PUR-SANG PSYCHEDELIC PROVENANCE

The ex-Jim Morrison, ex-Von Dutch 1968 Honda CL305

'Pur Sang Psychedelic Provenance'... that's not a phrase often heard, but how else to describe a humble Honda CL305 'street scrambler' which was owned by the Doors' Jim Morrison from 1968-'71, which was then purchased and painted up by  'Von Dutch'?

Kenny Howard / Von Dutch

The internet is abuzz with the recent Craigslist discovery of the lime green Honda, and lucky owner Dan Ince did his homework, after discovering an early registration in the name of Kenneth R. Howard, better known as pinstriper and moto-painter extraordinaire, 'Von Dutch', who appears to have sprayed the Honda in his early '70s asymmetric metalflake style.  Digging deeper into the paperwork, Ince found more: “The registration and release of liability card that I have for it dated March of ‘68 lists a James Douglas Morrison living on Sunset Boulevard. I actually Googled and found a copy of his driver’s license. That address matches his driver’s license issued in 12/67. It was kind of a needle in a haystack.”

Morrison had a penchant for wearing leather onstage in his pre-Paris days...

No photographs have surfaced of Morrison on this bike, or any other, but...there is another motorcycle connection with the Doors' frontman, from his final year, in Paris 1971.  While living in the 19 rue Beautreillis hideaway he shared with long-time girlfriend Pamela Courson, their uber-hip circle of friends included a female motorcyclist with a Norton Commando, who suggested a tank-painting party over an 'enlightened' weekend...and that motorcycle, with its hand-painted psychedelic tank, is in beautiful condition, but definitely not for sale.

Classic Von Dutch metalflake paint, airgun spatter, and pinstriping

The Honda, though, is definitely for sale, via Husky Restorations.

The Title release form which lists James Douglas Morrison as owner of the '68 Honda CL305; the address matches his 1970 Calfornia driver's license 

Morrison in his seldom-seen experimental film, 'HWY' (a bootleg can be found on Youtube), one of the few instances where Morrison and Motorcycle coexist, if briefly.  In this scene, Morrison has carjacked a '67 Shelby GT500 Mustang, and as he drives past a flatbed truck full of motorcycles, he can't help but check them out.

Posted in: Auctions, Honda, Von Dutch