Japanese classics turn out at the Museum

Fans of classic Japanese motorcycles were able to see some rare machines June 7 during Japanese Motorcycle Saturday, the first of two Classic Saturdays this summer at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio.

Among the rare machines were a Europe-only 1983 Honda CB1100R owned by Jan Ringanalda of Columbus, Ohio, and an early 1980s Yamaha RZ500 two-stroke ridden in by Tom Beasley of Hudson, Ohio. Other machines at the event included a 1980 Kawasaki KZ750, a Honda 750 Four, various older Gold Wings, and some classic dirt machines.

"Midpoint in the day I summarized the event in my head and liked what I saw," said Museum Executive Director Mark Mederski. "First off, the parking lot was filled with some really different machines ranging from an early Honda ATC 90 to a Europe-only Honda CB1000R. But different from our typical visitor days at the Museum, I saw a great deal of conversation and information exchange between people who had never met before they came to Japanese Motorcycle Saturday.

"Everyone seemed happy to understand the Japanese motorcycle passions of others, learn form the experts within the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club and leave the AMA grounds with a smile that their motorcycle culture and technology hard drive had been willed with a lot of new data, contacts and a pleasurable experience," Mederski said.

Next up is European/British Motorcycle Saturday, which is set for August 23 on the Museum grounds.