Benelli

Reader Ride. Custom Benelli 250

Pete Boyd keeps sending them in. Thanks Pete!

Thanks for posting my CL 350 cafe bike. Here is my 1968 Wards/Benelli 250. The seat is mounted to a car leaf spring. The round thing above the bars is an 8 ball shifter knob mounted to adjust the steering damper. The tail light is stock but I cut off the back support and mounted it upside down. Benelli won the 250cc world championship in 1968…my how things have changed!
Pete

Shoutout to all the links…

I received a request to take a look at a newer Italian blog called “Remastered Cycle” today (they’re excellent by the way and now in the blog links) and I thought this would be a good time shine some light on all the sites over on the list.  There must be something in the fall air because folks have been blogging up a storm lately.  Take some time and click around over there.  Plenty to see.

… and here’s a shot of an cool bike from the latest addition.  Interesting stuff all over the place.

Regular Contributor Ted Guthrie just back from the International Six Day Reunion Ride with some outstanding shots!

Ted Writes:

Hi, Steve. I’m just back from participating in the International Six Day Trial Reunion Ride. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s a 2-day version of the oldest motorcycle competition event in the world – the International Six-Day Trial (now International Six-Day Enduro). Routinely referred to as the Olympics of Motorcycling, the ISDT(E) pits teams of riders from different countries in six consecutive days of off-road competition. Held each year in a different country, the ISDT(E) is one of the toughest and most prestigious motorcycle competition events in the world.

The Reunion Ride is a much milder version, primarily geared for old(er) riders, on vintage bikes. Numerous ISDT vets show up and participate, as well as AHRMA regulars and many other vintage motorcycle enthusiasts.

Here are a few pics of some of the more interesting machines I spotted.. Note, one exception is the phantom Rockford flattracker, which vintage resto specialist Gary Roach brought along for display. Also shown are a neat, little Benelli enduro bike, a genuine Jawa ISDT bike (similar to those piloted by the many-time ISDT champion East German team, back in the 60’s & 70’s), a couple of Rokons, and Bruce Williams’ ISDT-replica BMW. There were lots of other cool bikes, especially Pentons, Huskys, and Hodakas. I included a nice example of one of the Pentons (also owned by Gary Roach), as well as a trick, 70’s Honda XL350-based sidecar rig. Hope you find them all interesting. Oh yeah – I did compete, on my ’75 Can-Am 175 TNT. Bike ran great, but with all those ISDT vets and AHRMA regulars present, I got my ass handed to me. Sure had fun, though!

Ted Guthrie

I bet it was a hell of a good time! Thanks as always for sharing these great pics!








Update: 1968 "Montgomery Wards" 360 Mojave Benelli.

UPDATE: Apparently our favorite concept designer has been looking at these old beauties for inspiration!

From the days when you could buy a “real” motorcycle at a department store or out of a mail order catalog. What a fantastic example. And yes that’s a rebadged Benelli.