A Winter Message from Al Arbor and the Service Department at Great Bay Motorcycles

We just wrapped up a great year at Great Bay Motorcycles, and I am proud to report that we have built an outstanding service team. For the past 22 plus years I have been working on Triumph and Ducati motorcycles. I have ridden them, raced them, and built them, and I am happy to say that I am still enthusiastic about these great machines.

At Great Bay Motorcycles we have the experience, training and special tools to make sure that your bike is ready for you every time you ride. Our mechanics are all Ducati Level II certified and fully Triumph factory trained which adds up to three A Level mechanics ready to work on your ride. I think it is important to note that all of us own and ride these great bikes and we apply our passion for these machines every time we work on one.

As we look forward to the spring, we have the opportunity to save you money and get your bike ready for the upcoming riding season. You can read more about this in our Service Specials section of this newsletter.

If you have not yet winterized you motorcycle or scooter, it is not too late to prevent problems from popping up in the spring. Now that we have seen the temperatures below 10 degrees please be sure to take these vital steps to prepare your bike or scooter for the rest of this cold winter, or call us and we can help you.

At minimum you should:
· Change your oil and install a new oil filter.
· Install a Battery Tender and plug it in.
· Add fuel stabilizer to your fuel tank and make sure you distribute it throughout the fuel system.
· Coat your machine with protectant.
· Check and adjust your tire pressure.
· Thoroughly inspect your machine for any loose hardware or defects.

Of course, we would be happy to do all of this for you, and we can arrange to pick up your motorcycle or scooter if you need us to. By acting now you can save yourself the future expenses associated with a non-prepared bike and eliminate any hassles when it is time to ride again. Also, we have some storage space still available. Your motorcycle or scooter can be kept safe and warm in our secure heated warehouse.

As for the service specials listed below, I think that the ability to turn back time and receive our labor rate from 10 years ago is an excellent opportunity. This allows us to offer you dramatic savings while helping us keep our technicians busy during the slowest six weeks of the year.

I want to wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year and hope that you have a wonderful riding season in 2009. If I can be of any service don’t hesitate to call me, Old Al, Service Department Manager at Great Bay Motorcycles, 603 964 4450.

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY OUR PERSONAL COLLECTION OF VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE RACING PHOTOS. AND IF YOU RECOGNIZE ANY OF THE RACERS IN THE PHOTOS WE WOULD CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD LET US KNOW BY SENDING US A NOTE THROUGH THE COMMENT TAB AT THE END OF EACH POST. AND REMEMBER, YOU CAN ENLARGE ANY PHOTO BY SIMPLY CLICKING ON IT FOR A FABULOUS CLOSE UP VIEW. ALSO, WE ARE TRYING TO LOCATE ANY INFORMATION ON DENNIS ROBERTS...THE GENTLEMAN IN THE PHOTO OF THE PERRIS 1962 RACE. HE IS THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTO POINTING WITH THE BANDAGE ON HIS RIGHT HAND. I KNEW HIM WHEN HE LIVED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. ANY INFO WOULD BE WELCOME. THANKS, JOHN

PERRIS, CALIFORNIA JOHN WILSON #993 RIDING HIS FIRST RACE! 1962

PERRIS, CALIFORNIA 1962 #673 JOHN WILSON #652 JOHN WILEY (BURTON)

PERRIS, CALIFORNIA 1962 #652 JOHN WILEY (BURTON) STANDING TO HIS LEFT IS JOHN WILSON

TOP PHOTO---"PROBABLY THE BEST--AND MOST CONSISTENT--DESERT RIDER IN THE STATE THE PAST FEW YEARS, DON SURPLICE WAS RUNNER-UP TO TED LAPADAKIS IN SANDBLASTERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB HARE-AND-HOUND LATE LAST MONTH."

