Joe's Bike
Joe's bike
UP FRONT
David Edwards
JOE PARKHURST HAD A CONFESSION TO make. The man who founded this magazine in 1962 and is universally acknowledged as the father of modern-day motorcycle journalism was sitting next to me as we slogged through L.A. traffic on the way to a private viewing of the Otis Chandler Vintage Museum. The two-hour ride gave us lots of opportunity for conversation. I asked Parky if when he hocked his possessions and borrowed from friends to get things going back then, had he dared envision Cycle World growing from a shaky proposition into the world’s largest-selling motorcycle magazine.
“Oh God, no,” he said without a second’s hesitation. “Truth is I was just a dirtbike bum who loved riding in the boondocks. I knew we could put out a better book than what was on the market, but CWs success was helped immensely by timing-the Japanese-led 1960s bike boom was about to hit-and by the good business sense of (first wife) Betty Jean.”
Joe, typically, was underplaying his part in the proceedings. He knew magazine journalism inside and out, having been advertising manager then art director at Road & Track as well as a struggling correspondent knocking about Europe. He also knew that putting readers’ interests ahead of advertisers’ was the key to long-term success in enthusiast publishing. If a Japanese 250 was faster than a British 650, well, that’s what got printed, to hell with the latter’s bloated brochure claims and angry ad man threatening to pull pages.
Just as important, Joe had a zest for life and a sense of adventure that translated into print. Among his many interests were hot-rods, sports cars and gokarts; he was into jazz and painting; he was a sailor, a SCUBA diver and a snow skier; and, of course, he rode dirtbikes.
One of his favorites is shown here, a 1967 Zündapp 125 ISDT replica. Though Joe had a fondness for big Thumpers (especially in lightweight Rickman frames), he was an early predictor of the coming small-displacement two-stroke revolution. Covering the ’66 International Six Days Trial, the so-called Olympics of motorcycling, he’d seen Zündapp sweep the 50, 75 and lOOcc classes, and his friend Dave Ekins win gold on a 125. Back in the USA, Ekins (Bud’s younger brother) would go on to win the tough Greenhorn Enduro overall on a lOOcc Zündapp, further serving notice that four-strokes were on their way out.
Parkhurst had to have one, but not the usual lOOcc, four-speed model; he wanted the ISDT 125 with its special five-speed gearbox. Unavailable to the public he was told. Not easily dissuaded, Joe went to the top man in West Germany, ZündappWerke’sDr. Dieter
Neumeyer, and made his case. It worked.
“You will consequently receive an original Six Days machine-123cc, five-speed engine, same execution as the machine ridden successfully by Mr. Dave Ekins on the occasion of the 41st International Six Days Trial in Sweden,” Neumeyer wrote back, noting that Joe’s bike had been yanked from the factory race squad. “To our regret the machine is no longer new, but we’ve given it a complete overhaul and will ship it to you in three weeks at the latest.”
Joe was a happy man. In return for the favor, he offered Neumeyer the following advice: “I firmly believe that Zündapp could establish itself as the absolute leader in off-road bikes. Hodaka, as distributed by the Pacific Basin Trading Company, sold over 11,000 machines in 1966. They sell one model, in one color, with no options. Their success is, of course, based on the fact that the motorcycle is excellent.
“If I may make a personal comment, the ISDT-replica Zündapp is far superior and could well outsell the Hodaka. Your machine is truly remarkable, and I do not say that for mere effect.”
High price tags and poor U.S. distribution slowed sales, however, and soon Zündapp (Hodaka, too) was overtaken, first by other Euro bike-makers and then the Japanese. Sadly, the company went bankrupt in 1984.
Joe’s bike was quickly obsolete but he could not bear to part with it, so with wife Claire’s blessing it was hoisted high onto an exposed rafter in the couple’s Aframe living room (see www.cycleworld. com for photos). Where it remained for 20 years until Parkhurst’s death in 2000.
CW acquired the bike soon after. What looked good from the living-room couch, though, was pretty rough and rusty up close. The bike would need a complete, spokes-up restoration. Only one man for the job, friend of the magazine Rick Doughty, who runs Vintage Iron, a nearby dirtbike restoration/racing shop (www. vintageiron.com). It was not an easy assignment. Most parts sources knew nothing about the model.
“Officially, the ISDT 125 was never imported here; consequently, there are no parts,” Rick says. “We had to hand-cut the gaskets, and we’re still searching for a kickstart-return spring.”
Missing spring or not, the beloved little bike has never looked better. Somewhere, Joe’s a happy man. Again. U
