Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125419
10 own anyway, and finding them useful at high speeds. Th e fr ont brake, as usual, failed to fill the bill, and prosepective riders probably should be cautioned not to expect too much it the way of sudden stopping. Perhaps a hydraulic brake similar to the one used on the rear wheel could' be adapted to the front by riders interested in fast touring. It takes a lot of pressure to stop all that kinetic energy with the present mechanical front brake. Granted , the giant of the Harley line appeals to a limited group of enthusiasts, and of that group only a fraction can afford its luxury. But if yo u are fairly prosperous and want to own the biggest, softest, chrome and candy-apple motorcycle in the world, it is waiting for you at your n earest Harley dealer's. 1200cc HarleyDavidson FLH It isn't every day one gets the opportunity to take a ride on the largest, most expensive motorcycle pro, duced in the world, but on two occasions recently CYCLE NEWS was treated to the use of brand new 1966 Harley 74s. We thank L.A. H-D Man- ' ager Dick Hu tchins for the first tryout machine, the tasty blue-gray "Electra-Glide" pictured here. The second 74, borrowed from Dean Hummer's San Fernando store, carried your intrepid newsgatherers 200 miles at a crack on the recent Johnson Memorial Run. From that ride we returned with one paramount conclusion: It needs a windshield (ours didn't have one) . We found the big girl could be ridden with considerable verve once her sh ocks were stiffened by adjustment. But where she really . went to the head of the class was packing double up steep mountain grades. Nothing else but another big-incher could keep up with her no matter how the rivals stirred their shifters when she began to 'c limb , Milwaukee's proud "King of the Highway" has grown quite sophisticated with pushbutton starting and comfort galore. The electric starter is HONDA S-65cc over and irons out the passing road like no lightweight can. Squatting on its wide Goodyear ti res , the Elec traGlide seems impossible to tip over (Lord forbid yo u should ever have to pick it up) . Yet with any forward motion at all U1e bi ke handles easily More and Better seem to have been the watchwords pinned to the wall in Honda design headquarters when the S-65 was laid out. The machine advances the concept spelled out by the immensely popular fifty model without becoming quite a "motor- head ca m engine, four speeds in the box, fu nctionally attractive styling and the best heel, toe shift lever we have ever tried. It is of the lift up (or heel down) to shift u p pattern. Its ride is much like the Fifty's .:.... sof t, comfortable. Steering is a little adverse as a result of the leading link forks and soft suspension, but in anything but hard testing conditions it handles well enough. The cycle is a lightweight, but is happily innocent of the flimsy feel some lightweights convey. It runs extremely quite, even when turned full on, and is an easy one-kick starter. We marvelled at the strength the clutch, which seems to have been considerably improved over earlier clutches. Acceler ati on is not breathtaking, but is adequate for quiet traffic and side streets, like the Fifty was. It will scoot across those spooky intersections much more quickly than its predecessor. Held wide open with only 48 miles on the odometer, top speed was an indicated 45 mph. The needle touched 55 once going downhill with a tail wind and the machine braked to smooth, quick stop from that speed quite commendablv. We gave the bike a trail test ana it did everything demanded in such fine styIe, we were sad to return 1966 TWOWHEEL THIS OEPARTMENT WILL OEMONSTRATE FEATURES OF NEW MOOELS. WE'LL TRYOUT THE LATEST IN MOTOR. CYCLING TO KEEP OUR READ ERS UP TO DATE WiTH PRESENT DESIGNS IDEAS & IMPROVEMENTS. we ll worth the trade up, for our m oney, because it truly ci vilizes the beast and makes it po ssible for even bantamweight riders to operate the biggest two whee ler on the r oad. !f you are kind of puny , you might still need help ma neuveri n g the giant out from between the petunia beds, bu t once under way, its very bulk takes enough. It calls for quite a tug on the bars to turn it, but in straight-line running, it virtually drives itself. Every crea tu re comfort that can be fas tened on with bolts is either standard or optional on the big machine. F oot pegs are a welc ome addition to the traditional footboards, since many riders were ad ding their \NAX & POLISH 1. Wi II not be affe cte d by heat be fore or afte r app licat ion . 5 . Wi ll not discol or the fini sh. 2. Wi II not wate r or ra in s pot. 6. Wi II not d is c ol or the rubbe r mol di ng. 3 . Will not be affe cte d by cli mati c c ond it ions . 7. Wi II not le av e a powde r resi d ue in seams. 4 . Will not streak. 8. Will last and last and last. For FREE liz pt. sample send $1.25 plus postage (25C) to THE DARBY co. 10670A S. LA CIENEGA BL VD. INGL EWOOD, CA LI F . 90304 P HONE : 673- 1500 cycle" nor ye t is it in the t oy category. It is, quite sim ply, a Honda, and if yo u aren't su re of the difference between a m otorcycle and a Hond a, ask your mother. So it's farewell to the famous Fifty, which the S-65 replaces, and for the most part the change is a welcome one. It has the modern over- it to Lo ng Beach Honda, where it serves as one of their demos. Such a lightweight is a handy thing to have around And that little engine would be a joy to dismantle on the kitchen table. Wh ich shouldn't upse t mother, because after all, it isn't a motorcycle - it's a Honda. •••••••••••••• •••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 546 W COLORADO S GLENDALE, CALIF. 1 • • • • .. • ART SERVICE • • • We Plan and Print Bus. 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