Shigeru “Stan” Yoshida was a 22-year-old university graduate when he wrote to Yamaha President Genichi Kawakami, requesting a motorcycle to ride around the world. To Yoshida’s surprise, Kawakami replied, offering him a brand-new YDS-3, plus a cache of spare parts.

In July, 1965, Yoshida set off on what became a three-year journey, which took him tens of thousands of miles through the Americas, the Middle East, and Western Asia. When he returned to Japan, he received a hero’s welcome—and a job offer from Yamaha, which he accepted.

At 60, Yoshida reprised his around-the-world trip, starting in Russia and heading west. He retired six years later, concluding his career as the inaugural director of Yamaha’s Communication Plaza, where he curated the museum’s motorcycle collection.

Now 84, Yoshida is on the road again, this time on a Yamaha DragStar, a 250cc V-twin cruiser. He started in Southern California, headed to Texas, and made his way east to Alabama. This past week, Yoshida visited the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

He signed one of the concrete supports and posed for photos with staffers Brian Case, Chuck Huneycutt, and Pierre Terblanche. Guy Reynolds, who worked with Yoshida at Yamaha, said, “I was astounded at his fitness. He seemed like someone 20 years younger.”

Three-time FIM 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Kenny Roberts just happened to be at the museum. During all his years at Yamaha, Yoshida had never met Roberts. “But I saw him race many times,” he admitted, “and he always won.” Safe travels, Stan.

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Primer on primer: The museum’s conservation department carefully monitors the aging and inevitable deterioration of the vehicles in the collection. When a new acquisition arrives, its overall condition is assessed. Depending on the findings of the staff, specialized treatments may be necessary to stabilize certain features of the machine.

For example, this 1913 Flying Merkel Model 71 is an unrestored, original example of the 61 cubic-inch, 45-degree V-Twin as it rolled off the assembly line at the Miami Cycle Manufacturing Company in Middletown, Ohio. Consider the paint: Much of the bright, distinctive “Merkel Orange” remains, but red primer is clearly visible in some areas.

Left untreated, ferrous metals eventually corrode, particularly in humid or wet conditions, which is why the museum is climate-controlled. Oxide primers form a durable barrier between the metal surface and the air, helping to prevent corrosion. Red oxide is a preferred primer and has been used for more than a century on many types of motorized vehicles.

Photos: Joe Avila

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More than 20 engineering students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham experienced the field trip of a lifetime last month during the 16th annual Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park.

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum Education Programs Manager Dr. Liz Johnson organized a private reception with engineers from Dallara, the exclusive chassis supplier for IndyCar. In addition, students toured the museum and viewed practice from pit lane.

“This was a rare opportunity for our students to engage with world-class engineers and discuss real-world dynamics right in the middle of the action,” said Andrés Morales, who teaches ME 430: Vehicle Dynamics.

The museum’s robust education program engages students of all ages with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that connect the thrills of motorsports with the worlds of science, technology, engineering, math, art, and design.

Follow the linktr.ee "Education Programs" link in our bio to learn more.

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It’s often said that most of the automobiles and motorcycles exhibited in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum can be made to run in a relatively short time. That high standard was recently put to the test when an ultra-rare 1992 Honda NR was lifted from its elevated base and transferred to the basement conservation area for a thorough once-over.

First, context: In 1994, Cycle World magazine tested the only example in the U.S. at that time. “The NR is an art piece, a Fabergé Egg of a motorcycle, destined more to a life of collecting dust than stone chips on its belly pan,” wrote the editors. “For fans of high-performance, high-tech hardware, the 32-valve, oval-piston NR truly is the Holy Grail on Michelin TX radials.”

The carbon-fiber-reinforced body panels were removed, inspected, and then reinstalled. Coolant and oil levels were checked and noted, fuel was added, and a remote battery was connected. When the starter button was thumbed for the very first time since the bike left the factory in Japan some 34 years ago, the fuel-injected, 748cc V-four instantly sparked to life.

The NR is now set up for preservation and has been returned to its proper place in the museum. Follow the "Barber YouTube Channel" link in our bio to watch a short start-up video.

Photos: Joe Avila

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