The Metric MotorcycleI almost had to get the calculator to figure out that it's been 33 years since my Honda 750 chopper made the cover of STREET CHOPPER! We called them "Jap bikes" back then, but I have to admit today's term, metric motorcycle, seems a lot less condescending in describing today's import bikes. Quite a number of today's chopper builders are quite innovative and are doing one hell of a job personalizing metric motorcycles. The older issues of STREET CHOPPER are a lot like my family album, as they document my early years in publishing, so over the coming months, I will be bringing to light some of today's styling that actually has 30-year-old roots.
The new term, metric motorcycle, probably has a lot to do with the fact that today's imports not only look more and more like a traditional Harley-Davidson V-Twin, but I actually heard one with loud pipes the other day that had me fooled. It sounded like a Harley, looked quite a bit like a Harley, but didn't wear the American badge. Little doubt this is a driving force with bike owners when it comes to selecting a V-Twin cycle.
My Honda 750 chopper didn't look, sound, or perform like a Harley. What it lacked in V-Twin style, though, it more than made up for in performance. It was wicked fast with those Fubar pipes and dual Dellorto carbs, especially after I had a 1000cc big bore kit installed!
There is no doubt in my mind that one of the driving forces when it comes to the popularity of today's metric motorcycles is the showroom price. You can be riding a new, mechanically sound, fast motorcycle for a low price when compared to even a used Harley. I found myself in the same boat back in early 1975. I had departed from the motorcycle magazine business to help my father so he did not have to close his industrial door business due to health problems. I lived in the Atlanta area for 13 months, but after Dad got back on his feet, I yearned for the California lifestyle. I was lucky that TRM Publications' VP Jim Clark and owner Tom McMullen welcomed me back.
I had to sell my motorcycle to finance the trip back to California, so I immediately began to save money to buy a builder bike, intending to find a Harley. While checking out the cycle salvage yards for an engine and trans, I stumbled across a wrecked, brown 750 Honda Four for $700. I actually got stopped by the local cops while riding the bike with a smashed headlamp and bent forks. When I showed the cop that the gauges were smashed and that I couldn't tell I was speeding, he let me go with a warning. I headed to Roger Cassano's Chopper Specialties where we straightened the forks with a torch and press, tossed on used gauges, and I was in the wind! I was riding again, but the bike was downright ugly. I had to build a custom out of it as soon as possible.