25 Years Ago May, 1968

25 YEARS AGO MAY, 1968

Lyndon Johnson was president, the war in Vietnam was going badly, and the so-called Summer of Love was blooming in San Francisco. Like the country, motorcycling in America was experiencing a host of changes, many of which were being written about in the pages of Cycle World magazine.

• Cover material consisted of the CB450 and CL450 Hondas, bikes designed to replace the company’s original CB450, a bike that became known as the Black Bomber due to its humpbacked, homely styling. These 450cc Twins featured reshaped body parts and slick-shifting five-speed gearboxes, and performed so well that Cycle World staffers predicted big-time sales success for the bikes.

• Maico’s 360 motocrosser and the Husqvarna 250 Commando were also tested; staffers gave both bikes high marks, and called the Maico, “One of the fastest and toughest scramblers around.” The issue also contained a riding impression of Hodaka’s Ace 100, as well as a report on the Ascot TT, won by Triumph-mounted Skip Van Leeuwen.

• In the Roundup section, Publisher Joe Parkhurst wrote about a new off-road riding area in Southern California called Saddleback Park. Encompassing over 700 acres, and featuring a TT course as well as a Joel Robert-designed MX circuit, Saddleback was to become one of the premier riding and competition facilities in the country.

Mitch Boehm