Here’s an email sent to us from Bob Darragh after having his 1968 BSA worked on at our shop. As we shared with Bob, stories like these are truly what keep our passion going for the vintage machines. With his permission, we share Bob’s sentiments below:
Hi Rachel,
I’m the guy who owns the ’68 BSA. I took a picture of it on the floor by the front door and sent it while you were out of the office.
Attached are two pics that I took when I was dragging it out of a contractor’s garage in Carbondale, Colorado. My contractor friend who had the bike to me told me that he bought it from a friend who needed money in 2002. Bill said he rode it a few miles and was not comfortable with the right foot shift and parked it.
Bill has had and still does have a garage full of Harley Davidson bikes and I have ridden most of them over the many years. He also has another garage full of snowmobiles and I’ve done that as well. I had no idea that the BSA was in one of the garages. While I was there in September he mentioned it and told me if I would like to have it he would give it to me. I had been in that garage a few times over the years but never saw the bike. It was behind a folded up ping-pong table amongst the various Coleman lanterns and lawn mowers etc.
It is a true Barn Find. Thankfully the dry mountain climate didn’t lead to much rust and none in the gas tank. The tires were flat and it was covered with a layer of mountain dust but it turned over with the kick starter so I believed it was worth having. We dug it out of the garage like a “Pickers” episode into the daylight after 16 years and shoved it on flat tires into a U Haul and Dain helped me drag it out of the trailer four days later.
I found Mobile Cycle Works on the net and I am most grateful that I found a shop that likes this old Brit Bike as much as I do. Thanks for the great service.
Also, I picked up the helmet that you ordered for me and I know there is a shipping cost that I haven’t paid. Next time i’m at the shop I’ll settle up.
Best Regards,
Bob Darragh
