Well, my friend Jason rode with me up to Stanwood this afternoon to pick up the Trail King. Jerry McGrath was the owner, 50 years old and has had it in his family his whole life. Grandma and Grandpa owned them originally, and they've been local bikes all along too, living a lot of their time originally near Greenlake, then North Seattle (Shoreline today).
Jerry had a lot of info about the bike for me, and provided me with a dog eared small engine service manual dated from 1969, as well as a brand new rear tire for the bike (original still good but getting there), the buddy pegs for the rear passenger, and the original throttle assembly and grips should I want to put them back on at some point. The left hand grip is cut, had to be to remove it when he added the nice finned and flanged grips currently instsalled. Though the motor appears to be from the period, it is not original, according to Jerry. He says he bought it about 15 years ago, didn't say when or why the old one quit.
It started up after just a few pulls, but the throttle is a little buggered and has a completely exhausted return spring so it needs a little love in that area as well as the brake needing adjustment, and a previously mentioned recoil rope issue which I feel okay about tackling.
SIDE NOTE: The local mower shop here in Renton which sells John Deere, Stihl, and other modern stuff turns out to be a great place for me to get help. The counterman, Dan just so happens to own a Tule Trooper, and one of the mechanics, Mike, owns a Bonham Tote Gote! How happy am I? Dan handed me 6 feet of rope for the Gote and the Trail King and sent me on my way, no charge. He said he is looking forward to helping me with my bikes!
Pretty durn great day all around, and it's great to have this unique bike home with us!
I am looking forward to getting all three bikes really dialed in by this spring so we can take them camping over the summer!
Jerry had a lot of info about the bike for me, and provided me with a dog eared small engine service manual dated from 1969, as well as a brand new rear tire for the bike (original still good but getting there), the buddy pegs for the rear passenger, and the original throttle assembly and grips should I want to put them back on at some point. The left hand grip is cut, had to be to remove it when he added the nice finned and flanged grips currently instsalled. Though the motor appears to be from the period, it is not original, according to Jerry. He says he bought it about 15 years ago, didn't say when or why the old one quit.
It started up after just a few pulls, but the throttle is a little buggered and has a completely exhausted return spring so it needs a little love in that area as well as the brake needing adjustment, and a previously mentioned recoil rope issue which I feel okay about tackling.
SIDE NOTE: The local mower shop here in Renton which sells John Deere, Stihl, and other modern stuff turns out to be a great place for me to get help. The counterman, Dan just so happens to own a Tule Trooper, and one of the mechanics, Mike, owns a Bonham Tote Gote! How happy am I? Dan handed me 6 feet of rope for the Gote and the Trail King and sent me on my way, no charge. He said he is looking forward to helping me with my bikes!
Pretty durn great day all around, and it's great to have this unique bike home with us!
I am looking forward to getting all three bikes really dialed in by this spring so we can take them camping over the summer!
