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December 1998
Vintage World The last time I got around to writing this column, I wrote about the sickness associated with vintage racing and how this sickness was growing in me. Harry, my role model in the world of vintage racing, has not been helping me at all. He has been calling me with bikes to buy; making my every waking moment consumed with buying more bikes and parts. I wish I spent, as much time working out as I have looking at old beat-up bikes, I’d be a whole lot faster.I dragged Jay and his son Eric down to Hollister Hills SRVA for the vintage national as an excuse to buy another bike. The closest I got to buying one was the picture Jay took of me test riding a 400 Maico. The guy wanted more than I was willing to pay for a bike he put together from parts; it looked great – but the parts did not seem to work well together.
Everyone laughed when I said I did not want the bike due to its not having brakes, clutch, and not liking third gear. Maicos do not stop well, clutch well, and can be hard to shift. This bike though had no clutch, it felt like the brake shoes were missing, and needed to be kicked into third. I did hear the guy sold the bike for $500 more than he would have sold it to me for. I was bummed to see how commercial the National had become. There are still many guys who come with parts/bikes to sell and trade, but many more people are doing this JUST for money than ever before. The prices were high and far too many used car salesmen were there. I haven't been in such a pressure situation since the last time I walked into a car dealership holding my checkbook. Maybe I just miss $500 bikes…
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