Author Topic: Can anyone identify this 1960ish SOHC motorcycle? (Read 4630 times)

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **on:** January 11, 2014, 06:22:11 PM »

This is a picture of my father stationed in Japan in 1960. I think his bike was a Benly model, but I would appreciate anyone's expertise in identifying the model. My father passed away over approximately 29 years ago, so it's a mystery to me.

tomkimberly · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2014, 06:44:28 PM »

Looks like a early Yamaha twin.

It's not a 4 stroke Honda.

Tom

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2014, 06:52:47 PM »

Tom,

It's definitely a HONDA. My suspicion is that it's a JC58. Anyone have any expertise to identify it for certain?

It looks darn close to these HONDAs
Honda Benly JC58
1958 Honda Benly JC58
http://www.midamericaauctions.com/motorcycle/honda/1958-honda-benly-jc58/

tomkimberly · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2014, 08:52:41 PM »

Do you have any other pictures? Honda (and many others) were both making 2 and 4 stroke bikes in the years after WWII.

With the key switch in to top of the head light bucket, it might just be a Jawa or even BMW.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2014, 01:08:43 AM »

Interesting. While your dad's bike looks similar to those Honda's (and may well be a Honda for all I know) all of the Jap manufacturers were building very similar looking bikes at the time. I'll be interested to find out what it is.

PeWe · « **Reply #5 on:** January 12, 2014, 01:54:14 AM »

Clearer photo of the tank logo will help. It does not look like Honda.

reddyvv · « **Reply #6 on:** January 12, 2014, 05:37:31 AM »

The overall shape of the engine and the exhaust looks very much like the early single cylinder two stroke Jawa with twin exhausts. But the Jawa did not have that front suspension as best I know.

No doubt that it's a two stroke.

toytuff · « **Reply #7 on:** January 12, 2014, 06:06:58 AM »

I posted the first picture in the VJMC Facebook page. Will see what they say.

I'm curious too.

tt

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #8 on:** January 12, 2014, 08:43:06 AM »

Quote from: toytuff on January 12, 2014, 06:06:58 AM

I posted the first picture in the VJMC Facebook page. Will see what they say.

I'm curious too.

tt

Now, I'm even more curious. My mother always remembers it as a Honda, and given the visual similarity to the JC58's fender and grab bar, I assumed it was one, too.

CBJoe · « **Reply #9 on:** January 12, 2014, 09:45:58 AM »

Looks a little like the Suzuki Colleda models 1956-60ish.

http://www.suzukicycles.org/Colleda/TT.shtml

754 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 12, 2014, 09:58:57 AM »

What I keep getting stuck on is the front fender trim at front edge, I am thinking may not be an accessory. That and tank badge Seems farther ahead than some bikes shown.
I wish we knew how old the bike was when pic was taken, I am guessing it was made, In the ten years before that, but may have been a year or two or three old .
I think at the time the pic was taken Honda was only building four strokes.

JeffSTL · « **Reply #11 on:** January 12, 2014, 10:39:01 AM »

The single cradle frame eliminates the Benly and the suzuki posted earlier.

Grnrngr · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2014, 07:08:40 PM »

I could be wrong, but when I zoom in, it looks like a 2-stroke motor to me, 100-125cc

Grnrngr · « **Reply #13 on:** January 12, 2014, 07:15:13 PM »

Gotta be a single, not a twin, you'd be able to see the other pipe thru the back wheel if it was there, no pipe on the left side.

azuredesign · « **Reply #14 on:** January 12, 2014, 07:16:22 PM »

http://www.classic-japanese-bikes.com/Yamaha-2-strokes.html

Think it's a Yamaha YA1?

754 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 12, 2014, 07:34:10 PM »

Yet another DKW copy.. The most copied engine ever..me thinks
Look at it, then, BSA Bantam, then Harley Hummer, and the real one the DKW..

LesterPiglet · « **Reply #16 on:** January 12, 2014, 07:41:32 PM »

The YA1 has different rear suspension.

crazypj · « **Reply #17 on:** January 12, 2014, 09:13:34 PM »

The DKW/BSA Bantam/HD Hummer are very distictive and easily recognisable At least BSA flipped the drawing and didn't just build a DKW with different badges. Plunger suspension is early 1950's.
Looks more like the Honda than anything else posted. Could be the ;home market' had slightly different option compared to export bikes?

754 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 12, 2014, 09:27:07 PM »

The chrome tip on front fender looked like the Yamaha, so did the badge being near front of tank, but the forks and back of bike looked like the other bikes...hmmmm......

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #19 on:** January 12, 2014, 11:10:53 PM »

I gave up searching the web after finding 3 different manufacturers who all fitted a similar chrome trim on the forks so I don't think that is all that important, and lets not forget that there were several motorcycle manufacturers in Japan then that no longer exist, such as Lilac, Bridgestone, Meguro, Tohatsu, just to name a few. Cheers, Terry.

krusty · « **Reply #20 on:** January 13, 2014, 02:09:06 AM »

Quote from: CBJoe on January 12, 2014, 09:45:58 AM

Looks a little like the Suzuki Colleda models 1956-60ish.

http://www.suzukicycles.org/Colleda/TT.shtml

Not Colleda, I have a few. That tank badge is the early Honda double wing emblem. Wrong, Oops, looking at wrong pic

krusty · « **Reply #21 on:** January 13, 2014, 02:31:05 AM »

If only the tank badge was clearer in the pic, and looks to be mounted further forward on the tank than other Hondas. The engine looks like the early Benly 4 stroke single.

toytuff · « **Reply #22 on:** January 13, 2014, 04:01:21 AM »

Quote from: azuredesign on January 12, 2014, 07:16:22 PM

http://www.classic-japanese-bikes.com/Yamaha-2-strokes.html

Think it's a Yamaha YA1?

tt

krusty · « **Reply #23 on:** January 13, 2014, 02:04:15 PM »

Here's a list. Pick one.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #24 on:** January 13, 2014, 02:05:20 PM »

Thanks for all of the input. I don't think it matches the Yamaha, since the tank does not have side rubber grips, and my dad was not a custom fan. I'm fairly certain that the engine was a 100-125cc, because it had hardly any power.

Unfortunately, that's the best picture I have right now.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #25 on:** January 13, 2014, 02:09:34 PM »

I can see differences there between the tanks, headlights, fenders, engine position, rear shocks, forks, front hubs etc, so I'd say nope.

krusty · « **Reply #26 on:** January 14, 2014, 02:45:23 AM »

Have been doing a little research on this one. I'm leaning towards this bike being a Yamaguchi or, a brand very similar. Yamaguchi intially used Villiers copy engines, made by Fuji, but later used engines supplied by Hodaka (hence a possible confusion with Honda?). The engine in the bike pictured looks much like a Villiers 125, a 2 stroke by the way. Hodaka also did business with makers Toyo, Rocket, Kitagawa and more. Yamaguchi went belly up in the early 60s.

Check out this Youtube vid. The engine looks very similar. Perhaps a later model?

Yamaguchi Special　Super　type 310　山口オートバイ　310型　125cc

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Author Topic: Can anyone identify this 1960ish SOHC motorcycle? (Read 4630 times)