What's new

LRH's motorcycle on Craigslist for $600K

LA SCN

NOT drinking the kool-aid
When I had my choice of a Le Mans Healy or the '57- I ( barf ) took the 6 cylinder.
it was pretty with primrose over black side panels. The little back seat was a RIOT.
Stock, it was good for 104 MPH, period - which meant damn near anything American was much faster.
It was quick starting, smooth running EXCEPT when the SU's decided to go out of sync - there went a whole day fiddling with 'em.

Wasn't my car, I didn't agree with project, but, I had my hands on putting a 455 Buick motor in a Bug Eyed Sprite.
It ended up a sort of odd drag car because it handled so badly ( as predicted ) and short on brakes ( as predicted ).

Holy Shite!!:omg::biggrin:

I did run my TR3 from Nogales to Tucson at 105 mph once (and ONLY once - 60 miles of loud mechanical dissonance) while inebriated on Spanada...:duh::whistling::yes:
 

F.Bullbait

Oh, a wise guy,eh?
I worked on a number of English sports cars in the '60s & 70's. Nice to look at but typically lousy in design and quality.

When the wife wanted a sports car, got her a 1990 Mazda Miata (first production year). I like the tribute to the English sports car. The Miata is a great car that has needed little work mechanically. Reportedly they spent 6 years designing it and came out with a winner.

ebay_251927402845_1_zpsinoronru.jpg



The wife likes to drive fast, even at her advanced age. It is a white knuckle experience. She isn't satisfied until she has me screaming like a little girl. :omg:
 

Leland

Crusader
Ya...I'd be embarrassed, too. :eyeroll:

When I was a kid....racing bikes in Spain on a track made by some US Navy Sea Bees in Rota.......a friend once gave me some advice:

Don't ever piss into the wind.....and don't ever ride a BSA.....

:p

But I have to admit....I've always wanted a BSA 441 Victor Special! WoW....what a bike. A Thumper.
 

afaceinthecrowd

Gold Meritorious Patron
I worked on a number of English sports cars in the '60s & 70's. Nice to look at but typically lousy in design and quality.

When the wife wanted a sports car, got her a 1990 Mazda Miata (first production year). I like the tribute to the English sports car. The Miata is a great car that has needed little work mechanically. Reportedly they spent 6 years designing it and came out with a winner.

ebay_251927402845_1_zpsinoronru.jpg



The wife likes to drive fast, even at her advanced age. It is a white knuckle experience. She isn't satisfied until she has me screaming like a little girl. :omg:

:thumbsup:

My dear departed older brother was a brilliant Automobile Master Mechanic, very talented overall mechanical technician and one Helluva sports car driver, motorcycle rider and airplane pilot. He owned a thriving precision tune shop in a very affluent urban area that worked on everything from Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, Mazerati's, Jag's, Aston Martin's, BMW's, Mercedes', etc. to the various Japanese high performance models to Classic Vintage Marques. His Hobby on-the-side was helping with the engine/transmission work for folks who were restoring Vintage airplanes and motorcycles...Anytime our elder brother was having trouble with one of the tractors, pickups or hay cutting/bailing machines on his ranch he'd go out and fix it for him.

He owned a favorite personal toy in each of his three passions...sports cars, motorcycles and airplanes. His choice for his personal sports Car was a Mazda Miata. :yes:

Face:)

EDIT PS: At the risk of sounding too "forward"...Your Mrs. sounds like my kinda gal.:blush:

EDIT PPS: When my brother was 14 years old he rebuilt a '47 Flathead V8--including hand grinding the valves--all on his own.:ohmy:
 
Last edited:

afaceinthecrowd

Gold Meritorious Patron
When I was a kid....racing bikes in Spain on a track made by some US Navy Sea Bees in Rota.......a friend once gave me some advice:

Don't ever piss into the wind.....and don't ever ride a BSA.....

:p

But I have to admit....I've always wanted a BSA 441 Victor Special! WoW....what a bike. A Thumper.

IMHO, Beezers had their own charm and--whenever you finished fixin' 'em and, for a short while, could get them running right--were a fun ride. Never owned one but took a few spins on a Goldstar 500 and Rocket 650 that belonged to some Buds.
 

Leland

Crusader
All the Navy guys that raced had Bultacos.....Matadors...and another model...I can't remember. (Aprilla ? )

I had some money saved up....and when I got there...saw a brand new Montessa Capra racing bike....so I bought it.

This was around 1971 and years before the Japanese got into building motocross bikes.

My 250cc Montessa....beat the pants off the Bultacos....for the most part. But also, I was 15 and I guess they were all in their 20s or so....and I had the throttle cranked on as much as possible...