BOTTOM PHOTO---"EDDIE MULDER MUST THINK HE'S STILL IN THE STRAIGHTAWAY AT ASCOT, AS HE GRABS A QUICK LOOK BACK FOR COMPETITION. UNLIKE HIS CLASS C PERFORMANCES---ALMOST ALL WINNERS---ED WAS THIRD IN THE SAND."
MOTORCYCLE NEWS NOVEMBER 8, 1962

PERRIS, CALIFORNIA #673 JOHN WILSON #652 JOHN WILEY (BURTON) IN WHITE VEST

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1962 -#673 JOHN WILSON #652 JOHN WILEY (BURTON) AND STANDING AT LEFT OF LINEUP--GARY MCPHERSON---POINTING NEAR MIDDLE OF LINEUP--DENNIS ROBERTS

1962 ACTON, CALIFORNIA LEFT TO RIGHT---JOHN WILEY (BURTON), JOHN WILSON, GARY, GLEN CHIDESTER, MANNY

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1962- #652 JOHN WILEY (BURTON)

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1962 OR 1963 #673 JOHN WILSON

PRADO PARK 1962-63 #673 JOHN WILSON

ASCOT 1962? #3 AL GUNTER ON BSA GOLDSTAR photo by www.Mahonyphotos.com

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1962? #3 AL GUNTER ON HIS BSA GOLDSTAR . Photo by www.Mahonyphotos.com

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1962 #3 AL GUNTER FOLLOWED BY JACK O'BRIEN. Photo by www.Mahonyphoto.com

BONNEVILLE 1961-62 LEFT--GARY RICHARDSON RIGHT---RICHIE RICHARDSON (DAD)

650cc TRIUMPH FUEL BIKE--WORLD RECORD HOLDER

PIT CREW-PAM RICHARDSON AND JOHN WILSON
GARY WAS GREAT GRANDSON OF ZANE GREY.

ASCOT 1963 #336 JOHN WILSON #229 CLYDE ODON

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA #336 JOHN WILSON - TRIUMPH

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1963 #28?..... #25 IS JIMMY PLAIN

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1963 #336R JOHN WILSON

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA #336 JOHN WILSON

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA #336 JOHN WILSON - TRIUMPH

ASCOT 1963? #5 CRASHWALL JOHNNY GIBSON'S LAST RACE. Photo by www.Mahonyphotos.com

PICTURED...JOHN RICE FINALLY GOT OUT OF THE EDDIE MULDER-DON SPARGUR SHADOW IN PHOENIX, WINNING THE 21-INCH EXPERT AND SWEEPSTAKES RACES AND TAKING SECOND IN THE OPE EXPERT EVENT NOVEMBER 8, 1962

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1963 #336R JOHN WILSON

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1963 #336 JOHN WILSON - TRIUMPH

MOTORCYCLING NEWS---NOVEMBER 8, 1962 RED ARROW IS NOTING THAT JOHN WILSON IS SHOWN WINNING THE 200cc AMATEUR SOUTHWEST U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ARIZONA.

ASCOT 1963? #336 JOHN WILSON #116 WAS KILLED ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER AT ASCOT.

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA #336 JOHN WILSON LOST POWER, COASTING IN.

Neil Keen at Tulare Fairgrounds. Photo by www.Mahonyphotos.com
ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1962 NEIL KEEN (PEACH) BSA GOLDSTAR. Photo by www.Mahonyphotos.com

SPENCER PARK, CALIFORNIA 1962 500cc MAIN EVENT.
JOHN WILSON IN MASON MOTORS VEST FAR LEFT (THE ONE FLYING THROUGH THE AIR!!)

SPENCER PARK, CALIFORNIA 1963 JOHN WILSON TANGLED WITH HIS TRIUMPH!

