Part 5 - Getting it SOLD!

The JDRF Charity Dinner

After spending the day elbows deep in the swap meet of the AMA Vintage Cycle Days, and finding some parts I've been looking for now two years, I was ready to head in. We had to get ready for the Walneck's Restoration in Progress charity dinner. I knew the bike was going to be there, and it would be my first chance to see her since JC Motors took the bike to transport it to the show.

About fifty people turned out, just the right size crowd to allow for some good cycle stories, and a little business too. The bike was sitting there safe and sound, specially lit by the film crew so people can be interviewed with it. They know the real star of the show is the BMW R69US.

I made my way through the crowd, my wife Jennifer in tow, and managed to meet some interesting people. There was Peter Starr, a motorcycle film maker who raced and made his name making movies about motorcycle racers of the 60's and 70's. There were representatives from major manufacturers there, all turning out to support the worthy cause of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Buzz and Pixie Walneck were there too. Buzz is interviewed about how he started the magazine, how Trader Publishing (now Dominion Enterprises) purchased Walneck's, and about his adventurous purchase of the infamous Road Dog or locomotive motorcycle. Everyone had a great meal, and we listened to guest speakers talk about their struggle with diabetes, and the importance of finding a cure. By the end of the night, I couldn't focus on what anyone was saying, because the smudges on the bike were just too distracting. As I headed over to the bike, Rhonda Hoffman, the painter had the same thought. We both ended up with cloths rubbing the bike down, one last time, trying to make her look her best. Finally the night was over, and we had to go to bed anticipating, dreaming of what the bike might fetch at the auction tomorrow.

Auction Day

With the auction not til 5 o'clock, we decided to see the sights. There were track races, motocross races, and lots to see like the Rett Rotten show. After bingeing on way too much fair food, and seeing all we could see, we made our way back to the auction tent. The auction had already begun with some smaller lots of parts and things. As the auctioneer moved on to auctioning the bikes, I became more and more worried. Not one bike prior to ours had gone for more than a few thousand...was this an omen? We hoped not. Finally they wheeled the bike up on the stage. I think all our hearts skipped a beat as Jerry Wood, the auctioneer called out, "Who will give me $10,000!?" Shewww...at least he started it out high. It took a minute, but pretty soon they had bids flying across the room, and bids coming in on the internet so fast you couldn't even see them. It rose quickly, $10,000, $12000, it seemed like it would hold at $14000, and my heart began to plummet, but a new bid came in and knocked it forward again. Up and up it went until finally, to our utter surprise, our own Rhonda Hoffman who painted the bike won the bike for her friend at a final price of $20,000. We all felt a tremendous relief and joy that the bike had gone for a decent amount.

They asked me, would I ever do this again. I said I'm sure I would if they would just give me at least 6 months to do the job. All in all, it was a great experience for a great cause. We know the new owner might want to make a few changes, but hey, for the moment, it's a top notch BMW R69US, ready to ride. Congratulations to the winning bidder.