Johnny, I guess DeCoster had the Belgium Suzuki scene sewn up with his dealership so Joel had to play second fiddle
I be telling tall stories as usual
getting back to the topic here is another of Steve McQueens bikes and it's neither Honda nor Husqvarna
The ex-Steve McQueen, Von Dutch
1970 Kawasaki 100cc G31M Centurian 'Ringadingdoo!'
This Kawasaki G31M Centurian is one of six given to Steve McQueen by the Japanese manufacturer to be used during the filming of the motion picture, Le Mans in France, and is typical of the new generation of lightweight trail bikes emerging at that time. The late 1960s/early 1970s saw the popularity of off-road riding increase immensely, although many found that models developed from large capacity roadsters were hard work on the dirt. The result was a rash of lightweight two-stroke trail bikes, although the G31M was actually a full-on moto-crosser that produced 18.5bhp at 10,500rpm, a staggering output for a 100cc single-cylinder machine. Combined with a dry weight of only 178lbs, this made for one exciting package and the performance available would certainly have appealed to Steve McQueen. Steve was supposed to use the Kawasakis for running around the vast Le Mans racetrack in France, but he left this one behind at his hangar at Santa Paula airport. When he and Von Dutch returned from the filming, he told Dutch to get rid of the Kawasaki green paint and prepare the bike for use around the airport. Dutch repainted the tank in orange, striped it in gold and gave it the name ?Ringadingdoo!,? presumably a reference to the noise made by an un-silenced race-tuned two-stroke. Steve used the Kawasaki for trips to the coffee shop and visiting friends
