Mirror of /pweb.jps.net/~snowbum/mcOwned.htm

This is a mirror of http://pweb.jps.net/~snowbum/mcOwned.htm.
It is provided here by cdegroot.com to increase availability of the original site. This mirror is updated daily so should be up-to-date at all times.

NOTE: There are NO listings below of any of my once large collection of antique motorcycles. These were sold to two museums; the contracts specify keeping my name out of things.

BEFORE MOVING TO TAHOE in 1973, I personally owned and rode these motorcycles:
1951 BSA 500 single, B-33, converted it to a GoldStar, raced it, and also modified it for 100% alcohol.
1949 Vincent Rapide 25-867
1960 Harley XLCH 116730, bought this one brand new
I've had three other Harley's, including a 1948/9 Knucklhead, an XL, and a WWI antique.
1957 BMW R-60 918165
1943 Indian 45
1962 BMW R69S 168948
1964 BMW R60, purchased new 261718
1965 Honda 160, purchased new
???? Norton-Vincent hybrid. This was a Vincent engine in a Norton Manx Featherbed type frame, which I raced at Bonneville on my birthday weekend in 1972, setting a new World's record in my class. I slightly detuned this bike and rode it on the street for years.
1967 Kawasaki 250 Samuraii. I know I owned and rode this, but haven't the slightest memory of it.
1969 Honda 175-K3
1970 Honda Trail 90

1971 BMW R75/5...BESIDES this one I have had three other 1971 and 1971-1/2 R75/5 bikes, PLUS one that was green that I had for only 2 weeks, that was a trade-in to me for my BMW-600 car.....I traded the green R75/5 in on a new one....can't stand green motorcycles!

I also had: a 1972 BMW R75/5, full dresser 2986604...I put a LOT of miles on this one.

I have had the opportunity to test drive MANY dozens of other bikes, from pure dirt bikes, to crotch rockets. Way too long a list to put here. I have test-driven bikes on secret roads used by some bike magazines, using their test bikes, and have been able to test some never-released factory bikes. I have wrenched as a pro on several race bikes I did not own. That includes another R60 sidecar rig, and a rather infamous Gilera and a V-8 Guzzi......not to mention my antique collection, all gone now. I also spent some time at Harrah's museum, in Reno, before they sold off much of the collection. A very long time ago, just before Honda decided to make a big splash in the USA with their "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" campaign, I was at a certain private racetrack, with buddies Don Vesco and McLaughlin; test riding Honda #1 and Honda #2 racebikes. I 'stole' one of the bikes for a few laps. The exact details will not, for legal purposes, be set down here....more stories for around the bonfires.

Whilst at Tahoe, I purchased and sold these motorcycles:
1983 BMW R100RT. This was purchased brand new by me in 1985. I modified it a lot, but, eventually, in a weak moment, thinking I'd build a K1100LT tug-EML sidecar rig, I sold it, and it was out of my hands for 7 months. I bought it back, and put a Ural sidecar on it, using Lowell Neff subframe design, and some of my own ideas, and I put a UNIT LL fork on it, and many MANY modifications. I sold it in April 2006.
1984 BMW R100RT. I still have and ride this bike. Full dresser set up for touring, Krauser type bags, trunk, radar detector, Luftmeister side tanks, EnDuraLast Alternator, etc. I've pretty much kept my paws off modifying the engine...it still is single plugged, and basically stock. Does have a turbo-clutch, came that way, I hate it. Radio came with it too. hate that too.
1993 BMW K1100LT with late single hinge EML GT2 sidecar. Purchased in late 2005 from Al Olme. Full EZS conversion on the tug. I made a number of modifications, and probably will keep this rig....it is what my wife, Penny, and I, use for camping when we both go.

I had acquired, over many decades, a lot of antique motorcycles; and restored many. I started collecting them when very young, all were sold in the late 1980's to museums. See the very top of this page.

Cars/trucks:
1940 Plymouth 4dr (my first car). My dad gave me this car. I learned a LOT about cars by working on it. I especially learned what NOT to do!
1950 Mercury 2 dr FVZ485
1949 Ford 2dr business coupe....super hopped up, supercharged, with a big stroked and bored flathead;
    Navarro heads, Isky cam, Scintilla magneto, and hundreds more things.
1949 Oldsmobile convertible, straight-8
1948 Ford 4dr sedan
1950 MG-TD, lic. PNW805, this eventually got the supercharged engine from the 1949 Ford.
1931 "A" Ford sport coupe LWY177 I modified it a lot. Put huge mileage on it.
1953 Chrysler "6"....this was a RARE Windsor "Traveler" model, that some insist did not exist. It did.
1932 Ford B pickup, LYK607, and NKA350   engine 136522
1960 jeep CJ5, bought new, my first brand-new vehicle TRW509
1958 Porsche Speedster MGG252. This was the very last Speedster ever built, and had solid disc wheels of the Mercedes knock-off type, and a roller bearing special engine.
1959 BMW 600 engine 131954 license RPU467 yep, the larger version of the Isetta 300. Bought it new. Cheapest car to run there was then. Photos just below are of a similar car.   Uses a flat opposed twin boxer engine, derived from the /2 era, updated, and is very similar to a R60/5 engine, but one central carburetor, and a cooling blower. The front suspension was cast aluminum, self-oiling.   Top speed 62 mph; unless you remove a VERY stiff spring under the pedal/floorboard, then it would scream up to about 80. VERY low maintenance vehicle. Vulnerable feet in the front!

