1923 Indian Big Chief

Starting The Moto-Cancer Project

 As I move forward with The Moto-Cancer project I will need some motorcycles.  I need one good old bike from the teens, twenties or thirties to do some fund raising rides on.  It needs to be a motorcycle that is built to ride and not a show bike.  When I went through my cancer treatment I made some decisions that I would not make at this time, but I didn't want to leave my family to sort through my stuff, so I sold everything. 

The whole idea of the Project is to help cancer survivors and their families in the post cancer phase of their lives.  Sometimes  financial support is needed because even with medical insurance a person can be financially devastated.  In some cases a person may just need a space to recoup their lives and start living again.  This varies with the person and their age.  I know for myself I have had to consider that my years are numbered.  In the worst case a family may need funds for final arrangements which can be very expensive and emotional.

I am at the very beginning of this journey and haven't figured out all the details.  Some of the things I would like to do are as follows.

: Do a crowd funding campaign to raise initial finances to properly set up a nonprofit 501(c)3  These finances will be used for legal expenses and any other expenses to do a startup charity.

: Do long distance rides with sponsorship to raise funds.  It may turn into a group thing but not like the Cannonball.  More of an original Cannonball Baker experience where you are on your own.  I will be looking at sponsorship but it's too early at this point.


: Sell antique motorcycles on consignment with part of the proceeds going to The Moto-Cancer Project.  The owner of the motorcycle can donate the bike completely or allow me to sell it for them and give a portion to the Project.  I have been buying and selling motorcycles for a long time.

:  The same idea as the consignment sales is to obtain one motorcycle per year and do a raffle.  I would need the bike here so we can do events with it and sell raffle tickets.  I hope to be up and running by next spring at Born Free Dixon Antique Motorcycle meet.

I do need a motorcycle to ride and bring to events so if anyone has an antique bike that they would loan me or sell on reasonable payments I would like to hear from you.  I am a pretty transparent person and easy to google. 

I spent many years as a General Building Contractor in California and then worked for the Fire Department.  As I transitioned from construction I worked as a temp for Mare Island Fire Department in Vallejo California.  At the same time I volunteered at American Canyon Fire Protection District.  I was then picked up as a full time permanent firefighter at American Canyon Fire where I worked for several years before transitioning into Vallejo Fire Department which is the department I retired from due to major injury. 

During my time at American Canyon Fire is about when most departments were looking at thermal imaging cameras to find people in buildings that were burning.  A real fire is not like a Hollywood fire...you can not see your hand in front of your face in a real smoky, hot fire.  The department did not have the budget to purchase one so I took it on myself to do a public fund raiser to purchase a thermal imaging camera.  With the support of then Fire Chief Keith Caldwell, we were successful and purchased a camera at great savings to the department.  I believe it cost around $15,000 at that time.

I have spent many years in service of others and would like to continue to do so while I have the strength and time.  I know a lot of folks have been affected by cancer in one way or another.  I am going slowly here to make sure everything is put together properly to help the most people as possible.

You can contact me directly at 951-992-9839 by phone or text.  You can also send an email to classicmotocycles@gmail.com  Please keep it positive

Restoring an Indian Chief

Let me start by saying that I have built most of the motorcycles that I have owned and ridden since I was in my early 20's.  I would start with a frame and engine and piece it together as I could.  I always thought that I was saving money.  This is a common misconception in vehicle restoration as well as home remodeling.  I have had my General Building Contractors license since 1987 so I've seen a few things.

Recently I have been looking at acquiring a motorcycle to build for The Moto-Cancer Project.  The bike will be ridden on long distance rides to raise funds for cancer survivors.  I want to do the old three flags ride starting in Mexico up through California, Oregon, Washington and then end up in Canada.

I started out looking at Harley Davidson VL's and JD's and found that the prices are through the roof.  I do know the antique motorcycle market pretty well, but we are talking about a motorcycle with a fresh engine, drive train, etc.   A restored JD or good VL run about the same as a post war Indian Chief.  Yes I know...you either love them or hate them.  To me they are one of the most beautiful bikes ever built.  A good machine built by someone who knows what they are doing will run between $20,000 - 40,000 with a few real good one in the mid-30's.  So going back to my roots I did the math on piecing one together and found that it costs about the same as buying one already built !!  No surprise right ?  The only clincher is that I just turned 60 and don't have the years to piece one together before I get too old to ride the thing.

