The Race of Gentlemen 2013 - October 4-5-6

Wildwood NJ Beach Racing! New location this year.

I Hate Rodents!

Notice the cool cutting tools Larry Sr. made outta these valves

A box of Hillclimb stuff I got from Jerry Franz a couple of years ago...just pulled it off the shelf to find this fuckin' mess! Some of the shredded paper was from clear across the barn! Some original 1940's boxes got shredded this time...this is WAR! POISON, GUNS, TRAPS, EXPLOSIVES whatever it takes!

'53 Servi-Car progress...Rollin'

Popped the rear on and dropped in the trans. At least now it rolls around!

Jerry Franz in 1965 with his "45"

While visiting my friend Jerry Franz a couple of weeks ago, he and I spent hours pouring through some old family albums. This is a picture of him on his 45 street bike. His dad, Larry Sr., got it out of a junk yard for $60. The keyway in the motor sprocket was wiped out so Larry Sr. welded it up, filed out a new keyway and made a new key. Jerry had a running Harley for $60!

Dirt Track...

What to do on your 50th Birthday...Drive 400 plus miles for motorcycle parts!

Jerry and I pose with the Servi-Car tanks...

Great tanks and dash! 

With the entire wiring harness hanging off it!

Springer and brake...

Frame...untouched

Stuff..

Rebuilt motor...

Trans...

Can't get enough of those tanks!

17,000 miles

The last time it was on the road...1965

Rear and stuff...

Spares...

Home and beginning assembly...

Now the wheel...

Headlight and handlebars...

Nitro tester...

What do you do on your 50th Birthday? Surprise party? Out to dinner? Vacation? Hell No!...you grab your girl, drive 400 miles and buy a trike from your old pal (and Hillclimber) Jerry Franz...what else?
Now if you follow this blog you'll remember that Jerry is a Hillclimber and the son of Larry Franz Sr. who was a National Champion Hillclimber from the 30's through the 80's. Back in 2011 Jerry sold me his dad's last H-D Hillclimb bike and all the parts and memorabilia...
Earlier this year Jerry told me that he wanted to sell me his 1953 Servi-Car basket case. I thought about it for a while and then finally said, sure... why not? I actually thought this was a project he'd gotten into within the last 10 years...I was wrong.
It turns out Jerry bought this trike from another Hillclimber, Paul Zalac, back in 1967 when he got outta the service. Jerry disassembled the trike because he had limited space to store it. He had the motor rebuilt by the guy who rebuilt his dad's hillclimb engines and never finished putting it together...fast forward 46 years...Jerry hands off the project to me. Unfortunately the box and fenders were tossed out, due to condition, back in the late 60's...I said "Jerry, how bad could they be? The trike was only 14 years old when you got it!" He said they were rotted...oh well.
Anyway, after driving 400 plus miles...we got to Jerry's place and surveyed all the goods. Kelly, Jerry and I packed up the van and Jerry's wife Diane made us a great dinner. I sat up til about midnight looking through old photo albums and listening to Jerry tell old Hillclimb stories...I could have done that all night but we decided to call it quits after about 6 hours. The next morning Jerry, Diane, Kelly and I went out to breakfast. After saying our goodbyes, Kelly and I headed out to South East Harley (see previous post) to see Larry Sr.s OHV Hillclimber that hangs from the ceiling.
I couldn't wait to get home and tear into the parts! You see, along with the trike, there were extra parts and the rest of Larry Sr.'s Hillclimb stuff...like his Nitromethane tester and boxes of other goodies...
What a great way to spend a 50th birthday!

Brookfield 2013!!!

Prepping the Knuckle for the trip...added a rear rack...

A few tools...just in case...

Loaded and ready to hit the road about 7:45AM

100 miles to go to meet up with Sam...

Arrived at Pat's in  Hawley PA about 10:30 AM...

Sam had already arrived...

Breakfast of Gentlemen...

Lunch stop at Crosstown Tavern...Helmets on for NY state...

Arrived at Flick's Tavern in Brookfield...

Frank is the owner and bar tender...

He apparently doesn't mind the addition to his sign since he leaves it...

Matt's Pan...

Blue Sport's blue Sportster...

My 47...

Bolt On and Wild Bill...

Billy and Sam...

Blue Sport and Wild Bill...

Matt and Sam..always happy to see me...

Conglomeration...

Bill and Chicklets put on an amazing dinner for the bunch...

Wild Bill profiling...

Billy's Chopper

1911 Pierce

John...I hate you...

Jim's UL in VL paint...

Billy didn't quite get it...

Not too sure what Petey was up to...

RORER...

Meanwhile back at Flick's...

Tried not to "Slam Bang"... (Flick's)

A sign in Flick's bathroom...

"Soiled"...hhhmmm...no comment...

5:30 AM tent view...

Victor never changes...

I watched him put this together at the meet...

He's been doing that for over 30 years...

Wow even outdoors...I love NY...

they've got some crazy laws up there...

The only bike I saw that was locked...

A sign at the fairgrounds

Sportster tenting...

 Prepping for a great ride home...

Desh from Morris Magneto

A bunch of Indians on display 

I'm partial to Scouts...

Back at the Crosstown Tavern for lunch on the way home...

Sam and Billy firing up...

The trip to Brookfield was fantastic! The weather, the bikes, the company all top notch. No breakdowns (although between us we had enough tools to open a shop). Met Sam in the AM in Hawley PA and headed north from there. The usual stop at the Crosstown Tavern for the best cheeseburger around and then into Hancock NY (Helmets on) and North to Brookfield. A few of our regular stops were closed but we persevered. We made it up to Flick's Tavern in Brookfield and then headed to the fairgrounds.
The folks running this meet are the best! Camping and vending are free. My friends Bill and Chicklet fed anyone who was hungry with the best ribs, potatoes and corn on the cob I've ever tasted...all from their own farm (even the ribs). As Bill says "I never eat meat that I didn't name"...it was great! A couple of the regulars were missing but there were some first timers there that I know will be back.
It's not a huge swap meet but we scored some good parts and I actually bought more stuff there then at Wauseon (Giant Swap Meet)...
It was a great way to finish out a weeks vacation!