1977 Suzuki GS750 Dragbike Time Trials at Barona 2004

Went 7.85 with a 1.72 60ft time.

1977 Suzuki GS750 Dragbike 2004 Summit Series @ Barona

Here is a clip of one of the few races I won. You often won on the other persons mistake.

1999 Suzuki GSXR600 SRAD Track Day at CA Speedway-YOUTUBE

Here’s an onboard cam shot of about 10 minutes on the CA Speedway AMA course back in September of 2007 on my old Suzuki trackbike.

1971 Honda 750 K1

I found these pictures on the Internet that looks alot like one of the many Honda 750s that I had owned in the past. They certainly were nice smooth bikes back in the day and there were tons of aftermarket stuff for it. Enjoy these pictures:

KZ400 Website

This site has the most info and pictures I have found so far about the KZ400. Check it out!

kz400.com

My old 96 DR350 Suzuki is still going STRONG!

Kevin, the new owner of my old DR350 recently made a trip from San Clemente to Mojave.  Kevin sure knows how to enjoy that bike! Here are some pictures he emailed me:

Thank you Kevin for keeping in touch and sending the pics!

Sold my XS2 today

Someone in Phoenix is going to turn it into a tracker! He also got all my XS2 spares and now I have so much more room on my side of the garage now! I’m gonna miss that bike, it will never be forgotten!

My DR350 was sold today

It went to a good home!

1977 Kawasaki KZ750 (twin cyclinder)

I cannot find any pictures of this, but I bought one of these (blue) in Alameda, CA and it was the motorcycle I traded for my Drag bike later that year in Kingsville, Texas. I had put a 2 into 1 header on it and lower handlebars. I remember it being very torquey and a nice sounding twin.

1972 Kawasaki 350 Big Horn

I had one of these for a short while and remember it being a rotary valve single that was pretty torquey.  If I remember correctly, it had some “Hatta” front forks that had 3 position axle adjustments, which was pretty unique for the period. I am looking for pictures of this ride as well.

1974 Kawasaki 90 G3SS

I had one of these in Alameda, CA in 1975-76.  I used it for going back and forth to the base, I cannot remember what happened to that bike. I probably sold it to someone on the ship before I transferred. I remember it was fun to ride and sounded really neat winding out. I was only 135 lbs back then. I cannot find a picture of it. It was Kawasaki Green.

My Drag Bike in Edinburg, TX (Circa 1978)

Here is another scan of a Polaroid of my Honda  drag bike. Originally 1080cc, after having a broken chain slice through the cases, I built a new engine with 836cc displacement. Using RC Engineering components, this engine revved higher and I was using all 5 gears going down the track instead of only the 1st 3 on the 1080cc engine. The ET was in the mid 10’s and the MPH was in the mid 120’s. It sounded a lot different too! Sure wished I would of had the ability to make and save sound clips back in the 70’s!

Hodaka

I think these were the finest little dirt bikes you could get back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. They were easy to maintain and work on and so much fun. I had the “Dirt Squirt” model and an “Ace 100″  like this picture I found on the Internet. I remember the company that brought them to the US was called PABATCO which stood for Pacific Basin Trading Company. Two motorcycle shops I worked at in the past (Gentry Cycle Center & Floyde Emde’s Motorcycles in National City, CA)  serviced and sold the Hodaka, so I was always around them in those days.

1977 Suzuki GS750 Dragbike

Found some still pictures to share today. I found the Suzuki on Craigs List and turned it into this dragbike for the 2004 Summit Series at Barona Drag Strip. The 1st pic is what it looked like when I bought it, and the second is how it looked after I modified it for drag racing.

BEFORE

AFTER

1973 Kawasaki S-3 350cc Triple

Here’s another triple I owned. This picture was taken in 1974 in National City, CA.

1972 Yamaha R5C

Here are 2 photos I scanned in of my R5C taken around September 1972. I bought this motorcycle in Okinawa and brought it back on the USS Blueridge LCC19. We had just completed a 9 month Western Pacific (WESPAC) deployment, most of which was spent off the coast of Vietnam. After unloading it off the ship in San Diego, I put low bars and a narrow fiberglass front fender on it and then rode it 1475 miles to Houston, Texas.

