Detroit Motorcycle

[exeric]

I should clarify also. I admire any artist that can do a superb restoration or an undetectable patina job. It takes a lot of skill and knowledge to do it right. It only gets dicey and unethical when deception gets thrown in. Regarding the Detroit, it was my understanding that there were a couple of orphan motors in existance and some enterprising and talented people created extreamly accurate homes for them. I have nothing but respect for the talent and inititive it took to make that happen because it brought some of our great motorcycle history back to a tangible and understandable place. The real thing is always better than a photograph. I have no problem with the Detroit or reproduction parts and motorcycles. the more of this stuff that can be brought back to life, the better.

[INLINE4NUT]

exeric very well put and I agree my friend!! It just burns me to no end about the lying for cash gain,never had a good thing to say about it and never will,as long as a reproduction is presented as such Im ok with it,Ive noticed MCs in our mag that say as much then a few editions later the reproduction is dropped and its a 1900 what ever with no further mention of it being fake,this is the point where the deception begins and if i ever see this happening will be among the 1st to point it out to anybody not so keen on the MC.

[martin]

Originally posted by jww
Martin,
With all due respect.........your stated rumor regarding the Detroit pictured on display at The Packard Museum is just that...RUMOR.
I believe I know the owner of the pictured bike, and not only did he not "purchase" the bike, he would not misrepresent it as original. It is however a beautiful piece of our countries motorcycle history. johnny

Oh really. Do you have some before photos? The motor was real, the rest is reprod. Anything other than that is a lie. I know it and so do some of the others that have posted here. I have no problem with repros as long as they are not represented as originals. As for the patina vs. new.... I think it is easy to hide the repro when restored either way, so what is the difference. There was a 1910 HD at Wauseon this year that was restored to as-new condition. The only thing original on it was the cases, flywheel, and carb. You couldn't tell, but the owner was honest about it. I have no problem with that. By the way, how did you get my baby picture anyway?

[c.o.]

Yup.............I do believe that the last three posts are bang on. It's too bad that all who do misrepresent their machines couldn't read this thread. Some folks I do believe are spreading the fiction unknowingly......... but for those that know better........shame on you........

[jurassic]

liars

well this is a perfect example of a motorcycle that needed to be recreated.its a beautiful machine.two detroits were built from original engines,one battery model and one mag model. E.J. Cole bought the battery model for around 80K,and he knew exactly what he was buying. a historically significant work of art. he didn't buy the bike hoping to make a quick buck,or fool someone later on.he bought it because he loves american motorcycles just like the rest of us.he knew this was a once in a lifetime bike. there are only a handful of guys out there that spend that kind of money on a motorcycle,and believe me they know what they are buying,who they're buying it from,and what its worth. as for the detroits,it was and still is common knowledge that they were newly made chassis' . anyone that knows dave has heard him planning the detroit project for years.and there was an article in the mag. if you dont like dave,just dont deal with him.dont go around spreading lies about him on the internet. it seems the only lies i've heard lately are coming from martin. actually its the same lie over,and over, and over again. "repop bad", "misrepresent" , "misrepresent" , " rumor has it" ," thats what i heard".dude,you got anything new or interesting to bittch about?? now i understand that passing off a repo motorcycle as original is wrong,and the people that do it are lower than dirt. but i dont think it is quite so rampant as some have been led to believe. most people realize that there are differences between original and repop stuff { by the way the new 1910 HD cylinders are easy to spot}. trying to pass off an entire repo bike in this day and age is nearly impossible.and as far as the next 100 years,if they are still collecting this old , worn out junk,then i am sure they will be able to tell then too. speaking of liars,i just happen to know for a fact ,that the strap tank that sold at the RM auction ,did not belong to dave leitner,and was not a reproduction.the resto job was horrible ,and the tank had been remade poorly,but it was an original bike. i know this old forum is getting pretty boring,but do we have to keep rehashing the same old tired arguement.repop is not synonymous with misrepresentation.not everything that is posted on the internet is true.not everyone knows what they are talking about.

