DarthRider
02-08-2007, 11:01 AM
This little story is another from friend Robert Baucom, who has "lived" motorcycles - mainly Triumphs - all his long life.
I was lucky enough to have known both the gents in the picture & story. Woody Leon was a casual acquaintance from vintage rallies, and once having done some work for me on a recalcitrant Mustang (motorcycle) when I lived in Beaumont, Texas where his shop was located.
The other, Jack Wilson, is someone I knew a long time, and well. He was a mentor, friend, racing hero, beater of all the many factories racing in American Class C dirt track & road racing in the 60's and 70's, and all around character and icon of American racing. And he "wrote the book" on racing motorcycles at Bonneville.
Sometime I'll do a thread just on Jack Wilson stories...bring popcorn & beer for that one! This one is mainly about Mr. Woody Leon...
Dave
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Two "Late and Great" Triumph Motorcycle Icons. Jack Wilson, of Dalio's - Fort Worth & Big D Cycle - Dallas fame, was known as Mr. Bonneville.
Woody, sitting on the bike, was better versed in the "By the Book Physics" of Speed Tuning, but was not the focused, single minded, "Win or Die" competitor that Jack was.
Did I only refer to Jack as a competitor? Make that Fierce Competitor. "I ain't takin' 'bout secunt place."
http://www.ntnoa.org/bonneville.htm
Woody owned "Leon's Cycle" in Beaumont, Texas and his Triumph Franchise on the wall stated 1947. As the Triumph District Manager for Texas, I called on Woody in the '68 to '75 period. Woody, though not as well known as Jack was an undocumented engineer. Up stairs from the repair shop floor, he had his own personal race shop (off limits to other personnel). Self contained, it was his machine shop and engine building facility, complete with balancing wheels and scales. He once explained to me all the technical aspects of drive chains including their wear and failure characteristics. This included the acceleration and deceleration forces plus the centrical force when rounding a sprocket. He gave me a complete education in chains for nearly an hour. Given an another hour or so of the metallurgy and its various options - I would have been qualified for a " DRIVE CHAIN DIPLOMA". "Woody was my kind of people."
He built racers to run at Daytona for many years. One of my favorite stories about Woody was at Daytona in the mid to late 60's. W.T. Rufner (of the Priscilla Davis Mansion Scandal) was riding Woody's Scooter. The rules then limited overhead valve machines to 500cc and the Flat Head Harley's to 750cc. (Harley Davidson controlled the AMA in them thar days, and liked to stack the deck for themselves). in the late '40's or early 1950's - Harley had the overhead cams engines banned after the English Manx Nortons spanked their ass at Daytona two years in a row (The banning is another complete story in itself).
Woody's bike was a Triumph 5TA, 500cc, vertical twin. On practice day, when at speed ( up to 130 mph) It would suddenly steer to the right or left about three feet. Let us say, "This tended to disconcert W.T." They had checked the rear shocks for sticktion and the swinging arm's alignment. Rebalanced both wheels and checked that both were aligned properly. Not able to cure the problem, Woody asked two year Daytona Race Winner and Triumph Factory Rider, Gary Nixon, to take a few laps and give his opinion. Gary was suited up in his leathers, so he buckled up his helmet, swung a leg over the machine and got out on the grid. Once up to speed, when he went up on the high banked corner at the end of the straight away - it moved down three feet in an instant. Gary came in, took off his helmet and visibly agitated looked at W.T. and said, "God a Mighty! You must have Solid Brass Balls to ride that 'Son of a Bitch'." They later found that one fork leg was experiencing sticktion with its seal. Woody's bikes were always fast at Daytona, but tended to have a 'short fuse', as in DNF. It would be hauling ass - up among the leaders - then something broke.
Woody had owned and raced this Harley in his youth. In his later years, he wanted to find and restore his old racer. He still had the serial number, so he started a world wide hunt for it. It was located in Australia. After looking at the frame and other parts of the basket case in the pictures, he bought it and had it shipped to the USA. It's shown here after he had completely restored it.
The Picture was taken by BRYAN MACARTY of Waco. A Master Mechanic, Bryan worked for Woody at one time and later with Jack at Big D Cycle in Dallas.. Son Christopher and I were there that day. New Ulm is a great Old Bike Rally.
RHB
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/128342988-O.jpg
Note from Dave:
Woody Leon is astride the perfectly restored HD racer. Jack Wilson, in the blue & white cap, is standing to the left...Jack & Woody were old racing rivals and very good friends. The respect between these two was so tangible you could almost see & touch it.
The goober standing there in black cap, dark glasses, white shirt, and knobby-knee displaying shorts; holding a cold one, in drop-jawed amazement, is yours truly. Geeze, I wish you could have seen the legs!