1961 Alfa Spring Speciale MEF638     very rare car, looked like a Ferrari. Italian red, of course!
1956 Porsche Spyder RS550-1500 JFK007 I drove this, somewhat modified, on the street! This is the SAME type car as the James Dean one.
1968 VW type 361 squareback sedan....the first of the electronic fuel injection models.
1972 Corvette, LT1, factory racer 380FKN, drove it on the street. Hit the tracks a few times with it.
1962 Cadillac Limousine. Lived in a commune for awhile. Bought this for myself, it held a lot of us, and I even got one of the younger commune guys to dress up like a chauffeur, and drive us around at 5 mph, like celebrities.
1965 Pontiac LeMans NHL586.....really my ex-wife's car.
1975 Chevrolet Suburban 3/4 ton 4WD. Purchased new.
???   Dodge Ramcharger 4WD. Can't remember the year. Purchased new. Went to #1 X-wife.
???   VW Dasher. Can't remember year. Purchased from my X-wife, whilst I was doing some restoration on a 1968 Dodge.

197X custom model 4 cylinder turbo Subaru. I can't remember the year of this, it was a rather rare car, bought it new after I moved to Tahoe, it was a true fastback, looked like a real sports car. I did a swap deal with a local gal and got her Toyota pickup, don't remember much about it either, I think it was an early 1970's. I remember it had a 22R engine I played with. I used that Toyota here a long time, whilst finishing the restoring and hopping up a 1968 Dodge 4WD PowerWagon. The Dodge ended up with a 440 modified engine, stick shift, 4WD. I had that Dodge for MANY years, and it was well-known around Lake Tahoe.

I purchased a brand-new 2000 Miata, and used it a fair amount, for my trips to Palm Springs, where I owned part of a condo. I decided in early 2003 that I had too many vehicles, with the expenses involved, and sold the Dodge at the end of March. I used the Miata, until November of 2003, when I made the final change, which was to swap off the Miata with a guy that wanted it, and no longer wanted his 1997 Nissan Pathfinder.. I now have that Pathfinder, a reasonably roomy mid-size 4WD SUV.
Penny has a 1994 Subaru Legacy, 2WD.

Pure Race, ONLY:
500 Norton Manx
350 Norton Manx
BSA Gold Star
R60 BMW with hand-built sidecar
Husqvarna 400's...two of them

Special note:
In a partnership with Dan Mizer many years ago, we put up a considerable number of Port-a-Port aircraft hangars, at the Carson City, Nevada, airport. I kept 3 of them for my use. I kept my Robertson-modified Cessna C-182 in one of them. That C-182 was hardly my first C-182. Eventually, I sold and swapped, but I had one large hangar that was devoted to the very expansive collection of mostly running condition antique bikes that I noted well above. NONE of which are actually listed on the page you are reading. These were true antiques. Many fond memories. I used to ride them now and then. I eventually sold all of them, to 2 museums as noted, and the money paid off my properties.

My teen years 49 Ford, which was gutted and hopped up; engine of which eventually went into the 1952 MG-TD
My Alfa Sprint Speciale....baby Ferrari it was, too. RARE body on the Speciale. Very few ever built.

1972 Duntov-built Corvette. 'nough said!
I actually had TWO 1972 LT-1 Corvettes, one was stock, the other was factory prepared for racing.

I built a 1971-2 custom R75/5. This bike was built specifically to be a total 'sleeper'. This bike appeared, unless one was VERY BMW knowledgeable, to be a stock bike. However, the starter motor had been removed, flywheel modified and in place of the starter was a supercharger. The carburetors at the heads were dummies, were bored out internally, and even the cables, etc., were all dummies. The 'carburetion' was by a home-brew pair of electric fuel injectors, one for starting, located at the supercharger. The camshaft was custom made for long intake duration, and the entire bike was VERY heavily modified. Even the front brake was heavily modified internally, but so that it looked stock on the outside. Frame beefed in several places, top of engine tied to the backbone too (finally DEmodified...vibration was awful), forks modified internally, special ignition (dual points gave way to electronics, finally), close ratio gearbox (and modifications to the internals, very extensively for quick shifting), TWO plate clutch (similar to Guzzi). The rear drive contained a very rare flat ratio gearset. In order to hold the cylinders to the engine, the cylinder studs were hand-made, larger, longer, and the cases modified. Oil pump modified for no cavitation. Oil pickup was 'twin-ed'. Just no end to these modifications. The engine was generally kept under 6000, although it could be spun to over 8000 rather easily. There is a more complete article about this bike on this website, sleeper_r75.htm

I've also owned a few airplanes. Don't have one now, although thinking of it again; but, the chances are very good that I will not actually own another, but rent them. I have all sorts of flying certifications, including single engine, multi-engine, commercial, instrument, instructor....blah blah.

Rev:
08/12/2007: edited slightly for clarity
11/24/2007: add photos for BMW 600, and additional description