Greetings From East Tennessee

My first bike was a '69 TR6C that had been wrecked - the front ende destroyed. Instead of repairing it, I took the "in" route of the era and had it fully chopped. 12" over springer, Corbin Gentry hardtail, K&Q seat, peanut tank, butterfly pull-backs, HD-style rear wheel & flat fender. Actually, a rather attractive bike that I eventually had running and riding well. But I was stationed on a sub out of Charleston, SC and it didn't handle fast enough to avoid the local homicidal drivers. I traded it for a small RD Yamaha which then was traded for a new RD400c. When I got out of the Navy in '79, I was mature enough to know that I was not mature enough to have that bike in these mountains, so I sold it to a shipmate.

Then life happened. In 2004 the wife said that I talked about how much I enjoyed wrenching on bikes, and should get one. Being the e obedient husband (and now much older), I've been through a string of GoldWings and recently rescued an RD400c for nostalgia's sake.

At our vintage bike clubs auction, I placed a starting bid on an oil frame Triumph saddle just to kick off the action. But there were no more bids! So, I now have this beautiful seat and a new desire to find on oil frame to rescue. So here I am. Below is my first bike. BTW, we now tour on a new 2021 Spyder RTL.

 

Wish I had a better photo of my TR6, but this one with a friend's girlfriend on it is the best I have.

Just hoping that I can find a "fence row" bike (oif Triumph) that I can build something nice out of. I've done it with a couple of the old 1000 cc GoldWings and a CB750F. Also took a rolling basket case RD400c and restored it like the new one that I bought in '76. So many nice British bike owned by the guys in Time Warp Vintage MC that I meet with in Knoxville.

 

BTW, present bikes are a '78 GoldWing with a '75 engine that I customized into a "cafe" style and have shown for the last few years. It was a blast to build and rides well. I also have a '76 Yamaha RD400c that I purchased as a rolling basket case in August '20 and reworked it t look like my original '76 that I bought new "in the day". This past year I've sold a '79 GoldWing that I restored to be my "daily driver" for local trips, a '78 GoldWing that I rescued from a fence row in Kentucky (sad, sad shape with many PO issues), and an '06 GoldWing that I bought new and put 123537 miles on, many two-up. At 69 it was getting a bit risky two-up on the big black 'Wing pulling a Uni-go trailer pulling into a gravel parking lot (as many are when you tour). So, I sold it and bought a new Spyder RT Limited for the wife and I to take longish trips on.

 

Yes, I like pictures too!
"the Hunley" - so named when I brought it home and discovered that the engine had been partially submerged for an extended time (the first successful military submarine was the CSA Hunley):
and my little RD400c that I rescued this past year. I call her "Geneva" - the paint color is Geneva Green and a girl named Geneva was an important part of my ancestor's household.