MARCH 2014 - DO THE TON BIKE OF THE MONTH - VOTE!
- Thread starter Tim
- Start date
stroker crazy
crazy as a fox
I never thought I'd vote for a chopper!
At least it's a Yamaha.
Original ideas, quality construction: does it for me!
Crazy
At least it's a Yamaha.
Original ideas, quality construction: does it for me!
Crazy
stroker crazy
crazy as a fox
DreadRock said:
Agreed!
Crazy
mAd mOrdigan
Been Around the Block
damn I need to Revisit this in a day or two I'm torn!!
reflexsilver
New Member
Voted. Tough decision for sure!
Hoosier Daddy
Earache my eye...
Done...
So I picked up the R60/5 out of a dilapidated house down the road from here a little way. Story goes like this:
There was an older gentleman that opened up the first Suzuki dealership in the southeast here sometime in the late 60's and early 70s. He ran the dealership there for years and then started doing repairs. Over the years you saw piles and piles of motorcycles start accumulating on the property. Old ones, crusty ones, nice ones, roached ones. I went several times over the years to try and look at the motorcycles, but the guy wouldn't have it. Later in his life he changed his business to a small engine repair shop and did mostly lawn and garden equipment, and the bikes just sat and rotted. The old guy who owned the place died about two years ago, and the son inherited the property and continued the small engine business. Just so happens that Thomas, who is a member here and who many of you have met at Barber's knew the son and stopped in one day to ask him about the motorcycles. He agreed. In talking to the son, he told us that his father had owned that property since the 1940s and it was his place of residence. He built his shop on the property and continued to stay in business doing one thing or another on that property for the rest of his life. Turns out the original house that he lived in was still there. More on that shortly. The son informed us that "he had taken all of the good bikes home with him to save them". No telling what he has in that part of the collection. He allowed us to tool around the property, and we found lots of rusting away gold stashed here and there including a bunch of z50 monkeys, some CB750s, parts and pieces galore. I climbed through the window in the old farm house, and there sinking into the floor of what was once the living room of the house was this BMW. I immediately knew what it was because my friend Phillip Howard owns almost the exact same bike. The son informed me that his father had bought this bike to part out and use to keep other ones running, and he had forgotten about it. It had sat in the house since the early 80s. He had forgotten about it, too. $400 later and I was busting the front door open on the house, getting stung by hornets, and physically having to carry the old girl out of the house and onto the trailer. But there she was as you have seen in the old pictures. Turns out, this is one of 3 BMW toasters imported directly to Alabama during the 70s, and is 3 numbers off on the VIN as my friend Phil. Mine was originally blue, his was white, and there was an orange one that we have no idea what happened to. It had to be restored, so that is what I did. Every nut and bolt, every piece of metal was restored by me. No outsourcing. The engine was stuck and full of water, so a 750 top end and later model R80 heads were fitted. New electrics, powder, paint, the works. The toaster side panels are all original, as is the chrome side panels, all of the chrome for hardware, etc. In fact, the only replaced chrome parts were the handlebars, exhaust, and shocks. It was a labor of love and I love this bike. It's a keeper, and it spawned my love of BMW boxers to a deeper level than I had for them before I owned one.
There was an older gentleman that opened up the first Suzuki dealership in the southeast here sometime in the late 60's and early 70s. He ran the dealership there for years and then started doing repairs. Over the years you saw piles and piles of motorcycles start accumulating on the property. Old ones, crusty ones, nice ones, roached ones. I went several times over the years to try and look at the motorcycles, but the guy wouldn't have it. Later in his life he changed his business to a small engine repair shop and did mostly lawn and garden equipment, and the bikes just sat and rotted. The old guy who owned the place died about two years ago, and the son inherited the property and continued the small engine business. Just so happens that Thomas, who is a member here and who many of you have met at Barber's knew the son and stopped in one day to ask him about the motorcycles. He agreed. In talking to the son, he told us that his father had owned that property since the 1940s and it was his place of residence. He built his shop on the property and continued to stay in business doing one thing or another on that property for the rest of his life. Turns out the original house that he lived in was still there. More on that shortly. The son informed us that "he had taken all of the good bikes home with him to save them". No telling what he has in that part of the collection. He allowed us to tool around the property, and we found lots of rusting away gold stashed here and there including a bunch of z50 monkeys, some CB750s, parts and pieces galore. I climbed through the window in the old farm house, and there sinking into the floor of what was once the living room of the house was this BMW. I immediately knew what it was because my friend Phillip Howard owns almost the exact same bike. The son informed me that his father had bought this bike to part out and use to keep other ones running, and he had forgotten about it. It had sat in the house since the early 80s. He had forgotten about it, too. $400 later and I was busting the front door open on the house, getting stung by hornets, and physically having to carry the old girl out of the house and onto the trailer. But there she was as you have seen in the old pictures. Turns out, this is one of 3 BMW toasters imported directly to Alabama during the 70s, and is 3 numbers off on the VIN as my friend Phil. Mine was originally blue, his was white, and there was an orange one that we have no idea what happened to. It had to be restored, so that is what I did. Every nut and bolt, every piece of metal was restored by me. No outsourcing. The engine was stuck and full of water, so a 750 top end and later model R80 heads were fitted. New electrics, powder, paint, the works. The toaster side panels are all original, as is the chrome side panels, all of the chrome for hardware, etc. In fact, the only replaced chrome parts were the handlebars, exhaust, and shocks. It was a labor of love and I love this bike. It's a keeper, and it spawned my love of BMW boxers to a deeper level than I had for them before I owned one.
I've had the pleasure of seeing Kileys Beemer in person, sitting on it making vroom vroom noises, and wiping my drool off the tank.
This bike looks like it just left the assembly line.
All three bikes this month are awesome transformations from their starting points. And when I can't decide, I usually vote for 2stroke and/or Yamaha. But I gotta go with the one I nominated. So the sauerkraut burner gets my vote this month
This bike looks like it just left the assembly line.
All three bikes this month are awesome transformations from their starting points. And when I can't decide, I usually vote for 2stroke and/or Yamaha. But I gotta go with the one I nominated. So the sauerkraut burner gets my vote this month
haircuttergirl
Over 1,000 Posts
Completely off topic... I just noticed all your signatures. I love it.Drewski said:
biker_reject
Over 1,000 Posts
Voted! Killer bikes all, but there is no contest! ;-)