Another Pic of my Dragbike circa 1977

Another scanned poloroid.

1996 Suzuki DR350SE

Well, after going to the Dirt Bike School last weekend, I started searching for a dual purpose bike of my own with the money I had left over from the sale of my 04 Ninja 250. I found this bike through a new dirt bike riding friend (thanks John!) . It only has 4636 miles on it and should turn out to be a reliable bike! I replaced the petcock with a Pingle petcock and did a full maintenance check and service on it. It runs great!

1971 Suzuki 125 Stinger

Found this picture of my actual Suzuki I owned before I joined the Navy.  Sure wished I would of kept it. It was a 125cc 2 cylinder 2 stroke that ran pretty good. I rode it from Houston, Texas to Sonora, Texas and back in the summer of 1971. Had to stop in Fredricksburg, Texas to repair some broken spokes in the rear wheel. Never figured out why they broke.

Another shot of my 1978 XS1000

Just scanned this in.

1973 Kawasaki 500 H1d

I bought this right after selling my 1971 500, liking the newer style at the time. I kept this bike for many years and ended up drag racing with it too. I think it ran in the mid 12 second range in the 1/4 mile. Certainly not as fast as it was advertized to go. But, it was still a very quick bike in its day and also very wheelie prone.

Wards Riverside Mojave Benelli 125

This is the bike I got my license on in 1969. This is a 1968 model that was on sale for $179 at Montgomery Wards.

1967 Wards Riverside Benelli 250

I turned this motorcycle into a short tracker and had more fun than most 16 year olds have nowadays. I did all my own work and paid my own way.

Destroyed Engine Honda SOHC Dragbike

This was an 836cc SOHC Honda engine in my laydown dragbike that dropped a valve and shattered the #4 piston allowing the rod to slice the case open. Not fun.

1967 Suzuki X-6 Hustler 250cc

I put this together from a bunch of boxes of parts in 1978. I sure wished I would of kept it!

1971 Kawasaki 500 H1

Here I am on pier 6 at Naval Station San Diego with a trophy I won on a lime run with my 71 500 triple.

Riding my Suzuki TS185 backwards

Taken in Kingsville, TX around 1977.

Pics of my 1973 Kaw 500 H1D and Honda 1080cc dragbike

This was taken in Kingsville, Texas in 1977.

1972 Yamaha R5C at White Beach, Okinawa

I scanned in this picture I found of my R5C on the pier in Okinawa before it was loaded on the ship to bring back to the states after my tour in Vietnam on the USS Blueridge LCC19.

1975 Suzuki TS185

Found a picture of this bike I bought while going to the Naval School of Cryogenics in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1976. It was a pretty neat bike with 5 low gears and 5 high gears. I took it with me when I left Virginia and when I was stationed in Kingsville, Texas in 1978, I took a jump at a local motocross park and landed wrong and cracked some ribs. I ended up selling the Suzuki in 1979.

1978 Yamaha XS1100

I finally got a new scanner so I could start scanning in some old pictures I have. The 1st one I scanned was of my 1978 Yamaha XS1100 which was a very powerful and fun bike to ride although it was very heavy. I totaled it in 1995 in a bad low side that took me more than 6 weeks to recuperate from. I really miss this bike and if I could ever find another one just like it, I would probably sell my Superhawk to get it (well maybe, or I would somehow find more space in my garage).

1979 Yamaha XS750F

Just got this and it sure sounds sweet! It is a 3 cylinder, double overhead camshaft, 5 speed transmission with a shaft drive. I am the 3rd owner and it has been well taken care of.  Only 21000 miles. It is the 1st year of this model that is equipped with electronic ignition. When this motorcycle 1st came out in 1977, it had a points and condenser (old school) ignition system. Three cylinder engines have a sound of their very own that sounds so sweet!

New Exhaust for my 72 XS2

I got tired of the noise, so I bought a replica set of the stock exhaust from Mike’s XS. I had them installed within 2 hours of arrival. Sure sounds quiet (like my 78E) and runs smoother now.

