25 Years Ago August, 1968
25 YEARS AGO AUGUST, 1968
Ah, to be young in the summer of ’68, when love was free, Cycle World cost 50 cents and a brand-new BSA 650 Thunderbolt could be all yours for about $1350. If that was too much, two bucks got a set of four “groovy” BSA posters liberally sprinkled with girls in mini-skirts and go-go boots. • In those less enlightened times, CW also ran an article on stunt-woman Jan Sherman, referred to alternately as a “cool chick,” a “pretty gal,” a “doll,” an “early-20s-type blond” and a “green-eyed whirlwind.” • Reader C.W. Brazille from Fort Worth, Texas, sent in a photo of his home-built special, a Norton Featherbed-framed Vincent café racer.
The “Norvin” took eight months and $900 to put together. “It was a lot of fun to build,” wrote Brazilië, “but real hairy to ride.”
• “Chuck Connors Rides a Benelli,” a full-page ad informed us. And, sure enough, there was the star of TV’s “The Rifleman” astride a 250cc Barracuda, looking a little ridiculous in wingtips, cuffed slacks and a cardigan. Today, both Benelli and Connors are deceased.
• Also on the no-longer-with-us list are this issue’s two testbikes, the American Eagle 750 and the Ward’s Mojave 360. The Eagle was basically an Americanized Laverda parallelTwin, optimistically billed by its importers as “Most likely to become a classic.” The Mojave was a Benellipowered scrambler sold by the Montgomery Ward chain of department stores. It could even be purchased mail-order, the bike arriving at your doorstep in a crate, needing final assembly. -David Edwards
