Almanac Motor Bikes: The Story of JP 056  –  Fifty Years in the Making 

          

The Story of JP 056  –  Fifty Years in the Making 

 

The year is 1975, Honda Motorcycles is about to release their largest road bike to date. It is a 1000 cc tourer, ironically with a larger engine capacity than one of Honda’s motorcars of the same period. The engine was designed as a flat four-cylinder motor or boxer type motor. The motorcycle would be known as the Honda Gold Wing.

 

Graeme Creighton from Colac is an apprentice mechanic at the local farm machinery and motorcycle trader Rhys, Evans & Reid they were also the local dealers for Honda equipment. Graeme had already pre-ordered a Gold Wing through Rhys -Evans & Reid, and he was eagerly waiting for the Australian release. The new Honda Gold Wing would cost Graeme $2,621, on the road.

 

Graeme had not really thought much about what he had ordered as he believed it was something like an over sized Honda 750 and had not seen a picture of it or looked at the fine detail of the specifications. A friend informed him of one unique design aspects, “Did you know that the fuel tank is under the seat, and you have to open the glovebox to refuel the bike?”

 

Graeme thought “What in the Hell have I done?  Have I just ordered a 1000cc Lambretta scooter?” This prompted him to look a little closer at the specifications. After a more thorough look at the fine detail, he was assured that it was not a big issue, and yes after locating an image of one it looked like a real motorbike.

 

The Gold Wings were already at Honda Australia’s main warehouse in Melbourne, but as yet not released to dealerships. The first shipment to leave the warehouse was destined for country Victoria. With fanfare, there was a media release on Monday 19^th of May about the Australian release of Honda’s foray into superbikes.

 

 

Graeme was excited. He should have his new bike sometime during the week. The first five bikes left the warehouse on Tuesday 20^th but fate intervened, there was a Storeman and Packers strike at the time that threw a spanner in the works. Those bikes couldn’t be sent back to the warehouse or loaded on the goods train at Spencer Street Station, the five bikes were in no-man’s land. Graeme got news on the Thursday 22^ndthat the Storeman and Packers had relented and the strike was called off, now the five bikes would be loaded on the Friday night freight train to Warrnambool. Two to be dropped off in Geelong, one at Colac and two in Warrnambool. His motorcycle would arrive at Colac at about 1:30am Saturday morning 24^th of May.

 

How was he going to get the bike registered? Doing his maths, Graeme realised that the possibility of riding it over the weekend was next to nil, being unregistered on delivery. He wanted to ride it to a friend’s wedding in Alexandra, in North East Victoria, on the Saturday.

 

Graeme was friendly with one of the local policemen at a small town near Colac. On Friday afternoon, Graeme rang the local policeman to ask him could he register the bike on Saturday.

 

The policeman said, “You idiot! Don’t you realise it is Saturday tomorrow?  We don’t do that sort of thing on a Saturday. You’ll have to wait until Monday”.

 

That was certainly not the answer Graeme wanted. Graeme pleaded with him to make an exception, so the policeman did relented and told him to bring the bike down on Saturday morning. The cost of this inconvenience to the policeman would be three longnecks left outside, courtesy of Graeme.

 

At 8 o’clock Saturday morning Graeme and friend, Andrew Smith, picked the bike up from the Colac Railway Station, loaded it into a ute and took it back to Rhys-Evans & Reid to assemble it. The job done and the bike was put back in the ute for the drive to the local town.

 

 

Graeme had his motorcycle gear with him and also the three longnecks.

 

As typical country police in those days, the policeman was gruff but obliging, as he was a motorcycle enthusiast himself. He was also curious to see this new ‘superbike’. He registered the bike on the Saturday morning. The three longnecks we assume were very much appreciated.

 

The number plates were fitted with a grin from ear to ear, and coincidently they were JP 056 (Japan). The bike was ridden back to Colac and Graeme most likely didn’t realize at the time he was the first to ride a Honda Gold Wing on private registration in Australia, as the other four bikes were delivered to their dealerships but not registered until the following Monday.

 

Graeme’s bike therefore became the first Gold Wing registered in Australia.

 

Graeme managed to ride it to Alexandra for the friend’s wedding that afternoon. What a sensational diversion to be talked about at the wedding.

 

Graeme will attest to the power of the first model Gold Wing, as the subsequent 1977 model was detuned somewhat. The original model also had spoked wheels, which on heavy cornering, Graeme said that you could feel the rear wheel flex a little.  A bit unnerving, the later models opted for mag wheels, alleviating this problem.

 

Graeme still has the Honda Gold Wing of this story. It is in pristine condition, as shown in the photos. It is now on club plates, having had to reluctantly return the original plates – JP 056.

 

It is now fifty years since he purchased the bike. Graeme has been invited to take his bike to the release of the new 2025 Gold Wing, celebrating the 50 years of this iconic motorcycle. This will take place at the showrooms of Team Moto in Epping.

 

Graeme’s love affair with his Gold Wing continues.  He says, “cheers everybody, enjoy, as I have certainly enjoyed the last 50 years with my current girlfriend, Goldilocks!”

 

And if you happen to be riding past the Quaint Watering Hole at Inverleigh, and see a shiny red early model naked Gold Wing parked outside, come in and enjoy a pint and a chat with Graeme.

                               24^th May 1975    —   24^th May 2025   50 years of Honda Gold Wing.

 

 

Read more from Stan Kluzek Here.

 

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