25 Years Ago November, 1979
25 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER, 1979
A "Wild 1000cc Honda 750F" wheelied off our cover this month, never mind that the coverline didn’t exactly make sense. Inside, all was explained, as we tested a 1002cc, 120-horsepower CB750 built by legendary tuner Kazuo Yoshima, a former Honda Japan engine R&D employee who came to the States in the late 1960s. The polished ports were, as a photo showed, things of beauty, not to mention the custom pistons and cams. There was also a full test of a stock 1980 CB750F. It was well-liked, but the 85-mph governmentmandated speedometer was thought ridiculous.
• Minicycle mania apparently overcame the staff, as there was a “giant” 80cc motocrosser shootout, plus a roundup of 50cc bikes from Honda and Suzuki. Also included was a test of the $1349 Kawasaki KE250 two-stroke dualpurpose bike, the lead photo for which showed a rider in bell-bottom jeans and construction boots roosting in a sandwash!
• “Cheesiest Ad” award has to go to Ford, for its Econoline full-size van spread. Why? The copy read: “King Tote” with a picture of King Tut’s gold death mask painted on the side of the van. Yikes! They didn’t even include any bikes in the photo, but rather showed a picture of a kid in tube socks playing an upright piano behind the van. Way to make people think your product was cool... -Mark Hoyer
