Chapter 237
2/23/2010
Ch 237 Classic Motorcycles
riding high on the hog
Uncle Sonny gave me a ride on the field behind his house in Buffalo, here with his 1936 45ci 750cc RDL Special Sport Solo flathead side valve jet black Harley Davidson back about 1951. He had many motorcycles and Grandma Schmidt had not wanted that gang guy to marry into the family, but he did anyway. Sonny worked for Pratt and Lechworth as a mechanic but I think he shoveled some coal into the coke ovens smelting the pig iron at the Tonawanda Plant near the Black Rock Canal. His name was really Clarence Bealer- his Dad born in Germany as Pichler changed to Bichler lost in translation to Bealer. Grandson Scott Smith has the Harley now.
Some Harleys were made in Japan by Rikuo before and after WW2.
I worked a motorcycle history workshop for a small but attentive group at the Saratoga Auto Museum last week (where I was caught by the paparazzi) and produced my own little Demo Video on a 1914 Indian motorcycle. Never knew it was such a big deal racing at the Saratoga Thoroughbred track. In 1915 there were 1200 rider entry applications and the stands were full. These old timers were an adventurous bunch.