Dave wrote on 12/28/17 at 05:32:01:


Did you know a Duane Santee from the Alliance area who at one time also worked at the cycle shop?

When I raced the Hare Scrambles at the Western Reserve club, circa 1966) I rode a converted Honda S90, souped up, and Duane ran a Honda 160, and Jim Locander ran a Honda 250.  We all rode for Park Honda, and we all won first place in our respective classes on that one day!!  I loved those days - when opponents were friendly and everybody got along with each other.  I loved the time in the "clubhouse" after the race, eating chili, drinking hot chocolate, and waiting on the results of the race!  Great times!

Dave wrote on 12/28/17 at 06:21:51:


Your racing experience sounded like mine.  I rode that Honda Super 90 for several years and it never failed me.  I did manage to stall it in a pretty deep mud hole, worked it out, pushed it up the hill and bump started it down the other side.  Started right up - I won the race.

A few years back, on my BMW, I rode over to the Western Reserve club - still there.  I also rode down to the Mathias Raceway (just south of Dover) which was a great place, too, and it is no longer there.  Small building is still visible.  Mathias himself, as I understand it, closed up the Dover business or sold it, moved to Fla. then moved back and opened up a mc repair shop.  At that shop, he bored out for me the cylinders of my 1968 BMW R50 (this was around 1982), and I haven't heard since from him.

I went to college in 1969 and graduated in 1974 so I was out of the motorcycle scene during that time. Around 1976, I had a Hodaka 250cc "Thunderdog" which was one of the best 2-stroke bikes I ever owned - lots of low end torque and a great handler.  I was married at the time and we had a little baby girl.  I tried running a hare scrambles (around August) down about 60 miles south of Canton and I was shocked at how hare scrambles had changed.  It was dog eat dog and very dangerous because of that!  I decided my daughter needed a Dad more than I needed to race with those kinds of people.  Never raced again!

Ruttly wrote on 12/28/17 at 06:38:22:


I wasn't great either. I always had a problem with weight - I was chunky so I never was good at any racing except Hare Scrambles - especially ones in the winter because  I had a lot of endurance and I never stopped during the 4 hour races.

First time out, I didn't win anything, second time I took 3rd place (100cc class), next time 2nd place and next time 1st place. I went on to win 1st place in all the races after that - about 2 years worth!  I loved it too!!

Got my scooter back yesterday.  It's now rattle-can flat black. The ignition switch is destroyed, locking gas cap has been pried off and a car cap apparantlly driven on with a hammer, probably have to replace the tank too, lock for underseat storage is missing. The ignition has been straightwired to a toggle switch. I haven't taken the front apart to see what sort of a mess the wiring is. Idiot even left the toggle switch hanging out the bottom down by the front wheel just waiting to get caught in the wheel.

Just the locking bits that need to be replaced are almost $200. If I can't get the rattle can paint off the body panels without messing them up, I either will have to paint it properly or replace the body panels.  Either way, expensive. The body panels are around $300. Paint will probably be over $200 if I take the body panels to the painter.

Still runs great though and hasn't been wrecked.

The guy who bought it off the thief took it to a local moped service guy who I had already alerted about it to have the messed up ignition switch and missing locks fixed. He told the guy sorry, it's stolen, you can either leave it here and I will contact the owner to come get it or I can call the police and they will contact the owner and you can explain why you have it to them. The guy and his friends jumped in their car and said something along the lines of we gonna go get the money back and beat the sh** out of him for selling me something stolen. I hope they beat him 'til he could barely move. From what they told the repair guy, he lives somewhere over in the area close to me. If I find out who it is, I might have to go have a nice little talk with him about the $500 he owes me for repairs and if he 'falls down' a few times while we are conversating, big deal.

This incident also pushed me to go ahead and upgrade my video surveilance system to something from this century. My old camera didn't have night vision and was probably almost 20 years old. I went and bought a nice new high-def system with 100 ft night vision and 4 camera instead of one. Now I can see everything going on in the yard just like it was day and during the day, the camera is color too. I really didn't have the money to spend this close to Christmas and cold winter...but if anything else comes up missing, I'll have good video of who did it to give the cops.

I also put up a driveway entry sensor so if anybody comes in the driveway, I'll know.

I am happy you got your scooter back - not so happy that the crooks are getting off so easily.  It would have been so much better if the Police would have been able to charge the person(s) that stole it from you.  They will just continue stealing these things until they are caught, and they might even come back for yours again.....perhaps you need some form of alarm on your bikes.

For the rattle can primer - you could try some different solvents and see if you can find one that will dissolve the primer and not hurt the original paint - if the factory paint is a 2K it will be pretty tough.  Start out with an enamel reducer and see if you have any luck.  Buffing is also possible - but it will be hard to get into the creases.

The other damaged lock and fuel tank/cap parts may be available used on eBay.

Let the police handle this, you don't need to carry your Glock away from your home in pursuit of the thief, and get yourself arrested on a felony for trying to get even...especially if he or someone else were to be killed, then it would be for life.  
It is not worth it.

LANCER wrote on 01/01/18 at 15:04:37:



What he said ^

Don't stoop to their level. They'll go on and do what they do. You'll go on and do what you do.

I'm glad to here you got the bike back. I spent hours turning a stolen bike , that we recovered, into something special. We will never get the money, or time back, but the rewards on the project can't be paid for anyway.

IDK where they are, but in Texas,, if someone shows up at my location and challenges me, and I wind up shot, that's not going down as self defense.
Leave it alone.. Or take an off duty cop.
But don't go alone. You'll look like the aggressor, even IF you went to talk, but were afraid, and carried a weapon.

You're not the daddy, you're not going to change the bad guy, so you need to steer clear.