Beschreibung:

• Ex-Gary Davis AHRMA vintage road racer, 1 of 1 • One-off Trackmaster nickel-plated chromoly frame • Special Powroll-built CB350 race motor bored to 460cc • Yamaha TD3 four-leading-shoe front brake, Ceriani forks Vintage racing has given many old motorcycles a vibrant second act long after their usual lifespan is over, Honda's CB350 being a prime example. The popular roadster responds well to simple track mods, though – racers being racers – more is always better. That philosophy was taken to the extreme with this very special CB road racer, so much so that very little of the original machine remains. The frame is a custom job by Trackmaster, crafted in the mid-1990s from 4130 chromoly, then nickel-plated. The engine was assembled by Pete Fisher, owner of the famous Powroll speed shop, said to be the last he built before retiring. Bored to a healthy 460cc, it inhales via a pair of 34mm Mikuni carburetors with gaping velocity stacks. At Daytona the bike was reportedly clocked at 154mph, which has to make it among the fastest CB350-based machines ever. Such velocities require good stoppers, and here a massive 4LS front brake from a Yamaha TD3 road racer is more than up to the task. Rear brake is also TD3. Other trick bits include Ceriani forks, shouldered Akront alloy rims and a shapely Drixton aluminum gas tank. The bike's original owner/builder is as noteworthy as the motorcycle. Gary Davis first gained fame in the motorcycle world in the early 1970s when he and partner Rex Blackwell toured the country jumping motorcycles ramp to ramp, rushing toward each other from opposite ends and passing in mid-air within inches, much to the crowd's delight. In stark contrast to Evel Knievel, Davis made 326 public jumps in all and did not crash once, never breaking a bone – in 1972 he even outjumped Knievel's distance world record by clearing 21 cars. Davis parlayed that notoriety in a successful Hollywood career as stuntman, stunt coordinator and second-unit director with more than 300 feature movies, TV shows and commercials to his credit. Ironically, one of Davis' first film jobs was doubling for the title star in Viva Knievel!, where the script called for him to crash! In time away from stunt work, Davis amassed a motorcycle collection that eventually numbered 240-plus, including many race bikes – the Trackmaster Honda among them – which were campaigned on the AHRMA vintage circuit. A talented all-around rider, Davis entered road race, flat track, MX and trials events. In 1998 he was awarded AHRMA's highest honor, the Sportsman of the Year, and this past December Davis was inducted into the AMA's Hall of Fame. Acquired by Vintage Motorcycle Rescue, the Davis Honda needed only a simple recommissioning. The bike runs very well, we're told, accompanied by a glorious racket from its twin stainless megaphone exhausts, needing only updates to current AHRMA regulations and a fresh set of tires to be race-ready once more. It wears Davis' old #890 number plates and he has autographed the gas tank.