Archive for the ‘antique motorcycles’ Category

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The Steele’s Cycle Story: Motorcycle Salvage

Monday, March 9th, 2026

Need a motorcycle part? You’ll probably find it here.

At first it was just figuring it out. Beginning in 2006, Steele’s Cycle embraced the new opportunities presented by the internet, and specifically eBay, and began the transition from junkyard to salvage operation.

“In the beginning, people would put it on the floor, on your desk, just take pictures and list it on eBay. Over time, we, like everybody, were like, we need a listing station,” Rick explained. “We need a place to put somebody to list the stuff. We tried lights. We made PVC white sheets to try to reflect. We tried to have a photo studio next door. But in the end, we just ended up with these listing stations. But that was all just over time and experimentation.”

They also used a tool called MotoLister.

“These two guys showed up in a car out front here. In the back of their car, it was called MotoLister. And they had a staged deal. It was basically, you take a picture, it’s hooked to your computer. It was software, basically. But they were the first ones. And they said, we’re looking for people to try it for free.

 Wheels? Yeah, we’ve got wheels.

“And he showed it to me and I said, yeah. Price is right. I do remember though, telling them okay, I’ll do it. But what’s going to happen in a year or two, you’re going to start charging me. And I said, I’ll do it. But you’ve got to give me free for life. And he agreed to it. I think five years ago or something, he started charging me. But they improved it immensely.”

“We also decided we needed more space, which is when we added on the 5,000 square foot addition in the south end of the building.”
By the time that addition was built the yard was overflowing with bikes. To make space, Matthew said, “I threw away 800 motorcycles. We had to clear the yard and they were just all sitting there.”

Those 800 bikes filled a lot of recycling dumpsters.

“We were filling it up, taking them away, and it was just a round robin for a number of weeks. Probably got a whole $300, $400 for each skip.”

But did they single out at least a few better bikes to salvage?

“For the most part, we didn’t really have a choice. But if there was something there that we thought was a better piece, I’m sure there were some we set aside. There was a lot of burnt bikes. We bought Fay Myers’ burnt stuff, so there was quite a bit of burnt stuff out there.” (Fay Myers Motorcycle World suffered a devastating fire at their old location on West Alameda, which resulted in their moving to their current location on East Arapahoe.)

These days Steele’s Cycle doesn’t go looking for salvage bikes, the bikes come to them.

“I get more coming in than space to put it in,” Rick continued. “It’s a big place here, but space is always an issue. So usually about once or sometimes twice a year we go through the yard and just have to make room. It’s kind of sad because parts have value. But probably the decider is the labor that it takes to take it apart. If it takes the same labor to take apart that bike that you can make $3,000, $4,000 on, or that bike that you might make $500 or $1,000 on, which one are you going to choose?”

 Brandon Steele runs the eBay operation.

Nowadays, Rick’s son Brandon, that new baby who arrived just after the business was purchased, runs the eBay side of the operation. While the guys doing the stripping of the bikes generally decide what purchase price to put on the parts Brandon does double check it from time to time.

Brandon told me that “Some of my favorite part of it is I’ll have a guy buy a motor from, oh man, Australia. Last year was a guy that bought some old BSA parts and he was in Australia and you chat a little and you learn, you know, it’s just fun to meet people from around the world that have, you know, one thing in common, which is motorcycles. Then just also to hear, what’s it like over there? What do you do?

“Chasing the deal is probably what I enjoy the most, buying and then stripping and then seeing what, everything sells for a price but it’s, you really never know what’s going to sell next. That’s the fun part about eBay. I always tell my dad it’s like gambling the opposite way.”
Today Steele’s lists about 24,000 parts on eBay, a more manageable number. Half of their total business is through eBay. On the whole, parts off newer bikes sell fastest but old parts just keep on selling, too. A sizeable portion of new bike parts go quickly and what remains might go for years before they sell.

Does there ever come a point where they throw away parts that have been data-entered and stored? Rick says no.

“No. Not really. I mean, we haven’t reached that point yet. Look at a manufacturer. He has to have every part of the bike. The difference with them is after it’s 10 years old, they just stop. So they’re going to blow everything out, cheap sell it to somebody, which we could do, but I’m not a big sale guy. Because if somebody needs a part that we have, they need a part, right?”

