Half-Fast Bikes

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Ken’s Fleet History

These are NOT click-to-enlarge photos. We may add that later.

Robert Pirsig's 1966 Super Hawk, identical to mine.

A year later, I’d parted with the Corvette, had a brief fling with a Porsche 356C (Super 90), then acquired a ‘65 Impala SS convertible. Once again I had the yen to have a two- wheeled toy, which resulted in my purchase of a ‘69 Honda CB350, similar in layout to the SuperHawk, 5-speed, and that bike took me on my longest two wheeled adventure, a trip to the Great Smokies, as far south as Atlanta, and back north via Blue Ridge Parkway. Sensational! It was the summer of Woodstock, and the summer of “Easy Rider.” However, I happened to stop in a Honda dealer in Roanoke VA, and laid my eyes on the first CB750 I’d ever seen. The dealer was kind enough to let me take it for a ride. When I got back to the UP, I went directly to our local dealer and told him I’d take the first 750 that came into their shop. In mid-March 1971, I took delivery of a dark green CB750K1, with gold trim. It was a transverse 4-cyl, 750cc, 5 speed. I made modifications to the jets and settings in the 4 carbs, put in a less restrictive air filter, changed the gearing for a bit more acceleration, which sacrificed a bit of top speed, but I wasn’t going to push it on the top end anyway. Then I had it painted silver with black striping, and replaced the four heavy exhaust pipes with a 4-into-1 lightweight and less restrictive system. That bike took me on about 12K miles of adventures, mostly in the UP and Wisconsin, and made the move with me to Minnesota in 1978, by which time I had a young son. Figured I wouldn’t ride much for a few years, so sold in 1980 and put the money into finishing the downstairs of our townhouse, intending to get something new several years later. Over the next few years, I stopped in now & then to look at new models. What really fired me up was the introduction of the first Interceptor. After about a half-hour test ride in suburban traffic, I had to face the fact that my 40 year old bod wasn’t going to be happy on a crotch rocket at low speeds and in traffic. so I reluctantly I dropped that idea. In 1984, I tried out an ‘83 VT500FT Ascot at the Burnsville Sports Center. Very attractive bike, 500cc, six speed, was water cooled and had shaft drive. Drove it, and found the performance surprising, so went home to think about it. Called ‘em about a week later, and they told me it was sold … and it was the last one they’d had. Bummer. Couple years later, I saw an ad for a used one with only 4K miles. Called, and it was a college kid who kept it at his parents’ home, and needed money for school. Asked him where he bought it. Burnsville Sports Center … last one they’d had, same one I’d driven! him Paid what he owed … $831, drove it home, and now have over 31K on it. For the joyriding I do, largely in and around Sheboygan County WI, with miles of lightly traveled roads in rolling country split between farms and fields, with miles of twisty- turny stuff in the Kettle Moraine State Forest to the west, and some great rides along Lake Michigan from about Port Washington to Two Rivers, it’s perfect as a day-tripper. I’ve had it out on the track at Road America at least a half-dozen times at events where you can drive your street-legal machine on track (it’s controlled by pace cars, NOT racing, but fast & fun). In 2023, the bike will be 40 years old, and I’ll be 80. I’m hoping to still be getting multiple smiles per mile on the huge network of back roads, parks, lakeshore drives, river valleys, and wonderful small towns that dot the landscape where I now live. I have the perfect bike for me, and can walk through dealerships now without ANY desire to replace the marvelous Ascot with something else. As rererenced early in this page, my CB77 was identical to Robert Pirsig’s bike in “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” Below are two photos, Pirsig’s ‘66 Super Hawk at left and my ‘83 Ascot at right. Click either image to enlarge for a better view. .

BIKES gallery

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Ken’s Fleet History - Motorcycles

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These are NOT click-to-enlarge photos; may add that later.

