-BoRn FReE3-

I won't ever make it to the show and collect "my Knucklehead"

but just couldn't pass up this nice piece of artwork

-1937 OK-SuPReMe 245cC-

-CroCkEr SpeEDwAy MoTOrcYcLe-

One of the finest original Crocker Speedway Motorcycles still in existence. Formerly owned by Stan Dishing. Still equiped w/ the very rare Crocker carburator. One of only few ever built.

-NOS 1956 HD KR DiRt tRaCk RaCEr-

NOS museum quality factory fresh, unraced HD KR.

This racer has only been started a handful of times in its life and never been raced...

H&H Cycle of Willoughby Ohio, 1956

-#2-

-F.U.-

-TriUmPH "PiTty TiNk"-

This triumph is a replica of the flat track bike 'Pitty Tink' out of Jim Ott Motorcycles. 

Arnold Jean and Jerry Anderson built the original Pitty Tink in 1957 and Jerry Anderson built this this replica 50 years later. 

In 1957-1958 Jerry rode on three tracks in Arizona. Tucson Speedway3/8 mile, Manzanita1/2 and 1/4 mile, and Globe/Miami 1/4 mile for Jim Ott Motorcycles. In1958 the bike was ridden by Anderson to win the Arizona State Flat Track Championship. Also in 1958, it was ridden by National #41 Pat McHenry in Peoria AMA National TT Race.

-HoNdA-

TheAcidSweatLodge

-MaTcHLesS-

via motArt

-1959 HD KR fLaT TrAcKEr-

It’s every collector’s dream: finding an undiscovered gem in the rough.

Al Bergstrom did just that when he picked up this Harley-Davidson KR750.

 The story began when a friend called with a tip about a KR750 racebike sitting in a Honda shop in Los Angeles. The bike had been taken as a trade-in on a Honda trike, of all things. The asking price was $3,500.

Bergstrom and his son drove from their home in the San Francisco Bay area to L.A. and bought the bike, which came with a large envelope full of papers that Bergstrom read on the drive home. One of those papers included a phone number for former flat-track racer Marshall “Digger” Helm.

Helm “about jumped through the phone” when he learned that his old race bike had been located, Bergstrom recalls. But what he told Bergstrom next made the bike a lot more unique and valuable.

In 1962, Helm was traveling with three-time AMA Grand National Champion Joe Leonard. It was the last year Leonard raced bikes before moving on to cars.

At the end of the season, Helm bought Leonard’s bike from Monte’s Harley-Davidson of Fresno, the dealership that had sponsored Leonard.

In other words, the motorcycle Bergstrom had purchased wasn’t just raced by Helm—it was also the last motorcycle raced by a dirt-track legend.

Realizing what he had, Bergstrom contacted Marsh Runyon, who tuned Leonard’s bikes from 1959 through ’62. He asked Runyon to restore it to the condition it was in when Leonard competed on it.

“I worked on it when it was fresh and new, and then I was able to put it back to the way Joe rode it, which was pretty neat,” says Runyon.

The result is a perfect period piece, preserved just as it was raced in ’62, right down to the hundreds of holes drilled in every possible part to shave critical ounces.

The KR was Harley’s dirt-track and road-racing weapon for nearly two decades. Introduced in 1953, it replaced the WR racebike line. From 1954, when Leonard won his first title, through ’62, KR Harleys won the Grand National Championship every year.

via motorcyclemuseum.org

-CoLLeCtiVe-

-1952 K by ShIx-mc-

-1948 HD WR DiRt TrACk RaCEr-

In 1941 HD unleashed the WR, "W" stood for 45 cubic inches and "R" for racing.

This WR Dirt Track racer was piloted by the legendary Al Knapp when he won the Amateur National Championships in 1952. Al won 56 meets that year, and was regarded as the Midwest's leading Amateur. Al turned expert in 1953 and raced against and with the 'new' KR models on this bike.

When it was last raced in the Vintage series it continued to win holding the Iowa Amatuer Hand Shift 1st place trophies from 1994 to '96.

Trade mark Al Knapp period modifications including drilled holes everywhere, Peashooter front forks and Schwinn handlebars.

-fLaT-

-ThE LegENdArY 1974 DUcAtI 750 SS-

The legendary 1974 750 SS Green Frame round case is perhaps the most sought after production Ducati. The year after its production run, Ducati introduced the 860 square case, in GT and GTE form, to be their superbike standard bearer and to completely replace the 750. As so often happens with the Italians, things did not go exactly as planned. Because of the displacement limits on racing classes in some markets, distributors still wanted 750 or 900cc bikes depending on their national rules. 

Ducati launched the 860 series as planned, but in April and May 1975, the firm built approximately 495 750 and 900 Super Sport models, primarily for Australia, Canada, Italy and South Africa. These blended the rounded styling cues of the green frame 750SS with the stouter bottom end and angular cases of the 860 topped with the original bevel-drive desmodromic head. Unlike the 860, these were based on the earlier 750 frame, and were built without regard for the emissions and noise restrictions then coming into vogue. Obviously these 750SSs were an enthusiast's dream. When you combined these features with beautiful styling, including a single seat, rear set pegs, clip-on bars, a half fairing and twin disc brakes, it was obvious Ducati had created a masterpiece. Ducati guru, Ian Falloon described these limited edition SSs as, "...one of the finest of all Ducati production motorcycles", and backed his claim by riding one.

This example lived much of its life in Australia, where it was restored by a former Ducati technician from Bologna, then resident down under. It was then sold on Ebay to America, arriving in early 2002. The consigner has cherished it, and the odometer shows less than 100 miles since the restoration. It has the correct silver and blue paint scheme and decals. The Borrani Record aluminum rims have a beautiful aged polished patina. The bike retains its original right hand shift and folding starting crank. Triple clamps and lower forks show the original black mottled finish. The shapely Conti mufflers and dual front disc brakes complete the authentic look of this Italian masterpiece, which is a step beyond the Green Frame. 

Estimate: $45,000 - 50,000  

Spotted these two on a swapmeet couple of years ago :

-1948 HD WR-

Owned and raced by Bob "Bullitt" Shirey, Bob raced this bike and travelled with his long time best pal, Kenny Eggers, to many of the old race tracks around the country including Springfield & Del Mar, where he placed 4th in 1949. At the Carrel Speedway, he was very proud of three first-place finishes in a row. He also placed first at the Porterville Speedbowl. After retiring from the racing circuit he enjoyed restoring the bike and taking it to numerous shows. Both Bob and his bike were honored at Del Mar in 1995 where he also took a 1st at the Concours Show.

Pic by Jerry Garns

-1970 HaRLeY dAvIDsOn XR 750-

1970 was the first-year production for the "Iron XR", manufactured to meet racing criteria and rules according to the AMA at the time. Only 200 were assembled. Then the HD racing department realized after a few races the frames needed modification and the steel top end was heavy and extremely hot. HD decided the XR was not race worthy and disassembled and destroyed the frames on 80% of them.

Rumor has it that this survivor bike was turned over to Evel Knievel, who used it for pre-show exhibition and display. The builder for Evel at the time performed the modifications of the stock HD rear brakes. 

-Ironhead project part #7 : PrEvIEw SprINgErStRutS & fEnDEr-