Biker Quote for Today

There’s only one color for a motorcycle, that’s black. Unless you want to sell it, then paint it red. – Melvin “Swede” Dunlap

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Posted in antique motorcycles, Motorcycle Gear, Motorcycle repair | 1 Comment »

How About A Harley For $35?

Thursday, January 15th, 2026

I can’t say for sure but I suspect the $35 Harleys were similar to this one.

I’ve spent a good bit of time now talking with Rick Steele, not just about the history of his business, Steele’s Cycles, but rambling across the history and memories of the motorcycle community in Denver. Several things Rick has mentioned brought back memories to me that had been long buried.

We talked about the D.U.M.P., Denver Used Motorcycle Parts, which used to be just east of downtown. That was the shop I went to when I first started riding. My first leather jacket came from there as did my riding gloves, the visor for my first helmet, and the windshield for my 1980 Honda CB750 Custom. Other stuff, too. It was always fun to watch people’s faces when I would say, “Oh yeah, I got this at the DUMP.”

We talked about the fire that devastated the old Fay Myers location on West Alameda. Steele’s bought all those burned bikes and then had two days to get them out. Rick said it was the city’s parking requirements that made it impossible for them to rebuild on that site and so Fay Myers moved to its current location on East Arapahoe. I had forgotten all about that fire.

The real memory jolt, though, was when Rick mentioned the $35 Harleys. Oh yeah, I remember that!

There was a point, years ago, when the government was looking to clear out a lot of old World War II gear. Amongst all this was a large number of Harley-Davidson motorcycles that had been purchased for the war effort but were never needed. They sat in crates, disassembled, brand new. The decision was made to unload them. The price they put on these bikes was $35.

I heard about these bikes back in the day. At that point in my life I had never owned a motorcycle but I had wanted one for years. A $35 Harley was truly a temptation.

I was totally unprepared to do anything with one if I bought it though. I had nowhere to haul it to to take it out of the crate and assemble it. I had no experience at all in the kind of effort it would require to assemble it. And I had never ridden a bike bigger than a 250; I had serious doubts about my ability to handle something a lot bigger. Oh, but the temptation!

Needless to say, I did not take advantage of the opportunity. Then over the years the memory faded and I forgot all about it. And then Rick brought it up. Oh yeah, I remember that! I do remember that!

Biker Quote for Today

This bike will pay for itself with the great gas mileage!

Posted in antique motorcycles, Honda motorcycles | No Comments »

Bulletproof But What About ‘Minor’ Parts?

Monday, January 12th, 2026

For lack of a water pump my old Concours sits in storage.

My one bike these days is my 2006 Suzuki V-Strom 650. With less than 51,000 miles on it currently it has a long life still ahead of it. Particularly considering that the engine is considered bulletproof, as in it will just keep on going and going and going.

But. And that’s a big “but.”

Just last week I ran across an item on Adventure Riders titled “Thinking Long Term,” about this “but” and something we seldom think about.

Zac, the writer, focuses not on the big parts, like the engine or frame, but on the little bits. Things like sensors. We all know how quickly electronic parts become outdated. What do you do if your bike depends on some bit of electronics and that unit dies, and then you can’t find a replacement?

This is not a theoretical exercise. When my 1980 Honda CB750 Custom got smashed I was faced with a decision. Do I bail it out of tow-yard jail and try to get it fixed, or do I just let it go? I chose to let it go because I had a pretty good idea that even if it was fixable–not at all a certainty–the repair would also add considerably to the overall expense and then, could I even get the parts?

Then it became even less theoretical recently when I was talking with Rick Steele over at Steele’s Cycles. We were talking about the factors that come into play when they are deciding what to do with a bike they have taken in. He used my 1999 Kawasaki Concours as an example.

As they do with all bikes they take in, they put it up on the lift and checked it out thoroughly. It ran–I knew that–but they discovered that the water pump was leaking. I did not know about that. And the thing was, Rick told me, you can’t get that water pump any more. They know a guy out east who repairs water pumps and they sent it to him but when they got it back it still leaked. So now, my old Connie is sitting in one of Steele’s storage areas with its fate unclear. The engine is as bulletproof as ever but not the water pump.

