This past Wednesday, June 3rd, I had the great pleasure of entertaining one of the great motorcycle land speed legends of all time -- Denis Manning.  

About a week ago, I received a phone call from Denis, who let me know that he be in the area.   Denis and I have known each other for about thirty years, and due to our busy schedules, its a rare occasion that we get a chance to get together and catch up on old times.   Regarded as one of the world's premier designers and fabricators of land speed racing motorcycles, over the years Denis has been a part of more motorcycle land speed racing record breaking teams than anyone in history and continues to leave his mark on the sport.

Denis has been into motorcycles since he was a kid.  At the age of thirteen, his interest in land speed racing was sparked after attending the Bonneville Land Speed Record Trials.  While there, Manning was fortunate enough to see Mickey Thompson, and his four-engine streamliner car, "Challenger", make history with a new land speed record.  It was here that Manning developed his love for "going fast", and decided to devote his life to land speed racing.

By the time he was in his early 20s, Manning had developed his first streamliner to compete at the Bonneville Salt flats.  Powered by a stock Sportster engine running on gasoline, Denis himself piloted the machine to a speed of over 187 miles per hour, immediately gaining the attention of some of the biggest names in the game. 

Soon after his initial success at the Salt Flats, the 24-year old Manning was contacted by Harley-Davidson racing chief, Dick O'Brien, for a new Bonneville project.  Teaming up with O'Brien, as well as H-D engine tuner Warner Riley and George Smith of what would later become S&S Cycle, Manning would provide his design expertise and knowledge in an attempt to build a streamliner that would surpass the Don Vesco land speed record of 251.92 mph.  Piloted by H-D factory rider and AMA road race champion, Cal Rayborn, the team's nitro-methane burning 89 cubic inch sportster engine powered streamliner would record a two-way average speed of 265 miles per hour, breaking the old record and claiming its place as the fastest motorcycle in the world.

In 1976, Denis started BUB Enterprises and would begin to provide the motorcycle industry with high-performance exhaust systems.  Initially a manufacturer of solely Triumph exhaust systems, Manning had the experience with countless European brands that would allow him to manufacture what was regarded as the "best pipe out there".   He would soon expand his business to include systems for Harley-Davidson, and in 2002, Manning teamed up with Gerald Rhinehart of Nascar fame to manufacturer new exhaust for H-D touring bikes that would change the industry.  Since, the Rinehart True Duals would become the best selling aftermarket pipes of all time.

In the years following his contribution Harley-Davidson's land speed record breaking machine in 1970, Manning would combine his experience and expertise in countless land speed record attempts, claiming many along the way.  Building for Harley-Davidson, Triumph, and Norton to name a few, since his introduction to the sport, Manning has owned six of the eleven "fastest motorcycles in history". 

His 40-plus year experience and knowledge have culminated over the last several years into his most recent land speed racing attempts with the specially constructed BUB "Seven" Streamliner.  Powered by Manning's own design engine -- a 3-liter, V-4 turbocharged 16-valve dual overhead cam engine, the "Seven" Streamliner produces over 500 horsepower to the rear wheel and over 400 lb/ft of torque.  Constructed out of mostly carbon-fiber, the machine measures 21 feet in length, is only 22 inches wide, and weighs a mere 1600 pounds.  

In 2006, Denis and rest of the BUB team teamed up with seven time AMA Flat-track Grand National Champion, Chris Carr, and brought "Seven" to the Bonneville Salt Flats to make history.  With Carr behind the controls, "Seven" recorded a new world land speed record of 350.8 mph, conquering a two-day old record which previously had stood for over 16 years.

With the endless goal of always going faster, Manning has his eyes on breaking the current land speed record with another attempt by "Seven" and Chris Carr.  With new modifications to the engine, the team has been testing the machine in simulated environments in hopes of achieving success. 

For more information on Denis Manning, BUB Enterprises or the "Seven" Streamliner, visit www.BUB.com.

Last Thursday, May 14, 2009 the Wheels Through Time Museum held its first special opening of the year as hundreds of enthusiasts from one of the nation's longest organized motorcycle rides rolled into town.  Beginning in Cottonwood, AZ on May 10, The SmokeOut Long Road Ride headed east towards its final destination -- The SmokeOut East Rally in Rockingham, NC -- stopping in Maggie Valley for a special visit at the Wheels Through Time Museum along the way.

