Busy Little Shop
Man behaving bikely...
Part 1
1963... It all started with a set of mini bike plans from the back of
Popular Mechanics...
1964... You never forget your real first motorcycle ride and neither
do I... mine began on friends step through Honda 50... I got on the
saddle... I opened the twist the grip and took off and immediacy
stopped thinking... I was frozen on the controls heading straight for
a wire fence... the fence didn't end it... thanks to back wheel
digging in the front tire began a steady climb up the fence... I was
so impressed with the amount of driving force that I did the one thing
I knew would stop it... I lifted the rear wheel off ground... as the
engine raced and with the back tire spinning madly did I remember what
the throttle was for... OK this is not as easy as it looks... sorry no
pic...
1965... First bike I purchased was a Honda C 200 a iron barrel push
rod 90... it lasted two weeks before I traded it in on a Honda S90 at
Bar-B Marina...
1965... First new bike was a Honda S-90... I'd wake up in the morning
and just ride... anywhere was good... across the Bay Bridge it didn't
matter... just racing at 60 mph was enough of a challenge out of
8HP... it helped to have a tail wind...
I'm being honest... when I'm on a bike and it don't feel right to
me... I stop thinking about riding and start thinking about a
solution... and thats been true since 1967 when I inadvertently spun a
donut in the dirt on my Honda S90... I thought there was something
wrong because it had never done that before... I stopped riding and
disassemble the whole bike looking for clues... only after the engine
was on the ground that it finally struck my mind that maybe sliding
was something to be played with... I assembled the whole mess back
together and so began my love affair for donuts and dirt...
1966... Honda CL160... wow real power for two up riding and romance...
in fact Mary and I first kiss happened on a ride...
1967... After we got married and moved to San Bernardino... Mary felt
daring enough to take pics of my CL160 as it jumped over her...
First competition was a USAF sponsored gymnkana or skills test... I
was surprised to take 4 of the 5 trophies... I'm never 100% happy with
my riding skills...
I thought the Honda CL160 was a dirt bike... it was good on jumps but
poor on landings... taking 3 bounces to settled down...
1969... Busy Little Shop #1 was the living room in our first
cottage... our Land Lady wasn't happy with bike parts inside her spot
less rental... so I used the lamp shade over the frame trick to hide
the fact I was building a motorcycle... never the less she swore I
was a member of the Hells Angel...
1970... Kawasaki 350 BigHorn... I was asked to perform movie stunt
work for a Air Force Now film but after my wheelie crash the USAF
enlistment board denied my request for enlistment based on their
initial perception that I had "no personal concern for my safety"...
My film director had to set the record straight...
1972... CR 250 Husqvarna that I raced in the CRC SoCal Motocross and
enjoyed the sandy beaches of Ensenada Mexico...
...
Busy Little Shop #2 was in the spare bedroom of our Land Lady's second
rental... she never gave up the notion that I would move the bike
outside and make room for kids inside... little did she understand
that some of us like motorcycles better...
1976... WR250 Husqvarna... my version of a street legal dirt bike...
1963... It all started with a set of mini bike plans from the back of
Popular Mechanics...
1964... You never forget your real first motorcycle ride and neither
do I... mine began on friends step through Honda 50... I got on the
saddle... I opened the twist the grip and took off and immediacy
stopped thinking... I was frozen on the controls heading straight for
a wire fence... the fence didn't end it... thanks to back wheel
digging in the front tire began a steady climb up the fence... I was
so impressed with the amount of driving force that I did the one thing
I knew would stop it... I lifted the rear wheel off ground... as the
engine raced and with the back tire spinning madly did I remember what
the throttle was for... OK this is not as easy as it looks... sorry no
pic...
1965... First bike I purchased was a Honda C 200 a iron barrel push
rod 90... it lasted two weeks before I traded it in on a Honda S90 at
Bar-B Marina...
1965... First new bike was a Honda S-90... I'd wake up in the morning
and just ride... anywhere was good... across the Bay Bridge it didn't
matter... just racing at 60 mph was enough of a challenge out of
8HP... it helped to have a tail wind...
I'm being honest... when I'm on a bike and it don't feel right to
me... I stop thinking about riding and start thinking about a
solution... and thats been true since 1967 when I inadvertently spun a
donut in the dirt on my Honda S90... I thought there was something
wrong because it had never done that before... I stopped riding and
disassemble the whole bike looking for clues... only after the engine
was on the ground that it finally struck my mind that maybe sliding
was something to be played with... I assembled the whole mess back
together and so began my love affair for donuts and dirt...
1966... Honda CL160... wow real power for two up riding and romance...
in fact Mary and I first kiss happened on a ride...
1967... After we got married and moved to San Bernardino... Mary felt
daring enough to take pics of my CL160 as it jumped over her...
First competition was a USAF sponsored gymnkana or skills test... I
was surprised to take 4 of the 5 trophies... I'm never 100% happy with
my riding skills...
I thought the Honda CL160 was a dirt bike... it was good on jumps but
poor on landings... taking 3 bounces to settled down...
1969... Busy Little Shop #1 was the living room in our first
cottage... our Land Lady wasn't happy with bike parts inside her spot
less rental... so I used the lamp shade over the frame trick to hide
the fact I was building a motorcycle... never the less she swore I
was a member of the Hells Angel...
1970... Kawasaki 350 BigHorn... I was asked to perform movie stunt
work for a Air Force Now film but after my wheelie crash the USAF
enlistment board denied my request for enlistment based on their
initial perception that I had "no personal concern for my safety"...
My film director had to set the record straight...
1972... CR 250 Husqvarna that I raced in the CRC SoCal Motocross and
enjoyed the sandy beaches of Ensenada Mexico...
Busy Little Shop #2 was in the spare bedroom of our Land Lady's second
rental... she never gave up the notion that I would move the bike
outside and make room for kids inside... little did she understand
that some of us like motorcycles better...
1976... WR250 Husqvarna... my version of a street legal dirt bike...
arty and congratulations on a life well lived.:thumbup