I guess this is an issue that aficionados of old bikes have lived with for a long time. Sometimes you can kludge in a different part and make it work. Sometimes you can fabricate a new part if you have the tools and the skill. Sometimes you can’t.

In my mind it makes the point in favor of newer bikes. I’ve lived for years with the reality that all my bikes were old enough that no dealer wanted to deal with them. Fortunately there are independent shops that pick up that trade. But at this point I’d just rather have the convenience of taking the bike to the dealer for service, knowing the parts are available. Plus, some of the new tech is nice. I’ve never had cruise control and that is something I’d like.

All of this is on my mind as I wonder about getting a new bike. And at this point that question is totally undecided.

Biker Quote for Today

Bikes may rust, but the memories they create never fade.

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Posted in antique motorcycles, Biker Issues, Honda motorcycles, Kawasaki, Motorcycle repair, Suzuki motorcycles, V-Strom, vintage motorcycles | No Comments »

Concerns For Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum

Thursday, December 8th, 2022

You can see in this photo how the restaurant and the museum are tied together. Will another restaurant move into the space? Will that operator want a motorcycle museum upstairs? Will the landlord just make that part of the deal? Details sometime, we hope.

I recently got wind of a concerning situation. It seems the restaurant that houses the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum, in Colorado Springs, has closed. Considering that the museum is in the building and you get to it by walking through the restaurant and then upstairs, you have to wonder what this portends for the museum.

Their website doesn’t say anything at all about it, but their Facebook page does say a little. And what they do say is this:

We are OPEN once again to the public!
Our hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am – 5pm
19 N. Tejon Street – 2nd floor – Downtown Colorado Springs
THANK YOU for your support and patience as we work thru the closure of the Tejon Eatery. As always, admission is FREE!

The restaurant in question is/was the Tejon Eatery and Bar. In the news article in the Colorado Springs Gazette it said that the restaurant owner said the museum will remain open for now but that doesn’t tell us anything about the future. The two owners, Sam and Kathy Guadagnoli, opened and ran the place but Sam, who was a big motorcycle buff, died in September. The restaurant is said to never have been profitable.

I emailed whoever runs their website asking for further information and I’ll update if I hear anything new.

Later–OK, I did hear back from Pam Wear, Secretary/Treasurer of the museum, and here is what she said:

Hello Ken,
The restaurant closed with no notice in October. Yes, it did affect our operation. We are now open Thursday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, and will be adding as the situation evolves.
The Museum has been open since 1992, we will continue. We are actually seeing quite a few visitors!
Thank you!

Biker Quote for Today

You’re the coolest old guy I know. You must pick up a TON of chicks at the nursing home with that bike.

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New Site For Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum

Thursday, November 11th, 2021

The Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum is located inside an eatery on Tejon Street.

I rode down to Colorado Springs the other day with members of the RMMRC to visit the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum in its new location in downtown CS. Oddly enough, after we got to the Springs and had lunch the rest of the group decided to skip the museum and just head back to Denver. I was not party to that discussion so I’m unclear on the reason but there was no way I was not going to the museum. So I went alone.

The first trick in visiting the museum was finding it. It used to be in an outbuilding on the site of Pikes Peak Harley-Davidson, up at the north end of town. I’m not sure, but maybe then they moved inside the dealership, and then just recently into this new space at 19 N Tejon Street. Finding Pikes Peak H-D was easy; finding the new site a bit harder. The main thing is, it’s inside a restaurant, or group of restaurants. This is the Tejon Eatery, which appears to be maybe sort of a food court with a variety of restaurants–I’m just not clear on all this.

Most of the bikes here look used–no pristine models here.

But the point is, while there are signs outside, they’re small and if I had not had the address I would probably not have spotted them. So, with uncertainty, I stepped inside and asked the hostess right inside about the motorcycle museum. She said yes, just go straight that way, make a right turn, and then go up the stairs. I got to the back portion of the building and there, among tables for diners, was a staircase heading up under a row of motorcycles to another dining area. Up on top I turned 180 degrees and there was the museum. This was the weirdest setting for a museum I’ve ever seen but hey, whatever works.