With over 60 registered riders, the Long Road Ride made its way from west to east, picking up plenty of steam along the way.  With stops in Santa Rosa, NM, Oklahoma City, Clarksville, AR,  and Nashville, TN, Long Road Riders saw hundreds of enthusiasts join the ride before their much anticipated stop at the museum on May 14.

Meanwhile, up the road in Maggie Valley, Wheels Through Time staff and hundreds of visitors alike gathered in preparation for their arrival.  "We've really been looking forward to this day for a long time," said museum curator, Dale Walksler.  "Its not often that so many folks get together for a ride like this, and we were honored to provide everyone a great museum experience and a place for the riders to kick back, relax, and get some rest."

Making their way from Nashville, TN, Long Road Riders began arriving at the museum at about 4:00p.m.  on Thursday, and kept on coming over the next several hours.  Home-built choppers and bobbers from around the country kept visitors in awe, and the adrenaline-filled riders combined with some of America's best two-wheeled history provided a much energized atmosphere that would make the evening one to remember. 

In total, over 700 visitors and Long Road Riders made there way to Maggie Valley, for a slice of motorcycle heaven...and they wouldn't be disappointed.  With a full staff on hand, museum tours and demonstrations lasted well into the night.  Both Dale and Matt Walksler had countless machines up and running for the event, including several newly acquired machines just recently put on display at the museum.  World renowned author and photographer, Michael Lichter, was also on hand as a special guest shooting the Long Road Ride and capturing some of the great moments during the museum's special opening. 

Shortly after midnight,  visitors, riders and museum staff would call it a day, as the last leg of the ride was fast approaching.  With only 250 more miles to go, the Long Road Riders agreed that the museum provided that extra bit of inspiration that'd make their final day a breeze.

Said museum staff member, Matt Walksler, about the ride, "This has certainly been a day to remember.  We love to share the collection here at the museum, and perhaps the biggest part for me is being able to provide inspiration to so many like-minded enthusiasts and builders.  I hope that everyone enjoyed their visit, and that we're able to do it again next year!"

A couple days back, are rare and interesting find made its way to Wheels Through Time from an old friend of mine of about 25 or 30 years.  My good buddy, Dave Kleptz, and I have been into old motorcycles for about as long as we both can remember.  Dave and I are both from the mid-west, and over the years have found some amazing motorcycle and automobiles in our own back yards.

Dave and his dad are from Terre Haute, Indiana, and through the decades have amassed the most amazing collection of Chryslers and other significant automobiles, ranging from Rolls-Royces and Duesenbergs to Packards and Cadillacs.  While Dave's dad has spent most of his life collecting machines of the four-wheeled variety, Dave has managed to find some of the most incredibe early racing motorcycles in existance. 

Several months back, Matt, Myron, and I headed up to Whitestown, Indian to take a look at a pile of old motorcycle parts that I'd heard about just a few weeks earlier.  Dave, who coincidentally was about 30 miles away  at the time decided to make and afternoon out of it, and go ahead and meet us at the location.  We all looked around a while, and within about an hour and half, Matt and I had managed to make a pile consisting of several parts for the many projects at Wheels Through Time.  After settling up and chatting a while, we headed out to Dave's trailer to take a look at a machine of his that'd been at the Indy Museum for a few years -- an original paint peashooter with a modified JAP engine wedged in the frame.  The bike had quite a bit of history and Dave was happy to get it back.

After staring in amazement at this early racing survivor for 30 or so minutes, Dave and I got to talking about a few of his other bikes and projects.  He let me know that he might be changing direction a bit on his collection, and had a few machines that I might be interested in making a trade on.  I told him to come on down to the museum one-day the next week, and we could talk details then. 

Now....Dave always comes prepared.  About a week and a half later, he showed up at the museum with truck, trailer, and big smile on his face.  We'd talked a bit about what he was looking for -- something he could ride and have fun with.  He even said he had something in mind -- a nice, period 1940 Indian Four -- in fact, the same 1940 Indian 4 we'd picked up the previous week in Indiana.  Coincidence...I think not. 

When Dave took me out to see what he brought hoping to trade, I really didn't know what to expect.  I knew he had some great bikes, but when he opened the trailer door, my eyes got wide with excitement.  There in the trailer sat two Harley-Davidson Peashooters...each in parts and pieces, but they were almost all there. 

