Author Topic: Steve Mclaughlin CR750 (Read 16760 times)

Darvill Racing · « **Reply #50 on:** May 19, 2012, 10:47:52 PM »

Spirit,
Yes that's Pete in the Paul Ricard hat....!

I would LOVE to own one of those retro numbers, Honda also did an amazing version.

Regards,
A

spiritof67 · « **Reply #51 on:** May 20, 2012, 10:18:55 AM »

I'm also looking for a picture I have of Louis Moniz's CR750, a kit bike, which I saw raced at Pocono as well. Moniz later became Honda Racing's chief mechanic during the 80's - 90's or thereabouts.

And somewhere I have a picture of Manuel (Mendy) Radbord's CR750 out of Honda of Montreal. I worked for Mendy when I lived in Montreal in '68.

Spirit

bwaller · « **Reply #52 on:** May 20, 2012, 10:59:12 AM »

That's cool spirit, I worked for Mendy at Honda City in the early seventies. His wasn't really a CR actually, but Ross worked enough magic into it and Mendy rode it well! Mendy, Jim Quirk, I & a couple others have gotten together some recently after a long absence. Cool characters.

spiritof67 · « **Reply #53 on:** May 20, 2012, 11:05:00 AM »

Didn't Mendy finish second or third to Hailwood when Mike the Bike came to Canada? And didn't he have one of those super-special racing Honda factory 450's as well?

He was a nice guy - gave me a job in the parts department literally as I walked in off the street. I lived across the street at 1669 St. Catherine next to the Baron de Bouef fast food joint...

Spirit

bwaller · « **Reply #54 on:** May 20, 2012, 11:18:38 AM »

Yea there were 450's raced before I arrived, and yes he raced the GP in 67 at Mosport. I don't remember where he finished but he was a talented rider. He is a nice guy and in the days I was around he "gave back" to the sport that made him wealthy by sponsoring many young racers. He's 67 and knows everyone in the motorcycle business, racing or otherwise.

spiritof67 · « **Reply #55 on:** May 20, 2012, 07:44:00 PM »

Is there still a Honda City in Montreal, Bwaller?

Back on the subject of non-Mann CR750's and the technology they promoted, I have found an article on the first ever commercially available street magnesium (not "mag') wheels: Kimtab. Coming soon - watch this space!

Those of us who were "early adopters" back in the early 70's and were running magnesium wheels, dual discs, disc-brake rears and a lot of technologies that were still foreign to major manufacturers would actually like to see some of it come back, or at least some of the inspiration. Where's my standard battery that has 200 cold cranking amps, only needs to be charged once a year and is at least 12 volt/14 ah, anyway?

Spirit

bwaller · « **Reply #56 on:** May 21, 2012, 07:04:40 AM »

No sadly. Honda City grew to three stores in Mtl, one in Ottawa and another in Kingston Ontario. It changed name to Motosport Plus after I went west and closed in 79 maybe? The Kingston store is still in operation, but Mendy has been out of the motorcycle game for a long time. He has been importing/selling electric bicycles most recently.

spiritof67 · « **Reply #57 on:** May 21, 2012, 04:39:54 PM »

Denizens: Since "Its All About Steve" here for the moment, with some excellent spice added by Team Darvill, I have a nugget for you: an article on the first ever commercially available magnesium (not "mag") wheels for motorcycles - Kimtabs. By the way, please note that Steve is mentioned in the article, as he should be. Maybe some other time I'll get some info on his later TZ350 which also had (surprise!) magnesium wheels fron and rear and discs front and rear. This, when TZ's were drum braked front and rearwith wire wheels standard..

It's a pretty good article.

Spirit

https://uwc.webmail.optimum.net/attach/img-521091530-0001.pdf?sid=&mbox=INBOX&charset=escaped_unicode&uid=22703&number=2&filename=img-521091530-0001.pdf

fang · « **Reply #58 on:** May 21, 2012, 08:12:46 PM »

Can you double check that link?

spiritof67 · « **Reply #59 on:** May 21, 2012, 08:48:54 PM »

Damn links. I'll try it another way....

spiritof67 · « **Reply #60 on:** May 21, 2012, 08:58:31 PM »

Here's another attempt.

