vintage classics

Gary also owned a 1967 Kawasaki Samurai A1SS that he kept at my house because his aunt and uncle wouldn’t let him have a bike. It was blue with twin chrome high-mounted side pipes. The A1SS was the street scrambler version of the Kawasaki A1, released in 1967 as the first “fast” Kawasaki. It was a 250cc two-stroke rotary valve twin, with a claimed 31 hp from the factory. Kawasaki marketing said it would do the quarter mile in 13.8 and had a 105 mph top speed. Whether or not those numbers were true, we thought that motorbike was the fastest thing in the world!

Through The Lens: Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum

by Geoff & Barb Nickless | Nov 28, 2022 | Legendary Bikes | 2 |

On a recent road trip to Southern California, we stopped in the small town of Solvang, in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley wine country, north of Santa Barbara. Nature’s beautiful November colors were evident everywhere we looked. Perfect riding weather! Although Solvang, which translates to “sunny fields”, is one of the most visited tourist destinations in America for its Danish history, there is a special treat for motorcycle enthusiasts. Located at 320 Alisal Road is the Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum . . . “where the past comes to life.”

Legendary Bikes: 1933 Rudge Ulster TT

by Rob Brooks | Oct 22, 2021 | Legendary Bikes | 0 |

The only time I’ve ever viewed a Rudge Ulster TT up close was at the Throttlestop Museum in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. At the time, I’d never heard of the brand, and found it fascinating. Simple yet beautiful, spartan yet aggressive looking, the bike held my gaze for a few minutes, as I read up on its brief history via the info placard at the display. I love motorcycle racing, and the Rudge Ulster TT with its brief backstory intrigued me, so I decided to research it some more for a story.

Barber Vintage Fest 2021- A Photo Essay

by Mike Boyd | Oct 13, 2021 | Legendary Bikes, Ride Life | 2 |

If you’ve never experienced a weekend at Vintage Fest, you really should make plans for next year. It’s truly a memorable experience, a walk back through motorcycle time actually, with bikes, brands, makes and models from all eras of motorcycle history. Every year I’ve been able to attend, I’ve found something I’d not seen before, or at least in many years, and the people attending are from all walks of life, every age, from across the country and really the world. I’m so glad Vintage Fest was back on this year, as it’s truly one of my favorite annual motorcycling events.

Rockin To The Oldies

by Rob Brooks | Jul 2, 2021 | Nuts & Bolts, Ride Life | 2 |

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to wrench on an older bike, a 1969 Triumph T100. An acquaintance had asked if I could help him get it running again. He had told me the bike would kick over after some tickling and kicking (it’s still a full kick-start), but not stay running more than about 30-40 seconds. Conceding that I am no master mechanic, yet interested in seeing if I could bring it back to good health, I agreed to take a shot at it…