1976 Honda CB400/4

I resurrected on of these in 1979 out of  San Diego Motorcycle Salvage. I wished I had one now in my collection. Pretty rare now.

1975 Kawasaki KZ400

This was a nice small motorcycle in it’s time. I rode from San Diego to  Houston  with one. I had a Spirit of America  sidecar installed for a while. I made a trip from San Francisco to Long Beach on Hiway 1 with my seabag as the only balast in the sidecar (what fun!). But, at about 30k miles, the counterbalancer shaft let loose and I ended up trading it for  an old BSA.

1959 BSA 650 A10

I traded a KZ400 for a motorcycle like this one in 1975 while I was stationed on the USS Oriskany CVA34. I used it to go back and forth from Long Beach to Alameda and the only problem I had was the magneto when it rained.

Honda CB 750 (SOHC)

I am trying to remember how many of these I have owned. I will edit more on this later.

1978 Honda CX500 (Ugly Duckling)

In 1982, while working for San Diego Motorcycle Salvage, I put one of these together from 2 wrecked ones. It was my 1st shaft driven, water cooled motorcycle and I had so much fun with it. The motorcycle was totally reliable and required almost no maintenance at all. I really miss this one.

1969 Wards Riverside 125

This motorcycle is for sale in Southern California for $1200. It is all original and has less than 2000 miles. I have emailed my offer in case they cannot sell it for what they want. I would love to add this to my collection!

1968 Benelli 250 aka Wards Riverside 250 & Mojave 250

This is a picture like the motorcycle I owned right before I turned 16. It was a nice little “thumper” that I eventually put a megaphone exhaust on and even stripped it down and used for short track racing on weekends. The engine eventually dropped a valve and busted the piston into a zillion pieces rendering the motorcycle to an early grave.

1968 Honda CB160

I put one of these together from parts while working at San Diego Motorcycle Salvage in 1979. It was a great motorcycle for getting around town and I sold it making a pretty good profit. I wished I would have kept this motorcycle as it has become known as the “baby” Superhawk.

1969 Suzuki 80

I bought one of these while working at Gentry’s Cycle Center in Houston, Texas in 1970. I rode it for a while and used it as a trade in when I bought my Suzuki 125 Stinger.

1974 Yamaha TX500

I owned one of these I resurrected out of San Diego Motorcycle Salvage in 1979. Rode it around for a while then sold it for another project. Pretty neat little motorcycle and handled great.

1971 Kawasaki 500 H1 Triple

After I sold my Volkswagen bug, this is the next motorcycle I bought. I tooled around Southern California for about 6 months before going back to Vietnam. This motorcycle was a blazing quick wheelie king, but did not handle worth a darn in any turns. It even had a hard time going straight sometimes because of wobbles! This bike did have character though!

1968 Kawasaki W2SS 650cc

In 1977, while stationed in Kingsville, Texas, I purchased one of these motorcycles in a basket case. It was only made for a couple years and parts were very hard to get. I never got it completely together and passed it on when I transfered out of the area. These were a Japanese clone of a BSA back in the day.

1968 Benelli 125 aka Wards Riverside

In Jan 1969, at the age of 15, I took my driver test in Texas on one of these. The law back then was at 15, you could ride a motorcycle with 5 BHP (Brake Horsepower) I don’t hear that term anymore (BHP) and I think I used to know the difference, but now only remember that the European motorcycles on the list were all 125’s or smaller, while the list of the Japanese motorcycles were 90cc or less. The Benelli was a large motorcycle in comparison to the Japanese counterparts and I remember mine costing $179 at our local Montgomery Wards. I put many miles on this before I picked up a Riverside 250 single cylinder 4 stroke right before I turned 16 and got my full motorcycle license.

