Take something and do something with it. Just like people have been doing for a long time; Put a motorbike engine in a race car not much more than a fast go kart. 1300cc of Hayabusa to play with.
If Dan Gurney can build his own F1 than I reckon I can build a Colorado hill billy hill climber...
I am often humbled by the outgoing generosity of others. The spirit that I like to think we all posses but only a cherished few have the courage to find within themselves and shine it upon others. I believe in making my own opportunities but I have only two hands that can do so much and when others lend a hand I have found it possible to fulfill even the wildest dreams. Like when Sideburn Gary, Ronin Motorwerks, and I found each other and teamed up to take on Pikes Peak, nearly ending up king of the mountain against a stacked field including HRC Honda. That was a special saga to me and I will hold the memory of it dear until I check out. Or when way back in this blog ten plus years ago my carefree rambling/bitching/out loud dreaming led to an invite from the Co-Built boys in England to come jump the pond and race some proper UK flattrack, they set me up on Wilkey's proper Rotax framer and gave me a week of adventure abroad on dirtbikes I never knew existed beyond movies. Then there were the Sideburn trips, bouncing through the Himalayas on a Bullet, Chasing Dakar stage times through Morrocco like a sling shotted Saraha moto Samari. Fucking epic adventures.
I also learned to be carful of what you dream for. A MotoGP like star of Spanish speed that had me spinning laps at Aragon Motoland, fancy team outfits, forced into typing press releases with words other than my own. That all put me in the seat of a suicide machine racing up Pikes Peak. That was a close one. I like finding the edge but I don't ever want to see that far over it again.
I found myself again behind the handlebars of machine unobtainable to myself. A proper vintage MX machine; A British bouncing BSA, brake lever on the left and all. But worked over by none other than the master guru himself: Dick Mann. It was like a machine with the looks of an old farm tractor that handled like a true Formula One. The generous owner, John Lambrick, brother to my friend Frank. Frank shared with his partner Robin their wedding ceremony inside my little motorbike shop back in Denver. I think that is when I first met John. I met Frank at the flattrack races in Denver when he was doing the race commentary, pit announcements, and best of all; inappropriate race track music over the PA. Anyone who plays jazz at a motor race is a-ok in my book. Like water growing a garden some things grow and evolve. Relationships for sure. I enjoyed racing John's BSA as much as I enjoyed his company and in our conversations at the races he found out my dream flattrack bike is a Champion frame XS650. So what did John do... He showed up at my shop last month with a Champion XS650 minus engine in the back of his awesome and understanding wife Rochelle's Honda hatchback car. They drove it all the way from Illinois. The plan is for me to put one of my powerplants in it and go racing.- GO RACING! -Those are some of my very favorite words.
