RIP Jim Lattin.
Some background info I found:
Born and raised in Southern California, Jim Lattin was always attracted to Hot Rods and motorcycles. He found enough work to make the money he needed to buy an old car or motorcycle to fix it up, hop it up and race it. During high school, his 1932 Ford Coupe was run at the drag races every weekend, and during the week, it served as transportation to school when it wasn't broken.
Lattin's racing slowed a little when he graduated from Cal Poly Pomona and went on to raise his three children. He raced boats for a while but decided to quit after a bad crash. Stock car racing, sprint car racing and land speed racing proved to be safer options for him. After getting laid off from a great job at TRW Systems in 1969, Lattin went to work for himself and picked up his first vintage motorcycles: a 1908 Reading Standard and a 1910 Excelsior, both in bad need of repair. Lattin still owns the Reading Standard, and he said he remains fascinated with the engineering feats of old motorcycles, noting that, The exposed mechanical linkage on many of these old bikes is a true work of art that I especially enjoy.
When Lattin hooked up with Bud Ekins, the two racers hit it off, with Lattin going overboard buying, building and riding motorcycles. Early racing motorcycles became one of his main interests, as Lattin feels they have more character and history than standard civilian transportation motorcycles.
It is fascinating how the early motorcycle racers competed five times a week, lived/died and were considered the rock stars of the era, explained Lattin. The repairs, modifications and the innovations that were implemented on these racing motorcycles was amazing.
Although Lattin is known to be a kid at heart, he will be 82 years young in August, and he doesn't ride bikes on the street any longer. As the former president of the Southern California Timing Association (considered the oldest operating racing organization in the U.S.) and former chairman of the Bonneville Nationals Board, Lattin does still enjoy nominal desert riding, though he said he is thinking it's time to pull the reigns in on his land speed racing a bit as well. But it's unlikely he'll be out anytime soon?he is currently building a streamliner that is expected to run more than 400 MPH. As Lattin explained, the slowing-down process is gradual, and as part of it, he's made the choice to let go of some of the fine motorcycles in his collection.
After raising hell and going fast all of my life, I'm choosing to slow down a bit to enjoy my kids, my grandkids and to spend more loving quality time with my ol' lady. Life can be a great ride! Jim Lattin
https://www.mecum.com/auctions/las-vegas-motorcycle-june-2018/collections/jim-lattin-collection/https://www.motortrend.com/features/70-year-old-lakes-racer-still-good-for-125-mph/