Spirit

fang · « **Reply #61 on:** May 21, 2012, 10:01:26 PM »

Thanks for the link. Mag wheels; the future of motorcycling.

turboguzzi · « **Reply #62 on:** May 22, 2012, 03:02:08 AM »

sweet, the usual cycle thoroughness, glad to have my 1979-1990 collection intact

spiritof67 · « **Reply #63 on:** May 22, 2012, 07:57:56 AM »

HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH STEVE MCLAUGHLIN. MORE TO FOLLOW...

Spirit

754 · « **Reply #64 on:** May 22, 2012, 08:05:05 AM »

Thanks, excellent info.
I can attest to their toughness, few years back there was an XS 650 WASP sidehack at Bonneville, had 3 snowflakes on it.. a couple had big dents, but not cracked.. dont know how hard they hit what, but the wheels are tough.. It was an offroad sidehack, btw..

spiritof67 · « **Reply #65 on:** May 22, 2012, 09:49:12 AM »

...like Lorenz and Samuel Haller's on the other thread......

Spirit

spiritof67 · « **Reply #66 on:** May 24, 2012, 04:45:49 PM »

Here is a selection from the correspondance I had with Steve back in the early 70's describing the Honda and its development. Some interesting information here that still has relevance and resonance in the SOHC community. I'm also going to ask him to join SOHC4, so we'll see.

Spirit

Retro Rocket · « **Reply #67 on:** May 24, 2012, 05:11:24 PM »

Gday Spirit, great read , do you recall how much longer the swingarm was that he used ?...

spiritof67 · « **Reply #68 on:** May 24, 2012, 07:04:02 PM »

re: swingarm length, I'll have to reread the articles I have. Bear in mind that racers didn't always give up that - information - and sometimes it was disinformation. But I'll look. The really sad thing is that like most racers, when the Honda was no longer competitive it was cast off for the next thing (A TZ350, as I recall) and Steve has no idea what happened to that mighty CR or where, if anywhere, it is today.....

Spirit

spiritof67 · « **Reply #69 on:** June 01, 2012, 12:08:40 PM »

I'm still waiting for a reply from Steve re: the extension of the swingarm. I'm gonna guess ahead and say that it will equal the amount that was "lost" when the CB500 triple clamps were put on the bike, though.

In the meantime, here's another piece of meat from that bike and its era..

Spirit

spiritof67 · « **Reply #70 on:** June 01, 2012, 02:00:52 PM »

...we never ran them tubeless back then since there were no tubeless motorcycle tires. And I wouldn't now either, even though I've had my own Kimtabs crack tested. Besides, I like the idea of having another cushion between the pothole and the rim while using a tubeless tire...

As for them costing $100 bear in mind you could buy a new CB750 for about $1200. And premium gas where I lived was about $.45 a gallon for real Sunoco 260.

Spirit

spiritof67 · « **Reply #71 on:** June 06, 2012, 04:56:49 PM »

Have been in touch with Steve McLaughlin who has supplied some pictures that place another piece of the puzzle: that beingl what color exactly is that machine? Steve has told me that the original color on the "MK 1" CR was a dark metallic (candy? it was the 70's..) brown with silver panels. If you look at the pictures of the first Steve McLaughlin tribute Honda (the Doug Pushak CB750) , it's black with 70's style panels in tan, fuschia, etc.

I am attaching the pictures sent to me. I am going to guess that since right after Daytona '72 Steve went to the BSA/Triumph - Rob North lowboy style fairing these "MK 2" colors were the ones applied on that machine, and Pushak's as well.

Spirit

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Author Topic: Steve Mclaughlin CR750 (Read 16760 times)