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VINTAGEVINTAGEVINTAGE JAPANESEJAPANESEJAPANESE MOTORCYCLEMOTORCYCLEMOTORCYCLE CLUBCLUBCLUB OF NORTH AMERICA Founded 1977 Volume 26, Number 1 February 2003 $3.50 Bridgestone 50th Anniversary 1953 - 2003 Celebrating over 25 years of vintage motorcycling Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club Newsletter February 2003 This Issue Contains About This Month's Cover Page 2 VJM Calendar of Events Page 10 Editor's Corner Page 3 Go Tell It on the Mountain Page 12 President's Page Page 4 VJMC at the Cycle World Page 16 International Show, Denver, CO VJMC Member Profile Page 6 David Hellard VJMC Activities in Florida. Page 18 Bridgestone Page Page 7 VJMC Rides in Oklahoma Page 20 The Rockford Files Classified Ads Feature Article: Page 8 For Sale Page 24 Rust Removal Wanted Page 28 About This Month's Cover: cles. That makes 2003 their Bridgestone motorcy- 50th Anniversary. In honor of cles have long been overshad- The inaugural "Cover this momentous milestone, we owed by Honda and other Girl" for the VJMC Newsletter in hereby designate 2003 as the marques in the Vintage Motor- 2003 is a Bridgestone DT175. cycle world, often relegated to This late 1960's State of the Art "VJMC Year of the the status of irrelevant curiosi- 2-Stroke was a twin-cylinder Bridgestone". ties. However, knowledgeable model that featured an individ- Bridgestone aficionados know ual carburetors and rotary Accordingly, we will fea- that these motorcycles were as valves, oil injection, and a ture Bridgestone motorcycles on good as any produced at the transmission that was selectable the cover all year, and highlight time, and that knowledge is for either four or five speeds. A Bridgestone-related gatherings spreading, and there has been a useful feature, to be sure, when and activities. Primary among tremendous resurgence of in- transitioning from city commut- these is the 50th Anniversary terest in Bridgestone motorcy- ing to highway cruising, or vice Bridgestone Reunion which will cles within our community. Thus a-versa. be held July 4 – 6 in Rockford, we feel that it is appropriate to Il, Bridgestone's "Hometown" in acknowledge and encourage Those who purport to the USA. Contact information this resurgence of interest which know such things say that 1953 for this event appears in the happily, corresponds with this marked the inauguration of pro- "VJM Calendar" page important anniversary. Editor. duction of Bridgestone motorcy- Cover Photo From a Mid-1960's Bridgestone Advertising Brochure; This Issue's Web Password: Provided by VJMC Member Andre Okazaki "icebound" Cover Layout By VJMC Effective February 1st (Use Lower Case) Member Andre Okazaki Volume 26, Number 1, Page 2 Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club Newsletter February 2003 Editor's Corner By Richard Sulik, Editor Critical Mass. It's the Meets with Swap Meets, motor- stored to a condition which rep- amount of fissionable material cycle shows, and motorcycle licates the appearance of the necessary to create a self- judging. machine as originally received sustaining reaction. I've been a by the dealer from the factory. member of the VJMC for more Clearly, the VJMC is no than a decade, and in our 25th longer just a small cadre of folks Using this method, year of existence as an organi- organized simply to sell bikes bikes compete against stan- zation, I believe we have finally and parts to one another. Just dards, and not against each achieved Critical Mass as clearly, member activities are other. For example, a 1965 the key to raising the stature of CB77 with highly polished car- Take a look through the the VJMC to the level of the buretor bodies or crankcase Table of Contents at the top of AMCA. Public exhibitions and covers, or with chromed side- the opposite page. In addition to local rides are a good start. covers, would score poorly, or all the regular articles, such as However, motorcycle shows be disqualified, regardless of the Member Profile, the VJM with formal, fair, and objective how aesthetically pleasing the Calendar of Events page, the judging program is a key, al- result might be. This is because Classified Ads, and others, though heretofore missing, ac- of the fact that all aesthetics is there are numerous reports of tivity. by definition subjective. There is VJMC members getting out in no objective basis for determin- the world with activities of all The VJMC Judging ing whether a CA77 with a Sissy kinds: Exhibitions, motorcycle Committee is currently working Bar or a CL77 with "Ape Hang- shows, and rides on which to to develop such a program. As it ers" or a H1 converted to a share good food and camarade- does its work, there is a consid- Trike is the better machine, and rie. And you'll note that these erable amount of discussion should