Sometimes life is a balancing act......................

Knuckleheads 4 Ever

Harley Davidson Knuckleheads get under your skin.  I have owned three or four and always thought I would have another...thank you very much !

It could be argued that even the present day (well not the 2019 Harleys..which are ugly as dirt ) Harley Davidson owe much to the original design.  The Knucklehead was the coolest thing the Factory turned out, it was and still is a rideable, dependable motorcycle if properly built and maintained.  Yes...you have to maintain them.  I prefer the 61" EL over the 74" FL.  They seem a little smoother and easier to live with.  Maybe I'm getting old ???

Have a Happy Holiday !!

Classic Beemers

1953 Honda Dream 3E

I know this is a Honda but it is very sweet.  You can still see the European influence as Honda got up and running.  The Japanese motorcycle companies were and still are masters of copying what works and sells and then making it better to out sell their competitors.

These bikes are becoming very collectible, this one is selling in the $10K range and looks to be completely original.  It predates the "you meet the nicest people on a Honda" slogan

EBay Moto of the Week...1928 Harley Davidson JDH

This is one one of the coolest motorcycles ever built, a 1928 Harley Davidson twin cam JDH.  In it's day it would do 100 mph off the showroom floor.... that was smoking in 1928 !  This one is on EBay with an opening bid of $60K with a reserve set higher than that.

 I will probably never own one but it's on my list.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1928-Harley-Davidson-JDH/132878674641

The Moto-Cancer Project Moves Forward

I'm really stoked this morning.  Awhile back I met a guy named Graham Nystrom while doing a motorcycle deal, he bought my K Model chassis.  I asked him what he did for a living and he told me he was a graphic designer.  He was looking at an original Harley Davidson tail light that I had and I told him that we could trade the tail light for cleaning up my graphics for The Moto-Cancer Project.  I really like what he did with it. He kept enough of my original work but cleaned it up a bit.

All the elements are there...the wheel which represents moto-cycles, the bird which represents a new start with new wings and finally the sailors star to find your way back home... which is what this all about !

Rangoon Ricky...Only Skin Deep Tattoos

https://onlyskindeeptattoovallejo.com/

My good brother and long time friend Rick "Rangoon Ricky " Bordeau out of Vallejo California.  He runs Only Skin Deep at 622 Tuolumne Street, Vallejo.  He has been tattooing long before tattoos were cool with the main stream folks.

Back when I first got tattooed you were either a biker or a sailor.  Now every man, woman and child is getting inked.  I think it's a general requirement in Hollywood to have at least three !  I got my first tattoo from Lyle Tuttle Jr. when he had a shop on Tennessee Street, Vallejo.  Harley Davidson wings...they're a bit faded out now but I sure was proud.

When I was a young man of 27, I did a tattoo apprenticeship with Rick and had a small shop for a while.  The guy forgot more about the mechanics and art of tattooing than most people know.  And yes... he rides a motorcycle every day that the weather allows.  We made our own ink from raw pigment, built our own machines and needle clusters and in general learned everything that could be taught about the subject.  Some things can't be taught !

Indian 101 Scout Bitsa....A bit of this and a bit of that !

101 Scout Memories

This picture was taken the night we got home from Oregon.  

I had to unload it and see what I had

I got a call from a Canadian who stirred up memories of my 101 Scout dream....

This was my Indian 101 Scout that I planned on doing the Cannonball on.  I bought it out of Oregon and drove up and picked it up.  It all seems so long ago but it was only about 5 years ago.  All pre-cancer and pre a whole lot of things. Full of hope and expectations I took it all down to pieces and had John Bivens straighten and clean up the frame and front fork.  This thing was going to be done right. 

I ended up selling it to a cool guy from Texas who made his money drilling oil wells.  A hard working man who just wanted something cool.  As I said, I got a call from a guy in Canada today who now owns it !  I guess my buyer out of Texas has some health problems so he sold it.  This thing might be jinxed ?  I need to call him and see how he's doing....it's all about the people that the machines bring into our lives.

My old shop that I spent a lot of hard work putting together. 

To say it was clean is an understatement! 

Wells Bennett set many long distance records in the 1920's and 30's   Here he is on an Excelsior motorcycle

You Are a CEO...You Run the Business of You

About YOU ARE a CEO

Our goal is to inspire everyone to be successful and find joy in everday living

You Are a CEO is a movement that was born out of a simple idea.  We believe that everyone is the CEO of their life and can take charge of their personal success.

Michael E. Parker, founder of the movement, was born in Oakland and raised in the heart of Richmond, California in the midst of violence and struggles.  Many would say that he should have been a statistic.  But along his journey of hardships and challenges , he made decisions that changed the course of his life and opened doors he never thought possible. Now, an award winning entrepreneur, author and national speaker, Michael is passionate about giving back and inspiring positive change.

Come join the movement and inspire your own life and the lives of others around you 

https://www.youareaceo.com/

Michael E. Parker

He has been my friend and inspiration for over 20 years

Old BMW Motorcycles

I have been trying to narrow down my search for an antique motorcycle to use for The Moto-Cancer Project and really hadn't considered BMW.  I was thinking they were too new to get any kind of positive support.  However, a BMW R51 would be a least 64 years old if I found a 1954 R51/3.
The R51/3 has many advantages over the earlier models but especially a full size front brake.

I have always liked the plunger frame BMW's as they have an elegance that is right there with a skirted Indian Chief.  The design is clean and efficient.

I have owned several BMW's from the 1950's and 1960's and was amazed at how simple they are to maintain.  Even adjusting the valves is straight forward compared to vintage British and American motorcycles.   The other great advantage they have is the absence of a chain which requires constant oiling and adjustment.  I love older British and American motorcycles but I'm not exactly young myself.  As you get older reliability becomes a huge deal.  I have pushed many bikes over he years and it doesn't exactly thrill me any more.

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.