Ellington, CT

[Kip Kern]

Any POG members in this area?  Nice bike collection and shop going on the auction block June 2nd at 11am.  J.Wood and Co Auction.

[Jeff D]

This is Frank DeGray's old shop.  Frank has been a New England icon for decades.  I used to frequent his place in the early 70's, and he was well established back then.  Very knowledgable and able mechanic.  Any of the bikes out of his shop should be sweeties if he's had his hands in them.

Jeff DeBell

[Chakka]

I've been to his shop back in the 80's. He was an ornery guy and probably had seen his share of motorcycle obsessed kids with no money to spend. I think he was rude and kicked us out but I do remember he had a Zundapp 125 Enduro and a very cool yellow Hercules 50cc ISDT which I wanted very badly and he said he would never sell.

I might go to the auction, Frank was big into British bikes and I decided recently I want an early BSA Bantam to restore. Who knows...Maybe he still has that yellow Herc and I can add it to my collection of Pentons.  
Chris

[Chakka]

Kip, I forgot to mention I am located about 15 mins from his shop. I can swing by and see what he has before the auction.

Chris

[Jeff D]

Here is a list of cycles at DeGray's auction, taken from the J. Wood & Co website.  There are photos of some of them on the website. This is the 2nd time Frank has had a "going out of business forever" auction by J. Wood.  I get this on good authority from his friend and fellow Nor'east woods legend Piet Boonstra.  Piet thinks this time he's serious about it because he's selling all of his shop equipment, parts, etc.
Chakka, where do you live?  I grew up on Gulf Road in Somers, just over Soapstone Mountain from Frank's shop.  Us teenage hoodlum outlaws used to ride (illegally) on the roads through Shenipset State Forest to get to Frank's and the old Roadrunner shop next door (I think it's a Harley shop now).  Got chased a couple of times by the DEP rangers, too, but his AMC Matador couldn't jump off the dirt road down the trails like our bikes could!    I was just glad he never spotted my bike in the driveway and pulled in to inform my parents of my naughtiness!

MOTORCYCLES: 1952 Triumph Speed Twin, #2, 1953 T-Bird 6T, #1, 1963 Triumph T100 Trophy, #1, 1964 Triumph TR6R, #1, 1966 Triumph TR6C Trophy, #1, 1968 Triumph T120R, #1, 1968 Triumph Daytona, #1, 1963 BSA C15S, #1, 1971 BSA A65, #1, 1972 VSA B44 Bitza, #1, 1965 Velocette Venom, #1, 1970 BMW R60/5, #3, 1974 MZ TS250, #1, 1994 MZ Silver Star, #1, 1994 MZ 500 Tour, #1, 1994 MZ 500 Country, #1, 1969 DKW 125, #1, 1975 DKW 125, #1, 1966 Sachs K80, #3, 1966 Kreider Super 5 50cc, #3, 1976 Fantic 50cc, #1, 2000 Suzuki DR650, #1, 2003 Beta Alp 4.0, 31, 1985 Yamaha IT 200, #3, 1980 Honda CT110, #3

Jeff DeBell

[Kip Kern]

Looks like a good sale to go to, wished I was closer.  1975 DKW 125?  and the smallbore Sachs bikes with GS tanks!  Too cool.  A lot of nice Triumph stuff!

[Chakka]

Hi Jeff,

I grew up in Glastonbury and used to ride the MDC land owned by the town of Manchester. By just crossing the street I had trails that went to Manchester, Hebron, Bolton. I had a old sandpit behind my house which also had a huge network of trails leading to the state forest. We used to meet in the sandpit on our bikes promptly at 3 after school and decide where we would ride to. It was a magical time. Fast forward to 2007, the sandpit is a housing development with hundreds of McMansions, all the trails that connect to the State Forest cross back yards...most of the places we rode are developed now. I did bring an ATV up to the MDC land recently and it was exactly as it was back in the day, like stepping back in time.

