesion - the brake can deliver more stopping power than available tire traction can handle. Finding the point of maximum deceleration while avoiding lock-up is not difficult.
Instruments, lights, controls and electrics are all what we’ve come to expect from Yamaha. They work, and work well. Turn signals are self-canceling. Instrument illumination at night is especially good. The numbers on the speedometer and tachometer appear white during daylight hours, but glow a subtle orange at night. Readability is excellent and so is speedometer accuracy: indicated 60 mph is actually 59.36 mph.
The fact that motorcyclists today are not surprised when a bike has reliable electrics and readable instruments and easy-to-use controls shows just how far motorcycling has come since the days of British dominance. Old-time Triumph owners never bought one replacement part - they bought two.
The XS650 really isn’t very much like the Triumphs and BSAs of old. It’s a modern motorcycle, refined and honed and civilized, and it does what it does very well."

The Royal Enfield Bullet Electra Clubman.

From London bikers.com By Tasha Crook.

"The Electra Clubman is the latest in a long line of café racer styled machines from Royal Enfield’s UK distributor Watsonian Squire. This authentic-looking machine has been developed in their factory in the Heart of England to combine the look and sound of the classic cafe racers of the Sixties with the reliability and performance of a modern lean burn engine and, of course, the heritage of the Royal Enfield badge. At the heart of the Clubman is the proven all-aluminium 500cc single cylinder Electra engine that has amazed the press and owners alike with its incredible fuel economy (over 85 mpg is not unusual). The frame, gas filled rear shock absorbers and Avon Super Venom tyres also come from the standard road bike, as does the efficient 280mm single front disc brake.

However the Clubman looks as radically different from the road version as the original rockers’ machines because it boasts all of the ‘race specification’ parts of that era, the most striking of which is the 4.5-gallon polished aluminium tank, sandwiched between ‘ace’ bars and hand made fibreglass single seat unit. Rear-set footrests work with the low bars to push the riding position forward into a sportier attitude without sacrificing comfort or cramping the stance.

The upswept ‘Gold Star’ style silencer not only reinforces the classic racer image, it also allows the lean burn engine, (designed to help Royal Enfield meet stringent modern emissions controls), breathe more freely. Watsonian have also added discreet mini indicators, chrome mudguards and a more compact tail light assembly.

The Royal Enfield Bullet Electra Clubman sells for £4,599 on the road and the price includes a 12-month warranty.

Royal Enfield Electra Clubman Specifications:

• Engine – 499cc four-stroke single
• Bore and stroke – 84mm x 90mm
• Power – 27.5 BHP at 5500 rpm (approx)
• Fuel consumption (approx) – 87 mpg
• Ignition – electronic TCI
• Starter – electric and kick
• Transmission – 5 speed constant mesh
• Dimensions (LxWxH) – 2110 x 700 x 1067mm
• Fuel tank capacity – 4.5 gallons (approx)
• Suspension front – telescopic hydraulic fork
• Suspension rear – hydraulic dampers
• Front brake – single disc, 280mm diameter.
• Rear brake – 6-inch drum
• Weight – 165 Kg
• Seat height 82cm"

Gallery: the SR 400/SR 500 Cafe Racers of Sagaminet.

Time for a bath: The Triumph Speed Twin.

From motorcycle-usa.com By Frank Melling

"It's 1961. You have never heard of the Beatles. John F Kennedy has just been elected as President of the U.S., and Honda is known only as a manufacturer of quirky lightweight two-wheelers. Motorcycles are cool, respectable and fashionable. And sitting right on top of the high fashion bike tree are Triumph motorcycles.

Forty five years ago, the world center of engineering excellence was the West Midlands. Vast numbers of cars from Birmingham, aero engines to power the world from Coventry, and the world's finest motorcycles pouring out of the Triumph factory at Meriden. Even in this hot house of manufacturing, the Triumph work force considered itself to be an elite: the highest paid, the most skilled - making the best motorcycles. The rest of the world stood, they thought, in awe.

Meriden workers had every right to walk with their tails in the air. The European manufacturers were miniscule in size by comparison and had tiny product ranges. BMW produced only three different types of bikes - and one of those was simply an over-bored version of their 500cc flat twin.

By comparison, every red-blooded motorcyclist was catered for by Triumph. Sporting riders adored the Tiger 100. Americans worshipped the 650cc Thunderbird - and gentlemen rode the Speedtwin. This distinction is important to understand. Bank Managers, Headteachers, and Doctors all rode Speedtwins - as did the Police. The Speedtwin was not a bike just for high days and holidays but a mark of status and soundness of judgment. Sensible, thoughtful people making carefully considered decisions bought Speedtwins.

By 1961, the 490cc unit construction engine was three years into its design life and the staff at Meriden hit every single marketing button. The motor was softly tuned and relaxed producing only 27bhp. This compares with almost 50bhp wrung out of the same engine in Daytona road racing trim: to say the least, the Speedtwin was lightly stressed.

The clutch was feather light in operation - the four-speed gearbox light and positive. Starting was simple and reliable with a coil ignition controlled by distributor, as was common in cars of the day.

Everything about the bike reflected that it was, first and foremost, a gentleman's carriage. The rear of the bike was fully enclosed with the now legendary Triumph "bathtub" and the front headlamp was housed in an equally elegant nacelle. The 4 gallon tank was topped with another Triumph styling icon - the "bread slicer" carrying rack.

If you were, or even are, a member of the professions, or perhaps an interior designer, the Speedtwin provides the most elegant of motorcycling experiences. But behind the apparent sophistication was another and far less glamorous story. The chassis was old fashioned even by 1961 standards, as were the single leading shoe brakes. But braking and handling were not the concern of the Speedtwin rider. His was the gentle wafting along roads at modest speeds caressing corners with grace and style - not attacking them with sporting aggression.