[martin]

Re: liars

Originally posted by jurassic
dude,you got anything new or interesting to bittch about?? now i understand that passing off a repo motorcycle as original is wrong,and the people that do it are lower than dirt. but i dont think it is quite so rampant as some have been led to believe.

What about that excelsior thing you tried to pass off at Davenport a few years back. I was walking with a good friend and heard from your mouth that it was mostly original. You are a bigger liar than your dad. You may have come clean on the last few bikes, but not before then. You are right, this is getting boring. But remember, I only post on here if I see a lie, and there are plenty of you repoppers that will pass off a repro if you think you can get away with it and make an extra buck. So, I guess that, as you would say, it "makes you lower than dirt". Have a great day.

[jurassic]

.

[c.o.]

WOW!!!! Maybe this topic is a little old..........it's gotten too deep for me........

[Ohio-Rider]

All is good guys. I got in touch this week end with the young lady in charge of organizing the motorcycle display each year at Packard. She was able to show me the place card which was in-front of the Detroit while it was on display there. It clearly stated that the bike was a “reproduction” so there was no misrepresentation by the owner who was kind enough to allow Packard to display the bike. She expects the bike to on display again next year as well.

Just a small side note. She said the museum has enough room for a few more bikes and if anyone would like to include one of their bikes for the display this year, to please contact them. The event this year will be held from Jan-8 thru May-31 if you are interested. -Steve

[Tom Lovejoy]

Interesting stuff, those photo's and the info on the Detroit. Not the name calling though - but those pictures were good too, the dead horse all but had me chocking with laughter, bout spit my coffee all over the place

[HarleyCreation]

New TV Series

This ongoing (and necessary) controversy between original and reproduction has the makings of a GREAT TV show and no mistake!

The series starts with a crusty old motor that somebody finds at a swap meet or maybe in the local dump and then sells to a big time operator.

Mr. Money in turn takes it to some highly skilled artist-replicators in their well-equipped shop (it could be a father and son operation). These guys delve into the history of the engine, call in experts and AMCA club members who figure out what the motor belongs to, the make's history, and they display for the TV camera old photos and ads. They take us time traveling as the bike is slowly coming into being. Maybe there's some racing history involved. There is even a visit to the town where the bike was originally manufactured and the Walmart parking lot where the original factory once stood and they interview local people there who never heard of the bike ("What was it called again?"), etc. etc.

Then, finally, just under deadline, the bike is finished in time to be put on display somewhere important, maybe the Guggenheim. But by mistake -- or by evil design -- the bike (original motor but mostly repro) is mislabled as all of it being the REAL thing and the national media picks the story up and broadcasts it widely.

At this point Martin and a group of Originalist radicals burst in and raise a ruckus about the bike, revealing that it is not accurately described at all and they denounce it as a lurid FAKE. A near-fight breaks out on camera, beers are spilled (gasp!), and all parties have to be restrained. The first season concludes with the bike being accurately re-labled as the historically correct part-original/part-replica bike that it actually and honestly is.

Season 2 starts with a group visit to the new Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wis. where major boo-boos and mistakes in this "offical" mega-million dollar edifice are spotted and revealed!

[DWN]

What a sick sense of humor. But I like it. As long it was cheap beer they were spilling.......

Folks like Martin serve a purpose. They keep us on our toes, even if they do ruffle our feathers one in a while. There's a fellow on the CBX list who acts much the same as Martin. Face to face, he's a great guy. On line, he seems to be trying too hard to validate himself.

I'm glad we're not all the same.

[exeric]

Well put Rickeieio. I think Martin is very knowledgeable and presents some very provocative points, (I'm being kind there). He can really kick some life into this forum and I'm glad he participates (every once in awhile).

[pete reeves]

Exeric ,is this the same Martin that called you a Lush?

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by rickeieio
What a sick sense of humor. But I like it. As long it was cheap beer they were spilling.......

"Old Milwaukee" beer?

You know, I think I'll start buying that label instead of Blatz ("Est. Milwaukee 1851").