The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Owosso Pulse – Ground Cruising Recreational Vehicle

By

Every now and then, a Bede BD-200 LiteStar or Owosso Pulse comes up for sale. This enclosed cabin vehicle was powered by a long series of different engines, from Honda 250 twins to Honda 750 fours, a Yamaha 400 like the one shown here all the way up to a Honda GL1100 flat four. Originally designed by aircraft designer Jim Bede, they had the same streamlined jet plane look of … [Read more...]

Vintage Motorcycle Days 2011

By

The annual gathering of vintage motorcycles at Mid Ohio for the AMA's Vintage Motorcycle Days has come and gone with its usual fine collection of great vintage bikes of all stripes. The weather was extremely hot and humid which may have played a part in what appeared to be somewhat lower attendance numbers, though I saw fewer vendors set up in the infield, too, however the swap … [Read more...]

Secret French Motorcycle Museum

By

Traveling with a group of tourists, you see the same thing everyone else always sees and has already seen before. When you travel alone, you might miss things you would have enjoyed, but sometimes you find really cool little places, like this collection of bicycles and motorcycles in France. Christian Pelletier was motoring around and came across this museum off the beaten path … [Read more...]

Vinny Long Legs High Mileage Vincent at Bonhams

By

One owner, never raced, very well maintained Vincent Black Prince for sale. Ah, ... there is, however, the matter of the mileage, 721,703 to be exact, but, Stuart Jenkinson, who bought the bike in 1955 for £385, says it was a reliable daily ride for decades. Then, after the British chemistry professor retired, he rode the Vincent guiding other riders for Bike and Sun Tours, … [Read more...]

NorKaw – Kawasaki Z1 Power Motivates a Norton Featherbed Frame by Mick King

By

With today's specialized frames, wrapped around the specific engine they were designed for with no room to spare, we seldom see builders mixing and matching in a way that was common in years past. There are exceptions, like Norm Wilding's Kawabusa, for instance, a ZRX with Hayabusa power, but most of the customs work with the engine they came with. Mick King, whose NSU … [Read more...]

Norton NSU Special – A Sleeker Mini Mammut

By

Many of you remember the Munch Mammut, we've written about them several times on The Kneeslider, they were a fascinating motorcycle from the 1960s powered by an NSU auto engine. Very impressive engineering at the time but they looked a little ponderous, after all, that 4 cylinder engine wasn't designed to fit into a motorcycle, what would you expect? A few days ago, Mick … [Read more...]