Scored Big Time!

Holigan
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1444
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Location
Dallas, TX US
5/23/2018 4:30pm Edited Date/Time 5/25/2018 12:23am
While losing money at the Mecum Auction in January in Vegas, I was magnetically drawn to an exceptionally cool Carmichael MXdN helmet at a Moto Armory display. For those that don't know, the Moto Armory is a collection of over 1,000 off-road motorcycles owned by Tom Reese. One of Tom's guys, Richard Southwick, kept cleaning my drool off the helmet and started talking to me about my restaurant concept (moto) in Dallas. He got me in touch with Tom, who invited me up to Illinois to take a tour and see if there was anything I would like to buy. Work kept getting in the way, but Richard stayed on me and then got Rick Doughty from Vintage Iron to give me a call. Rick quickly determined my kryptonite was Bob Hannah memorabilia. He used the Jedi mind trick on me about some Hannah helmets and the last works bike Hannah ever raced was there, and quoted me a price that I would never ever pay. Trips were planned, tickets were bought, and my partner in Merge Racing, Jim Lewis, and I headed up to Moline.

Being gullible to really cool moto stuff (and certain types of brunettes), I quickly lost my mind upon entering Tom's buildings. Did you catch how that was plural? Not building, buildings. Just a few photos.







The Jeff Ward Collection



Works Bike Row



Need a bike in a crate?







Real estate is really good right now, I am not losing money owning a race team, neither my wife or girlfriend were there with me, so it was time for the spending to begin! Some of my acquisitions:







































Unless your name is David Pingree, I bet you never raced one of these...



And I am a sucker for helmets, so these just arrived in Dallas today. It is like Christmas!!!

























And I was even able to get a couple of Hannah's helmets...



There was so much more there that you could spend weeks perusing. There dozens of plastic tubs filled with pro jerseys. Rick and I could not even count all of the tubs on the racks and guess how many jerseys. Tom walked up and we asked him. His answer was there are 2,000 jerseys. I stared at the racks and thought about it for 15 minutes, then woke up and went looking at more bikes.

If you are looking for something special, they have it. Email Rick Doughty at Rick@vintageiron.com.

A special thanks to Tom Reese, Richard Southwick and Rick Doughty. They were awesome hosts, and let me buy bikes that I dreamed about as a kid and could never afford.

Oh yeah, one more thing...





















You didn't really think I left there without Hannah's last race bike did you?
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mx317
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4531
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4/1/2008
Location
TN US
5/23/2018 4:44pm
Wow, just wow!

The Shop

MX915
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469
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1/17/2018
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Central, NJ US
5/23/2018 5:03pm
That. Is. Awesome.
daemon616
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2026
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2/19/2012
Location
Euless, TX US
5/23/2018 5:05pm
I'm speechless. That's amazing. I don't even see how that's possible!
reded
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3/26/2011
Location
KS US
5/23/2018 5:09pm
I thought Newman had it going on but that's just amazing. Definitely need to plan a trip!
Graybeard
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Athens, TX US
Fantasy
2478th
5/23/2018 5:12pm
Sweetness!! When does the restaurant open?!?!
Holigan
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Location
Dallas, TX US
5/23/2018 5:35pm
Graybeard wrote:
Sweetness!! When does the restaurant open?!?!
It should be in 16 to 18 months, but since we are dealing with the city of Garland, it will be between 16 months and 10 years.

Hopefully in the next 18 months.
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Whitey
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Location
Perth AU
5/23/2018 5:42pm
Correct me if i am wrong, the majority of those bikes and items were in the Greg Primm museum before this chap purchased them. I was lucky enough to go there a couple of times, absolutely awesome, you are a lucky man Michael.

