Volume 36 / Number 1 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015 • $5 WHAT’S INSIDE: Yamaha MF1 Mono-Shock Marvel The Honda 450K1: End of an Era 15th Annual Florida Christmas Ride 2014 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF NORTH AMERICA, INC. IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES HISTORY: Yamaha MF1 COVER STORY Mono-Shock Marvel 2014 6 Florida State EVENTS: Rally 38 3rd Annual KCVJMC 14 Fall Picnic PROJECT BIKE: I Have an Oil Tanker 18 in My Garage MAINTENANCE & RESTORATION: Refurbishing Tachometer and Speedometer Face 23 Plates on a Honda CB750K1 ODDS & ENDS: DEPARTMENTS The 2014 VJMC Freebie Four PRESIDENT’S LETTER: ★25 Award Winners Riding into 2015 ...................................................................................5 BACK IN THE DAY: PROJECT BIKE: 1968 Honda 450K1: Honda CL450 / Wes Martin ............................................................. 12 the end of an era FROM THE EDITOR: 26 Request from Abroad ....................................................................... 13 MEMBER PROFILE: RIDING SAFETY: KCVJMC Honors Longtime Member: Three Keys to Riding Safely.............................................................. 49 robert blakesley 31 TECH HELP: Tech Tip #6: Regulators .................................................................... 53 PROJECT BIKE: Motorcycle Grandpa ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ............................................................... 55 33 ADVERTISER’S SPOTLIGHT: It’s Not Just About Paint: Marbles Motors ................................... 55 MAINTENANCE & RESTORATION: EVENTS CORNER ......................................................................... 57 Taking Your Japanese Motorcycle from Fair to CLASSIFIEDS .................................................................................. 59 34 Show Bike Condition! Volume 36 / Number 1 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015 • $5 HISTORY: The Honda S90: beauty is in WHAT’S INSIDE: Yamaha MF1 Mono-Shock the eye of Marvel The Honda 450K1: the beholder End of an Era 42 15th Annual Florida Christmas ON THE COVER Ride 2014 Bikes parked for the EVENTS: show at the Florida 15th Annual State Rally at Silver VJMC Florida OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF NORTH AMERICA, INC. Springs State Park Christmas Ride cover photo: 46 Michael Fitterling VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE 3 PRESIDENT’S LETTER Riding Into 2015 Official Publication of the VJMC FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015 t’s time to make your 2015 riding plans now. I know it’s a bit Volume 36, Number 1 Iearly for some of you in snow country, but get the calendar out Current VJMC Enrollment: 3853 and lock down the fun. The VJMC plans to ramp up our event schedule and grow the good times. Each year we are contacted PRESIDENT Tom Kolenko by more organizations and venues that want to partner with the 770-427-4820 VJMC on events. We evaluate each opportunity against the focus [email protected] of this club and interests of our members. As a volunteer-based EDITOR club, we recognize it takes boots on the ground to make these Michael Fitterling events work. We have declined opportunities where we felt our volunteer base was 863-632-1981 not there, or the event didn’t embrace vintage Japanese motorcyclists’ interests. [email protected] Our Field Representative program is being updated to encourage maximum en- DESIGN DIRECTOR gagement throughout North America at the local level. We have some remarkable Nadine G. Messier [email protected] Field Reps that have grown the VJMC membership locally. They have created annual events, partnerships with dealerships for shows, and regular meet-ups. We want to CLASSIFIED ADS Gary Gadd encourage and support members who want to take on a VJMC leadership role in 817-284-8195 their areas. If you are interested in promoting and creating good times, go to the [email protected] website and download a Field Rep application and nondisclosure form to submit for DISPLAY AD DIRECTOR consideration. We have recently added Steve Ligon (Bastrop, Texas), Murray Milne Guido Cardillo (Pompano Beach, FL ), Obis Brea (West Palm Beach, FL), and Rob Wiest (Bear, DE) 404-587-0190 to the Field Rep ranks. Welcome aboard! [email protected] Sometimes it takes a close friend to point out the obvious. I learned this over lunch AD SALES REPRESENTATIVE with a long time industry expert. Our VJMC members are “influence leaders” when Art Snow [email protected] it comes to all types and forms of motorcycling. You are often experienced riders, veterans of many motorcycle purchases, part time mechanics or know who is, and MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Bill Granade are passionate representatives of the two wheeled experience. The fact that you often 813-961-3737 have multiple motorcycles, years of riding experience, and still enjoy the toys of your [email protected] youth confers some “expert” standing in the community. CHANGE OF ADDRESS Don’t squander this social capital. Build the ranks of riders of vintage Japanese Please direct these requests to Bill Granade: iron by taking the time to help