Inside: Tech Q&A on Oil, Readying Your Bike • Show Reports from Ind., Fla., N.J., Calif
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VJMs do well at Vegas auction Conversion of a Special •Inside: Tech Q&A on oil, readying your bike • Show reports from Ind., Fla., N.J., Calif. • Simplicity of two-strokes • Hundreds of classifieds Vol. 32, No. 2 April 2011 $5 COVER STORY 22 Conversion of a Special Using a 1978 Yamaha XS650 Special to make a race replica. FEATURES 8 Florida show keeps growing 18 Japanese bikes do well at Las More people finding out where Vegas auction Dania Beach is. Mid-America Auction is a good spot for motorcycle watching. 10 Daydreaming about last year’s rides 26 Engine overhaul from spares VJMC issue leads to fond memories of Something about the simplicity of Hoosier rally. two-strokes. 12 Kyle’s big motorcycle 28 One thing leads to another N.Y.C. display leads to Art of the adventure Riding trip overcomes a few hitches. Bike invite. 30 Meet Marcus Swan 16 VJMs draw attention Member spotlight is on Ohio at SoCal show restoration specialist. Long Beach IMS has a showcase of Japanese bikes on hand. DEPARTMENTS 4 President’s letter 7 Letters, news and miscellany 6 Tech Q&A 33 Classifieds VJMs do well at Vegas auction On the cover Gary Renna’s Yamaha Conversion flat tracker is a great use of a Special of the very-available XS650. •Inside: Tech Q&A on oil, readying your bike • Show reports from Ind., Fla., N.J., Calif. • Simplicity of two-strokes • Hundreds of classifieds Vol. 32, No. 1 April 2011 $5 April 2011 www.vjmc.org 3 PRESIDENT’S LETTER VJMC magazine April 2011 Vol. 32, No. 2 President You can help the club grow Hal Johnson t a recent conference call schedule. In particular, we’d love 402-660-6710 [email protected] of the VJMC Board of to have some help in the Northeast, Directors, Vice President the Midwest, and the Northwest Editor A Brendan Dooley Bob Billa presented a report on the areas of the USA. But don’t let your [email protected] upward trend in advertising rev- location be a factor; we just need enues generated by our magazine a willingness to learn and help, Art Director Rhonda Cousin and website. We discussed the rea- And for every advertising sons for this increase and began to dollar you generate, there Classified ads Gary Gadd make plans to encourage it even is even a small commis- 817-284-8195 more over the coming year. sion for you; it’s an easy [email protected] A major factor in getting more way to pay for your yearly Display Ad Director/ advertisers to help support pro- membership Bob Billa 760-636-3288 duction of our magazine [email protected] is making the investment in the VJMC a wise use West Coast Rep Bill McClennon of advertising dollars. 714-996-2278 Simply stated, advertisers [email protected] want to know they are get- Mountain States Rep ting a good bang for their Volunteer Needed advertising buck. And we Central States Rep want them to be successful Volunteer Needed as well, knowing that their Northeast Rep returning revenues greatly Volunteer Needed aid in lowering the production Southeast Rep cost of our magazine. (By the Volunteer Needed way, if you own a business, Membership Director our ad rates are a great value Bill Granade when compared with other 813-961-3737 magazine rates). [email protected] So I’d like to encourage Mission statement: The purpose of this organization is to you to use the VJMC magazine dues! Go to promote the preservation, restoration as a living and active resource. vjmc.org and contact and enjoyment of vintage Japanese motorcycles (defined as those 20 years Whether you’re hunting for paint Bob Billa if you are old and older, until 2011. We will em- brace 1990 until then). The VJMC also or parts, chrome or carburetors, I’d interested. will promote the sport of motorcycling like you to consider turning first to Hey, speak- and camaraderie of motorcyclists everywhere. our VJMC supporters and adver- ing of the maga- © 2011, Vintage Japanese Motor- tisers. And when you call, make zine, thanks to those cycle Club of North America, an sure to let them know you found who have submitted suggestions IRS-approved Not-for-profit 501(c) (7) corporation. All rights reserved. their name in our magazine. for our Name-The-Magazine con- issue, hopefully all of the snow No part of this document may be re- Additionally, we are seeking test. We’ll be reviewing all the produced or transmitted in any form has melted from the driveways and without permission. volunteers to help us generate more submissions at our board meeting streets