In the little building outside Pikes Peak H-D the museum had been insanely crowded. There was no question they needed more space. While there is more space in the new site, the bikes are still in most cases packed closely together. At least visitors have more room to move around.

You could spend hours looking at all the memorabilia.

And goodness, do they have motorcycles. Lots of vintage Harleys and Indians plus a whole bunch of really odd, seemingly one-off bikes. Plus, they have displays all over the walls of photos, old posters and advertisements, and all kinds of memorabilia. Also, to add to the retro feel of the place, they have an old-style soda fountain in the back of the museum area.

Thinking that it might make sense to plan another RMMRC trip down and then just come here to eat I asked the “soda jerk” and he explained that he just serves ice cream. OK, you could still have lunch somewhere else then come here and get ice cream and tour the museum.

“What are your hours?” I asked.

“We’re open right now,” he replied. OK.

“But on a normal day, when are you open?” I asked. He didn’t seem to understand my question and offered no answer. OK. Maybe that’s not such a good idea.

So I don’t know about the soda fountain, but the museum’s hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 11am to 8pm, and Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Admission is free.

Lots of stuff to look at, on the floor and on the walls.

Bottom line, if you’re into looking at a lot of antique and vintage motorcycles, as well as a lot of associated memorabilia, you won’t be disappointed. And frankly, it’s kind of small so you may not end up spending a whole lot of time there, so I’m not sure it’s worth a special trip to the Springs just for that purpose. Or, depending on your own interests, it might be. I just know I sure as heck had no intention of going all the way down there and not going to the museum.

Biker Quote for Today

A policeman pulled me over on his motorcycle. I don’t know why, I told him I was only borrowing it for 5 minutes.

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So What’s This Premier & Classic Weekend?

Thursday, May 20th, 2021

I got a notification from Jerry Pokorny of an event that might be interesting if you’d be inclined to head up to Steamboat Springs in a couple weeks. It’s called the Premier & Classic Weekend.

This Premier & Classic Weekend might be fun.

So what is this Premier & Classic Weekend? Well, for starters, the AHRMA is the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association. Which is to say, this is a group that stages vintage motorcycle races. You can fill in the rest.

This event will be held at the Jenny Ranch, outside Steamboat, at 37850 Routt County Road 45. It starts on Friday, June 4, and runs through the weekend. There will be a dual-sport ride on Friday, vintage trial racing on Saturday, and premier and classic scrambles on Sunday. If you just want to watch, admission is $10 per day. If you want to bring your old bike and participate, entry fees are $30 or $40 depending on the event. If you want to stay the weekend, there are local accommodations or you can camp on the ranch for $10 per night. A catered dinner is available on Saturday night for $15 per person.

So what’s actually going to be going on, besides the chance to see some very cool motorcycles in action? Let’s take trials. Per the AHRMA website:

Observed trials is a very significant part of historic motorcycle competition. It began as a wintertime sport for European enthusiasts, who tested themselves by tracing ancient Roman roads. These riders negotiated various obstacles along the way, all of which gave test to both man and machine. As the “gentleman’s sport” developed, such obstacles became more specific, and more challenging. From the 1980s until today, the obstacles presented to trials competitors have been inconceivable for most motorcycle riders.

AHRMA’s observed trials goal is to provide its members a safe, historically accurate environment to showcase and experience vintage machinery. The key to this enjoyment is the observed sections. From the 1950s into the ‘70s, sections were mainly composed of wide-open areas of challenging terrain, with the rider’s choice of line determining his/her success. Observed sections reminiscent of this era are critical in AHRMA’s representation of classic observed trials. With period-accurate sections, machines will remain true to their original concept, and the techniques required to ride them will do the same, enhancing the entire vintage trials scene. The trials-riding experience will undoubtedly result in good friends, good rides and good fun.

So. Could be a fun weekend. Will I be there? No, I’ll be in some state about a thousand miles to the east on that weekend. But you might consider it. If you do, and you want to send me some photos and a report I’ll be glad to publish them. Thanks.

Biker Quote for Today

I don’t ride my bike to win races, not do I ride to get places. I ride to escape this world. I ride to find peace with myself. I ride to feel free and I ride to feel strong.

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