Author Topic: Milwaukee Midget  (Read 3251010 times)

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Offline Freud

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #780 on: November 13, 2011, 01:46:37 PM »
An RD like this one that was at Barber Motorsports Museum several weeks ago?

FREUD
Since '63

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #781 on: November 13, 2011, 02:09:00 PM »
Mine was a pre-Star Wars model - found this pic on the Motorcyclespecs.com site.



I tried taking it from Milwaukee to Cedar Rapids, Iowa over the Labor Day weekend in 1987.  I got as far as Madison when I holed a piston.  Turned it around and drove it back on one piston, smoke blowing out of the right side exhaust. 

Got about 10 miles west of Waukesha when it threw a rod, locking up the tire and bringing me to a rather abrupt stop.

I kicked it into the ditch on highway 18, and walked home from there.

6 months later, I'm driving my MGB in a snowstorm.  As an aside, I have found the MGB to be a perfectly acceptable winter car, and provided you don't get it hung up, it will go through snow like few other rear wheel drive cars.

But not this time.  I slid into a ditch, and had to call a tow truck to pull me out.

I settled up with the guy at his shop, and he said, "Chris Conrad . . . Chris Conrad . . . You didn't own a Yamaha 400 at some point, did you?"

I said, "Yeah, how'd you know?"

Seems the guy had a contract with the state to pick up abandoned vehicles, and that I owed him some money for storage.  :roll:

We chatted about it, and he was satisfied with me simply handing over the title to him.

"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Freud

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #782 on: November 13, 2011, 05:48:18 PM »
Kenny Roberts found out how far one of the yellow ones would run in the ocean when we were in Hawaii.

It reared up and tossed him over the handle bars.

After the hotel manager helped get it out of the lagoon we stood it on the back tire and

watched two streams of water run out of the catalytic mufflers.  WOW !!

It never ran well after learning to drink sea water.

FREUD
Since '63

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #783 on: November 13, 2011, 06:10:26 PM »
This Kenny Roberts?!  :-o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k8hJWKIVNs

Glenn, you've got to write your biography.  :cheers:

Tach is in, and YAY! it works! 
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline 55chevr

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #784 on: November 13, 2011, 06:22:18 PM »
Glen- I agree ...

Offline Freud

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #785 on: November 13, 2011, 06:41:25 PM »
That's the guy !! 

When the bike was restored they couldn't get any info about the rear brake set up.

I don't remember the fellows name and I have eaten dinner with him but he

called me to see if I had any fotos of the bike. It also ran at the San Jose mile and

I did the fotos for that story. I think Gordon Jennings wrote the piece. When the bike was

in the pits on the stand I documented it very well.  On the third sheet of negatives I

had the entire rear assembly covered. In focus and dead nuts on for the exposure.

I was asked to send him fotos of the assembly and I didn't want to. I was in no mood

to make prints so I called him and asked if he would safeguard those negs. I knew he would

so I sent all of the negs that were involving that bike. The brake was from a street bike of

some size, like maybe a 600 cc, and he found exactly what he needed. Resto complete.

But I received another call and he asked me if he could print another image of a race shot.

He found a marvelous action shot from turn 4 and had 16 x 20 prints made. Then he contacted

everyone involved with building the bike and had them sign the prints. He sent those prints

to me and I took them to Kenny's house and asked him to sign them. I let him sign EVERY

print. When he was done I handed him a print and he exploded. He didn't want his own

print signed.  I got him again.

Jay Springsteen rode that bike at Del Mar  quite a while ago. I think he may have been the

first to ride it after it was restored.

I went to Kenny's house for about 8 years in a row for his birthday. December 31 is the day

and it rolled right into New Years eve. Morning came awfully early and our heads were pounding.

Same Kenny. Same go for it guy. He's been there and done that and I did some of it with him.

I think he will still talk to me, especially if he wants something.

The little puke.

FREUD
Since '63

Offline jdincau

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #786 on: November 13, 2011, 06:45:43 PM »
     I watched Springsteen ride it at Del Mar, what a brutal noise! I made the hair on your neck stand up just like Al Teague shifting into high in the last mile. Unbelievable!
Unless it's crazy, ambitious and delusional, it's not worth our time!

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #787 on: November 13, 2011, 06:48:54 PM »
That's the guy !! 

. . .

The little puke.

FREUD

ROTFLMAO!  :cheers:
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline bvillercr

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #788 on: November 14, 2011, 06:54:40 PM »
Got "chicken skin" just watching that!!!  Thanks for the video. :cheers:

Offline Peter Jack

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #789 on: November 14, 2011, 11:42:33 PM »
Awesome video Chris. I especially liked the expression on Valentino Rossi's face about the 3:05 mark.

Pete

Offline Kiwi Paul

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #790 on: November 15, 2011, 12:21:02 AM »
Wow, Just Wow.....

Offline Bob Drury

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #791 on: November 15, 2011, 12:43:12 AM »
  I'll seond Kiwi Paul's comments.  Although I admit to knowing virtually nothing about two wheeled vehicles, I always followed the big names in bikes, including Kenny Robert's and watching that video sends the same chills up my spine as watching the likes of A.J. Foyt (in Watson Indy cars), the Unser's at Pikes Peak, Carl Heap at Bonneville, and everyone else who pushed the limit while pursuing their dream's.             Bob
Bob Drury

Offline Tman

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #792 on: November 15, 2011, 10:05:25 AM »
Bob said it^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #793 on: November 19, 2011, 08:18:17 PM »
More to follow - here's a taste . . .

Click on the pic - it's a video link to my photobucket.

« Last Edit: November 19, 2011, 08:48:42 PM by Milwaukee Midget »
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #794 on: November 19, 2011, 08:58:31 PM »
HFS! that sounds MAD!
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.