of our Northern members, The VJMC magazine is published six advertising dollars. If you can make in March, selecting the final four, and summer has already begun times per year, in February, April, June, a few calls or send a few letters, we and voting for a winner. Many of August, October and December. The down South. Let the celebrations views and opinions expressed in let- can use you. If you have a knack the suggestions will make it a dif- begin again; it’s riding season! ters or other content are those of the author and do not necessarily represent for growing relationships, and like ficult choice for a winner, while See you on the road. VJMC policy. The VJMC accepts no people, this may be a good place some suggestions were, well … liability for any loss, damage or claims occurring as a result of advice given in for you to volunteer. You can do interesting. Hal Johnson, this publication or for claims made by advertisers of products or services in it from your home, on your own By the time you receive this VJMC president this publication. 4 www.vjmc.org April 2011 Roberts Knows Retro! “Someone’s nally paying real attention to motorcycling’s glory years, a time when the sport changed in so many dramatic ways. Moto Retro Illustrated is a great read, a magazine that takes me back to those exciting years with in-depth research, writing and great photography. If you love moto-culture from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, you’re gonna dig it.” —Kenny Roberts THE BEST OF DIRT, STREET AND MINI MOTOCULTURE FROM THE ’60S, ’70S AND ’80S! ISSUE #2 WINTER 2010 King $10.95 USD Kenny Then and Now ’75 INDY MILE YAMAHA DT-1 CARLSBAD— THEN AND NOW HONDA SL70 ing Kenny built a career telling it like it is, so we’re obviously jacked to hear his thoughts. He’s right, of course. Moto Retro Illustrated is the only full-coverage—dirt, street and mini—retro magazine around, and because it’s K HANNAH! written by folks with decades of journalism, riding and racing experience from the very eras and categories we cover, you know the stories are gonna be good. We’re more expensive than your average magazine, but we’re worth it. Moto Retro is ISSUE NO.1 large-format, glossy and printed on thick, luxurious paper. We dig deep and go behind the scenes on the bikes, technol- Eddie Lawson, Kawasaki’s ELR, Yamaha’s ogy, collections, races, events, racers and collectors you remember from the glory days of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, and we rst monoshocker. limit advertising so you get a magazine packed to the sidepanels with great stories, killer photography and hair-raising ISSUE NO. 2 tales from Back In The Day! Kenny Roberts, 1975 Indy Mile, So subscribe to Moto Retro Illustrated today and you’ll soon know retro as well as Kenny Roberts! Yamaha’s DT-1, Honda’s SL70. Moto Retro Illustrated is quarterly (4 issues per year) and available only through our website or by mailing ISSUE NO. 3 a check or money order to Moto Retro Subscriptions, P.O. Box 202, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274. Mike Baldwin & Team Honda’s Yearly subscriptions are $39.95 (U.S.) and $59.95 (International). Please email (mitch@motoretroillustrated), 1982 Superbike, Rupp Roadster. write or call (310.849.1845) for info on single copy sales, advertising information or dealer sales packages. ISSUE NO. 4 Available Dec. '10. Honda’s '83 Interceptor, www.motoretroillustrated.com Suzuki RM125, Honda Z50 and more! TECH Q & A Synthetic oil and your VJM By Jan “Dr. CBX” Ringnalda and go). Just turning on the fuel and hitting the starter button may be a good recipe Should I use synthetic oil in my two- for hospital food. Some pre-ride checks stroke bike? should be carried out, a little more than Q: the usual ones. This is what I do: Regarding two-cycle bikes, I think First check the fuel is clean and some of my column from the Feb- good to use. If any doubt, drain the A:ruary 2011 issue still applies. How- fuel and put it into the lawn tractor ever there is simply nothing like the smell or use it for cleaning. Fill up with of Castrol ‘R’ at a motocross meet. I am fresh fuel, and close the drain valves personally not sure if a synthetic oil would on the carbs. Then let fuel flow into the give better performance. In the scheme of carbs and check for leaks. While the fuel things in terms of ignition timing, exhaust is on, if there is a leak, a tap on the side pipe, oil/gas mix and compression, the actual of the carb body may cause the float to free oil used may be a very small aspect in the and stop the leak.