Real Rides.

[Mad4TheCrest]

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[motogrady]

Mad4TheCrest wrote

That's Freddie. His Dad was a doctor with a bunch of businesses and ran Newcombs at a slight financial loss - had it open for years 7 days a week. Nice tax write-off. When Freddie took over after his Dad's stroke (since deceased) he decided it had to run a profit every hour it was open. So he reduced the days open to just 4 days a week, then to just 3, and reduced the hours from 8 to 8, to 8 to 6, then began closing at 4pm, even on summer weekends. That led to the loss of experienced staff since they now needed more than one job given how few hours Freddie could give them. Staffing challenges and the strong desire to make every hour profitable led to the Ranch closing earlier than 4 on some days. It was a disturbingly common event to ride up on a Saturday, arrive at 3 and find it shuttered.

Ok, so that meant a lot of former regulars began going elsewhere, so overall revenue went down. That was bad enough, but fires and landslides that closed the way to Newcombs either completely (briefly) or partially (quite a lot more) had an even bigger impact. Then COVID hit and the place was closed for almost a year. Then, when Freddie could have opened it up again, he and his family decided to put it up for sale. At a price that, based on LA real estate, was not unreasonable, but given the isolated location and fire risks etc, made it too risky at their asking price, so it has sat unsold for nearly 2 years now.

The parking lot has remained open but no amenities of any kind have been provided. No food trucks have found their way up there (kinda of a big missed opportunity). No porta potties, no water, and no functioning call box (no cell service up there).

So, that's the story. If you have a cool 5.4 million to invest, Newcombs can be yours and you can be an icon of the SoCal motorcycling community (not to mention the campers, hikers, bicyclists, and skiers - if we ever get lasting snow again).

 Maybe suggest Freddie might look into a State grant.  
I know here they have a program here if you promise to keep a farm or acreage agriculture some guys have gotten big checks by signing on.

I mean, the State of California had like 60 million from the green sticker program for off road motorcycles in the bank, that they just took a few years ago, and just put it into the general fund.

The place has history.  I'm sure he could get something from some agency to bop a few charging stations in there.  Somebody get Newsome on the line!

[hacksaw]

That whole series of mantis posts rocked.
Thanks!

[hacksaw]

Covid , Biden , Newcombe ,who knows?

[Fatfatboy]

Thanks for the backup story Mr. Mad.
From my experience with mom and pop restaurant owners it has to be a labor of love and not a love of money. Lot's hours and weekends to keep them going.  

I guess it's like the difference between running a bed and breakfast in a sea side village and a high rise 5 star hotel in the city. You see smiles worth more than money.

I defiantly could see how the events that happened could knock the wind out of his sales.

I mentioned to the bride my interest in the ranch. She has no interest in moving to Cala-forn- I A so I guess  our $5.4m will stay safely in there Mason jars back in Wooley swamp.

[oldironnow]

It seems to me, it must be the continued fire risk.

Might as well sell while the value is high.

(Ah - Mr. Mad nailed it later. Thank you.)

[oldironnow]

Fatfatboy wrote

oldironnow wrote

Interesting posts, gentlemen!

Many LOLs, Grado!

Was out of state for awhile in "Sconnie" for SpiesLives' wedding. A wonderfully chaotic event that all came together at the last minute.

WAH!!! SpiesLives wedding?!  I missed this one. Congratulations on the Jumpin over the broom to the newlyweds. May they be blessed with years of happiness.

Thank you! I will pass it along.

[oldironnow]

Fatfatboy wrote

Nice FXR there. I’m not a huge fan of the Capital T bars that guys are putting on them but I guess it’s better than apes.

Those tee bars.... I'd have to try them to even understand them.

And that FXR looked crazy sweet from that angle.

[motogrady]

Ahhhhh……..Springtime.  
The smell of green grass, fresh air…….and Sunshine.
Optimism abounds.
As with this one.

Watched the young guy pull up next to me at Micky Dees.
He struggled to find neutral before shutting it down.
“A CX500?” I asked.

“Yeah.  Just got it. It’s an 85. Just started here.  My first real job, and first ride.  Bought it off my Dad.”

Like a new father beaming down on his newborn Son, I joined him as I worked on a Big Mac with fries and a coke.

“I’m thinking about getting it painted Red. Maybe some handlebars that rise a bit.  Not apehangers, just higher.
A single seat, but I dunno about that.”

Glancing at him for a moment as he held his helmet, enjoying the few minutes he had before his shift started,
I saw the joy on his face.

Hell, the liquids leaking from the radiator, I thought,
the liquids dripping down the side of the cases,
the aftermarket rats nest of wires under the seat, yikes,
but I said nothing.

I mean, it’s Spring!
Optimism abounds!

[hacksaw]

In general , and I went back to page one, this thread has so some of the ugliest bikes on earth.
That recent Road King is nice .
That FXR sucks.
Maybe it’s just bcz the vrod on page 1 melted my eyeballs .good lord men!
Change the name here to Kumbaya Cycles!

[Fatfatboy]

motogrady wrote

I mean, it’s Spring!
Optimism abounds!

Except for in Connecticut, it seams.

Old Hondas make great first street bikes. Mine was a CL360 that was my mom's that got sold to a brother's friend that I later bought back from him.