others. Welcome the newbies, regardless of what they [email protected] ride, direct folks to part sources like our great advertisers, help them get their bikes ADDITIONAL COPIES running, and invite them to VJMC events. All Japanese bikes will eventually qualify In order to minimize unnecessary expens- as vintage, just like their owners. We have even created a class at many of our local es to the club, VJMC prints a limited number of each issue of Vintage Japanese Motorcy- bike shows called “Future Classics.” It’s a way of welcoming the future of this club. cle Magazine. However, we would be glad to Finally, an explanation for our increased reliance on online event pre-registration. accommodate any requests for additional copies from members. As we have grown, the coordination requirements to hold events with 75-200 mem- These requests must be submitted before the bers has grown exponentially. We have to reserve facilities, plan lodging, arrange 15th of the month preceding each issue. For ex- tasty meals, buy sufficient trophies, pre-order T-shirts, and plan rides for many par- ample: for the Feb/Mar issue requests must be received by January 15. ticipants. Since we rely on volunteers, this makes the ability to front load for success- ful events doable. Please plan to use online registration for all our events so equipped MISSION STATEMENT: in the year ahead. Pete Slatcoff has given this club this capability to make events The purpose of this organization is to promote the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of scalable. This has freed our volunteer workers to also participate in the activities, vintage Japanese motorcycles (defined here as instead of being stuck at some registration table for eight hours. The email notifica- those 20 years old or older). The VJMC also will promote the sport of motorcycling and camera- tions when event registration opens should jump start your planning in 2015. derie of motorcyclists everywhere. Sadly, one of our long time members, Max Hartman, a regular at the Barber Vin- © 2015 Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club of tage Festival has passed. Our prayers go out to his family. North America, an IRS-approved Not-for-prof- it 501(c)(7) corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted without permission. All articles copyright by their respective authors. Ride safe, Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine is pub- Tom Kolenko lished six times per year, in February, April, June, August, October, and December. The views and VJMC President opinions expressed in letters or other content are those of the author and do not necessarily represent VJMC policy. The VJMC accepts no lia- bility for any loss, damage, or claims occuring as a result of advice given in this publication or for claims made by advertisers of products or ser- vices in this publication. VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE 5 Mono-Shock Marvel 6 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015 VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTOrcycLE MAGAZINE 7 HISTORY by Geoffrey Ellis as the 1960 50cc MF1 step-through Yamaha’s first mono-shock motor cycle? W In the “Wanted” ads in this magazine, President Thomas Kolenko is looking for parts to restore his Yamaha MF1, but many members may ask, ”What is an MF1?” Yamaha was a late arrival on the Japanese motorcycle scene, but, unlike their competition, including Honda and Suzuki, Yamaha did not start by producing bicycles with motors. Being more ambitious, they commenced production with the YA1 125cc copy of a DKW. In 1958, Yamaha was sixth in market share but was missing the real sales area in the home market, being motor scooters and Two-stroke motor 50cc capacity motorcycles. Realising this, Yamaha asked the design company, GK Design, to submit a proposal which resulted in a 50cc step-through—the MF1, obviously inspired by the success of the Honda Cub. GK Design is part of the Mitsui economic group, along with Yamaha and Toyota, and has designed the majority of the Yamaha range from 1955 until the present. To give Yamaha the competitive edge, something different was required, so the MF1 was designed as a luxury step-through, where the Honda and Suzuki were more utilitarian. This proved to be a wise decision as Yamaha’s production doubled on the release of the MF1 and SC1 scooter in 1960, taking them to third in market share. Japanese sales were so strong for the MF1 that when dealers knew their motorcycles would be ready for dispatch, they would drive to the fac- tory the night before bringing cash with them and sleep in their trucks so they could collect their MF1s as soon as possible. On returning to their dealership, customers would be waiting cash-in-hand to take delivery. Yamaha had two MF1 production lines that could not keep up with demand. Neidhart front suspension and bolt Typical of many motorcycles of the time, the MF1 frame was a bulky, pressed-metal assembly. The fuel tank was located up high, on the head stem just behind the handlebars, and encased within the pressed-metal frame, with the battery for the electric start under the seat. Front forks were pressed-metal of a bicycle-type design.