Old Detroit Motorcycle Shops

[Jimaz]

... Moore's Motorsport [[Suzuki) in South Lyon....

I'm pretty sure that would have been my uncle Bob. He had three locations around Detroit.

[CassTechGrad]

I never got one of those big Harley’s, just too much bike for me. In 1974 I got a Kawasaki 400 triple 2 stroke from a shop on Auburn Road between Mound & Ryan in Utica, long gone now. I had them put on the expansion chambers. Light, lot of power, fun to ride. Sold in 1976 but I still carry my CY endorsement just in case!

[Ray1936]

Hey, Ray1936.

Fall 1969:

That wasn't you, was it?

Darn, no. Couldn't have been because in the summer of 1969 I was promoted to detective and working at the 10th [[Livernois) Precinct. Wish I could have said "yes"!

[shovelhead]

Darn, no. Couldn't have been because in the summer of 1969 I was promoted to detective and working at the 10th [[Livernois) Precinct. Wish I could have said "yes"!

Too bad. That would have been good for a couple laughs from us! I never thought to ask Skip Gage when I worked with him at Motor City, not sure if he was on a motor that far back, saw photos of him and the "freeway flyers", the white with black lettering slicktop cars.

[shovelhead]

"Hap" Cole had the Yamaha shop that later became C&C today in Brighton. He was an Indian dealer,in 1970 he still had a '53 model in storage.

[shovelhead]

In '67 his store was at Eleven Mile and Martindale Roads in Lyon Township, alongside his house. That was my preferred shop, I bought my bike originally at Terry's Hardware in Farmington, they were easy to buy a bike from but that ended once the ballpoint ink was dry on the paperwork.

[shovelhead]

CassTechGrad,

One nice thing about the big twin Harleys was the center of gravity was low, easier to balance than it looked. Sportster, well another story. And back in the 60's Sportsters were not really that fast, only one ever gave me a race, that was some guy with a nasty ugly filthy XLCH with Ohio plates late one night on Telegraph. When I caught up to him he told me the "laundry list" of what he had done to it. Truett and Osborne stroker crank was only one piece of the puzzle. My BSA Lightning was pretty quick, well until the CB750 Hondas came out. I got "educated" real quick on what those could do!

[Ray1936]

Too bad. That would have been good for a couple laughs from us! I never thought to ask Skip Gage when I worked with him at Motor City, not sure if he was on a motor that far back, saw photos of him and the "freeway flyers", the white with black lettering slicktop cars.

Yup, they stood out, did they not? Me in my glory days.

[lpg]

CassTechGrad,

One nice thing about the big twin Harleys was the center of gravity was low, easier to balance than it looked. Sportster, well another story. And back in the 60's Sportsters were not really that fast, only one ever gave me a race, that was some guy with a nasty ugly filthy XLCH with Ohio plates late one night on Telegraph. When I caught up to him he told me the "laundry list" of what he had done to it. Truett and Osborne stroker crank was only one piece of the puzzle. My BSA Lightning was pretty quick, well until the CB750 Hondas came out. I got "educated" real quick on what those could do!

Shovelhead, Just curious what year was your BSA ? I had a 69 Lightning. Have a 71 Lightning now. Also had my own shovelhead a 77 FXE.

[softailrider]

Too bad. That would have been good for a couple laughs from us! I never thought to ask Skip Gage when I worked with him at Motor City, not sure if he was on a motor that far back, saw photos of him and the "freeway flyers", the white with black lettering

slicktop cars.

I remember Skip Gage, he really loved to ride, maybe too much. He had a great memory for his customers. I would see him maybe once a year and he would always remember my name.

[shovelhead]

lpg, In 1968 I bought a new '67 Lightning from Earl Buck in Hazel Park, fall of 1969 I bought a '66 Hornet basket case also. Traded the Hornet to a friend for a car in the summer of '70, kept the Lightning until '74. In '94 I acquired a 66 Spitfire basket case but sold in in '03, still in pieces. Those 71-72 Beezers had improved braking and electrical systems and 750 cc displacement but I preferred the handling of the 1970 and earlier ones.

I still hold out hope to find another one sometime. In 1982 I did locate my old Lightning by running the VIN, that was before all the restrictions on LEIN and privacy laws came into being. I was living out west at the time, I was going to write a letter and offer to buy it but never did so. Last I knew it was titled to an address on Dix in Lincoln Park.

softailrider, you and I may have crossed paths at Motor City, I worked there part time from 99-05.

Sad how he met his end and the person that struck him was found not guilty despite witnesses and evidence at the scene. I no longer live near the location of the crash but I think of him whenever I pass that spot. His club [[he was the founder) each year sponsors a memorial ride and places a wreath at the site.

[lpg]

This has been one of the best threads I have read in a long time. Just memories, no politics, no arguments. Thanks for posting.

[shovelhead]

I totally agree with you.

I sometimes think that in discussions like this I get long winded but there is always a backstory that needs to be told.

