Email: 6 March from Dad

Just been talking to Gene and he asked if Woody had emailed me and told he had and we are most interested in catching up with him and to hear any tales of him and Burt, Woody had told Gene his biggest problem was keeping Burt away from his wife.

Email from Woody, 1st March 2014

G'day Neil!

Looking forward to meeting you and Russell at Bonneville this August. A  great bunch of people go there!
My first trip was 1970 with some motorcycle buddies and I asked who the  old coot was with the Indian streamliner. Now I am one of the old coots hanging around the salt! Life will do that to you!

The picture is of my friend Jerry who was helping Burt adjust the valve  clearances on his beast. I told Jerry I
hate him now - it should have  been ME adjusting those tappets - not him!

I saved up for 5 years and ran my 1969 CB-750 Honda in 1975! Then five  more years to pay off the credit cards! I have been going every year  since 2007 lately. Last year with that crazy Gene guy! That's me pointing!

In the 70's I worked in a bike shop in Florida with an old Triumph works  guy (Davy Jones) that I think had that same SE 500cc and an earlier  350cc Rudge if memory serves me right! I probably have some pixs packed  away somewhere!

www.designdreams.biz is my webpage.

Woody

Email from Neil to Connie & Gene, 23 Feb

Hi Connie and Gene 

I started a reply email last night but my email system went hay wire and not sure if you received it or not so am writing again. Am looking forward to meeting up with Woody, told Russell about Woody and he also is very keen to meet him to hear oftales about him and Bert. Now the bike is a  flat head as you say over there, it is1939 Triumph 5SE  500cc, I have owned it for about 30 years and it has been sitting in the shed for the last 20 years. am in the process of fiting new spokes,rims, tires and had the mag overhauled.then start on the rest of it. Have made up a hydaulic dyno out of a power steering pump so I can run it under load in the shed and have purchased a Veypor digital read out for engine RPM, speed ect I have to have it ready for shipping by the end of June, only 4 months, so with pickups to change over , a new cottage to finish and the bike I am flat out. 

yeh se you on the salt neil

Email between Neil & Woody, 24th Feb 2014

I told our friend in USA Gene of the salt flats who we stay with and they have stayed here, briefly about the triumph 5SE the other day and the salt flats but didnt think he would be to excited about me breaking 64 mph when he is trying to do 245 mph but here is a piece from his email I have received last nite…

Now, for another important thing:  This motorcycle you're going to race, you said it was a side valve.  Does that mean it's a flathead?  If so, how old is it?  I'm giving your e-mail address to Dave Woodruff (Woody).  He is an old motorcycle Bonneville racer and raced when Burt Munro was there.  He is also the aerodynamic helper that works with us a lot on XsStress for aerodynamic improvements.  His nickname is Aero-Woody.  He may e-mail you regarding your bike, and he will be in Bonneville this year.  

It's only six months away and counting!  See ya on the salt:) 

Gene