top o da world

Bullit McQueen on Flickr

Honda 125 Super Sport

Road & Track December 1961

Help a guy out, for fuck's sake.

 

                                                               Urban Myth #14
                                                              Biker Brotherhood.
This guy was broken down on the road across the street from Stash's in New London during a poker run. In the time I noticed him trying to fix his bike, over 200 "Righteous Bros" rode past him. Not one bike, not one, stopped to see if he needed a hand. We walked over, tried to push start him and finally diagnosed a loose ground wire to the frame and got it running. Why did nobody stop? Because he had a flashy jacket and that automatically meant "RICE BURNER"?
No, morons, it was a Buell, made by the holiest Harley-Davidson.
So the next time you hear somebody waxing poetically about 'The Brotherhood of the Road', tell them to shut the fuck up.

Happy Memorial Hour this Friday

May get warmer

Strange week, I have seen snow flurries at Mount Greylock to possible tornados and 80 degree temps. It has been cold so long I am shocked it is already Memorial Day weekend. My official start of Summer.

Pope Motorcycles Lucky Coin

Michael Taylor scored this cool Pope coin.

Mudville History Detectives

So I am riding my bike on an obscure back route in the Massachusetts Berkshire mountains. I see an ivy covered brick dealership with a 1930's Ford neon sign. I wheel around to take a pic. As I am pressing the shutter, an old dude pops out of the side door and says something. I couldn't hear him with my lid, so I took it off and went inside.

"Nice sign, I was just taking a picture of it", I said.
""Building has been here sine they sold Model T's. They used to drive them off of the train across the street."
"Where ya from?" asked the old Yankee.
"Manchester, CT', I replied.
"Holy Moses, I was born there in 1943, right in the Memorial Hospital."
"So was I, but in 1966."

We talked back and forth and he had some foggy details of his childhood. He said his father was Leonard Brown and was a mechanic at a place on Main Street. He came down from Vermont during the war and married a girl working at "The Aircraft", Pratt & Whitney. Says his dad got drafted in 1944. I suggested Brown's Tire/Amoco, but not the right place. It was also a bit strange that his name is Victor J. D'Aneillo.

I told him I would stop by the Historical Society and check the town directory for 1943.

I rode over today, but they didn't have the directories I needed. They were in the archives, located in the former Lutz Museum on Cedar Street. The historians got buzzed about the story and we found a Victor Dannielo, mechanic in the 1947 book. The buzz was so strong that Dave Smith, head curator, took me over to the archives on his lunch break and gave me full access to the records.

I found that Victor A. D' Aniello was a mechanic at Vic's Service Center, 415 Main Street. There is a dance studio there now.
Leonard J. Brown worked at Main Street Service Station & Garage, 575 Main Street, across from the library where Dynamic Percussion was located.

So there seems to be a mechanic mystery between his biological father and his namesake. I also went and took pictures of the house addresses. Maybe that will spark up his memory.

 I called Marty Hansen to help the historical society out with this motorcycle picture from the early teens.

 Mr. Smith was quite helpful. He showed me a display about Manchester native Christopher Spencer inventing his famous repeating rifle. He also built a steam powered car in the 1860's. Mudville's first car!

Going to take another ride up to the Ford dealer and give Victor the photocopies of what I dug up. Hopefully he will give me a tour though the 90 years worth a junk piled up inside that vine covered castle in the Berkshires.
Manchester Historical Society

random

Burt Ives Honda selling out

Stopped by the local Honda dealer to get some nuts for the boy's Z50. Noticed the showroom devoid of motorcycles. "What's up?"
"Selling out."
Then Ken Ives Sr. gave us a tour of the old photos on the wall from when he was young and raced, The shop even had an XR750 back in the 70's. A glass framed case contained a uniform from Burt's Riders MC, hilariously similar to the Connecticut State Trooper uniform. They won best appearing club in Laconia one year.
More stories about his father, who my grandfather used to ride with occasionally. The hard times when they first opened in the 30's, fixing bikes in the day and delivering packages from the train depot at night with a servi-car. Riding the whole damn family in a sidecar rig, one son seated in front of dad, one in back on the bike, momma and two others in the sidecar.

Then a tour of the old, original service bay that was heated with a home made waste oil heater constructed of a grease barrel and a truck brake drum.

The good thing is his estranged son is buying it, he runs a successful Kawasaki dealership next town over. Their feud maybe of local legend, but I am glad the family line will continue.

Camping for a Golden Wrench

Hot Rod Riot V8 Friday Night getting better.

Minibike Throwdown 6 by Ron Agnello

Strongbox Studios