You see, the Peashooter is such a rare machine.  This overhead valve Harley lightweight factory racer debuted in 1926, and held a strong position on the racing scene, both foreign and domestic.  They only made a handful each year, and because of their light weight and the nature of their use, very few survive today.  Produced in 350c.c. and 500c.c. displacements, there were many incarnations of the "Peashooter" through its last year of "production" in 1935.  Here at the museum, we've got a couple of great ones, including a very rare 1930 Model CA 500c.c. Peashooter, and a 1928 "S-bar" 350c.c. model that is regarded as the only one known.

After talking with Dave, we began unloading the two peashooter projects into the shop, then sat down to take in all that was in front of us.  Staring me right in the eyes was a 1926 Harley-Peashooter in all of its rust and glory.  Being the first year for Peashooter production, the '26 has so many oddball parts and features different from the later, more "refined" models.  Knowing that there are only a few '26s still in existance, I knew this would be a great addition to the museum collection.  The project was just as inspiring -- this one was a 1932 350c.c. model -- SERIAL # 1!!!  And this one had all of the special parts...special countershaft, left side rear chain, webbed cases .  Within minutes, I was envisioning these two new additions to WTTs boardtrack exhibit in up and running condition. I knew that as soon as Dave left, I was getting to work. 

I'll be sure to keep you updated on these two projects as they develop and get closer to their former glory.
So....back to the story....   Dave came up a few days ago, with another pile of parts that he thought I might be interested in.  He'd expressed some interest in a bike that I had for sale at the time, and decided to load up his truck in hopes of making a deal. 

He arrived at the museum about 6 p.m., and pulled right around back to the shop, where Matt and I had been putting in a hard days work.  Another big smile from Dave...my mind was already thinking of the possibilities.  We opened the tailgate...and found more than I was hoping for.  Another Peashooter project!!!  But this was no ordinary Peashooter.

Being from Indiana, Dave was not far from one of the most famous Harley dealers of all time -- Harry Molenaar.  I've got a lot of Harry's rarest motorcycles  here at the museum, including are rare H-D CAC speedway bike, the famous Gouldcar, the Shaft-Drive Knucklehead three-wheeler, among many others.   Over the years, Dave had also bought a lot of rare parts and motorcycles from Harry, and the machine sitting right in front of us, was one of those bikes. 

During the last years of Peashooter production, the Motor Company made big changes to their 500c.c. models, including a new, big-finned OHV head and cylinder.  These two parts are as rare as hens teeth, and in my 40 years of collecting, I hadn't found a one....that is, until now. 

This particular 500 Peashooter had quite a story behind it.  Built and modified by another famous H-D dealer, Bill Knuth, this 500 was set up for one of old Bill's specialties...hillclimbing.  The machine was made up of a rare 3-bar frame, special gas tank, single-speed gearbox, special handlebars and fork...and then there was the engine.  Built by Knuth himself, the serial number is not of standard Harley nomenclature, but bears Bill Knuths initials and the special model number he assigned to it.  Rare, rare, rare.   Over the years, only a few Knuth engines have turned up, and I have to believe that this is one of the more special ones.  Eventually, the machine made its way to Harry's shop in Hammond, Indiana, and sat idle until Dave and Harry made a deal some years later.

With an hour or two, Matt and I had the bike mocked up, and were beginning to get a great idea of what this thing was designed to do.  I'd imagine that we'll be making a lot of progress on this one in the next few months.  I'll be sure to keep you updated.

Until next time....

--Dale

What a weekend. 

Last Wednesday, Matt, Myron and I headed up to one of my favorite events of the season -- the Antique Motorcycle Club of America Annual Swap Meet in Oley, PA.  Each year, Oley is a "must do" event, as countless old relics surface from years of neglect and are brought to the Oley Community Fairgounds for their first public appearances in decades.  Hundreds of vendors gather to buy and sell parts, motorcycles and memorabilia, and share stories from their hunts and finds.  I don't know what it is about Oley that brings these machines out of the woodwork, but nonetheless, every year during the last weekend of April, the little Pennsylvania town glows with vintage iron.

This year's Oley Swap Meet would be no different, and in fact, would be a bit different from years past, as the forecast read warm and sunny all weekend.   As we headed out of Maggie Valley that Wednesday, we could all feel the excitement growing, each of us wondering what parts we'd find and if any "new" old motorcycles would be heading back to the mountains with us in the big black 40' fifth-wheel.   We drove straight through the night, and rolled into the fairgrounds just before the light of day.

