Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[lilabner]

Last bike I had, a real sweetheart..Last picture is during a hurricane. I had to put our Porsche and horse in the garage. We had double doors that opened into the family room. Horse could stick his head in.

[jackiewilson]

Story of my life, while you guys had Kawasaki 500's, 750's 900's and 1000's I had a Kawasaki S2 350 Triple - looked much like the 500 & 750 but much less $$'s for a young cheap guy in university. Guess that's also why my racing was in SE class - looked like the big guys but much less $$'s as well !!

Know exactly how you felt—— I had five kids and a wife and a living to make——Fifty Merc was the only way to go for me—— reliable—- almost no maintenance—— I could do all three heats for under a tenners worth of gas!!
Charlie Shepard gave me a Bristol Hull and a 55 Carniti ——- I said ok, if he would keep the motor running for free. Bloody good job I did——- all the time it kept running I usually won—— but the mortality rate was horrendous!
Arthur Brown used to let me drive his 100 hp Merc most weekends——- Then Don Ross would share his big motor——- that was the only way I could ever go racing against the big boys!

[jackiewilson]

Last bike I had, a real sweetheart..Last picture is during a hurricane. I had to put our Porsche and horse in the garage. We had double doors that opened into the family room. Horse could stick his head in.

Theres just something about an Italian motorcycle that defies definition——MV Augusta—— Ducati—- MOTO GUZZI ——-Benelli———- all of them were over engineered—— but beautiful! There are motorcycles and then there are “Italian motorcycles” !!!

To my everlasting regret—— I never owned one.
I did own a few Italian cars—— First was a Lancia Aprillia ——- years ahead of its time!
Missed owning a 1932 Alfa Romeo Zagato drophead by £20 ?
Tanfield Garage wanted £20 and my 1938 MG TC to clinch the deal——- on closer inspection I found the block had been welded back together after the pistons had ceased to travel either up or down!

[lilabner]

Theres just something about an Italian motorcycle that defies definition——MV Augusta—— Ducati—- MOTO GUZZI ——-Benelli———- all of them were over engineered—— but beautiful! There are motorcycles and then there are “Italian motorcycles” !!!

To my everlasting regret—— I never owned one.
I did own a few Italian cars—— First was a Lancia Aprillia ——- years ahead of its time!
Missed owning a 1932 Alfa Romeo Zagato drophead by £20 ?
Tanfield Garage wanted £20 and my 1938 MG TC to clinch the deal——- on closer inspection I found the block had been welded back together after the pistons had ceased to travel either up or down!

True words.. I had a friend over the other day, before this virus bit hit, he was looking in our trophy cabinet and saw the boat you made for me. He loved it. Said the guy that made it had some real talent. I said yes he did, also a damn good race boat driver. He loved the motor and the fixture that the boat is in too.. one of my special treasures..
My Benelli wasn’t real fast, but nobody around here knew that. The six into one super trap made a lovely sound at 8500-9000..Bike was a pleasure to ride and, like you said, beautiful and Italian..
Thank you again my friend..

[jackiewilson]

True words.. I had a friend over the other day, before this virus bit hit, he was looking in our trophy cabinet and saw the boat you made for me. He loved it. Said the guy that made it had some real talent. I said yes he did, also a damn good race boat driver. He loved the motor and the fixture that the boat is in too.. one of my special treasures..
My Benelli wasn’t real fast, but nobody around here knew that. The six into one super trap made a lovely sound at 8500-9000..Bike was a pleasure to ride and, like you said, beautiful and Italian..
Thank you again my friend..

One of the beauties of being an old fart is the fact we’ve “Been There—- done that—- made one of those—— raced there —- in that”—— We are a quite unique breed of individuals—— same as lots of others, but not!!!
Twas a case of having to—— it wasn’t written in stone—- it’s what we simply had to do.
Call it what you like—- pride—- self respect—respect for others—— we never questioned it—- it was inbuilt—- it’s simply what we did!
Cant remember the concept I made you, but if you post a picture, then I’ll remember both you and the piece!
Punching way above my weight at the minute—— don’t know if I’m trying to find my limitations or what? Working on a pair of 1907/8 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost’s !
First is the ”PEARL OF THE EAST”. made for an Indian Maharaja—— one of the wealthiest men in the world ——- with all the trimmings——- Purdey Rifles—— Finnigan Luggage + every conceivable extra imaginable!
Im trying to make everything, that’s within my capabilities!

Second is John Paul Getty’s Special RR made for a gold mining expedition and named “THE KLONDIKE “
This had extra large fuel tanks—— huge tool boxes, twin spare wheels——Problem is, there are no pictures of this anywhere—— but I’ve got a fairly active imagination so I’ll get over it.

It usually takes me five weeks to finish a roller——- I’m into the third month with this pair—- but I’ve got ambition—- should get them done by the end of April !

[jackiewilson]

This is the John Paul Getty’s Roller—- needs upholstering ——gear shift and spare wheels then I’m alwost there!!!

[FUJIMO]

Had a friend that owned the same Benelli & restored the bike & engine. Could find next to nothing for the engine & remember it was an extreme challenge for him, parts wise, but in the end accomplished the task. Had to make his own gaskets, overbored with different type pistons, etc., etc. Beautiful bike when finished.

[FUJIMO]

[GENE LANHAM]

My last big bike--

Had to sell it to pay for airplane parts--

Uhhh- one airplane part------

[Lake X Kid]

[Lake X Kid]

Jackie's bike.

Post# 11979.

[jackiewilson]

Now that’s really interesting——- looks like Liege to me !
Its certainly me at the start—- Colonel Peter Tojero—— Venezuelan Naval attaché had just gifted me the “New” Bell Helmet! Wilf Gregory was running rings round everyone in the little short SHAKESPEARE—— hit the wall coming in to change drivers. Garbrecht bought the boat and shipped it back to the states—— lock, stock and busted front end!

[jackiewilson]

Mark and Me collecting the new Molinari—— very first Molinari to come into the UK.
We dined at the Molinari table for lunch that day—— Renato made the pasta from scratch—— he’ s the one in the middle!
Never realised at that time the impact the Molinari would have on the boat racing world!

[Lake X Kid]

Staying on the motorcycle theme, there were two bikes that made an impression on me.

The BMW touring bikes, with their opposed cylinders. BMW riders seemed to me to be a little different, then the general bike rider. I just thought they had a sophistication about them, sort of like a professional businessman riding a motorcycle.

Then I saw in the states, the arrival of Honda's Gold Wing. And the popularity took off, in large part to the dependability of the Honda engine. Harley's and their riders could still be seen stranded on the side of the road, in the 1970s. Gold Wing took a big chunk of the market away from Harley Davidson then.

I remember the first car dealer in town, who had new Honda cars on his car lot. And the first model on the lot, supposedly had a 750cc Honda (motorcycle) engine.

In the 1970s the majority of USA motorcycle riders were on Harley or the Japanese brands. The Harley guys seemed to be in 3 main groupings. The Sportster guys, the Chopper dudes with stretch forks and eye-catching paint schemes, and then the Full Dressers. The Full Dressers usually cruise in a group together, with their wives/girlfriends riding piggyback.

Lake X Kid on David's Harley, at the Glendale Harley toy run for kids.

[Lake X Kid]