These are the first three of my motorcycle collection, and most certainly the three that had the most effect upon my early riding years. The first one is the 1972 Honda 750. It was 1976 and my bro Doug rode a Harley. I wanted a Harley too, but couldn’t afford one. Instead I got the Honda 750. Oh what a great swing of fate that was, as later I went to work for American Honda. Doug and I started the Road Toads Motorcycle Club and riding became my passion and my life.
Next was my first brand new motorcycle. Doug and I both bought brand new 1977 Honda Goldwings at Long Beach Honda from Carl Diamond. I did quite a few mods to mine. Started with a Vetter fairing for touring, then I chopped it with pullback handlebars, changed to a hi rise seat, extended the forks and installed a 4 into one exhaust. For its final version I made it a café racer, copying my bro Tom’s Goldwing. It had low handlebars, mini sport fairing and a stock seat. Wow, that bike was fun, and I put tens of thousands of miles on it.
That café Goldwing started my sport riding path. I wanted something faster and sportier, but still wanted a Honda. I bought my brand new, king of all sportbikes, 1979 Honda CBX as soon as they were available. Oh what a bike! It had 103 HP and did mid elevens in the quarter mile. I really worked my CBX! Took it over 50 times down the quarter mile, road raced it at Riverside and Willow Springs, and toured on it. For a very short time I even put a color matched sidecar on it. After that I customized it, and it won best bike in show at the Long Beach Motorcycle show. Now it is close to stock form. The CBX you see in my collection is the actual bike I bought new in 1979.
These three are probably the most important trio of bikes ever made! Come by and see them!