1972 Yamaha R5C (350cc)

On the way back from Vietnam, I bought one of these in Okinawa and brought it back on the USS Blueridge LCC-19. I put clip on’’s on it and in September of 1972, rode it from San Diego to Houston in 2 days. It was hot, I was young and dumb and only wore a sleeveless shirt during the day and got sunburned very bad. The bike was nice, but I wasn’t going to ride it back to CA, so I used it in a trade to get my first car, a 1960 VW bug. I got the car and $400 cash for my Yamaha. I drove the car back to San Diego and within 2 weeks, sold it and bought a 1971 Kawasaki 500 H1. I never did get another car until I got married.

1971 Suzuki 125cc “Stinger”

I bought one of these brand new when I was 16 years old. It was a fun bike and I have many fond memories of it. As you can see it was a very unique looking motorcycle and has not been duplicated since. I found this picture on Ebay and wished I had the room and resources to add this to my collection.

1987 Kawasaki Ninja 250 Track Bike

I got this motorcycle off Ebay a few years ago and made a track bike out of it. This is a picture of my friend Gene riding it at Buttonwillow. It was an ugly motorcycle, but it would blow past the 600/750’s in the turns.

Honda CBR1000F

Had this for a short while. Was given to me, and I ended up giving it away. The plastics sure were heavy on this model.

Way back in 1977-Edinburg, TX

I had this drag bike and raced in 1977-1979 in south Texas. This motorcycle had a 6X15 car slick on the back, 1080cc SOHC Honda engine, RC Engineering valve train and cam and did the 1/4 mile in 10 seconds @130 mph. Nowadays, stock motorcycles are quicker than this.

1977 Suzuki GS750 Drag Bike (raced in 2004)

For my 50th year, I built this old school drag bike to run in the Summit Series at Barona Drag Strip. I placed 2nd place overall when the series was over. The motorcycle was not fast, but was very consistent. It ran 7.88 @ 90mph all day long in the 1/8th mile. After the series was over, the bike was placed on Ebay and auctioned off.

1997 Buell Cyclone Track Bike

This is the only Harley Davidson engined motorcycle I have ever owned. It handled great on the track, but did not have enough power to keep up with anything. It had a commanding sound and presence, and was very fun to ride. The bike is now back on the street in New Mexico taking my buddy Gene back and forth to work.

1999 GSXR600 Track Bike

This is another track bike I built and recently sold. I was able to do 1:56 lap times at CA Speedway on this one. It was a blast to ride and soooo smooth!

VTR1000 Track Bike

I recently sold this motorcycle to another track day enthusiast. It was alot of fun and very low maintenance. I finally was able to do 1:50 lap times at CA Speedway, which is pretty good for an old fat guy and only 106 HP at the rear wheel.

My “beater” 1993 Kawasaki EX250

Bought this bike for $500, put a good rear shock on it, a Bergman spin on oil filter adapter and ride it almost everywhere I go nowadays. Recently, I rode it a 100 miles up north for the weekend with a full gym bag on the back and a large tank bag on the tank. Got 72 miles per gallon and kept up with the traffic just fine. As with all my bikes, I do my own maintenance and use Amsoil products.

2004 Kawasaki EX250

This is an all around great motorcycle. I bought it when I was riding about a 100 miles a day for my work and this turned out to be the most economical and fun choice. I have used it for track days at Button Willow and California Speedway (infield course). I recently took off the Muzzy exhaust and Woodcraft rear sets and sold them on Ebay. I guess I am mellowing out and was tired of the noise. The rear sets were nice, but if you are not careful, your boot could slip off easily as the pegs are very short. I purchased this on July 20, 2004 for $3500 out the door. I do all my own maintenance. It has a Bergman spin on oil filter adapter, Woodcraft lowered risers and CRG bar end mirrors. The engine is stock and I have never had any problems. I use Amsoil synthetic motorcycle oil and the Amsoil EAO spin on oil filters. I adjust my own valves every 6000 miles. As of today, this motorcycle has over 27000 miles.

1972 Yamaha XS650

This is one of my daily riders. It is over 36 years old and has been modified quite a bit before I got it. Runs pretty good.

Modifications: TX750 front end and rear wheels, 34mm round slide Mikuni carbs. 1974 fuel tank with Pingle petcocks and short reverse cone megaphones.  I will try to get some original exhaust for it someday.