I *really* wish you could have known Jack & Woody...
I was lucky enough to have known both the gents in the picture & story. Woody Leon was a casual acquaintance from vintage rallies, and once having done some work for me on a recalcitrant Mustang (motorcycle) when I lived in Beaumont, Texas where his shop was located.
The other, Jack Wilson, is someone I knew a long time, and well. He was a mentor, friend, racing hero, beater of all the many factories racing in American Class C dirt track & road racing in the 60's and 70's, and all around character and icon of American racing. And he "wrote the book" on racing motorcycles at Bonneville.
Sometime I'll do a thread just on Jack Wilson stories...bring popcorn & beer for that one! This one is mainly about Mr. Woody Leon...
Dave
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two "Late and Great" Triumph Motorcycle Icons. Jack Wilson, of Dalio's - Fort Worth & Big D Cycle - Dallas fame, was known as Mr. Bonneville.
Woody, sitting on the bike, was better versed in the "By the Book Physics" of Speed Tuning, but was not the focused, single minded, "Win or Die" competitor that Jack was.
Did I only refer to Jack as a competitor? Make that Fierce Competitor. "I ain't takin' 'bout secunt place."
http://www.ntnoa.org/bonneville.htm
Woody owned "Leon's Cycle" in Beaumont, Texas and his Triumph Franchise on the wall stated 1947. As the Triumph District Manager for Texas, I called on Woody in the '68 to '75 period. Woody, though not as well known as Jack was an undocumented engineer. Up stairs from the repair shop floor, he had his own personal race shop (off limits to other personnel). Self contained, it was his machine shop and engine building facility, complete with balancing wheels and scales. He once explained to me all the technical aspects of drive chains including their wear and failure characteristics. This included the acceleration and deceleration forces plus the centrical force when rounding a sprocket. He gave me a complete education in chains for nearly an hour. Given an another hour or so of the metallurgy and its various options - I would have been qualified for a " DRIVE CHAIN DIPLOMA". "Woody was my kind of people."
He built racers to run at Daytona for many years. One of my favorite stories about Woody was at Daytona in the mid to late 60's. W.T. Rufner (of the Priscilla Davis Mansion Scandal) was riding Woody's Scooter. The rules then limited overhead valve machines to 500cc and the Flat Head Harley's to 750cc. (Harley Davidson controlled the AMA in them thar days, and liked to stack the deck for themselves). in the late '40's or early 1950's - Harley had the overhead cams engines banned after the English Manx Nortons spanked their ass at Daytona two years in a row (The banning is another complete story in itself).
Woody's bike was a Triumph 5TA, 500cc, vertical twin. On practice day, when at speed ( up to 130 mph) It would suddenly steer to the right or left about three feet. Let us say, "This tended to disconcert W.T." They had checked the rear shocks for sticktion and the swinging arm's alignment. Rebalanced both wheels and checked that both were aligned properly. Not able to cure the problem, Woody asked two year Daytona Race Winner and Triumph Factory Rider, Gary Nixon, to take a few laps and give his opinion. Gary was suited up in his leathers, so he buckled up his helmet, swung a leg over the machine and got out on the grid. Once up to speed, when he went up on the high banked corner at the end of the straight away - it moved down three feet in an instant. Gary came in, took off his helmet and visibly agitated looked at W.T. and said, "God a Mighty! You must have Solid Brass Balls to ride that 'Son of a Bitch'." They later found that one fork leg was experiencing sticktion with its seal. Woody's bikes were always fast at Daytona, but tended to have a 'short fuse', as in DNF. It would be hauling ass - up among the leaders - then something broke.
Woody had owned and raced this Harley in his youth. In his later years, he wanted to find and restore his old racer. He still had the serial number, so he started a world wide hunt for it. It was located in Australia. After looking at the frame and other parts of the basket case in the pictures, he bought it and had it shipped to the USA. It's shown here after he had completely restored it.
The Picture was taken by BRYAN MACARTY of Waco. A Master Mechanic, Bryan worked for Woody at one time and later with Jack at Big D Cycle in Dallas.. Son Christopher and I were there that day. New Ulm is a great Old Bike Rally.
RHB
http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/128342988-O.jpg
Note from Dave:
Woody Leon is astride the perfectly restored HD racer. Jack Wilson, in the blue & white cap, is standing to the left...Jack & Woody were old racing rivals and very good friends. The respect between these two was so tangible you could almost see & touch it.
The goober standing there in black cap, dark glasses, white shirt, and knobby-knee displaying shorts; holding a cold one, in drop-jawed amazement, is yours truly. Geeze, I wish you could have seen the legs!
I *really* wish you could have known Jack & Woody...