Brilliant photo and story from Roger (who contributed other great photos and stories for Sideburn 7)
This professional photo just came to me from long ago and is of me (#41) and lifelong friend John (#9), taken in his basement in December of 1971. To get there, we had to squeeze through the kitchen and down some steps, but that's another story.
The bikes, purchased new earlier that year, are 100cc Kawasaki G31M Centurians, sold only in 1970 and 71. They actually came with a dyno tag of sorts hanging on the handlebars listing peak horsepower, and mine said 18.7 and 10,250rpm. At 8000rpm I think it made about 8, so you can imagine the peaky powerband. Missing from both bikes are the green fenders, but otherwise they're stock.
I only actually raced it a few times, because of a fatal flaw. The round disc on the side of the case is actually a supplemental air filter held in place by a rubber ring, with the open carb mouth residing directly inside. During practice at a scrambles, I laid it over on the right side and it sucked in some racetrack. Of course I did the wrong thing and attempted to run it, and it promptly seized. I knew it was not a good thing when John and broke the cylinder free of the cases and instead of seeing the rod, all we saw was air. The top of the rod was still with the piston, now one with the chrome-lined cylinder. The lower end was even worse.
So I had it fixed and eventually sold it.
Of course now the rare Kawasaki would be worth a lot of money too. But it was my first racebike and John and I sure had some fun while we had them...
The bikes, purchased new earlier that year, are 100cc Kawasaki G31M Centurians, sold only in 1970 and 71. They actually came with a dyno tag of sorts hanging on the handlebars listing peak horsepower, and mine said 18.7 and 10,250rpm. At 8000rpm I think it made about 8, so you can imagine the peaky powerband. Missing from both bikes are the green fenders, but otherwise they're stock.
I only actually raced it a few times, because of a fatal flaw. The round disc on the side of the case is actually a supplemental air filter held in place by a rubber ring, with the open carb mouth residing directly inside. During practice at a scrambles, I laid it over on the right side and it sucked in some racetrack. Of course I did the wrong thing and attempted to run it, and it promptly seized. I knew it was not a good thing when John and broke the cylinder free of the cases and instead of seeing the rod, all we saw was air. The top of the rod was still with the piston, now one with the chrome-lined cylinder. The lower end was even worse.
So I had it fixed and eventually sold it.
Of course now the rare Kawasaki would be worth a lot of money too. But it was my first racebike and John and I sure had some fun while we had them...
Roger Falasco
That pic brings me back. Rayce Wilson from my High School had a little Green Streak racer. His father and his friends built practise flat tracks near the American river, near Sacramento (in the days before Rangers patrolled the parkways). Thanks to them I got to throw it sideways on a nicely graded track while out "Tule-whompin' as they would call it.Remember his father had a Greeves,among other exotic machinery. Googled Rayce..to find out he's been running a dirt hauling and grading business for the last 28 years...
ReplyDeleteFor a look at a nicely restored example of a Centurian, as well as many other bikes of the periodgo to " theowencollection.com "
ReplyDeleteMighty fine. good lookin wall paper for a basement too.
ReplyDelete