ACTON, CALIFORNIA 1963 #177 JOHN WILSON

ACTON, CALIFORNIA 1963 #177 JOHN WILSON

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1963 #177 JOHN WILSON

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1963 #177 JOHN WILSON

ACTON, CALIFORNIA 1963 #177 JOHN WILSON

ACTON, CALIFORNIA 1963-64 #177x JOHN WILSON

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1964 #161 JOHN WILSON TRIUMPH

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1964 #161 JOHN WILSON #164 MANNY

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA #161 JOHN WILSON TRIUMPH

ASCOT, CALIFORNIA 1964 #161 JOHN WILSON -- TRIUMPH

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1963? #131 JOHN WILSON #118 JOHN WILEY (BURTON)

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1963? #131 JOHN WILSON --TRIUMPH
#118 JOHN WILEY (BURTON) -- TRIUMPH

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1963 #131 JOHN WILSON---TRIUMPH

PARDO PARK, CALIFORNIA #131 JOHN WILSON #118 JOHN WILEY (BURTON)

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1963? #131 JOHN WILSON #118 JOHN WILEY (BURTON)

PRADO PARK, CALIFORNIA 1963? #131 JOHN WILSON #118 JOHN WILEY (BURTON)

CUSTOM 1959 TR6 TRIUMPH 650cc STREET RACER WITH A ENGINE THAT WAS BUILT FOR BONNEVILLE. CANDY RED AND PEARL PAINT SCHEME BY LLOYD DARINGTON WHO WORKED AT MASON MOTORS ON COLORADOE BOULAVARD IN PASEDENA, CALIFORNIA. PROUDLY OWNED AND RACED BY JOHN WILSON.

BONNEVILLE SPEEDMSTER (T120R) TRIUMPH DISTRIBUTED BY JOHNSON MOTORS ON COLORADO BLVD IN PASEDENA, CALIFORNIA 1965.

JOHNSON MOTORS- WEST COAST TRIUMPH DISTRIBUTORS, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 1965. THIS PHOTO WAS PUBLISHED IN THE TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLE CORP. MAGAZINE IN MERIDEN, ENGLAND IN 1965 FAR LEFT - JIM BROWN 2ND LEFT - JOHN WILSON 4TH LEFT - CHUCK DILEHAY, FAR RIGHT - DALE MARTIN

PICTURED ABOVE IS THE SINGING DUET OF "MIKE AND DEEDEE" WHO SANG THE JINGLES FOR THE JOHNSON MOTORS COMMERICALS PLUS THEY HAD OUT SEVERAL HIT RECORDS FOR THEMSELVES IN THE 60'S.

THIS IS AN ARTICLE THAT CAME OUT IN A PARKER HANNIFIN CORP. NEWSLETTER AT JOHN'S WORKPLACE IN 1991 IN IRVIN, CALIFORNIA. IN PART IT STATES....JOHN RACED MOTORCYCLES FOR FIVE YEARS, MOSTLY ON A TRIUMPH, ALTHOUGH HE DID RIDE OTHER MAKES OF BIKE. RACING AS AN AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL IN TT SCRAMBLES, ON HALF-MILE OVAL DIRT TRACKS, AND DRAG RACES, HE COMPILED SOME IMPRESSIVE CAREER STATISTICS.

IN 1962, HE WAS AMATEUR SOUTHWESTERN U.S. CHAMPION ON A SCREAMIN' 200-CUBIC-CENTIMETER BIKE AT MANZANITA PARK IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA. HE ALSO RACED AT THE FAMED ASCOT PARK ON THEIR HALF-MILE OVAL TRACK, PLACING IN MANY RACES. ADDING TO JOHN'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN RACING WAS BEING A PART OF A TEAM THAT WENT TO THE BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS FOR THREE YEARS AND SET TWO WORLD RECORDS.

SPORTS TIGER TRIUMPH (T100C) DISTRIBUTED BY JOHNSON MOTORS ON COLORADO BLVD IN PASIDENA , CALIFRONIA IN 1965.

IF YOU KNOW ANY OF THIS PEOPLE IN ANY OF THESE PHOTOS PLEASE SEND US A MESSAGE THROUGH THE COMMENT TAB AT THE END OF THIS POST. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VIEWING OUR VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE RACING SITE.