By the way if you dont intend to ride the Green stripe Elsinore can i grab the third gear from you? toasted mine on the weekend haha
Brent
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5293
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8/16/2006
Location
Party in Temecula, CA US
5/23/2018 5:42pm
I just saw photos of bikes I rode and raced from when I first started in this sport in the early 1970's. Made me smile and brought a tear to my eye at the same time. Thank you for the pics, made my day.
Wandell
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7563
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12/17/2008
Location
Cairo, GA US
5/23/2018 5:46pm
Unreal! That is awesome!
chuckie108
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791
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2/8/2012
Location
Mira Loma, CA US
5/23/2018 5:46pm
O M G !!!!! I can’t even imagine the days I would spend in those “Buildings” just staring at the pieces of Moto history. Well done getting your hands on pieces that are so covetted to you! That’s awesome!!
chuckie108
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791
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Mira Loma, CA US
5/23/2018 5:49pm
O M G !!!!! I can’t even imagine the days I would spend in those “Buildings” just staring at the pieces of Moto history. Well done getting your hands on pieces that are so covetted to you! That’s awesome!! And let me get this straight, you actually now own the bike MM won the USGP on? That’s epic right there!
Brent
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Party in Temecula, CA US
5/23/2018 5:59pm
Yamaha Graphic open face Helmet, is that Mike Bell's from 1978 maybe?
Holigan
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Location
Dallas, TX US
5/23/2018 6:03pm
chuckie108 wrote:
O M G !!!!! I can’t even imagine the days I would spend in those “Buildings” just staring at the pieces of Moto history. Well done...
O M G !!!!! I can’t even imagine the days I would spend in those “Buildings” just staring at the pieces of Moto history. Well done getting your hands on pieces that are so covetted to you! That’s awesome!! And let me get this straight, you actually now own the bike MM won the USGP on? That’s epic right there!
I was lucky, but not that lucky. Moates bike is a replica. Side note, the first year I owned a team Marty came walking up in our pits at A1 pulling a FMF bag full of FMF t-shirts. I have never lived in CA and had never met Marty, so I was shell shocked. He asked if I would give the shirts to our riders. I stuttered a yes and asked who he wanted to have the roller bag. He said that was for me. Made my year. Cool guy
Cokeham23
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546
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3/4/2010
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TX US
5/23/2018 6:04pm
Holigan wrote:
It should be in 16 to 18 months, but since we are dealing with the city of Garland, it will be between 16 months and 10...
It should be in 16 to 18 months, but since we are dealing with the city of Garland, it will be between 16 months and 10 years.

Hopefully in the next 18 months.

Dang, I was just about to google where your restaurant was! I’ll definitely have to make the trip to check it out when yall open up.
Holigan
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Dallas, TX US
5/23/2018 6:07pm
Brent wrote:
Yamaha Graphic open face Helmet, is that Mike Bell's from 1978 maybe?
Holigan
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1444
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6/18/2008
Location
Dallas, TX US
5/23/2018 6:11pm
Whitey wrote:
Correct me if i am wrong, the majority of those bikes and items were in the Greg Primm museum before this chap purchased them. I was...
Correct me if i am wrong, the majority of those bikes and items were in the Greg Primm museum before this chap purchased them. I was lucky enough to go there a couple of times, absolutely awesome, you are a lucky man Michael.

By the way if you dont intend to ride the Green stripe Elsinore can i grab the third gear from you? toasted mine on the weekend haha
Thanks!

The way it was explained to me, when Tom bought the collection from Greg there were approximately 300 bikes. There are now over 1,000.

That's a hard "No" on the third gear!
Brent
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5293
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8/16/2006
Location
Party in Temecula, CA US
5/23/2018 6:15pm Edited Date/Time 5/23/2018 6:16pm
Brent wrote:
Yamaha Graphic open face Helmet, is that Mike Bell's from 1978 maybe?
Holigan wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/05/23/263774/s1200_20180523_200449_resized.jpg[/img]
I thought so! It looked familiar, I saw the back of it lots when I was getting lapped at Carlsbad.

Congratulations on scoring all that treasure, hopefully it will be on display when your restaurant opens up?

Matt Fisher
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3947
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4/1/2008
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Visalia, CA US
Fantasy
1084th
5/23/2018 6:15pm
Congratulations Micheal!

It's great when someone is able to fulfill their dreams, and even better when they can share it with others that have similar aspirations.

Best of luck with the restaurant, I'll have to visit the next time I'm in Dallas.
Holigan
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1444
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6/18/2008
Location
Dallas, TX US
5/23/2018 6:16pm
that is insane.

did you get any JS259 merch?
Nope, I didn't see any of Stewart's bikes or helmets. Guessing someone beat me to it. I am going to have to find that stuff the hard way.
Xeno
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3630
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12/30/2010
Location
San Clemente, CA US
5/23/2018 6:31pm
So rad!

5/23/2018 6:51pm Edited Date/Time 5/23/2018 6:56pm
Good god man, love those helmets. Could you post more pics of the ryno mxon helmet with the stars on it? That was always a replica that I wanted to do. Also wanted to see more of the McGrath one with the sky scraper on it. I don't remember that one.
Flip109
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3460
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6/15/2007
Location
TX US
5/23/2018 6:54pm
That is just amazing. Geez
Sully
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7015
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8/24/2006
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JP
5/23/2018 7:00pm
That is too cool. They probably would have had to call the cops to get me out of that place.
FLmxer
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Location
SouthWest, FL US
Fantasy
989th
5/23/2018 7:01pm
Absolutely amazing collection. Would love to have a log book of the history of each vehicle to read as I move from bike to bike. I seem to be able to recall a few great memories on a few, that's for sure.

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