Stay tuned.........................

1946 Indian Chief

This 1946 Indian Chief was one of the last motorcycles Bob Stark worked on.  Has a few custom touches...check out the dual exhaust

I just went over and talked to Gary Stark about this machine and looked it over.  They didn't come from the Indian factory this nice !  It was built to ride so it is not 100% concours .  I have had a few Indians that were so clean you were afraid to even sit on them  I want to ride the wheels off one.

By the way Gary Stark is a gentleman and treated me just like his dad did years ago.  He's a pretty cool guy.

N.O.S. 1953 Indian Chief for sale at Starklite Indian

This is an NOS 1953 Indian Chief built by Bob Stark  It took over 30 years to accomplish, it was built with brand new NOS parts.  No reproduction parts and no old beat up restored parts...just New Old Stock factory parts.  It is a brand new 1953 Indian ! 

I only met Bob Stark one time at his place a few years before he passed.  He had never met me before but spent at least 2 hours showing me all around his shop and his personal museum.  He was very humble and gracious.  When we were almost through the museum he pointed to this bike and asked me what I thought of it,  I don't really like 53 Chiefs, the styling is off to my eye.  He then pointed out how special it was, a brand spanking new motorcycle.
The only problem with this motorcycle is that as soon as you start it and ride it then you no longer have a brand new N.O.S. Indian  

I now live less than 10 miles from his old place and never really got to know him like I would have liked to.  

His son Gary has it up for sale for around $70,000.00  Contact him at Starklite Indian 951-968-3070

Pure Indian Coolness

Black Motorcyclists in a White America

Motorcycles and motorcycling has mostly if not always been portrayed as a white male sport in America.  The advertising art pictured above is very typical of motorcycle advertising from it's inception until recently.  Even recently it is quite rare to see a black man in motorcycle advertising.  Even if you do, please remember that the motorcycle companies are struggling so they are seeking a so called new market.  Buy what you like .....

It has always been the myth that sold the motorcycles to white middle class Americans.  I can only speak for America as I live here.  I grew up on the biker myth promoted by the Easyrider Magazine, it was a concocted lifestyle that sold a ton of magazines.  Meanwhile black American men were building some truly cool motorcycles including the almost iconic Easyrider Captain America bike...more on that in a minute.

The bikes pictured are as cool as anything else built during the so called biker heyday of the 1970's. 
Most of the motorcycle clubs that arose from the 1950's until now are mostly made up of white and hispanic males.  Someone forgot to tell the East Bay Dragons out of Oakland and the Chosen Few from SOCAL.  Fom what I have seen and read the East Bay Dragons and the Hells Angels have co-existed pretty peacefully for years.  Same motorcycles..different riders !

The great Easyrider chopper myth.
It was always assumed that the two Panhead choppers built for the movie Easyriders were built by white men.  There was even a well known Hollywood actor, who shall remain unnamed, who said he built them.  The bikes were built by two black men named Ben Hardy and Cliff Vaughs.  To me, this is the ultimate irony... a whole genre built around two white dudes on choppers and the bikes were built by two black men !  The lies that have surrounded that movie are astounding, no mention of the motorcycle builders and very little presence of black actors through the whole movie. 

Ben Hardy

Cliff Vaughs on Super Hog

Captain America Chopper

William "Wild Bill" Johnson

William Johnson was the first African American Harley Davidson dealer in America.  He ran his small shop until he passed away.  He overcame racism to a certain degree by becoming the first black man to get his national AMA license where he mostly competed in hill climbs.

It has always been the myth that America is a melting pot...this is a lie.  America is a salad bowl where nothing has ever truly became one unit.  There are exceptions of course...but I am speaking as a nation.  Take for example the soldiers coming home from war who couldn't even use the restroom after fighting and shedding blood for this country.  No wonder they bought motorcycles and sought the same freedom as their white brothers.

I have always hated racism and still do.... the white supremacist movement can not endure.  Please refer to Hitlers Germany that was run by a maniac.  Please do not assume I am a racist because I am a white male and ride motorcycles !  I have had to shut down more than one phone conversation from people who had never even met me. 

1939 Dooling Mercury Deluxe Rear Drive Tether Car