Saturday was just one of those days.

Rick Miller and I rode our STs over to Ft Worth to see the Royal Enfield bikes at the RE dealer shop where we were joined by Randy McCarter.  When we got there, the the showroom was full of old bikes - several were Beemers, one of which was absolutely beautiful - snazzy paint and Staintune pipes.  And a Matchless.  And a Moto Morini.  The lady covering the floor told us these were all customers bikes... and that they had sold all their REs.  Customer bikes on the showroom floor?  WTF???

Turns out the bikes had been restored/rebuilt for customers who hadn't come by to pick them up yet.  Then she said there were some more bikes "next door" if we wanted to look at them.  Wasn't sure what "next door" was - some dingy garage maybe?  She told us to be sure to close the gate so the dog didn't get out. hmmm.

"Next door" was a huge wooden barn.  Two guys talking outside.  We say "Hey."  Looked into the workshop - dimly lit, piles of parts everywhere, disassembled bikes on stands scattered around - kinda like MY garage.  We walk in and look around, strike up a conversation with a mechanic who's rewiring an ancient BMW...swearing at the engineer who designed the thing in the first place.

So, the gent we saw outside comes in, we start talking a little, tell him we all ride Ducatis and had come to see the REs.  He asked if we wanted to see some other bikes...upstairs.  Up the creaky wood stairs and into the dingy loft.  We walk past a few old bikes covered in dust and rust,  He walks up to a door and pulls out a key to open the padlock.  Inside was a mini-Barber-museum: fully-restored Jawa, Matchless, and others I can't even remember - my head was spinning - and the centerpiece, a perfect, original 1300cc Munch...a behemoth of a motorcycle.

We exit the Sanctum Sanctorum and he shows us some other bikes in the restoration pipeline, including a couple of Rex bikes.  He walks over to something covered completely in a silver tarp and lifts it to reveal a brand-new silver MZ with full fairings - one of only 3 imported to the US.  Gasp.

Then onward and downstairs on the other side of the barn - a room filled with all kinds of bikes in various states of restoration.  He has the largest collection of WWII German BMWs in the country - with sidecars and original markings - all being restored for clients.

After the shock and awe, we rode down the street to a BBQ place for lundh.  Good food, talking and laughing so hard I thought we might have to call EMS for Randy.  After lunch we helped Randy get on his bike, facing the right direction.  Rick and I rode back to Dallas in the glorious sunshine without incident.

Home to happy dogs and a little nap.  Does life get any better than this?

That's a good story, dream, or reality?

uh...is there a difference?  mebbe I better check my meds.

George, where the heck in Ft. Worth was this? Sounds a little like Perry Bushong's old BMW shop, except for the RE part. Next time shoot me a PM, that's my kinda day!! [moto]

Mucho Nice Sounds like a good time was had by all

It does sound like Perry's... Been there!

Yep, it was Perry's - he looked to have been a serious BMW dealer once upon a time.  Guess he finds more enjoyment restoring the old bikes.  So today he sells the Royal Enfield bikes... when he can get them.

I was thinking it might be fun to make another run over there some weekend with the Entire Rat Pack.  I'd call ahead, of course.  Ride, museum tour, lunch, ride.  A Saturday, perhaps?  I'd like to make it sometime when he actually has an RE on the floor. 

For those who might not know, RE was a British bike that went the way of BSA, Norton and others.  It was sold, lock, stock and barrel to a firm that now manufactures them in India.

Recently, RE (India) has overhauled its engineering and manufacturing to boost quality.  These 500cc thumpers are available in a variety of retro-configurations even though all the current bikes are fuel-injected.  Take THAT!!!

Anyway, I'd personally LOVE to revisit Perry's place.  He's a great guy, and very passionate about his restorations.  He's done well with 60 year old bikes; I wonder what he can do with a 60 year old rider?   

OK, OK...63.

G.

That sounds really cool.

Yep, Perry is a GREAT guy! Haven't dealt with him in years but why would he have changed??

He had a really cool old shop in the early 80s but has moved a couple of times since. Used to get off of I-30 at Beach St. and go north to the really old shop. Then he moved to a more modern two building facility off I-30 at Riverside. It backed up to the West Fork of the Trinity if I remember right. REALLY cool place!

I remember like it was today the Krauser/BMW bikes at the old shop... they still have my drool on them!! I got my '81 R100RS from him and he convinced me to let him install the then new Krauser 4 valve conversion heads on it. Yeah, I was weak and did it! I had a semi-wild monster of an early 80's air cooled boxer sport tourer! But it pinged like a SOB... way too much compression. I carried bottles of octane booster with me on long 2-4 day Arkansas rides. Fill 'er up with gas and add a splash of booster! Oh, and never lug the motor!  Otherwise PING!

I think it was the last of the Krauser conversions that survived. Most of the others grenaded. When the latest one blew up he'd call all the other "survivors" and tell them to bring in their bikes for the latest fix that he'd come up with. That list was growing amazingly short when I finally decided to get rid of her for the new '85 K100RS. I cheated and filled my bike with race gas so it ran like a sewing machine and never pinged. The buyer fell in love immediately and I know I will spend several eternity's in hell... one will be for that race gas in the RS to make the sale! Hey, it was just business!!

The K100RS sucked. I always wished I had another R100RS boxer. So, for my 40th b-day (years ago!) I found an identical '83 silver smoke RS and bought it. Re-did lots of goodies (no 4 valve heads thank you!) and rode it for years. It now sits dusty and retired in my storage building. The older I get the more I want to see her restored and running again. The older I get the less inviting hard edged sport bikes get... yeah, it will happen to you too so get over yourself!! And now I know that Perry is still there and that the RS restore would be right up his alley! Sweeeeet. A friend in Austin had trouble finding anyone at his local Bimmer shop that could help him with the restore of his 112,000 mile '78 R100RT. Too old of a bike and they didn't give a shit! He finally found someone like Perry and with his help the RT is alive and well and goes on special rides all the time!! [moto] Pure moto goodness. What goes around comes around.

Yep, that's where his shop is - 913 (?) Sylvania - from Dallas, west on I-30, north on Riverside (last exit before 35W) for 1/2 mile, west on Sylvania.  He's on the left... little white building, easy to miss.

Wow, still there. I thought he had moved once again since then. I'll put it on auto pilot and meet over there with you guys any time! [moto] Great way to spend the day for sure!!

"New" RE are being sold by Strokers...if anyone was interested. 

The brand new Military 500 is a great looking (almost) bobber. Saw it in the new issue of MC.

Being that they used to be in with the Rickman bros they have a racing connection.

Quote from: RED on April 28, 2010, 10:01:20 AM
The brand new Military 500 is a great looking (almost) bobber. Saw it in the new issue of MC.

Being that they used to be in with the Rickman bros they have a racing connection.

Hell, Charlie, even I used to have a racing connection... Keds.

  Good one!!

Quote from: GeorgeInDallas on April 30, 2010, 12:16:35 PM
Hell, Charlie, even I used to have a racing connection... Keds.

Now let me get this straight, Keds, the shoe, actually allows you to go faster than a walk? Oh, I get it, race walking!