Our Club's Direction

[Pete Gagan]

The Torque Four was expensive by most standards, and maybe a silly waste to others. However, considering we have a standing offer from a member for twice what we paid, it's a pretty good investment by any standards- and it was saved from going into a private, hidden hoard.
Pete Gagan

[Barry Brown]

I take it the Foundation can then sell this bike?

[MetalDude]

Torque Four -- a beneficiaries view

The Torque Four was expensive by most standards, and maybe a silly waste to others. ...it's a pretty good investment by any standards- and it was saved from going into a private, hidden hoard.
Pete Gagan

Last summer, we had the Tourque Four at our meet here in St Paul, Minnesota. I have to say that it was really nice to have that cycle in our display. As the guy responsible for all the press releases and media packs, I highlighted a choice few of the primo bikes we were going to have in our display when I sent out the last set of press releases. Having the extremely rare Tourque Four amongst other rare bikes (like Ky Michaelson's rocket bikes, to name a few) really gave the motorcycle enthusiast something to show up for.

The Tourque Four emphasizes how important it is that investments made by the AMCA (and now this new foundation) must benefit the local chapters. Our chapter definitely benefited from that bike.

That bike also illustrates how actions taken by our leadership without adequate involvement and communication with the greater membership will create discord and dissatisfaction. I mean, my heck... that bike was bought like two years ago and it's still coming up in conversation? Imagine how different this thread would be today, if the people involved in its purchase had communicated more directly and openly with the general membership.

Dare to dream, my friends.... We can make this better if we can learn from our successes and our mistakes...


SEan O'Neil

[Barry Brown]

It should be quite obvious to anyone who watchs auction results or ebay sales that the torque 4 was bought at a knock down price however for any purchase to be a good INVESTMENT there must be the possibility for resale. , the Louvre in France does not consider the Mona Lisa a "good investment" , the Smithsonian does not consider "The Spirit of St.louis" a good investment, neither will ever be resold by their present custodians. I have the nagging feeling there is some other agenda at work here. Will donated bikes be put into a trust by our new lawyer so that they can not be resold? Pete put forward the scenario of having been donated 3 identical Gold Wings. The proper response would be to refuse 2 of them to prevent redundancy and making the foundation merely a wing of the auction houses.