Barry Porter’s Benelli Sei 750

Reader Contribution by Margie Siegal
Published on February 15, 2011
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Barry Porter’s affinity for his Benelli Sei 750 is rooted in childhood. He was one of those lucky kids who grew up in a dirt bike-friendly family. After a Thanksgiving visit to cousins who had a Yamaha 80, Barry pestered his parents until he got his own Kawasaki. As he remembers: “I had a competitive spirit, and started racing when I was in high school. I stopped riding for four years while I went to college, but got back into it after I graduated. I raced enduros for several years, but I didn’t want to be away from my family after I married and had kids.”

Barry continues: “In 1985 or 1986, I went to a swap meet and saw British bikes like I remembered from high school. When I saw a BSA 441 Victor on a bulletin board, I bought it, tore it up and restored it. I really enjoyed doing it. That got me into collecting.

“I got into Italian bikes when my best friend told me his brother- in-law was selling his Moto Guzzi LeMans III. I went to look at it, went ‘OOOH,’ and of course bought it. Later, I took the Guzzi to the Concours d’Italiano, held every year in Monterey, Calif. I basically went to look at the exotic cars, and found out I could get in a lot cheaper if I brought my bike to show. They were driving these rare Italian cars around and the exhaust note of each of them was incredible. My Benelli Sei 750 sounds just like one of those Italian racecars.

“The Benelli was a score. I found it on eBay, of all things. It had only 420 miles on it and it was all stock, although it did have this ugly aftermarket fairing. I bid on it, but even though it was the highest bid, it didn’t meet the reserve. After the auction was over, the seller contacted me, and we worked out a deal on the shipping.

“The bike was in good shape except for the mufflers; Italian chrome in the 1970s wasn’t the greatest. I removed the ugly fairing and tracked down stock indicators, since the ones on the bike were molded into the fairing. Not many Sei’s came to the States, but there was this guy in Germany who had a huge stash of Sei parts. I was also able to contact the Dutch Benelli club, which has a lot of information.”

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