My Day in the M-I-A

 Yep, I do house calls.

It would be silly not to, and there is definitely

a market for it down here. It's not like I travel very far.

Miami is right next door, and I've got a pretty nice client base

down there. And, I love an excuse to make the trip.
 

First Stop

 

the Grand Central.

It's a club in downtown Miami.

No, I didn't actually go to the club, my customer owns the building.

(I don't really get out that much)

His Triumph was overdue for a cylinder head retorque.

He had me rebuild his top end

earlier this year.

(and it is on our you-tube, links will be at bottom)

                                                 Now that is one awesome t-shirt!

That's me working in the outside bar area.

Hope nobody puts down their Louis Vouton!

 

Off to the Beach!

South Beach,

that is.

 

Stop number Two-

 delivery of this fine BSA A-65

Believe it or not, this bike is also on you-tube!

Hmm...Coincidence?

Both these bikes were filmed being repaired during visits

to Mean Machines earlier this year. They both were filmed by me, not Brando, and were the only two I filmed.

(we try to keep the camera in his hands, and the wrenches in mine. Yes, you can also

 read this the other way around, Mr. Mitchell)
And now, they bring me down to Miami on the same day!

But here is the icing on the cake-

 

Third Stop
Final destination- Brando's.

And guess what was on our agenda,

besides catchin' up with our friend Jim Beam?

 

I stopped by so we could finish the voice over for the BSA A-65 video!

(insert theme  to the Twilight Zone)

Brando's TR6. Packed away.
(road construction right outside his building forced Brando to resort to riding a KLR, in order to successfully jump all the ditches and slag heaps left helter-skelter by the work crew)

So, we are making a serious You-Tube push, and need everyone's help.

WE NEED SUBSCRIBERS!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/meanmachinesusa?feature=results_main

You can check out the Triumph T120 Top End, BSA A-65 Clutch, and new episodes every week. (almost)

 

Again, our channel:

Meanmachinesusa

See Ya
-JOSH

 

-Mean Machines is a vintage motorcycle repair shop, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

They specialize in Triumph, BSA, Norton, and all the other British bikes, but also work on Japanese and European makes. The shop is also involved in Ask Henry Racing, running a Kawasaki Z1R in AHRMA,s Vintage Superbike Roadracing events

BSA A65 Classic Motorcycle

Showing Respect

When Ike was only 10 years old,

he was told by Max Horowitz that the best British motorcycle

 was the Sunbeam.

Ike is from Haifa, Palestine (yeah, this was a few years ago) . He went to school across from Max's shop. "I had to venture in, it smelled so good."

So in he went, and back out he was chased.

 So he snuck around back.

He would sweep up around the shop, and sometimes get his hands dirty cleaning parts. By the end of 8th grade, his enthusiasm earned him an apprenticeship.

Ike worked with Max until he  'volunteered' to join the Israeli Navy.

On leaves he would always visit Max.

On one of Ike's visits, Max showed him his prized Model 9 Sunbeam, which was put in a Matchless 'jampot' frame.

"A sprung Sunbeam!"

 "wow!"

The ride that followed left quite the impression. 

The next year, when Ike got discharged, he received the news

that Max had passed away.

 And, the Sunbeam was nowhere to be found.

I had the pleasure of helping Ike start the 1936 Sunbeam Model 9, that he built, for the first time.



                               Earlier that morning, I heard this joke:

A priest and a cabbie both went up to heaven. The priest ended up in a little shack, and being quite upset, approached God with his greivance. "My Lord, I have devoted my whole life worshipping you and preaching your glory to the people. How is it that all I get is a little shack, and the cabbie has a beautifull mansion?"

God answered him, "Yes, you have been faithfull. But, when you were preaching, you put many people to sleep. Now, when they were with the cabbie, all those people were praying."

See ya

-Josh

 *The information for this Blog came from an article that Ike wrote for 'Beaming - Journal Of The Marston Sunbeam Club and Register.

Issue #8  December 2011

Mean Machines is a vintage motorcycle repair shop, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

They specialize in Triumph, BSA, Norton, and all the other British bikes, but also work on Japanese and European makes. The shop is also involved in Ask Henry Racing, running a Kawasaki Z1R in AHRMA,s Vintage Superbike Roadracing events.



Honda CB160 part 2