Piglet

Soichiro Honda 

Soichiro Honda, circa 1964

Three years after William Harley and his partners, Walter, William and Arthur Davidson rolled out their very first motorcycle in Milwaukee, a child named Soichiro Honda was born on the other side of the world. Soichiro grew up around his dad's bicycle shop and, in 1928, at 25 years old, the young man opened his own auto repair shop. Captivated by speed, Soichiro built his very first race car and started competing. In 1936, however, when Harley and his pals were introducing their brand new Knucklehead engine in Milwaukee, USA, Mr. Honda was injured in the opening race at Japan's first racetrack, the Tamagawa Speedway; the next year, he gave up racing and formed a company to manufacture piston rings, supplying them primarily to Toyota. His new company's success would be short lived though, because just four years later, the Japanese government authorized an attack on Pearl Harbor, setting the stage for the bombings that would soon end the second World War and would alter the young man's business plans once again.

In 1946, just one year after his country was nearly obliterated by the infamous bombings that killed hundreds of thousands of Soichiro Honda's fellow countrymen, he started a new business, focused primarily on providing affordable transportation to those left behind. Honda did this by fitting small, two-stroke motors onto bicycles- sound familiar? Three years later, in  1949, Honda's very first actual motorcycle rolled out of the factory and quickly earned the name "Dream." The very first Honda Dream, or "Model D" as it was officially called, was powered by a 98cc two stroke engine, but Soichiro felt like the noise and smoke from the Dream made it more of a nightmare, so in 1951, his company introduced the new, quieter and cleaner, four stroke Dream. The new machine boasted a 146cc engine and it's popularity surged, putting Honda's motorcycle company on the map.

Fast forward to 1968- Soichiro's company rolls out it's 10 millionth motorcycle, proving to the world that the man from Hamamatsu, Japan had become a formidable businessman and a force to be reckoned with. In 1973, with his company well established, Soichiro retired at the age of 67. Soichiro continued working with his company as an advisor, and served on the Board of Directors, so he could keep his finger on the pulse of his company to ensure it's success.

  

Original ad from 1978

In 1978, among the 27 models of motorcycle that Honda offered, the company introduced a new entry level machine- the CM185 Twinstar. The Twinstar was a small, but elegant bike that was refined and smooth, friendly and reliable. It was a twin cylinder four stroke that breathed quietly out of two chrome megaphone exhaust pipes and started easily with either the kick-starter or the electric starter. The Twinstar was adorned with chrome fenders, a seat big enough for two, passenger pegs, a grab bar, a locking gas cap cover and, it had a neutral riding position that was pretty comfortable for such a small motorcycle. Thousands of Twinstars were sold across the world in 1978, but there was one in particular that was sold in Ohio, USA, that would be the subject of this story.

And this is where our story truly begins...

"Piglet"

Sometime around 1995 My wife's folks took a trip to Ohio to visit some family and, while visiting with his nephew, my father-in-law noticed a small, blue Honda motorcycle tucked away in the corner of the barn. My wife's folks were doing quite a lot of travelling in their RV back then, so the prospect of finding a small, economical motorcycle to tool around on really sparked my father-in-law's interest. As it turns out, his nephew got the little blue Honda brand new, back in 1978. He rode it for a few years, then parked it in the barn and pretty much forgot about it, so it didn't take much convincing for him to sell it to his favorite uncle. My pa-in-law got the old Twinstar running again, then loaded it up in the back of his truck and he and my mother-in-law started writing the next chapter of the old Honda's life. And what a life it was. My wife's parents lovingly named the old Honda "Piglet" (because it wasn't quite big enough to be called a "Hog") and they took it all over the place- Tennessee, Niagra Falls, New York, Canada, the West Coast and everywhere in-between. Everywhere they parked their home away from home, Piglet got unloaded and they would set out exploring the area on the old Honda. 

After a few years of travelling, Piglet started getting tired and the folks decided that they wanted something a little bigger (and more comfortable than a motorcycle) to get around on during their travels, so they upgraded to a diesel coach and started pulling a car to the campgrounds. Piglet got parked back in a barn, where it would stay, untouched, for over 16 years. 

New life

My father-in-law and I had a mutual love for antique cars, hot rods and motorcycles and we could sit and talk about them for hours. He also knew that both of my sons were up and coming gearheads and that they were just as interested in riding motorcycles as their dad. When my father-in-law decided to clear some space in his barn for a new project, he knew that all he needed to do was offer us his old motorcycles. As soon as he asked us to come get them, my boys ran over as fast as they could! It was this fateful day that would ultimately breathe new life into that old Twinstar, yet again. Being a Harley guy, I was pretty unfamiliar with the Honda, so I enlisted the help of a good friend of mine to help me get Piglet running right. It didn't take my buddy long to get the old Honda back to her old self again and the mood was absolutely electric when he brought it back to the house. Soon after, I started teaching my oldest son how to ride the little street bike. It wasn't long before he had the hang of it, so he moved on to riding my Sportster and my youngest boy took the controls of the old Honda. 

