Cub Road Racer

Shot From Jamesville

A trio of perfection from Jamesville. 

Photoshop Garage

Mason Motors - Mike McComsey

One of my absolute favorite aspects of the Isle of Vashon event is the type of people you can readily meet and chat with. Mike McComsey was one of those guys this year. Mike worked at Mason Motors in Pasadena from about 1967 to 1969. 

 Almost visible in the article above is a Mason Motors shop truck with a bed similar to trucks operated by Johnson Motors. Mike noted Dave Mason would just move the bed to a new truck every couple of years.

 Mike mentioned that during his tenure at he worked with Rich Richards. the resident Tuner at Mason Motors. Richie didn't do the daily wrenching that the rest of them did, he just did machine work and balance work and tuning for special customers and special jobs. Richie was also a well known Nitro-methane authority and introduced Propylene Oxide to the motorcycle world.

Richie's son Gary held the B/fuel record of 10.32 seconds at 143.76 mph. Richie was sure Mike could break 150 mph on his drag bike as at the time as he weighed about 114 pounds, compared to Gary's 150 or so.  However,  Mike lived at home then and his parents said he'd have to move out if he pursued drag racing. Mike was 18 at the time and needed a roof over his head more than a drag record, so he had to say no to Rich.

Above are some photos of Mike's high school bike, a 1957 TR6B, first in BRG as a school commuter and later as a Cafe Racer (which he later traded, with a VW Bug, for a 1955 Porsche Speedster). 

Again above is a borrowed TT Special. As a mechanic, friends sometimes left bikes with Mike for care and exercise for months at a time. This TT was his only two-wheeler for a time in College. He logged more miles than the owner, who was somewhat intimidated by the 52 hp

This immaculate Burnt Orange 1959 TR6B Trophy is Mike's current Triumph, which I bought and restored about 20 years ago as a reminder of those old days. Mike mentioned that this bike remained un-sold at the San Jose, CA dealer for a long time as customers preferred for the new Bonnevilles.  The dealer eventually painted it in Bonney livery to help sell it. Mike is only the second owner.

Mike has a pretty incredible memory. He even recalls all the shop staff at the time:

Owner: Dave Mason

Parts Manager: Eric Lilly

Shop Foreman: Tom Rhea  (carried on the name Mason Motors on Walnut Street in Pasadena as a boat and snow mobile service shop. I believe now closed.)

Lead mechanic, Yamaha:  Don Caldwell. Raced a 500cc Matchless in desert events.

Lead Mechanic, Triumph: Kenneth Beard.  Drag racer with younger brother Lionel.

Tuner, machinist and Resident Curmudgeon:  Richie Richards

Genius Welder and all-around mechanic: Charlie Keefer. Worked Saturdays until he retired from his day job as a test cell technician for rocket engines at Aerojet General in Azusa.   

His son Randy worked with us during his summer vacation from high school.

Mike McComsey:  Repairs of crashed motorcycles, flat tire repairs (with tire irons, I might mention), New  Bike get ready.

New Triumphs came in crates, partly disassembled, and covered in cosmoline as a preservative.  Getting them ready included washing off the cosmoline with "Triumph Cycle Bath" and included a Test Ride, of course.

Photoshop Garage

ST165 Revisited

We took the Harley 165 we restored a couple of years ago out the Isle of Vashon TT this past weekend. I was shocked by how much attention it got, way more than Flathead Rob's jaw dropping '48 Chief. I hadn't seen it for a while and must say I was a little proud in retrospect. It really came out nice. Great history too. This '58 ST165 is a one-owner bike bought new in 1957 from Drager's HD, and ridden daily to work for twenty years. It saw more miles than most people's Road Kings see today. Rob and I restored it for the son of the original owner. I'm so stoked it's still getting ridden regularly too.

Ready 2

Everyone talks about the HD and Indian wars but no one ever mentions the Triumph and Indian wars. Ed "the Ironman" Kretz straddled both sides of this fence nearly simultaneously.

Vashon Island TT - 2016

Big turnout this year but probably not as big a turnout as the first year I went. I had a great time hanging out with some good friends. I also met a couple of new guys with interesting motorcycle histories. I'll have to see I can follow up with them later when the smoke clears. All-in-all I found myself a little disappointed. The weather was fantastic but there were WAY too many modern bikes. Events like this have a communal cost. If you just go to SEE old bikes but can't be bothered to participate by actually BRINGING your old bike pretty soon the event becomes Sturgis, a big gathering of motorcycles about as interesting as toasters. I think I could almost count the number of 1900-1959 bikes on two hands. That is a huge change from just a couple of years ago. There is a bigger turnout of younger riders that in most cases can't afford the 1900-1959 bikes and are on 70's and 80's bikes. I'm cool with that and am glad to see them showing an interest in the hobby. The photos on the ferry are pretty representative of the collective in attendance as a whole. I think you'll see what I mean.

I've mentioned it before I think secretive nature of the Vashon TT is it's own demise. I'm told originally the date of the TT is always keep a secret to keep crowd sizes manageable and to keep the island from being overrun by hoards of sport bikes or the vanilla "dentists on Harleys" toy run type crowds. Fine except the formally invited are no longer bother to bring old bikes. Meanwhile A LOT of vintage guys just don't know about it or find out about it after the fact. I suspect in some cases the "if you want know when it happens you must join the club" comes across as oddly cliquish and draconian. Not to bash the VME because I love 'em. I just wonder if it's time to rethink the approach.

In any case here were my highlights. Sometimes I find taking photos at events to be a little too distracting and so admittedly, the photos are a little sparse.

Emma's first outing in a while, bright and early

Emma

Flathead Rob's Chief and "Uncle Wally's" ST165 we restored a few years ago. The ST stole the show. It got twice as much attention as the Chief did

Ferry to Vashon

Our coffee deprived hoard

BSA B20 - Check out that sidestand/ski pole/pontoon

1948 Triumph Speed Twin - Damn I wish I'd found this guy to meet him

Every show requires an obsessed machinists life work 1914 Indian powered "dirt bike" One cylinder capped off to make it a 500cc. Hand made OHV conversion. Loads of other stuff handmade or picked from a motorcycle salvage yard

Chuck, the owner of this bike is a super cool guy. He raced for Clif Majhor the legendary "The Sandy Bandit" in the 50's and 60's. Cliff owned Cycle Hub in Portland. I've posted tons of stuff about the shop over the years. Awesome

1928 HD JD Cutdown - Probably my favorite bike of the day. I love those damn JD's

absolutely 1936 Indian Chief