Kip - I bet the 1975 DKW looks identical to a six speed Herc with the exception of tank badges and colors....All the Hercules I've seen have been 175's, I have never seen a 125 version.
Chris

[Kip Kern]

Chris,   Jerry (J. Woods) is supposed to send photos of all the machines offered sometime around next week.  A few bikes sound interesting?  Hope you are able to go to the sale.  I would like to as I also want to check out a Ossa SDR at Hogan's in Springfield, MA. But I have a lot of stuff to get ready prior to Mid Ohio so don't know if I will have the time:(

[Chakka]

Kip,

If its the same bike, and I am sure it is I have seen the SDR at Hogans, it's outstanding! He has my old Bultaco 125 Sherpa T in his collection. All my attempts to buy that bike back have been futile. The entire back row of bikes, maybe 30? are his personal bikes and they are very cool. He has a great shop to visit and is a pretty nice guy. He laced my penton wheels on my first restoration because I was still learning how. It's been a few years, I need to drop by at lunch some time, he is only 15 mins from where I work. I can get a shot of the SDR if you'd like.
Chris

[Kip Kern]

Chris  That would be great, thanks.  He indicated that he would sell it (SDR) but hasn't sent any photos.  I would appreciate it a bunch.  [email protected]  I heard he also had an MZ 250 ISDT, I would like to check it out also.

[Jeff D]

Man, this is like a trip down Memory Lane!  First Frank DeGray's and now Hogan's Cycle Shop!  Bob Hogan is another of the New England old time enduro riders.  If you ever get a chance to read Piet Boonstra's excellent book on New England enduro riding, you'll find both those names in there plus photos of them in their hey day.
If you want to go really far back, talk about Fred Marsh and Marsh Motorcycles in Warehouse Point, CT.  When I was a teenager in the mid-70's, Freddy was still hill-climbing competitively and he was IN HIS 70's!  I believe he did a hill-climb at Monson, Mass on or close to his 90th birthday.  He had his old factory Indian Scout flat-tracker sitting in his shop when I used to go there in the 70's.  Sadly he passed away a couple of years ago, age 102 or thereabouts I believe.

Chakka, last time I rode in Somers was over 25 years ago, and even then it was getting to be like your old stomping grounds.  I used to be able to ride all the way across town to my riding buddies' houses using trails and crossing only 2 paved roads.  I tried it around 1980 and kept running into people's back yards.  The old Somers Enduro (which then became the Bren Moran Memorial, then the New England Championship and now the Somers again) used to be upwards of 120 ground miles each year...24mph, no resets...120 actual miles.  Ed McIntyre and the rest of the Rams M/C picked out the choicest, toughest trails and us kids delighted in pre-riding and post-riding sections of the course we could reach for the rest of the year. There's not enough open land to do that up there anymore.

Jeff DeBell

[Chakka]

Kip - I will stop by early next week with my digital and get some pictures for you. Its a great excuse to swing by there. Hogan used to have a pile... literally a pile of Frontera's stacked on thier sides that almost reaches the cieling. My buddy at work wants to make an offer on them.

Jeff - 2 other places from back in the day...ever go to Cycle Dynamics in Feeding Hills or Cycle Gear in Manchester back before it was all street bikes stuff and clothes?

Chris

[Jeff D]

About to run this post into the ground, but...!
Never made it to Cycle Dynamics, but talked my drivers ed teacher to letting me and my buddy drive to Cycle Gear to pick stuff up in 1974 AMC Matador drivers ed car!  

Jeff DeBell

[Rain Man]

Jef D. theres  a Hare scramble  and a Vintage Hare scramble in Somers Conn. on Mothers day @ a farm ?? I can get more info if you wish. NEtra Website or New England Dirt bikes web site may fill you in more.

Raymond
 Down East Pentons

[Jeff D]

Thanks for the offer but...
1.  I live in Kansas and (more importantly)
2.  I value the continuation of my marriage enough not to schedule any 2-wheeled activities on Mother's Day.  The bride just wouldn't it like we would!  

Jeff DeBell