I came across this on Facebook on a Sprint owners' group, I think. I didn't get the details because I swooned when I saw it. It's a '67 HD Sprint H that appears to be in showroom condition. I bought an identical one 58 years ago when I was a senior in high school. Right side shift, which took a little getting used to, and the handlebars were rubber mounted which also took a little getting used to, but I loved that bike. I saved up my money from paper route, frying chicken and doing farm chores to buy it.
It cost me $650.00 which took me a bit to save up for. When I finally had the money, my mother said I should get a loan to start establishing a credit rating. I didn't much care about a credit rating at that point, but I knew better than to cross Mom on this deal. We went to the bank together so she could co-sign the note, we sat down across from the loan officer, and I told him I wanted $300.00 to buy a motorcycle. He said no because he didn't like motorcycles, and that's when Mom came unglued. She tells the guy the only reason we were sitting there is because she convinced me it would be a good idea and if he's not going to loan me the money, he should get his ass out of the chair and write her a check because she was closing her account where she had done business for over twenty years. The loan officer excused himself, probably to check on Mom's account, and came back shortly with a loan application for me.
I had the bike for almost one year exactly, had put a little over 5,000 miles on it and then it was stolen out of the garage in the middle of the night while we were home. The steering was locked, so there were probably two people involved. One year later I was working nights at the foundry and Mom hollered at me at 8:00 in the morning to get up, the FBI was on the phone and they wanted to talk to me. Seems they found the bike in Tennessee at a gas station. I had already been paid by the insurance company but I asked the FBI agent how it looked and he said it was in pieces. I don't know what happened to it after that but if you ever come across a '67 Sprint H with the serial number 67H17889, that's the one.
I got the swingarm bolt out of the frame on the Yamaha yesterday. Just like the Mounties, I too always get my man.
3 comments:
hod did ya git that bolt out? usually people just throw the entire bike in the dump when those git stuck.
I heated around the bosses on the frame, sprayed PB Blaster on the bolt, tapped with a brass mallet, hit the brass mallet with a sledge hammer while my grandson held the mallet. The following days I would spray the bolt and tap it with the brass mallet several times a day until I felt it move. Then more spraying and some solid whacks, and out she came. So, lots of spraying, lots of hitting and lots of patience.
then you ran into the house as fast as you could yelling, "HONEY HONEY... I GOT IT OUT I GOT OUT!!!" then she ran down the stars and you both were jumping UP and down so happy. you tell her... "grab yer purse, we're going to town to celebrate".
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