Ludicrous Speed
Registered
Here is a copy from my FB
I was able to do something this weekend, to give back just a very small part of what my father has given to me my whole life. To make a long story short:
When I was little, around 6 or 7 years old, my Dad bought a motorcycle. The engine came in two convienent boxes, and Dad fixed the broken parts and re-assembled it. I recall going to Woolworths and picking out my very own, blue, bowling-ball helmet so I could ride with dad. When we moved up here in 79, the moving company refused to move the motorcycle, and Dad was forced to sell it. He has always said "I'd love to find another".
...
Well, in August, I went with two friends to look at another guys motorcycle collection and he had two of these motorcycles, one which was identical to the one Dad had. After a short discussion, he agreed to sell it to me, to give to my father. Danielle and I went back a month later with a trailer and picked it up, and brought it home. I spent the last three weeks cleaning and working on it, trying to get it running again, without much luck.
I had decided to enter it in a local car show, and surprise dad with it. The monday before the car show I had resigned to giving him a clean, but non-running bike.... Tuesday morning, I went out and fiddled with it some more, and was using the kick starter to turn the engine over when it started! I took it for a quick, two mile ride, and brought it back to finish cleaning it for the upcoming car show.
Fast forward to saturday.... There were two car shows going on in town at the same time... I went by the first one, and there were not many cars there. That would not do for what I was planning. I went on to the second show, and it was packed! The only problem was that all the motorcycles were parked directly in front of the entrance to the show. I did not want Dad to see it that easily, so I parked it down on the end of the row, next to his neighbor's car. When my wife got off of work, she was to go and pick he and my Mom up and bring them to the show. After we finally got Dad to stop talking to everyone and got him walking down the row of cars, he spotted it! He ran over to it, clicking pictures saying "There it is!" Beth and I looked at each other, wondering if someone screwed up and told him about it.... Then he walked to the other side of the bike, where the identification tag was at. I asked him "Isn't this like your old bike??" He said "Yes, exactly like it, same color even! Look! It says 1968 BSA Starfire..." Dads mouth dropped open and his jaw opened and closed a few times..... He said nothing for about ten seconds, trying to absorb the fact that I had his name on the paper as the owner! I finally broke it to him that it was his!!!!!!! I thik Dad had tears in his eyes at that point, lol
That was when I realized that about 50 people had heard the story about the bike, and what I was doing, and had followed us through the show, and they started clapping......LOL...... I could not have had it work out any better, and thank you to all of those involved, you know who you are!!!!!
Pic at the show, waiting to be "found". It is 44 years old, and never been restored!
My Dad!
Me talking to the group asking questions
I was able to do something this weekend, to give back just a very small part of what my father has given to me my whole life. To make a long story short:
When I was little, around 6 or 7 years old, my Dad bought a motorcycle. The engine came in two convienent boxes, and Dad fixed the broken parts and re-assembled it. I recall going to Woolworths and picking out my very own, blue, bowling-ball helmet so I could ride with dad. When we moved up here in 79, the moving company refused to move the motorcycle, and Dad was forced to sell it. He has always said "I'd love to find another".
...
Well, in August, I went with two friends to look at another guys motorcycle collection and he had two of these motorcycles, one which was identical to the one Dad had. After a short discussion, he agreed to sell it to me, to give to my father. Danielle and I went back a month later with a trailer and picked it up, and brought it home. I spent the last three weeks cleaning and working on it, trying to get it running again, without much luck.
I had decided to enter it in a local car show, and surprise dad with it. The monday before the car show I had resigned to giving him a clean, but non-running bike.... Tuesday morning, I went out and fiddled with it some more, and was using the kick starter to turn the engine over when it started! I took it for a quick, two mile ride, and brought it back to finish cleaning it for the upcoming car show.
Fast forward to saturday.... There were two car shows going on in town at the same time... I went by the first one, and there were not many cars there. That would not do for what I was planning. I went on to the second show, and it was packed! The only problem was that all the motorcycles were parked directly in front of the entrance to the show. I did not want Dad to see it that easily, so I parked it down on the end of the row, next to his neighbor's car. When my wife got off of work, she was to go and pick he and my Mom up and bring them to the show. After we finally got Dad to stop talking to everyone and got him walking down the row of cars, he spotted it! He ran over to it, clicking pictures saying "There it is!" Beth and I looked at each other, wondering if someone screwed up and told him about it.... Then he walked to the other side of the bike, where the identification tag was at. I asked him "Isn't this like your old bike??" He said "Yes, exactly like it, same color even! Look! It says 1968 BSA Starfire..." Dads mouth dropped open and his jaw opened and closed a few times..... He said nothing for about ten seconds, trying to absorb the fact that I had his name on the paper as the owner! I finally broke it to him that it was his!!!!!!! I thik Dad had tears in his eyes at that point, lol
That was when I realized that about 50 people had heard the story about the bike, and what I was doing, and had followed us through the show, and they started clapping......LOL...... I could not have had it work out any better, and thank you to all of those involved, you know who you are!!!!!
Pic at the show, waiting to be "found". It is 44 years old, and never been restored!
My Dad!
Me talking to the group asking questions