I think all the Bultacos were a bit aged....and had been flogged a bit. My Montessa was brand new....and really a great bike.

I had so much fun...I was about 15 at the time. :)

Edited: My older brother took all those racing pics.....and he bought me the Bell Star helmet too.....
 

afaceinthecrowd

Gold Meritorious Patron
All the Navy guys that raced had Bultacos.....Matadors...and another model...I can't remember.

I had some money saved up....and when I got there...saw a brand new Montessa Capra racing bike....so I bought it.

This was around 1971 and years before the Japanese got into building motocross bikes.

My 250cc Montessa....beat the pants off the Bultacos....for the most part. But also, I was 15 and I guess they were all in their 20s or so....and I had the throttle cranked on as much as possible...

I had so much fun...I was about 15 at the time. :)

Luv it! :dieslaughing:

EDIT PS: Never rode a Montessa...IIRC, the Montessa's were the rarely contested King of the Hill until the 2nd Generation Kawasaki Bighorn's and Yamaha RT's hit the market.
 
Last edited:

Leland

Crusader
I think all the Navy guys were carrying a bit of extra weight.....

I can't believe how rake thin I am in those pics....

Once my brother and I took the bike up to Seville and I tried to enter a real Spanish Motorcross race....with professionals....but it turned out, I need some special license....and or I was considered too young.

As it happened, one of the Spanish racers was having problems with his bike....pre-race....and couldn't get it fixed...so he asked if he could borrow mine.

I said yes...and he jumped on to try it out. He was astonished that the brakes weren't up to par...and immediately started to give directions to his mechanics to fix it right away....which he did.

The track was amazing....carved out of the side of a mountain....and had a huge downward plunge at one point...

This was serious business to these racers...it was some pro circuit race.
 

Leland

Crusader
Luv it! :dieslaughing:

EDIT PS: Never rode a Montessa...IIRC, the Montessa's were the rarely contested King of the Hill until the Kawasaki Bighorn hit the market.

Don't know the exact time line....but after the Spanish bikes...Bultaco and Montessa......the Eastern European bikes were big...Maico, CZ.....and the Swedish? bike....Husquvarna.

That's another bike I've always wanted....a Husky....WoW, what a bike.

Husquavarna made a 350cc Desert Racer with a 6 speed gearbox.....I lusted after that one....and the big 400cc ones...

Both Husky and Maico were big in the 400cc Class. Love the look of the Maico's with those radial fins....and angular gas tank.

Yea, then Kawasaki hit the market......Their famous lime green colors...

Then it all went to water cooled .....Then mono shocks....

I raced a time or two, when I got back to the States....but by then, my bike needed a rebuild...and was out dated.
 

afaceinthecrowd

Gold Meritorious Patron
I think all the Navy guys were carrying a bit of extra weight.....

I can't believe how rake thin I am in those pics....

Once my brother and I took the bike up to Seville and I tried to enter a real Spanish Motorcross race....with professionals....but it turned out, I need some special license....and or I was considered too young.

As it happened, one of the Spanish racers was having problems with his bike....pre-race....and couldn't get it fixed...so he asked if he could borrow mine.

I said yes...and he jumped on to try it out. He was astonished that the brakes weren't up to par...and immediately started to give directions to his mechanics to fix it right away....which he did.

The track was amazing....carved out of the side of a mountain....and had a huge downward plunge at one point...

This was serious business to these racers...it was some pro circuit race.




Yeah, me neither myself personally. :biggrin:

Great Story. :thumbsup:
 
Last edited:

afaceinthecrowd

Gold Meritorious Patron
Don't know the exact time line....but after the Spanish bikes...Bultaco and Montessa......the Eastern European bikes were big...Maico, CZ.....and the Swedish? bike....Husquvarna.

That's another bike I've always wanted....a Husky....WoW, what a bike.

Husquavarna made a 350cc Desert Racer with a 6 speed gearbox.....I lusted after that one....and the big 400cc ones...

Both Husky and Maico were big in the 400cc Class. Love the look of the Maico's with those radial fins....and angular gas tank.

Yea, then Kawasaki hit the market......Their famous lime green colors...

Then it all went to water cooled .....Then mono shocks....

I raced a time or two, when I got back to the States....but by then, my bike needed a rebuild...and was out dated.

Husky's were Real Beasts.:yes:

Edit: I could never figure out just WTF was up with all the goofy colors and color schemes Japanese cars and especially bikes had back then. Many moons later I made my first of 11 trips to Japan and I Grok'd it.:hysterical:
 
Last edited:
Top