Volume 36 / Number 6 DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 • $5 11th Annual WHAT’S INSIDE: AIMExpo 2015 Route 66 Ride Katana: A Revised Dream Bike An Inexpensive Carburetor Balancer OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF NORTH AMERICA, INC. IN THIS ISSUE Features EVENT: VJMC at COVER STORY Backfire Moto 11th Annual 6 Barber Vintage Festival 40 PROJECT BIKE: Katana: A Revised 12 Dream BIke EVENT: Hap’s Annual Open House 19 EVENT: The 2015 Bull City Rumble 20 EVENT: AIMExpo: Departments Retro Affair Vintage Motorcycle PRESIDENT’S LETTER: 22 Show Always Bring a Friend ..........................................................................5 EVENT: BACK IN THE DAY: The KCVJMC 4th Annual Honda CB160 / Larry Yancy ............................................................. 10 Fall Picnic 26 FROM THE EDITOR: Looking Back and Planning Forward .............................................. 11 EVENT: 2015 Capital City CLUB BUSINESS: Bikefest You Can Help Determine the Future Direction of the VJMC— 30 Board of Directors Election ............................................................ 54 PROJECT BIKE: TECH HELP: For Better Tech Tip #11: Stopping Oil Leaks .................................................... 55 or for Worse 34 EVENTS CORNER ......................................................................... 57 EVENT: ADVERTISER’S SPOTLIGHT: Route 66 Ride Diamond Gusset Jeans ..................................................................... 58 47 CLASSIFIEDS .................................................................................. 59 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ............................................................... 61 MAINTENANCE Volume 36 / Number 6 & RESTORATION DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 • $5 On the Cover An Inexpensive and 11th Annual VJMC member 49 Reliable Carburetor David Scholten Balancer fires up his 1975 Kawasaki H2 750 triple EVENT: WHAT’S INSIDE: at the Sounds of AIMExpo 2015 2015 VJMC Midwest KCVJMC Route 66 Ride Japanese Horsepower Katana: A Revised Dream Bike An Inexpensive contest at the Rally & Show Carburetor Balancer Barber Vintage Festival cover photo: 51 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE VINTAGE JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE CLUB OF NORTH AMERICA, INC. Michael Fitterling VINTAGE JAPaneSE MOTOrcycLE MAGAZINE 3 PRESIDENT’S LETTER Official Publication of the VJMC Always Bring a Friend DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 e all know that friendships expand with shared good Volume 36, Number 6 Wtimes. In 2015, the VJMC created many such opportu- PRESIDENT nities for our members to widen their circle of friends. Three Tom Kolenko 770-427-4820 members of the VJMC-Costa Rica and a VJMC-UK member [email protected] and his wife made many new friends at the Barber Vintage EDITOR Festival this year. If you were fortunate enough to participate Michael Fitterling in our rallies, shows, rides, or VJMC booths at other motor- 863-632-1981 cycle events, you are definitely ending the year with more [email protected] friends than in 2014. DESIGN DIRECTOR We continue to grow because members bring their closest friends to share the Nadine G. Messier good times. At Barber 2015, we had new members take the lead helping others [email protected] have a great time over the weekend. Setting up, staffing the booth, and tearing CLASSIFIED ADS it all down was made easy by many helping hands. Keith Perry, George Martin, Gary Gadd 817-284-8195 Don Lycon, Lee Mitzel, Randy and Warren Mayes, Bryan Bentley, Floyd Finch, [email protected] Ken Hutto, Mike Montague, Barry Schonberger, Brian Olsen, and many others MAGAZINE DISPLAY added much to our regular team of dedicated volunteers. Thank you all for your ADVERTISING DIRECTOR help. Bryan Bentley Teams make a difference in this avocation. Mr Barber’s team of Brian Slark, 864-923-0559 [email protected] Jeff Ray, Jennifer Moody, and Tyler Whitson execute each festival flawlessly, so others can create memories and new friends. Yamaha’s team of Steve, Guy, and MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Lisa support the VJMC all year long. Pete Slatcoff’s team at AIMExpo make the Bill Granade 813-961-3737 VJMC look great through the efforts of Norton, Norm, Lee, Rob, Bryan, and [email protected] their many friends. The most important team to me is the VJMC Board of Directors (BOD), who all CHANGE OF ADDRESS Please direct these requests to Bill Granade: came to the Barber Vintage Festival largely on their own dime for our required [email protected] annual face-to-face BOD meeting. This dedicated group of volunteers works tire- lessly to steer this club into the future. We addressed event planning, website ADDITIONAL COPIES In order to minimize unnecessary expens- needs, publications, membership recruitment, communication needs, and other es to the club, VJMC prints a limited number concerns for the year ahead. We are a strong club because we have such a hard of each issue of Vintage Japanese Motorcy- working Board. These are not honorary posts but task-anchored positions, re- cle Magazine. However, we would be glad to accommodate any requests for additional