Life In America
1969– The median family income is $9,400. Richard Nixon becomes president. Nell Armstrong lands on the moon. An estimated 450,000 turn up for the Woodstock music festival. The Beatles perform for the last time. The seminal motorcycle movie, Easy Rider, is released. The first Wendy’s opens. The Plymouth Roadrunner is Car of the Year, and with the hemi option will run $4,000. Gas is up to $.35 per gallon.
| Number One Motorcycle Trend For 1969: |
| The Honda CB750/4 goes on sale. Though not laden with advanced technology, this motorcycle, with its 750ccs of displacement, four cylinders and $1495 price, creates the framework that will define Japanese motorcycles into the next century. |
European Brands
Montesa Cota 250. Bultaco Matador, Sherpa-T, Campera MkII, El Bandido MkII. Triumph Tiger 650. Husqvarna 400 Cross, Sportsman 360C Enduro. Royal Enfield Stage II 750 Interceptor. Dunstall Triumph 750 Twin. CZ 360 &250 Motocross. BSA Rocket III. Jawa 402 Gelandesport. Greeves 380 & 250 Griffon. Puch 125 Dalesmen Trials & Motocross. Moto-Guzzi 750 Ambassador. Ossa Pioneer 250.
Asian Brands
Suzuki T350 Rebel, T-125 Stinger, TS-250 Savage. Kawasaki 500 H1 Mach III, G31M Centurion. Honda CB750/4, CL350, SL350, SL90. Yamaha Y-100 L5 Trailmaster. Bridgestone 100 TMX.
American Brands
Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster.
Racing
Mert Lawwill is Grand National Champ.
European Motocross racing finally comes to US with the Inter-AM series.
Yamaha withdraws from international GP racing.
Mike Hailwood announces retirement.
Yvon Duhamel becomes first to break 150 mph barrier at Daytona.
Other Issues
It’s an incredible year for motorcycles. Preceding the Honda CB750/4 is the Suzuki TS-250 Savage, “the best dual-purpose bike ever tested,” the Kawasaki 500 Mach III. “a racer in disguise,” and the BSA Rocket III, “the fastest tourer available.”
Harley-Davidson merges with AMF.
Wal-Phillips of England, offers perimeter disc brake kit for $70.
Contrary to earlier predictions, the industry is expected to sell 700,000 units, 200,000 more than previously thought. Almost every distributor reports being out of inventory.
Wards Automotive Report declares that motorcycles are no longer a novelty, but rather a mainstream product category.
1969, I was a junoir at Steinmetz HS Chicago. I was truely in heaven, working at my dream job during the golden years of motorcyles at Midwest Triumph Corp. in Chicago. I had just sold my first bike (1968 Honda CB350), to a close friend and was expecting my 70 Bonneville to come in from California. It was truely a majical time in motorcycle history, custom crome and paint jobs were flying off the parts shelves and there was a long waiting list over a year old for new bikes. I remember the plackard on the rear service door that read “Triumph Live Breath Ride”.
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In 1969, I was a freshman at UNC Chapel Hill. There was an article about the 1969 Kawasaki 500 Mach III in Playboy. It did 0 – 60 in 4 seconds flat!!! (not much improvement here in 40 years) Two months after I graduated college in 1973, I bought a new 1973 Kawasaki 500 Mach III green/green. After time, I had it modified with a clubman bar, surgical rubber grips, rear sets, denco expansion chambers, rejetted carbs, K & N filters, denselube chain & sprockets. Then, I bought a 1974 Kawasaki 750 triple leftover, and sold my 500 to my neighbor. I had a Kawasaki racer do the same mods plus ported the heads and cylinder ports, reverse the forks and add a 2nd front disc brake, ross seeley tank, japuto tail section, add a half fairing, and a silver paint scheme with yellow, orange and purple stripes. Awesme. Now I am 59. I own a 2004 Harley Dyna Wide for slow and steady plus…a 2008 Gixxer 1000, a 2008 Buell Firebolt XB12R, and a Yamaha FZ1. Looks like I’ll never grow up.
Lloyd Schiller
My first bike was a ’69 Honda CL 175 Scrambler. Loved the high pipes and the look, so I’ve kept that with my 2007 Ducati Monster S4RS. Later I had a Honda CL 450 Scrambler, but when some buddies got the Kaw 500 triple, 750 triple and Honda 750-4, my 450 seemed small and slow! I’m 57 and will do a track day in a few weeks withe the Duc, so I still have the bug!