As with cars, I don’t recall ever NOT being fascinated with motorcycles. There weren’t many around when I was a kid. An uncle of our neighbor kids had a big Harley or Indian, and I got a ride on that once. Being a scrawny little guy, I couldn’t see around him, so it wasn’t exactly a big adventure. Several friends had scooters when we were in high school, but I never got a chance to drive one. It wasn’t until I was a year out of college, had my ‘63 Corvette coupe, but needed more air in my hair. So in the spring of ‘66, I purchased a 1966 Honda CB77 SuperHawk. Power came from a 305cc engine that put out 28hp at around 9.5K rpm. It had a four-speed transmission, drum brakes on both ends, and it was my summer ride for two years. In the fall of ‘68 I sold it just before purchasing a ‘68 Corvette roadster. That was gonna be my new “air-in-the-hair” ride, so didn’t mind parting with the bike. Slight digression here … this bike, the CB77, was identical to the bike Robert Pirsig rode on the road trip documented in his best-selling book, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” From Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian- institution/robert-pirsig-zen-art-motorcycle- maintenance-resonates-today-180975768/ There’s a click-to-enlarge photo of Pirsig’s bike at the end of this page. A year later, I’d parted with the Corvette, had a brief fling with a Porsche 356C (Super 90), then acquired a ‘65 Impala SS convertible. Once again had the yen to have a two-wheeled toy, which resulted in my purchase of a ‘69 Honda CB350, similar in layout to the SuperHawk, 5-speed, and that bike took me on my longest two wheeled adventure, a trip to the Great Smokies, as far south as Atlanta, and back north via Blue Ridge Parkway. Sensational! It was the summer of Woodstock, and the summer of “Easy Rider.” However, I happened to stop at a Honda dealer in Roanoke VA, and laid my eyes on the first CB750 I’d ever seen. The dealer was kind enough to let me take it for a ride. When I got back to the UP, I went directly to our local dealer and told him I’d take the first 750 that came into their shop. In mid-March 1971, I took delivery of a dark green CB750K1, with gold trim. It was a transverse 4-cyl, 750cc, 5 speed. I made modifications to the jets and settings in the 4 carbs, put in a less restrictive air filter, changed the gearing for a bit more acceleration, which sacrificed a bit of top speed, but I wasn’t going to push it on the top end anyway. Then I had it painted silver with black striping, and replaced the four heavy exhaust pipes with a 4-into-1 lightweight and less restrictive system. That bike took me on about 12K miles of adventures, mostly in the UP and Wisconsin, and made the move with me to Minnesota in 1978, by which time I had a young son. Figured I wouldn’t ride much for a few years, so sold in 1980 and put the money into finishing the downstairs of our townhouse, intending to get something new several years later.

Over the next few years, I stopped in now & then to look at new models. What really fired me up was the introduction of the first Interceptor. After about a half-hour test ride in suburban traffic around, I had to face the fact that my 40 year old bod wasn’t going to be happy on a crotch rocket at low speeds and in traffic. so I reluctantly I dropped that idea. In 1984, I tried out an ‘83 VT500FT Ascot at the Burnsville Sports Center. Very attractive bike, 500cc, six speed, was water cooled and had shaft drive. Drove it, and found the performance surprising, so went home to think about it. Called ‘em about a week later, and they told me it was sold … and it was the last one they’d had. Bummer! Couple years later, I saw an ad for a used one with only 4K miles. Called, and it was a college kid who kept it at his parents’ home, and needed money for school. Asked him where he bought it. Burnsville Sports Center … last one they’d had, same one I’d driven! him Paid what he owed … $831, drove it home, and now have over 31K on it. For the joyriding I do, largely in and around Sheboygan County WI, with miles of lightly traveled roads in rolling country split between farms and fields, with miles of twisty-turny stuff in the Kettle Moraine State Forest to the west, and some great rides along Lake Michigan from about Port Washington to Two Rivers, it’s perfect as a day-tripper. I’ve had it out on the track at Road America at least a half-dozen times at events where you can drive your street-legal machine on track (it’s controlled by pace cars, NOT racing, but fast & fun). In 2023, the bike will be 40 years old, and I’ll be 80. I’m hoping to still be getting multiple smiles per mile on the huge network of back roads, parks, lakeshore drives, river valleys, and wonderful small towns that dot the landscape around here. I have the perfect bike for me, and can walk through dealerships now without ANY desire to replace the marvelous Ascot with something else. As rererenced early in this page, my CB77 was identical to Robert Pirsig’s bike in “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” Below are two photos, Pirsig’s ‘66 CB77 Super Hawk at left and my ‘83 VT500FT Ascot at right. Click images to enlarge.

Hope you’ve enjoyed your visit … over time, we’ll be adding some new things and changing others; always a work in progress.

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