Before he passed last year, my father-in-law got to see both of his grandsons learn how to ride a motorcycle on the very same bike that he and his beloved wife used to ride when they were out exploring the country; the same bike that his brother's son started out riding, all those many years ago. 

Value versus worth

We often confuse what something is worth by it's market value. Market value is generally based on a variety of things, but most of all- it's based on what someone is willing to pay for something. The Honda Twinstar played an important role in the history of Honda motorcycles and it is often overlooked for it's contributions. For example, the Twinstar started it's life in 1978 and over the next several years, it would get a bump in displacement to 200cc, then in 1982, it got bumped up again to 250cc. This new CM250 would later become the well known and widely loved, Honda Rebel. Countless motorcycle riders have learned to ride on a Honda Rebel and many still do. The Rebel has become so popular in fact, that Honda increased the displacement again to 300cc, then 500cc and now, diehard Rebel fans can get their beloved Honda with an 1100cc mill! 

While this old 185cc Twinstar may not be worth much to anyone else, to the MotoWriter and family, this unimposing and otherwise unimpressive little Honda, is priceless. It has been in our family since the day it left Soichiro Honda's factory in 1978 and it has travelled all across this great nation and into Canada during it's 43 year lifetime. For every generation that it has carried, and will carry, on its modest little frame, this old Honda Twinstar has secured it's place in the MotoWriter garage as one of the most valuable motorcycles, if only inside these four walls.

No matter what you do or what kind of bike you ride, have fun and make the best of it, because your actions today will be your memories tomorrow and we only get 75 good years to make the best of this life.

Ride Safe and make good choices!

Piglet, with OEM mirrors and the factory front fender replaced

  

Not quite a Hog... more like a Piglet

My youngest son, learning the ropes on Piglet

My oldest son, taking Piglet out on the road

Funny story about this one... to be told later

My oldest boy replacing fork seals

My baby boy, taking his first ride on Piglet

My boys astride their respective steeds

BOTM Template Do you want to see your bike featured as the MotoWriter's Bike of the Month? Email me in your high-res photos and your personal motorcycle story to me and, if I pick your bike, not only will you get some pretty rad bragging rights, but you'll also receive a small bit of swag to show off your support of the MotoWriter! Thanks for all your support!

Advice for new riders- Part 1, Getting the Bike

Riding motorcycles is fun, exciting, adventurous and for many of us, a way to relax and unwind. But, how does one get started? Seasoned riders often take this for granted, with many of us having been on two wheels since we were kids. But, what about those who want to experience the thrill of riding, but they never had a chance to learn how before adulthood? Getting into motorcycles can be overwhelming if you don't know much about it, so in this article, I'll be giving some pointers on getting started with the right motorcycle, the right gear and most of all, on an affordable budget.

First things first- do you know how to ride? If not, there are quite a few basic courses out there to pick from. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and many insurance companies, sponsor new rider classes, also known as MSF classes for short. Also, Harley-Davidson has their own basic rider class that they call the New Rider Academy, formerly known as the Rider's Edge course and no, you don't have to buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to take the course. Most new rider classes range in price around $100 or so, and with your certificate of completion, you can often get a discount from your insurance company to help offset that cost a little. I'll post links below for these classes, in case you need them, or want to learn more. Either way, one of these classes can give you some good, basic knowledge to help you get the confidence and basic skills needed to get comfortable with the controls, handling and overall dynamics of motorcycles in general. Modern motorcycles have standardized controls, meaning that after the 1970's, nearly all major motorcycle manufacturers got in line with the "left side shifting, right side braking" standard, meaning you control the brakes with your right hand (front) and right foot (rear), and you shift using the left hand for the clutch and left foot for the shifter. Most manufacturers also have the "1 down and the rest up" shift pattern- meaning that you step down to start in first gear (from neutral) and you use your toe to lift the lever for each consecutive gear. While the configuration on most bikes are the same, that can be where the similarities end, so now let's talk about the different kinds of bikes.

There are several different styles of bikes... some are crossovers, some are race or track specific and some are long distance haulers. For the sake of keeping things simple, I'm going to cover the absolute basics here.

Dirtbikes- these are, tyically, only off-road machines. They have long suspension, knobby tires and most of them don't have any lighting other than, maybe, a headlight. If you want to learn how to thrash on the trails, jump and get in the dirt and mud, then this is the bike for you. If your goal is to ride to work, take that trip to the local bike night, meet up with your friends and ride to another state, you're going to want to move on to a street bike. 