Thursday morning, the action started early.  Hundreds of vendors made their way to their spots and began setting up for what we all hoped would be a great weekend.  Although we didn't bring any parts to sell, Matt and I quickly began unloading a few bikes we brought to cruise the grounds in our search for parts.  I brought one of my newest builds, the 1936 VEL, and of course the old '51 servicar, which is perfect for hauling around both parts and people.  Matt brought the old "tiger-striped" 1935 Indian, once owned by Indian dealer Herm Levine, and bought exactly one year earlier at the 2008 Oley meet.   Folks were mighty glad to see this one up and about, as Herm's Indian dealership was just 20 miles down the road from Oley in Easton, PA.  The little 1930 Harley DLD 45" that we ran at the Maxton Land Speed Races was also a big hit, and fit right in with this year's flathead Harley theme. 

After jumping from vendor to vender for just a few minutes, I knew that this year was going to bring out some great stuff.  It wasn't long before I found my first big find -- a set beautiful pair of one year only heads for a 1937 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead.  The games had begun, and in no-time, I found myself right in the middle. 

Matt's getting a pretty keen eye for the old parts, as well.  On Thursday night, I headed to the hotel for some rest.  Matt had the right idea, and decided to camp out at the fairgrounds -- he'll go all weekend without leaving.  The next morning, he called me early and told me he had a something for me.  When I showed up at the fairgrounds, he met me with a smile and handed over a big surprise -- a genuine OEM 1936 only front brake backing plate....and it was chrome!!!  Back at the museum, he and I are building a '36 Knucklehead with a custom paint job, and are adding plenty of chrome.  Now, finding a '36 front backing plate in any sort of shape is a great find, but a perfect chrome one with brand new break shoes and springs is more than a great find.  It was only Friday morning and the meet was already a success. 

As Matt and I walked up to the coffee stand, we stumbled across another great piece of history -- an early "two-bolt" H-D "45 frame.  I'm a huge 45" fan, and I haven't seen a decent one of these for sale in what seems like years.  This frame was perfect for the 1939 WLD project at the museum, and was actually one of the few remaining parts needed to start the build.  In no time, Matt had laid down a deposit and was headed back to the trailer to load the frame, leaving me to take care of the rest of the balance.  I didn't mind though, since I've been looking for another one of these for years.

Making my way from vendor to vendor on Saturday, I ran into so many friends that I don't get to see often enough.  My friend Wayne Cosentino was up, and fixed me up on some much needed hardware for projects at the museum.  My old buddy Gary Slifer from Smaltz Harley-Davidson (who's been a guest on the Time Machine often) stopped by for a visit, and my good friend Bub Tremontin, an old time Harley dealer from Hope, New Jersey came over to check out the little H-D 45" we ran at Maxton.  I felt like we'd done the job right when he cracked a smile as I twisted the throttle.  You know, as much as I love motorcycles, I love catching up with old friend even more. 

As Saturday wound to a close, vendors began to pack up and get ready for the morning trip home.  Just before we started to load, Matt's buddy, Gary Gardener, popped up at the trailer door.  Matt had been providing Gary with exact measurements for reproduction of a very rare early accessory called a Hanson Sportshield.  Gary had been working hard to get the project done by Oley, and made it to the meet with several examples of his new product.  Everyone looked it over closely, commenting on his craftsmanship and attention to detail. 

This thing was perfect...every rivet, screw, and spring.  As we all stood and admired Gary's work, he turned to Matt with a smile and said, "Now, I couldn't have done this project without you.  Within an hour, you were on the phone giving me measurements."  He handed the windshield to Matt and said, "Here you go, this is for you!"  Matt was pumped. 

If you'd like to order one of Gary's reproduction windshields, just shoot me an email and I'll put you in touch.  He's a heck of a nice guy, and does some amazing work. 

As we loaded up the truck, I said reminisced and said goodbyes to good friends and put another great weekend in the books.  It sure was a weekend to remember!