[motogrady]

hacksaw wrote

In general , and I went back to page one, this thread has so some of the ugliest bikes on earth.
That recent Road King is nice .
That FXR sucks.
Maybe it’s just bcz the vrod on page 1 melted my eyeballs .good lord men!
Change the name here to Kumbaya Cycles!

Lol……yes, reality can get very ugly.

That orange Vrod, it’s still ridden.
Not as much as before, it did save the owner on
fuel when Covid was raging.
It actually can be called a runner. Barely.
It’s not a statue that sits in a guys living room, drained
of vital fluids, all pretty, but lifeless.
It is ridden.

I passed a great shot just last week.  
It was about 6:30 am at the local convince store.
Light frost on the ground, the Sun had just come up.

There, huddled in a corner was a guy sitting on an old vmax.
Long greasy hair, kinda skinny, smoking a cigarette
for breakfast, a look of desolation on his face, I wanted to take the shot, maybe say a few words to the guy.  

But, it was all so miserable.

It would have to have been a black and white pic.
The ragged out rat bike.
The prospect of starting a full day of…..work.
The cig, the cold.
The cobbled, thrown together riding gear.

It could have been something out of a 1930s
Dust Bowl Depression pic, The Grapes of Wrath kinda thing.
Or a sharecropper from Mississippi during the same era.

Now, I wish I had taken that shot.

But I didn’t.  

It was just……..too real.

[hacksaw]

3 of my first 4 bikes were Hondas
SL175
305 Super Hawk
400f SS
———-
305 I wouldn’t mind having another
409f was a good bike w the best looking headers of any Jap4 ever made . Too bad the 500 didn’t appear as nice.
SL 175 was needlessly complicated for a kids first motorcycle

[motogrady]

Fatfatboy wrote

motogrady wrote

I mean, it’s Spring!
Optimism abounds!

Except for in Connecticut, it seams.

Old Hondas make great first street bikes. Mine was a CL360 that was my mom's that got sold to a brother's friend that I later bought back from him.

Mine was a Honda 50.  Or a 90.
I can’t remember.
It wasn’t a step thru, like a Cub.
But it did have, wadda call them, a rocker foot shifter.
You know, the kind you can use either your instep or heel to shift.

Got yelled at for doing doughnuts on the front lawn 😕

[hacksaw]

Lol
Nicest people my ass!

[oldironnow]

Two great stories, Grado !

Thanks for hittin' me up with some optimism !

[Mad4TheCrest]

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[hacksaw]

[Fatfatboy]

Thats a sweet high pipe Trumpet. I like them now but my first street bike was a high piped 73 CL360 just like this one.




It was once my moms that got sold to a family friend that I later traded a car for at which in my youthful wisdom the high pipe was replaced by a straight pipe and the stock fork tubes were replaced with some longer ones.
The kickstand was not right for the new lift. I had to watch were I parked it because the kickstand was to now too short.

One rainy day I stopped at Venture department store to get a parka. I headed for the entrance and behind me I heard "WHAM!". It was the dreaded sound of metal meeting pavement. I ran back to the bike to find it  lying on it's side with it's life blood spilling out on the rain soaked pavement. I got the bike up and found the shifter had made a new drain hole in the stator cover.

Fortunately Bob Schultz Honda/Harley/Suzuki was only about 1/2 a mile away and they happen to have a stator cover in stock and with the Honda tool bag screwdriver I was able to swap the stator out.

With my shiny new stator cover and depleted wallet I rode home in the rain, less the parka. As I was turning left into our subdivision the front end went out on me and "WHAM!". Again the bike was on it's side and the bike and myself were laying in the middle of the road. No spilling of it's blood, nor mine thankfully. Just a smashed and broken headlight and a bruised ego on my part.

At that point I decided that this bike needed to go. I beat the headlight house back to round, replaced the headlight and parked it until it was traded off for transmission work on my 66 Coronet.
I was bikeless for a couple years saving pennies up for a what I really wanted. A Harley Davidson!
     

[motogrady]

Fatfatboy wrote

Thats a sweet high pipe Trumpet. I like them now but my first street bike was a high piped 73 CL360 just like this one.




It was once my moms that got sold to a family friend that I later traded a car for at which in my youthful wisdom the high pipe was replaced by a straight pipe and the stock fork tubes were replaced with some longer ones.
The kickstand was not right for the new lift. I had to watch were I parked it because the kickstand was to now too short.

One rainy day I stopped at Venture department store to get a parka. I headed for the entrance and behind me I heard "WHAM!". It was the dreaded sound of metal meeting pavement. I ran back to the bike to find it  lying on it's side with it's life blood spilling out on the rain soaked pavement. I got the bike up and found the shifter had made a new drain hole in the stator cover.

Fortunately Bob Schultz Honda/Harley/Suzuki was only about 1/2 a mile away and they happen to have a stator cover in stock and with the Honda tool bag screwdriver I was able to swap the stator out.

With my shiny new stator cover and depleted wallet I rode home in the rain, less the parka. As I was turning left into our subdivision the front end went out on me and "WHAM!". Again the bike was on it's side and the bike and myself were laying in the middle of the road. No spilling of it's blood, nor mine thankfully. Just a smashed and broken headlight and a bruised ego on my part.

At that point I decided that this bike needed to go. I beat the headlight house back to round, replaced the headlight and parked it until it was traded off for transmission work on my 66 Coronet.
I was bikeless for a couple years saving pennies up for a what I really wanted. A Harley Davidson!

Some days it just don’t pay to get outta bed.