Street bikes are just as the name implies- motorcycles intended for the street. There are two basic styles of bikes in the street bike category- sport bikes, also known as crotch rockets, and cruisers.

Sport bikes look fast and most of the time, they are. Some are faster than others, but all have a relatively aggressive riding position. Most of them have rear foot controls, meaning the foot pegs and controls (brake and shifter) are set further back on the bike behind the rider's center, essentially pushing the rider into a forward leaning position. They are relatively light motorcycles and often have high revving, 2 or 4 cylinder engines, often in a parallel configuration (meaning the cylinders are lined up with each other), that make a ton of horsepower. This gives them a disproportionate power to weight ratio that makes them very fast. They also have shorter wheelbases (the overall distance between the front and rear axle) and higher centers of gravity (the point of balance of the rider) than cruiser motorcycles, making them very maneuverable. While you can get a sport bike that is slightly less aggressive, riding one takes a fair amount of confidence, and control, to stay out of trouble.

Cruisers are probably some of the most common motorcycles and most bikes that aren't sport bikes get lumped in to this category. One example of this is the Standard motorcycle. The standard is what most Japanese motorcycles looked like in the 1970's and 80's. The rider typically had a more upright riding position, the handlebars were in a comfortable riding position, the seat was big and mostly flat front to back and the foot pegs and controls were mid-mount, meaning that they were positioned just slightly ahead of the rider's center line, putting him (or her) in a comfortable sitting position. The standard is probably one of the best motorcycles to actually learn how to ride on, because they have a very natural feel and they are very nimble to ride. Not to mention, most standards have lower revving engines, most commonly parallel twin, or even large displacement single cylinders, that are a little easier to manage for a new rider. An actual cruiser is your typical Harley-Davidson style bike. They will typically have a lower rider seat and, if they have one, a higher passenger seat. The foot controls will range from mid, like a standard, or forward, meaning the rider's legs are stretched out. Most cruisers will have higher handlebars and most will have V-twin engines, meaning that they have two cylinders that are configured away from each other in a "V" shape. Cruisers are the second easiest motorcycles to learn on, because they typically have lower revving engines that make moderate power that is pretty easily managed and a lower overall center of gravity that makes the bike a little easier to maneuver. Cruisers also have a lower overall seat height that gives the rider a boost of confidence because they can easily plant their feet on the ground at a stop. 

Picking the right bike to learn on is entirely up to you and your personal preference, but don't get caught up in the idea that your first bike, your "learner bike", needs to be the motorcycle that you keep forever. It doesn't and, more than likely, it won't be. There are tons of cheap, used motorcycles out there for sale. Ideally, you'll want to get something that looks nice enough that you aren't embarrassed to be seen on it, but cheap enough that when you drop it, and you more than likely will, you don't get terribly upset that you just put a scratch in the paint or a dent in the tank. I always suggest to people who have never ridden before to look for a standard or a cruiser style motorcycle, somewhere around the 250-500 cc range, that already has a little wear on it but is mechanically sound. You can usually find them for sale locally for under $2,000. Don't go looking for a super nice Harley-Davidson, Indian, Triumph or any number of the really nice Japanese bikes for your first bike when you can usually get a Yamaha V-Star or a Honda Shadow with a few miles and relatively nice paint and chrome for less than a fancy set of tires and wheels for your car. When you get comfortable in the saddle and you feel like you're ready for a bigger, nicer machine, you can easily sell the starter to someone else who needs it (and most of the time, get nearly all of your money back on it). The reason I typically steer new riders away from second-hand sport bikes is mainly because of how easy it is for a sport bike to get away from a new rider, but another big reason is if (or when) you drop it, you're more than likely going to damage the fairing and that can cost a bunch of money to fix or replace. Down below, I've added some screen grabs from Craigslist to give you some idea of what's out there in the $2000-2500 price range.

Once you find that bike that is comfortable for you, go practice riding it. Ride it A LOT. Take it slow at first, riding through your neighborhood. Make lot's of turns, ride in circles (both directions), practice making your turns without putting your feet down and make sure that you are practicing keeping your head up and your eyes looking where you want to go. Practice slow roll off starts and then once you get comfortable with all of that, practice different levels of braking, slowly increasing your speed until you feel confident that you can handle riding in traffic. You'll learn all of this in the MSF or Riding Academy. 

Now that you have the bike, it's time to get the gear. Check out part two of this post, Advice for new riders- Part 2, Getting the Gear, for some advice on getting set up with the basic necessities of riding gear.

Riding classes to help you learn how to ride or just refresh your skills if you've been out of the saddle for a while:

MSF Riding Classes

Harley-Davidson New Rider Academy

If you found this post useful, please let me know by either posting in the comments or sending me an email. If you want to add anything that I missed, please feel free to share it with everyone in the comments.