The problem was that by 1961 the Speedtwin was providing a service which increasingly few customers wanted. In 1959, Austin launched the Mini. Now, the teacher could drive to school in winter - warm and dry. Now, the bank manager needed to be at least as well equipped as his customers in motoring terms. As for the motorcycling fraternity, 55mph cruising, soggy handling and relaxed braking was a solution looking for a problem. By contrast, Triumph could sell you the charismatic Bonneville with its modern frame and high adrenaline 100mph performance. Motorcycling was on the cusp of an historical change - and the Speedtwin belonged to the dying era.

Yet, of the many charismatic classic bikes one can ride today there are few more satisfying than the Speedtwin. Ambling along a hawthorne hedged, wild flower perfumed English country lane on soft summer's evening it is easy to yearn for a long lost era of courtesy, a ham and pickle sandwich with a pint of warm real ale - and the pride in nation of engineers and craftsmen which the Speedtwin so evocatively exemplifies. Now, all are past"

The ledgend of the Black Bomber.

from the Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Musuem:

"This 450cc bike was the first double overhead cam engine in a Honda street bike. This engine will rev up to 10,000 rpm, an engine speed that would turn British bikes into a pile of broken bits. The Black Bomber was Honda’s message to the British “Here we come” (the 4 cylinder CB 750 was the message “too late – here we are”). The Black Bomber was considered too old in its styling and was changed to a more modern look in 1968. Collectors, of course, want the “ugly” Black Bomber.


Unlike automobiles in the USA market, Honda motorcycle models were not designated strictly by calendar year. Honda distinguished models by affixing a K-number suffix to the model, typically beginning with K0 at the model's introduction, sometimes with K1. Individual K models were offered for one or more years, depending upon sales rates and remaining inventory. For example, the initial CB450: the 4-speed Black Bomber,is designated CB450K0. It remained in Honda sales literature through 1968, alongside the next model, the CB450K1.

It was unique for a road bike in having twin overhead cams with torsion bar valve springs. One of the most impressive parts of the bike to this day is the engine which, when viewed in profile, has a very classical twin cam shape -- like that of a Manx Norton.

The CB450 has a stormer of an engine when it is carefully set up. The main weakness of the bike is that it is very heavy (at about 430lbs) and ithe gear ratios are quite spaced over the 4 speed box with a low top gear. Even so it is generally reckoned to be the best 450/500cc Honda twin until the introduction of the CB500 water-cooled twin of the nineties."

"It is illustrated in particular by a great facility of catch in hands" -The French Voxan Cafe Racer.

Translated (albeit badly) from the French Voxan homepage:

"The Cafe Racer is true sporting endowed with a rare versatility.

The “neo-classic” style of its purified line, the rigour and the effectiveness of its road behavior, the marked character of its V-Twin, the comfort and the facility of control are as many assets which distinguish the Racer Coffee from these competitors.

The Racer Coffee was born for the expert, seeking the exclusiveness in an original line and authentic feelings of control. Top-of-the-range by the quality of materials, with in particular of many aluminium parts. General-purpose by its comfort, facility of the single-seat/two-seater convertibility of the saddle and the colors proposed.

Equipped with V-Twin 996 Cm3, 100ch, the Cafe Racer's sporting character is reinforced by the adoption of an ram-air intake system. Characterized by its excellent rigidity and its light weight, the cycle part is nimble, and stable on the road. It is illustrated in particular by a great facility of catch in hands...(?)

Its architecture authorizes made it possible to define a position of control ahead, to distribute the masses in a specific way (48% on before and 52% on the back) and to modify the plate (rocked on before 10mm and raised back of 11 mm) in order to privilege the effectiveness of the nose gear)".....

Oh hell with it..lets just hear what Wiki has to say about it:

"Voxan is a French motorcycle manufacturer established in Issoire, France, in 1995.
Originally initiated by Jacques Gardette, the project involved different partners, including Alain Chevallier, who designed the chassis part, and société Sodemo, established in Magny-Cours, France, who designed the engine. The first prototype was delivered in 1997.

The first 50 Roadster models were delivered in 1999 to dealerships. The Café Racer models were added to the lineup in 2000, and the Scrambler model was released in 2001.
Although well considered on the French market, Voxan had a hard time competing against better established Japanese and Italian manufacturers.

In June 2002, Didier Cazeaux and Société de Développement et de Participation bought Voxan to ensure its continuity and, in April 2003, the manufacturer started producing its motorcycles again.

The Street Scrambler model was released in 2003, and the Nouveau Scrambler and Black Magic models in 2004.\All Voxan motorcycles use the same engine, which is unique in its design. This engine is a V-Twin with a 72° angle and 996cc of displacement.

Be afraid: The Munch Mammut.

From: Chris Irelands eccentric bike builder page:

"The 1967 Munch Mammoth (A very rare "production" motorcycle) was an attempt to adapt a car engine to a motorcycle. The result was a monster of a machine utilizing a double overhead cam inline 4 cylinder engine, transverse mounted in the frame. It came with a number of options, three different motor sizes, raging from 1200 CC’s up, several different seats and tanks sizes, and they offered a supercharged version as well, in 1967. The Mammoth was the fastest production motorcycle in the world in its day, and was known for its comfort and speed."

1966 after selling Cycle World magazine Floyd Clymer tried to generate interest in the German-made Munch. This huge motorcycle now featured a 1300cc engine developed for the NSU automobile. While the most powerful motorcycle of its time, the Mammoth, largely due to its expensive $4000 price tag, never caught on,...

The new Munch Mammut 2000 is limited to 250 units . The 2ltr machine makes up to 260bhp