As we're well into the new year, the time for getting back on two wheels is rapidly approaching.  Here at the museum, we've been working hard on several machines to get them back into tip-top shape for the riding season, and have added several more projects to the workbenches in the past few months.  Over the winter, some incredibly rare machines have found their way to Wheels Through Time.  In January, after making cross-country trip to the Las Vegas Auction, I stumbled across and incredibly rare one -- possibly the last Harley-Davidson boardtacker ever produced -- a 1929/30 H-D overhead-valve 45".  Since I'm a big boardtrack fan, and a huge Harely 45" nut, this one felt like the find of a lifetime.  Then, within the month, two very rare Harley Peashooters came my way via an interesting trade.  Currently, I've got 10 machines on the lifts, and my son, Matt, has finished a few machines, and started on a couple of great projects as well.  We've been busy....really busy.

So many times, I'm asked how we come across these rare machines and projects, and how we know what we're looking for.  And the best answer I can give, is to make your way to any of the major Antique Motorcycle Club of America Swapmeets held each year.  With the swapmeet season starting in late February and early March, thousands of antique motorcycle enthusiasts make their way to Eustis, Florida for the first big AMCA event of the season.  Held during the weekend before Daytona Bike Week, the Eustis Swapmeet brings together a great cross-section of entusiasts of both new and old, each looking for the right parts and piles to get them started for the new year.  This year at Eustis, we found some incredible pieces for projects at the museum, many of which are well underway. 

But don't worry, just because the first big meet is in the books, you haven't missed your chance at finding the right parts for your project.  The season's second meet is fastly approaching, and if you ask any old bike buff, this is the one to hit. 

Held in Oley, Pennsylvania, the AMCA Oley Swapmeet is one of the longest running and most well put together swapmeets in the country.  Put on by the Perkiomen Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, this swapmeet brings out some of the best classic American iron on the planet. This year's theme is flathead Harleys, which is sure to attract some great ones.

What makes Oley so special?  Well, if you asked a 100 people, you might get 100 different answers.  One reason why I like Oley so much is that, geographically, it is and has been a sort of centerpoint for the motorcycle industry.  Dating back to the earliest days of American motorcycling, countless motorcycle manufacturers were located in the North Eastern United States.  Brands such as Indian, Flying Merkel, Reading Standard, and Pope (to name a few) have based their headquarters and production facilities in this historically rich region, and as you can imagine, held a dominant market position before eventually falling behind the more powerful, larger companies.  During the early days, these manufacturers thrived on a more local and regional customer base, loyal to their machines.  But as time went by, the smaller companies' shortcomings limited their lasting impact and brand loyalty, and soon they would become just another chapter in motorcycle history.  Or would they?

Held during the last weekend in April, the Oley swapmeet plays host to thousands of enthusiasts each looking for their piece of motorcycle history.  Located centrally in the North Eastern U.S., Oley brings some of the rarest and most significant early machines out of the woodwork, and out of their respective page in motorcycle history back into today's modern world. 

Over the years, I've turned up some unbelievable finds at Oley.  From early American boardtrack racers, to hot-rod period bobbers, and rarely seen prototypes and production models, you never know what'll show up to this meet.  Last year, early Friday morning, I made my way from the coffee pot to a friends booth, and on my way stumbled across a beauty of a bike -- a tiger-striped 1937 Indian hot-rod Chief.  The bike had great history, and right from the get go, I knew this one belonged at Wheels Through Time.  Formerly owned by Easton, PA Indian Dealer, Herm Levine, this Indian had changed hands only once since new, and hadn't run in over 20 years.  I bought the machine on the spot, and haven't thought twice about my decision.  Heck, after a couple of hours in the shop, we had her up and running, just as she had in her previous life long ago.

Another of my favorite "Oley finds" was the old 1920 Harley-Davidson flat-opposed W-Model at Wheels Through Time.  About 15 years ago, a couple friends and I ran across this original beauty sitting quietly under an old oak tree.  You see, the W-model is quite an oddball machine for Harley.  Aimed at both the female market and export market, the W-Sport was a small displacement, low compression horizontally opposed twin built by the Motor Company to compete with the various European opposed twins and to provide a lightweight efficient machine for women and younger riders.  Produced from 1919-1921, the "W" didn't quite take off like expected, and as a result, few remain today.  Event fewer of these are in original condition.  After a few minutes with a screwdriver, some carburetor cleaner, and a couple of wrenches, we had her up and running and cruising around the swapmeet.  Definitely an experience I'll never forget.

So whether you're the most seasoned antique motorcycle enthusiast, or just would like to see hundreds, maybe thousands, of these rare pieces of American history in their element, the Oley swapmeet is an experience that'll last a lifetime. 

We hope to see you there!