Don Hughes and his 1976 Honda CB400F. 

Bike: 1976 Honda CB400 Four
Owner: Don Hughes
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Occupation: Full-time motorcycle restorer
Etc.: Don also owns a rare Aurenthetic electric scooter

Don’s reputation for taking care of stray motorcycles has spread so wide that many “projects” come looking for him. So it was with his 1976 Honda CB400 Four.

“I got it from a chap in Kelowna. He was the original owner and 90 years old by then. The bike hadn’t been run for 10 or 12 years. It has 11,000 original miles. It’s all original, and it doesn’t look like it’s ever had anything done to it,” Don says.

That didn’t mean it required no work, of course. The carburetors were completely gummed up with oxidized gasoline, requiring a full strip and rebuild. Don also had to overhaul the hydraulic system, rebuilding the brake master and slave cylinders, which were seized solid. Apart from that, though, it was mostly a matter of cosmetic work and getting the little Honda caught up with its routine maintenance program.

“Other than that,” Don says, “it’s just the way it came. I don’t think he ever rode it in the rain, and it runs like a Swiss watch.”

At the end of our photo session, I help Don load the CB400F onto his trailer. He’s sold it to a collector, and has to deliver it the next day.

“The CB400 is one of my favorites,” he says. “I’ll most likely end up finding another one.”

Read more about this motorcycle: 
• Honda CB400 Four: Less is More 

Bike: 1982 Suzuki Katana GS1000SZ
Owner: Bernie Rugg
Hometown: Albany, Ore.
Occupation: Semi-retired/Mr. Mom
Bio.: A rider since 1972, Bernie has owned dozens of bikes, and his current stable includes four GT750s, two GS1000Es, the 1982 Suzuki Katana GS1000SZ pictured here and more.

“I have owned motorcycles since I was old enough to have a license,” Bernie says. He took a 10-year break from riding while pursuing another passion: drag racing his blown alcohol-burning nostalgia funny car. About 4 years ago he got the urge to have a bike again. After having trouble finding a Suzuki GT750, he purchased an 1100E. Soon he decided to go in search of a Katana due to their unique styling, limited exportation to the U.S. market and their status as a collectible. Bernie found his Katana on the GS Resources Websites’ classifieds and purchased it from its original owner.

“The previous owner had taken very good care of the bike and it needed very little when I purchased it. I replaced the tires and a wrinkled front fender with a new one from Suzuki, and that has been the extent of it. The original owner had added Supertrapp 4-into-1 exhaust, a Lockhart oil cooler and a K&N air filter element in the original air box. Other than that the bike is original down to the paint.”

Bernie has owned it a little more than three years now and says he loves it “because it is such a historic piece of motorcycle design. It draws attention wherever I go. I once considered selling it, but this one is a keeper. It is the cornerstone of my collection.”

 
Bob Reichenberg riding his 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing. 

Bike: 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing 
Owner: Bob Reichenberg
Hometown: Atascadero, Calif.
Occupation: President, Street Master Performance Riding School
Etc.: Bob still owns his first new bike, a 1960 Norton ES2

“I’ve known this bike for a long time,” Bob says of his 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing. “My buddy Jimmy Jett bought it in 1975 from the original owner, who only put 700 miles on it because he was intimidated by its size and power, which is funny in retrospect. Jimmy owned the first Honda CB750 Four in town, and when he saw the Wing he was really taken by it.”

Bob got the bike eight years ago, and then gave it a frame-up restoration, including NOS, color-matched tank covers and side panels, and NOS instruments. “The new right panel from Honda was badly scratched, so I returned it and Honda said, ‘OK, we’ll send you the other one.’ There was only one more color-matched panel left in inventory!”

As a riding instructor, Bob loves new technology, but he rides the GL regularly. “It goes well and it stops well,” Bob says, “and it’s a nice, leisurely ride. It will do 95mph, but at those speeds you really have to herd it down the road. It prefers posted highway speeds, where it’s really quiet and smooth.”

Read more about the motorcycles mentioned in this article: 
• Honda GL1000 Gold Wing 
• Honda CB750 Four: A Classic for the Masses 

 
Hodaka enthusiast Randy Smith gets some air on his heavily
modified 1974 100cc Hodaka Super Rat at the Thayer MX held
outside of Thayer, Mo. 

Bike: 1974 100cc Hodaka Super Rat
Owner: Randy Smith
Location: Wakarusa, Kan.
Occupation: Insurance agent
Etc.: A true believer,Randy currently owns four Hodakas and competes regularly in vintage motocross.

Why Hodaka motorcycles? “In the 1960s, everything was chromed. Even our toaster at home was chromed. Hodakas were the ultimate bike and, you guessed it, they were chromed. There were loads of them back then in the beginner and youth classes at the local motocross track. Man, were they COOL. I wanted one real bad, but I was stuck with a 1970 Suzuki TC90 instead.

“Many years later a friend called and asked if I wanted to buy an old non-running Hodaka Thunderdog. With that funny name, it had to be a Hodaka. I lost interest and sold it like a dummy, but later saw an ad for two Hodaka Super Rat bikes in the local paper. I bought them both. When I went on the Internet looking for parts, I was overwhelmed with all of the parts and friendly knowledge that was available. It wasn’t long before I had eight chrome-tanked Hodakas and was racing vintage motocross with my two sons.

“The Hodakas are easy to work on, they are light weight and produce excellent power for such small engines. It brings me huge pleasure to beat much larger bikes. I am 48 years old, but I am a kid when I ride my Hodaka Super Rat. Fun has no age limits.”

Read more about the motorcycles mentioned in this article: 
• The Hodaka Motorcycle Experience