copies quiring hard work and dedication all year long. I thank you all for your time, from members. expertise, and resources. These requests must be submitted before the We will be holding elections for the BOD this fall, where any Field Represen- 15th of the month preceding each issue. For ex- tatives with over one year of service are invited to run for office. Once elected, ample: for the Feb/Mar issue requests must be these experienced volunteers are matched, where possible, into their areas of ex- received by January 15. pertise for service on the BOD. Volunteers John Herke and Randy Mayes will be MISSION STATEMENT: coordinating the election process and can be contacted directly for additional The purpose of this organization is to promote information or BOD member requirements. the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of vintage Japanese motorcycles (defined here as As the snow starts to fly, plan to check out the IMS shows located throughout those 20 years old or older). The VJMC also will this great land. They provide another gathering spot to check out VJMC mem- promote the sport of motorcycling and camera- bers’ show bikes, glean new parts sources, share riding memories, and peek at the derie of motorcyclists everywhere. new iron from the OEMs. Please thank the dedicated VJMC members staffing © 2015 Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club of the booths, too. North America, an IRS-approved Not-for-prof- Mark your calendars now for our 2016 National Rally in Spring Mill State Park, it 501(c)(7) corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced Mitchell, Indiana and our first Northeast Rally in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (ten- or transmitted without permission. All articles tatively set for July, 2016). Our Events Coordinator, Pete Slatcoff, would be happy copyright by their respective authors. to talk about other possible rally locations and dates where members have assem- Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Magazine is pub- bled a committed local rally team. Boots on the ground make it happen. lished six times per year, in February, April, June, In this season of thanksgiving, I want to wish everyone a joyous holiday season August, October, and December. The views and opinions expressed in letters or other content and a bountiful New Year. Stay warm and share the season with loved ones who are those of the author and do not necessarily make life’s ride possible. represent VJMC policy. The VJMC accepts no lia- bility for any loss, damage, or claims occurring as a result of advice given in this publication or for Tom Kolenko claims made by advertisers of products or ser- VJMC President vices in this publication. [email protected] VINTAGE JAPaneSE MOTOrcycLE MAGAZINE 5 6 DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 VJMC at VINTAGE JAPaneSE MOTOrcycLE MAGAZINE 7 8 DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 EVENT by Vardis / [email protected] monthly event held in a grittier part Aof Seattle, Backfire Moto happens on the third Wednesday of every month in Ballard, a suburb of Seattle. The ven- ue draws hundreds of bikes of all kinds along with their riders and a fair num- ber of folks who just want to come to look. The kinds of bikes found here run the gamut from totally stock vintage 7214 miles on the speedo. originals to highly modified custom Part of the success of this event is the one-offs, along with scooters and mo- proximity of four pubs in the general peds, sportbikes, dual sports and some area providing liquid refreshment and , cruisers. Backfire Moto, started by local tasty food to the cyclists and visitors. guys, originally leaned more towards This is a great place to see some vintage café racer/rat-bike/vintage cycle/vintage Japanese classics in the Seattle area on scooter-style bikes but has grown in the a regular basis, with surprise appear- eight years it’s been going to include just ances by rare bikes that show up un- about anything on two wheels with a announced, and also mopeds, scooters, motor. and other interesting things. floor condition. There are only a few The photos are from the August This is a monthly event, and turnout minor flaws in this forty year-old work 19th event, where about 450-550 bikes is highest in the summer months. Given of art, but with less than 650 original showed up. In that number are some the event is in Seattle, I expect the turn- miles on it, and still wearing the origi- vintage Japanese gems, early Hondas, out in midwinter to be from only the nal tyres, it’s really darn close to an ex- Yamis, Kawis, and Zukis. Some were in most dedicated all-weather riders in the cellent original condition rating. VJMC untouched condition, some had a few Seattle area. member Smith also has five other vin- performance parts added (handlebars, New VJMC member Mike Smith is tage Japanese classics at home, or as he headers, airfilters), some were wild in- pictured modeling his VJMC shirt while likes to call it, The MCM (aka The Mo- terpretations of the owners’ visions, and attending the August 19th 2015 Backfire torCycleMuseum). Look for write ups some were just rare, like the 1976 Suzuki Moto with his 1975 Yamaha RD 200B.