Chasing Unicorns How many of you out there have ever seen the remake of "Gone in 60 seconds"? Poor Memphis Raines chasing his unicorn, his unachievable bike. In the movie you will remember that unattainable dream was named Eleanor. I wonder, just how many of us out there have chased a unicorn, how many of us have that unattainable bike? Now I am not referring to the newest top of the line dream machine; where money is the only object stopping us. I am referring to that bike out there that no matter what something always comes up and it slips through your fingers. That project you start, then abort before it comes into being? What is your Eleanor? How long has it been haunting you? How many times have you started the build? Has any of you out there actually caught your unicorn? Eleanor, sweet Eleanor...
I first saw her on the chopperunderground web forum around three and a half years ago. She was built by a guy who went by the name of Horton. Horton built frame in his spare time. I talked to him a bit, and was scraping up the money to have a frame built. I came across a deal on a couple cb750 motors and a titled frame. I jumped on the deal and it looked like I finally had a base to build my Eleanor. I learned my first lesson the hard way, when I got the frame I did indeed have a title with it, however it was not the title to the frame. And the motors.. Locked up like a virgins knees. I was discouraged, but still trudging along with the plan to build. Then Horton took a sabbatical from building frames, I couldn't get the money together in time and I lost my frame builder. As time passed I gave up on the project and sold the frame and locked motors at a bit of a loss but not a bad one. So time passed and still the image of my unicorn stayed in the back of my mind. Eventually I came across another frame and decided to try again, I tried to work with what I had, but a double downtube frame with a water cooled motor just would not work for Eleanor. That project evolved into what became Lucinda, and I would not trade her for anything, but still she was not my Eleanor. During the Lucinda build one of my employees decided to sell his Savage, a low priced, low mile single downtube frame air cooled single cylinder bike. Humm this would work... Again I tried to buy the base for my Unicorn, but could not work out the money. I did luck out and a friend of mine bought the bike for his wife to learn on. More time passed and I neared completion of Lucinda, but Eleanor still haunted me. I got a bonus for work and started hounding my friend to sell me the Savage that by this time had sat unused for over a year. Finally he gave in. and yet again I had the base for my Unicorn. I have now had the Savage a couple months and she has sat while I worked out the bugs on my Lucinda build. I heard her run once, and cant get her to start again. I gave the carb a quick once over last night, and that didn't help, I suppose a complete rebuild will be in order. The thing is, I have my unicorn. Barely. I have a hold of her by the tail and am damned determined to not let go. This build may take a while but I will finish it. And to all those out there chasing their unicorns.. keep at it, they are out there, just really hard to hold on to. -Lost MC Goon CustomFighters.com Streetfighter Motorcycle Home Page | Streetfighter Motorcycle Forum |
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