I grew up in Lochearn, just up the street from the Triplett family (Motor Sport Center and Liberty Road/Woodmoor Atlantic Station). Bruce and I worked for Pop Triplett part-time at the station — they were already riding, so they welcomed me to join in! First bike was a mid-fifties Harley Hummer. Then onto a Sprint — which was used mostly for scrambles. I worked part-time at Harley Davidson of Baltimore on North Avenue around ‘63/’64. Steve Gibney had just bought the business. About 1965 I worked briefly for C&L Cycles at their original store in Randallstown — it was in a house with a store front added on! Then I got the marketing job with the Triumph Corporation in Timonium. I was there in the mid to late 60s when Triumphs were hot, Gary Nixon had won the Grand National Championship twice, and the shop mechanics were known nationwide — Cliff Guild, Ted Rivard, Dick Bender and more! I built a Cub for trials riding — we were able to use the shop and its resources on Saturdays — and the corporation helped the amateur riders as well as the professionals!
I did go back to C&L Cycles to open and manage a second store around 1970-71, Liberty Cycles, which sold BSA and OSSA. We rode the early green Plonkers, orange Pioneers and white Stilettos in competition! I ended up going back to the corporation to help out with the Rickman motorcycles and was involved with I.S.D.T. team management for Rickman and the Triumph 500s. In 1975 I went back to work for Harley Davidson of Baltimore, now on Loch Raven near Memorial Stadium. In 1984, Steve and I made a deal for me to buy the dealership! We eventually moved the store to its current location on Route 40 East — I’m a sucker for a project!
The interest in vintage racing and collecting came when Judy and I were visiting friends in Florida. We stumbled upon an ARHMA event where I saw a neat Triumph Cub riding the trial — it belonged to Graham Foster – good rider! That was it! Since then I’ve built and ride (3) Cubs, several Pentons, a couple of OSSAs, and collected and restored numerous Triumphs and Harleys!
I’m lucky that I was able to make my living in the motorcycle industry — it’s been a great ride!
Jim
