A morgue find
About a month ago, I got a text from my lifelong pal and fellow rider Ernie. It stated that he just heard from a friend named Rickey, who manages a mortuary, that there is a 1976 Kawasaki KH400 that has been in the basement for 43 years. The owner of the morgue inherited the facility from her parents, who inherited it from their parents. Rickey told us she just wanted the bike sold. I was sent only a few, dark, somewhat creepy photos of the bike. I told Ernie immediately, I’m in!
We set up a time to go take a look. It was resting peacefully at the Chapel of Flowers Funeral Home here in San Jose, California, which was built in 1889. After a quick tour of the facility, including the very stately chapel, it was time to look at the triple. Richard guided us down a set of stairs, then to another set going deep into the dark confines of the basement. I won’t go into details about what I saw, but let’s just say it’s a very active morgue!
Moving down and to the back of the basement, partially hidden behind a casket, was the triple. The story of why the bike was left there so long ago, a gentleman’s wife passed away, and she was taken there. Unfortunately, he could not pay the bill, so he offered the triple for payment, and they came to an agreement.
Looking closer at the bike, covered in 43 years of dust, Ernie and I could see the bike could clean up to be a beauty. We made the deal for the bike and pumped up the 50-year-old tires. Then I asked if there was any other exit besides the steep stairway to get to the back exit, which had a convenient casket ramp to the back parking lot. Richard said that’s the only exit. Thank gosh Richard was a big, strong man defying his 72 years of age. After using all our strength, we muscled the bike up the stairs. Richard then told Ernie, “Why don’t you hop on and coast down the casket ramp?” I noted that coasting down a casket ramp is usually only a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Loading the bike onto my cycle trailer, we waved goodbye and made the short, 15-minute drive to my shop. After unloading the bike, we wasted no time doing an initial wash and clean. After that, we stood back and both said, “My lord, it’s amazing!” Almost zero corrosion, and it looked beautiful and so preserved. Ernie noted, “Well, it was in a morgue!”
Going over the bike that evening, I popped off the brake reservoir cap, and it looked like it was brand new inside, no gunk, no fluid. So I said what the heck, poured in some fluid, a few pumps, and presto, solid feeling lever. I then thought, well, what the hell… there was no ethanol fuel back in 1982, so I said why not try to start it! I flushed out the tank, which was almost spotless, installed a new battery, plugs, and changed the trans and 2-stroke oil. I called my next-door neighbor at his shop, he got out his video camera. I did 3 pre-kicks with the ignition off, said a short prayer, and proceeded to kick ‘er over. She started on the very first kick! We were blown away! One of the images I sent you [left] is a screenshot from the video at that exact moment, and I look like I have just seen a ghost rise from the dead! And I cannot believe it, she runs like a brand new bike. Perfect idle, ultra-snappy throttle response. Without even cleaning the carbs! And the first ride was as amazing as this story, she rides beautifully.
Tom Adler, aka 2-Stroke Tommy, via email
Just when you think you’ve heard the most unlikely “barn find” story, there’s someone coffin’ up one that’s better! — Ed.
Every Velo fellow knows
I very much enjoyed the comprehensive article on Velocette’s experiments with its overhead cam singles in the July/August issue of the
magazine. I am sure I will not be the only enthusiast of the marque, however, to draw attention to the error in Norm Bigelow’s review of important moments in Kawasaki’s history.
Norm states the existing 24-hour record in the 1970s dated from 1968, when a bored out Suzuki X-6 averaged 90.4mph for 24 hours at Monza. As every Velo fellow (or fellowess) knows, a near standard 500cc Venom averaged 100.05mph for 24 hours at Montlhéry in France in 1961.
Perhaps another article on this remarkable achievement could be considered?
Roger Beale via email
Our reader Roger Beale is correct. Until the successful March 1973 Kawasaki effort set a new 109.64mph record involving several Z1 Kawasakis, a stripped, Avon-faired 500cc Velocette Venom had established the 24-Hour record of 100.05 in 1961. One of our writers, Paul d’Orléans, covered the event on his blog: TheVintagent.com — Ed.
Ideas from the garage
First of all I love the magazine. It is one of two that I still get in print! I just wanted to tell you that I love the “classics to be,” and I may be the only one, but a poll of subscribers could be cool. I would love more stories about how Joe Blow always wanted a particular bike, his hunt, finding parts, and whatever level of restoration he did. The Destinations stories are cool. I miss shop talk. I am about to start on a mechanical restoration of my Gilera 124FL. How about an article on chrome, cad and zinc plating, the latest aerosol paints, like 2K stuff. Love the mag, never wrote to one before. Keep up the good work, just some ideas.
George Kleinstuber, Newtown Square, PA
We work from a “magazine content” survey as we move forward; we are listening to those who respond, and write in with suggestions; people like you, George! The survey helps us select stories that reflect the right “countries of origin” and decades of manufacture. Yes, you will see more How-To stories. — Ed.
A sidecar for new beginnings
I don’t usually write to magazines, but yours has been an important influence in my life going back to when you first started your publication 20 years ago, so I thought I’d share a bit about my current ride and the story behind it.
I’ve been riding since the ’90s and have had a number of bikes, from old Hondas to newer rides like a BMW 1200GS. I also worked for many years as a park ranger in Northern California, but two weeks after my second daughter was born, we lost our home — and my prized motorcycles — in the middle of the night during a large wildfire that swept through Santa Rosa.
Within days, a friend of a friend, vintage BMW specialist Brent Hansen, offered to sell me his very unique 1963 BMW R69S and Steib sidecar outfit, a bike featured at the third annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering in 2011. As far back as my early 20s I’d been looking for an older BMW, and although the tragedy had hit us hard financially, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.
We couldn’t afford to stay in California, so after living in Washington State for a few years and going back to grad school for a career change, we’ve now settled in Massachusetts. I decided to undertake a mechanical restoration of the bike and sidecar, so I took it to Andrew (Ande) Kahora’s Barrington shop in New Hampshire. He and his team did a fantastic job restoring the motor and transmission to original working order, and I had a local body shop handle the cosmetic and paint work.
We got it back on the road this summer, and both my daughters, 7 and 12 years old, love to ride around the neighborhood in it.
Jeff Taylor Granby, Massachusetts
