Monday, May 16, 2011

HOMEBUILTBIKES

I got this letter via Retro Wrench on Facebook. I dunno where he got it, maybe - I thought- it's a circular letter, but it really attracted my attention. Here it is:

Sean Petrovick May 14 at 9:25am Report
In 2003 my father asked me to build him a motorized bicycle he could ride around pennsylvania. I had a mountian bike I found in the junk on the road & a bunch of old minibikes, I always had Tecumseh motors in all my minis all my life, there the best! So I made that frame from scratch. Back then I used a centrificle clutch, got it going & gave it to my dad. He loved it and waited for a nice day to ride it. On his first ride on a small dirt road He waved at a milk tractor trailer, He knew the guy, and more or less fell under the truck and was killed from head injeries. He ad congenital heart desiese and was getting weaker by the month so at least he didnt suffer with that for a long time and he went out doing something he loved to do, riding his bike! soon after that my brother died of a freak sickness in his sleep then soon after that my mom died of cancer, got sicker after losing Dad & son! I went thru my own problems with a bone infection after an operation for my elbow, rumatiod arthritus. I have no left elbow now but my arm is still there and I can use it petty good, Just cant do push-ups anymore!
After all that we moved to florida for a new start but I layed around for a year & gaind 40 pounds doing nothin but watchin T-V. After a while I decided I wasnt going to lay there waiting to die so I got up & started to get my self back into shape. I started by setting up my garage so I could get back into my hobby of bike building that I always enjoyed so much, I was a cabinet maker for my day job but was building bikes since I was about 12 or so. eventually I rebuilt my dads bike. I took it totally apart and repainted the frame,pearl black under candy red under clear urethane. I got new Tecumseh HS50 1964 NOS engine, new wheels made just for that bike, comet 30 series torque converter, seat, fender Everything except the frame & gas tank. the forks are from BMI Carts for mini bikes. Dads bike goes about 40 mph and has many miles since the rebuild. It has all the real hard to find goodys, 1978 Fairbanks-Morse kick start, Tecumseh lighting coil ignition plate & fly wheel for lights. There is a wheel driven generator there from the old lights but I dont use it any more, just left it there!
I have a 93 H-D FLHTC but I ride dads bike bout once a week, I like to think my dad & I are out in the wind together!
Thank You for having an interest in Dads bike, I love sharing its story with anybody who ask's about it. Feel free to ask if there's any thing else you'd like to know about me or dads bike!
Check out my just for fun website: www.homebuiltbikes.com
Drop me a kite any time!
Thanks Sean Petrovick HBB





check out his page: http://www.homebuiltbikes.com/

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