The Bike Lift and other stuff.

Sunday 1/26/2014, A real work day!

The plan for today was to get the bike lift set up in the shed with a bike on it and to test the lift.

All of this was accomplished along with a few other tasks.

I took the HD to be detailed and it really turned out well.

I don't think that it has looked so good since Leon left for Arizona.

On to the lift,

I moved everything out of the shed and into the yard to create room for the lift set up.

Here is the shed ready for the next step.

The Triumph was moved in alongside the lift to check clearances and it worked just fine.

Then the Ariel was positioned on the lift, with a lot of help from Madame, it was set in place and tied down.

Next, the moment of truth!

Well as you can see it works, the next phase is to set the red chopper on the lift and remove the starter motor. 

I'll let you know how well that works next weekend.

More soon,

Ciao Bella

Norm

More about the bikes

About the Bikes

Some were real classics some were questionable but they were all interesting.

As you can see there was some serious money being asked for these things.

Some bikes were incomplete, some were prototypes without internals, one was a rolling chassis only with no engine. That bike was built by Bourget as a styling exercise.

If you ask me the next picture shows the best rolling chassis on display in the whole place!

Of course if you want to talk about silly money being paid for stuff, look at the number 7 picture below.

This piece of scrap iron brought $32,800.00 at an auction in the UK recently.

This trip taught us that we really need to do a bit more homework before we go to the next event.

If we had been handicapping horses instead of trying to set auction prices, we would have been run out of Vegas on a rail.

More soon,

Ciao Bella

Classic Bike Auction In Las Vegas

WOO HOO

What a trip!I have never seen so many bikes that I would love to buy in one place.
The trip started out with a drive up from the plant on Thursday afternoon. It went very well and was a sub four hour ride. No stops, just press on through.
We checked in at the South Point Hotel and then headed for the auction.

There were acres of bikes, some classics some not so classic but all with their own story to tell.

How about this six cylinder Honda CBX from 1980, 1,000 CCS and six carburetors just to drive you nuts trying to get them all in sync.

I rode one down to Newport Beach with Anne on the back, that thing was a flying machine!

It was owned by my good friend and colleague Harold Kie.

The first night there I put $100 down on the crap table and walked away with $203, I figured that was a good profit for a weekend and quit gambling right there. (Well almost)

Then I hooked up with my buddy Elvis Knievel, big guy wasn't he?

This was the first stay at South Point, a bit out of the way but a nice hotel, if you are going to be in the center of action on The Strip, this is not the place for you. The rooms are spacious and with high ceilings making them feel very roomy. There are lots of facilities such as a cinema, spa, 10 restaurants, a million slot machines, you know the deal.

The view from my side of the hotel was very good too.

More about the auction and the bikes soon.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas Here We Come!

On Thursday after work, my friend and colleague James Wilbourn and I head for Lost Wages.

We are going there for a motorcycle auction, check it out:

http://www.midamericaauctions.com/auctions/antique-motorcycles/2014-las-vegas-antique-motorcycle-auction/

James shares my passion (OK we are both English guys originally so passion may be a bit strong) shares my love of , naw, we both are mildly interested in motorcycles, yes that's more like it.

I have promised Anne that I will not buy anything.
We are taking the truck and the ramps just in case James sees something that he has to have!

Even though there are a couple of things which caught my eye in the consignment brochure which Anne kindly bought for me.

Other News!

Now that I get my UK OAP, (Old Age Pension) I thought that I may as well get a bus pass too.
So here is a scan of it, I figured that the King Norm picture was one of my better looks.

The only thing left is to apply for my heating allowance, I'm not real sure how that works, but I plan to check with the bar-room lawyers when I go back to the UK in March.
Unless of course any of you on the other side of the pond can give me the inside track in the mean time.

More soon from Sin City!

 Viva Las Vegas

2013 Winding Down

As 2013 has been put in the record books, we can reflect on what has happened during the last twelve months.
It's kind of like an old Clint Eastwood spaghetti western:
"The Good, The Bad and the Ugly"

I think that we all remember only the good after a short time and the bad kind of fades in to history.
When we were kids, it was always sunny and warm during the summer, even in the north of England.
Reality may have been a different matter.



Now ugly is a different story, as the saying goes:
"Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone"

We have had some really good trips this year and had some wonderful guests.
Next year we look forward to more trips and meeting up with some of the guests.

The Hotel Ameri-Cain has adopted a new policy, the full T&Cs of which (Terms and Conditions for you non business types) are shown below:

Dogs Are Welcome at Hotel Ameri-Cain

We never had a dog who smoked in bed and started a fire.

We never had a dog who stole the towels or silverware.

We never had a dog who played the TV too loud.

We never had a dog who had a fight with his traveling companion and broke the furniture.

We never had a dog who got drunk and peed in the closet.

SO

If your dog can vouch for you,  you're sure of a warm welcome at the 

Hotel Ameri-Cain.

Signed:-

Bob, Manager Pro Tem

Remember, I've got my eye on you.

PS

Remember to bring treats, but not ones made in China, or ones that contain grain products!

On second thoughts, just give me some of the treats Doctor Mom makes.

We had our first ride of 2014 on New Years Day, just a putt to Long Beach once the fog lifted.

(The real kind of fog, not the alcohol induced kind) 

All the best for 2014