therefore be the "Win- activities are not confined to one relative to the place in such a ner". To even attempt to do so location – they are happening all program for motorcycles which would be, at the least, divisive. across the country, from Colo- have been modified from, or not rado and Oklahoma in the West, restored to, original condition. Hopefully, there will be to Tennessee, South Carolina, The crux of the discussion is one or more VJMC motorcycle and Florida in the East. Much that although some feel that shows in 2003. And with a lot of has been done, and having modified motorcycles can be work, and a little luck, there will achieved Critical Mass, I believe aesthetically pleasing and tech- be a consistent and objective we can look forward to even nically interesting, others recog- judging program in place for more in the future. nize that there is no way to ob- these events. Certainly, it would jectively judge them make the VJMC a more interest- The Antique Motorcycle ing and attractive venue for all Club of America (AMCA) is the The AMCA judging sys- enthusiasts of vintage Japanese largest organization of its kind, tem works so well and is so motorcycles. And ultimately, with around 8,000 members. It successful because of the fact there may be a place for modi- is the largest because it is that it is so objective: Motorcy- fied machines in this program; member-activity oriented. It cles are judged objectively for perhaps in some sort of "Par- consists of more than a dozen authenticity in a systematic ticipant Judged" or "People's local Chapters, most of which fashion, against established Choice category. However, the conduct some kind of activity by criteria, and not in relation to impossibility of judging them on and for the members, and the other bikes in its category or a fair and impartial basis must general public as well. These class. That is, bikes win awards be recognized by all, and they activities range from simple to the extent that they are in must not be allowed to detract meal-sharing gatherings, to superb original condition, or from an effective, objective, rides, and multi-day National have been authentically re- VJMC judging program. Volume 26, Number 1, Page 3 Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club Newsletter February 2003 President's Page By Jim Townsend First of all, I want to have been at a Cycle World right there and a lot of other wish you all a Happy New Year! show, and we hit a Homer! events happen there too. It's a bit late, but as I write this it Roger Burns, the Colorado Field is still a week away. Lots of just Rep, and his cohort, get the Ku- In addition we have a super things are happening in dos for putting together an out- new Rep in Western Tennessee the club, and all I can do is just standing display that attracted a Mark Casillas, of Bartlett.. Pete hit the highlights: lot of attention. They have set Boody the Tennessee Rep from the standard for VJMC Mem- the Knoxville area, has been 2003 NATIONAL RALLY bership in action! Also, thanks making some big footprints in go to Tom Kolenko, our Club that he was instrumental in I want to make all VJMC Treasurer from Georgia, who forming a Tennessee Chapter of Members aware that contrary to was instrumental in making the the VJMC. He and Mark will be what was previously an- initial contacts with the Cycle doing a lot of things this year, nounced, the 2003 VJMC Na- World people that helped break including organizing the 2003 tional Rally will be held in Oak the ice, and got us the invitation. VJMC National Rally. What a Ridge, TN. However, the dates tremendous undertaking to mark will be the same; September 10 Our Canadian contin- the inauguration of this new – 13. Further details will be gent has been doing quite well group! provided both here in the News- at the Toronto show. Coming up letter and on the VJMC Web in March is the Daytona Bike Ohio has a new Rep Site as they are developed. Week show at Deland, Florida. recommended by John Sullivan, Paul Enz, Marty Landry, Paul the VJMC Secretary. He is Ken FIELD REPRESENTATIVES: Franchina and others have been Carlson from Kenton, OH. In doing a bang up job there too. addition we also have Jeffrey Our Field Representative and Connie Payne of Spokane, program is improving tremen- Since our last Southern Washington joining our ranks dously all over the country: California Field Rep died last too. However, we still need year, we have been leaderless someone in the Eastern Iowa – Pete Boody and his in that area. Not any longer. I Western Illinois area to step in contingent in the Tennessee put out a call on the web list and for long-time Field Rep Rich Chapter the of VJMC have un- got replies from no less than six Sulik, who is now editing and dertaken the mammoth task of guys in the LA/San Diego re- producing our Newsletter.