[shovelhead]

CassTechGrad,

I didn't know Kawasaki made a 400 triple, I remember the 500 triple was a virtual rocket that was great in a straight line but lousy in corners. On that Kawasaki shop on Auburn Road, one of the guys I dirt raced with during 1968-1969 bought his 238 Kawasaki there in 68. He was sponsored by the dealership in 69 but had to paint his bike 69 color scheme that year.

I raced for two seasons, 1968 and 1969, scrambles and enduros throughout Michigan. By the end of 69 I had to make a decision whether to sell my street bikes off and get a serious competition bike thereby putting myself afoot or get out of racing. My final race was the snow scrambles at Mustang Acres in November 1969, 175cc class.

[Dan Wesson]

My first bike was a Honda 305 scrambler. A dirt bike version of the 305 Superhawk which was street.

Today its...

[Dan Wesson]

Here's my first Harley bought in 75. Tore it down in the basement and this is what emerged.

This pic is in a shed and I'm looking into redoing things when I quit working and got time on my hands.

[lpg]

Here's my first Harley bought in 75. Tore it down in the basement and this is what emerged.

This pic is in a shed and I'm looking into redoing things when I quit working and got time on my hands.

My first Harley was a 73 Ironhead Sportster. Purchased at Detroit H-D on the Lodge service drive. Salesman was Bill Hatherill.

[shovelhead]

Dan Wesson, I'm jealous, you had an XLH, I absolutely hated my kicker XLCH and it's propensity for it to go free and the shock of a free fall and screw up my already bad knee back then.

Also had a 305 Scrambler, that was one of my bikes I enduro raced back then.
One little known trick with those was to split the engine cases, disassemble the transmission and do an "X" swap with the four inner gears. This changed the gearing and reduced the rpm drop between gears. That combined with two less teeth on the front sprocket made that thing a stump puller. Ran 4.00X19 knobbys front and rear, Bates racing saddle, stripped the tins off the front forks and used Ceriani fork boots, homemade front fork brace. And for appearance I traded the larger fenders from the 305 to a guy who wanted to make his 250 [[CL-72) Scrambler look newer for the aluminum alloy fenders from his bike. Always liked those better.

lpg, last time I was in Detroit H-D was over the winter of '78-79, they had an XLCR on the floor and I seriously thought that day of buying it. Probably a good thing I had my company car instead of my El Camino that day....

[shovelhead]

Some useless trivia: if you go to the Fleetwood Diner in Ann Arbor, corner of Ashley and Liberty Streets, to the rear of the diner the first building that faces Liberty has a garage door that the driveway slopes to with an entrance door to the left. That was India Motorcycle Sales. The phone number was NO[[Normandy) 2-1748. Still remember it after all these years.

[stasu1213]

What was the name of the motorcycle detailing place that was on Grratiot near 6 mile road. I remember one time the building was painted a maroon color trimmed in white

[shovelhead]

Can't help you, Northwest side and suburbs only here.

Hey, anybody remember Zip Motorcycle Seats in Detroit? 9696 Grand River?
Google Street View shows the building still standing but the west wall shows some serious problems.

[shovelhead]

Just Remembered a couple more shops. J&J Cycles in Ypsilanti, they sold Triumphs. One of my friends who flat track raced a Bonneville was sponsored by them.

Another one was A&D Honda on Huron River Drive in Belleville. One of my friends bought his SuperHawk there in '68.

[shovelhead]

My first bike was a Honda 305 scrambler. A dirt bike version of the 305 Superhawk which was street.

Today its...

About the only thing that the Scrambler shared with the Super Hawk was the basic engine and displacement. The Super Hawk's engine was actually bolted into the frame at the top of the cylinder head and the rear of the engine, you could consider that as part of the frame while the Scrambler had a single downtube that under the motor went to a "U" loop that was all welded into the frame as one piece, it cradled the motor. Also, Super Hawks had an electric starter at the front of the motor, the frame downtube of the Scrambler would not clear that so they were kickstart only. Also the Super Hawk if memory is correct kicked forward to start.

When Honda introduced the 350 in 1968 they all shared the same frame. Some differences in shocks. exhaust, wheel size and fenders but basically they were all the same bike. Those bikes were really something for it's day, the one thing I really liked was the redline of the motor, 10,500 rpm and 36 hp all in a package of about 340 lbs.

[lpg]

When I bought my 77 FXE from Jake's H-D in Garden City I was offered free storage for the winter. In the spring I called and they were supposed to prep the bike for me. A week later they called and said the bike was ready. My dad took me to pick it up. I pulled out onto Ford Road and discovered I had no brakes, front or rear. They neglected to check the master cylinders. I confronted the people there and caused such a ruckus that a guy at a salesmans desk got up and left. I never went back.

[lpg]

Shovelhead, You are correct about the Superhawk kickstarter swinging forward. I still have my dad's 66 Superhawk. I learned to ride on a high school friends 64 Superhawk.