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Middleweight Champ: Kawasaki KZ400

Juli 18, 2023

Manufactured from 1974 to 1984, the Kawasaki KZ400 was the right bike for the right time - almost by accident!

The historical premise around this bike is a little odd because the KZ400 came at a time when tariffs were being imposed on the importation of foreign parts. In the political and economic realm, President Nixon had also done away with the gold standard, which prompted prices to start rising on a variety of commodities, including gas.

History of the Honda V65 Magna

Juli 11, 2023

Honda may be synonymous with cars, but they’ve also made some incredible motorcycles, including the V65 Magna, introduced in 1982.

The V65 was a power cruiser that could rival even the bikes being put out by Harley-Davidson. At the time, a cruiser with over 100 horsepower was unimaginable. While there were forward-leaning riders with a need for speed as well as casual cruisers, there wasn’t a bike that offered the best of both worlds.

The History of the Harley Davidson XR-750: All It Does Is Win

Juli 04, 2023

The 60s were a time when those from “across the pond” had a tremendous impact on many parts of American culture. While it might not be thought of often by the general public, one way that America changed operations during this period dealt with the types of bikes that were being raced at the AMA Grand National Championship.

The Brits influenced the AMA to include bikes with engines up to 750 CC where both side and overhead valves could be included in the races. Because of that, the greats at Harley felt that they needed a new, redesigned motorcycle to be able to compete with the English in the world of competitive racing.

European Challenger: The Honda CB900F

Juni 27, 2023

What’s that saying? “If you complain enough, you’ll eventually get what you want”? Well, that may not be the way the saying actually goes but that’s exactly how the Honda CB900F came to be.

From 1981 to 1983, Honda manufactured and sold the Honda CB900F, a bike that introduced Honda as a contender into the “naked bike” field that made motorcycles show off actual machine parts. As you’ll learn, the introduction of the Honda CB900F represented a bike that had already been tested on European and Australian roads, so the bike itself become known for its longevity, comfort, and performance - but it only got the United States because we complained enough about not being able to get one.

From Marketing Stunt to Legend: The Baja 1000

Juni 20, 2023

The impetus of the Baja 1000 came from none other than Honda American.

In the early 1960s, motorcycle riding and specifically dirt bike riding were seeing a massive surge in popularity. Honda American was at the forefront of this movement and was doing everything they could to convince riders that their bikes were not only the most capable but also the most reliable. Anyone who knows motorcycles today knows that this is what Honda bikes are really known for, and this branding started early on.

To prove the reliability of their brand new CL72 Scrambler, brand geniuses Jack McCormick and Walt Fulton of Honda American wanted to push the scrambler on a long-distance run across terrain that included everything from rocks and sand to mountain passes and dried out washes. An amalgamation of what dirt bike riders would encounter on their own riding days. Northwest Mexico would be the perfect environment to test out the overall durability of Honda's plucky CL72 Scrambler.

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